Samardzija On Feldman Trade: 'It's Unfortunate'
(CBS) Fans weren't the only ones caught off guard Tuesday when the Cubs sent starting pitcher Scott Feldman to Baltimore for two struggling pitchers (Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop) and two international signing bonus slots.
Fellow starter Jeff Samardzija was caught off guard too.
"I don't think this team improves by trading Scott Feldman," Samardzija told the Chicago Tribune. "He was one of our better pitchers. He's thrown a lot of innings, a solid dude, a solid guy in the clubhouse.
"It's a shame to see him go, and the same with Clevenger. A great dude to have around, a great teammate who played the game hard and played the right way. It's unfortunate. Just hope the guys they get in return are comparable and bring the same attitude to the field every day that those guys brought."
Samardzija's frustration is somewhat understandable. He's considered part of the core Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer want to keep around and it's only human nature to get impatient while the team continues to rebuild.
But it also raises concerns about Samardzija's future with the Cubs. How long is he willing to wait around? He turned down a five-year contract extension in the offseason.
"Well, I definitely don't want to see all my boys traded, that's for sure," Samardzija told the Tribune. "That wouldn't be the coolest thing in the world, especially when we feel we're not too far away from being a pretty darn good team. We'll see how this all turns out by July 31 and then go from there."
