Maddon has many options for Chicago Cubs' bullpen
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he will do his best to spread the workload among the bullpen arms with Tuesday's arrival of left-handed reliever Justin Wilson.
To make room on the 25-man roster for Wilson and catcher Alex Avila, acquired early Monday in a pre-deadline trade with Detroit, the Cubs optioned right-handed reliever Justin Grimm to Iowa Tuesday along with rookie catcher Victor Caratini.
It leaves the eight-man bullpen better balanced with left-handers Wilson, Brian Duensing and Mike Montgomery and right-handers Carl Edwards, Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon, Koji Uehara and closer Wade Davis.
"Look at those eight names right now. They're all good names," Maddon said. "In my mind's eye the best way to go about this is to not abuse anybody, to spread out the work as much as possible."
Wilson, who turns 30 on Aug. 18, was 3-4 with 13 saves with a 2.68 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 42 relief appearances for the Tigers this season. He notched 55 strikeouts in 40⅓ innings. Lefties batted .220 against him, righties .131.
"(Wilson) is equally good against righties and lefties and actually might be a little bit better against righties, so there's not a concern with that," Maddon said, "whereas, you have C.J. on the other side being the same way right-handed. Strop's been better, (Rondon) has been better, Koji has been better, Duensing and Montgomery have been outstanding and, of course, Wade.
"Again, my thought process is to not wear anybody out, to really spread out the work and, hopefully, have them all well by the end of the season."
Wilson, who used Monday's off-day to drive his car from Detroit to Chicago, said he and Maddon spoke about his role before Tuesday's game.
"He just said, you know, everyone's been pitching well and he's going to use me when he feels best," Wilson said. "I said 'Great. I just want to pitch.' "
Family business:
New Cubs catcher Alex Avila hails from a baseball family. His father, Al Avila, is the executive vice president and general manager the Detroit Tigers and his grandfather, Ralph Avila, was the vice president of the Dodgers.
So when Alex Avila was asked before Tuesday's game how his mother, Yamile, reacted to her husband trading her son from the Tigers to the Cubs, he said mom took it mostly in stride.
"I think she was probably more upset at the fact that she's probably not going to see her grandchildren as much," said a smiling Alex Avila, who has two daughters with his wife, Kristina. "My family, we're a baseball family and we've been in it forever.
"My grandfather has been in baseball for over 50 years and my dad. When you grow up in this industry you understand what it takes in order to succeed and the sacrifices you have to make as a family - not only extended family but immediate family as well.
"I mean, it's nothing new to us."
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