November 21, 2004
Mileur's "2005 Best Bang for the Buck Free Agent Pitcher" signs two year deal with the Chicago CUBS for $4 million
by LEON
Just one week after Birdhouse Editor Ray Mileur named Chicago's Glendon Rusch as the "Best Bang for the Buck" for a pitcher on the free agent market, Rusch agreed to a two-year, $4 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Rusch will go to spring training as a potential fifth starter. There is a player option for 2006 and the value of the contract could increase to $6.4 million over the two years based on incentives for games started.
Mileur had hoped that the Cardinals might sign Rusch as a potential fifth starter and or long reliever for the 2005 & 2006 season. He said in a recent interview "Rusch would be an insurance policy for the Cardinals that we could use as we make the move to bring in Dan Haren and Rick Ankiel into the starting rotation. It would be nice having Rusch available in case the young pitchers struggle."
Rusch was a pivotal starter and reliever for the Cubs last season. He went 6-2 with a career-low 3.47 ERA in 32 appearances, 16 from the bullpen and 16 as a fill-in starter, especially when Kerry Wood was injured early in the season. In the post season he actually bumped Chicago starter Matt Clement from the rotation.
After signing with the Cubs as a free agent, Rusch was called up from Triple-A Iowa on April 30. He went 4-2 as a starter with a 3.50 ERA. He limited left-handed hitters to a .225 average. Rusch also showed some power from the plate, leading all Cubs pitchers with two home runs
