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Back in 2016, the Cubs actually had a lot of roster depth and because they had several good bench players, infielder Tommy La Stella was optioned during the middle of the season to the minors. But he didn’t want to go back to the minors, so he took his ball and went home to New Jersey.
The holdout lasted about three weeks before La Stella returned and accepted his assignment to Double-A. He was eventually called back up to the 25-man roster on Aug. 31, and was on the NLDS roster against the Giants.
During his departure, La Stella even thought about retiring. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers had an exclusive interview with La Stella back in 2016, breaking down everything that was going on.
You can read that here.
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Now, three years later, Cubs pitcher Tony Barnette seems to have pulled a La Stella. According to Arizona Phil from the Cub Reporter, Barnette is now on the restricted list after leaving the Iowa Cubs.
On Friday, Cubs starter Cole Hamels left before the second inning against the Reds. He was placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain and the Cubs called up Dillon Maples and Rowan Wick.
The Cubs signed Barnette to a MLB contract this past offseason, with an option for 2020. The right-hander began the season working back from a shoulder injury and looked great at Triple-A before he was called up in June. Barnette only pitched in two games and was then optioned back to Iowa.
So, seems like he’s upset about not getting the call up after the Hamels injury and bolted. Hopefully things get worked out with Barnette and the Cubs and if not, good luck in the future. Sometimes, things just don’t work out and moving on isn’t a bad thing.
Hey, if history repeats itself, Barnette is going to be an All-Star wih the Angels in a few years like La Stella.
