Suiter’s jump-start Valparaiso grad has chance to reboot his career as pitcher in Cubs organization after Rule 5 draft
Then the season ended, and Suiter went to Australia to play fall baseball.
He forgot about the pitching stint.
Suiter had a blast in the Australian Baseball League, where he tore it up playing in the outfield. He was ready to give it one more chance with the Pirates.
Then an even quirkier thing happened in December 2019.
The Cubs picked him in the minor league Rule 5 draft, which Suiter doesn’t even completely understand.
The purpose of the draft is to give experienced minor league players who are stuck in an organization a chance to move on. Of course, there has to be mutual interest with another team.
The bottom line was this: He became a Cubs minor leaguer.
The plan, which was waylaid last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is to convert Suiter into a pitcher.
It’s a low-risk move for the Cubs, who could use some pitching. It cost them $24,500.
For Suiter, it was a dream come true. He grew up pretending he was Sammy Sosa, carrying a water bottle in his backyard.
The experiment has given
Suiter a new lease on his baseball life.
Soon, he’ll be assigned to a minor league team, where he’ll be on the fast track to try to figure out a new position.
Suiter had a minor injury (biceps inflammation) in spring training that has set him back a few weeks, he said.
Otherwise, he’s ready to give it one great, last effort.
Suiter, 28, knows the clock is ticking. The allure for the Cubs: He has been clocked at 97 miles per hour. He’s always had a cannon arm.
“I understand there is a limited amount of time I can play this game,” Suiter said. “I want to play in the big leagues. I grew up a die-hard Cubs fan. This has given me a reset. I was grinding hard with the Pirates for six years. Mentally, I was tired. This has revamped my excitement for the game.”
There is precedent for a late-career transition.
Cubs reliever Rowan Wick spent the first few years of his career as a catcher. He transitioned to pitching in 2015 after about four years as a position player. He made his major league debut in 2018.
Suiter missed a year of developmental time during the pandemic. That’s behind him, though.
He has immersed himself in pitching analytics while working on his strength and conditioning. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Suiter doesn’t have any wear on his arm, which is good.
He knows it’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened.
“Obviously, there is a little pressure,” he said. “My goal is to get to the big leagues and play as long as possible. At the same time, I’m really enjoying baseball right now.”