The Chicago Cubs did not acquire Yosver Zulueta expecting a finished product, and if he were one, the Seattle Mariners probably would not have moved him in the first place.
What the Cubs appear to be doing is something they have grown increasingly comfortable with in recent years: betting on elite raw talent and trusting their pitching infrastructure to handle the rest. Zulueta is the latest example.
The hard-throwing right-hander arrived from Seattle for cash considerations and was immediately optioned to Triple-A Iowa. It looks like a minor transaction on the surface, and it may say something bigger about how the Cubs are building their pitching staff.
There is a reason teams keep giving Zulueta opportunities, because few pitchers can do what he does when everything is working. The 28-year-old has touched 100 mph during his professional career and features the kind of velocity that grabs the attention of scouts and front offices alike. His slider has long been viewed as a legitimate weapon too.
Put those ingredients together and it is easy to see why organizations keep believing there is more to unlock. Power arms are hard to find, and power arms with this much remaining upside are harder still.