THE PRESENT: Former Mud Hens RHP Chad Durbin is expected to sign a contract with the Cleveland Indians in the very near future.
THE PAST: Originally drafted by Kansas City, Durbin pitched for the Royals in 1999-2002, including a 9-16 season as a starter in KC in 2001. He signed with the Tribe in 2003 and pitched for the Indians briefly that season and the next before going to Arizona for seven relief appearances in 2004. Durbin spent all of 2005 with Washington Triple-A team, which at that time was New Orleans in the Pacific Coast League. He signed with Detroit in 2006 and was an International League All-Star for the Hens, posting an 11-8 record and 3.11 ERA in helping pitch Toledo to the Governors’ Cup title. He was promoted to Detroit briefly that season but spent all of 2007 with the Tigers, going 8-7 with a 4.72 ERA. Durbin signed with the Phillies in 2008 and spent most of the past three seasons in the bullpen; last year he posted a 4-1 record and 3.80 in 64 relief appearances with Philadelphia.
THE FUTURE: Durbin will become a quality arm in a Cleveland bullpen that doesn’t have many experienced alternatives. It’s hard to believe the Tribe will give him a spot at the fifth starter’s role that he coveted this off-season, especially with spring training games already started – and Cleveland trying to figure out what it has with young arms such as Jeanmar Gomez and Carlos Carrasco. But it wouldn’t be surprising if Durbin gets a chance to fill a late-inning role for the Indians rather than the middle-to-late-innings position he covered for the Phillies.
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