Jeff Samardzija spent time in the Mexican League last fall working on the breaking pitch he needs to be an effective big leaguer. "He used to look like a football player who was trying to pitch," Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "Now he looks like a pitcher who just so happened to play football in college. He's come a long way." Chicago has two openings in their rotation. They made a $10 million investment in Samardzija three years ago when they signed him. After a bright debut, he has struggled over the last 18 months. "The stubborn side of me ... expected it to happen overnight," Samardzija said. "The realistic side of me kind of knew it was going to take a little bit. I needed to be able to command another pitch. The curve has come along well."