Josh Conway was in the Region for more than a week.
But the RailCats didn’t officially sign the former Cubs farmhand until about an hour before Friday night’s game at the Steel Yard against Salina.
They wanted to make sure the right-hander was sure about joining the team. Just in case the 2012 fourth-round draft pick had second thoughts, they had a backup plan in place.
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But Conway, primarily a relief pitcher in his time with the Cubs, was on board with taking a spot in the RailCats’ four-man rotation. In his first outing since the Cubs released him during spring training, he allowed two runs on four hits with three walks in three innings in a 4-1 loss.
“At this point, it’s just a matter of getting on the mound,” Conway said. “(Starting or relieving) doesn’t really matter to me as long as I’m out there throwing.
“It’s just getting out there and getting back in game situations. You just have to try to fill the zone and give the team a chance to win.”
Issues with command hindered Conway’s development.
The 26-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2012 before the Cubs selected him in the fourth round from Coastal Carolina. He missed the 2013 season.
Conway went 0-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 13 starts in 2014 at Class A Boise, with 24 strikeouts and nine walks in 36 2/3 innings.
He shifted to the bullpen in 2015 at Class A Myrtle Beach. He went 2-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 34 games, with 49 strikeouts and 31 walks in 52 1/3 innings.
He went a combined 1-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 31 games last season at Class AA, Class A and rookie ball, with 31 strikeouts and 37 walks in 33 innings. The bulk came at Class AA Tennessee, where he went 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 games.
“The wheels kind of fell off for him the last couple of seasons,” RailCats manager Greg Tagert said.
“He came highly touted out of Coastal Carolina, he was a big-time prospect, but he’s had some struggles and got sidetracked. He’s trying to make not necessarily a comeback, but find a place he can settle in.”
Conway drove from Nashville, Tenn., where he had been training, and threw a simulated game Wednesday for the RailCats. It caught their attention.
“The stuff was everything you’d expect of someone drafted that highly,” Tagert said. “You can see there can be some misses — he’s not pinpoint like a Charle Rosario or Willie Glen. But when you watch him, he has the look of somebody drafted with the intent of going to the major leagues.”
With the RailCats wanting another look, Conway threw a second simulated game Sunday. The performance solidified their opinion and they told him about the chance to make Friday’s start.
“We didn’t make him the best offer,” Tagert said. “Even with his background, just like anybody else, we talked to him about coming up here, he was on his own — he paid for his hotel room for a week — with no guarantees,” Tagert said. “But we were intrigued enough to leave the decision in his hands.”
Conway, who had abandoned the windup to pitch exclusively from the stretch out of the bullpen, decided in the affirmative Monday.
“It’s an opportunity,” Conway said. “I wanted to take it head on and see where it goes. All I can worry about is throwing the ball and just go from there.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff