After looking at news from the eastern and western sides of the baseball world tonight, let's turn our attention to the NL Central…
- Tom Gorzelanny could be the odd man out of the Cubs' crowded rotation, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Chicago has already been shopping the left-hander this winter, and the Mets and Tigers were both reportedly interested.
- Before Kerry Wood signed with the Cubs, he was promised a post-retirement job with the team by chairman Tom Ricketts, Levine writes. No specific job was mentioned, though Levine cites a radio report that said Wood had been offered a broadcasting position.
- Walt Jocketty tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Reds "haven’t made a lot of progress" with their four remaining arbitration-eligible players. One of those four arb-eligible Reds is Joey Votto, so it's possible his longer-term negotiations are taking up Jocketty's time.
- The Brewers have signed Eulogio de la Cruz, reports Matthew Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). De La Cruz, 26, spent last season pitching in Japan. The right-hander has an 11.84 ERA and a 9.9 BB/9 rate in 15 career Major League games with the Padres, Marlins and Tigers since 2007, though his career minor league numbers (3.73 ERA, 4.2 BB/9 rate) are more respectable.
Tom Gorzelanny and Blake DeWitt for Dan Murphy
Silva should be the odd man out, not Gorzelanny. Age, money, future expectations. Why dump Gorz instead of Silva? You’ll have to eat money to dump Silva but the savings will probably be about what you’d save by trading Gorz. Doesn’t make sense to hold on to Silva.
Even throwing in cash, they will still get a lot more in return if they trade Gorz. He is seen as a better player, and Silva is only a year removed from being the worst starter in MLB. Being a lefty helps, too.
Silva will be lucky to make it through the spring as a Cub. The Cubs have so many back end types that someone has to go. Gorzy being a lefty, team controlled and a decent back end pitcher, makes sense. I was kind of hoping he would pitch strong for the Cubs, but I see their point.
I started to post about how Silva’s contract makes him untradeable, but after reviewing Cot’s, it looks like the Cubs are only on the hook for $6 million in 2011. The Mariners pay the rest. Not sure if that $5.5 million payment is transferable via trade though. If it is and Silva looks good this spring, the Cubs probably wouldn’t have to eat more than a couple million to unload him.
Anyone know how that works? Can the Cubs trade Silva and send the Mariners money they’re getting with him? Probably would require commissioner approval.
They would need to. The Cardinals paid Jim Edmonds to play with the Cubs in 2008. Cubs only paid the prorated league minimum.
Excuse me. The Cubs wouldn’t need to send the Mariners money.
actually the Padres did. Cards traded Jim to the pads as a salary dump then the pads cut him loose and he signed with the cubs.
Cards kicked in money in the trade to San Diego. San Diego did pay a portion of his salary though. I forgot to mention that.
actually the Padres did. Cards traded Jim to the pads as a salary dump then the pads cut him loose and he signed with the cubs.
actually the Padres did. Cards traded Jim to the pads as a salary dump then the pads cut him loose and he signed with the cubs.
I think the Orioles would take Gorz instead if Blanton. We need another lefty in our rotation and I see alot of up side in Gorz. I think he could be our number 3 or 4 guy.
I see upside in him too, but no more than a 10 win 5th starter. Not sure about 3-4
I see upside in him too, but no more than a 10 win 5th starter. Not sure about 3-4
I think we should hold onto Gorz as well, having at least one Lefty in the starting five would be nice…That being said moving Silva is still going to be extremely difficult.
I hope the Kerry Wood contract situation is handled better than the Pettite situation with the Yanks, being that its locked in on price, and Kerry is welcome to pitch as long as he wants, all on one year deals..If some year he doesn’t feel like it than he doesn’t have to, and he can start his broadcast job
Check the Tribune. Wood laughed at the broadcast rumors and shot them down.
Don’t see Wood doing broadcasting. See him in an executive position with the Cubs.
I think so, too.
I think so, too.
Lokk at the Cubs pitching for next year.(not offical order just naming them)
For Starting pitching they got
1Garza
2Dempster
3 Big Z
4 Gorzo
5Silva
6wells
7Coleman (sp?)
And that is just with out the guys in the minnors. Now i have heard rumors about Samardzija/Wodd starting! Which i Hope Wood doesnt bc i wanna see a reverse 08 bull pen with him ocasonaly setting up and marbol cl. Anyway Samardzijai like how we are sticking him to one roll this time but with 7 options in front of him i doubt he makes it.
On to the Bull Pen
cl mARBOL
su Marshell
Su Cashner
Lr wood
lr Samardzija(i think hes out of options)
mr j.grawbow
and the last one could be one of J.RUSSEL,J.BURG,J.STEVENS,COLEMAN,Caridad, Diamond, Maine, Mateo or one of Silva/Wells as long relif.
With out any trade the cubs rotaion would probly be:
1Big Z
2Dempster
3Garza
4Gorzo
5Silva/Wells
Bp:
CL marbol
SU MARSHELL
SU CASHNER
LR WOOD
LR Samardzija
MR Grabow
MR ?????
For once we have to much pitching which would be good but not this much.
you never have too much pitching.
you never have too much pitching.
you never have too much pitching.
I think that one of the backend guys, either Wells or Gorz will be gone by opening day. Maybe try and revive the Texas deal for O’Day and Davis. Maybe Gorz and Samardzija for those two. Unfortunatly for Samardzija they never settled on a role for him. He bounced between starter and reliever and never settled in. They did the same thing with Marshall before telling him last year “youre a reliever, not a starter, focus on being a reliever” and look how he responded. There is such a huge difference between how you prepare as a starter and as a reliever. You cant bounce a young pitcher back and forth and have success.
For his sake i hope that they dont make that mistake with Cashner. I like the kid and i think that he can contribute in 2011 out of the pen or as a 5th starter. If they want him to be a starter then leave him in AAA to start the year to develop his secondary pitches more since they have 5 spots filled. Then if there is injury or ineffectiveness from either Wells or Silva then you can bring him up as a starter. If they leave him in the pen to start the year then they cannot think of him as a starter in 2011. At least not without hindering him as a pitcher.
There are a number of guys who can be brought in on minor league deals who can fill out the pen beyond Marmol Wood Marshall and Grabow.
I know looking to the future is a big problem for a GM who has his job hanging by a thread like Hendry does. But for the sake of a potential future stud starter let Cashner develop.
exactly! they need to deside what they want best for cashner. he is one of my favorite players i have his autograph from when he went to meijer’s, at wrigley and hope to get his again at the cubs covention. i have to go but ill reply more later. but before i go i want to say we need to get more young guys in the pen not have one year young(10) and one pen vet(11), a equal ballance
Personally i think that they should leave him as a starter. More value that way and he has the secondary pitches to be a starter. He just didnt need them coming out of the pen last year. If they make him a starter then they need to leave him at AAA for the year at least til September. Unless there is a long injury to a starter. Why waste another year of service time as a reliever if your long term plans for him are as a starter? Unfortunatly Hendry is doing everything he can to get himself off the hotseat so patience isnt something im expecting from him.
As far as the pen goes im not sure i agree with you about bringing in more young guys. We ran a whole bunch of younger guys through the pen last year and none of them had much success. Berg, Stevens, Russell, Samardzija, Diamond, Mateo and Caridad all were shuffled through the pen last year and none of them had much success. Caridad ill give a pass to due to his injury. I think that Marshall will be the main lefty again. they should dump Grabow who shouldnt have been signed in the first place. Russell and Maine will compete for the 2nd lefty spot. They have Wood and Marmol already from the right side. Cashner penciled in as well cause i dont think they will wait. Id like to see Coleman get the long relief job. So if they carry 12 pitchers that leaves 1 or 2 spots depending on Cashner.
For those my first choices are FA guys. The 1 guy who i would love to see brought in is Chad Durbin. Solid veteran out of the pen who is very durable. And then there is a group of bounce back type veterans who i could see bringing in on minor league deals to compete for spots during the spring. Anyone (or two) of Jose Veras, Dustin Nippert, Juan Cruz, Todd Coffey, Blaine Boyer or Lance Cormier could be brought in to compete with Caridad (if healthy) and the other young guys for whatever remaining spots there are in the pen. My preference out of those guys would be Cormier or Veras. Cormier had solid numbers last year against mostly AL East opponents and i believe that he would have another arb year to go with a contract this year. Veras was solid last year and like Cormier is only 30 with arb eligilbility left.
That makes the rotation look like this Z, Dempster, Garza, Silva, Wells/Gorz
and if the guys i mentioned got picked up the pen would look like this
RHP’s Wood, Durbin, Cormier, Coleman, and one of Cashner, Caridad, and co.
LHP’s Marshall and Maine or Grabow if they dont dump him with Russell waiting in AAA
and Marmol to close
exactly! they need to deside what they want best for cashner. he is one of my favorite players i have his autograph from when he went to meijer’s, at wrigley and hope to get his again at the cubs covention. i have to go but ill reply more later. but before i go i want to say we need to get more young guys in the pen not have one year young(10) and one pen vet(11), a equal ballance
I’m fairly certain that deal with Texas was based on Chirinos so Texas could flip him for Garza. They mitt still be interests in Gorzellany. I know the Padres have been linked to Wells in the past.
Im sure that was part of it. However with Moreland and Young at 1st Davis could be available. Of the things that the Cubs still need that they can reasonably get this year are at least one more veteran for the pen. Especially if you buy in to my reasoning behind Cashner in my post above. And a young 1B who they can stash in AAA for a year.
The pen can be helped out by bringing in a FA or 2 on minor league deals and then have an open competition during the spring. Guys like Lance Cormier, Todd Coffey, Juan Cruz, Manny Delcarmen and Jose Veras all fit the bill. One guy who i would love for them to go after is Chad Durbin. He has been solid over the last 3 years in Philadelphia. The hard part would be getting him to leave PHI.
The 1B options are kind of limited. The only real trade chip they have is either Wells or Gorz. I think Wells has a higher ceiling but i think Gorz can be more stable if given a defined role plus he is a LHP. IDK if they would move him but with AGon now there Lars Anderson is someone who i wouldnt mind adding in a deal for Gorz. Boston could use another LH in the pen who can spot start if needed and it would solve the Cubs lack of AAA depth at 1B. Plus it gives the Cubs a fallback option if they dont like the FA candidates next offseason.
It might take more than just Gorz to get him. Id even be willing to throw in Samardzija to get a deal done for either Anderson or Chris Davis. Both can stay at AAA for the year unless there is an injury and can be a fallback option if they dont bring back Pena or go out and get another 1B. Boston makes sense to me mainly because i would like to see them bring in either Scutaro or Lowrie in addition to Anderson. Bringing in either one of those guys would be a nice upgrade at 2B over DeWitt/Baker.
What you think?
I agree the starting rotation is not bad (And that is all that it is), but you poor Scubbies couldn’t hit your way out of a wet paper bag. Hey, cross your fingers and maybe you’ll get third this year.