Call the Angels

by Kchance on Mar 18, 2008 8:43 AM CDT Comment 28 comments

I was thinking to myself that Jason Marquis has no spot on this team. Thats just my thoughts. Im not really a fan off his stuff or him for that matter. Then it hit me that If I was Big Jim I would call the Angels. They are in need to a decent starting pitcher. With all of there injuries this spring they would more then likely listen to what Jim has to say.

I dont know much about the Angels farm system or there young players. My question is who do they have that could help the cubs? Willits comes to mind but can he play center? Is there any other teams you feel would want marquis? You thoughts please.

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Well, if we're calling the Angels

they're overstocked at SS, so I'd see what besides Marquis it would take to get any of those SSs.

Oh, and the rumor is that the Angels refuse to trade Willits.

by DGU on Mar 18, 2008 8:51 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I would much rather have Jason Marquis in the rotation

Than Ryan Dumpster. I love his heart and his spirit, but I hate him playing baseball.

Mario Kart Wii -- April 27th!

by TheBeerBaron on Mar 18, 2008 8:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Willits.

I am a BIG fan of Willits. But so are the Halos and many other people. They said a while ago they are not moving him. He is pretty much in the same position as Sam Fuld is on the Cubs. A 5th outfielder you want to see make the team but probably won't. (He is better the Fuld)

Willits can play anywhere in the outfield also. But with all this being said it would take more than just Jason Marquis to get him. I wouldn't mind getting someone like Izturis from them though, who can play short, 2nd and 3rd.

by dus22 on Mar 18, 2008 9:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You know...

the Anaheim media is reporting that Reggie is headed back to the minors, where he is likely to stay for most if not all this season. In my mind, he is definitely trade bait for LAA. Although I wouldn't trade him for Jason Marquis.

by Damen Jackson on Mar 18, 2008 9:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why is everyone so quick to move Marquis?

He's looked really good this spring and if you don't recall......

Pre-All Star break last season, Marquis was 6-5 with a 3.67 ERA in 105.1 innings with an opponents batting average of .231.

Plus, in his 2 starts against the Brewers in 2007, Marquis allowed only 2 ER in 12.1 innings.

What has Dumpster done aside from drive us all to insanity blowing 6 run leads against the Mets.

Mario Kart Wii -- April 27th!

by TheBeerBaron on Mar 18, 2008 9:10 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

you nailed it right there though

"with an opponents batting average of .231"

now carlos zambrano has the stuff to hold opponents to that low of an average, but Mr. 4.5 K/9inn jason marquis does not. he cannot put hitters away, and that opponents BA is just evidence of great luck leading to his success last year.

Bill James Felix Pie 2008 Projection: .283/.333/.456 16 HR 21 SB

by kylejo on Mar 18, 2008 9:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You and I both know that Marquis has a history of success in the first half.

4.24 ERA in Pre-All Star break from 2004-2007......in 2006, his Pre-All Star break ERA was 5.55, he was under 4 in each other campaign.

Dumpster is going to get pummeled.

Mario Kart Wii -- April 27th!

by TheBeerBaron on Mar 18, 2008 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

please tell me

who is "Dumpster"? can't find him on the roster..

Live is boring until March 31st strolls by..

by Chanman25 on Mar 18, 2008 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, and then what occurred....

...was regression to the mean - Jason Marquis outpitched his talent level for a while, and it finally caught up with him. There's no evidence that he pitched any better the first half of the season, just that he pitched luckier.

We are at the point where there shouldn't be any questions about Jason Marquis' level of talent. To the extent that it exceeds Ryan Dempster's, the difference is small if anything. But Marquis' contract is a millstone around the Cubs' neck, and if Dempster can't get the job done in the rotation, we know we can use him out of the bullpen. So I know which I would rather carry into the season with me.

To be perfectly honest, I view our fifth starter as an insurance policy to keep one of our young pitchers from going more than 160 innings this season - nothing more or less. Dempster is much better suited to that role than Marquis.

I has a blog.

by cwyers on Mar 18, 2008 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

re: Yes, and then what occurred....

Yeah, we had this same discussion a month or so ago and cwyers made a great point that I still agree with: All things considered, Marquis and Dempster are equally mediocre starting pitchers, but Dempster has the edge because he's at least able to strike guys out. (cwyers, please feel free to correct me if I'm misquoting or oversimplifying here.) For that reason alone, I'd go with Dempster in the starting rotation over Marquis.

That said, I'm not expecting much from Dempster. I've no doubt he'll drive us nuts at times, and if he makes a start against the Mets, I may have to hold someone's hand during the first few innings. But, at best, I look for him to be this year's Jason Marquis minus the second-half collapse.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 Chicago Cubs starting outfield: Soriano-Pie-Fukudome. Let it be.

by dat cubfan daver on Mar 18, 2008 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dempster also has...

...the edge for superior attitude. Period. - TL

"Why shouldn't we believe that we're going to win the World Series?" - Ted Lilly, 1/19/2008, Daily Herald interview w/Barry Rozner

by timlacy on Mar 18, 2008 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd Do It...

... and if we can fill a need at another spot, let's do it.

At the end of the day, we have more starting pitchers than we need. Lieber is a lock. Dempster or Marquis gets the other spot.

The question becomes will the "non-winner" be better suited in the bullpen, or would it be better to move them to another team to shed the dollars (namely the 2009 dollars) and add to what we need.

To me, there is no need to get a player at SS, 2B, etc as we already have Cedeno and Cintron. If we are looking to get a starting SS, he better be an upgrade over our options now.

The Cubs needs are a 4th OF who can bat from the right side (or switch), but can namely play a solid CF. If we can get a solid lefty who can get righties out at a great clip (like Sherrill of the O's), then I am sure we would be willing to trade for that...

... and then as we get closer to the trading deadline, I am sure we will be in the hunt for a #2 SP.

Jacque Jones is gone, and I doubt Ivan DeJesus would mind this!

by initram on Mar 18, 2008 9:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree...

... that neither Dempster nor Marquis would do well in the bullpen. Now, Dempster has had some success there before -- but now, another pitcher has taken over his role and the other roles are filled.

Someone will be traded. Now that the Angels have some injury problems, maybe they'd take one of our surplus. I doubt you're going to get a major league regular for either one, though.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Mar 18, 2008 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If one is going to be traded

it should be Marquis, but only if the Cubs intend to use Dempster as the closer. If he remains a closer he's almost a lock to be a Type A free agent, which would get the Cubs a couple of draft picks assuming the Cubs offer arbitration (no brainer) and another team signs him (most likely true as well). If the Cubs aren't going to use Dempster in that way, then get him off this team. I'd just give him away because anything we get back is just going to suck in the low minors and take a spot from someone who may deserve a promotion later on.

If the Cubs won't use him as a closer I'd not only give him away, I'd pay the salary as well. He's worthless.

by Maddog on Mar 18, 2008 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I don't see the match...

but God bless I guess if Anaheim does. You'd expect that they would package Reggie to either A) get the Matthews Jr. contract off the books, or b) dump Santana in favor of an upgrade. I just can't see them blowing that nice chip for Jason Marquis.

by Damen Jackson on Mar 18, 2008 9:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

All of the Angels SSs would be better than ours

Erick Aybar may not be better offensively, but I'm not sure he'll be that much worse and his defense should be better. Wood and Maicer Izturis would both be better offensively and defensively.

by DGU on Mar 18, 2008 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Angels are well-stocked with pitchers

Kelvin Escobar, Jared Weaver, Bob Saunders, Jon Garland, hotshot younster Nick Adenhart. Not to mention a potent and deep bullpen.

I think they can weather the storm of losing John Lackey. It's not as if they play in a great division either.

by MDBNIU on Mar 18, 2008 10:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Ken Rosenthal says the Angels are looking for help.

Now, whether or not that entails Jason Marquis, I have no idea. But it's not farfetched.

I has a blog.

by cwyers on Mar 18, 2008 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Angels may be looking for help, but I highly doubt it will come from the Cubs

MDBNU is right, their minor league system is stacked. With Escobar and Lackey sidelined, it will give Adenhart a shot. He's every bit as good as Weaver when he came up a couple years ago. Also, unlike the Cubs (see Steve Trachsel aquisition), the Angels won't give away prospects for a pitcher like Dempster or Marquis. The only chance we would have of getting Figgins or Willits is a trade would be if we included A-Ram....which may not be a terrible move.

by bmbaker on Mar 18, 2008 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Escobar is out 4-6 weeks also

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Mar 18, 2008 10:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

According to Levine on ESPN 1000

just now, he reports the Cubs and Halo's talking the last couple days; didn't capture details as I was locked in doing actual work...damn!

by blackhawk24 on Mar 18, 2008 10:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nothing Reported At The 11:40 update...

Jacque Jones is gone, and I doubt Ivan DeJesus would mind this!

by initram on Mar 18, 2008 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Do it

in a second. Marquis just makes me feel icky.

2008: The year we put it all together.

by drewishdrewid on Mar 18, 2008 11:35 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I Am Not An ESPN Insider...

... someone who is, can you paraphrase what was mentioned here under "Cubs make an offer for Brian Roberts" headline?

Jacque Jones is gone, and I doubt Ivan DeJesus would mind this!

by initram on Mar 18, 2008 11:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

According to Insider...

the Cubs offered:

Veal
Gallagher
Cedeno
Ceda

Sounds pretty good to me if I'm Baltimore.

by Damen Jackson on Mar 18, 2008 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ESPN Insider is just repeating...

...the discredited Wittenmyer rumor. Nothing to see here, folks. Ceda has not been offered to Baltimore.

I has a blog.

by cwyers on Mar 18, 2008 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure I'd say that.

Just because Hendry and some other Cubs said something doesn't mean it's true. Then again, it's just like the Cubs to protect a reliever while offering up two starters.

by Maddog on Mar 18, 2008 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs