if there was a star pitcher on the market we could get of course id be all for it...but I think it's just a matter of time before lieber is in the rotation....he's pitching really well and needs to get the ball every 5th day. If were still having problems marshall has proven that he can be a decent and consistent starter. So we have two guys who are just waiting for an opportunity.

...good players get traded for at least 2 months or maybe in to July. No one is going to trade one of their better players during the season unless they are out of the race, and that takes a while.

I said a while ago, that I thought Leiber would wind up being the Cubs 2nd most reliable starter before 08 is in the books and I still think that will happen. If Hill continues his struggles and Marquis is performing poorly, they will plug those holes with Leiber and one of the young guys and ride it out until a decent pitcher becomes available closer to the deadline.

My biggest concerns are - the back of the rotation and what kind of production the Cubs will get out of SS and CF for the next 50-60 games.

Don't we already have a quality starter pitching out of our bullpen who got a win tonight? We also got a starter in Marshall who had a 3.92 era last year in 19 starts. This team isn't adding another starter with all of the good options they have. Most teams would love to have the 7 starters we have right now.

I think the pitching staff right now is probably good enough for us to win the division, but i dont think its good enough to go deep in the plaoffs.

We need another guy to go with Zambrano. I dont think Lilly really scares anybody considering he might be pitching against Dan Haren or Tim Hudson or Chris Young.

I dont think Blanton or Burnett would be major upgrades but i like the idea of Penny being on the team.

07
Beckett(3.27 era) - Francis(4.22 era)
Schilling(3.87 era) -Jimenez(4.28 era)
Matsuzaka(4.42 era) - Fogg(4.94 era)

06
Verlander(3.66 era)- Carpenter(3.09 era)
Bonderman(4.08 era)-Suppan(4.12 era)
Rogers(3.84 era)- Weaver(5.76 era)

05
Buehrle-(3.12 era)- Clemens(1.87 era)
Garcia(3.87 era)- Oswalt(2.94 era)
Contreras(3.61 era)- Pettitte(2.39 era)
Garland(3.50 era)-Backe(4.76 era)

04
Schilling(3.26 era)- Morris(4.72 era)
Martinez(3.90 era)- Williams(4.18 era)
Lowe(5.42 era)- Suppan(4.16 era)
Wakefield(4.87 era)-Marquis(3.71 era)
*Chris Carpenter 3.46 era but didn't pitch in postseason

03
Beckett-(3.04 era)- Mussina(3.40 era)
Penny(4.13 era)- Clemens(3.91 era)
Willis(3.30 era)- Pettitte(4.02 era)
Redman(3.59 era)- Wells(4.14 era)

So in the last five years, only the 05 Astros,White Sox and 03 Marlins had two starters with era's below 3.80. So say Zambrano has a 3.30s -3.40s era or better like he did from 03-06 and then Lilly and Hill have era's between 4- 4.20. Is that rotation any worse then most of those rotations that played in the WS in the last five years. Plus who knows what kind of year Dempster is going to have, and who knows if Lilly will stay at the level he was last year or not, who knows if Hill will improve or not. Not to mention Lieber could also possibly step in the rotation and have a era around 4.20-4.30 with the way he has pitched lately. So this rotation has potential to be very good, but even if its just Zambrano with Lilly and Hill with era's around 4-4.20 history says thats good enough for the postseason if those guys pitch well. My point is having two stud top of the rotation guys with a good number 3 isn't necessary to win in the postseason. Teams do just fine with a ace, mixed with middle of the rotation guys with a good offense and bullpen.

So fans can be scared of Lilly or Hill vs Haren, Young, Hudson or whoever else. But it's just one game, Lilly or Hill could be on that day, and other guy could have a average or rough day. That happens in the postseason all the time. How many postseason were Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine beat in, by lesser pitchers is a great example.

I wouldn't mind upgrading the rotation if the right guy was out there. I just don't really like the options who will be on the market. Brad Penny isn't gonna be on the market, and even though the guy was great he wasn't a front line starter in 05 and 06. Joe Blanton isn't a upgrade over Hill or Lilly and his only a minor upgrade over Lieber or Marquis when you factor in he will be leaving the A's pitcher friendly park. AJ Burnett is always hurt, do we wanna empty the farm for a guy who's made 30 starts once in his career? Who says he doesn't get hurt in September and Rich Harden is already hurt.

Plus the other NL teams rotations don't really scare me like some people. Dan Haren has had one ace like season pitching in a pitcher friendly park. In 05-06 he was pretty simliar to Hill and Lilly. Plus he might give up 35-40 HR getting out of the A's park this year. Chris Young is a good pitcher, but the guy isn't a ace away from Petco(4.52 road era last year). So if you face him on the road he's not this stud pitcher either. Hudson/Smotz is a good 1-2 combo but who's gonna pitch game 3 or 4? I like Hill or Lilly over Glavine or Chuck James. Thats always another good example. Some teams might have a better number 2 starter then us. But how many of these playoff teams have a better number 3 then us? Isn't winning game three just as important as winning game two? Sure you would take Hudson, Young, Haren over Hill or Lilly. But would you take Glavine, Maddux, Owings and others over Lilly or Hill? So as much as you don't like our chances in game two you have to like our chances in game three on paper.

Thats were having good depth helps out alot as well. Very few NL teams have four starters as good as the guys we have. Sure they might be better 1-2, but not better overall. So these teams might win game two(on paper), but the odds would be in our favor in games three and four. Because these teams don't have a number 4 starter like we have, so they either have to use a worse starter or pitch the ace on short rest. The success rate is very low for pitchers who pitch on short rest in the postseason, so that would also give us advantage. This is how teams year after year win with simliar rotations do what the Cubs have.

at starting pitching right now with Lieber and Marshall but Hill concerns me. And it's not just that he's wild. It looks like they got rid of his high, slow, leg kick on his delivery. Along with that it looks like he is rushing his delivery, causing him to be wild.

But what concerns me more is he only has two pitches. He tries to live on his fast ball and curve. So when he can't get his curve over, they sit on his fast ball. He needs another pitch. I keep hearing he has a change up, but I have never seen him use it. If he is going to be an elite pitcher, which he could be with that curve, he needs to develop a slider. If he had a fb, curve, slider and change up, he could win a Cy Young.

that starting pitching is weak and the Cubs should, therefore, bring somebody in. However, I don't think they are going to go outside the organization for pitching, between now and the end of the season. I would be real surprised if they did.

I think there is a good chance Lieber will end-up in the rotation too. I feel less sure, though, that he would be effective. He doesn’t walk hitters and that I like. It’s going to depend on how the current pitchers in the rotation perform and how Lieber himself holds-up going forward. That said, Lou would first go to the veteran Lieber when and if another SP is needed. A trade in midseason, shipping Marquis out for example, could put Lieber in the rotation.

Long relief, or the necessity for it, is something we don’t want. When forced into extra innings it is good to have the option, or when the rosters expand in Sept. it might even be practical. Otherwise, we don’t want Lieber or any other reliever having to throw 58 pitches in a game, albeit efficiently. A relief pitcher is going to need more days off after he throws a lot of pitches in an outing. It gets to be another way of burning the bullpen.