He’s inexpensive and seemed more comfortable in that spot than the 8th inning. Lou already said he’s the closer as well.

Having a 7-8-9 guy locks down the bullpen issues for 2010 so they can focus on different needs.

But it’s wishful thinking if you truly believe we’d trade Marmol for Wood.

As you say he should not be placed in high pressure situations……Why have him at all. If someone isn’t prepared to pitch when it counts he should be somewhere else.

Or, at least those spots should be theirs to lose in Spring Training, they pitched great at the end of the year for us. I think Stevens has great potential, but needs to refine his command. Gaub should get an invitation to Spring Training, but I don’t think we need 3 lefties to start the year. Should definitely be on the 40 man, though. Waddell was released and no longer in the system, and Ascanio was part of the deal that got us Tommy GoGo and Grabow. Blake Parker’s case is the same as Gaub’s. I like both of those prospects, though.

Guess – Heilman is going to be back in the bullpen. If that is the case then they need either Caridad or Berg in the pen and Gregg exits. They should also consider Caridad for the 5th spot in the rotation assuming they don’t sign another starting pitcher. I think they should sign another starter though. I’m not impressed with Guzman and Marshall and only slightly more so with Gorz, so I hope those three are trade bait. By signing Grabow, they’ll have at least one lefty in the pen.

I think Bradley will be a virtual give-away. The proposed trade is food for thought and Marmol’s salary is supposed to jump beyond the minimum range, but I would be more than a little surprised if they moved Marmol with or without Bradley being involved in the deal.

As I noted in another thread, for the 5th starter job, my preference would be to see if there’s a veteran gamble that fits our budget. There will be some intriguing veteran arms out there, guys with some checkered histories, but still intriguing. Of course, there’s Harden, but if we don’t sign him and don’t offer him arb, he’s as good as gone. There’s also Bedard, perhaps Chien-Ming Wang, Sheets, and a couple other names. At the right price, I’d roll the dice on one, assuming we have the room, because if they fail, it likely means we go with Gorzelanny/Marshall/Samardzija and so forth anyways.

That said, we might not have the money. I’d try to get a 2nd lefty in there, probably Gorzelanny. It’s a fifth starter’s job, so let’s not overthink it, and he’s always had decent stuff, but not the consistency.

As for the pen, that’s a tougher question. I’m not huge on Grabow, but sure feels like he’ll be back. I’d rather go with guys from the system, but let’s face it, we’re going to add one external arm in all likelihood. Someone like Brandon Lyon would be my preference, but he might be costly this offseason. I do think Caridad will fit somewhere in there, and he could be a guy that develops into a 7th inning type. He’s a better fit for the pen, where he can reach back and add some velo. Berg is a possibility as a middle relief sinker type, coming in and hoping for the ground ball.

Not as worried about lefty depth this year. With Grabow likely back and with Marshall and/or Gorzelanny, that likely leaves Gaub for AAA to start the year. The chances are slim that both Papelbon and Ruhlman get picked, so there should be at least 1 more guy, if not two hanging around, and perhaps another guy or two.

Other general thoughts – I’m okay with dealing Guzman if he’s the make or break aspect to a big deal. Now, I’m not suggesting dumping him. Just that, if someone wants Angel Guzman to complete a big deal, so be it. He got quite lucky this year, but the raw arm ability is still there (average fastball in the mid-90’s).

I wouldn’t move Marmol unless it’s a real big deal and you get some certainty in something. Short of it is, Marmol in a “gamble” trade is not my preference. Yes, closers are overrated, and Marmol is inconsistent. But dealing Marmol means forcing yourself to add two, if not three, late inning arms in FA, an unlikely possibility.

I’d also like to see Shark focus on the pen, but I doubt it.

during this offseason. Certainly no big splashes. All pitching vacancies, I think, will be filled in-house. If there is going to be a big-name veteran acquired either via trade (most likely) or free agency, it’s probably going to be a hitter. They talk about the need for another big bat, but I think in that department, if we could get the good hitters on our team to play back to form, we’d be fine. I think we need a speed/defense/OBP guy personally, preferably one who can play CF so we could move Fukudome back to RF where he is better suited.

My biggest question pitching-wise is one I’m surprised has not been brought up yet: is Zambrano going to bounce back, get his head right, and pitch like he is capable of? If he could just do this, I think our rotation is as solid as anyone’s, including the Cardinals. But that’s a big IF. I’m beginning to think that expecting Z to be our legitimate ace is getting eerily similar to expecting our 1-2 starters to be a healthy Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

we had really good pitching this year but no hitting to go along with it. hopefully wells is not a 1 shot wonder.and gorz???? he will be like marquis. good game bad game ect ect ect. and wood for bradley? in a second. somebody call cleveland fast.

Zambrano, Lilly, Wells, Dempster, Gorzelanny in the rotation

Marmol, Guzman, Grabow, Marshall. Gaub, Stevens in the pen

====

Hendry is likely going to be under a mandate to pare the payroll back. That shall extinguish any moves being made to bolster the pitching staff. That means the incumbents and those waiting in the wings at Double A and Triple A will have to step up in Mesa.

(starters)
Lackey – Sign as FA
Lilly
Dempster
Halladay – Trade Marmol, Marshall, Ramirez for him
Wells

(bullpen)
Papelbon – Trade DLee, Soto & Soriano to Red Sox for him and v-mart
Guzman
Caridad
Grabow
Gorzelanny
6th Reliever

Cut Bradley, Gregg, Miles

Starters
1b – Hoffpauir
2b – Derosa (sign as fa)
ss – theriot
3b – Fox
lf – jason bay (sign as fa)
cf – fuld
rf – fukudome
c – Koyie / v-mart

Wells was a great surprise in 2009. You couldn’t help but be impressed with the quality and consistency of his pitching. And his maturity and composure on the mound.

But we’ve been down this path too many times before as Cub fans not to get carried away with what Wells can do going forward. I like his chances to remain a quality member of the rotation. But the prudent call is to reserve judgment….AND, have a backup plan should he disintegrate.

is Jonathon Papelbon. I doubt the Cubs do it … and I’m not sure how I’d feel about it (the demanded return would be high). That said, it’s a name to briefly ponder while we wait for the World Series to be over.

Papelbon is coming off a down year. Even in a down year, though, he was still dominant. The question is, will he still be dominant, or is the down year a sign of things to come? Certainly, an argument could be made that facing a new batch of teams could help.

I didn’t really buy any of the mid-season rumors on the Red Sox possibly moving Papelbon, but there seems to be increased rumors/spec of late that it is a possibility that they will ponder. They are high on Daniel Bard’s ability, and they could always bring back Billy Wagner to stopgap for a year while Bard develops. Part of the reason that they may move Papelbon would be due to cost. They would also want high level chips in probably A+/AA.

Leaving aside the cost for a moment, I am more confident in Papelbon than I am in Marmol, and such an acquisition would make me feel more comfortable about dealing Marmol away to fill another hole perhaps (I wouldn’t double stack it … rather go sign a FA setup option).

Assuming that the Red Sox are pondering it, the question for me would be what they would demand in return. His likely high salary and the likely high cost in talent would be problematic. There’s a certain barrier that I wouldn’t cross … but I’m not sure what that is.

• Anyhow, if I had to place a bet, I’d guess is that this is likely silly season rumor/spec, or that even if the Red Sox listen, that they wouldn’t get enough from any team to justify a move. Again, simply a name to discuss.

Just having some fun tossing names out there, but if we

a) Have the money

b) end up pursuing another veteran starter (which I’m not sure the organization will),

Wolf wouldn’t be a bad idea. First off, he might not want to come east, though. He’s a California kid, and may prefer staying out there if a team (Padres?) wants him (spec is that the Dodgers will let him go).

That said, he made 5 mil this year. While he likely gets a bit more next year, the chances of him breaking the bank seem fairly slim. He’d add a 2nd lefty to the mix, and perhaps allow us to shop Marshall or Gorzelanny in some package to upgrade elsewhere. He’s been a pretty steady end of the rotation type arm the last 3 years.

Anyhow, just tossing names out there. Money might not be there, or he may demand too much (I wouldn’t go that far past 5 million for him … ). Or, Randy may simply want to stay put.

is a beast.

because the Cubs aren’t in a position where they’re gonna need to do any big spending this offseason. I’d target the Mariners; they’ve got some pretty good pitching, and need an outfielder. I like Ryan Rowland-Smith who plays for them. Anyone think they would take Bradley for Rowland-Smith and Mark Lowe, because the Cubs could also use a good bullpen arm.

Rotation: Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster, Wells, Rowland-Smith/Gorzelanny (both would serve well in either the rotation or bullpen). Thinking ahead further, the Cubs should try to get Cliff Lee in 2011— when he becomes a FA and Lilly’s contract expires.

BTW, hello everyone. I’m a fan from NY; primarily a Mets fan, but also follow the Cubs.

I think I’d be open to the idea of starting the season with what we have and, if they struggle, going after Pedro for half a season (if the spec on him going with a “Clemens” plan is true).