Bullpen Options

by Cub Style on May 15, 2009 5:11 PM CDT Comment 27 comments

First off, I'd like to say that, as much as I love him, Samardzija isn't an option. What made him sooo good last year was his ability to change speeds between his 93-98 mph fastball and his 88 mph split. That split is down to about 84 now, which makes the pitch very discernable to hitters, thus losing his deceptiveness.

Option 1:

Move Randy Wells to the pen when Zambrano gets back.

Although I do think Randy is more suited to be a starter, he's one of our best options as a long or middle relief man in the system right now.

Option 2:

Trade for Scott Schoeneweis.

He is a lefty specialist, .182 AVG, .318 SLG, 1 EXBH, and 4 K in 22 ABs. The Diamondbacks aren't going to compete in my opinion, so Schoeneweis should be available. Maybe not now, but later.

Option 3:

Get Cotts in with big leads for work.

Neal needs to improve his control, he's forcing ground balls but they're just finding holes. He can be pretty damn good, he just needs to hit his spots.

Option 4:

Go after a closer on a losing team at the trade deadline.

Brian Wilson, Huston Street, Frank Francisco, Heath Bell, etc... could all be had. Now I do not think Kevin Gregg is a problem, but I think he would be best suited to start the 7th inning rather than the 9th.

Option 5:

Get a setup man to compliment Marmol-Aid

Octavio Dotel, David Weathers, Bobby Seay, Jim Johnson, etc... could all be had at the deadline as well. This would free up the 7th inning, and give Marmol more days off.

Of course it will take more than one of these options to completely fix our pen up for a run in the playoffs.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Oh yea

And Peavy :D

Get Peavy already! I want my #44 jersey!

by Cub Style on May 15, 2009 5:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, about option 4,

Gregg isn’t moving from the closer’s role. Part of that is his knee- it helps for him and Lou to know when he is going in the game- but part of that is also that he is pretty good. Not great, but good enough. If we get another ‘closer’ (one other guy who we might mention is George Sherrill), I think he would become a late inning guy.

by Pat19 on May 15, 2009 5:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think you forgot an option.

Promote Jeff Stevens and and/or James Waddell. We should at least give our minor league guys a shot.

by Pat19 on May 15, 2009 5:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Um.

GJ: When I was a kid, well, I subscribed to a magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland. The publisher was a guy named Forest J. Acherman who passed away recently. They had a contest where you could build your own model. And it could be like a King Kong or anything from something you created yourself to like one of the monsters that was actually in the magazine like it could be Frankenstein all the way to the Phantom of the Opera they made these plastic models back in those days that you could buy and put together but these, this was like a thing you could create your own world of it, y’know, build telephone poles with railroad tracks and everything and, uh, I actually did enter it once I didn’t win anything but uhm, I gave it a shot and it was a, it was a pretty big deal for us kids in those days.

CS: And where do the Cubs fit into that?

GJ: Uh? Cubs? No. It was a monster magazine.

WOXY.com - The Future of Rock and Roll

by Gibbon Jockey on May 15, 2009 5:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

that was the worst post

ive read in all my life………..

by cubs2410 on May 15, 2009 11:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You receive no points

and may God have mercy on your soul.

"Enough foreplay- let's get crackin'"- Fred Garvin

by davidalanu on May 16, 2009 7:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

-1103210310

KOWRZ points

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on May 16, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Schoenweiss

He’s not very good. Put him in the category with Heilman as Mets pitchers who couldn’t get the job done the last few years.

by ak123 on May 15, 2009 6:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Only option 1 is useful.

You can’t be serious about Schoeneweis. He’s putridly bad.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on May 15, 2009 6:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

John Gaub

Is a better option that Waddell.

Who needs a stinkin' tag line? What are they for anyway?

by krummy12 on May 15, 2009 6:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Proof read

…than Waddell.

Who needs a stinkin' tag line? What are they for anyway?

by krummy12 on May 15, 2009 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

David Weathers?

Its way too early to see how the trade market is going to shape up, but its funny to see his name on there considering that the Cubs traded for him late in the season 8 years ago and he was considered a veteran back then.

Anyway YES I think the Cubs will need to trade for bullpen help when the market develops. I think it would be wishful thinking to think that Stevens or Waddell are going to come up and be the answer. In fact Waddell hasn’t even been impressive at Iowa lately.

by jeff_pico on May 15, 2009 7:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Way too early to talk Weathers

For as much as we know in a month Cincy could be running away with the division. I know how unlikely that is, but they’ve out performed what I thought they’d do so far.

by ak123 on May 16, 2009 1:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jeff Stevens is the most intriguing help for the pen

I will not be surprised to see him serve a vital role at some point after the All Star break. At some point this ridiculous experiment on David Patton will come to a merciful end and Neal Cotts will go on the DL with a real or phantom injury, thereby creating a couple spots in that pen.

by BLou on May 15, 2009 9:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

To the Luis Vizcaino fans

He debuted for the Indians tonight by giving up a walk off homer to BJ Upton.

by jeff_pico on May 15, 2009 10:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He has fans?

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on May 15, 2009 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know

But at the depths of the bullpen suckage alot of people wanted him back.

by jeff_pico on May 15, 2009 11:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think Id rather have Marquis back

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on May 16, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I didnt want Marquis gone

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on May 16, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hendrys offseason master stroke is doing a bang up job so far

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on May 16, 2009 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's a difference between being a fan...

…and thinking someone is a better pitcher than David Patton.

I has a blog. | Ask a sabermagician!

by cwyers on May 16, 2009 1:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hey,

i resemble that remark

by tim815 on May 16, 2009 8:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I saw that highlight.

ouch.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 17, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lou has already siad

When Z comes back, either Wells, or Marshall will be moved into the pen. That would probably mean that Patton is done, unless it’s Marshall to the pen, then they can let Cotts go. I like Asciano in there, but with the addition of one of those solid pitchers, they would potentially have 6 good relievers.
Marmol
Gregg (He’s won me over, anyone else?)
Ascaino
Wells/Marshall
Heilman
Guzman

"Check the magic of a winning season and there are always reasons beyond the talent." Ned Colleti

by wrigleyrocker12 on May 16, 2009 8:14 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Options 2,4,and 5

Just curious WHO you think we have that would make those options feasible….

Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team

by carmen_fanzone on May 16, 2009 10:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Our fine men from the Indians, Esmalin Caridad, Starlin Castro, etc...

Get Peavy already! I want my #44 jersey!

by Cub Style on May 16, 2009 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

pen

if marmol was his usual lights out i would make him the closer. gregg makes dempster look like rivera when he was in the pen. marmol can be as shaky as gregg though. lou said when z comes back the bullpen will be addressed.be afraid guys be very afraid.

by NOMAR on May 16, 2009 5:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs