Cashner to the bullpen when he returns

In News And Rumors by dmick8951 Comments

No decision has been made on what type of a role he will have long term with us. I will leave all of that up to Dr. Gryzlo and Dr. Yocum who are treating him for his shoulder injury. I will tell you that I think that if he is out for a while it is probably unrealistic to think that he will just go right back into the rotation when he returns. When you miss a few months with an arm injury you cannot just go right back to pitching six innings or more when you return so I would think that he would be in the pen when he does come back this season.” — Jim Hendry

I’m concerned enough about Andrew Casner’s ability to stay healthy in the rotation at this point that this is really the only decision that makes sense to me. Perhaps at some point down the road you revist this, but right now the goal has to be to keep him healthy. It would also be nice if the Cubs could extract some value of their 2009 first round pick and that’s probably not going to come from him as a starter. If the Cubs think his arm is healthy enough to start next season, then I suggest they give him some time in the minor leagues to get stretched out before putting him in the big league rotation.

The Cubs rotation moving forward will be Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Matt Garza (assuming he returns on time, which I’m skeptical of), Randy Wells and either Doug Davis or Casey Coleman. Speaking of Davis, a lefty, the Cubs currently have way too many lefties on their team. The Cubs have Sean Marshall, James Russell, John Grabow and Scott Maine currently in the bullpen. How many lefties do you need?

I can’t think of any reason the Cubs shouldn’t send down Maine and release John Grabow. Say what you want about Russell, but he’s dirt cheap. He’s also been effective in the bullpen though it’s a very small sample.

h/t to Ace


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  1. Dr. Aneus Taint

    The Cubs rotation moving forward will be Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Matt Garza (assuming he returns on time, which I’m skeptical of), Randy Wells and either Doug Davis or Casey Coleman.

    (dying laughing)

    Oh, you were serious.

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  2. Mish

    [quote name=Jame Gumb](dying laughing)

    Oh, you were serious.[/quote]
    Well, as serious as Cubs baseball gets.

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  3. mb21

    [quote name=jtsunami]The Cubs should sign Will Ohman, Scott Eyre, and Neil Cotts. The Power of 7![/quote]They surely have some other lefties in the minor leagues they can call up as well.

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  4. Rice Cube

    Since they’re fixated on left-handedness they should turn all their pitchers into switch-pitchers.

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  5. Rice Cube

    Posey’s leg looks QWOPish in the AP photo. It probably snapped at some point in the ankle or lower tibia/fibula area. Yikes.

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  6. WaLi

    [quote name=Rice Cube]http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15201747

    Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. What would you do?[/quote]
    Did Quade think the Cubs were about to score?

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  7. Dr. Aneus Taint

    [quote name=Rice Cube]http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15201747

    Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. What would you do?[/quote]
    Shoot the guy on second.

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  8. Rice Cube

    [quote name=WaLi]Did Quade think the Cubs were about to score?[/quote]
    Quade thinks a lot of things.

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  9. Aisle424

    (dying laughing)

    This makes me laugh, as it was obvious from the first inning that Quade was counting on rain shortening the game. Len and Bob even commented several times that the only reason Quade yanked Coleman so quickly was because he was counting on rain. So the fact that Quade was expecting a rain-shortened game and then got upset when the game was, in fact, shortened, is amusing to me.
    Not only that, when Quade went out to argue with the umps, there was actually thunder and lightning at Wrigley.

    http://aeryssports.com/a-league-of-her-own/the-cubs-are-starting-to-get-to-mike-quade/

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  10. Rice Cube

    I heard conflicting reports re: thunder and lightning at Wrigley. I don’t think Pat and Keith said anything about it, and the video with Len and Bob suggested that it was just a weak rain although it looked pretty harsh to me. I could hear the thunder and see lightning to the north from my vantage point on the South Side so I thought the umps made a good call. Most Cubs fans probably disagree with me though.

    Also, I know it’s bad weather and all that, but Wrigley is about as empty as whatever they call the stadium the Marlins play in these days.

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  11. jtsunami

    Just our luck that the good pitching prospects we have are just far enough away to not be replacement candidates.

    When your AAA squad’s average age is 26.5 years old, you are probably in trouble if someone gets hurt.

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  12. Dr. Aneus Taint

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I heard conflicting reports re: thunder and lightning at Wrigley.[/quote]
    Check with Alvin. I’m sure he was there.

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  13. Rice Cube

    [quote name=Jame Gumb]Check with Alvin. I’m sure he was there.[/quote]
    I think he’d have called it a light drizzle. Alvin’s perception does not seem to be the most keen.

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  14. WaLi

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I think he’d have called it a light drizzle. Alvin’s perception does not seem to be the most keen.[/quote]
    He would have used more words and puncuations than that.

    “As clouds, most likely nimbus clouds, were rolling over Wrigley Field, the stadium where the Cubs play (which is in need of renovation [note: Ricketts tried to get tax payers to pay for these renovations, which did not pass], especially the troughs), it began to lightly drizzle, which reminded me of the time Ronnie Woo Woo was lightly drizzling on me in the left field bleachers, soaking my balogna sandwich (although this did make it taste better!).”

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  15. Rice Cube

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I forgot who was on base, but I think Starlin Castro was at-bat.[/quote]
    I’m retarded. It was the top of the seventh, not the bottom. Derp.

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  16. Rice Cube

    Campana in CF today.

    Which means Soriano and Fukudome can just set up lawn chairs and sit their defensive innings out.

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  17. WenningtonsGorillaCock

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I heard conflicting reports re: thunder and lightning at Wrigley.[/quote]
    I was at the game last night. It started lightning and thundering about 5 min after Quade’s tirade. It was miserable out. The only reason I stuck around was to hear Bill Wennington sing the 7th inning stretch, and then they called the game 1 out before that could happen (dying laughing)

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  18. jtsunami

    [quote name=Berselius]Wow. Wouldn’t be surprised if that Posey injury is more or less a career ender.[/quote]I wonder if they make a ring around him he’ll get better?

    /Pun’d

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  19. Mish

    I liked this, from Calcaterra’s questions/answers thread at HBT:

    Q: If we dump Derek Jeter into the Sarlacc’s mouth, do you think it has to digest his intangibles before or after his corpse?

    He would never be consumed. He would escape, not unlike Boba Fett escaped: by virtue of his iron will and his Mandalorian armor. And the assistance of fellow bounty hunter Dengar.

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  20. ACT

    [quote name=mb21]They kinda need that anyway.[/quote]Yeah, on the other hand, Sori is more like 0.5 infielders at most.

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  21. Rice Cube

    [quote name=ACT]Yeah, on the other hand, Sori is more like 0.5 infielders at most.[/quote]
    He can be the “extended dive” for Ramirez at 3B.

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  22. Bubba Biscuit

    [quote name=Rice Cube]http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15201747

    Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. What would you do?[/quote]
    The Mets were batting, not the Cubs.

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  23. Rice Cube

    [quote name=Bubba Biscuit]The Mets were batting, not the Cubs.[/quote]
    Indeed, I have already punished myself by not eating dinner in a few hours.

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  24. Bubba Biscuit

    [quote name=mb21]the Cubs currently have way too many lefties on their team. The Cubs have Sean Marshall, James Russell, John Grabow and Scott Maine currently in the bullpen. How many lefties do you need?[/quote]
    I think the Cubs are one of the perfect teams to try out a new pitching staff theory that I am currently writing up after doing research on it. I wish I had data on it other than theory, but no one has tried it for any extended time in the current era of almost 100% 5 man rotations.

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  25. Dr. Aneus Taint

    [quote name=Bubba Biscuit]I think the Cubs are one of the perfect teams to try out a new pitching staff theory that I am currently writing up after doing research on it. I wish I had data on it other than theory, but no one has tried it for any extended time in the current era of almost 100% 5 man rotations.[/quote]

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  26. Bubba Biscuit

    Always leave them wanting more. No honestly, I expect to have it finished up by the end of June.

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  27. Rice Cube

    [quote name=Jame Gumb]Is your idea 4-man rotations?[/quote]
    *twitch* *nervous tic*

    No! No, no, not 4! I said 7. Nobody’s comin’ up with 4. Who throws out 4 pitchers?

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  28. Dr. Aneus Taint

    [quote name=Rice Cube]*twitch* *nervous tic*

    No! No, no, not 4! I said 7. Nobody’s comin’ up with 4. Who throws out 4 pitchers?[/quote]

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  29. Perkins

    Cubs could try it like in The Book, with Garza, Dempster, and Z all pitching normally, and using Wells/Coleman on the 3rd and 5th days with one starting and one relieving the other when his turn comes around in the batting order. That’s probably not doing justice to Wells, but it would limit the damage done by the 5 slot, which is basically a guaranteed loss at this point.

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  30. Rice Cube

    [quote name=Perkins]Cubs could try it like in The Book, with Garza, Dempster, and Z all pitching normally, and using Wells/Coleman on the 3rd and 5th days with one starting and one relieving the other when his turn comes around in the batting order. That’s probably not doing justice to Wells, but it would limit the damage done by the 5 slot, which is basically a guaranteed loss at this point.[/quote]
    I thought that was a nifty idea though I can see why most managers and teams wouldn’t want to try it. I also thought the platooning of relievers with one in LF and the other on the mound was awesome; I read it about a year and a half after Lou did it with Sean Marshall.

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  31. Dr. Aneus Taint

    [quote name=Perkins] it would limit the damage done on days ending in Y, which is basically a guaranteed loss at this point.[/quote].

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