Jerome Williams As 4th or 5th Starter

[Blueheart05]

I also agree with saving the starters arms whenever possible. However, this year I think Baker will be more apt to go to the bullpen than in previous seasons. Not only will there be a good mix of veterans and youth in the 'pen there will also be some high priced arms (and even though Dusty shouldn't be influenced by salaries he does seem to take that into consideration when giving play time.)

 

I don't see a huge difference in salaries between Hawkins/Remmy and Howry/Eyre. It's the same situation as last year.

 

It is different when you consider that Remlinger (and Borowski) wasn't available at the start of last season. Dusty also leaned on LaTroy too much. At this point, all of the key bullpen arms are healthy so I forsee Baker calling on them a lot.

 

Remlinger didn't go down until a month and a half into last season, almost the exact time Borowski came back. Fox was there at the start of the season until his arm got blown out. We weren't hurting for the veteran arms in the pen.

 

• 
   
  Remlinger didn't go down early but he was limited in the number of pitches he could throw early on. IIRC, Borowski pitched for the first time in late May and wasn't Fox gone in the first Month?

[CubfaninCA]

Kinda odd that Rusch has supposedly moved ahead of Williams when Williams started ahead of him last year. Am assuming that Hendry would really like to package Williams in a trade...

[badger1679666666]

How in the world is Rusch better than Williams? Rusch should have never even been resigned. Rusch is going to implode and revert back to pre 2004 numbers, guaranteed. And we are stuck with him. If Guzman gets healthy I'd like to see

 

Z

Prior

Maddux

Guzman

Williams

 

Until Wood comes back.

 

Rusch is so expendable.

[Ram1380]

AlfEstes redux.....

 

 

Last season they go against all logic, switch guys roles, put Demp in the rotation and Rush in the pen, thus removing the chance to have their "all in important" lefty in the rotation and at the same time lit the fuse on the bullpen bomb in the process.

 

 

Now this year they can't wait to dump on a younger, cheaper and better option(who is an emotional kid) to MAKE room for Rush in the rotation??

 

Idiotic re-signing to begin with, looking to get much worse.

 

This organization is ridiculous.

[SouthSideRyan]

If Rich Hill is so damn valuable that Hendry wouldn't use him in trade this winter, then we isn't he penciled in as the 5 starter right NOW. The guy is 26 years old already, what are they thinking, maybe he'll blossom when he's thirty?

 

Idiot Cubs, as usual.

 

Well, he's still 10 years shy of his prime.

[Roast]

Didnt read the whole thread, just the first couple posts, however:

 

I dont like the idea of trading williams. I really like him and believe he could/should be a solid fourth starter. For my money, our rotation should be:

 

Z

Prior

Wood

Williams

Maddux

 

While wood is injured it should be:

 

Z

Prior

Williams

Maddux

Guzman/Hill/Rusch/anyone else.

 

A trade for Zito would not be bad, I just dont want to see williams go in any such deal. But then again, i just got his autograph wednesday so that might have something to do with it.

[bmkhawk]

edit

[Soul]

Hendry has officially lost his mind.

 

Williams may be inconsistent, but he's much better than Rusch.

[abuck1220]

If Rich Hill is so damn valuable that Hendry wouldn't use him in trade this winter, then we isn't he penciled in as the 5 starter right NOW. The guy is 26 years old already, what are they thinking, maybe he'll blossom when he's thirty?

 

Idiot Cubs, as usual.

 

seriously. i love the guy, but at this point, i wish hendry would just trade him. i don't know if i've ever seen an untouchable 26 year old 7th/8th starter. at least the cubs would be trading high for once.

[Kyle]

Hendry has officially lost his mind.

 

Williams may be inconsistent, but he's much better than Rusch.

 

I agree. Williams is much better than Rusch, and he's also only 24 yrs.old, and could get a lot better.

[rawaction]

From the day the Cubs got Jerome Williams for Hawkins, I thought he was very valuable trade bait. For a franchise loaded with starting pitching prospects close to the majors (Mitre, Wellemeyer, Hill, Nolasco, Pinto, Guzman) at the time of the trade, I thought Williams would just be traded again. I don't know why the Cubs and teams around the league aren't valuing him more. He was just 23 all of the 2005 season. He is 2 years removed from a near full season of 3.30 ERA baseball. Sure he had the problems in 04, and then came the weight problems....but he had an ERA at 3.91 as a Cub, including a 2.10 ERA in September with 6 quality starts in his last 8 games.

 

If the Cubs can't get a pretty good offensive player for him and prospects, then they should just hold onto him and watch him be their 3rd best starter in 06.

[fiver]

Have there been any reports indicating what kind of shape Williams is in as of '06?

[Roast]

Have there been any reports indicating what kind of shape Williams is in as of '06?

 

I shook his hand at the caravan and he seemed to be in tip top shape. No crutches, slings, or wheel chairs.

 

 

:) Honestly though, I havent. But I want him as our 4th starter. period.

[Kyle]

From the day the Cubs got Jerome Williams for Hawkins, I thought he was very valuable trade bait. For a franchise loaded with starting pitching prospects close to the majors (Mitre, Wellemeyer, Hill, Nolasco, Pinto, Guzman) at the time of the trade, I thought Williams would just be traded again. I don't know why the Cubs and teams around the league aren't valuing him more. He was just 23 all of the 2005 season. He is 2 years removed from a near full season of 3.30 ERA baseball. Sure he had the problems in 04, and then came the weight problems....but he had an ERA at 3.91 as a Cub, including a 2.10 ERA in September with 6 quality starts in his last 8 games.

 

If the Cubs can't get a pretty good offensive player for him and prospects, then they should just hold onto him and watch him be their 3rd best starter in 06.

 

 

He came into 2005 out of shape, and as the season went along he got in better shape and pitched much better. I think you make a good point that Williams had 6 quality starts in his last 8 games. It's very possible that was a result of being in better shape. I wasn't impressed with him early on at all, but as the season went along I started to become a big fan of his. If he's in good shape I don't think its out of the question that he could win between 10 and 15 games this year. Williams was a good trade IMO, and possibly end up a great trade.