Hill down, Wuertz up per ESPN 1000

[wade]

Just reported. So, who starts in Hill's spot next time around? Rusch?

[Flames24Rulz]

Just reported. So, who starts in Hill's spot next time around? Rusch?

 

most likely.

[USSoccer]

Oh boy, Rusch. There's no difference between Hill and Rusch. Other than age. Why not call up Williams?

[JWCUB]

Oh boy, Rusch. There's no difference between Hill and Rusch. Other than age. Why not call up Williams?

 

Why not call up Gallagher or Marmol?

[SaorsaDaonnan]

Why not Williams?

 

I mean, if we're going to loose, why not at least do it in a way that at least potentially could develop a younger player?

 

Somehow I doubt that Rusch could increase his trade value.

 

Plus, if it's Williams, then you've still got Rusch to soak up the innings if there's a short start.

 

 

OTOH, if Prior really is coming back soon, maybe it's better not to jerk Williams around. He did have a solid start last time, though obviously he's been struggling down there.

[USSoccer]

Oh boy, Rusch. There's no difference between Hill and Rusch. Other than age. Why not call up Williams?

 

Why not call up Gallagher or Marmol?

 

Option clock. Plus those 2 aren't likely to be ready.

[JeffH]

Oh boy, Rusch. There's no difference between Hill and Rusch. Other than age. Why not call up Williams?

 

Why not call up Gallagher or Marmol?

 

Option clock. Plus those 2 aren't likely to be ready.

 

Marmol's clock is already ticking. Calling him up won't affect that.

[E.J.]

Why do we need 12 pitchers on the team? Why not bring up Hoffpauir and give him playing time at 1b until Lee comes back? The guy is hitting the crap out of the ball right now.

[Larry Horse]

sounds like Ozzie can judge the Cubs talent better than they can....

[NCCubFan]

Absolutely not on Rusch. He's already proven he's an automatic loss as a starter. They'll need to bring somebody up for the start. It can't be Guzman or Ryu, because they haven't been down the required ten days yet. My guess would be Williams (not that he gives me much confidence). I'd like to see Marmol get a shot, though. At least he hasn't proven that he isn't ready for the majors yet.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Well, at least Wuertz is up.

[USSoccer]

Oh boy, Rusch. There's no difference between Hill and Rusch. Other than age. Why not call up Williams?

 

Why not call up Gallagher or Marmol?

 

Option clock. Plus those 2 aren't likely to be ready.

 

Marmol's clock is already ticking. Calling him up won't affect that.

 

Really? I didn't know that.

[SouthSideRyan]

If a guy on the 40 man is sent to the minors at the end of ST it burns his option year. If you are on the 40 man you have to never play in the minors all season in order to not burn an option.

[JWCUB]

Who has the higher ceiling at this point, Gallagher or Marmol? I have heard great things about both. As well as Veal. But I believe he is further down the road.

[Outshined_One]

Who has the higher ceiling at this point, Gallagher or Marmol? I have heard great things about both. As well as Veal. But I believe he is further down the road.

 

Tough call on the two. Gallagher's curve and slider are both supposed to be very good pitches, but I've heard mixed reports on his fastball in terms of his velocity (whether he works 89-91 or 92-94) and his change is a work in progress. Marmol, on the other hand, can hit the high 90s in short relief and has a very good curve, but is working on his change.

 

Veal's down in Peoria and needs a full healthy season before we can start even thinking about bringing him up. He gives up a heck of a lot of flyballs, but when he's on he racks up Ks quite nicely.

 

Marmol is closer than the two of them at this point. Gallagher at the earliest probably won't see Chicago until September 2008. He needs to keep building on his success last year and to face more advanced hitters. He's done a great job in Daytona so far, but the vast majority of guys down in High A aren't even close to the majors.

[CubfaninCA]

A week late, but good move.

 

Cubs have an off day on Thrs., so they can skip the 5th spot. I'm hoping Jerome Williams gets another shot. Unfortunately, next time up for the 5th spot is versus Cincinati on the 30th.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Why not Williams?

 

I mean, if we're going to loose, why not at least do it in a way that at least potentially could develop a younger player?

 

Somehow I doubt that Rusch could increase his trade value.

 

Plus, if it's Williams, then you've still got Rusch to soak up the innings if there's a short start.

 

 

OTOH, if Prior really is coming back soon, maybe it's better not to jerk Williams around. He did have a solid start last time, though obviously he's been struggling down there.

 

Hill has been much better down at AAA than Jerome. It'd be much smarter to leave Hill in the rotation and let him try to learn to throw strikes and improve his control at the big league level. There's not much more he can do in Iowa.

 

Who has the higher ceiling at this point, Gallagher or Marmol? I have heard great things about both. As well as Veal. But I believe he is further down the road.

 

Marmol has the better ceiling, but Gallagher is more likely to reach his ceiling. Marmol still needs time in the minors to work on his control, Gallagher is still in high-A (needs to work on improving his secondary pitches) and Veal is in low-A.

 

Outshined, Marmol has recently been hitting the high 90s (97, 98 mph) in starts.

[Outshined_One]

Outshined, Marmol has recently been hitting the high 90s (97, 98 mph) in starts.

 

I've heard about that, but I don't believe he works in that range on a regular basis.

[Danny82]

Williams is getting shallacked at Iowa.

[Diffusion]

There's no such thing as an "option clock".

 

You're confusing two different things.

 

That a player typically has three option years after he is added to the 40-man roster, which the team can use at their discretion.

 

And that a player has a major league service time clock that counts the days that he is on the 25-man roster.

[SaorsaDaonnan]

As Ronny would say, there's no question in my mind about that.

 

I meant to be comparing Williams and Rusch. I was taking it as a given that the Cubs (stupidly) felt they had to make a change in the rotation at all- namely that Hill going wasn't in question.

 

But yes, no question that that was a dumb call on their part.

 

 

Why not Williams?

 

I mean, if we're going to loose, why not at least do it in a way that at least potentially could develop a younger player?

 

Somehow I doubt that Rusch could increase his trade value.

 

Plus, if it's Williams, then you've still got Rusch to soak up the innings if there's a short start.

 

 

OTOH, if Prior really is coming back soon, maybe it's better not to jerk Williams around. He did have a solid start last time, though obviously he's been struggling down there.

 

Hill has been much better down at AAA than Jerome. It'd be much smarter to leave Hill in the rotation and let him try to learn to throw strikes and improve his control at the big league level. There's not much more he can do in Iowa.

 

Who has the higher ceiling at this point, Gallagher or Marmol? I have heard great things about both. As well as Veal. But I believe he is further down the road.

 

Marmol has the better ceiling, but Gallagher is more likely to reach his ceiling. Marmol still needs time in the minors to work on his control, Gallagher is still in high-A (needs to work on improving his secondary pitches) and Veal is in low-A.

 

Outshined, Marmol has recently been hitting the high 90s (97, 98 mph) in starts.

[Jehrico]

Absolutely not on Rusch. He's already proven he's an automatic loss as a starter. They'll need to bring somebody up for the start. It can't be Guzman or Ryu, because they haven't been down the required ten days yet. My guess would be Williams (not that he gives me much confidence). I'd like to see Marmol get a shot, though. At least he hasn't proven that he isn't ready for the majors yet.

 

Their 10 days would be up by the next time that spot in the rotation comes around, wouldn't it?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Absolutely not on Rusch. He's already proven he's an automatic loss as a starter. They'll need to bring somebody up for the start. It can't be Guzman or Ryu, because they haven't been down the required ten days yet. My guess would be Williams (not that he gives me much confidence). I'd like to see Marmol get a shot, though. At least he hasn't proven that he isn't ready for the majors yet.

 

Their 10 days would be up by the next time that spot in the rotation comes around, wouldn't it?

 

Guzman, no. Ryu, yes, but he went to the pen when he went back to Iowa.

[3finger]

All this talk highlights the difficulty with trading Maddux. I was going to write a post elsewhere about why trading him would be a good idea, but if that would mean putting the Osprey Killer in the rotation, I can't get very enthusiastic.

[Outshined_One]

All this talk highlights the difficulty with trading Maddux. I was going to write a post elsewhere about why trading him would be a good idea, but if that would mean putting the Osprey Killer in the rotation, I can't get very enthusiastic.

 

It was an absolutely boneheaded and wrong move, but if he's matured and grown up since then, I'd have no problem with him in the rotation or bullpen.