Cotts down, Marshall up.

[JeffH]

Per WSCR.

[10man]

That answers my question on who gets sent down for Marshall.

[Omar]

... Cotts hasnt been that terrible.

[mul21]

So now the staff looks like this right?:

 

Z

Lilly

Marquis

Hill

Marshall

 

Eyre

Ohman

Wuertz

Howry

Guzman

Dempster

Marmol

[Tracer Bullet]

... Cotts hasnt been that terrible.

 

If that's the best we can say about a guy, we shouldn't miss him too much.

[Lockes Eye Scar]

So now the staff looks like this right?:

 

Z

Lilly

Marquis

Hill

Marshall

 

Eyre

Ohman

Wuertz

Howry

Guzman

Dempster

Marmol

 

yeah, that looks right.

[Soriano12]

Eyre should have been the first Lefty to go.

[10man]

Do you think Lou will go younger with Dempster's set up men for now since, Eyre and Howry have been totally ineffective? Probably Wuertz and Gooz...

[Guest]

I wonder if Cotts will get stretched out at Iowa.

[Tracer Bullet]

Do you think Lou will go younger with Dempster's set up men for now since, Eyre and Howry have been totally ineffective? Probably Wuertz and Gooz...

 

Are we sure Dempster is still closing? Did we ever get a definitive answer on that?

[mul21]

Do you think Lou will go younger with Dempster's set up men for now since, Eyre and Howry have been totally ineffective? Probably Wuertz and Gooz...

 

Are we sure Dempster is still closing? Did we ever get a definitive answer on that?

 

Sounds to me like he is mentoring Guz for the position in the future and will keep the job for now. What Demp's future is after Guz takes over is anybody's guess. That's kinda the way it sounds to me anyway.

[Omar]

Eyre should have been the first Lefty to go.

 

That was my point. Eyre has been a lot worse.

[Twiggy]

good deal :)

[jersey cubs fan]

... Cotts hasnt been that terrible.

 

He's had 3 really bad outings in his last 4. After a nice April, his May has been an absolute disaster, and he's coming off a completely pathetic season. He didn't allow a run for a while to start the season, but I think that masked his pitching effort. He's walked just about 5 guys per 9 inning this year, walking 4 each in 8 innings of work in both April and May.

 

Maybe he hasn't been terrible overall, but he hasn't been particularly good either, and he doesn't have a track record to fallback on that would make one believe he really should be allowed to work through this stretch.

[A New Era]

Yeah Eyre should have been let go. Cotts had way more good games than Eyre did. Now I am seeing why you don't pay releivers as much as you did eyre and howry.

[Omar]

But come on... Hasnt Eyre been a lot worse then him?

[A New Era]

I wonder if Cotts will get shelled at Iowa.

 

fixed. :)

[CubColtPacer]

But come on... Hasnt Eyre been a lot worse then him?

 

Yes, but Eyre's contract gets in the way. If he refuses to go on the DL, they either have to trade or release him. They aren't likely to be willing to eat that money for this year and next year unless they absolutely have to-they'd rather keep him, hope he gets better, and then either keep him or raise his trade value.

[Omar]

But come on... Hasnt Eyre been a lot worse then him?

 

Yes, but Eyre's contract gets in the way. If he refuses to go on the DL, they either have to trade or release him. They aren't likely to be willing to eat that money for this year and next year unless they absolutely have to-they'd rather keep him, hope he gets better, and then either keep him or raise his trade value.

 

:x

[jersey cubs fan]

Eyre should have been the first Lefty to go.

 

That was my point. Eyre has been a lot worse.

 

I agree, but given the contractual situations, and the fact that Cotts really hasn't done anything to make this move seem completely unfair, then I'd say it's justified. Eyre can't be sent down. He's got a much better track record and has been more effective overall, and against lefties in recent years.

 

This is all part of the problem with signing veteran relievers to the deals Jim handed them, it leaves you with little flexibility to deal with the inevitable inconsistent ups and downs of a middle relievers.

[Soul]

Eyre should have been the first Lefty to go.

 

That was my point. Eyre has been a lot worse.

 

I agree, but given the contractual situations, and the fact that Cotts really hasn't done anything to make this move seem completely unfair, then I'd say it's justified. Eyre can't be sent down. He's got a much better track record and has been more effective overall, and against lefties in recent years.

 

This is all part of the problem with signing veteran relievers to the deals Jim handed them, it leaves you with little flexibility to deal with the inevitable inconsistent ups and downs of a middle relievers.

 

This still sucks. Eyre better start doing some roids or somethin'

[JGalt73]

Using WXRL (Lineup-adjusted Win Expectation above Replacement: win expectancy calculations to assess how relievers have changed the outcome of games) from Baseball Prospectus - the Cubs "Top" Relievers are:

 

1. Ryan Dempster 0.982
2. Michael Wuertz 0.310
3. Neal Cotts 0.165
4. Angel Guzman 0.108 
5. Carlos Marmol 0.011 
6. Rocky Cherry -0.085
7. Will Ohman -0.291
8. Bob Howry -0.337
9. Scott Eyre -1.008

 

VORP for relievers (Guzman excluded):

1. Michael Wuertz 7.5
2. Rocky Cherry 2.6
3. Ryan Dempster 2.2 
4. Will Ohman  1.4 
5. Carlos Marmol 1.2 
6. Bob Howry 1.1 
7. Neal Cotts 1.0 
8. Scott Eyre -3.3

[TruffleShuffle]

Yeah Eyre should have been let go. Cotts had way more good games than Eyre did. Now I am seeing why you don't pay releivers as much as you did eyre and howry.

 

You definitely don't pay a reliever as much as you paid Eyre when he's been mediocre every year except for one. Howry, at least, has been a good pitcher for most of his career, and was excellent for two straight years before the Cubs signed him. He was still very good last year. I think he's had bad luck with a high BABIP against this year, and I still think he'll have a pretty good season unless last year's unnecessary workload damaged his arm.

[b_wiggy_66]

So now the staff looks like this right?:

 

Z

Lilly

Marquis

Hill

Marshall

 

Eyre

Ohman

Wuertz

Howry

Guzman

Dempster

Marmol

 

When was the last time the Cubs had 3 lefties in the rotation? For a long time they didn't have any.

[mul21]

So now the staff looks like this right?:

 

Z

Lilly

Marquis

Hill

Marshall

 

Eyre

Ohman

Wuertz

Howry

Guzman

Dempster

Marmol

 

When was the last time the Cubs had 3 lefties in the rotation? For a long time they didn't have any.

 

Didn't they have like a 4-5 year stretch without any wins from a lefty starter?