Did I Hear Correctly? Ryan Dempster to the Rotation

[Guest]

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

 

What do you expect him to say? "He's been average at best and we're trying to salvage something out of Dempster"?

[YearofDaCubs]

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

 

What do you expect him to say? "He's been average at best and we're trying to salvage something out of Dempster"?

I expect him to not put him in the rotation.

[frostwyrm]

From CS.com:

 

"We've talked to Dempster about starting," Hendry said Tuesday at the general managers meeting. "Lou [Piniella] talked to him at the end of the year about it. I think Dempster prefers to be a starter. We're talking about a guy who won 15 games as a starter and went to an All-Star Game in that role. We think he will be able to contribute to our rotation."

 

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

 

Dempster's one good year as a starter was back in 2000. If we're using Hendry's logic then we better sign Darin Erstad since he was also good in 2000.

[Rob]

From CS.com:

 

"We've talked to Dempster about starting," Hendry said Tuesday at the general managers meeting. "Lou [Piniella] talked to him at the end of the year about it. I think Dempster prefers to be a starter. We're talking about a guy who won 15 games as a starter and went to an All-Star Game in that role. We think he will be able to contribute to our rotation."

 

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

 

Dempster's one good year as a starter was back in 2000. If we're using Hendry's logic then we better sign Darin Erstad since he was also good in 2000.

 

 

Don't even joke about that.

[Tracer Bullet]

From CS.com:

 

"We've talked to Dempster about starting," Hendry said Tuesday at the general managers meeting. "Lou [Piniella] talked to him at the end of the year about it. I think Dempster prefers to be a starter. We're talking about a guy who won 15 games as a starter and went to an All-Star Game in that role. We think he will be able to contribute to our rotation."

 

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

 

Dempster's one good year as a starter was back in 2000. If we're using Hendry's logic then we better sign Darin Erstad since he was also good in 2000.

 

If JH signs Erstad, you should be banned.

[Mizzou]

From CS.com:

 

"We've talked to Dempster about starting," Hendry said Tuesday at the general managers meeting. "Lou [Piniella] talked to him at the end of the year about it. I think Dempster prefers to be a starter. We're talking about a guy who won 15 games as a starter and went to an All-Star Game in that role. We think he will be able to contribute to our rotation."

 

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

I know GM's are always going to put a positive spin on their decisions, including stupid ones like putting Dempster into the rotation. But to cite that he won 15 games when it happened 7 years ago (a year in which his ERA was around 5, as well)? Come on, Jim. How naive do you think fans are?

[RynoRules]

From CS.com:

 

"We've talked to Dempster about starting," Hendry said Tuesday at the general managers meeting. "Lou [Piniella] talked to him at the end of the year about it. I think Dempster prefers to be a starter. We're talking about a guy who won 15 games as a starter and went to an All-Star Game in that role. We think he will be able to contribute to our rotation."

 

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

I know GM's are always going to put a positive spin on their decisions, including stupid ones like putting Dempster into the rotation. But to cite that he won 15 games when it happened 7 years ago (a year in which his ERA was around 5, as well)? Come on, Jim. How naive do you think fans are?

 

See Rasin's post above.

 

It's hard for me to critical of most public commentary these days. It's all spin.

 

Crticize the decision on the other hand? Absolutely.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

Don't see how this makes sense on any level. Dempster is mildly effective as a reliever because his two (somewhat mediocre) pitches aren't nearly as exposed in 1 inning doses as they would be as a starter. Having to start - and thus losing velocity and the element of unfamiliarity with the hitters - will just render him less effective.

 

And if this is some sort of precursor to a trade, it's a lousy one. If we're truly trying to trade Marshall, why go out and announce to the world that we already have his replacement? Doesn't that lower Marshall's trade value by letting teams know we don't need him as a starter anyway? If Hendry really thinks Dempster can be an adequate replacement for whatever starter we may be shopping, he should keep it to himself so other teams (in trade talks) perceive that we're giving up more than maybe we actually are.

 

I'm sorry but I just don't see this at all.

[badnews]

This looks like a poor idea to me, but the explanations look badly flawed as well.

 

Are people actually citing Dempster's career numbers? That right there is disingenuous. That 2000 throws everything off.

 

How does Dempster erase the Marquis problem? He still needs to be gotten rid of. That doesn't solve anything.

 

The idea that Marshall has this great trade value is just not accurate. What kind of outfielder or shortstop could Marshall possibly be "packaged" with, even with Murton? Come on.

 

This is what doesn't make sense to me - Marshall is probably more valuable to us than he is in trade. So the idea that we can trade him for help doesn't make sense to me because his trade value is low. Moving Dempster into the rotation to do this makes even less sense.

 

I think it's time to commit to Sean Gallagher and give him a real chance. Or keep Marshall.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Maybe Jimbo is looking at trading Marquis

[Have a seat, Neifi]

Maybe Jimbo is looking at trading Marquis

That's the only course of action that could salvage this "plan" in my opinion.

[badnews]

I wonder if Marquis can be traded without eating any of the contract. If not you'd be better off waiting until the deadline when maybe you can find some unlikely Rajai Davis type deal.

[AlwaysaCub]

Maybe Jimbo is looking at trading Marquis

That's the only course of action that could salvage this "plan" in my opinion.

 

 

Moving Demp to the rotation and trading Marquis still makes us worse. At least Marquis occasionally will pull a cg shutout out of his butt. You think Dempster could ever do that? Horrible, horrible idea.

[abuck1220]

"he was an all-star 8 years ago" is the new "he led the league in hitting for two months" and "he had the fourth highest average with runners in scoring position among guys with 100 strikeouts."

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

So, does this mean we'll sign Wood to be the closer, will Howry get first shot at it, or does Marmol step into the role?

[Cubfanintheknow]

From CS.com:

 

"We've talked to Dempster about starting," Hendry said Tuesday at the general managers meeting. "Lou [Piniella] talked to him at the end of the year about it. I think Dempster prefers to be a starter. We're talking about a guy who won 15 games as a starter and went to an All-Star Game in that role. We think he will be able to contribute to our rotation."

 

Talk about typical Hendry. Some of his logic is so skewed it's simply amazing that he's still in baseball.

I know GM's are always going to put a positive spin on their decisions, including stupid ones like putting Dempster into the rotation. But to cite that he won 15 games when it happened 7 years ago (a year in which his ERA was around 5, as well)? Come on, Jim. How naive do you think fans are?

 

See Rasin's post above.

 

It's hard for me to critical of most public commentary these days. It's all spin.

 

Crticize the decision on the other hand? Absolutely.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

 

I think if you asked Bruce Miles, he'd tell you that while Jim Hendry tries to be as honest an upfront as he possibly can, he doesn't reveal everything. Everyone would be wise to not take Hendry's remarks completely at face value.

[cbbryan]

IMO, this may be just a tool to remove an uneffective Demp from the closer role without causing a problem. Sign Woody and give him incentives for games finished and announce him the closer.

 

Then you suffer through a couple Dempster starts, he loses his spot in the rotation because of ineffectiveness, but by then you can't justify taking away the closer position from Wood.

 

Dempster them becomes best friends with Scott Eyre and we'll hardly ever see the two of them pitch.

[jersey cubs fan]

Maybe Jimbo is looking at trading Marquis

That's the only course of action that could salvage this "plan" in my opinion.

 

 

Moving Demp to the rotation and trading Marquis still makes us worse. At least Marquis occasionally will pull a cg shutout out of his butt. You think Dempster could ever do that? Horrible, horrible idea.

 

I think Dempster could, at the very least, come very close to equalling what Marquis gives you. And since Dempster is only signed through this year at $5m, and Marquis is signed through 2009 at $16.25m, trading Jason and replacing him with Marquis could improve the team.

 

The problem, as I see it, is Hendry's ridiculous contract to Marquis is going to be darn near untradable. They will have to eat something. A team like Boston or NY isn't going to have a use for a guy like Marquis. I don't think they believe subpar NL Central pitchers will thrive in the AL East, and even if they wanted one. And any smaller team that might be willing to settle for such crap, isn't going to accept paying all that salary.

[CuseCubFan69]

IMO, this may be just a tool to remove an uneffective Demp from the closer role without causing a problem. Sign Woody and give him incentives for games finished and announce him the closer.

 

Then you suffer through a couple Dempster starts, he loses his spot in the rotation because of ineffectiveness, but by then you can't justify taking away the closer position from Wood.

 

Dempster them becomes best friends with Scott Eyre and we'll hardly ever see the two of them pitch.

 

Possible. Hendry has a heck of a lot of options this year even with the supposed lack of funds and this may be a smart way of switching these guys.

[jersey cubs fan]

See Rasin's post above.

 

It's hard for me to critical of most public commentary these days. It's all spin.

 

Crticize the decision on the other hand? Absolutely.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

 

I think if you asked Bruce Miles, he'd tell you that while Jim Hendry tries to be as honest an upfront as he possibly can, he doesn't reveal everything. Everyone would be wise to not take Hendry's remarks completely at face value.

 

Jim Hendry has been around long enough, and has said enough, and done enough, to be reasonably certain that he actually thinks winning X games 7 years ago and being an All Star is reason enough to have faith in a guy.

 

If he just said stuff like this for PR, but his actions indicated he didn't actually believe that nonsense, it would be one thing. But Hendry is Hendry, and we know how he thinks, and acts.

[YearofDaCubs]

"he was an all-star 8 years ago" is the new "he led the league in hitting for two months" and "he had the fourth highest average with runners in scoring position among guys with 100 strikeouts."

That also doesn't include the BS he spewed about Marquis and most wins in baseball the past 2 years or something stupid like that when he signed him. I can't wait for the day that Hendry is fired. It's obvious he has been learning on the job and not learning much. I used to think he was the worst GM in MLB but now Sabean is giving him a run for his money. Both are bad, really bad.

[YearofDaCubs]

Maybe Jimbo is looking at trading Marquis

That's the only course of action that could salvage this "plan" in my opinion.

 

 

Moving Demp to the rotation and trading Marquis still makes us worse. At least Marquis occasionally will pull a cg shutout out of his butt. You think Dempster could ever do that? Horrible, horrible idea.

 

I think Dempster could, at the very least, come very close to equalling what Marquis gives you. And since Dempster is only signed through this year at $5m, and Marquis is signed through 2009 at $16.25m, trading Jason and replacing him with Marquis could improve the team.

 

The problem, as I see it, is Hendry's ridiculous contract to Marquis is going to be darn near untradable. They will have to eat something. A team like Boston or NY isn't going to have a use for a guy like Marquis. I don't think they believe subpar NL Central pitchers will thrive in the AL East, and even if they wanted one. And any smaller team that might be willing to settle for such crap, isn't going to accept paying all that salary.

Actually, I think Marquis will give you better numbers than Dempster in the rotation. I'm expecting an ERA over 5 from Demp.

[neely crenshaw]

this is completely a hendry thing! it makes no sense.he paid him big money so he will try to push him on theteam anywhere he can. i have no idea how he is still employed.

the only saving grace is that Lou won't stick with it if it isn't working just because hendry wants it...a change from dust.

much like izturis,barrett(hendry's boy for sure) or eyre...

 

this is strictly a money move. if dempster equaled his best effort in his career ever as a starter, it would not be good enough to put the cubs over the top. we would be better hoping that prior returned to form than having dempster be dempster..ven the good dempster would likely not win 15. we need a real live #2 to slide in between zambrano and lilly. this was all too clear during the playoffs. if you look at boston..they faced 3 must win games vs cleveland....and they trotted out be beckett,schilling and matzusake. we sent z, lilly and hill.

 

dempster is not an the answer...it's a way for hendry to not eat that contract too.

[Guest]

Detroit Free Press[/url]"]Now that Joel Zumaya’s shoulder surgery has created an immediate need in the bullpen, Detroit club officials have been forced to assess whether there is enough depth remaining in the system to make another deal.

 

The answer, so far, is maybe.

 

“We’re open-minded,” Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said Wednesday. “We have to see what happens.”

 

Dombrowski acknowledged that most of his trade discussions during this week’s general managers’ meetings have centered on relief pitchers. He said he doesn’t anticipate striking a deal before the meetings end Thursday, but added, “You can never tell.”

 

Detroit has asked about Colorado setup man Brian Fuentes, but it does not appear that the Tigers and Rockies match up well. The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates are among those teams who would consider moving bullpen arms, and Dombrowski traded for Chicago reliever Ryan Dempster during his tenure as GM of the Florida Marlins.

[BigbadB]

Dempster for Maybin and call it a day. :D