Dempster to rotation now a ?

[Burtonbell]

I know there was a thread on Dempster to the rotation earlier, but I couldn't find it. Lou saying Dempt to the rotation isn't a forgone conclusion. There will be competition for the 5th spot.

 

 

 

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_hardball/2007/12/dempster-dilemm.html

 

Nothing will be handed to him.

 

"Look, believe me, we're going to have to give this more thought," Piniella said. "Obviously we said we're going to give him a chance to start, and we'll see how he looks. The Red Sox went to camp last year in Fort Myers with (Jonathan) Papelbon being a starter, and halfway through spring training they changed their minds and he had a heck of a year out of the bullpen.

 

"I'm not saying that's going to happen to Dempster, but it possibly could."

[mdwilla]

I really think Hendry is going to find a a way to move either Marquis or Dempster. Dempster's deal might look really reasonable to some club after the kind of deals teams like the Reds have been handing out.

[Banedon]

This change of stance is good news.

[jersey cubs fan]

This change of stance is good news.

 

Is it a change or is Lou just acknowledging that Dempster was never going to be handed a starting spot?

[Banedon]

This change of stance is good news.

 

Is it a change or is Lou just acknowledging that Dempster was never going to be handed a starting spot?

 

Well Hendry sure made it sound like he was...

 

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.

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-071106rogers,1,2268711.column

 

Granted, he never comes out and says that, but up until now they've sure been content with letting everyone make the assumption.

[Keener98]

I dont think Dempster will be on the 2008 Cubs roster.

[Omar]

We already tried this in 2005. It didnt work out. He belongs in the pen; that's where he's most useful.

 

Here's to Dempster throwing meatballs in Spring 2008.

[Banedon]

Doesn't it sound like these guys are on different pages?

 

"If I'm a betting man, you give him six months to get ready, and he'll be pretty good," general manager Jim Hendry said.

 

"Look, believe me, we're going to have to give this more thought," Piniella said. "We said we're going to give him a chance to start, and we'll see how he looks. The Red Sox went to camp last year with [Jonathan] Papelbon being a starter, and halfway through spring training they changed their minds and he had a heck of a year out of the bullpen.

 

"I'm not saying that's going to happen to Dempster, but it possibly could."

 

"This isn't going to be a [situation] where two bad starts in March and he's out," Hendry said.

 

"We're not going into it with one foot in and one foot out," Hendry said. "But if there ever had to be a change or somebody beat him out or he wasn't as good as he used to be, he always can go back to the bullpen.

 

"That's not our intent. … I have every confidence he's going to be a 14-, 15-game winner. That's the way he looks at it. He was that before, and he's probably in a lot of ways a better pitcher now than he was when he won the 15 and made the All-Star Game."

 

Sounds like Hendry thinks a whole lot more of the Dempster as starter idea than Lou does...

[CuseCubFan69]

Doesn't it sound like these guys are on different pages?

 

"If I'm a betting man, you give him six months to get ready, and he'll be pretty good," general manager Jim Hendry said.

 

"Look, believe me, we're going to have to give this more thought," Piniella said. "We said we're going to give him a chance to start, and we'll see how he looks. The Red Sox went to camp last year with [Jonathan] Papelbon being a starter, and halfway through spring training they changed their minds and he had a heck of a year out of the bullpen.

 

"I'm not saying that's going to happen to Dempster, but it possibly could."

 

"This isn't going to be a [situation] where two bad starts in March and he's out," Hendry said.

 

"We're not going into it with one foot in and one foot out," Hendry said. "But if there ever had to be a change or somebody beat him out or he wasn't as good as he used to be, he always can go back to the bullpen.

 

"That's not our intent. … I have every confidence he's going to be a 14-, 15-game winner. That's the way he looks at it. He was that before, and he's probably in a lot of ways a better pitcher now than he was when he won the 15 and made the All-Star Game."

 

Sounds like Hendry thinks a whole lot more of the Dempster as starter idea than Lou does...

 

I think that if Hendry can sell Dempster to another team with that kind of optimism the easier it will be to move him!

[Banedon]

I think that if Hendry can sell Dempster to another team with that kind of optimism the easier it will be to move him!

 

If that's the case, bravo to Hendry. I just don't have enough faith in the man to believe that's the way he's operating.

[CuseCubFan69]

I think that if Hendry can sell Dempster to another team with that kind of optimism the easier it will be to move him!

 

If that's the case, bravo to Hendry. I just don't have enough faith in the man to believe that's the way he's operating.

 

I do in this regard. If he can sell it I agree he probably won't pull it off but I like seeing him say good things about his players.