If Eyre is in, Pie could go to Iowa

[CubsGM]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/933282,CST-SPT-cubnt06.article

CINCINNATI -- Trying to solve some of their recent pitching problems, the Cubs might carry a 13th pitcher temporarily, manager Lou Piniella said.

 

Left-hander Scott Eyre, who has been on the disabled list with an elbow injury since spring training, is expected to return from a rehab assignment this week, possibly by the end of the series in Cincinnati.

 

That will allow the Cubs to stretch out Sean Marshall -- currently the only lefty in the bullpen -- in preparation for a possible start in the wake of Rich Hill's demotion to the minors over the weekend.

 

''Losing Hill is a bigger blow than people think,'' Piniella said. ''We were talking about a young pitcher here we penciled in for 15 wins or so and 200 innings, and that's not easy to replace. Let's hope he gets himself straightened out and quickly.''

 

A 13th pitcher likely would mean a demotion for struggling center fielder Felix Pie to continue work on mechanics changes Piniella and the staff are trying to make with him.

[inari]

What has Mike Fontenot done to earn a spot on this team, exactly?

[CubsGM]

What has Mike Fontenot done to earn a spot on this team, exactly?

He's from LSU and completes the Cajun Connection!

[WrigleyField 22]

WTF?

 

3 OF

4 MIF

13 Pitchers

 

Something doesn't seem right here... :scratch:

[woodprior04]

Phew, I was afraid they were going to send down Chad Fox. Glad to see that it will likely be Pie instead.

[17 Seconds]

Lou will have gone through his entire bench by the 7th inning.

[17 Seconds]

WTF?

 

3 OF

4 MIF

13 Pitchers

 

Something doesn't seem right here... :scratch:

 

3 OF

6 IF

13 P

2 C

Ward

[CubsGM]

Phew, I was afraid they were going to send down Chad Fox. Glad to see that it will likely be Pie instead.

Fixed to make you look somewhat respectable.

[woodprior04]

Phew, I was afraid they were going to send down Chad Fox. Glad to see that it will likely be Pie instead.

Fixed to make you look somewhat respectable.

 

People shouldn't need green to realize that's sarcasm. Why Fox is on this team to begin with is beyond me.

[CubColtPacer]

What has Mike Fontenot done to earn a spot on this team, exactly?

 

Other then the fact that he's been a good hitter to start the season? (.844 OPS currently)

 

Anyway, 13 pitchers really isn't a good idea. There are side benefits. They want to stretch out Marshall, which is good whether he goes to the rotation or just replaces Gallagher as the long man so Gallagher can be a starter somewhere. Lou also specifically mentioned trying to lower the workload on Marmol. So the reasons for doing it are solid, but I just think there are much better ways of doing it than losing another bench player when you're already thin there, especially a guy who needs some starts in the majors like Pie does.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I don tthtink the 13 man pitching staff will happen. The thing to do would be DFA Marquis. Whats more likely to happen is Marshall or Gallagher to Iowa. I am getting fed up with Lou. We couldnt et Joe Girardi last year why now?

[JimSorgi]

:banghead:

[Jon]

They can't DFA Marquis. They'll need him as a PHer since Lou won't have a bench.

[TruffleShuffle]

if this happens, it's even further evidence of lou's mismanagement. the cubs have had a very good offense despite not much contribution from pie; when ARam comes back there are five potential .900 OPS bats in the lineup, which is more than enough to make up for a CF who is adjusting to major league pitching.

[biittner77]

Strange how Hendry and Piniella's fascination with lineup balance at the expense of starting the better player doesn't apply to Pie.

[soapy]

Strange how Hendry and Piniella's fascination with lineup balance at the expense of starting the better player doesn't apply to Pie.

 

it absolutely boggles the mind.

[Little Slide Rooter]

if this happens, it's even further evidence of lou's mismanagement. the cubs have had a very good offense despite not much contribution from pie; IF ARam comes back there are five potential .900 OPS bats in the lineup, which is more than enough to make up for a CF who is adjusting to major league pitching.

 

fixed. Sorry, Im still pissed about last night, and the previous weeks.

[soapy]

i'm curious how Hendry feels about Lou's use (or lack of use) of Pie. he's (allegedly) passed up several trade oppurtunities for Pie and seemed bound and determined that Pie was his CF this year. then he blew it by signing Reed Johnson and giving Lou another option. not that it was wrong on Hendry's part, but that seemed to spell the end for Pie, in retrospect. that and Johnson's hot start (which has clearly ended).

[TruffleShuffle]

if the red sox operated their team in this manner, dustin pedroia would've spent most of 2007 in pawtucket instead of winning a rookie of the year trophy and a world series ring.

[TruffleShuffle]

i'm curious how Hendry feels about Lou's use (or lack of use) of Pie. he's (allegedly) passed up several trade oppurtunities for Pie and seemed bound and determined that Pie was his CF this year. then he blew it by signing Reed Johnson and giving Lou another option. not that it was wrong on Hendry's part, but that seemed to spell the end for Pie, in retrospect. that and Johnson's hot start (which has clearly ended).

 

interesting thought. i guess it depends on whether hendry prefers patience with prospects, or whether he's willing to throw in the towel on them when they struggle for five games, as seems to be the case with lou. my guess is that hendry would prefer that pie be playing most days, but he isn't about to tell piniella how to manage his ballclub.

[soapy]

i'm curious how Hendry feels about Lou's use (or lack of use) of Pie. he's (allegedly) passed up several trade oppurtunities for Pie and seemed bound and determined that Pie was his CF this year. then he blew it by signing Reed Johnson and giving Lou another option. not that it was wrong on Hendry's part, but that seemed to spell the end for Pie, in retrospect. that and Johnson's hot start (which has clearly ended).

 

interesting thought. i guess it depends on whether hendry prefers patience with prospects, or whether he's willing to throw in the towel on them when they struggle for five games, as seems to be the case with lou. my guess is that hendry would prefer that pie be playing most days, but he isn't about to tell piniella how to manage his ballclub.

 

right. i'd like to be a fly on the wall if/when the topic of demoting Pie to carry 13 pitchers comes up between Lou and Jim. i really wanted to believe they weren't giving up on Pie when they brought in Keller, but i obviously have my doubts now.

 

additionally, Marshall has options left correct? why not send him down to stretch him out instead of carrying 13 pitchers? i definitely agree with stretching him out and getting him in Marquis' spot, but let's be smart about it (for once).

[TruffleShuffle]

i'm curious how Hendry feels about Lou's use (or lack of use) of Pie. he's (allegedly) passed up several trade oppurtunities for Pie and seemed bound and determined that Pie was his CF this year. then he blew it by signing Reed Johnson and giving Lou another option. not that it was wrong on Hendry's part, but that seemed to spell the end for Pie, in retrospect. that and Johnson's hot start (which has clearly ended).

 

interesting thought. i guess it depends on whether hendry prefers patience with prospects, or whether he's willing to throw in the towel on them when they struggle for five games, as seems to be the case with lou. my guess is that hendry would prefer that pie be playing most days, but he isn't about to tell piniella how to manage his ballclub.

 

right. i'd like to be a fly on the wall if/when the topic of demoting Pie to carry 13 pitchers comes up between Lou and Jim. i really wanted to believe they weren't giving up on Pie when they brought in Keller, but i obviously have my doubts now.

 

the dumbest part is that they brought someone in to work with him, haven't given him consistent playing time to work on what he's learned - and in the limited time that they've given him, he's played pretty well - yet they might be farming him out anyway. this defies any sense of logic or intelligent though. it's how a 12 year old with a.d.d. would run a ballclub.

[soapy]

the dumbest part is that they brought someone in to work with him, haven't given him consistent playing time to work on what he's learned - and in the limited time that they've given him, he's played pretty well - yet they might be farming him out anyway. this defies any sense of logic or intelligent though. it's how a 12 year old with a.d.d. would run a ballclub.

 

it's especially frustrating given Pie's history. he's always shown that given some time to adjust at a new level, he will. add to that the fact that Johnson sucks against RHP, and it's borderline criminal.

[twothousandfive]

Fontenot has more at-bats than Cedeno, Johnson has more at-bats than Pie, Hill was on the shortest leash possible. Something there doesn't jive. I can see deviating from a general strategy in order to take advantage of a hot player, but why isn't Cedeno playing every day with Ramirez injured? If they weren't expected to be contributors this year, that would have been a pretty7 nice off-season package. Would it be better than what the O's got for Bedard? It probably would have gotten Roberts.

 

Does this team have a general strategy for evaluating and breaking-in young players? I'll live with the Corey Patterson disasters if all promising young players get the same opportunity. Doesn't Pie have the credentials Patterson did? Did Matt Clement have a better track record with Florida than Hill did prior to this year? I'd even be okay if the strategy differed for pitchers and regulars. And exceptions when opportunities arise will always come up.

 

But they sold high on Mitre (for Pierre?!), why not do the same with Hill? If they believe Hill is much more talented, then I think he deserved a better shot than he was given this year. And if Cedeno isn't a starter, doesn't he at least have to be the first infield sub?

[javy knows my name]

Fontenot has more at-bats than Cedeno, Johnson has more at-bats than Pie, Hill was on the shortest leash possible. Something there doesn't jive. I can see deviating from a general strategy in order to take advantage of a hot player, but why isn't Cedeno playing every day with Ramirez injured? If they weren't expected to be contributors this year, that would have been a pretty7 nice off-season package. Would it be better than what the O's got for Bedard? It probably would have gotten Roberts.

 

Does this team have a general strategy for evaluating and breaking-in young players? I'll live with the Corey Patterson disasters if all promising young players get the same opportunity. Doesn't Pie have the credentials Patterson did? Did Matt Clement have a better track record with Florida than Hill did prior to this year? I'd even be okay if the strategy differed for pitchers and regulars. And exceptions when opportunities arise will always come up.

 

But they sold high on Mitre (for Pierre?!), why not do the same with Hill? If they believe Hill is much more talented, then I think he deserved a better shot than he was given this year. And if Cedeno isn't a starter, doesn't he at least have to be the first infield sub?

Please spare us your common sense and rationale; this is Lou we're talking about