Bruce on WSCR - Cubs may let Wood go and close with Marmol

[David]

i love the guy, i really do, but good god damn he is NOT going to pitch like that again next year...it will be like having marquis 2.0

 

Ridiculous.

 

Dempster will almost certainly regress from his 2008 numbers, but to declare he'll be another Marquis is a pretty bold and, frankly, absurd statement. It's not like his 2008 was stretched out due to fluke or luck wih him being saved by the defense and such...he kept his walks and home runs way down. His overall numbers over the season are, by and large, excellent. Marquis never had a season like this. The gulf between what you can expect from Marquis and what Dempster did in 2008 is huge.

 

i will gladly eat crow or what have you, but i don't think that will be happening

 

you don't think what will be happening?

 

him not becoming jason marquis?

[sneakypower]

The gulf between what you can expect from Marquis and what Dempster did in 2008 is huge.

 

i will gladly eat crow or what have you, but i don't think that will be happening

you mean eat crow again

 

anabiono, in january[/url]"]dempster starting...lol

 

has this guy ever watched him pitch in an actual game?

 

...

 

silva/colon/hernandez...whatever...

 

you guys do realize that dempster really isn't a good option right?

 

and even if we upgrade at short...we will still be lacking where it really counts?

Edited October 22, 2008 by sneakypower

[anabiono]

The gulf between what you can expect from Marquis and what Dempster did in 2008 is huge.

 

i will gladly eat crow or what have you, but i don't think that will be happening

you mean eat crow again

 

dempster starting...lol

 

has this guy ever watched him pitch in an actual game?

 

yep, and i wasn't the only one...what point are you trying to prove here?

[sneakypower]

nothing really

 

i'm just entertained when people are disastrously wrong about something and don't budge a single inch from their original stance

[anabiono]

nothing really

 

i'm just entertained when people are disastrously wrong about something and don't budge a single inch from their original stance

 

funny that you say that since i have said many times this season how surprised i have been in regards to dempster's performance and how dead wrong i was about having him the rotation this season...but...if you want to take that as not budging from my original stance...then go right ahead walker

[Outshined_One]

I'd feel really bad about seeing Wood go.

 

However, this is a business. Wood's injury history is of concern to me. Plus, while he provided stability and talent in the bullpen, there are other options out there. Guys like Ceda, Wuertz, Gaudin, and Samardzija could all fill his role without a large drop-off. Fuentes and other FA options could also be available at reasonable prices.

 

If he wants three years and big money, it'd be time to let him go.

[mul21]

why can't it be dempster instead!?

 

:-#

 

Yeah, I'd rather part with Dempster than Wood.

 

It's easier to replace a bullpen arm than a starter. Also, I don't understand all of the posters who think Dempster's year was a fluke. It's not a guarantee that he will be as effective in 2009 as he was in 2008, but he was our most consistent starter last year. Dempster was a highly regarded prospect as a starter before becoming a reliever.

 

He wasn't a prospect, he was a starting major league pitcher that wasn't good.

 

Semantics. And it's not that he wasn't highly regarded or didn't have good stuff; he always has. He just figured out how to locate his pitches better and more often found the strike zone. Fixing that one thing took him from a 4.5 ish ERA guy who walked a bunch of hitters to what he did last year. Did he still over achieve a bit last year? Yeah, more than likely, but I still think you'll see a guy with a 3.5-3.6 ERA next year rather than the 4.5 he's had in the past.

[jersey cubs fan]

why can't it be dempster instead!?

 

:-#

 

Yeah, I'd rather part with Dempster than Wood.

 

It's easier to replace a bullpen arm than a starter. Also, I don't understand all of the posters who think Dempster's year was a fluke. It's not a guarantee that he will be as effective in 2009 as he was in 2008, but he was our most consistent starter last year. Dempster was a highly regarded prospect as a starter before becoming a reliever.

 

He wasn't a prospect, he was a starting major league pitcher that wasn't good.

 

Semantics. And it's not that he wasn't highly regarded or didn't have good stuff; he always has. He just figured out how to locate his pitches better and more often found the strike zone. Fixing that one thing took him from a 4.5 ish ERA guy who walked a bunch of hitters to what he did last year. Did he still over achieve a bit last year? Yeah, more than likely, but I still think you'll see a guy with a 3.5-3.6 ERA next year rather than the 4.5 he's had in the past.

 

That is not semantics. There is a tremendous difference between being a highly regarded prospect and being an established major league pitcher who had over 150 starts and 1000 innings pitched and wasn't good. Jason Marquis was a highly regarded prospect with good stuff as well.

[shnsajax]

Which Bruce?

 

Good Bruce or Dumb Bruce?

 

I was fixing to ask that :-)

[dew1679666265]

i love the guy, i really do, but good god damn he is NOT going to pitch like that again next year...it will be like having marquis 2.0

 

Ridiculous.

 

Dempster will almost certainly regress from his 2008 numbers, but to declare he'll be another Marquis is a pretty bold and, frankly, absurd statement. It's not like his 2008 was stretched out due to fluke or luck wih him being saved by the defense and such...he kept his walks and home runs way down. His overall numbers over the season are, by and large, excellent. Marquis never had a season like this. The gulf between what you can expect from Marquis and what Dempster did in 2008 is huge.

 

i will gladly eat crow or what have you, but i don't think that will be happening

 

Not sure I can find a link to the quotes, but I recall Dempster talking before the year about how much he learned about approach and locating pitches from Greg Maddux.

 

It's interesting that he talked about that and then had his best year ever - without a ton of luck helping him through it.

[Mephistopheles]

id rather lose with wood than win without him. i know i cant be in the minority here.

[Exile on Waveland]

id rather lose with wood than win without him. i know i cant be in the minority here.

 

Wood is the one player I have real difficulty separating emotional attachment from a cold business-like approach. I would be extremely sad to see him go, and, to me, think it's worth overpaying to keep him (I know that's not sound baseball business sense, but it's Wood).

[dew1679666265]

id rather lose with wood than win without him. i know i cant be in the minority here.

 

Wood is the one player I have real difficulty separating emotional attachment from a cold business-like approach. I would be extremely sad to see him go, and, to me, think it's worth overpaying to keep him (I know that's not sound baseball business sense, but it's Wood).

 

That's why sports aren't 100% business. I guarantee you, Hendry and co. are having the same discussions right now about him.

 

I'd really, really hate to see him go, but I'd be afraid if he became a massive liability due to injury and was getting nearly 10 mil a year, he would start to be seen in a more negative light. And I wouldn't want that either.

[bcl412]

id rather lose with wood than win without him. i know i cant be in the minority here.

 

Wood is the one player I have real difficulty separating emotional attachment from a cold business-like approach. I would be extremely sad to see him go, and, to me, think it's worth overpaying to keep him (I know that's not sound baseball business sense, but it's Wood).

 

My two dream scenario's are Wood throwing the final strike for the WS win and Ron Santo still being alive to see it.

[anabiono]

id rather lose with wood than win without him. i know i cant be in the minority here.

 

Wood is the one player I have real difficulty separating emotional attachment from a cold business-like approach. I would be extremely sad to see him go, and, to me, think it's worth overpaying to keep him (I know that's not sound baseball business sense, but it's Wood).

 

My two dream scenario's are Wood throwing the final strike for the WS win and Ron Santo still being alive to see it.

 

maybe it is a good thing to let him walk...if i was the president of the cubs and they won it all in 2009...you can bet your sweet ass that woody would still be getting a ring...he will always be a cub...

[anabiono]

i love the guy, i really do, but good god damn he is NOT going to pitch like that again next year...it will be like having marquis 2.0

 

Ridiculous.

 

Dempster will almost certainly regress from his 2008 numbers, but to declare he'll be another Marquis is a pretty bold and, frankly, absurd statement. It's not like his 2008 was stretched out due to fluke or luck wih him being saved by the defense and such...he kept his walks and home runs way down. His overall numbers over the season are, by and large, excellent. Marquis never had a season like this. The gulf between what you can expect from Marquis and what Dempster did in 2008 is huge.

 

i will gladly eat crow or what have you, but i don't think that will be happening

 

Not sure I can find a link to the quotes, but I recall Dempster talking before the year about how much he learned about approach and locating pitches from Greg Maddux.

 

It's interesting that he talked about that and then had his best year ever - without a ton of luck helping him through it.

 

i remember reading that as well...i mean...you never know, obviously, i just would rather him not be resigned...

 

no biggie though...apparently OPR had a good outing in his first start in the fall league the other day...no walks and 2 runs through 5 i think...

[USSoccer]

id rather lose with wood than win without him. i know i cant be in the minority here.

 

No, I'm actually with you. I would completely let my emotions override any logical or reasonable apprehension about a 3 year deal. I'd rather him be here for the rest of his career, and I'd honestly be suprised if he went anywhere else.

 

And as someone said earlier in the thread, if this team is going to be handcuffed by a contract, it won't be Wood's, it will be Soriano's.

[Andy]

I'd be bummed if Wood left, but I'd be even more bummed if Marmol got moved into the borderline-useless closer role instead of being the fireman.

 

Keep Wood unless the demands are completely ridiculous.

[17 Seconds]

If Wood is really demanding a 3rd guaranteed year at big money then screw him. He's taken enough money from from this organization. Hasn't everybody been praising him about how he took less money to stay in Chicago and felt bad about his injury plagued past? If he doesn't take a hometown discount then let him walk and sing Fuentes. I'd feel more comfortable with Fuentes as the closer going into the season than I would with Wood.

[CP_414]

I love Woody. I really do. However, if it doesn't make sense to keep kim, they need to let him go. Boston let Pedro go, they traded Nomar, they traded Manny, they will let Veritek go. Our manlove for Woody shouldn't stop Hendry from doing whatever is right. I'd love Wood back on a 2 year deal. I would much rather win without him than lose with him.

[David]

Which Bruce?

 

Good Bruce or Dumb Bruce?

 

I was fixing to ask that :-)

 

Bruce Miles

 

Levine is an ESPN1000 reporter.

[rocket]

id rather lose with wood than win without him. i know i cant be in the minority here.

 

not me. not even close.

[erik316wttn]

Kerry should be at untouchable status. Not because of his talent, but merely because I never want to see him pitch for any other team other than the Cubs.

[TruffleShuffle]

i agree with the idea of offering him a three year contract that would vest based on appearances/innings pitched in the first and/or second years. i think that's reasonable given his health history. if he doesn't want to do it, say if another team is offering him guaranteed money, then i'd understand. but if he believes that he will be healthy as a reliever, then i think he would sign on to such a deal.

[cubsfan26]

I honestly don't blame Hendry for not wanting to go three years with Wood. Remember the last time he gave him a three year deal for over 30m? Well Wood started 36 games for us and pitched in a total of 47 games. Wood is gonna be asking for a very simliar contract, and I doubt Hendry would give it to him. Wood has been healthy one season now, after being hurt the four previous seasons.

 

 

 

Maybe moving him to the bullpen will keep him healthy, but who knows how long it will last. Hendry will probably offer a one year deal at 8 or 9m with a vesting option for year two, or possibly go two years at 16-18m with Wood. So I guess we will find out how much Wood really wants to be a Cub. If I'm remembering correctly I think Wood wanted a two year deal last offseason, but Hendry stood pat on one year, and Wood finally accepted. So hopefully Kerry will do the same this offseason.

Edited October 23, 2008 by cubsfan26