Tribune: Wood Signs Deal with Cleveland (p. 29)

[17 Seconds]

Now part of me hopes that our bullpen (Gregg especially) is a disaster next year.

[fromthestretch]

So if he accepts a 1 year deal this year and we are in the same place next year. When would it be OK for Wood to leave? It sounds like Hendry is trying his best to secure a future for Wood elsewhere. This is a situation that needs to be resolved eventually so why not this year?

 

Because he was a very productive part of the bullpen, is a good bet to be very good again in 2009, and a reasonable one-year deal isn't going to prevent this team from addressing other areas of weakness.

[17 Seconds]

So if he accepts a 1 year deal this year and we are in the same place next year. When would it be OK for Wood to leave? It sounds like Hendry is trying his best to secure a future for Wood elsewhere. This is a situation that needs to be resolved eventually so why not this year?

 

Because our window of winning a championship is right now. Every year that goes by our offesne gets older and their salaries grow.

[jersey cubs fan]

Now part of me hopes that our bullpen (Gregg especially) is a disaster next year.

 

I hope our rotation is excellent and the lineup is outstanding because you never know what non dominant relievers (guys like Gregg) are going to give you year-to-year.

[fromthestretch]

One other thing to consider...if Marmol becomes a closer and puts up his typical numbers plus 30-40 saves, how does this affect his pricetag when he reaches arbitration?

[Sammy Sofa]

So if he accepts a 1 year deal this year and we are in the same place next year. When would it be OK for Wood to leave? It sounds like Hendry is trying his best to secure a future for Wood elsewhere. This is a situation that needs to be resolved eventually so why not this year?

 

Why can't they keep giving him one year deals if he'll take them? Look, I like Kerry, but if you can hold onto avaluable asset with ideal deals like that, YOU DO IT. You don't put the best team out there by making the "nice" decision.

[David]

It's actually the reason I'm OK with having Gregg. I think he can adequately do the job as our closer (without the Cubs really being questioned that much) and allow us to leave Marmol in the role he's most valuable in.

 

I'm not necessarily a fan of how we got Gregg, but I'm fine with using him as our closer.

Except Hendry made it clear Marmol to closer is a very likely scenario. So, this series of unfortunate events is going to leave the Cubs without their 2nd best reliever, with their best reliever in less meanginful situations, and a very forgetable reliever taking over the important role.

 

 

Sweet. All we need now is Melky and the offseason is looking brilliant.

 

I didn't realize this was the case. If, in fact, he has said this, it's a shame. I do realize that, in terms of people's baseball logic or whatever, Marmol to closer is a likely scenario, and I realize there's a good chance that Marmol gets moved to the role next year. My only hope is that Lou realizes that he's most valuable coming in for the high leverage spots.

 

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think Lou thought for one second that Wood or Howry were better pitchers than Marmol this spring when he was considering all three as potential closers.

[erik316wttn]

One other thing to consider...if Marmol becomes a closer and puts up his typical numbers plus 30-40 saves, how does this affect his pricetag when he reaches arbitration?

 

That saves number alone is going to drive his price way up on the open market. By doing this, Hendry is also making Marmol too pricey for the Cubs someday.

[SouthSideRyan]

It's actually the reason I'm OK with having Gregg. I think he can adequately do the job as our closer (without the Cubs really being questioned that much) and allow us to leave Marmol in the role he's most valuable in.

 

I'm not necessarily a fan of how we got Gregg, but I'm fine with using him as our closer.

Except Hendry made it clear Marmol to closer is a very likely scenario. So, this series of unfortunate events is going to leave the Cubs without their 2nd best reliever, with their best reliever in less meanginful situations, and a very forgetable reliever taking over the important role.

 

 

Sweet. All we need now is Melky and the offseason is looking brilliant.

 

I didn't realize this was the case. If, in fact, he has said this, it's a shame. I do realize that, in terms of people's baseball logic or whatever, Marmol to closer is a likely scenario, and I realize there's a good chance that Marmol gets moved to the role next year. My only hope is that Lou realizes that he's most valuable coming in for the high leverage spots.

 

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think Lou thought for one second that Wood or Howry were better pitchers than Marmol this spring when he was considering all three as potential closers.

 

Lou's an intelligent manager, but he's still old school. He probably didn't trust an inexperienced arm like Marmol to handle the pressure.

[illiniguy]

One other thing to consider...if Marmol becomes a closer and puts up his typical numbers plus 30-40 saves, how does this affect his pricetag when he reaches arbitration?

 

That saves number alone is going to drive his price way up on the open market. By doing this, Hendry is also making Marmol too pricey for the Cubs someday.

so he has that going against him, but he did piss off a good majority of the fan base by getting rid of Wood. So it wasn't all bad. :banghead:

[David]

And Marmol should be let go when he starts commanding big money, too.

 

Or we should trade him before then.

[17 Seconds]

Now Marmol is going to close?

 

This is shaping up to be the most disastrous offseason ever. Hendry is trying desperately to cancel out everything good he's done over the past 2 years. It's like once he got his extension he realized he's awful again.

[mdwilla]

Wood on a one year deal makes sense. Gregg can pitch the seventh.

[fromthestretch]

And Marmol should be let go when he starts commanding big money, too.

 

Or we should trade him before then.

 

Or try to sign him to a reasonable deal through his arb years before those save numbers inflate his value. That way, if he continues to pitch well, you have him at a decent price. If you want to unload him at some point in the middle of that contract, his pricetag might not be so scary for a team looking for a closer.

[David]

Lou's an intelligent manager, but he's still old school. He probably didn't trust an inexperienced arm like Marmol to handle the pressure.

 

I considered that as a possibility, too. But how could any logical person think that a save spot is higher pressure than plenty of the situations that Lou brought Marmol in for?

[David]

And Marmol should be let go when he starts commanding big money, too.

 

Or we should trade him before then.

 

Or try to sign him to a reasonable deal through his arb years before those save numbers inflate his value. That way, if he continues to pitch well, you have him at a decent price. If you want to unload him at some point in the middle of that contract, his pricetag might not be so scary for a team looking for a closer.

 

That would be a good plan, also, but one way too smart for the Cubs.

 

Let's see if they at least try to do that with Geo.

[Derwood]

Now part of me hopes that our bullpen (Gregg especially) is a disaster next year.

 

you wish bad things upon your favorite team because your feelings are hurt? what kind of backwards logic is that?

[David]

Now part of me hopes that our bullpen (Gregg especially) is a disaster next year.

 

you wish bad things upon your favorite team because your feelings are hurt? what kind of backwards logic is that?

 

because he wants their bad decisions to be punished instead of rewarded

 

i still don't agree with the notion, but i don't think it has anything to do with his feelings being hurt... he was totally fine with letting wood go before this snippet about him being open to a one year deal came out.

[SouthSideRyan]

Lou's an intelligent manager, but he's still old school. He probably didn't trust an inexperienced arm like Marmol to handle the pressure.

 

I considered that as a possibility, too. But how could any logical person think that a save spot is higher pressure than plenty of the situations that Lou brought Marmol in for?

 

It's hard to unlearn the wrong things you've been taught. There are intelligent managers out there and nearly all of them use their best pitchers as closers by the book. It's something that's been ingrained in the pitchers now as well and it's an insult to them if they aren't closing. I have a hard time blaming Lou for it when everyone else is doing the same sh.

[17 Seconds]

Now part of me hopes that our bullpen (Gregg especially) is a disaster next year.

 

you wish bad things upon your favorite team because your feelings are hurt? what kind of backwards logic is that?

 

Did you not see the part where I said "part of me"? Obviously I don't actually want that to happen.

 

Anyways, it has nothing to do with my feelings being hurt and the fact that it's Kerry Wood. I was in favor of letting Wood leave.... before I found out he'd take a one year deal. Not giving him a one year deal is stupid and it hurts the team next year, especially now that they're probably going to move Marmol to closer.

[jersey cubs fan]

And Marmol should be let go when he starts commanding big money, too.

 

Or we should trade him before then.

 

No, it's not an either/or. They should trade him before then. Letting valuable players go is a bad way to run a team.

[C.C.]

Well this whole thing is just stupid. Wood would've accepted a 1 year deal? Should've never made the trade and signed Wood. This team makes no sense.

[David]

And Marmol should be let go when he starts commanding big money, too.

 

Or we should trade him before then.

 

No, it's not an either/or. They should trade him before then. Letting valuable players go is a bad way to run a team.

 

Yea, I was going to edit that. The first part I meant when it inevitably got to that point.

 

Trading him would obviously be the far more prudent move.

[Derwood]

I know Kerry was just being honest, but those weren't particularly helpful comments to make. Now the fans are pissed, Hendry looks bad, etc.

[Tyrant]

Now part of me hopes that our bullpen (Gregg especially) is a disaster next year.

 

YEAH! That'll show 'em!!!