Updated: Marquis to Rockies for Luis Vizcaino Finalized

[jersey cubs fan]

So now that they've traded away their mediocre innings eater and saved $5m, are they going to try and spend that $5m on another mediocre innings eater? Harden is a sure thing to miss time. The best bet for 5th starter, Marshall, has hit own issues with 150 inning seasons. Zambrano still has the cramps and mysterious shoulder issues, and Dempster doesn't have much of a history of prolonged health after heavy workloads. Lilly is about the most reliable guy they have to throw lots of innings. Samardzija had a month or two of success in the minors, and mixed results out of the pen in the majors. Gaudin is not somebody I'd rely on.

 

 

The free agent supply is still very large and more than a few guys are going to be left disappointed with what they get to pitch next year. I'd say it's quite possible you could see somebody like Jon Garland get $5m for one year as they try and wait for the market to rebound by the 1st quarter of 2010.

[dew1679666265]

http://cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090106&content_id=3734267&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

 

Marquis is in the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the Cubs in December 2006. The right-hander is to be paid $9.875 million this year, and the Cubs are expected to pay $1 million of that. Vizcaino is set to make $4 million this year.

 

So they save $4.875 on this one, but are down one starter and up one more mediocre reliever.

 

Exactly. Marquis has never been lights out, but I have a feeling fans will regret this trade later this season.

 

I am going to wait to see who the 5th starter is and how he does before I will see if I may regret the trade.

 

It's not the fifth starter I'm worried about. It's the sixth starter when Harden gets hurt that worries me.

 

I really think we need one more good (to great) starter.

[cubsfan26]

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Tuesday he'll continue to look for a starter before the team opens Spring Training with the first workout in Mesa, Ariz., on Feb. 14, but also felt good about some of the in-house candidates.

 

The list of possible replacements includes lefty Sean Marshall and right-handers Angel Guzman, Kevin Hart and Chad Gaudin. Jeff Samardzija also is a long shot.

 

"You deal with what you have on the wall now until somebody else is there," Hendry said. "We'll still look at some possibilities."

 

Marshall, who made seven starts and 27 relief appearances last season, would seem too valuable as a swing man to be slid into the rotation.

 

"Anybody would love Marshall in that role and he did great at it," Hendry said. "At the same time, in fairness to the young man, if he keeps improving -- he's made big steps each of the last years -- if he makes another step up and comes into camp and competes and wins a job, then he certainly has a right to stake a claim to that

 

 

"He proved to us last year, whatever role we put him in, and as tough as we made it on him, he did a quality job," Hendry said. "Sooner or later, you like to reward that, too."

 

 

Hendry said his scouts reported that Vizcaino's velocity was still good and predicted he'll pitch primarily in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

 

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090106&content_id=3734267&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

[Soul]

http://cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090106&content_id=3734267&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

 

Marquis is in the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the Cubs in December 2006. The right-hander is to be paid $9.875 million this year, and the Cubs are expected to pay $1 million of that. Vizcaino is set to make $4 million this year.

 

So they save $4.875 on this one, but are down one starter and up one more mediocre reliever.

 

Exactly. Marquis has never been lights out, but I have a feeling fans will regret this trade later this season.

 

I am going to wait to see who the 5th starter is and how he does before I will see if I may regret the trade.

 

It's not the fifth starter I'm worried about. It's the sixth starter when Harden gets hurt that worries me.

 

I really think we need one more good (to great) starter.

 

Would be nice. I'm not sure finding a 5th starter to eat innings needs to be all that difficult though. I think Sean is fine in the #6 role if we can keep him there.

[Butterscup1679666578]

LOL so Vizcaino is primarily going to pitch in innings where relief pitchers are needed. Got it.

[Little Slide Rooter]

http://cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090106&content_id=3734267&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

 

Marquis is in the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the Cubs in December 2006. The right-hander is to be paid $9.875 million this year, and the Cubs are expected to pay $1 million of that. Vizcaino is set to make $4 million this year.

 

So they save $4.875 on this one, but are down one starter and up one more mediocre reliever.

 

Exactly. Marquis has never been lights out, but I have a feeling fans will regret this trade later this season.

 

I am going to wait to see who the 5th starter is and how he does before I will see if I may regret the trade.

 

It's not the fifth starter I'm worried about. It's the sixth starter when Harden gets hurt that worries me.

 

I really think we need one more good (to great) starter.

 

Would be nice. I'm not sure finding a 5th starter to eat innings needs to be all that difficult though. I think Sean is fine in the #6 role if we can keep him there.

 

For the most part, Marquis was never as bad as he was made out to be. He was certainly one of the better #5 starters in the league, but I really can't imagine any scenerio in which we regret this trade.

[abuck1220]

i'm sick of this "he's so good as a swingman, you hate to start him" idea. i beat johan santana would be pretty good as a swing man...they should probably use him there. because nothing's more important than the guy that eats up three innings in a 9-2 loss.

[cubbyvirus00]

hey, lets give glendon rusch a 3 year deal too!

[biittner77]

LOL so Vizcaino is primarily going to pitch in innings where relief pitchers are needed. Got it.

 

The key is 6th inning which means that they see him as the garbage time reliever.

[Banedon]

i'm sick of this "he's so good as a swingman, you hate to start him" idea. i beat johan santana would be pretty good as a swing man...they should probably use him there. because nothing's more important than the guy that eats up three innings in a 9-2 loss.

 

I agree with what you're saying here generally, but Marshall isn't Santana.

 

I think the argument is that if you have a guy that's either mediocre as a starter, or mediocre as a reliever, and you've already seen enough of him to form an opinion (the Cubs clearly have an opinion on Marshall...we can debate whether that opinion is correct), then maybe they feel like this is a better spot. Especially if they feel like they can pick up a better starter than Marshall relatively easily. Obviously the Santana comparison is going to be silly, because Santana's clearly a great starter.

[Butterscup1679666578]

LOL so Vizcaino is primarily going to pitch in innings where relief pitchers are needed. Got it.

 

The key is 6th inning which means that they see him as the garbage time reliever.

 

I know, I just thought it was hilarious and weird that Hendry felt the need to say what innings Vizcaino would probably pitch in.

[Soul]

So maybe it isn't one pitcher that replaces Marquis throughout the year, but do any of you really think it will be all that difficult to replace Marquis' production? Even if they go to 2 different guys through the season (for example), I don't see that as a huge challenge. Maybe I'm wrong.

[davearm2]

LOL so Vizcaino is primarily going to pitch in innings where relief pitchers are needed. Got it.

 

The key is 6th inning which means that they see him as the garbage time reliever.

Nah. The 5 guys in the bullpen that aren't the closer and the primary setup guy all have a roughly equal chance of being called on first when the starter needs to come out. At that point it mostly depends on matchups and who's been used recently.

 

Seems to me that if a guy was brought into the 6th inning of a 7-6 game, when everyone in the 'pen is rested and available, then that'd be a pretty good indication the manager's comfortable with the guy.

[Soul]

i'm sick of this "he's so good as a swingman, you hate to start him" idea. i beat johan santana would be pretty good as a swing man...they should probably use him there. because nothing's more important than the guy that eats up three innings in a 9-2 loss.

 

It sounds like you're basically sick of everything.

[Derwood]

any chance this guy returns to his 04-06 form? what's the reason for his drop off the last few years?

[David]

any chance this guy returns to his 04-06 form? what's the reason for his drop off the last few years?

 

Could be he's just not that good anymore. Could be the fact that relief stats can be very flukish. Could be Coors Field (except he was actually far better at Coors than on the road last year, lulz). Could be a lot of things.

[chuckywang]

Vizcaino's stats the last 3 years do not impress me at all.

[Proven Veteran]

He still has an excellent K rate.

[Guest]

If VIzcaino pitches like he in his few good season , he will be a luxury to have for the 6-7 with Marmol and Gregg taking care of the rest. I would like the Cubs to take a look at a cheap signing of Rafeal Soranio , Saito, or Chad Cordero.

 

Enough with the relievers. They already have too many mediocre arms back there.

Soriano's not exactly a mediocre arm when he's actually on the mound.

[17 Seconds]

Marquis is having a nightmarish spring. He gave up 12 runs today (11 earned) in 3.1 IP. This is after a combined 11 ER in his previous 2 starts. His spring ERA is 14.14 (22 ER) through 4 starts.

[jiml60]

spring training stats don't mean diddley.