What’s Left in the Deck?

Yesterday all the Chicago newspaper had clever little comments about Wood and Prior being put on the DL to start the season.  They all said something like "Cubs fold a pair of Aces".  Well, if two aces are out of the deck, what’s left? 

Starters

One more Ace in Carlos Zambrano.  He has easily been the best pitcher on the Cubs for the last two seasons.  He has had thirteen wins or more the last three years.  I can’t even imagine how many wins he would have had last year with a bullpen and some run support.  More importantly, he has been able to pitch over 200 innings in each of the last three seasons.  He has been their stopper during losing streaks, and he is the most intense player on the team.

Glendon Rusch is finally looking a little better at the end of spring.  The problem with Rusch is you don’t know what you are going to get.  Is he going to be the guy who saved the Cubs in 2004, the guy who went 1-12 in Milwaukee, or somewhere in between.  I think using him as a starter was a wise move.  I think Dusty really screwed up last spring by telling Rusch he would be a starter, then putting him in the bullpen and making Dempster a starter.  I don’t think either player benefited that move.  Now it is time for Rusch to prove that he belongs as a starter.

Greg Maddux is the opposite of Glendon, you know e xactly what you are going to get.  Double digit wins, 200 innings, and a guy who will win you ballgames.  Maddux didn’t come here to be a 1-2-3 starter.  He was meant to follow Wood, Prior, and Zambrano as a number four pitcher.  As far as having Maddux as your number four pitcher, you are in good shape.  Unfortunately, Maddux is being asked to carry a heavy load.  The Cubs need him to come through big this year. He gave up a lot of home runs last year and he didn’t look as sharp.  This is the last year in his contract, so he might have something to prove, especially after Dusty made some dumb *** comments about Maddux retiring.

Sean Marshall has earned his spot in the rotation.  He has been lights out this spring.  Could he be the savior that the Cubs need?  If he starts out hot, will he go back to the minors when the walking wounded come back?  Marshall is a lefty, meaning that the Cubs will have two lefties as starters in a while.  This is the kids chance to prove that he belongs.

The Bullpen

It was no surprise when Todd Wellemeyer for two prospects.  Todd has never been able to stay consistent.  Dempster has to prove that last year was no fluke, and he will have to very solid set up men in Eyre and Howry.  This will help the Cubs immensely.  The rest of the bullpen have a lot to prove.  Jerome Williams did not look good at all this spring.  I think the bullpen role suits him better.  Scott Williamson is coming back from surgery and I don’t know how healthy he is.  Will Ohmans has also been inconsistent.  Michael Wuertz has looked the worst out of anybody this spring.  Luckily, Rothchild and Baker saw something he was doing wrong in his delivery.  Hopefully he will have a breakout year.

The DL/Walking Wounded

Wood and Prior, the two aces.  No doubt that a healthy rotation of Wood, Prior, Zambrano, Wade Miller, and Maddux would be one of the most dominent in the league if they could stay healthy.  Kerry is supposed to come back at the end of April (heard that before), while no one is sure what is going on with Prior or when he will be back.  If Miller can come back and pitch like he can, who know what can happen?  The trouble is that none of these guys can stay healthy.  This is Wood’s tenth trip to the DL in his career and this is the third time that he has started the season on the DL.  The Cubs have to focus on the team they have.  Not putting all there hopes on these three.

AAA

Angel Guzman had a great spring and if either Rusch or Marshall falter he may be back in the majors.  Guzman is the same age as Zambrano and has been one of the top prospects in the Cubs organization.  Rich Hill is another one of the Cubs’ top prospects, but he has looked shaky in his major league appearences.  Look for John Koronka to get a possible shot at the bullpen if the Cubs decide to go with twelve pitchers.  Roberto Novoa is coming back from Valley Fever, whatever that is, but I expect him to come back to the big leagues soon.

The Cubs have a lot of options here, and I think there is more pitchers for Dusty to choose from.  If Dusty learned anything from last season, he should have learned that if a guy can’t cut it, sit him.  Find somebody that can.  Don’t keep trotting out  a guy like LaTroy Hawkins if he obviously can’t do the job. 

If Dusty plays his cards right, the Cubs may surprise a few people.