Cut Day

After tomorrows game versus San Francisco, Lou Pinella will make his first rounds of cuts.  Rich Hill and Ryan Theriot have nothing to worry about.  Pinella has already assured both of them a roster spot.  The real interesting battle that is shaping up will be for the fifth starters spot.  The battle was originally between Mark Prior and Wade Miller, but now the front runners are Miller and Angel Guzman.  Both Miller and Guzman are making  good cases for themselves, while Prior is going to make a minor league start after another horrible outing.

Guzman and Miller

Both pitchers looked bad last year.  Both pitchers were recovering from injuries.  Both have been dominant in the past.  Both want the fifth starters spot.  Guzman pitched three inning against the Royals and looked sharp. 

"I feel pretty good," Guzman said Sunday. "I think I’ve been locating my fastball and most of my pitches where I should. I’m going to keep working hard to do things to stay here."

Pinella had some good words to say about Angel;

"You’ve got to like the young man," Piniella said. "He’s thrown 94, 95 [mph]. He’s getting his breaking ball over. You’ve got to like what you see, you really do. He’s pitching like he wants a job on the staff, whether it’s in the bullpen or in the rotation."

At one time Guzman was considered the Cubs’ top prospect until injuries set his career back.  Guzman was dominating the minor leagues in 2003 and was supposed to pitch in the Major League All Star Futures Game before he was diagnose with a torn labrum in his shoulder and had struggled to regain his form.  He was called up to the Cubs last year after the Cubs had nobody to pitch for them.  He finished 0-6 in 10 starts with a 9.28 ERA.  He pitched in winter ball this year and he has looked good in his spring starts.  Against K.C. on Saturday,  Guzman allowed one run on five hits in three innings with no walks. The true test will come on Friday when he starts versus the White Sox.

Miller used to be a stud on the Houston Astros staff before injuries derailed his career.  In 2002 he had a 12 game winning streak, and for his career he has held teams to 2 run or less 69 times and 3 runs or less 89 times.  In 2004, Miller had rotator cuff surgery and has been struggling to regain his form.  He was 0-2 last year with the Cubs with a 4.57 ERA. 

Miller was sharp in his first start, but struggled on Thursday against San Diego.  Miller allowed only one run but gave up six hits and two walks, while allowing eight of 13 batters he faced to reach base. 

Prior Pathetic

Watching Prior struggle on Saturday was difficult.  By the time it was all over, Prior was torched for four earned runs on four hits in two innings. Prior, who never topped 88 mph with any of his pitches, walked three and did not record any strikeouts. He threw 40 pitches in two inning, 20 of them for strikes.  He was all over the place.  He threw some breaking ball, but none of them for strikes.  Once KC realized this, they sat on his fastball and whacked it all over the place. 

"I didn’t like the way I threw but there were some positive things out of it," Prior said. "I was a little better out of the windup. [Pitching from the] stretch is still an issue. I’ve got some issues. Now I have to work on my curveball a little. I really haven’t thrown a whole lot of them on the side."

In two outings this spring, Prior has given up seven runs on eight hits and five walks over 3 1/3 innings, and has not struck out a batter, and has an 18.90 ERA.  Pinella called him in on Sunday to let him know he would be making  a minor league start.  Pinella hope that the minor league start will help boost his confidence, but with the way he is pitching now, there is no way Prior will start the season with the Cubs.