Fellow Bloguineer Greg at Talking Chicago Baseball contacted me yesterday to answer a few questions about the upcoming Cubs/Pirates series, so I reciprocated with a few questions of my own. TCB’s answers to my questions are below and you can find my answers to his questions here.
WHYGAVS: When does the window close for this particular group of Cub players? Every regular position player is over 30 except Geovany Soto and the rotation isn’t terribly young either, so how much longer do you go forward with this same group of guys?
TCB: The window probably shut after last season if we want to be honest about it. If a lot (and I mean Soriano/Fukudome staying at their current pace degree of a lot) goes right then the 2010 Cubs may be able to sneak into the playoffs with the wildcard. But you are very right, it’s an old team.
The Cubs farm system though not great, is improving. They haven’t produced a legitimate home-grown position player in decades but there are a few possibilities on the horizon in shortstop Starlin Castro and third baseman Josh Vitters. New ownership and what seems to be the end of the Piniella regime seem to indicate a commitment to rebuilding isn’t far off…and that isn’t a bad thing. Derrek Lee (assuming he waves his NTC) and Ted Lilly may well be dealt this season if the team tanks. Z could potentially be dealt as well, as crazy as that sounds. 2008 was the batting practice fastball down the middle for this group and it’s a shame they whiffed on it.
For the rest of the Q&A, including questions about Carlos Zambrano’s sojourn to the bullpen, Tom Gorzelanny, torn labrums, and Aramis Ramirez, follow along after the jump.
WHYGAVS: Seriously, what’s going on with Zambrano being used as a set-up man?
TCB: Yeesh. It probably went down like this: Lou, annoyed by early season media scrutiny and knowing it’s his final year, figured (over a margarita) that putting his best starter in the bullpen was the surest way to get fired.
But seriously, it’s a frustrating situation. Z is a bit underappreciated by an ever-growing faction of Cubdom. In a way it seems to make sense because in theory putting a talented pitcher in the bullpen does improve and somewhat stabilize the situation. But the you consider the facts: a hot start by Carlos Silva (which in part allowed the move to happen) will certainly come way down. Also, Z has walked a ton of guys during the first inning historically.
WHYGAVS: What are your impressions of Tom Gorzelanny so far?
TCB: He was a bit inconsistent in his brief stint as a Cub starter last season but has been great so far this year. A lot of people think he can break out in 2010 and his first five starts support that. He pulled ten strikeouts out of nowhere on Sunday which was cool to see. He seems to be throwing his slider a lot more and Fangraphs backs that. Larry Rothschild has proven to be the master of the strikeout, so maybe Gorzelanny can benefit from that. But he’s definitely a nice piece to have right now.
WHYGAVS: Fess up, you guys all knew that Jose Ascanio and Kevin Hart had torn labrums, right?
TCB: Hmmm…I plead the fifth on that one. Are we sure Dave Littlefield didn’t reassume control of the team for a day? But don’t pass judgment yet with the way Grabow has started this season.
WHYGAVS: Which is most likely to last deep into the season, Aramis Ramirez’s slow start, Alfonsio Soriano’s fast start, or Kosuke Fukudome’s fast start?
TCB: Wow, this is a tough one. I really want to say Aramis will eventually hit his career averages because he’s a great hitter. But you never know what’s really going on with that pesky shoulder. I’m going to go with Soriano’s fast start. He’s been on one of his patented (well besides 2009 that is) four/five game tear where he blasts everything in sight. Even before that, however, he was having a decent year at the plate. I’d like to indulge the meathead in me and say that being reunited with Rudy Jaramillo and a finally healthy set of knees will translate into a great season. But the rational part of me knows that he’s an aging player that is clearly on the decline. Still, we’ve seen the fast start from Dome for two years. And for two years he’s crashed and burned after April. He’s like one big April Fool’s joke on Cubs fans.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
