No it's not. The bullpen is slightly more influential than pinch hitting. The Cubs pen has already cost them a number of games/opportunities. There would be no point in moving a SP to the pen who couldn't be a good RP. Add to it that Zambrano has completely sucked in the rotation and everyone else has been great makes it that more obvious. This situation is funny to me, and a complete f***-up by Hendry, but this absolutely the correct move, imo.

 

And at no point did Lou say this was permanent. I'm sure it's just an experiment. I think it's worth a shot. A slightly above NL league average starter, which is pretty much what Zambrano has been the last 2+ years, or a potential dynamite set-up man to get the ball to Marmol? I say go for it. The money he's making doesn't matter. He gets that regardless. Of course, if Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny go back to being Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny, they'll have to move him back to the rotation. But outside of the Phillies, Cardinals and the NL west, the NL is so bad they might be able to get away with having those two bums in the rotation all year.

Edited April 22, 201015 yr by Jordan4life

I want to jump in before all the good hyperbolic (But very true) statements are taken. Here we go, this might be the single most illogical baseball move I have ever seen. What the Cubs have done is shown panic on a level that was (heretofore) unparalleled, and they have effectively nullified any credibility they had left as a competitive organization. Small sample sizes be damned, you don't take you're #1 starter, traditionally slow going in April and boot him to the pen for Carlos Silva. There is no defending this move.

Edited April 22, 201015 yr by Thunderbolt

No it's not. The bullpen is slightly more influential than pinch hitting. The Cubs pen has already cost them a number of games/opportunities.

Yes, but Zambrano is not going to fix the entire bullpen. He's going to pitch 1 or 2 innings per appearance. And then it will take a while to stretch him back out when they inevitably need him back in the starting rotation. He was fine in his last start - 6 innings, 2 runs. You do not take a good starter and halve his innings. That is not a good baseball move.

Edited April 22, 201015 yr by JorgeFabregas

The Cubs early season schedule is so easy, I think they freaked out that if they fall far back of STL now, theres no chance to come back when it gets tough. After the opening series vs. the Braves, they don't play another team with serious playoff aspirations until May 17.

 

Seriously, unless Cy Silva battles Lincecum & Roy for the award and Gorzelanny becomes at least Ted Lilly 2, this is such a dumb move. Thats even if Z becomes the best set up guy in the league.

Yes, but Zambrano is not going to fix the entire bullpen. He's going to pitch 1 or 2 innings per appearance. And then it will take a while to stretch him back out when they inevitably need him back in the starting rotation. He was fine in his last start - 6 innings, 2 runs. You do not take a good starter and halve his innings. That is not a good baseball move.

 

I think he threw 122 pitches in those 6 innings. He might be better as a closer. I would think this move is only temporary. It seems like Lou is pushing the panic button. To me that's like the Sox puttin Peavy in the pen.

 

The odd thing about this move is if it was for the good of the team Wells or Dempster would be moved to the pen. This is just odd to me.

I am thinking the Cubs hope it would piss Carlos off enough to ask for a trade...

I am thinking the Cubs hope it would piss Carlos off enough to ask for a trade...

possibly, but again, he is done a huge chunk of change and the Cubs would likely have to eat a high portion of that

The odd thing about this move is if it was for the good of the team Wells or Dempster would be moved to the pen. This is just odd to me.

 

Why would you move guys who have been good at going 6+ innings to the pen for the good of the team? The point of moving Zambrano is to motivate him, get him back on track, improve the bullpen, and, in the very, very short-term, improve the rotation.

 

Moving Wells or Dempster to the bullpen would be like moving Danks to the bullpen.

Why would you move guys who have been good at going 6+ innings to the pen for the good of the team? The point of moving Zambrano is to motivate him, get him back on track, improve the bullpen, and, in the very, very short-term, improve the rotation.

 

Moving Wells or Dempster to the bullpen would be like moving Danks to the bullpen.

 

Not to mention Dempster has already failed as a RP, and Zambrano is the only SP with reliever stuff.

Not to mention Dempster has already failed as a RP, and Zambrano is the only SP with reliever stuff.

He has a 4.48 career ERA as a starter and a 4.11 career ERA as a Reliever. He has a .686 OPS against him as a reliever and .767 against him as a starter.

"Meteorologists have determined that the dust cloud that is now spreading over Europe and delaying International travel was not from the volcanic eruption in Iceland , but are now interviewing the person responsible for cleaning the Chicago Cubs trophy case"

 

 

He has a 4.48 career ERA as a starter and a 4.11 career ERA as a Reliever. He has a .686 OPS against him as a reliever and .767 against him as a starter.

It's always good to make moves today based on things that happened 5-10 years ago.

Not to mention Dempster has already failed as a RP, and Zambrano is the only SP with reliever stuff.

 

In 06 he definitely sucked it up, but in 05 he was 33 for 35 in saves, and in 07 he was 28 for 31. I don't know if I would call that a failure.

In 06 he definitely sucked it up, but in 05 he was 33 for 35 in saves, and in 07 he was 28 for 31. I don't know if I would call that a failure.

 

He was 3-16, with ERAs and WHIPs of 4.80/1.51 and 4.72/1.34 in his last 2 seasons as a RP. That's pretty awful to me.

He was 3-16, with ERAs and WHIPs of 4.80/1.51 and 4.72/1.34 in his last 2 seasons as a RP. That's pretty awful to me.

 

Seriously. And in his "good" seasons as a reliever (04-05...3.28 ERA over 112.2 IP), his WHIP has been 1.43. That's pretty terrible for a reliever, and considering his K/9 was under 9 during that time, it proves that it was unsustainable.

The Brewers pitching is terrible.

The Brewers pitching is terrible.

 

Yep, Cubs lucked out not getting Gallardo or Wolf this series.

The one team the Cubs seem to be able to consistently punk is the Brewers.

The Brewers pitching is terrible.

 

Jeff Suppan's 4 year, $42 million contract = highway robbery. Brewers just took him out of the rotation.

This dude should be the idol of all Cubs fans

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7695107

This dude should be the idol of all Cubs fans

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7695107

 

What a toss! Did Henry Rowengartner move to Baltimore???

This dude should be the idol of all Cubs fans

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7695107

 

guy's got an arm

Wow, D-Backs currently up on the Cubs 13-1 in the 7th.

 

Wow, D-Backs currently up on the Cubs 13-1 in the 7th.

Lilly was throwing beachballs.

 

But Kudos to the Cubs fans who were pelting 3 guys in Canucks jerseys with peanuts and beer.