Wood projected to stay in bullpen with Cubs.

[Scartissue]

See link below:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Wood-may-return-to-bullpen-in-2008;_ylt=AvvgVdpBB8LiaPMBf.Z1pX.pu7YF?urn=mlb,522 23

Good move in my view if it happens.

[nathanKent]

Great move. Methinks they're grooming Marshall to be a reliever to make room for Prior or Dempster. We sure have a lot of talent in the pen right now.

[Lipsander]

Great move. Methinks they're grooming Marshall to be a reliever to make room for Prior or Dempster. We sure have a lot of talent in the pen right now.

Have you been playing "Two Worlds"?

[nathanKent]

Have you been playing "Two Worlds"?
:confused:

[dbacksfan01]

Is there any chance of him coming back as a starter? Or would you guys just perfer him to be a reliver?

[Scartissue]

Is there any chance of him coming back as a starter? Or would you guys just perfer him to be a reliver?

If he can stay healthy, starter by a wide margin. Current thinking among the Cubs is that he needs another year in the pen in order to get healthy enough to go back to the rotation. Not sure if that makes sense medically.

[Lipsander]

:confused:

Its a video game on the Xbox 360 that the main character says "methinks" all the time. I had never heard that until I played it, so I put 1 and 1 together, my bad.

[Jeff Pico]

I would only want Wood back as a reliever, if he is smart, his starter days are numbered.

It is such a tough call on how you look at him as a reliever. If a crystal ball said he would stay 100% healthy for 4 years, I would give him a big deal, and boot Dempster. We have all seen how Woody in brief stretches can mow down hitters out of the pen. Of course, I don't have that Crystal Ball, otherwise Hendry would be offering me a big contract.

Speaking of injured pitchers, I do think re-upping Prior for one more year at the $3 mil or so we would have to pay him in arbitration is a no-brainer. May as well see if we can get a good year out of him, otherwise, it's only $1 mil more than we gave Wade Miller.

Hendry sure likes those injury reclaimation projects, and I don't think they are a bad idea. They are inherently very risky, so you will never bat 1.000 on them. So far, Dempster worked (regardless of what you think of him, he was a good pitching bargain for awhile), Williamson was so-so (we did trade him, and he showed flashes), and Miller was a bust.

[rockin500]

If he can stay healthy, starter by a wide margin. Current thinking among the Cubs is that he needs another year in the pen in order to get healthy enough to go back to the rotation. Not sure if that makes sense medically.
i dont think he is ever healthy enough to be a starter again. his problems that caused him all those problems before are still there.

[Ubiquitous]

Yes but the problem is that being a reliever isn't exactly easier on the arm then starting. Can Kerry go two or threes day in a row get a day off and then go another day or two? Can he do that the whole season? I think that is everybodies biggest fear right now. If he is the closer then a bit of the pressure is off since his usage will be more regimented then if he is middle relief but I think if the doctors say he is healthy then he should start. The Cubs run the same risk with Kerry regardless of whether he starts or relieves.

I can't see Marshall being a good reliever. I think right now he is back of the rotation fodder and he has options left. No reason to get rid of him or put him in the pen just yet. If Wood and Prior somehow get healthy and you lock up say one of them or both past this year once it is established that they are healthy then you can trade Marshall for something useful but until that day happens (and it probably will never happened) you should keep Sean around as an insurance policy.

[The Splendid Splinter]

Yes but the problem is that being a reliever isn't exactly easier on the arm then starting.

Yes, that's true. It also depends on each person too. Kerry would be good in the 'pen cuz he's goes all out on every pitch. Not exactly what you wanna do when you're a starter. As a starter, you like to hold back a little and get a little more control. Of course, there are examples who threw hard and lasted. Lets not go there cuz there's also example of guys who get hurt from doing this and this would never end. It depends on the person.

Can Kerry go two or threes day in a row get a day off and then go another day or two? Can he do that the whole season?

I believe so. I think it would be better for him IMO for now. Lets actually have him pitch for a full season before we even start thinking about starting him. I mean you really want to put him in the rotation after 24 IP this past season?? I don't. I wanna see him pitch like 70 IP this coming season and maybe even have a start or 2 if it came to that. Then after that, depending on how good he pitches, talk about the possibilities of starting or also talk about having him as a Glendon Rusch-type role where he could have 10 starts or so (depending on how healthy/bad the rotation is) and have 2 innings here and there to build his arm strength that way (which IMO is kinda a good idea). I really like to see him in the 'pen for '08 the entire season, then talk about the possibilities...

I think that is everybodies biggest fear right now. If he is the closer then a bit of the pressure is off since his usage will be more regimented then if he is middle relief but I think if the doctors say he is healthy then he should start. The Cubs run the same risk with Kerry regardless of whether he starts or relieves.

I agree. I have that fear also. I also feel better if he is in the 'pen rather the rotation next year. So cuz the doctor said he's healthy, he should start??? How many times have the doctors been wrong on Prior and Wood alone? Prior is a little different cuz he had some freak accidents, but it took the doctors like 2 years to finally figure out what's wrong with him. You gotta take baby steps. You just don't throw them into the wolves and be like, "here you go, you're ready."


that's my 2 cent on it. Prior, meanwhile IMO, should be taken the same way, but thank god he got the offseason to build his arm strength up and take baby steps before the season starts. now before you go saying, "wood got the offseason to go back to starter too".

I see a couple reasons where it's a different situation.

1. Wood came back in the 'pen and he did well for us. so naturally you would like to keep him there cuz good 'pen arms are valuable for each team and it's more of a need to keep him there.

2. Prior is 3 years younger so he got time to get back to where he was. now im not saying wood can't, it's just that right now he shouldn't. i could really see wood pull a smoltz and end his career as a starter.

3. We're really not needy the rotation help like we used to so wood can stay in the 'pen. Prior would be like insurance basically or high risk/reward guy. if he stays healthy, he'll produce and the high reward is that he could be our ace and then we got 2 of them along with Z. if he doesn't pan out, well good thing we got several starters to fill in. plus he's our 6th starter right now until he proven himself.

4. Say prior is healthy and pitches well. there's several possibilities on what we could do. he would be a good trade bait with good value (probably for a team who looking for that last push into the playoff this coming season since they know he would a FA). also we could trade marshall, hill, marquis or any young pitching for some help to make the team better. we could try to resign him before he hits FA.

ill leave it there cuz i forgot what else i wanted to say, but if i remember anything, ill post again.