Talk about a setup: Cubs move Zambrano to bullpen
A desperate measure by a desperate team?
Perhaps, but the Cubs apparently felt they had little other choice but to move opening-day starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen.
That move will take effect this weekend in Milwaukee when left-handed starter Ted Lilly comes off the disabled list.
Before the Cubs beat the New York Mets 9-3 to snap a four-game losing streak, general manager Jim Hendry weighed in on the Zambrano move.
"We think it's a good move for us," Hendry said. "Logically, it makes a lot of sense for us to do it. He (Zambrano) has good stuff, and it can be even better in a shorter time."
The Cubs' bullpen has struggled in April, a situation made worse by an offense that is near the bottom of the National League. Veteran left-hander John Grabow was supposed to be the eighth-inning man, but he entered Wednesday with an ERA of 9.53 and a WHIP (walks plus hits per 1 inning pitched) of 2.29.
The velocity on Zambrano's fastball has been down in the early going, and Hendry was asked if it would be a problem for Zambrano to pitch two or three days in a row.
"He's a big, strong guy," Hendry said. "If he throws 10-20 pitches, it won't be a problem. We might not use him 3-4 days in a row. He might be even better when he doesn't have to pace himself as he did when he was a starter."
It's not known whether this move is a short-term quick fix or long term.
"We didn't give that any thought, about a time frame," Hendry said. "We went with him because some of our other guys were not as good candidates to go to the pen."
The speculation had been that either lefty Tom Gorzelanny or right-hander Carlos Silva would go to the pen when Lilly came back.
Zambrano turned in his second quality start of the season Tuesday as the Cubs fell 4-0 to the Mets. Zambrano is 1-2 with a 7.45 ERA, with his numbers suffering from an opening-day start in which he lasted just 11/3 innings and gave up 8 runs.
In New York, manager Lou Piniella told reporters he talked with Zambrano "and told him we really needed him in the bullpen and that we felt he could do a nice job for us."
Zambrano echoed those sentiments.
"I told Lou I want to help this team until you find somebody," he said. "I told him I want to be back for the playoffs. If we go to the playoffs, I want to go back to the rotation."
In Wednesday's game, Silva worked 6 innings of 2-hit, 1-run ball to improve to 2-0. Alfonso Soriano hit a 2-run homer in the Cubs' 3-run seventh to break open a game the Cubs led 3-1. Soriano (.327) was 3-for-4 with a single and a triple in addition to the homer.
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<li><a href="/audio/milesonmac.mp3">Bruce Miles on The Score Thursday morning </a></li>
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