Much uncertainty after Garza, Dempster at the top
Say whatever you will about Jeff Samardzija — and many have said many things — you have to admire his moxie.
If you want to say Samardzija is willing himself into the Cubs’ starting rotation, fine. But if spring training means anything, he’s also pitching his way there.
The Samardzija story line is the most interesting that has developed for the Cubs this spring. He came to camp in great shape and flatly stated it was his goal to make the rotation after a breakout season in the bullpen last year.
So far, so good for Samardzija, whom manager Dale Sveum said over the weekend is close to locking up a spot.
The new Cubs management team talked as early as last fall of going to Arizona with eight or nine candidates to fill the five rotation spots. Whether it all adds up to quality and not just quantity remains to be seen, but the rotation roulette has been a fun game to watch.
Let’s look at the ins and the outs.
Who’s in:
Assume Samardzija is in. He would join a rotation that includes Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster at the top.
The Cubs want a lefty in the rotation, and the inside track now belongs to Paul Maholm, the former Pirate the Cubs signed this off-season.
“Expert” opinion seems to be skeptical on whether Samardzija can or should be a starter.
During a Baseball Prospectus book event Monday night in Chicago, a couple of authors weighed in.
“You can see why the scouts like him,” said Ken Funck. “He’s got a really good fastball. It would be nice if he knew where it was going all the time.”
Author Kevin Goldstein added: “He needs to figure more of his secondary pitches out. He has not been efficient. But they are the Cubs and they’re not going anyplace, they might as well try.”
Who’s out:
Left-hander Travis Wood, the key player the Cubs got from the Cincinnati Reds in the Sean Marshall trade, appears to be pitching himself out of the picture and down to Class AAA Iowa.
Wood came up with a lot of promise with the Reds in 2010 only to split time last year between the big club and Class AAA Louisville. Monday against the Mariners, he got knocked around for 7 hits and 7 runs over 2 innings and currently has a record of 1-1 with an ERA of 25.07.
He’s only 25, so some more time in the minor leagues wouldn’t be the end of the world. Right-hander Casey Coleman, who has 31 games of big-league experience for the Cubs over the last two seasons appears to be a long shot. Coleman is a finesse guy who could bring some value to the Cubs or another team down the line.
Who’s on the bubble:
Here’s where it really gets interesting. If Samardzija indeed has made it, that leaves one spot open.
Right-hander Randy Wells is a rotation holdover who missed most of the first two months of last season with a forearm strain. Wells pitched better down the stretch, going 6-3 with a 4.04 ERA after the all-star break.
However, he’s not guaranteed a spot, and he seems to know it. Right-hander Chris Volstad came to the Cubs from the Marlins in the Carlos Zambrano trade. He had an 0.90 ERA entering Tuesday, and it looks like it’s going to be very hard for the Cubs to tell him he hasn’t made it if he continues pitching well in the Cactus League.
Veteran Rodrigo Lopez was an emergency fill-in last season after the rotation was torn asunder by injuries. He went 6-6 with a 4.42 ERA and is back this spring as a nonroster invitee to spring training.
Who starts Opening Day?
Unlike former manager Mike Quade, who announced his opening-day starter (Dempster) early in camp last year, Sveum seems in no hurry.
Actually, it’s no big deal who starts April 5 against the Nationals at Wrigley Field as long as the Cubs can line up their top pitchers in the manner they’d like over the first two weeks of the season, with games against the Brewers and Cardinals.
The opening-day start carries symbolic value and the unofficial title of staff ace. If those reasons mean anything, Sveum figures to lean toward Garza.