Edmonds signing could demote Pie

Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Tuesday he didn't want to talk about center fielder Jim Edmonds, whom the Cubs appear highly interested in signing once he clears waivers today.

Piniella faced a barrage of questions about current backup center fielder Felix Pie, who is likely to go to Class AAA Iowa when and if the Cubs sign Edmonds, who was released a few days ago by the San Diego Padres.

Piniella provided a spirited defense of his and the Cubs' handling of Pie and young players.

"I'd like to get Pie more playing time, quite frankly," Piniella said. "Reed Johnson's been doing a good job. I think we're 15- or 16-6 when he plays center field.

"I look at those things, too. I try to be as fair as I possibly can. I try to play everybody. But I can't neglect the fact that the other kid has been playing well, too. So it makes it difficult. I wish I could play 12 guys."

Piniella was asked why it benefits Pie to work on his swing here rather than in the minor leagues.

"I guess it's always something that needs to be discussed and re-discussed," Piniella said. "He's working on some things, things that'll make him better long term. Look, the objective for young kids, whether it's Pie or whomever, is not to get to the big leagues. The objective is to stay in the big leagues and continue to improve.

"Sometimes you have to take a small step backwards before you can go forward."

That was the strongest hint Pie would go to Iowa if Edmond signs.

Piniella added that "half" the Cubs' up-the-middle players are young: catcher Geovany Soto and shortstop Ryan Theriot. Piniella also said he wishes he could find more playing time for infielder Ronny Cedeno.

Piniella bristled at the notion that Pie has not developed.

"He has developed," the manager said. "It's not the easiest thing in the world to come up here and hit right away."

Yes or no? After Lou Piniella affirmed that Ted Lilly would pitch today against the Padres and that Ryan Dempster would face Greg Maddux on Thursday, he was asked if Sean Gallagher would start Friday.

"Look, if Gallagher wasn't going to start Friday, why would we keep him here?" an exasperated Piniella shot back.

Hill update: Lou Piniella indicated lefty Rich Hill, demoted to Iowa on May 3, would get several more starts there.

"I would think so," Piniella said. "He threw 55 fastballs (in his last start), and 28 were strikes and 27 were balls. That's not a real good mix. You've got to get better with that."

Piniella also insisted the Cubs have handled Hill properly.

"We could have kept him here, put him in the bullpen and get work whenever he could," he said. "But we chose to do what's good for Rich and for the Cubs, and that's to send him out there and pitch.

"We couldn't start him the way he was throwing here. It wasn't fair to him or fair to us. So we had to make a decision: Do we put him in the bullpen and work with him, or do we send him out and get him 4-5-6 starts, whatever long it takes for him to get back here? We chose what is the right approach."