Byrd discusses supplements

MESA, Ariz. — Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd was unapologetic Wednesday about a couple of things: his use of legal nutritional supplements and working with Victor Conte, a trainer who pleaded guilty to distributing steroids.

Byrd’s four-year association with Conte was featured on an HBO program Tuesday night. Although technically not news, the story again put the specter of performance-enhancing substances in the spotlight.

“I’m a supplements guy,” Byrd said. “You have to understand how supplements work. They don’t make you superman. Steroids make you superman.”

Byrd said that he routinely sends a list of what he takes to Major League Baseball and that he, like many other players, has been randomly tested for illegal performance-enhancing products.

“It’s simple,” he said. “You just send it in to MLB. Everything that you take send it in. and they say yes or no.”

Byrd’s association with Conte became public in 2009. Conte was the face of the BALCO steroids scandal several years ago. He was jailed for his role in the scandal.

“There was nobody better to go to,” Byrd said. “Everyone else I go to, they’d be telling me something I already knew.

“I have nothing to hide. Nothing at all. I’m going to get tested and 2-3 years down the road, and nobody’s going to be saying anything.”

Pitching numbers game:

Cubs manager Mike Quade said is more likely the Cubs will go with a 12-man pitching staff, rather than 11, when the season starts. They routinely carried 12 under former managers Lou Piniella and Dusty Baker.

“I think, given the importance of pitching in the game, and protecting yourself early on, I think that’s the right thing to do,” Quade said.

There are no candidates yet for that role, but Quade did cite one characteristic for the job.

“You talk about guys you think are versatile, that can start, that can be long if they needed to be,” he said. “My sense is we’ve got plenty of those guys in this competition that would be flexible enough to either be in the rotation or be that long guy.”

Right-hander Jeff Samardzija, no longer a starting candidate, could fill that bill.

“I think it would be huge for him to be able to do that,” Quade said. “The reason you say, ‘Could this guy or that guy do it’ is based mostly on what they’ve done in the past. We asked Samardzija go to Triple-A and start last year, and he did. That would lead me to believe he can be stretched out.

“I’m not looking to bring him in for two hitters and that’s it. We’re going to ask a few guys to pitch a little bit longer at some point.”