Starting Rotation Breakdown: 2011 vs 2012

The Cubs starting pitching depth was one obvious area of weakness for the squad throughout the year. Although Matt Garza put together a good year and Ryan Dempster was a solid middle of the rotation starter, after that the rotation was a mess.

Entering Spring Training, the Cubs felt that they had plenty of starting pitching. However after Carlos Silva was traded before injuries to Andrew Cashner and Randy the first week of the season, the lack of depth became apparent. Carlos Zambrano ended up disqualified for the final few months of the season after an up and down year.

Casey Coleman, who probably should have been developing in Triple-A, made 17 starts and posted a 3-9 record with an ERA of 6.40. Rodrigo Lopez was picked up and made 16 starts, Doug Davis (1-7, 6.50 ERA) made nine starts and Ramos Ortiz was picked up for two starts. Out of desperation the Cubs stuck left handed reliever James Russell in a starting role, who clearly was not cut out to start. If the Cubs had started the season with more starting pitching depth, they would not have resorted to the likes of Russell, Coleman and Davis.

The 2012 season will start with a much larger quantity of starters on the squad. While last year's team started with just six players with starting experience (excluding Kerry Wood, Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol who were not starting options), this year's will have, at this point, 13. Matt Garza is penciled in as the number one baring a trade, while Ryan Dempster will be the number two. Young starters Randy Wells, Chris Volstad and Travis Wood will compete for spots in the middle and back of the rotation along with veteran lefty Paul Maholm. All six of these players are legitimate starting options, while Jeff Samardzija, Manny Corpas, Andy Sonnanstine and Rodrigo Lopez could be serviceable, along with the possibility of a more developed Casey Coleman bouncing back or a prospect like Chris Carpenter stepping up.

If the season started tomorrow, who would follow Dempster and Garza in the rotation? Do the Cubs have quality starting options? Feel free to comment with your thoughts!

Weekend Quick Hits: Wells Activated, Coleman Sent Down, Lopez to Start & More

Lots of news and notes... let's jump right in!

• Randy Wells has been activiated from the disabled list. He will make his second start of the season today against the Pirates, with the first pitch coming up at 12:05.


• In a surprising move, the Cubs have elected to send Casey Coleman down to the Triple-A Iowa instead of letting him remain in the rotation until Matt Garza's return.


• Newcomer Rodrigo Lopez will move into the rotation and start on Monday against the Reds. He was originially expected to be a swingman in the bullpen, but instead he will join Wells, Zambrano, Dempster and Doug Davis in the starting five.


• According to a tweet from Carrie Muskat, Marlon Byrd looks much better. Swelling has gone down.


• Today's Cubs outfield has a different look, with Louis Montenez starting in right field and Tony Campana in center. Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker are both dealing with nagging injuries.


• Geovany Soto went 0-for-3 in his first rehab apperance at Double-A. He will make his first start tonight. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Cubs on Monday.


• Brett Jackson is rehabbing with the Mesa Cubs. After that work is complete, he will rejoin the Tennessee Smokies. Word is that he is not that far away from being able to play in the bigs.


• Last year's number one pick, pitcher Hayden Simpson, is currently pitching at Class-A Peoria. Oneri Fleita told Bruce Miles that he removes the radar guns when Simpson pitches because he does not want him worried too much about speed.


• The Cubs have 40 total errors this season, the second most in MLB.


• Bruce Levine points out that Doug Davis has not been the answer for the Cubs. He's 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as the Cubs try to push through these injuries!

The Good & The Bad: Week 2

The Cubs lost a tough one today 9-5 at the hands of the Rockies, with the game tied at 5 entering the bottom of the eighth. With the loss, the Cubs finished the road trip at 4-5 and are now 7-8 on the season. Let's start with the good from this week.

• Starlin Castro is a stud. He collected seven hits on Saturday and Sunday alone! Starlin is looking good in the lead-off spot.


• Darwin Barney has slid comfortably up to the No. 2 spot in the order. He, too, had a big week. Bob Brenly on Darwin today, "You can't teach instincts."


• Jeff Samardzija looked sharp today, sending down all six men he faced.


• The Cubs showed some signs of life on Saturday and Sunday, playing a couple of close games against a tough Rockies team.


• Koyie Hill notched his first hit of the season.


• The Cubs finally tallied their first stolen base this season. (Castro)


• Casey Coleman pitched a great game on Saturday.

And now the bad...

• The Cubs middle of the order has a grand total of one home run this season.


• No. 5 hitter Carlos Pena is 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.


• No. 3 hitter Marlon Byrd is 3-for-20 with men in scoring position.


• The Cubs bullpen day on Tuesday in Houston was a total failure. James Russell was hammered and the 'Stros extended the lead against guys like Samardzija and Stevens.


• Tyler Colvin is still slumping.


• This team has lacked both speed and power, not a great combo.


• Marcos Mateo's eighth inning today in which he nearly escaped a second and third with no out spot, but ended up giving up four two out runs.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as Everything Cubs as always!

Cashner & Wells Go Down: Rotation Options Now

The Cubs surprised everyone today by announcing that they have lost two of their starting pitchers after just one time through the rotation. Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner have both been placed on the 15-day DL.

Cashner has a strained right rotator cuff. He left Tuesday's game with the injury, so that was not as much of a shock as Randy's injury. Wells has a strained right forearm.

Losing two starting pitchers this early in the season is a huge hit to a 3-3
Cubs team that fell to the D'backs today. This is about the time that the Cubs regret letting Carlos Silva and Braden Looper go instead of offering one of them a bullpen spot. In spring training, the Cubs had four solid options for the back end of the rotation. All four are now out of the picture- one retired, one released and two injured.

After tomorrow's off day, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza will work the first two games in Milwaukee. Then Wells' spot will come up in the rotation. Casey Coleman is expected to be called up from Triple-A Iowa to make the start. Coleman did a great job last year in a starting role and had a fairly good spring. While Coleman is a no-brainer at this point, Cashner's rotation replacement remains a question mark.

Todd Wellemyer, who received a few starts in spring training, is still trying to recover from hip injury. He will start the year at Fitch Park until he is ready to pitch in game situations. Of the rest of the Iowa Cubs projected rotation (Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Roberto Coello, Thomas Diamond, J.R. Mathes and Coleman), Thomas Diamond makes the most sense to come up to the big leagues. He didn't fair too well last year, bouncing back and forth between the pen and starting five. However, Diamond still has the most experience among the four.

The best option could be in the Cubs bullpen. Lefty James Russell was a starter in the minor leagues and could easily move back into that role. Jeff Samardzija is expected to remain in relief for now, while Marcos Mateo is also out of the question.

Most likely, Mike Quade will decide to skip the fifth spot for a while. Ryan Dempster can pitch on regular rest on Monday thanks to the off day Thursday. The Cubs have another day off next Thursday. Q could avoid using more than four starters until either Cashner or Wells returns, depending on how long they are out.

Two roster additions will be made before Friday's game, one of which will be Casey Coleman.

Weekend Quick Hits: Conflicting Reports on Castillo, A Plaque for Santo, Barney Pulling Away & More

• Bruce Miles reports that the Cubs will not go after Luis Castillo, who was recently released by the Mets.
• Miles is hoping that the Cubs throw Andrew Cashner into the rotation and cut Carlos Silva.
• Augie Ojeda has not been able to play due to back spasms. Darwin Barney has emerged as the favorite to take the final infield spot.
• According to Carrie Muskat, Todd Wellemyer has been out of the spring rotation because of a sore right hip.
• Casey Coleman has been sent over to Fitch Park to get some innings in.
• Here is a picture of the new Ron Santo plaque at HoHoKam Park.
• MLB Trade Rumors, citing ESPN Deportes as their source, says that the Cubs are interested in Castillo.
• Bruce Levine thinks that the decision on the final two spots in the rotation could be made as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
• The Sun Times reports that Reed Johnson is pulling away from Fernando Perez for the final outfield spot and Barney has the final infield spot all but wrapped up.

My final four picks: Florida, Duke, Ohio State and Kansas.

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted!

Pitchers and Catchers Have Reported

We can officially say those five magical words, "Pitchers and catchers have reported!" Baseball is right around the corner as the Cubs and the Oakland A's meet two weeks from today at HoHoKam Park. Everything Cubs blog will have you covered throughout Spring Training.

Tomorrow will be the first official workout and the first full squad workout will take place on Saturday. Mike Quade and Jim Hendry are both scheduled to meet the media today. I will update this post throughout the day with more information that comes from the Valley of the Sun.

Here are some tidbits to start us off!

• It is expected to be 77 degrees and sunny in Mesa today.
• Reed Johnson has reported early, according to a tweet from Bruce Miles. Johnson says that his experience with the Cubs was the best of his career. He does not mind fighting for a job this spring.
• Carlos Marmol has already taken his physical and is close to a multi-year deal with the team.
• Tim Sheridan's most recent post mentioned that Marlon Byrd has been working with Tyler Colvin and showing him some tips.
• Carrie Muskat writes that Jeff Samardzija will have a shot at the rotation, but Bruce Levine and Gordon Wittenmyer have reported that the Shark will only be looked at for the pen.
• Wittenmyer told David Kaplan yesterday on Cubs Insider that Casey Coleman will most likely be sent back to Triple-A to start the year.
• Levine continued his Spring Training previews yesterday with a look at the outfield. Mike Quade will have to decide who his starting right field is (Kosuke or Colvin) and who his fifth outfielder is (Perez or Johnson).

I'll keep you posted throughout day one of the 2011 season!!!

Catching Up Quick Hits: Rotation Switch, Sori Resting, Injury Updates and More

• Casey Coleman will make his first big league start in on Wednesday. He will take Thomas Diamond spot in the rotation. Diamond will switch roles with Coleman and head to the bullpen.
• Alfonso Soriano was out of the lineup for two games this weekend, but he just go two days off because of the heat. He returned on Monday night.
• Darwin Barney got his first career hit on Monday, a double in his first at bat at Wrigley.
• Barney was starting at shortstop in place of Starlin Castro, who got a much needed day of race after playing three games in the heat in St. Louis.
• Ron Santo returned to the broadcast booth Monday night. He missed the last road trip to rest up, but says he plans on going on the next road trip. The Cubs visit Washington D.C. and Cincinnati next week.
• Derrek Lee is out with a bulging disc in his back. He left Sunday's finale against the Cardinals after he had already launched two home runs on the day. D-Lee was heating up with four bombs in the three game set. He is expected to return on Thursday.
• Geovany Soto is expected to take batting practice tomorrow. He could return from the DL as soon as next Sunday.
• Carlos Silva is expected to begin a minor league rehab program soon.
• Oneri Fleita joined WGN Radio's David Kaplan on Monday. He said that Chris Archer, Brett Jackson, and Josh Vitters will all be in the Arizona Fall League in Mesa this October. Vitters, who is rehabbing from a broken hand, will see time at first base and third base.
• Bruce Levine reports that Padres bench coach Ted Simmons is interested in the Cubs managerial opening. The search for a new manager could go all the way up to the team's organizational meetings in November.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always!

Cubs 2010 Rookies

The 2010 Chicago Cubs team has been full of rookies, especially on the pitching staff. Tonight, another the third different rookie position player to take the field for the Boys in Blue this season.

Here are some numbers on the young Cubs:

14- Rookies to suit up for the Cubs this season

11- Rookies to pitch for the Cubs this season

8- Guys to make their big league debut for the Cubs this season

6- Pitcher to make their big league debut for the Cubs this season

Let's review the debuts!

April 5, 2010
James Russell, the only rookie pitcher to break camp with the Cubs, pitches two shutout innings on Opening Day! The Cubs were crushed by the Braves 16-5.

May 6, 2010
Starlin Castro breaks in with a bang, launching a homer, a triple, and 6 RBIs! The Cubs beat the Reds 14-7 behind their new starting shortstop.

May 31, 2010
Andrew Cashner throws only one pitch to get the out he needed in his debut in the 8th inning. The Cubs fell to the Pirates 2-1.

June 28, 2010
Brian Schlitter got the job done against the Pirates, striking out both men he faced. After the previous pitcher left mid-better, it only took Brian two pitches to notch his first career K. The Cubs went on to lose the game 2-1.

August 2, 2010
Casey Coleman breaks into the big leagues with a wobbly first appearance. He becomes the third generation of MLB hurlers in his family, the first family ever to send three generations of guys to the bigs as pitchers! Coleman was charged with six earned runs in a lopsided 18-1 loss to the Brewers.

August 3, 2010
Thomas Diamond, called up to replaced Ted Lilly in the rotation, pitches well in his debut. He went six innings and gave up only three runs on seven hits. However, the Cubs couldn't score enough runs for a win and Diamond ended up taking the loss.

August 9, 2010
Marcos Mateo is tossed right into a tied game in extra innings the day he was called up from Iowa. He did not allow a run in the tenth inning, but then the Giants scored with one out in the 11th on a walk-off sac fly.

August 11, 2010
Tonight Welington Castillo is in the lineup, batting 8th and catching. He will make his debut as the batterymate of Tom Gorzelanny. Castillo will look to have a big night at the plate against Giants lefty Barry Zito.

Will these guys be able to help the Cubs win in 2011 and beyond?

Friday Pregame News & Notes

Roster Cuts
The Cubs have reduced their Spring Training roster to 42. Eight more cuts were made today. Blake Parker, Jeff Stevens, and Welington Castillo were optioned to AAA. Five non-roster invites have been sent back to minor league camp: Andrew Cashner, Casey Coleman, Thomas Diamond, J.R. Mathes, and Bryan LaHair. With these cuts, the Cubs really cleared some pitchers out of camp (6). The biggest surprise among the cuts was Diamond, who I felt had a real chance of making the ballclub. Lefty James Russell is the only non roster pitcher remaining with the team. I also thought Cashner and Mathes would stick around a little longer.

Guzman to have Surgery
Cubs reliever Angel Guzman met with Dr. James Andrews on Thursday and it was decided that Angel will undergo surgery to try to repair the tear in his right shoulder. The operation will take place on Tuesday and there is no timetable for his return.

Ramirez Still Out
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez was expected to get back into Cactus League action in yesterday's game against the Dodgers. However, Rami is still unable to throw because of his sore right tricep. He is expected to get some at bats in over at Fitch Park in a minor league game on Saturday.

Lilly Throws to Hitters
Ted Lilly threw to hitters for the first time this year yesterday. He is rehabbing from an offseason shoulder surgery. Lilly's moving along faster than expected and could be back in the rotation by mid-April. Ted could get into one Cactus League game before the rest of the team breaks camp.

Other Pitching Updates
The Cactus League rotation was thrown off slightly by Wednesday's off day. Jeff Samardzija worked 3 innings in a minor league intersquad game walking 3 in the second on Wednesday. Sean Marshall did his work yesterday with a 5 inning simulated game at HoHoKam Park while the rest of the team was in Glendale. Jeff Gray, acquired from Oakland this winter, is running out of time to try to make the Opening Day roster. He has been out with a groin injury all spring. Gray tossed three innings of batting practice yesterday, and Carrie Muskat reports that the next step will be a simulated game. We've known that Esmalin Caridad is in the mix for late inning work, but now Bruce Levine adds that Justin Berg is a leader for a setup role.

Today's Game
Randy Wells will take the mound against the White Sox today in Glendale. The game starts at 3:05 CT and will be on CSN Chicago and WGN Radio. Dave van Dyck reports that Aramis Ramirez is still missing from the lineup. Jeff Baker will start at the hot corner in place of Ramirez, and Xavier Nady is scheduled to be the DH.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Spring Training Preview: Non Roster Pitchers

Today we begin our first look at what we will see this March, when the Cubs take the field for the first time in 2010. When the Cubs are in Arizona, there we'll be some position battles, comebacks, stories, and injuries to watch regarding the big league players in camp, but that preview will come later. Today we take a look at the minor league pitchers that have been invited to big league camp.

Andrew Cashner

• RHP
• Was drafted by the Cubs in the first round (19th) of the 2008 MLB June Amateur draft.
• Rated the top pitcher prospect in the Cubs organization by Jim Callis of Baseball America.
• Cubs #4 prospect overall.
• Rated best fastball and slider by Baseball America
• Rated "Best Mechanics", and "Best Slider" in the Cubs system by Vineline.
• Started 12 games with Class A Daytona last year, his 1.50 ERA earned him a promotion.
• Then started 12 games at AA Tennessee, going 3-4 with a 3.39 ERA.

Casey Coleman

• RHP, bats left handed
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 15th round of the June 2008 draft
• Rated "Best command" by Vineline
• Rated best changeup and control by Baseball America
• 14-6 with a 3.68 ERA with AA Tennessee in 2009

Thomas Diamond

• RHP
• Aquired by the Cubs on September 4, 2009 after he was DFA'd by the Rangers 3 days prior
• Underwent Tommy John and missed the entire 2007 season
• Went 2-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 38 games between AA and AAA last year (32 in AA)
• Went 2-0 with an 0.64 ERA in 3 games in winter ball in Mexico this offseason

Jeff Kennard

• RHP
• Signed a minor league contract with the Cubs on January 12, 2010
• Has spent time in the Yankees (2001-2007), Angels (2007-'08) and Reds (2009) organizations
• Has yet to make big league debut
• 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA in 40 games for AAA Louisville in 2009
• 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 6 games in Dominican Winter League this offseason
• An interesting name to watch this spring

J.R. Mathes

• LHP
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 16th round of the 2004 draft
• Real name is Alfred George Mathes
• Born in Granger, IN
• good command
• 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA in 26 games (21 starts) for AAA Iowa in 2009
• 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA in 6 games in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason

Vince Perkins

• RHP (bats left handed)
• Has spent 8 seasons in the minors
• Has been in the Tonorto ('01-'05), Milwauke (2007) and Cubs (2009) organizations
• Played for team Canada in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics
• 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 6 games for the Smokies last year, before being moved up to AAA where he went 6-2 with a 3.48 ERA

James Russell

• LHP
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 14th round of the June 2007 draft
• Struggled as a starter, found new life in the bullpen
• 2-3 with a 5.11 ERA in 11 games (6 starts) at AA Tennessee in 2009
• 3-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 26 games (7 starts) for AAA Iowa
• 0-1 with a 1.26 ERA in 11 games in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox last fall

Guy to Watch for the Future: Andrew Cashner

Best Chance to Make the Club: J.R. Mathes

Most Underrated: Thomas Diamond

Up Next: The Non Roster Hitters