According to a report on ESPN 1000 in Chicago from Bruce Levine, Ryan Dempster will be in Lou Piniella's starting rotation in 2008. Back in May, Piniella promised to 'shake up' his pitching staff and Dempster reportedly was close to returning to the starting rotation. The move never happened, Dempster remained the closer and the effectiveness of Carlos Marmol helped solidify the bullpen.
Levine stated Bobby Howry, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood, if the Cubs are able to resign Wood, are candidates for the closer's position next year.
Updated - 9:30pm C.T. - With a Report from the Sun-Times confirming Dempster moving back to the Rotation
Ryan Dempster was 2-7 with a 4.73 ERA in 66 games out of the pen last season. Dempster saved 28 of 31 games and has 87 saves since joining the Cubs in 2004. Dempster started 6 games in 2005 before taking over for LaTroy Hawkins. He was 1-3 with a 5.35 ERA (20 earned runs, 37 hits, 22 walks and 36 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings).
Dempster's best season as starter came in 2000 as a member of the Florida Marlins. He was 14-10 with a 3.66 ERA in 33 starts. In 226 innings, he struck out 209. The last time Dempster made at least 30 starts in a single season was 2002 when he split time with the Marlins (18 starts) and the Reds (15 starts). He was a combined 10-13 with a 5.38 ERA (125 earned runs in 209 innings) in 33 starts with 93 walks and 153 strikeouts.
Will update if more information becomes available....
Update - According to a report by Chris De Luca in the Sun-Times on Tuesday night, Ryan Dempster will be in the Cubs starting rotation in 2008. Lou Piniella gave Dempster "the green light to move from the back of the bullpen to the rotation in time for Spring Training."
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Please God:
Don't let this be true. Please bless us by turning this into just another crazy rumor. Oh Dear Lord, please spare us.
Amen
Zambrano
Lilly
Hill
Marquis
Marshall
Dempster
Someone will get traded.
Dont forget to mention Kuroda too Jim if go down that road. Unless we plan on utilizing his tired arm in the pen as well..
Hell last year Hendry had a bag of disconnected parts that Lou had to sift through in the outfield so it wouldn't suprise me that he has no master plan for the rotation. I am not sure why he would publically announce Dempster going to the rotation as it does nothing to enahance Dempster's value as a starter or closer and also devalues one of the current starters. If you want to give the closer carrot to Wood and starter carrot to Dempster suppress your need for approval and do it in private for cripes sake.
Hey Jim! Nice to read from you. Everything fine...hoping for good new stuff!
Hey Neil and crew!!! Non-stop! Keep em rollin'....I mean the good info!
Braveheart[the best movie ever] hope:::::
If like William Wallace we only had ONE CHANCE...JUST ONE CHANCE to pick any one player...Who would it be???
SANTANA would kick arse! And everyone in this site can take my LIFE for saying it BUT you can't take away MY FREEEEEEEEEDOM! [of speech I guess]
Matt,
There is a strong chance the Cubs won't get Kuroda---though I really hope they can somehow. Apparently there's a report out that he's looking at mild-weather places---like the west coast because he doesn't like cold weather.
Ibanez, Fukodome, Peralta, Kuroda, and Crawford.....problem is, I don't see any of these moves happening---I think it's a pie-in-the sky sort of dream
Think more along the lines of an Affeldt, Herges, Romero, etc., sort of signing, and I highly doubt we sign/trade for anyone of note. Our biggest needs are power hitter in RF, bullpen help, a decent hitting SS, and back-end of the rotation help. Minus the SS situation, all of the rest could be handled internally, which I think might very well happen.
For relief: ALMOST LOCKS- Wuertz, Eyre, Howry, Marmol, Wood (that'd leave 2 spots open)
OPTIONS- Hart (if not rotation), Petrick, Pignatiello, Samardzija, etc.
For rotation: LOCKS- Z, Lilly, Hill
OPTIONS- Hart, Gallagher, Dempster, Veal, Marshall, Marquis
For OF: LOCKS- Soriano
OPTIONS FOR RF/CF- Jones, Murton, Pagan, Pie, Hoffpauir, Kroeger, Fuld
Realistically, I think Jones will FINALLY be out of the equation, and the Cubs will either give Pie a full shot at CF or package him for a Crawford, Peralta, or someone like that. I think everyone in the organization has grown tired of Marquis. They won't publicly say it, but they also have lost confidence in Dempster. And while they claim publicly to have confidence in Theriot, there is ALWAYS a little bit of truth to rumors in sports. Khalil Greene and Peralta have been the latest rumored replacements, and I believe it might make a difference for us. HOWEVER, not at the expense of trading Pie for them.
Who could we possibly get for a power hitting RF? Guillen is highly likely to be out of the picture with his recent steroid accusations. Mike Cameron is the same way, and there's no way we go for Sosa again, not to mention I'd never want to see that arrogant, self-centered guy in a Cubs uniform again. Geoff Jenkins? Think Jones, but with more power and a slightly higher OBP. Adam Dunn? No way the Reds trade him with Griffey hobbling always, and Jay Bruce might not be ready yet, which is why they picked up his option. Griffey? Try again...hobbled, and stated he wants to stay in Cincy to end his career. Crawford? It was stated it would take close to what the Braves sent the Rangers for Teixeira. Therefore, it looks like the only real option(s) might be internal, or making a play for Rowand or Hunter. Hunter is NOT coming here, simply because he was good friends with Hawkins and Jones, and we all know how beloved they were at Wrigley....and Rowand looks like he might be heading back to the White Sox, and would he really think about coming to the brick laden OF walls of Wrigley anyway given his hard-nosed style of play?
The way I see it is we have to WAY overpay for Fukodome just to get a top notch Japanese player to play for us, or we have to pay a king's ransom for a power hitting outfielder.
I also heard about the Kaz Matsui rumor.....I would be shocked if this happens, as he has not played SS in quite some time. His stats are also about on par with Theriot anyway, so that would be a shocker if we made a play for him. Who knows, we might make a play for Clint Barmes again like we had in the past. Maybe it'd be worth it to take a flier on him.
I wanted to add a quick thought.....
What if we made a play for Andruw Jones....Say $17-18 million for one year, with a team/player option for a second at like $19? I think we could do that, without making a huge commitment. If we do that, it makes trading Pie almost inevitable.
I mean, think of an OF like this: Soriano, Jones, Crawford...WOW!!!
I really think this will be a possibility, and I think it might be something that is being kept quiet. Who knows?
No way we sign Jones for one year, he wouldn't do that. And he sucks.
MR. D. LEE wins another Gold glove. Congrats and well earned
Austin, down here in the south everyone is a Braves fan. And many speculate that Boras is even pushing for the one year deal just because of how terrible Andruw Jones was last year. If he bites at a one year deal offered by the Cubs Im all over that. Jones with a 1 year deal gives us a star player and it really doesnt hurt Felix Pie's growth either.
As a transplanted Cubs fan who now lives in Atlanta, the last thing the Cubs need is Andruw Jones. Like Soriano, he has no plate discipline, and still at age 30 can't lay off the breaking ball. Andruw should learn from Glavine, and should have stayed in Atlanta (for a discount)where he's still loved by the fans and Cox. Moving out of Atlanta, his star career is likely over.
I'm also find it interesting the skepticism on Theriot on this board. The kid plays hard, is sound defensively, and provides that hustle intangible this team needs. And he'll only get better with a bit more experience. Shortstop is one of the least of our worries.
I think an interesting offensive (and certainly defensive) upgrade we'll see this coming year will come from Soto. The kid looks a bit like a young Pudge Rodriguez. I predict he'll hit 20+ HR's and can produce 80+ RBI's.
I still like having patience with Murton, and give him the everyday role (and work like crazy on his defense), or tally up the bucks and get an Aaron Rowand.
In the rotation you now have Z, Lilly, Hill, Prior, Marshall, Marquis, and Dempster. Something has to give there (likely good-bye to Marquis).
Aaron,
Was your "pie"-in-the-sky reference an intended pun on our guy Felix? Either way, I totally agree with everything you said in your post (except that I am one of the few thinks a Pie for Greene trade might work out well for us). Well stated assessment of the Cubbies' situation.