TOPICS (discuss! actively! these threads burn oil idling this much)

[nathanKent]

1. http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/art...=.jsp&c_id=chc

Given that Lou gave him a start at the position and given his year in '06 in Japan, do you want to see Fukudome as a potential starter in CF? Do you consider a Soriano/Fukudome/Murton lineup to be stronger or weaker than a Soriano/Pie/Fukudome lineup?

2. Should the bench be Ward, Blanco, Pie/Murton, Fontenot, and Cedeno, or is there another player that merits consideration, and if so whose spot does he take?

3. On the subject of Brian Roberts:
(A) Assuming the bench pre-Roberts is Ward, Blanco, Pie or Murton, Fontenot, and Cintron or Cedeno, which one do we send down if/when Roberts gets here? (I'm not including Hoffpauir as an option because I'm pretty sure this hot streak is a fluke and I'm also pretty sure Lou knows it.)

(B) If/When Roberts gets here, do we have a need for a 5th dedicated OF or can DeRosa and Ward get the job done?

(C) Even if Roberts isn't here, do we need a 5th dedicated OF?

(D) If we get a 5th outfielder, should he be a CF and should his name be Kenny Lofton?

4. Money aside, who are your seven pitchers in the bullpen and why are you picking them over some of the other candidates?

5. Pick two for the rotation: Dempster, Marquis, Lieber. Do we toss the odd man out in the 'pen or do we trade him?

6. Name two players who have impressed you the most during Spring Training and why, then do the same for two players who have disappointed you.

BONUS QUESTION: In closing, please summarize the meaning of life in 30 seconds or less.

[rockin500]

Given that Lou gave him a start at the position and given his year in '06 in Japan, do you want to see Fukudome as a potential starter in CF? Do you consider a Soriano/Fukudome/Murton lineup to be stronger or weaker than a Soriano/Pie/Fukudome lineup? fukodome will not play in center. period. He signed with the cubs BECAUSE he was guaranteed the right field spot. he would be with the white sox otherwise, since they offered more

2. Should the bench be Ward, Blanco, Pie/Murton, Fontenot, and Cedeno, or is there another player that merits consideration, and if so whose spot does he take? I could live with that bench. Ward would be the best of our pinch hitters, but the others wouldnt be bad outside of Cedeno (if you are talking PH wise)

3. On the subject of Brian Roberts:
(A) Assuming the bench pre-Roberts is Ward, Blanco, Pie or Murton, Fontenot, and Cintron or Cedeno, which one do we send down if/when Roberts gets here? (I'm not including Hoffpauir as an option because I'm pretty sure this hot streak is a fluke and I'm also pretty sure Lou knows it.) Put cintron on the DL. they can do that since hes been banged up.

(B) If/When Roberts gets here, do we have a need for a 5th dedicated OF or can DeRosa and Ward get the job done? the latter

(C) Even if Roberts isn't here, do we need a 5th dedicated OF? [b] depends. itd be preferable, but if theres someone on the roster who can split the OF and IF and be adequate in both places, thats fine. the 5th OF doesnt need to be anything above average IMO.

(D) If we get a 5th outfielder, should he be a CF and should his name be Kenny Lofton? NO. hes a cancer. If you look at his career the past several years, he's a guy who can help for 3 months, but after that he reaches the point of diminishing returns

4. Money aside, who are your seven pitchers in the bullpen and why are you picking them over some of the other candidates? not sure, this isnt the night for me to thing about that!

5. Pick two for the rotation: Dempster, Marquis, Lieber. Do we toss the odd man out in the 'pen or do we trade him? dempster, marquis. Lieber goes into the long man role. i have ZERO faith in lieber staying healthy wheras marquis at least you know he is going to be healthy

6. Name two players who have impressed you the most during Spring Training and why, then do the same for two players who have disappointed you. none right now. i dont get impressed all that much by ST

BONUS QUESTION: In closing, please summarize the meaning of life in 30 seconds or less. a glazed donut and a bottle of bourbon

[nathanKent]

My answers:

1. I'd like to see it tried. Pie still hasn't impressed me, even though I like him. I think his demeanor prevents him from having a Corey Patterson snowball/meltdown, but I think he's not ready to get the job done 100%. He's still struggling with the bat. We have a lot of those guys right now. Going in to the regular season with potential offensive issues at CF, RF, SS, C, and half the rotation doesn't sit well with me. Having half the lineup sitting at .250/.300/.340 or worse really doesn't sit well with me. Especially when we have .295/.365/.455 with room for growth riding pine.

I also see no reason why we should fear putting Fukudome in the middle. He has a Gold Glove from his year in CF, has a cannon arm, and great accuracy. Yes, he's better defensively at RF by all accounts. But better at one position doesn't necessarily translate to bad at another (unless we're talking about Soriano at LF vs. 2B). Also take note of the fact that '06 (his year at CF) was statistically his best year on offense. Part of the concern with putting Soriano in CF last year was that it would affect his production. That doesn't appear to be an issue for Fukudome.

So yeah, let's do it. If it works well, shop Pie. To Baltimore. For Roberts.

2. Hoffpauir doesn't look legit to me yet. He hasn't had a wow year at AAA where he just dominates pitchers. Actually he's been pretty average at AA and AAA both. He plays the same positions as Ward, and I wouldn't take him (or really anybody else) over Daryle. Ward's importance to the Cubs' offense is, in my opinion, not that much lesser than our upper echelon starters. He isn't just good off the bench.... he wins games. We won close games in late innings last year specifically because of his bat. He is clutch. Micah is unproven, and maybe even just a fluke.

Statistically Patterson has, to some degree, earned the right to at least be considered in lieu of Fontenot. But Fontenot plays both middle infield positions (one admittedly a lot better than the other), whereas Patterson plays the three positions where we already have depth. If I'm Lou, Patterson is out, but his number is on speed dial as first call when someone goes on the DL.

Fuld has not impressed. The game is too big for him right now. I'm pretty sure it won't be in a year, which would help ease the prospective pain of trading Pie only to watch him go to Baltimore and bat .310 with 30 taters. McGehee has impressed, but I think he's another Hoffpauir--a potential fluke. Again, no wow year at AAA (actually a downright miserable year in '07). We don't really need reserve 3rd basemen either with DeRosa and Cedeno on board.

That leaves Cintron. I think we consider him over Cedeno. He has respectable numbers at both SS and 3B. He's more consistent, albeit unspectacular, with the bat. I'm not calling him an automatic yes over Cedeno, but I'm not calling him an automatic no either.

Koyie Hill still looks unremarkable with the bat, which still strikes me as odd because he was so good when he was here at WSU. I don't object to a defensive catcher though (I actually rather prefer a Blanco to even a young Jason Kendall), so if an injury necessitates a callup I think we're fine.

3A. The reserve SS (Cedeno or Cintron). If Pie is part of the trade, Fuld will have to come up and get the job done (either that or we find an unemployed vet). I'd rather hedge our bets on seeing DeRosa or Fontenot at SS one day a week than lose Fontenot's bat. Of course the reality is that Cedeno would stay and Fontenot would get sent down, but that's just my personal preference.

3B. Nope. Even if Pie is part of the trade, we simply close rank and work with our available options--Fuld, Cedeno, and of course Fukudome. If Murton is the fodder, Patterson comes up as the 4th dedicated OF.

3C. Nope. Even without Roberts we're deep at 2B. If DeRosa needs to be in the OF, Fontenot is there. Theriot can slide over and leave SS to Cedeno, or Theriot can stay at SS and Cedeno can take 2B. And we could always move Soriano up.

Wait.... no. Let's not do that.

3D. Yes and yes. Lofton's presence would make Fontenot's absence acceptable. And lord knows we'd still have enough 2nd basemen. Our leadoff problem would be solved too.

4. Marmol, Wood, Wuertz, Pignatiello, Hart, and Howry for the first six. The 7th spot should go at first to the odd man out from the rotation, but if said odd man out gets traded the spot should probably go to Eyre. Still, Piggy would be my go-to lefty. The Scott Eyre in San Francisco was not the real Scott Eyre. It's time to stop kidding ourselves. When he performs well, give him more responsibility. That's what Lou did over the course of the season last year, and it worked beautifully at the end of the season. But let's not have any more gas can performances in April. Same goes for Howry. Counting aforementioned odd man out, Howry is statistically the worst righty relief pitcher on the staff. Treat him as such until his playing merits respect. Which it will. Eventually. But for now give those innings to Wuertz, with his 0.64 WHIP.

5. My answer all through Spring Training up until now has been Marshall and not-Marquis. Lou doesn't want a 3rd lefty, and Marshall's WHIP is not where it should be. He needs a little more time at AAA. Of the three righties, Lieber has been the pleasant surprise. I can't not give him the #3 spot. He has the WHIP and the ERA, and he doesn't walk batters. I can't say that about any of the other candidates.

Of course, Lieber's health is a liability. But we have two insurance policies. Their names are Marshall and Gallagher.

That leaves Demp and Marquis. Marquis's hissy fit didn't impress me much. He didn't earn a spot from the way he played in '07. I don't know that he meant to come off projecting an air of entitlement, but that's sure how it felt to me. Still, between him and Demp, Marquis is the better pitcher. I think. I'm not sure. As much as Marquis is a heart attack to watch, when he's on he can be a stunner.

The only thing that I do know is that if the odd man out is Demp or Marquis, he should be traded. Let them go somewhere and do what they want rather than stick around here and be unhappy. The comedic twist to me is that I think both are infinitely better out of the 'pen, but neither of them wants to do it. Of course the 'pen is a waste of Marquis' other talents, and that plays into my choice also. They're guys with similar ERAs and WHIPs. One can help himself with the stick. The other cannot. Demp is also relearning the job, and so my same objection to Pie applies to him as well. A team that is designed to win immediately (Soriano, Lee, and Ramirez aren't exactly getting younger, after all) might not be able to afford the luxury of helping ease a pitcher back into a starting role after, what, four years off? Or is it five? And he's 30 years old anyways, soon to be 31. This isn't a long term project with great dividends to be paid over the next decade.

All for a pitcher who only once put up an ERA under 4.50 as a starter.

Marquis gets the job.

6. IMPRESSED BY: Lieber and Zambrano. Lieber because I expected another Trachsel and got something much better. Z because he's on fire, and he looks focused. Honorable mention goes to Pie for playing with a twisted nut.

DISAPPOINTED BY: Eyre and Cedeno. Eyre because I didn't know which one we were getting, and we definitely got the wrong one. Cedeno because, on the advice of Bob, I did my absolute best to give him another chance. And he disappointed again, as per usual. I'm just ready to be done with the guy. I don't really think Cintron would be better, but what I do know is that he wouldn't be Cedeno. And that just might be enough.

I miss Izzy.


BONUS: The meaning is that it has none, so we spend our lives desperately aiming to give it some, really any at all. Either that, or Swedish twins.


I'll go with the twins.

[Bob Sacamento]

[QUOTE=nathanKent;1141982]1. http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/art...=.jsp&c_id=chc

Given that Lou gave him a start at the position and given his year in '06 in Japan, do you want to see Fukudome as a potential starter in CF? Do you consider a Soriano/Fukudome/Murton lineup to be stronger or weaker than a Soriano/Pie/Fukudome lineup?

Fukudome can start in CF, he's got the range and arm for it. Kosuke didn't demand to play RF, he's flexible and willing to play anywhere to help the team. A lineup of Soriano/Fukudome/Murton is more potent offensively but lags severely behind a defensive lineup of Alf/Pie/Fuku.

2. Should the bench be Ward, Blanco, Pie/Murton, Fontenot, and Cedeno, or is there another player that merits consideration, and if so whose spot does he take?

Well if that's the bench then it means, no Roberts deal which I'm perfectly fine with. It also means that the Cubs will start the season with 12 pitchers and not 11, which is the norm usually. Ward gives you the power bat, Blanco gives Soto breathing room, Murton gives you someone who can hit LHP, Cedeno gives you someone who can field SS, 3B, 2B very well (and apparently the OF). But Fontenot? He doesn't really have a spot or a need that we have. What? He can play an average 2B, so can several other cats we have. Personally, I'd rather take Eric Patterson but I have a feeling that Cintron will make the club.

3. On the subject of Brian Roberts:
(A) Assuming the bench pre-Roberts is Ward, Blanco, Pie or Murton, Fontenot, and Cintron or Cedeno, which one do we send down if/when Roberts gets here? (I'm not including Hoffpauir as an option because I'm pretty sure this hot streak is a fluke and I'm also pretty sure Lou knows it.)

Fontenot doesn't deserve/need to be on the roster, he's ad nauseam of Roberts. Mike can play one position and he does it average at best, his arm isn't strong enough for 3B or the OF. While his bat is MLB bench worthy, his glove isn't.

(B) If/When Roberts gets here, do we have a need for a 5th dedicated OF or can DeRosa and Ward get the job done?

We have no need for a 5th OF now and we definitely won't if Roberts is added.

(C) Even if Roberts isn't here, do we need a 5th dedicated OF?

No

(D) If we get a 5th outfielder, should he be a CF and should his name be Kenny Lofton?

No, if we get a 5th OF, his name should be Barry Bonds.

4. Money aside, who are your seven pitchers in the bullpen and why are you picking them over some of the other candidates?

My pen:

Wood
Marmol
Howry
Dempster
Eyre
Marshall
Wuertz

My rotation:

Zman
Lilly
Lieber
Hill
Marquis

5. Pick two for the rotation: Dempster, Marquis, Lieber. Do we toss the odd man out in the 'pen or do we trade him?

Marquis and Lieber, with the odd man throwing long in the pen. In the month of April, it's quite possible that #5 gets skipped a time or two. Why trade veteran arms? The season is long, injuries happen, a good team has depth in their rotation.

6. Name two players who have impressed you the most during Spring Training and why, then do the same for two players who have disappointed you.

Spring Training usually means nothing, hitters sit on fastballs, pitchers dont' have a hold on their breaking balls, the best thing to look at is how the player plays the field. That being said, I've been impressed with Wuertz the most of everyone in spring. Mike just looks like he's in midseason form, the fastball is in the low 90's and the slider is very tight, along with excellent control. Still Jon Lieber has nothing to wag your finger at. Lieber has shown his discipline around the plate, he's conserving his pitches while making hitters look absolutely foolish. Jon has his secondary already working while sporting a solid fastball and a strong arm.

As for a poor spring, I don't there is a stronger candidate than Rich Hill. Like I had said earlier, curveballs don't really curve in Arizona, and Hill has had some serious problems with his. Poor location of his fastball along with an over reliance on the curve and trying out his new changeup has made March/ST a poor month for Rich. By season's beginning though, look for Rich to almost scrap his change and take advantage of cold Wrigley early on by throwing up and in with his FB to establish it and make his curve look even better.

Besides Hill, I think Fuld has really disappointed some who were expecting him to tear up ST and challenge Pie for CF. Fuld flashed short term defensive brilliance in late 07, destroyed the AFL (winning MVP), but he basically disappeared in ST and really won't get a shot/chance of winning an MLB job to start the 08 season.

BONUS QUESTION: In closing, please summarize the meaning of life in 30 seconds or less.

Carpe Diem or if your a philosophy student "Why".

[nathanKent]

1. Fukudome can start in CF, he's got the range and arm for it. Kosuke didn't demand to play RF, he's flexible and willing to play anywhere to help the team. A lineup of Soriano/Fukudome/Murton is more potent offensively but lags severely behind a defensive lineup of Alf/Pie/Fuku.

Given that you're the stat guy and I'm not, tell me which is better. I don't see a major deficiency in Murton's RF play, though obviously it isn't as solid as his LF play. I haven't actually seen Fukudome play CF, but from reading it sounds like he isn't a slouch by any stretch. To me it seems that the major offensive upgrade from Pie to Murton makes the move worthwhile. In your estimation does it cost us more in defense than the accrued gain at the plate?

[QUOTE=Bob Sacamento;1142083]

Well if that's the bench then it means, no Roberts deal which I'm perfectly fine with. It also means that the Cubs will start the season with 12 pitchers and not 11, which is the norm usually. Ward gives you the power bat, Blanco gives Soto breathing room, Murton gives you someone who can hit LHP, Cedeno gives you someone who can field SS, 3B, 2B very well (and apparently the OF). But Fontenot? He doesn't really have a spot or a need that we have. What? He can play an average 2B, so can several other cats we have. Personally, I'd rather take Eric Patterson but I have a feeling that Cintron will make the club.

To me, having Cintron and Cedeno seems redundant. Both are acceptable defensive backup shortstops that play another infield position as well. Cedeno also plays a little CF now, and I think he has more potential from a defensive standpoint at SS. Fontenot, on the other hand, gives us a reliable offensive 2B on a day where DeRosa has to start RF (which shouldn't really happen unless Pie is part of a trade for Roberts) or 3B. I would much rather see Fontenot get 3+ ABs than Cedeno or Cintron and in exchange live with his pedestrian defense (it's not like he's any worse than Ramirez).

Patterson could be an interesting choice in lieu of Fontenot, however. It's just too bad he can't play at least a little SS. I'm tellin' ya.... If Murton had any reaction time at all we could stick him at SS and field a dangerous team. Unfortunately he's a slow runner with below average reflexes and a a girly arm. Or, in layman's terms, a corner outfielder.

Fontenot doesn't deserve/need to be on the roster, he's ad nauseam of Roberts. Mike can play one position and he does it average at best, his arm isn't strong enough for 3B or the OF. While his bat is MLB bench worthy, his glove isn't.

With Roberts on the team, yes, but who is your bench with Roberts as the everyday starter at 2B? Ward, Blanco, and DeRosa are guaranteed spots. An additional OF with CF capability is a requirement, be that Pie, Fuld, or Cedeno. If Cedeno and Pie were both part of the trade, Fuld would be guaranteed a spot. That leaves one spot for a backup SS. If you award that spot to Cintron, the logical defensive choice, that's a weak bench offensively (Ward, DeRosa, Blanco, Fuld, Cintron). In turn, if you award that spot to Fontenot, you get more offense but a compromise defensively at SS.

I'm about to speak words I never thought I would speak (or type, I guess): we might have jumped the gun on getting rid of Angel Pagan.

We have no need for a 5th OF now and we definitely won't if Roberts is added.

Agreed, provided the 4th OF plays at least a little CF. I'm just imagining the double switch that would result in Soriano having no choice but to move to CF while DeRosa and Murton man the corners. That could be ugly.

No

Still agreed, as long as someone (Fuld doesn't count in my opinion) who can back up CF.

No, if we get a 5th OF, his name should be Barry Bonds.

I'm not sure I like you anymore.

My pen:

Wood
Marmol
Howry
Dempster
Eyre
Marshall
Wuertz

My rotation:

Zman
Lilly
Lieber
Hill
Marquis

Still more comfortable with Eyre over Piggy? I'm really not. I understand your objection to Hart and I don't disagree with you in the slightest. I'd just rather see Marshall stay stretched out for when Lieber breaks his hip taking a flight of stairs. And Marshall needs to walk fewer batters. Perhaps one last dance in Iowa would help complete the final product. I think we need to view him as a future starter and the heir apparent to Ted Lilly's spot in the rotation (Z, Hill, Gallagher, Marshall, and Samardzija could be a potent crew).

As for Demp, if he goes back to the rotation, does he regain his position as closer? I like him over Wood for the job because I know he's durable and I know what to expect from him. I just worry about his attitude if he's sent back to the 'pen. I mean.... he's not a rotation guy. He's a fringe #5 on a staff with an abundance of fringe #5's (I contend that Lieber, Marshall, Gallagher, Dempster, and Marquis are all #5's at this point in their respective careers). I really wish he didn't want this so badly. Sometimes it's just best to accept what you really are and run with it.

Marquis and Lieber, with the odd man throwing long in the pen. In the month of April, it's quite possible that #5 gets skipped a time or two. Why trade veteran arms? The season is long, injuries happen, a good team has depth in their rotation.

I think it's smart to wait five or six weeks before negotiating a trade, just in case that hip injury happens early on. At a certain point though it's just too much work to get a reliever stretched back out to start. That's why I think it's best to trade the odd man out before the All Star Break. But that's just me.

Spring Training usually means nothing, hitters sit on fastballs, pitchers dont' have a hold on their breaking balls, the best thing to look at is how the player plays the field. That being said, I've been impressed with Wuertz the most of everyone in spring. Mike just looks like he's in midseason form, the fastball is in the low 90's and the slider is very tight, along with excellent control. Still Jon Lieber has nothing to wag your finger at. Lieber has shown his discipline around the plate, he's conserving his pitches while making hitters look absolutely foolish. Jon has his secondary already working while sporting a solid fastball and a strong arm.

Wuertz was my real 3rd choice, and almost my 2nd choice. I just wish I had seen more of him in person. I'm also a little reticent to crown him, given how great he was in April of '07 and how much less great he became after that.

As for a poor spring, I don't there is a stronger candidate than Rich Hill. Like I had said earlier, curveballs don't really curve in Arizona, and Hill has had some serious problems with his. Poor location of his fastball along with an over reliance on the curve and trying out his new changeup has made March/ST a poor month for Rich. By season's beginning though, look for Rich to almost scrap his change and take advantage of cold Wrigley early on by throwing up and in with his FB to establish it and make his curve look even better.

Besides Hill, I think Fuld has really disappointed some who were expecting him to tear up ST and challenge Pie for CF. Fuld flashed short term defensive brilliance in late 07, destroyed the AFL (winning MVP), but he basically disappeared in ST and really won't get a shot/chance of winning an MLB job to start the 08 season.

Carpe Diem or if your a philosophy student "Why".

[Scartissue]

I'll say this much about Bonds--he's the best free agent I've ever seen that can't get a job despite trying. I can understand if people don't want him on the Cubs because of the person he is--he is probably the least likable baseball star in my lifetime (gotta be up there with Cobb and Hornsby in all-time horses' asses). That said, he would help most teams, gimpy knees and all (by the way, even with his knees, he's not the worst defensive LF, though he's well below average by now). Also, from a bad guy perspective, he's not that much worse than Lofton. If you ever listen to the stories about Lofton, he's basically Bonds without the steriods controversy, and yet people clamor for picking up Lofton. As far as the trial thing, that can be worked out by an incentive laden contract that pays based on games played.

Problem for the Cubs picking him up is money and lack of starting position for him.

Would I want Bonds? I'd take him at the right price. He wouldn't be the first good Cubs player that I didn't like as a person. I wouldn't cheer for him as hard as I do for guys like Lee and Wood, but I would cheer for him like I did for Sosa and Dennis Rodman when he played for the Bulls.

[rockin500]

reserve OF spot subject: Reed Johnson is available. possibly take a flyer on him? he had a down year last year, but probably wouldnt be a bad option off the bench.

[nathanKent]

reserve OF spot subject: Reed Johnson is available. possibly take a flyer on him? he had a down year last year, but probably wouldnt be a bad option off the bench.

Not sure we need him. I would take him in lieu of Cedeno or Cintron, but probably not in lieu of Fontenot and not at all in lieu of Murton.

[Jeff Pico]

There are some good thoughts in this thread, and rather than list all the questions and respond, because I think some of the responses are better thought than mine, here is my two cents:

I like Bob's bullpen, except I would keep Marshall in Iowa, starting games and staying stretched out, but have his phone # on speed dial, and expect him in Chicago at some point due to injury, or trade.

I would replace Marshall with Piggy. We need a LOOGY, and it's been pointed out that Eyre isn't that good against LHH. Or maybe we find a vet LOOGY out there, but my two cents is PIggy is having a good spring, give him a shot.

I agree with Bob on Fontenot; thanks for the memories, but he should not be on our roster. I think he is Warren Morris in disguise. I would only have him on the roster if DeRosa is hurt, but otherwise, even Hoffpauir would be a better option if we just want a LH bat around. At least Hoffpauir plays more than one position (albeit not particularly well).

Cedeno needs to make the club. After that, I have a feeling the last spot is going to Cintron, or to a yet-to-be-acquired vet released by another team (Reed Johnson or DaVanon, someone like that).

[nathanKent]

Marquis and Demp were awarded the rotation spots with Lieber being assigned to the pen. A big part of me thinks that move was dictated to a large degree by their attitudes--Demp and Marquis want to be starters, seemingly regardless of who they're starting for. Lieber is just happy to be here and playing in any capacity. I don't like guys expressing a "take it or leave it" attitude toward the franchise itself.

[rockin500]

Marquis and Demp were awarded the rotation spots with Lieber being assigned to the pen. A big part of me thinks that move was dictated to a large degree by their attitudes--Demp and Marquis want to be starters, seemingly regardless of who they're starting for. Lieber is just happy to be here and playing in any capacity. I don't like guys expressing a "take it or leave it" attitude toward the franchise itself.

I'd rather have guys who want to start than guys who dont care where they play.

[nathanKent]

I'd rather have guys who want to start than guys who dont care where they play.

I don't know about Demp, but Marquis basically said he didn't care where he played as long as he was starting. Lieber's attitude, which was "I'll do whatever is necessary to help my team," appeals to me more than throwing a fit because you had to sit in the 'pen during the playoffs because three other pitchers pitched better than you.

Marquis's attitude doesn't sit right with me at all. When he backs up that sense of entitlement with the way he plays, I'll be fine with it.

[rockin500]

I don't know about Demp, but Marquis basically said he didn't care where he played as long as he was starting. Lieber's attitude, which was "I'll do whatever is necessary to help my team," appeals to me more than throwing a fit because you had to sit in the 'pen during the playoffs because three other pitchers pitched better than you.

Marquis's attitude doesn't sit right with me at all. When he backs up that sense of entitlement with the way he plays, I'll be fine with it.

and he SHOULD only want to be starting. I wish he hadnt come out and said it instead of keeping it behind closed doors, but I'm glad he feels that way.

Of course he needs to back that up, but that a different story. If spring is any indication (and its not the best judge, i know) he used that possible demotion to show that he deserves that spot (and based on the competition of spring, he does)

[nathanKent]

and he SHOULD only want to be starting. I wish he hadnt come out and said it instead of keeping it behind closed doors, but I'm glad he feels that way.

Of course he needs to back that up, but that a different story. If spring is any indication (and its not the best judge, i know) he used that possible demotion to show that he deserves that spot (and based on the competition of spring, he does)

Well yes, that's true. But part of being a good teammate and staying in good graces with the fans is installing that ever-important speedbump between your brain and your teeth to keep stuff like that from coming out.

[Hack_Miller]

Marquis and Demp were awarded the rotation spots with Lieber being assigned to the pen. A big part of me thinks that move was dictated to a large degree by their attitudes--Demp and Marquis want to be starters, seemingly regardless of who they're starting for.

I would hope that the Cubs didn't give them spots in the rotation to keep them happy. As far as I can see this is mostly a nod to the financial aspect of running a team. Dempster and Marquis both have big salaries that Cubs need to utilize or get someone to take off their hands. Dempster didn't do paticularly disasterous as a closer but considering what he was being paid it wasn't great. Marquis only has value to the Cubs or any team the Cubs might wish to trade him to, if he's starting. In order to get the best value from the money the Cubs pay them, Marquis and Dempster were probably going to be in the rotation from day one unless they just stunk in ST. Leiber is cheap enough and he'll be there to start if either of these guys implode.