Bad teams are usually bad just about everyone, as the Cubs have shown all season long. But the bullpen has been Exhibit A since the beginning of the season. It was so bad that even Kerry Wood decided it was better to retire.
In last night's Mets opener, Carlos Marmol, the bullpen anchor, was back to his really bad form. Marmol had a four-run lead to hold onto and barely made it through the 9th.
"The ninth inning was exciting," rookie Anthony Rizzo said in the Tribune. "But it sure was good to win." Only a rookie can call "bad" the word "exciting."
With an 8-4 lead in the ninth, Marmol gave up a solo home run to Jordany Valdespin, walked the bases loaded and gave up a two-run single to Ike Davis to make it a one-run game. Manager Dale Sveum already had used Shawn Camp and James Russell and had Chris Volstad warming up in the bullpen in case of emergency.
"If they tied it, he was out," Sveum said. "(Manny) Corpas was down with back spasms, so it would've been Volstad."
But Marmol induced Lucas Duda to hit a liner back to him, and he threw to Rizzo for the game-ending double play.
Volstad, a failed starter, as a reliever to your erratic closer?? Fans were staring into the abyss of hell with that notion.
The future of the bullpen is shaky. Marmol, 29, is owed $9.8 million for 2013. He is a free agent in 2014. Currently, he has zero trade value and his contract is an anchor around his neck. In 2012, he is 1-2. 5.61 ERA in 31 games. He has pitched 25.2 IP, 20 H, 28 BB, 33K, 1.870 WHIP and 8 saves. His lack of control and no confidence in his fastball (which is his now secondary pitch) makes him more of a batting practice pitcher than a major league closer.
But there are not many options. Former Rockies closer and rehab project de jour, Manny Corpas, is now considered injury prone. Corpas, 29, has given the Cubs 0-0 record, 1.98 ERA in 13 games. He has only pitched 13.2 IP, 10 H, 8 BB, 9K, 1.171 WHIP. He can go through arbitration and retained to 2014, but that seems to be a waste of a roster space long term.
Another reconstruction project is Shawn Camp. Camp, 36, is 2-4, 2.86 ERA in 42 games. He has pitched 44 IP, 39 H, 12 BB, 1.114 WHIP and one save. He has been the random plug in a leaky bullpen. But at age 36, he is not the future and is not part of the rebuilding plans.
From the Cubs own system, James Russell, 26, appears to have developed into a solid lefty reliever. He is 2-0, 2.86 ERA in 42 games. He has pitched 40.2 IP, 36 H, 18 BB, 1.254 WHIP and 2 saves. His father, Jeff Russell, was a major league closer. James does not have the overpowering stuff to be a consistent closer, but he is a valuable piece (like Sean Marshall was last season) in any bullpen.
Rafael Dolis looks like closer material. He has the size and look of the Lee Smith-type reliever. Dolis, 24, is 2-4, 6.75 ERA in 25 games. In his 26.2 IP, he has 23 H, 20 BB, 11K, 1.613 WHIP and 4 saves. He was the team save leader when he was last demoted to Iowa. Since that point, Marmol took over the closer role from the bullpen committee. Dolis' stats are high for a reliever, but this is his first extended tour with the Cubs. It is unknown whether he will develop into a quality reliever, but this is the year to test him.
Complicating the problem is that the Cubs farm system is devoid of AAA and AA pitchers who can immediately fill needs in the rotation or the bullpen. The Cubs drafted 22 pitchers, but almost all will start out in instructional- rookie ball and will not make it to AAA for three or four years.
The only way to trade Marmol at this point would be to package him with other players the trade partner really needs (a starter in Dempster or an infielder like Barney) PLUS eat most of Marmol's remaining salary for 2012 and 2013. If every trade requires the Cubs to pay to get rid of its dead money contracts, there will be no budget for the team to fill in roster spots with veteran free agents in 2013 and 2014. And that is the Catch-22 the Cubs find themselves: their star specialists are too expensive and/or too bad to trade for prospects.
The future of the bullpen is shaky. Marmol, 29, is owed $9.8 million for 2013. He is a free agent in 2014. Currently, he has zero trade value and his contract is an anchor around his neck. In 2012, he is 1-2. 5.61 ERA in 31 games. He has pitched 25.2 IP, 20 H, 28 BB, 33K, 1.870 WHIP and 8 saves. His lack of control and no confidence in his fastball (which is his now secondary pitch) makes him more of a batting practice pitcher than a major league closer.
But there are not many options. Former Rockies closer and rehab project de jour, Manny Corpas, is now considered injury prone. Corpas, 29, has given the Cubs 0-0 record, 1.98 ERA in 13 games. He has only pitched 13.2 IP, 10 H, 8 BB, 9K, 1.171 WHIP. He can go through arbitration and retained to 2014, but that seems to be a waste of a roster space long term.
Another reconstruction project is Shawn Camp. Camp, 36, is 2-4, 2.86 ERA in 42 games. He has pitched 44 IP, 39 H, 12 BB, 1.114 WHIP and one save. He has been the random plug in a leaky bullpen. But at age 36, he is not the future and is not part of the rebuilding plans.
From the Cubs own system, James Russell, 26, appears to have developed into a solid lefty reliever. He is 2-0, 2.86 ERA in 42 games. He has pitched 40.2 IP, 36 H, 18 BB, 1.254 WHIP and 2 saves. His father, Jeff Russell, was a major league closer. James does not have the overpowering stuff to be a consistent closer, but he is a valuable piece (like Sean Marshall was last season) in any bullpen.
Rafael Dolis looks like closer material. He has the size and look of the Lee Smith-type reliever. Dolis, 24, is 2-4, 6.75 ERA in 25 games. In his 26.2 IP, he has 23 H, 20 BB, 11K, 1.613 WHIP and 4 saves. He was the team save leader when he was last demoted to Iowa. Since that point, Marmol took over the closer role from the bullpen committee. Dolis' stats are high for a reliever, but this is his first extended tour with the Cubs. It is unknown whether he will develop into a quality reliever, but this is the year to test him.
Complicating the problem is that the Cubs farm system is devoid of AAA and AA pitchers who can immediately fill needs in the rotation or the bullpen. The Cubs drafted 22 pitchers, but almost all will start out in instructional- rookie ball and will not make it to AAA for three or four years.
The only way to trade Marmol at this point would be to package him with other players the trade partner really needs (a starter in Dempster or an infielder like Barney) PLUS eat most of Marmol's remaining salary for 2012 and 2013. If every trade requires the Cubs to pay to get rid of its dead money contracts, there will be no budget for the team to fill in roster spots with veteran free agents in 2013 and 2014. And that is the Catch-22 the Cubs find themselves: their star specialists are too expensive and/or too bad to trade for prospects.
