03-30-2009, 09:04 AM
Wittenmyer basically confirming what Miles said about possibly trading Guzman, Gaudin or Patton:
<!--QuoteBegin-Wittenmyer+-->QUOTE (Wittenmyer)<!--QuoteEBegin-->With a Wednesday deadline looming for decisions on Rule 5 draftee David Patton and out-of-options pitchers Chad Gaudin and Angel Guzman, a trade could change the bullpen landscape significantly. The Cubs have been gauging trade interest in all three, a club source confirmed Sunday.
Gaudin, who comes with a $2million sticker price, didn't help his chances of making the team, or his trade value, with another poor outing Sunday against the Cleveland Indians. His spring ERA is 10.54.
Patton, on the other hand, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out Tony Graffanino and the dangerous Grady Sizemore to lower his ERA to 0.84 with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 10 2/3 innings.
''I don't know exactly what's going to happen, but I can tell you this: The kid's hungry and he's looking for a major-league job,'' Piniella said of Patton. ''Not only for our club, but I'm sure he's impressing people sitting in the stands, too. We'll see what happens with that situation, but he's made it very difficult.''
The last decision or two in the bullpen could be as important as the closer call. In leaving Carlos Marmol in the eighth-inning role in which he has excelled the last two seasons, Piniella said he wants to ''try to stay as short as we can with him,'' meaning fewer outings in which Marmol pitches more than an inning.
''And that means that we need a few other pitchers [for the late innings],'' Piniella said. ''We've got the people here in [Aaron] Heilman and [Luis] Vizcaino that have experience, and we've got [Neal] Cotts that's throwing the ball very, very well.
''And we've got possibly one more young pitcher that can come in -- or one other pitcher that can come in. The reason I'm hedging a little bit is I don't know exactly what the last spot or two is going to be like yet.''
Jeff Samardzija and veterans Chad Fox and Mike Stanton also remain in camp after Sunday's cuts.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Wittenmyer+-->QUOTE (Wittenmyer)<!--QuoteEBegin-->With a Wednesday deadline looming for decisions on Rule 5 draftee David Patton and out-of-options pitchers Chad Gaudin and Angel Guzman, a trade could change the bullpen landscape significantly. The Cubs have been gauging trade interest in all three, a club source confirmed Sunday.
Gaudin, who comes with a $2million sticker price, didn't help his chances of making the team, or his trade value, with another poor outing Sunday against the Cleveland Indians. His spring ERA is 10.54.
Patton, on the other hand, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out Tony Graffanino and the dangerous Grady Sizemore to lower his ERA to 0.84 with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 10 2/3 innings.
''I don't know exactly what's going to happen, but I can tell you this: The kid's hungry and he's looking for a major-league job,'' Piniella said of Patton. ''Not only for our club, but I'm sure he's impressing people sitting in the stands, too. We'll see what happens with that situation, but he's made it very difficult.''
The last decision or two in the bullpen could be as important as the closer call. In leaving Carlos Marmol in the eighth-inning role in which he has excelled the last two seasons, Piniella said he wants to ''try to stay as short as we can with him,'' meaning fewer outings in which Marmol pitches more than an inning.
''And that means that we need a few other pitchers [for the late innings],'' Piniella said. ''We've got the people here in [Aaron] Heilman and [Luis] Vizcaino that have experience, and we've got [Neal] Cotts that's throwing the ball very, very well.
''And we've got possibly one more young pitcher that can come in -- or one other pitcher that can come in. The reason I'm hedging a little bit is I don't know exactly what the last spot or two is going to be like yet.''
Jeff Samardzija and veterans Chad Fox and Mike Stanton also remain in camp after Sunday's cuts.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->