This week, Lou Piniella made the cryptic comment that Randy Wells will remain on the team after Carlos Zambrano returns, either in the bullpen or in the rotation. Once again, Sean Marshall appears to be the odd man out of the rotation. But if Wells is actually capable of being the fifth starter, Lou could move Marshall to the bullpen and feed Neal Cotts to a pack of wild dogs. So, there’s that. With that, it’s Friday Night Fukudome time.
 |
VS. |  |
| Sean Marshall | Randy Wells |
It’s wells. Marshall goes to the pen, Cotts to the curb.
Leave Marshall as the 5th & call up any lefty like John Gaub, Casey Lambert even Alfred George Mathes has to be better than Cotts. I think the real question is Bobby Scales vs. Aaron Miles?
Marshall deserves that fifth starter spot unless Wells can pitch so well that he justifies taking it away.
Wells, because he’s the one-night-stand-love-spawn of Boomer Wells and Susan Sarandon.
What BigFlax said.
I would say not giving up a run in 16+ innings is justification for Wells keeping the job.
@theHawk – I was just about to say that Wells sure as hell isn’t making it an easy decision.
The only reason that I said Wells is because Marshall can be trusted to get a key out or two in a relief situation…yes, thinking of today’s game, and others. Wells seems to fill up the bases before he gets out the side every inning, and relievers don’t always have that option.
@vonde6 – Marshall was, indeed, tits on a bull today. If Lou had used Cotts in that situation, the bottom of the 9th would have started with at least an 8-4 Astros lead.
Wells biggest problem to me, it seems, is that he doesn’t have a legitimate strike out pitch, at least at the major league level. He was rackin’ up the two strike counts today, but the batters then would just sit there foulin’ off his stuff ’til he either walked them or gave them a pitch to hit.
That said, based on what we’ve seen from him, I think that the benefits the team will receive by having Marshall in the pen far outweigh whatever difference there is between the two. So I say go for it.
i gotta vote wells, just because marshall is willing to go where the team needs himm, which makes him awesome. also, the dream of never again having to yell the phrase “Cotts!!!” in my best shatnerian voice makes me very happy.
It’s 11innings not 16
Just to prove that I DON’T have a Samardzija boner, Wells should be the fifth starter. Marshall pitched really effectively out of the pen last year (3.42 ERA, 1.253 WHIP, .229 BAA) and was so-so as a starter (4.15 ERA, 1.282 WHIP, .255 BAA), and for his career is better as a reliever than a starter (4.73 ERA, 1.425 WHIP, .269 BAA starting) vs. (2.90 ERA, 1.226 WHIP, .216 BAA). Wells has a 0.00 ERA this year, a 1.273 WHIP (Marshalls is 1.340 this year) and as for his lack of a strikeout pitch, he’s averaging 7.4 k’s per 9 innings this year vs. Marshall’s 5.7, albeit in small sample sizes. This team is just better if Wells can pitch effectively as the 5th starter, Marshall can pitch well in middle relief and as the LOOGY, and Cotts just pulls a Josh Hancock. Sorry, Sean. I swear I still love you.
For his career, its 16.
I blame Lou & Gregg for yesterday’s near disaster. When is dumb fucking “Tony LaFucking Russia” managing style of got have a 7th inning guy, an 8th inning guy & a closer all appear in the same game? Either Guzman or Marmol shoulda pitched 2 innings until it was time to PH. Lou takes too many chances changing the pitcher all the time, especially when Guzman & Marmol are piching well in the game. If you make the stupid aguement Gregg’s already warmed up so is Marmol. Lou shoulda let Marmol pitch the 9th. If Marmol gets in trouble put in Gregg but not beforehand. It’s just plain stupid.
Hey, we don’t want this LaRussia guy either.
I just want to say that Tom Servo is a great screen name.
Marshall is too good to be a #5. We don’t need magic in the fifth spot, just competence. With that, I think Marshall would be much more valuable in the pen (sadly for him). He represents talent that the Cubs need to be playing every other day in relief situations.
Sergio Mitre.
sadly you are probably right. Marshall will not start a playoff game this year & will be in the bullpen for that. Even the 4th starter will see little action. But there has to a lefty in the minors who is better than Cotts.
WRMP.