2/10/2004 12:34:00 PM by Rob

It is time to look at the upcoming season

It is time to fish or cut bait with Juan Cruz.

He pitched well in his initial foray in 2001, he perhaps was not given enough of a chance in 2002, even though his record was pitiful, but he has torn it up during his brief visits to Iowa, and he was killing in the DR before breaking his non-pitching hand.

Over 20 teams would love to have him fill a role in their rotation, and under normal circumstances, he would be given every chance to make the Cubs' rotation this year.

Naturally, the Cubs' circumstance is not a normal one. We are going for a pennant, this year, and are much more leery of providing a test environment for a young starter. Now, Clement may not last the year, and Z needs to show me that he is ready to take the next step. It still remains that there is only one opening in the rotation, and the large-ass loomage of one particular bespectacled 1st-ballot HOF'er casts his shadow over that final slot.

Personally, and since this IS my blog, I can speak personally, it's time to push the loomage aside. Cruz is not cut out for the long relief mop-up role he has been assigned to since early 2002, for he is as hot-tempered as the fellow countryman he is compared to, Mr. Pedro Overrated. It was a blow to his pride to sweep up the feces left behind by such has-beens as tEstes, Alfucksucka, and Elaine Benes.

It is time he joins the major league rotation, if not here, then elsewhere. There is a hard choice to be made, and it needs to be made soon. P&C's report in about a week.

If Maddux is to join us, then Hendry needs to move off of his (quite understandable) position, overpay, and get him in the fold. Then a starter needs to be traded, while their value is still high. Teams WILL overpay for a Cub pitcher, due to our status as a Premium team. They may not if we get off to a slow start. We need to move, now.

Cruz, or Clement, or Z, could be used to fill an existing hole, like the lack of a true leadoff man, or the lack of a shortstop or catcher that can actually hit, for example:

Cruz and Patterson to the Royals for Carlos Beltran.

I dunno if Beltran CAN be traded at this point, but I think he can. He may not be a true leadoff man, but the extra muscle he adds to the lineup would make the question less pressing. Someday, Patterson may end up being Beltran. Beltran already is, at pretty much the same age.

Anyway, I am not saying that Cruz should be thrown away for nothing, but he deserves a real shot at starting in A major league rotation this year, whether it's ours, or someone elses.

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