Spring Training Preview: The Bullpen

The Cubs have 21 pitchers on their 40 man roster. That means that most likely 9 will not make the team. We know that Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, and Harden will be in the rotation. There's one open spot in the starting 5, but everyone else will be fighting for their spot in the bullpen. Here's a breakdown including stats and info about each guy. Also, I predict whether or not they will make the team and what their role will be.

Carlos Marmol

• Right handed hard throwing reliever
• 26 years old
• Nasty slider
• 2.68 ERA in 2008
• 6 years in the Cubs organization
• My Predictions-
• Will he make the team? For Sure
• Role? closer

Kevin Gregg

• Right handed reliever
• Drafted by the A's in 15th round of the 1996 draft.
• Played with Angels and Marlins before being traded to the Cubs this winter.
• 3.41 ERA and 29 saves in 2008 with Florida.
• 30 years old
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? Easily
• Role? 8th inning guy
  

Jeff Samadzija

• RHP, former Notre Dame football star.
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 5th round in 2006.
• 2.28 ERA in 26 games with the Cubs in 2008.
• 24 years old.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? Yes
• Role? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he won't be in the pen because he will be starting. I went ahead and put him in the bullpen because they're is a good chance he could end up pitching in the 7th and 8th innings.

Neal Cotts

• Left handed reliever.
• Drafted by the A's in the 2nd round of the 2001 draft.
• 4.29 ERA in 50 games with the Cubs a year ago.
• 28 years old.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? Yes
• Role? Left handed set-up guy.

Aaron Heilman

• Right handed pitcher, traded from Seattle to the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson.
• Selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2001 draft.
• 3-8 with a 5.21 ERA with the Mets in 2008.
• 30 years old.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? Yes
• Role? Middle relief.

Luis Vizcaino

• Right handed pitcher, traded to the Cubs from the Rockies for Jason Marquis.
• Played with Brewers, White Sox, D-backs, Yankees, and Rockies.
• 31 years old.
• Signed with the A's as an undrafted free-agent in 1994.
• 1-2 with a 5.28 ERA with the Rockies in 2008.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the season? He will be traded this spring.

Chad Gaudin

• RHP
• 25 years old.
• Drafted by the Devil Rays in the 34th round of the 2001 draft.
• Acquired from the A's last June in the Rich Harden trade.
• 9-5 with a 4.40 ERA with the A's and Cubs last season.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? Yes
• Role? Middle relief

Sean Marshall

• Left handed pitcher.
• 26 years old
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 6th round in 2003.
• 3-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 34 games (7 starts) with the Cubs a year ago.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? Yes
• Role? Long man in the pen, spot starter, second left in the pen. He's very valuable.
  

Kevin Hart

• Right handed pitcher.
• 26 years old.
• Drafted by Baltimore in the 11th round of the 2004 draft.
• Acquired by the Cubs as the player to be named later in the Freddie Bynum trade in 2006.
• 2-2 with a 6.51 ERA in 21 games with the Cubs last year.
• 4-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 26 games with Iowa in 2008.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the season? AAA
  

Jose Ascaino

• Young right handed pitcher.
• 19 career big league games.
• Signed as a undrafted free agent by the Braves in 2001.
• Traded to the Cubs for Will Ohman and Omar Infante in December 2007.
• 7.94 ERA in 6 games with the Cubs last year.
• 2-1 with a 5.10 ERA in 40 games at AAA Iowa in 2008.
• 23 years old
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the year? AAA

Mitch Atkins

• Right handed pitcher.
• Has yet to make his big league debut.
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 7th round in 2004.
• 8-1 with a 4.47 ERA in 10 starts at AAA in 2008.
• 9-6 with a 3.76 ERA in 18 starts at AA last year.
• 23 years old
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the year? AAA

Justin Berg

• Right handed pitcher
• 24 years old
• Has yet to make big league debut.
• Drafted by the Yankees in the 43rd round in 2003.
• Traded to the Cubs for Matt Lawton in August 2005.
• 4-6 with a 5.68 ERA in 27 games (16 starts) with AAA Iowa in 2008.
• 0-3 with a 34.9 ERA in 5 starts at AA last year.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the year? AAA

Angel Guzman

• Right handed pitcher.
• Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Royals in 1999.
• 8 years in Cubs organization.
• 27 years old.
• 5.59 ERA in 6 games with the Cubs a year ago.
• 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 4 games at AAA last year.
• Injured for most of the season in 2008.
• Out of options.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he be to start the year? Traded

David Patton

• Right handed pitcher.
• Drafted by the Rockies in the 12th round in 2004.
• Has yet to make big league debut.
• Selected by the Reds in the Rule 5 draft, then traded to the Cubs for cash.
• Highest level is Class A.
• 24 years old.
• 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 50 games at High Class A with the Rockies in 2008.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the year? Because of the Rule 5 draft, the Cubs will lose him if he does not make the roster, so he'll be with another ball club.

Jeff Stevens

• Right handed pitcher.
• Has yet to make big league debut.
• Selected by the Reds in the 6th round in 2005.
• Traded from the Indians to the Cubs for Mark DeRosa this off season.
• 25 years old.
• 0-3 with a 3.94 ERA at AAA in 2008 with the Indians organization.
• 5-1 with a 2.51 ERA at AA last season.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? Yes
• Role? Long-man in the pen. (He'll beat out Patton and Guzman for this job.)

Randy Wells

• Right handed pitcher.
• 26 years old.
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 38th round of the 2002 draft.
• 4 big league games.
• Was a catcher early in career.
• Sat out 2004 and 2005 seasons then came back as a pitcher in 2006.
• 10-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 27 games (19 starts) at AAA Iowa last season.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the year? He will start the year at AAA, but he will get called up some time this season.

Marcos Mateo

• Right handed pitcher.
• Has yet to make big league debut.
• 24 years old.
• Highest level: Class A
• 4-3 with a 357 ERA in 25 games (16 starts) with Daytona in 2008.
• 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA in 8 games with Peoria a year ago.
• My predictions-
• Will he make the team? No
• Where will he start the year? He will start the year back with Daytona. We won't see him in the big leagues this year, but we will some time down the road.

So to recap my bullpen will be: Marmol, Gregg, Heilman, Cotts, Gaudin, Stevens, and Marshall/Samardzija.

I'll continue the Spring Training Previews throughout the week.