Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Parade of Young Pitchers Continues

If there is silver lining in the Cubs’ and Sox pitching woes, it’s that both teams have a chance to see what some of their young arms can do.

For the Cubs, Sean Marshall has been solid, though not always consistent. Carlos Marmol looked impressive in his major league debut and victory on Sunday against the Reds. Some of the other young pitchers that the Cubs have brought up have not fared well, but at least they have gained some valuable big league experience. The Cubs know what talent they’ve got in the minor leagues, so if they need to make a trade mid-season, they’ve had a chance to see what they can do before deciding to trade them.

The Sox have similar issues with their bullpen. At this point, it is unknown whether Dustin Hermanson will return to the team. He's been on the DL since the beginning of the season. Recently acquired Jeff Nelson and Cliff Politte have both gone on the DL. Their absence makes room on the roster for young arms Sean Tracey and Agustin Montero. In limited action, both players have pitched well for the Sox. Earlier this year, Boone Logan pitched himself back into the minor leagues, while Brandon McCarthy has had problems with consistency and control. The Sox have a chance to see what these young pitchers can do for the team.

Either way you look at it, the Cubs and Sox have tremendous pitching depth in the minor leagues. And fans will one day see just how good they are.

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