Prior's number appears to be up
Miller, Guzman likely battling for last spot in Cubs' rotation
TUCSON, Ariz. -- A wide-open derby for the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation now appears to be a two-man race between veteran Wade Miller and youngster Angel Guzman after two key decisions were made Tuesday involving long-shot candidates Mark Prior and Neal Cotts.
Prior won't face hitters again until Friday, when he pitches in a minor-league intrasquad game. Cotts, who allowed two runs and three hits in two innings Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, will assume the long-reliever role.
Miller staked his latest claim to the job by allowing two runs and five hits in four innings against the Diamondbacks. His velocity topped out at 90 mph, and he consistently was in the 86-88 mph range.
''He's a veteran pitcher with experience,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ''He hasn't done anything here in spring training that you don't like. I'll let you know after Friday, when we see Guzman. But right now, those two -- Miller being the veteran, experienced pitcher and Guzman the younger pitcher.''
Prior still is working on his mechanics and his confidence and is basically a spectator in this race.
''Prior needs some work,'' Piniella said.
Prior, who was supposed to pitch in a minor-league intrasquad game Thursday, has been pushed back to Friday after a vigorous, 50-pitch throwing session Tuesday. It was a good-news, bad-news situation for Prior. The good news was he made some strides on the mound in Mesa; the bad news was he lost a valuable day in the derby at a point when time is running out.
The Cubs have a day off scheduled for today. With a day off April 1 before the regular-season opener in Cincinnati, they essentially are looking at two weeks to settle the fifth spot in the rotation.
So while Prior is stuck in the mud, the two primary competitors are nearing the finish line.
The Cubs face three difficult choices for Prior at the end of camp: He could be moved to the bullpen, he could be sent to Class AAA Iowa or he could start another season on the disabled list. The bullpen seems the most unlikely of the three.
''That's hard to say right now,'' pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. ''We'll see as time goes on. Right now, my answer would be I think he needs to throw pitches and start and get the work in between.''
Prior does have options left, so he could be sent to Iowa, though that's an expensive move with a pitcher earning $3.575 million. The DL is a possibility for a pitcher whose progress has been so slow, but Rothschild insisted Prior is healthy.
''He has been healthy,'' Rothschild said. ''It doesn't always look like it because he is pushing balls and things like that, but he has felt pretty good all along. And that's the key. If he keeps pushing it that way, it will all come together at some point. We'll just keep working and try to get him over the hump.''
Is the calendar working against Prior?
''I'm not really looking at it that way,'' Rothschild said. ''If we have to extend it beyond what the end of spring training is, we'll look at it then. But right now, it's him getting things together. And if that happens, then the calendar is not going to come into play.''
While Prior tries to find himself, Miller is looking more and more like a member of the rotation. He called his outing Tuesday the best he has felt all spring.
''I made a bigger stride going into this start as far as how I'm feeling and how the ball is coming out of my hand,'' said Miller, who threw 75 pitches. ''I just have to make a few minor adjustments here and there, but it's the best I've felt so far as far as my arm is concerned.''
Does Miller think he has done enough to claim the job?
''I am doing everything I can possibly think of to try and get it,'' he said. ''The only thing I can do is go out there and pitch and try and win it. It's not really up to me; it's what the coaches and managers think.''
Here's what Piniella thinks: ''He's quietly doing a really nice job. He's getting a little better every time out. ... He knows how to pitch. You've got to like what you see. He's showing that he is healthy. He is going out every five days, and he's pitching.''
| Pitcher | G | IP | H | R | ER | HR | HBP | BB | SO | ERA |
| Wade Miller | 3 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 4.00 |
| Angel Guzman | 3 | 6 1/3 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2.84 |
| Neal Cotts | 4 | 7 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7.71 |
| Mark Prior | 2 | 2 1/3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 27.00 |
| Totals | 12 | 24 2/3 | 45 | 24 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 6.93 |