Pen shakeup put on hold

STAFF IN FLUX | Dempster says he'll start but emerges from meeting as closer

Forget keeping a secret. The Cubs can't even get it right when they finally spill it.

In a bizarre postgame sequence Sunday, closer Ryan Dempster confirmed a Sun-Times report that he was moving to the starting rotation, saying he was ''excited'' and planned to make his first start next weekend in Los Angeles.

Then after a closed-door meeting that included manager Lou Piniella, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and general manager Jim Hendry, Dempster emerged about a half-hour later to say, ''April Fool's.''

None of the others in the meeting came out to address the media.

''Obviously, we just kind of talked about things, and for right now, I'm going to go back down there and close,'' Dempster said. ''He knows that I would like to start eventually in the future. And it might happen this year, it might happen next year -- who knows?''

The confusion was caused by Piniella reconsidering the timing of a move he first discussed with Dempster on Thursday. He chose not to throw his new closer of choice, inexperienced Angel Guzman, into the high-pressure role when the Cubs open a three-game series at San Diego on Tuesday.

But Piniella is firm in his original decision and the move is imminent, according to a source close to the manager. The plan is to ease Guzman into the role, the source said.

Even Dempster raised Guzman's name as a possible replacement when he got out of his meeting, after saying he didn't know who it would be during Round 1 with the media.

Dempster's short-term role is closer and mentor for Guzman, and if Guzman takes to the late-inning role, Dempster goes to the rotation -- possibly within the next two weeks.

''Lou just said, 'Hey, listen, I think we need a little bit of time on this,''' Dempster said. ''And I'm cool with that.''

Guzman said he has been told only that he's going to the bullpen and to pitch like he did there early in the year, when he pounded the strike zone and produced a 2.45 ERA.

''I'll do whatever they want me to do,'' said Guzman, who has only two minor-league relief appearances, neither as a closer.

Piniella danced around all aspects of the subject for the third straight day Sunday.

''We've talked about [Dempster] starting. That's all I have to say about it,'' he said before the game.

After the game, he said: ''We'll talk about that on Tuesday. We've got all day [today] to think about it.''

Whatever the timeline on Dempster joining the rotation, the Cubs have yet to announce their rotation for the upcoming week. Piniella would say only that left-hander Rich Hill will start the series opener against the Padres.

With a day off today, he can skip the fifth spot vacated by Guzman and instead pitch Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Carlos Zambrano on normal rest Wednesday through Friday. He wouldn't need another starter until Saturday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Depending on how heavily the bullpen gets used during the week, the Cubs could do Saturday what the White Sox did Sunday and use a chunk of their eight-man bullpen to work Saturday's game.

Once the call is made on Guzman's readiness for the ninth inning, Dempster could be ready quickly, according to what he said Sunday. Before the meeting with the brain trust, he said he could be ready to go by this weekend, with nothing more than a simulated game to prepare for a 50- to 60-pitch first outing. And he said within two starts, he could be stretched out to regular starter strength.

''Physically, I feel strong enough,'' said Dempster, who has made 162 career starts and earned 68 saves. ''I know what I'm doing. I know how to start.''

Dempster, 30, last started May 4, 2005. He went 1-3 with a 5.05 ERA in six starts that season before volunteering to fill a need in the bullpen and replace LaTroy Hawkins as the closer.

He pitched more than 200 innings for three straight years (2000-02), winning 14, 15 and 10 games.