Well, ESPN is reporting that the Cubs will be designating Scott Eyre for assignment, ultimately resulting in his release. So I ask you Cub fans, would you rather the Cubs release Eyre and stick with Marquis as your fifth starter OR should the Cubs have tried to find a trade partner for Marquis (or designate him for assignment) and slide Sean Marshall into the fifth spot and leaving Eyre in the bullpen to team up with Cotts as your lefties?

For me, it's gotten to the point where I'd rather see Marshall in the rotation instead of Marquis.

I have never been a big fan of Marquis, but when you look at his stats this year as a 5th starter he is really not that bad.

I like Marshall and wouldn't mind him being the 5th starter either, but I think the Cubs probably are doing the right thing here. I would rather have more guys that can start than an extra lefty in the pen.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I think the White Sox should consider Scott Erye - he can't be much worse than what they've been getting.

Anyways, I'd say, as much as I think he sucks, keep Jason Marquis in the rotation. He does, at the very least, eat up innings.

He's 6-7 in 20 GS this year, last year he won 12 in 33 starts. So he's behind last year's pace.
His 1.449 WHIP is behing last year's 1.388.
He's not been great so far this year, and he's proven he's not going to get better as the year wears on. If he could be packaged he should be.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Agreed. Jason Marquis sucks.

I don't think Eyre will be without a job for very long. I would think someone would throw the Cubs a low minor leaguer for him. I just hope he doesn't find his way onto the Brewers and come back to haunt us somehow.

Brian Anderson for Scott Erye, I am all for it

Marquis isn't exactly Soriano contract status, but I think we'd better find things to like about him, because unless the Cubs eat some major contract, I don't think he's going anywhere, including the bullpen...third year in a row he gets left off the playoff roster, I see it in Swamie Murph's crystal balls...

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

i dont have a huge opinion on marquis. he is the weak link in the rotation, no doubt, but he FOR THE MOST PART keeps the cubs in games. i dont have a huge issue with him as 5th starter. that being said, i have no problem giving marshall a chance. who knows, maybe he gets the hot hand and wins a bunch of games down the stretch. he has been fine in the bullpen, he deserves a start or 2. marquis has not been unbearably horrible this year.

marquis is frustrating to watch; he's like a bad rerun of a good sitcom. you know it SHOULD be good, but it isn't...anyway you look at it, any time you watch it.

i'd rather watch marshall make strides than marquis continually give up leads and give up hits on 1-2 counts.

On the bright side, when you're only worried about who your 5th starter is or who that last guy in the bullpen is, then you know you have a good team. Enjoy the ride to the post-season.

Marquis is like a fat chick; you don't want him, but at the end of the day, he's there for ya.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

I think he is in the second year of a 3-year $21M deal.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Better to keep Marshall in the bullpen role, especially with Eyre gone, and Cotts and Howry sucking. Marshall will be important in the bullpen in the playoffs. 5th starters don't exist in the playoffs, so Marquis is fine where he is now.

I would rather see Marshall starting than Marquis too. If they have not done it already, I would try passing Marquis through waivers, as teams need to do, to make a trade after July 31st, then if a team puts in a claim, I would let them have him, just to be rid of the contract. Eyre had to go, just because Piniella hates him. He probably will be picked up in a few days, but his deal was done at the end of this season and they were not going to sign him again anyway. Hurt too much, bad too much..I have to say in Cotts defense, I think he has been better of late.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Lou says Marshall is a valuable part to the bullpen and doesn't want to send him down, but yet the last time Marshall pitched in an important situation was the Saturday game against the Marlins over a week ago.

I was kind of surprised that Marshall wasn't used after the rain delay Monday. Seemed like a perfect time to use him to eat up some innings. Instead the Cubs used Gaudin and Cotts. On Sunday when Lou wanted to use a lefthander against the Pirates lefthanded hitters, he went with Cotts even though Cotts isn't necessarily better getting lefties out vs righties.

I just wonder what is Marshall's role? Maybe he will be used today if Marquis struggles, but he hasn't done a whole lot out of the bullpen.