The blogosphere is not a very friendly place right now for the Chicago Cubs.  Ever since the Cubs announced that they would be moving Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen, the majority of Cubs bloggers and commenters have been lambasting the decision.

In essense, the argument being put forward by most people unhappy with the Zambrano-to-the-pen move has been some combination of the following:

• Zambrano was the team’s opening day starter and you don’t move the opening day starter to the bullpen, especially before the month of April is even finished.
• Zambrano makes more than $18 million per year and you don’t pay an 8th inning set-up man that kind of money.
• Zambrano is the team’s “ace” and who ever heard of moving your ace to the bullpen?
• Zambrano doesn’t “deserve” to be demoted to the bullpen.  Either Tom Gorzelanny or Carlos Silva should have been given the bullpen role. 
• Moving Zambrano to the bullpen is a desperate move and makes the Cubs look stupid.  The bullpen should have been figured out prior to the season, not in the first month of the season.

 Let’s take a look at each of these arguments to see if they really make any sense:

Zambrano was the team’s opening day starter and you don’t move the opening day starter to the bullpen, especially before the month of April is even finished. — While it is true that Zambrano was the opening day starter for the Cubs, I am unaware of any rule — written or unwritten — that says that the opening day starter can not be moved to the bullpen.  It really is very simple.  You do what you have to do to win ball games.  The Cubs believe that they can win ball games by moving Zambrano to the pen.  As for doing it in April, if it helps the team win ball games, doesn’t it make sense to do it earlier in the season rather than later?  Why wait for the Cubs to be out of the NL Central race in July or August to make the move?

Zambrano makes more than $18 million per year and you don’t pay an 8th inning set-up man that kind of money.  — It doesn’t matter.  Zambrano’s contract should not prevent the Cubs from using him in any manner they believe will help them win.  Granted, it’s unorthodox, but I applaud the team for thinking creatively.  Eventually, a long-term solution will be found for the bullpen.  In the meantime, you have to move someone to the bullpen who you think can get the job done.  The size of that player’s contract is not one of the things you should consider.

Zambrano is the team’s “ace” and who ever heard of moving your ace to the bullpen. — You might have an argument if Z was really the ‘ace” of the staff.  But the truth is that both Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly have outpitched Z over the past couple of seasons.  This season, all of the starters are out pitching Z.  So this argument is fatally flawed from the get-go.

Zambrano doesn’t “deserve” to be demoted to the bullpen.  Either Tom Gorzelanny or Carlos Silva should have been given the bullpen role. — This isn’t a matter of “deserve.”  Zambrano isn’t being punished by moving him to the bullpen.  He is being moved there to help shore up the bullpen and help the team win.  There are also very good reasons not to move Gorzelanny or Silva to the pen.  First, Gorzelanny is left handed and the bullpen already has three left handers in it (Sean Marshall, John Grabow, James Russell).  Having too many left handers in the pen can be a real disadvantage.  Silva has been lights out so far this year.  Sure, he could turn back into a frog at any moment, but why would you want to move a potential frog into the 8th inning role?  Plus, both Gorzellany and Silva are potential trade candidates and the Cubs want to showcase both pitchers in case a trade can be worked out.

Moving Zambrano to the bullpen is a desperate move and makes the Cubs look stupid.  The bullpen should have been figured out prior to the season, not in the first month of the season. — Moving Zambrano to the bullpen is a desperate move.  I agree.  The Cubs are a desperate team and desperate teams make desperate moves.  Would it be better to make no move and appear calm while continuing to lose?  I don’t think so.  As for looking stupid, the jury is still out on that question.  If Zambrano moves to the bullpen and the move starts helping the Cubs win more games, then the move will be viewed as genius.  It’s all in the results.  Should the bullpen situation have been worked out prior to the season?  Absolutely, but that doesn’t really address the Cubs’ situation now.  What should have happened during the off season doesn’t have any bearing on whether or not Zambrano should be moved to the bullpen.

I said it before and I’ll say it again, Moving Z to the bullpen is all about winning.  The Cubs believe that moving Z to the 8th inning set-up role (or maybe 7th and 8th set-up role) will help the Cubs win.  That’s all there is to it.  Extraneous considerations (i.e. salary, opening day starter, “ace,” etc) should be thrown out the window.  They simply don’t matter. 

Consider this:  The Cubs have allowed more runs (16) in the 8th inning so far this year than any other team in MLB.  The have also allowed more runs in the 7th and 8th innings combined (32) than any other team.  This isn’t a time to “tweak” the bullpen.  The ineptitude of the pen so far this year calls for a bold move.  Moving Z to the pen is a bold move. 

Zambrano has the stuff and the mental make-up to do well in the bullpen.  His presence in the bullpen can help the team win.  And that should be the only thing that matters.