Cubs Notebook: Marshall could be the odd man out

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CHICAGO - Lou Piniella did his best not to let it slip. The first time he was asked about the pitching rotation in the wake of the Cubs' trade with Oakland for Rich Harden on Tuesday - who would stay, who would go to the bullpen - Piniella, the Cubs' manager, responded as if no decision had been made. “Look, I know you all are going to ask this,” he said. “I don't have any answer for you today. We'll have an answer for you tomorrow. My options are keep [Sean] Marshall in the rotation, keep [Jason] Marquis in the rotation, put [Rich] Harden in the rotation. “We're going to put Harden in the rotation. So it's one of the other two.” Later, answering a less pointed question, he accidently revealed the team's plans. “We've basically put together our rotation for the second half of the year already,” Piniella said. “We're going to come back with [Ted] Lilly, [Carlos] Zambrano and [Ryan] Dempster to start the second half [at Houston]. That's the way we put it together. Harden would be pitching the fourth day, Marquis the fifth.” That seems to leave Marshall the odd man out. As of now, the Cubs are content to carry 13 pitchers. That will change, however, when Alfonso Soriano comes off the 15-day disabled list later this month. More likely than not, Marshall will be the one sent to Triple-A Iowa - regardless of how well he pitches. Until then, Marshall probably will pitch out of the bullpen. “We might ride this out until we get Soriano [back],” Piniella said. The Cubs will face another dilemma when Scott Eyre (groin strain) returns from his DL stint. Eyre, out since June 27, is about to begin a rehab assignment. The southpaw is scheduled to pitch with the Low-A Peoria team this week in Kane County. “What we're going to do is activate him after the All-Star break,” Piniella said.

Bad news Piniella admitted Soriano probably would not be ready for the opening series of the second half. “I would think the second series [at Arizona],” Piniella said. “He hit in St. Louis the other day and he had some discomfort. His [fractured left] hand felt weak, so he's backed off.” There is still no word on a minor-league rehab assignment. The Cubs would like Soriano to get some at-bats, play the outfield, but he'll likely - as per his contract - opt to immediately join the big-league club. A player has to accept a rehab stint. “I'm sure he will [have some say],” Piniella said. “We're going to approach him on it - I think it would be good for him. This hasn't been a two-week thing. It'll be going on five weeks or so [upon his activation]. That's a long time.”

The other guy Don't forget about Chad Gaudin, the other pitcher acquired by the Cubs in the Harden deal, second baseman Mark DeRosa said. “He's no throw-in to this deal,” DeRosa said. “He's going to help us out a lot. He's a guy who's had a lot of success in this league, a guy people have trouble against.” Gaudin, 25, will pitch out of the bullpen for the Cubs. “I'm going to put him in the same role we were planning to put [Sean] Gallagher in. The middle part of the game,” Piniella said. Gaudin (5-3, 3.59 ERA for Oakland) said he's willing to fill any role. “I look at myself as ... whatever they need,” he said. “If they need a starter I can start for them, if they need a reliever I can relieve. I like to start, I enjoy starting, but hey, right now it's about staying in first place and winning the World Series. “So I'll do whatever it takes.” Gaudin pitched for Piniella in Tampa Bay. “I know one think, he does not like you to walk guys,” Gaudin said of Piniella. “I definitely learned that firsthand. At one point I looked over [at the dugout], saw that face and said, ‘Uh oh, I better clean it up real quick.' ”