CHICAGO -- For the first time in three years, Carlos Marmol won't have to compete for anything but a parking space at Fitch Park in Mesa. He's one of the few pitchers set for the Cubs' bullpen.
Marmol was annointed the Cubs' closer last season, taking over for Kevin Gregg, who was delegated to setup duties after serving up a walk-off three-run homer to San Diego's Kyle Blanks on Aug. 17, his sixth blown save of the year.
Marmol responded by finishing a perfect 11-for-11 in save situations. In 2008, the young right-hander competed with Kerry Wood and Bob Howry for the closer's job, which Wood claimed. In '09, Marmol battled Gregg in spring camp. Now, it's Marmol's job.
"I think the right decision was made last year, starting out with Gregg and giving Marmol more time to develop," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "We put Marmol in there and he responded, [11-for-11]. This year, he's our closer. No closer controversy, no closer decisions."
Piniella and staff will have lots of decisions to make about the rest of the bullpen. The only experienced arm returning is lefty John Grabow, who signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal in November. The Cubs have been searching for a veteran right-handed pitcher to help set up Marmol but if they can't find someone before pitchers and catchers report in Mesa, Ariz., on Feb. 18, they'll sift through the in-house candidates. They're young. It's too early to say where Sean Marshall, Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Samardzija will be slotted. All three could start, all three could be in the 'pen.
Who are the arms to watch this spring?
• Jeff Gray: The right-hander was acquired from Oakland along with outfielder Matthew Spencer and pitcher Eduardo Morlan for Jake Fox and Aaron Miles. Gray appeared in 24 games for the Athletics, all but three after Aug. 6, and posted a 3.76 ERA over 26 1/3 innings. Right-handers batted .259 against him. His fastball has been clocked at 97 mph and Piniella said he's received good reports.
• Angel Guzman: If he can stay healthy, Guzman may be the one best suited to handle the setup duties. The right-hander held hitters to a .192 average in 55 games last season, and struck out 47 over 61 innings. Guzman, whose career has been slowed because of elbow and shoulder injuries, had to be shutdown at the end of the year because of inflammation in his right side.
• Michael Parisi: In December 2008, the Cubs acquired Rule 5 Draft pick David Patton, who had not pitched above the Class A level. This past December, the Cubs picked Parisi in the Rule 5 Draft. He's pitched in a ballpark with an upper deck, appearing in 12 games for the Cardinals in '08. Patton most likely will start the 2010 season in the Minor Leagues unless he wows Piniella and staff this spring.
• Justin Berg: One pitcher who left a good impression in 2009 was Berg, 25, who appeared in 11 games. The right-hander gave up one earned run in 12 innings. He was 6-2 with a 2.43 ERA in 27 games at Triple-A Iowa, including 16 starts. He gave up two home runs over 55 2/3 innings in the Minors.
• John Gaub: Acquired from the Cleveland Indians on New Year's Eve 2008 along with Jeff Stevens and Chris Archer for Mark DeRosa, Gaub is another pitcher Piniella wants to see more of this spring. The lefty began last season at Double-A Tennessee and compiled a 2.83 ERA in 26 games, then posted an even more impressive 1.72 ERA in 26 games at Iowa. Gaub's numbers in the Arizona Fall League weren't as impressive as he gave up 10 earned runs over 9 2/3 innings in 10 games. He did strike out 15. For the season, Gaub totaled 69 2/3 innings and fanned 95. In 2008, he struck out 100 for Class A Lake County.
• Andrew Cashner: The No. 1 Draft pick in 2008, Cashner is another pitcher who could get a good look this spring. The right-hander began the '09 season at Class A Daytona, compiling a 1.50 ERA in 12 games. Cashner didn't pitch past the fifth inning in his 12 starts. He was promoted to Tennessee in July, and went 3-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 games there. His longest outing was his last on Sept. 5 when he threw seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits. The Cubs kept a close eye on Cashner's pitch counts, which is why his outings were so short. He threw 91 over five innings on July 29. At that rate, he won't get very deep in games. He's expected to open in the Minors this year.
• Esmailin Caridad: The hard-throwing right-hander was a starter at Iowa, compiling a 4.17 ERA in 25 games. He shined when called up to the big league team and used in relief, striking out 17 over 19 1/3 innings. Caridad has traveled a long way to get to Wrigley Field. He actually began his pro career in 2007 with a Japanese team.
"Pitching-wise, there will be some young kids in our bullpen," Piniella said.
Those youngsters will be turning to Grabow for advice.
"You have to think of it as a family down in the bullpen," Grabow said. "You'll have some guys who are inexperienced and some guys who have experience under their belt. We all have to stick together and we have each other's backs."
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