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MILWAUKEE -- Being trusted to pitch in the late innings is an honor for left-handed reliever James Russell, but it doesn’t mean that the new role has made him forget about his dream.

Russell maintained Friday that he would still like to be a starting pitcher one day, but won’t push the issue with the coaching staff or front office.

“I’m still not over the whole starting thing quite yet, I don’t think,” Russell said. “It’s really pretty much up to them. Whatever they want me to do is what I want to do. But just, in the back of my mind, I think I can succeed at starting and do well and help our team out starting. If they think otherwise then that’s perfectly fine with me.”

Russell has watched with pride, respect and perhaps a tiny bit of jealousy at how Jeff Samardzija has made the transition from bullpen to starting rotation. But he swears that other than perhaps standing a little taller in meetings when the rotation is mentioned, he won’t openly appeal for a chance.

“I’ll let them decide,” Russell said. “I’m not going to say anything. Just keep my mouth shut and go about my business in the bullpen and whatever they want to do in the offseason or next year, whether it’s me staying in the bullpen or trying out for a rotation job then so be it.”

He certainly doesn’t have any complaints about his current duties. He hoped to be able to pick up some of the slack in the late innings after the departure of Sean Marshall to the Cincinnati Reds and he has been worthy of that.

And now with Carlos Marmol out at closer he could even pick up some ninth-inning action, but Rafael Dolis has done the closing over the last week.

“It shows they have confidence in me,” he said. “That’s what you want. You want to be that guy that everybody wants in there and the guy they count on late in the game. It’s a big confidence booster and makes you feel good inside, too.”

Just getting the chance to start one day would also give him that good feeling inside. He would even be willing to follow the Samardzija program and arrive to Arizona three months ahead of spring training.

“If that’s what it takes then I’ll do it,” Russell said.

MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Cubs' current two-headed closer setup isn’t always dictated by what batters are due to hit in the ninth inning.

With left-hander James Russell and right-hander Rafael Dolis to choose from when a victory is on the line, manager Dale Sveum said he might make his decision long before the moment of truth arrives.

For this weekend’s series against the Milwaukee Brewers, for instance, Sveum has already informed Dolis that he will be the closer if the opportunity arises and Russell will be used in a set-up capacity.

“It’s probably going to be Dolis just because they don’t have the [Joey] Vottos, the [Jay] Bruces, the [Brian] McCanns, guys lined up that way,” Sveum said about above-average left-handed hitters around the National League. “We’ll probably use [Russell] in more of a situational seventh or eighth inning depending on what’s going on to keep the left-hander on the bench.”

Since Carlos Marmol was removed from the closer role last Friday, Dolis has two saves and a victory in three outings. Russell has two holds over that time and has given up just one run in 4 2/3 innings (four appearances).

“I’ll let them know during batting practice,” Sveum said. “I’ll say ‘It’s not cut and dry but a pretty good chance tonight you’ll be closing the game.’ ”

CHICAGO -- Carlos Marmol is no longer the closer, Kerry Wood has been hurt and has struggled in the setup role and Lendy Castillo is rarely used.

Dale Sveum knew that one of his toughest tasks as a first-time manager would be to maintain a bullpen with some question marks, but he never imagined this.

“Um, yeah, I guess you can probably say that,” Sveum said about bullpen management being harder than expected. “I think because we’re trying to be optimistic about everything with the team.”

There are bright bullpen spots too, though, and James Russell and Rafael Dolis are two of them. The lefty Russell pitched a scoreless eighth inning Wednesday in support of starter Paul Maholm and the righty Dolis finished it off with a scoreless ninth for a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

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CINCINNATI – Manager Dale Sveum has given Carlos Marmol as much rope as possible, it only seems that the Chicago Cubs closer gets more and more entangled in it.

Or is that the former Cubs closer?

Read the entire story.

»2012 Cubs Fantasy Projections: Starters | Relievers | Infielders | Catchers | Outfielders

While the Chicago Cubs rotation is where the new front office made some additions, the bullpen is where some serious subtraction took place.

Sean Marshall is gone and so is Jeff Samardzija, who has moved into the rotation. Andrew Cashner could have been moved to the bullpen, but not after he was moved to the San Diego Padres first.

What remains are a lot of question marks, starting with closer Carlos Marmol, who had an inconsistent spring after blowing a baseball-high 10 save opportunities last season. He blew leads in consecutive outings early in the spring and that was before he missed nearly a week after leaving a game because of a cramp in his throwing hand.

Fan favorite Kerry Wood is also back, but at age 35 in June and already held to a limited schedule in the spring, the setup man’s workload will have to be managed. Wood basically rolled his eyes when reporters asked about his low number of Cactus League appearances, essentially saying it was a non-issue.

The facts are that Wood is coming off arthroscopy knee surgery this offseason and an unspecified back issue that cropped up early in camp. He’s ready to go now but if he has any more health issues, the Cubs are at a loss for anybody who can fill in and pitch at the right-hander’s level.

More questions remain down the line, including the fact that James Russell is the only left-hander and Rafael Dolis has pitched in just one game above the Double-A level.

If Marmol struggles early, his replacement figures to be a closer-by-committee situation since it’s possible that Wood wouldn’t be able to absorb all the innings the job would require. Not an ideal scenario by any means.

There seems to be no way the Cubs don’t end up making a trade at some point to help reinforce this group.

Expect Russell to be the workhorse with somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 appearances. He delivered a solid spring and seemed to only get better as the Cactus league schedule progressed.

Randy Wells could have been the long man in this group, and his dejection over getting sent down to Triple-A showed that he would have preferred it over the assignment he received. But the Cubs’ staff essentially decided he would be more valuable starting at Iowa and being prepared to join the major-league rotation if needed over picking up random innings in relief in Chicago.

Three keys to success

•Wood is the obvious steadying force in this group and it would do the bullpen wonders if he came out firing to start the season.

• Marmol has the pitches to have success again and showed them during stretches in the spring. If control issues can be managed and he has an early run of success it can only help his confidence.

• Russell can’t handle all the left-handed scenarios on his own so a right-hander will have to step up and show they can get out hitters from both sides of the plate. A trade for a left-hander seems logical at some point.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- With the likelihood of being the only left-hander in the Chicago Cubs' bullpen to start the season, there is the chance James Russell gets leaned on heavily this season.

Perhaps his usage won’t equate to the 85 games Atlanta Braves left-hander Jonny Venters appeared in last season, but if it is, Russell is more than ready for the challenge.

“I feel like I’ve prepared myself for a bigger workload,” said Russell, who appeared in 64 games last season and 57 in 2010. “Not that I was expecting it once [left-hander Sean] Marshall left, but you kind of have that in the back of your mind that maybe they could be depending on me a little bit more. I think it could be fun, and I’ll get to see some things and learn something about myself.”

What he already has learned this spring is that when he sets his mind to a challenge, good things can happen. When spring began, Russell talked about wanting to fill the void as the club’s late-inning left-hander, but he knew that he would have to make his case with a solid spring.

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GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Cubs got past the Indians 6-2 on Sunday, taking advantage of 13 hits and four Cleveland errors.

The good: Joe Mather's spot on the roster seems secure, and that status was probably assured even before he had another impressive day Sunday. Not only did Mather track down a fly ball in deep center field and make a fantastic catch while reaching behind his head, he also delivered at the plate. He contributed two more doubles and raised his Cactus League batting average to .432.

The bad: Starlin Castro isn’t the ideal option at the No. 3 spot but he might be the best the Cubs have once Opening Day rolls around. Avoiding days like Sunday will go a long way toward having success in the role. Castro was not only 0-for-3 as the No. 3 hitter, he left seven runners on base. To be fair, he did manage to bring home a run on a third-inning ground out.

Beyond the box score: It’s going to be hard to replace what Sean Marshall did for the Cubs bullpen, but left-hander James Russell looks to be up for the challenge. The only lefty that’s a sure thing for the Cubs’ Opening Day bullpen, Russell pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just a hit. He now has 5 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings over his last three outings.

Up next: At Mesa, Cubs left-hander Paul Maholm (0-1, 1.80) will take on Padres right-hander Tim Stauffer (1-1, 6.30). At Scottsdale, Cubs right-hander Jay Jackson (1-0, 1.00) will square off against Diamondbacks right-hander Ian Kennedy (1-2, 5.40). Both games Monday are scheduled for a 3:05 p.m. CST start.

MESA, Ariz. -- The Chicago Cubs agreed to contract terms for the 2012 season with 24 players Monday meaning that every player on the 40-man roster is now signed.

The players who agreed are all under team control (zero to three years of service time), with the team using service time and performance to determine their deals.

The minimum salary this season is $480,000 with five Cubs players agreeing to deals over $500,000. Those players are Jeff Samardzija ($2.64 million), James Russell ($512,000), Starlin Castro ($567,000), Darwin Barney ($500,000) and Travis Wood ($505,000).

The Cubs declined a contract option on Samardzija for this season and he will return at a slight discount from the $2.8 million he made in 2011.

The full list of players who agreed to deals Monday:

Right-handed pitchers: Alberto Cabrera, Lendy Castillo, Casey Coleman, Rafael Dolis, Marcos Mateo, Samardzija and Casey Weathers.

Left-handed pitchers: Jeff Beliveau, John Gaub, Scott Maine, Russell and T. Wood.

Catchers: Welington Castillo and Steve Clevenger.

Infielders: Barney, Adrian Cardenas, Castro, Bryan LaHair, Junior Lake, Anthony Rizzo and Josh Vitters.

Outfielders: Tony Campana, Dave Sappelt and Matt Szczur.

MESA, Ariz. -- James Russell knows what is at stake now that Sean Marshall is a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

Those late-inning opportunities that Marshall flourished in during recent seasons are now up for grabs, and Russell is among the select few who could inherit them.

"Yeah, once we got rid of Sean somebody has to step up and take on his workload," Russell said. "That's kind of what I've been working toward this offseason and what I will work toward this spring."

Heading in to spring training, Russell and veteran newcomer Trever Miller appear in line to face lefties in key situations late in games. Scott Maine and John Gaub would appear to be contenders as well but have longer odds for the role.

Hearing manager Dale Sveum talk about it, he could be leaning toward Miller to face lefties late in games, but would probably let Kerry Wood handle the entire eighth inning to get to closer Carlos Marmol.

"[Miller] knows how to get left-handers out and that's a big asset depending on how your bullpen unfolds during the course of spring training," Sveum said.

Russell still has some work to do if he wants more responsibility.

"Right now he's a matchup guy against lefties," Sveum said. "He's got the ability and the endurance to go two innings. It all depends on what’s going on, the score of the game what they have on the bench and all that. But he’s a guy that can go two innings, there’s no doubt about that."

Russell knows he can’t simply rely on the organization’s familiarity with what he did last season because of all the turnover in the front office and coaching staff.

At first glance, Russell’s numbers (1-6 record and a 4.47 ERA) don’t suggest an excellent season, but throwing out the appearances when he was pressed into service as a starter and all of a sudden his value becomes clear.

Russell lost all five of his starts, posting a 9.33 ERA and a 2.018 WHIP in the process. In 59 relief outings he delivered a 2.19 ERA and a 1.074 WHIP.

"I felt like I did a very good job last year in the bullpen, and I'm hoping to build off that and take the end of the season into this season and keep it going," said the son of former major-leaguer Jeff Russell.

He knows, though that he can’t let the numbers speak for themselves with Miller, Maine and Gaub looking for innings, too. Sveum said that in a perfect world he breaks camp with two left-handers in the bullpen.

"It makes it fun. Friendly competition is always a good thing to have," Marshall said. "It makes you work harder and you kind of focus a little more."

With pitchers and catchers reporting to Mesa, Ariz., on Saturday, Bruce Levine previews the Cubs roster by position this week.

The Chicago Cubs' bullpen was a strength of the 2011 team. But gone from the mix is lefthander Sean Marshall, who was one of baseball’s best set–up men the past two seasons. The back of the pen will be a question mark with the loss of Marshall and the uncertain status of Carlos Marmol's arm strength. The pen will really have to tighten up if Jeff Samardzija goes into the rotation.

1. Carlos Marmol, RHP: He must bounce back with a better season and fewer blown saves. The 29-year-old right-hander had 10 blown saves in 2011, tied for the most in the majors. Marmol also has been baseball's most overused bullpen arm with 27 back-to-back outings last season, by far the most in all of baseball. Since 2008, Marmol has the most appearances of any pitcher, a foolish number when you consider that for two and a half of those four years he was a closer. Marmol told ESPNChicago.com that he has lost 10 pounds since last October. Expect a rebound if manager Dale Sveum and pitching coach Chris Bosio watch how they use him.

2. Kerry Wood, RHP: The setup man can still get quality hitters out, but like Marmol he needs to be protected from overuse. Wood was up too many times in 2011 without coming into a game. The Cubs icon has recovered from offseason knee surgery, and 50 innings should be his max this season.

3. John Gaub, LHP: He will get a shot as the team's main set-up man along with Wood. Gaub fanned 75 batters in 55 innings at Triple-A Iowa in 2011. Finding a power arm from the left side was a pleasant surprise for the new Cubs brass.

4. James Russell, LHP: The lefthander learned how to pitch at this level through trial and error last season. Russell, who started five games for the Cubs last season, will set up Marmol if Gaub falters.

5. Manny Corpas, RHP: He will get a chance to regain his form this spring. A closer for the Rockies in 2007, Corpas, 29, has been throwing hard since sitting out 2011 following arm surgery. He could set up or close if anyone gets hurt.

6. Andy Sonnanstine, RHP: The former Tampa Ray has had experience as a starter and reliever. He will be available in either role.

7. Chris Carpenter, RHP: He can hit 100 mph with his fastball and could be the sleeper in the Cubs bullpen this season. Carpenter pitched in 10 games for the Cubs in 2011 before going back to Triple-A. He impressed scouts in the Arizona Fall League.

The rest of the bullpen will depend on which pitchers make the rotation. Samardzija goes back to a setup role if he is not part of the rotation. Randy Wells and Casey Coleman might also go to the bullpen if they don't crack the rotation. Chris Volstad is a part of the same mix as the rest of this group. Scott Maine is a situation lefty who could squeeze his way on the 25-man roster.

CINCINNATI -- A quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 8-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in 11 innings on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.


How it happened: The Reds’ Joey Votto led off the 11th with a double off Cubs reliever James Russell and Jay Bruce ended the game with a home run. The Cubs had sent the game to extra innings with two runs in the ninth. Tony Campana led off that inning with a single and scored on a double from Alfonso Soriano. Darwin Barney then singled home Soriano. In the first inning, the Cubs offense provided a nice cushion for starter Randy Wells, who has not lost a game in nine starts. Carlos Pena's 28th homer of the season off of Reds starter Homer Bailey got the Cubs offense going and Marlon Byrd's two-run homer padded the lead. The Cubs loaded the bases in the third with no outs and failed to score. The Reds batted around in the fifth inning, scoring three runs and knocking out Wells, who lasted 4 1/3 innings in his shortest outing since July 6. Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips and Chris Heisey each hit solo homers off Wells.

What it means: The Cubs finished their seven-game road trip with a 3-4 record. Shortstop Starlin Castro extended his on-base streak to 28 games with a single in the second inning. Pena’s 28 homers equal his 2010 output with the Tampa Bay Rays. All 28 have come since May 3.

Outside the box: Cubs catching coordinator Marty Pevey has been working with Geovany Soto and Koyie Hill on this road trip. The Cubs have not had a catching instructor at the major leage level in 2011. Bryan LaHair extended his hitting streak to nine games with a base hit in the first inning.

Up next: The Cubs begin their last homestand, sending right-hander Matt Garza (8-10, 3.54 ERA) against Houston left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (11-10, 3.51) on Friday at 1:20.

Thus far, the strength of the 2011 Chicago Cubs has been the bullpen.

Unfortunately for some of the relievers, the wear and tear is likely to catch up to them as injuries to the starters and ineffective outing have caused the bullpen to be overworked.

In particular, left-hander James Russell has been put in jeopardy this week. Russell, who has spot started and relieved all season, was pushed to the limit over the last eight days. Russell threw 39 pitches in relief on May 20 and 57 on May 21 versus the Boston Red Sox, then 41 on Wednesday against the New York Mets and another 38 versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Manager Mike Quade is concerned about the bullpen in general and the overuse of Russell in particular.

“Russ has done a real nice job,” Quade said. “We’ve used him every way you can use him. He’s found a way to keep us in ballgames. A few balls left the ballpark today, but he’s been amazing for us in all those different roles.”

When you have a pitcher throw 175 pitches in a week, you may be asking for trouble.

“I will start watching it a lot closer than I have in the past, because of the workload,” Quade said.

Russell, for his part, just wants to help the team compete.

“Today I was kind of tired,” Russell said. “I didn’t really feel like myself. The command was all over the place, and that’s not usually me.”

Russell was a little surprised when he was told how many pitches he’d thrown recently.

“That’s some good work,” Russell said. “But I feel great. If I ever need a day I can just go up to them and say, ‘Hey, try to steer away from me’.”

Russell, like every good young pitcher, keeps his mouth shut and takes the ball when it’s handed to him.

“You try to think about the long-term standpoint,” Russell said. “You like being in there. But if they ask me if I want the ball, 10 times out of 10 times I’m going to say yes.”

After surrendering two home runs on Saturday, Russell has given up nine this season. Russell started five games and has relieved in 11 others. Before Saturday’s game, the bullpen had a 9-5 record with a 3.08 ERA.

BOSTON -- Left-hander James Russell gave the Cubs a credible four innings Sunday, allowing three runs while keeping his team in the game.

Russell, an emergency starter for injured right-hander Matt Garza, threw 57 pitches in four-plus innings after throwing three innings on Friday.

“I felt great,” Russell said. “I was able to start using some different pitches out there. Unfortunately, [Tim] Wakefield had that nasty knuckleball working today.”

The Cubs were dominated by the 44-year-old knuckleballer, who gave up just four hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. His domination was unexpected; Wakefield hadn’t pitched since May 11 and was inserted into the rotation due to injuries to John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Even though the Cubs lost, they were all happy to see injured outfielder Marlon Byrd return to the locker room late Sunday afternoon. Byrd, who was hit in the eye by Boston right-hander Alfredo Aceves on Saturday, will seek treatment for his injuries to his eye and fractures to his face early next week.

“As long as I can see and I have no brain damage, I’m blessed,” Byrd said.

Aceves has been trying to contact Byrd after the injury.

“I haven’t talked to him, but I know it wasn’t intentional,” Byrd said. “That’s a part of the game. [Esteves is] 6-feet-6-inches, it doesn’t always go where you want it to.”

Byrd said there was no time table for his return right now. Doctors will determine his treatment as well as his road back to playing baseball.

The Cubs ended their seven-game road trip with a 3-4 record. Manager Mike Quade was displeased with the outcome of the road trip.

“After all that’s happened and how poorly we played in Cincinnati, we gave those two games away there,” Quade said. “The kids really recovered well, but we’re still looking to do better.”

A roster move or two is possible for the Cubs before Tuesday’s game. The Cubs need a right-handed hitting outfielder to replace Byrd, and will determine if they need another pitcher after Matt Garza’s MRI on his right elbow on Monday.

The Cubs may be able to get starter Randy Wells back by next weekend. Wells made his second rehab start Sunday for the Iowa Cubs, giving up six earned runs in four innings. He also walked three and struck out three. Wells threw 68 pitches. He originally injured his right forearm in his first start of the season on April 4. He went on the DL April 8.

CHICAGO -- The fourth and fifth spots in the starting rotation have been a black hole for the Chicago Cubs since Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner went on the disabled list April 8 with arm problems.

Replacement starters Casey Coleman and James Russell have combined to go 1-7 in the fourth and fifth roles, and the Cubs are 2-8 in their starts overall. Coleman had a disastrous second inning on Thursday in the Cubs' 9-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The 24-year-old pitcher admitted that pitching now compared to at the end of a failed 2010 season is a much different experience.

"Last year [then-pitching coach] Larry [Rothschild] would say to me you are going six innings, especially if the bullpen had thrown a lot of innings late in the season," Coleman said. "Now you want to do so well for your team and give them six or seven innings. I probably put too much pressure on myself and work too quick."

The Cubs' lack of hitting with runners in scoring position has been a season-long problem. They were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position on Thursday.

"It makes it easier for the pitchers [when the team hits with men on base]," centerfielder Marlon Byrd said. "When you have [Matt] Garza, [Carlos] Zambrano and [Ryan] Dempster on the mound you have veterans who can pitch with no runs on the board. But for the young guys we have to give them better support than that."

The Cubs are 2-4 on this nine-game homestand, losing the first two series to division rivals Cincinnati and St. Louis.

"We have to be more consistent than them," said Byrd, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games. "We're not finding it yet, especially against the Central. We're not cutting it. We have to start winning series and playing better overall."

The Cubs are 6-9 against the NL Central. They close out the the homestand against the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.

CHICAGO – Today’s pitching matchup between the Chicago Cubs' Ryan Dempster (1-2, 6.84) and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Ted Lilly (1-2, 4.09 ERA), a former Cub, is more than just two struggling pitchers trying to find their groove. Not only were those two pitchers arguably the two best starters for the Cubs over the past three seasons, they were also pretty much inseparable.

Dempster and Lilly would go jogging together in the mornings and anyone that spent any time in the Cubs clubhouse came away with the clear knowledge that the two were very close friends. However, manager Mike Quade doesn’t expect the two to be buddy-buddy when the game starts.

“They’re best of friends and they won’t be today,” Quade said about the ultra-competitive pitchers, “which is also something I love about them.”

Though Lilly may be a fan favorite and loved by his former Cubs teammates, Quade made it clear that there was only one acceptable outcome for Lilly in today’s game.

“I love Lil to death, but I hope he leaves here with a very unhappy face,” Quade said with a smile.

Meanwhile, there are much more important issues for the Cubs and Dempster. Earlier in the week, Quade talked about how he expects his top three pitchers, Matt Garza, Carlos Zambrano, and Dempster to all turn it around after slow starts.

Zambrano (8 IP, 10 Ks, 0 ER) and Garza (6 IP, 9 Ks, 0 ER) both complied with Quade’s request in their last outings, and the skipper was hopeful that Dempster would follow suit.

“Every day is a big day, and every day you look forward to a guy getting locked in for weeks on end,” Quade said, “No time like the present. With these three guys, I always expect a good outing and hopefully [Dempster] backs that up today.”

Russell on Tuesday? Quade also discussed his plans for Tuesday’s starter against the Colorado Rockies and while he was hesitant to commit 100% to anyone, he said he was leaning towards lefty reliever James Russell one more time.

However, he said this time he and pitching coach Mark Riggins were going to go about it a different way and not use Russell out of the bullpen in the games leading up to his potential start.

“Let him prepare and maybe change his repertoire a little bit, particularly against right-handed hitters,” Quade said Russell, “Let him do a little work on the side so I’m not messing that up and give him his best chance to be successful.”

Russell is 0-2 in his two starts on the season and while he increased his workload to four innings in his last start (after lasting only 1 2/3 in his first one), he also gave up three home runs in taking the loss against the San Diego Padres.