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This week's mailman is Chicago Cubs reliever James Russell. He delivers the answers to your questions:

Q: Hey James, I was wondering what role within the Cubs bullpen you prefer? You have been a great set-up man for the last few years, but I believe that you would be a great fit for the ninth inning. Is that something that you are interested in one day or are you happy with being the lefty specialist and set up man? --
Jack (Chicago)
JR: Honestly, ultimately I'd like to start. I have fun setting up but one of the biggest adrenaline rushes is closing a big-league ball game. So either one. I like being on the mound pitching.

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Chicago Cubs reliever James Russell is going to take some questions from ESPN Chicago readers. Click here to submit a question and then check back later this week for his answers.

Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum made the right call -- an easy one -- when he announced James Russell and Shawn Camp would close games while Kyuji Fujikawa is on the disabled list with a right forearm strain. It allows Carlos Marmol to continue to work in less pressure-filled situations, as he’s done his past two outings.

“I don’t think I’ll use Marmol right now,” Sveum said on Saturday. “Right now, I want to keep him in the role we talked about a few days ago.”

Is it a coincidence Marmol has given up nothing on the scoreboard in his two appearances that did not occur in the ninth inning this week?

Maybe.

But more than likely, pitching in any other inning is giving him a chance to relax. Even coming into a tight 3-3 game in the 8th inning, as he did on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, isn’t the pressure of the ninth inning. Hitters and pitchers alike have been talking about how different those last three outs are.

“The thing that’s different is the adrenaline,” new part-time closer Russell said. “There’s just a big aura around the last three outs.”

Russell saved two games last season after Marmol lost his job early in the season, so he feels comfortable doing it.

“The crowd lets you know you’re close to the game being over,” he said. “You get more juices going. You have to look at it as another inning.”

But we all know it’s not just another inning. David DeJesus has talked about hitters “locking in” knowing it’s the final chance for their team, while Sveum is under the belief that the tying run always gets to the plate -- unless a Mariano Rivera is on the mound -- in those save situations. It just does.

In any case, Russell and Camp were under consideration for the closer’s role when Marmol was demoted in the first place. With Fujikawa out, it makes sense to go to them. For those wanting Marmol’s trade value to increase, there is plenty of time for that. Let him earn the job back, just as he did last season, then maybe he’ll save some games this summer and the Cubs will still get something for him in a trade by July 31.

At least that’s the plan, right?

Chicago Cubs teammates came to the defense of relief pitcher Carlos Marmol after he was booed on two separate occasions in the Cubs home opening loss, 7-4, to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

"You lose some respect for the fans," pitcher James Russell said after the game. "It's your home park, they should be behind you no matter what. It's not like he's going out there trying to give up games. He's out there busting his butt every day. Personally, it gets under my skin because that's my teammate. I have his back no matter what. It kind of bugs you whenever you hear that. There's no room for it."

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ATLANTA -- So now that Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum has intimated a change is coming in the closer's role, who should get the job to replace Carlos Marmol?

"You got [Shawn] Camp and [James] Russell; they seem to be pretty efficient when they pitch," Sveum said after his team blew a late four-run lead Saturday and ultimately lost to the Atlanta Braves 6-5. "They've never had to do the last three outs of the game but there is a mix of pitches; those are options."

And of course so is Japanese import Kyuji Fujikawa, but he was hit hard Saturday as well. Fujikawa gave up three runs.

"Fujikawa struggled, too," Sveum said. "He didn't have his split today. It was flat, didn't do anything."

But that's the first time Fujikawa has shown any signs of struggling, and he did get out of the eighth with a double-play ball and the Cubs still leading. Then came Marmol's latest blow-up: two ninth-inning home runs to the Upton brothers.

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ATLANTA -- Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum said a change in the closer's role could be coming after Carlos Marmol blew a save in Saturday's 6-5 ninth-inning loss to the Atlanta Braves. It was the third game Marmol has appeared in this season in which he has given up runs, but this was his first blown save.

"We're definitely going to talk about it now," Sveum said after the game.

Marmol came into the game with the Cubs leading 5-4 but gave up a leadoff home run to B.J. Upton. Then, two batters later, B.J.'s brother Justin, ended it with a walk-off shot.

"I'm trying to do my best out there, and things are going bad," Marmol said. "I need to locate more of my pitches. That's why I'm getting hit."

Sveum said he wasn't sure who would take over the closer duties. Setup man Kyuji Fujikawa gave up three runs in the eighth inning to allow the Braves to pull within one.

"You got [Shawn] Camp and [James] Russell that seem to be pretty efficient when they pitch," Sveum said of his seventh-inning pitchers. "They've never had to do the last three outs of the game, but there is a mix of pitches. Those are options."

When informed he might not be closing anymore, Marmol responded, "I can't say anything because he [Sveum] didn't tell me anything."

Marmol gave up runs in two wins in Pittsburgh, but the Cubs managed to win both games. His ERA after Saturday is 27.00.

Sveum was asked if he knew what was wrong with Marmol.

"If I knew that, I'd be a genius," he said. "When he throws strikes it's getting hit now, too."

Though a few roles are still being worked out, the bullpen could be a strength for the Chicago Cubs this season.

It wasn't bad last season and the addition of Japanese import Kyuji Fujikawa could solidify it even more -- that is if Carlos Marmol can do his job as a closer. And that's a big "if."

Fujikawa takes over the set-up role which should take some pressure off lefty James Russell and righty Shawn Camp. Both were at the top of the NL in appearances last season and a repeat of that kind of use could be dangerous in terms of their health and effectiveness.

Michael Bowden is capable enough as a middle man, and if the Cubs add Hisanori Takahashi to the mix that gives them two lefties which is never a bad thing unless he simply can't get people out.

The problem -- until Wednesday -- was with Carlos Villanueva in the starting rotation, the Cubs didn't have a long reliever to eat up innings. But they picked up Guillermo Moscoso off waivers from Toronto on Wednesday, and now he's in the mix for Villanueva's old role.

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MESA, Ariz. -- Dave Sappelt made the roster as a fifth outfielder after the Chicago Cubs paired down their roster to 35 players on Friday.

Pitchers Chris Rusin, Drew Carpenter, Jaye Chapman, Casey Coleman, Jensen Lewis and Blake Parker will report to minor league camp as will infielders Edwin Maysonet and Brad Nelson. Outfielders Brian Bogusevic and Darnell McDonald also were sent down.

"Those days you dread," manager Dame Sveum said Friday morning. "Especially a lot of those guys that went down today, they had good springs. Bogusevic had a really good spring training. The Colemans, the Parkers, they all threw the ball well."

The final infield position is down to Steve Clevenger and Alberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez is the likely candidate unless the Cubs go outside the organization.

"There's still things that can happen through guys getting released and waiver wires and all that," Sveum said.

The bullpen has one spot open among four players with Hector Rondon and Michael Bowden securing jobs along with James Russell, Shawn Camp, Kyuji Fujikawa and Carlos Marmol. That leaves lefty Hisanori Takahashi battling with righties Rafael Dolis, Zach Putnam and Cory Wade for the final spot.

Four players including Matt Garza, Scott Baker, Ian Stewart and Arodys Vizcaino will start the season on the disabled list.

MESA, Ariz. -- Saturday marks the official start of Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum’s annual spring training bunting tournament. Brackets were posted outside the locker room, with 61 players, a bullpen coach and a yet-to-be named 64th participant all vying to unseat David DeJesus as the reigning champion.

The 64th player in the tournament will come from a play-in bracket to be completed Saturday afternoon featuring nonplayer Cubs personnel and front-office types. The highlight of the play-in has team president Theo Epstein taking on general manager Jed Hoyer.

“I just hope no one gets hurt,” pitcher James Russell said Saturday morning of the play-in bracket.

Russell is just one of several participants –- all pitchers -– who aren’t exactly ready for the tournament.

“I haven’t picked up a bat this spring, so it’s going to be interesting,” he said. “It’s like riding a bike. You don’t forget how to do it.”

The bunting tournament is Sveum's brainchild and consists of a March Madness-type tournament in which participants are given points for a series of well-placed bunts. The winners move on.

“You know who’s going to win: the one with the most money on it,” new catcher Dioner Navarro said. “The rich get richer.”

Pitcher Casey Coleman faced DeJesus in the final last year and likes the outfielder’s chances of repeating.

“He does everything well, especially bunting,” Coleman said. “He’s got great bunt control.”

Coleman claims now that he’s become a reliever, he hasn’t been bunting as much as when he was starting, so he’s not picking himself to go far.

Neither is Russell, but he and Coleman said it's more about not losing to certain people than it is about winning.

“If you lose to [Anthony] Rizzo, that’s not good,” Coleman said.

Russell added: “It’s bad especially if you lose to a catcher.”

Navarro didn’t take to kindly to that remark.

“I can bunt. I can get the job done,” he said. “I can beat a pitcher.”

Not surprisingly, Matt Garza was very vocal on the subject of the bunting tournament, claiming he lost to Carlos Marmol on a “technicality.”

“I just want to get out of the second round,” Garza said. “I better not lose to Marmol again.”

After the play-in winner is determined Saturday, the 64-player bracket will begin early next week.

Jesse Rogers covers the Cubs for ESPN 1000 and ESPNChicago.com

Jesse Rogers previews the Cubs by position in the days leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training on Sunday.

If the Chicago Cubs had a strength in 2012 it likely was their bullpen. They were used plenty -- not surprising for a 101-loss team -- but they didn't embarrass themselves and actually won their share of games.

As usual for any pen, it can be hit or miss. There are holdovers and newcomers and a question mark at the end of the game.

Carlos Marmol: He's still here despite a near offseason trade to the Los Angeles Angels which means the Cubs might not have the utmost confidence in the incumbent closer. They've said all the right things about his second half last season in which he pitched more confidently after some early struggles. But reading between the lines, it wouldn't be a shock if Marmol isn't the closer in September or in fact much sooner. The bottom line is he nibbles with his slider while newcomer Kyuji Fujikawa comes after hitters. The Cubs might prefer the latter.

Kyuji Fujikawa: At 32 he'll be an old rookie, but after 12 seasons in Japan as a closer, Fujikawa comes to the Cubs as a set-up man. At least for now. General manager Jed Hoyer praised his fastball and his style of going after hitters which is what the Cubs mostly want out of their bullpen pitchers. Can he handle closing games at Wrigley Field though? Maybe that's why he'll start his major league career in the seventh and eighth inning instead of the ninth. One of the few newcomers signed for more than a year, Fujikawa should be a major part of the bullpen.

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs avoided arbitration with Jeff Samardzija and James Russell, agreeing to one-year deals with each of the pitchers on Friday.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs pitchers Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and James Russell filed for salary arbitration on Tuesday.

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With the 2012 season finally over, Doug Padilla reviews the Cubs by position this week. Today he focuses on the bullpen.

There were no surprises as the Chicago Cubs' bullpen was expected to be a weakness and it became a major contributor to the slow start that railroaded the season.

Make no mistake, the 2012 Cubs were going to struggle regardless, but the poor outings from the relievers in April sealed that fate.

It certainly wasn't going to be easy after the bullpen lost Sean Marshall and Andrew Cashner to trades, while Jeff Samardzija moved into a rotation spot. There were no significant additions, unless you count Shawn Camp's signing at the end of spring training.

There were some bright spots, though, as Carlos Marmol got back at least a bit of his old swagger, James Russell continued with his growth, Camp came through as a workhorse, and newcomer Jaye Chapman showed he could be a valuable contributor to the group in the future.

Still, the group's highlight moment came May 18 when Kerry Wood struck out the White Sox's Dayan Viciedo on three pitches and walked off into retirement.

Wood finished his career with an 86-75 record and a 3.67 ERA. As a reliever, he was 15-20 with a 3.59 ERA and 63 saves. But in 2012, he struggled to an 0-2 record and an 8.31 ERA in 10 appearances.

Wood's struggles and subsequent retirement were indicative of a nagging shoulder injury that forced him to the disabled list in April. The rest of the bullpen didn't have a similar excuse, especially early in the season.

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CHICAGO -- A heavy workload could be catching up to Chicago Cubs relievers Shawn Camp and James Russell.

Camp, who didn’t pitch Saturday, entered play tied for the National League lead in appearances with 57. Russell entered tied for third at 55 and that was before he set foot on the mound yet again Saturday.

After the Reds rallied off him Saturday, Russell has now given up the lead in two of his last four outings as the opponent rallied for eventual victories.

Last weekend at Los Angeles he blew a save against the Dodgers by allowing two inherited runners to score, and the three runs he gave up to the Reds in the eighth inning Saturday left him with a blown save and the loss in a 4-2 defeat.

“It’s tough but it’s nothing I don’t think I can handle,” said Russell, who has given up nine of his 21 earned runs this season in two outings over the last 21 days. “If you’re going to be that guy they turn to in the eighth, ninth, seventh inning, whatever, you’re going to have to face some righties. They’re human, they’re easy to get out, but sometimes it doesn’t fare that way.”

Manager Dale Sveum defended Russell, saying the left-hander was the victim of bad luck and indeed the Reds' Brandon Phillips seemed to say after his eighth-inning single in the midst of the rally that he didn't even see the pitch that he hit. There was also a bloop hit that fell between second baseman Darwin Barney and right fielder Joe Mather.

Camp wasn’t even eligible to pitch Saturday after pitching in each of the two previous games. He has been a solid find since he was picked up off waivers from the Mariners in spring training. He entered the month with a 2.70 ERA, but it has been a struggle since then.

Camp has given up a run in four of his five outings this month, leaving him with a 19.64 ERA in August.

“Camp was down today but Russell had some rest and those guys have been our guys in the later innings,” Sveum said.

CHICAGO -- The bullpen couldn’t hold a late lead Saturday as the Chicago Cubs fell 4-2 to the Cincinnati Reds.

How it happened: The Reds rallied with three runs in the eighth inning off Cubs reliever James Russell to take the victory. Cubs starter Travis Wood pitched well in his first outing against his former club, giving up one run on five hits over seven innings. The Cubs scored their two runs in the second inning on a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded from David DeJesus.

What it means: Russell might be showing signs of vulnerability after he has been leaned on heavily this season. The left-hander made his 56th appearance, which was tied for second most in the National League. The leader at the start of play Saturday was Russell’s bullpen-mate Shawn Camp, who had 57 appearances. Russell not only took the loss Saturday, he also had a blown save at Los Angeles last weekend when he allowed his two inherited runners to score.

Outside the box: Wood tied a career high with eight strikeouts. He did it two times previously with both of those with the Reds instead of against them like he did Saturday. The last time Wood struck out eight batters in a game was Sept. 14, 2010 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Off beat: Cubs manager Dale Sveum showed how much he respects Wood’s hitting ability when he let the pitcher come to the plate in the seventh inning even though he wasn’t going to pitch in the eighth inning. Wood had already reached the 99-pitch mark. It didn’t turn out well. Wood struck out in the seventh inning to end an 0-for-3 day at the plate with two strikeouts, and Russell gave up the lead in the eighth.

Up next: The Cubs will send left-hander Brooks Raley (0-1, 15.75 ERA) to the mound for his second career start in the finale of a four-game series. The Reds will counter with right-hander Johnny Cueto (14-6, 2.58) in the 1:20 p.m. start from Wrigley Field.