After doing some last minute research for my fantasy baseball draft Sunday night I came across a useful little CBS Sports page. It lists the projected batting order and starting rotation for all 30 teams based on the spring training games. I took a look at this when making some difficult choices and came across a difficult projection to swallow. Carlos Silva is projected to be the Chicago Cubs number five starter.

Now, we all know that most rotations go about three deep solid, have an iffy fourth starter, and seem to put some carcass of a veteran out as the fifth starter to bide time until the general manager can pull up a prospect that is decimating hitters in the minors. So, given this universal knowledge I have to ask, will Silva last?

The Tribune gave Silva high marks in a column today, both for his performance on the mound and his lack of a Bradly-esque performance in the locker room. They noted that he and Zambrano have known each since they were teenagers in Venezuela. They noted how pitching coach Larry Rothschild’s advice and the residual spirit of good pitching left by a Greg Maddux jersey in his home have helped turn things around. They even said that he claims to have sucked the last two seasons because his mother was gone and now things might turn around because she is back (ok, they did not say this, it was a quote).

I also know that Silva is coming back from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the starting rotation for all but eight games in the 2009 season. All this sounds promising and I want to believe that Silva will be our goodwill compensation for signing Milton Bradley last season (he came over in the trade that sent Bradley to the Pacific Northwest), but I do not know.

Carlos Silva struggled even before he aggravated his shoulder in 2009. He posted a 6.46 ERA in 28 games pitching for Seattle in a pitcher’s park. He also had an up and down career in Minnesota as a starter. The fact that he struggled in pitcher’s parks is cause for concern. I certainly will not be buying Chicago Cubs tickets for his starts until I feel he can handle the dimensions and wind at Wrigley Field.

Of course, doubting a fifth starter is nit picking, but let’s call it a slow news day for a Cubs fan who is itching for opening day and feels compelled to talk about anything Cubs, even a PR piece.

Related Posts:

• Silva Leaves Game and Lilly Leaves Town (0)
• 2010 Chicago Cubs Season Preview (2)
• I Thought The Cubs Starting Rotation Was Their Only Strength [Ben Sheets Trade Rumor Edition] (9)
• And Thus Ends The Milton Bradley Era in Chicago (2)

Tags: 4th Starter, Carlos Silva, Rotation