Weekly Wroundtable: Debating Shaun Marcum’s Future As the Cleveland Indians’ Fifth Starter

June 19, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Shaun Marcum (38) pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Marcum Is Simply a Short-term Placeholder

Matt Bretz: It’s only been two starts, but I do not believe that Shaun Marcum will last as the number five starter. Yes, his first start was good, but at the end of the day, he’s at best a stop-gap until T.J. House can return. Sure, House struggled before his DL stint, but I’m a big believer in him. I’m very confident that once he gets a full start under his belt in Triple-A, he’ll show he belongs in the bigs and will reclaim his rightful spot in the Tribe rotation. House and his near-.400 BABIP were bound to come down, whereas Marcum and his sub-.200 BABIP are bound to rise (a lot). I can definitely see Marcum lasting a few more starts, but come July (at the latest) to see House back in the rotation.

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Joe Gerberry: Judging over two starts in definitely a small sample size, but I don’t think Marcum has a very long lease for the fifth starter spot. House is healthy and, supposedly, ready in Triple-A. Even Jhouyls Chacin is pitching very well down in Columbus. Marcum needs to have a good start against Seattle on Saturday to keep his spot, because the troops are coming back around.

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Another theory is that the Tribe will replace Marcum with an upgrade…

Next: Indians Will Upgrade from Marcum In July