Barrett to 1B?

by bobby h on Apr 21, 2006 12:46 PM CDT Comment 15 comments

What about moving Barrett to 1b? Using Blanco as your every day catcher, and bring up Reyes or Soto off of the Active Roster? Barrett has corner infield experience and a decent enough glove for first. If he were playing first, his bat would be in the line-up more often than at catcher, as he wouldn't need 1-2 days a week rest. Blanco's bat would be sufficent enough for the 8-hole, and there's a reasonable possiblity that Barrett puts up better numbers without the stress of catching on his body.

Barrett has improved his defense and his game calling, but I would argue that Blanco is still superior on both counts. As an added plus, Barrett stays fresher for the last couple of months of the season when he moves back behind the plate. Your every day lineup would be something along the lines of:

Pierre
Walker
Barrett
Aram
Murton
Jones
Cedeno
Blanco

Far from ideal, but you still have decent run production out of your top-5 and a passable defense.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Given Barrett's

defensive abilities at behind the plate, I would be loathe to try to have him dig out Cedeno's wild throws.

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico!"--Harry Caray

by cubbiejulie on Apr 21, 2006 12:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

At least he'd have a bigger glove...

...I also loathe the SBs allowed with Walker covering first and MB behind the plate.

by bobby h on Apr 21, 2006 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

there's a better way...

give Barrett the 1st baseman's glove and have him play 1st on the days he isn't catching. That way, you never lose his bat, and you still don't have to have him at 1st every day.

The Cubs better shine 'fore twenty-oh-nine!

by shawndgoldman on Apr 21, 2006 1:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Doesn't anyone else think

Murton may settle nicely into thte 3 hole for a while?

Anyone can have a bad century...

by Kinky Reggae on Apr 21, 2006 1:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Better than a stick in the eye

I could live with Murton in the three-hole, so long as it doesn't go Murton-Ramirez-Jones, as if that's the case, Ramirez will see nothing worth swinging at until August.

by bobby h on Apr 21, 2006 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice thought

but there's just no replacing Barrett behind the plate. There's no replacing Lee at 1B either, but you'll get more production at 1B with Barrett catching than you would with Barrett at 1B and whoever at Catcher. nice thought though.

I've thought about this a lot too and I still think that you have to find a way to bring up Pie in this terrible scenario that has been created.

I'm just not thrilled with the prospects of Restovich or the ilk. I'd rather take the chance that Pie adjusts and thrives or in worst case scenario, give Pie some MLB experience and call it a season, cuz IMO, that's what you're doing with Restovich or any of these other run of the mill candidates (Mabry).

I originally played with the idea of maybe calling up Restovich for a couple weeks and all the while give Murton some reps during BP or whatnot until he got a little "comftorable" but quickly shook that off and realized that's just not realistic and wouldn't happen.

Can Jones play 1B? At all? This would be my line-up. Is this fantasy enough for ya Al?

1.Pierre
2.Cedeno - good contact hitter with speed
3.Murton - good hit and run guy, who makes contact
4.Ramirez
5.Walker - Best option to protect Ramirez
6.Barrett
7.Jones
8.Pie - Maybe hitting 8th would help him recognize pitches out of the strike zone, cuz hitting 8th that's what he'll see.

Anyway, this sucks.

by escapegoat on Apr 21, 2006 2:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I've been saying the same thing...

you could also try Murton at 1st, moving Jones to LF and Pie to RF. The advantage to this is we'd be upgrading RF and LF defensively, as Jones is a better fielder than Murton and Pie is a much much better defensive outfielder than anyone else in the system right now.

The Cubs better shine 'fore twenty-oh-nine!

by shawndgoldman on Apr 21, 2006 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

At this point...

... I still don't think Pie would be well served by a major league callup.

Restovich IS a good major league hitter against LHP. Platooning him with Mabry could work.

by Al on Apr 21, 2006 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

that could be a bright side...

if Restovich hits well against lefties, perhaps he'll have a shot at sticking with the team as a right-handed power bat and Jacque Jones platoon partner once Lee returns.

The Cubs better shine 'fore twenty-oh-nine!

by shawndgoldman on Apr 21, 2006 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Surely then

if Restovich is such a great hitter against Lefties, there has to be a logical reason why he was planning on lounging around in Iowa, for the entire season.

C'mon people, think BIG. Restovich and Mabry is not the answer. Just like Perez wasn't the answer when Nomar went down. Just like Patterson wasn't even though it was painfully obvious to most, that he was one of the worst everyday players the game has ever seen, just like the stop gaps in the pen the last couple seasons wasn't and the agonizing list can go on and on.

To me, solving the gaping hole at 1B with Mabry and Restovich is the typical solution the Cubs have done.....well for quite some time now and it certainly hasn't worked up to now.

While finding a way to call up Pie isn't earth shattering, it would be a risk and given the alternative, I think a risk well worth taking.

Something NEEDS to be done besides Rest and Mabry and that's just my opinion. Restovich and Mabry is, well, to Cublike for my liking.

by escapegoat on Apr 21, 2006 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pie...

... needs a full year at Triple-A.

Yes, Restovich & Mabry isn't a great solution. But what is, when you are trying to replace Derrek Lee?

by Al on Apr 21, 2006 4:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jones at 1st

I was thinking along the same lines as well, until I realized that Jones is only 5'10". How many balls would go sailing over his head with the accuracy from a-ram or cedeno compared to the 6'5" Lee?

by daveg on Apr 21, 2006 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What?

Hairston is a much better offensive player than Blanco, why would we do this? Let alone the fact that our defense would be bad having Barrett and Walker on the right side. Ugly.

Maybe the most ridiculous idea I've seen.

by ontheuptick on Apr 21, 2006 3:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Between a rock and wrigleyville

If Blanco comes come close to last year's line of 242/287/391 he'd be fine in the 8-hole. Barrett and Walker would be close to a wash at first base defensively. And Blanco's defense and game calling would save more runs per game than his bat would take away from. Having MB in the line-up daily, with fresher legs behind it would compensate catcher production.

Just a thought anyways. As much as I think our run production is going to suffer, defensively an infield of:
barrett-c
walker or ??-1b
hairston/walker-2b
cedeno-??
ramirez-??

along with the jelly arms in left and center, makes me vomit in my mouth a little bit.

anyone want to start taking bets on whether the Cubs or the Reds have more errors at the all-star break??

by bobby h on Apr 21, 2006 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs