First off, Fukudome in CF is something the Cubs are considering -- he played there a few times this spring. Also, players and positions are more interchangeable than people tend to think. The difference between right field and left field is basically that left fielders don't have to throw as far to hold a runner at second. Hell, you could even stick Murton out there in center field, although he'd be worse there than most about any other outfielder (though that's going to be true no matter where you put him).

Secondly, well, he did indicate that he would be willing to play center just last week, although he obviously sees himself as better suited for RF, which while true, doesn't mean that having him play center -- essentially opening a corner spot for a better hitter, against lefties -- makes the team worse off.

'If they tell me to play center field, I'll play center field,'' Fukudome said through an interpreter. ''I played center field a full season in Japan. I have played more in right field, but I can play either position. It shouldn't be a problem.''

Well, obviously, Murton is not one of the top corner outfielders in this game. His bat doesn't really belong out there full-time, over 162 games. But he hits lefties well, and the question is, how can the Cubs maximize production in their lineup. Murton is a better hitter against lefties over his career than Alfonso Soriano is, so if he can be worked into the lineup against lefties, I think the Cubs should do it.

nt

DeRo was "promised" 2B too. We saw how well Lou kept that promise.

I do think that it would be better for Dome to not shuffle positions while he is trying to adjust to ML pitching. He will have enough trouble trying to adjust to RF in Wrigley.

But that doesn't mean he should start against lefties.

I think Johnson was a good pickup, but the question here is which player is more valuable in the lineup against left-handed hitters. I think that at this point, Murton's only utility to this club is this precise situation. So, yes, Johnson's versatility is an important asset, but that doesn't mean that he's automatically more valuable than Murton in every situation.

because there are few LF spots available - if any. If Murton was available for free, several teams would be interested. Having to trade for him is a different story.

But it's strange to say, flat-out, that because his value is limited that he shouldn't be used in those limited situations where he is valuable. Like against LHP.

It shouldn't be too much to ask that he play CF from time-to-time, if he's capable of playing the position.

A legitimate question would be, how much worse defensively would Fukudome perform in center than in right? Or, would it affect his offensive production to a point where it would hurt the team? The answer is that we don't really know until the Cubs try it out.

Soriano had been an infielder his entire professional career up until 2006, when he started playing left field, which is one of the easiest defensive positions in the game. In 2007, the Cubs tried to convert him to center, a position he had never played before, and it didn't take.

Fukudome is a career outfielder who has played CF professionally. Also keep in mind that we're not talking a permanent position change, but what would equate to maybe 25% of playing time.

Now, there's something to be said for the position a player is playing affecting his play at the plate. One of the more famous examples is Frank Thomas, who for whatever reason, put up better number as a first baseman than as a DH during his heyday. There is nothing to suggest, however, that this is something that should be expected when a player plays different positions.

It seemed as though a couple of teams (at least SD and Tex) inquired about him, but Hendry didn't want to trade him in Dec. or Jan. because he thought that he could lump Murton and a few other medicore players for TNO. By the time Hendry figured out that McPhail wouldn't settle for anything less than a type-A prospect, the other teams had moved on and the market had dried up.

Just like that Arod guy?

isn't his problem. Murton is plenty strong enough, and he hits the ball plenty hard enough. It's just that he has a downward-plane swing -- which is condusive to hitting line drives for a high average and many 2Bs, but doesn't lift the ball out of the park. If Murton tried to change his swing that drastically, he would probably screw himself up.

FWIW, DeRo's swing is very similar, and he has a similar high line-drive / low HR ratio. The difference is that DeRo is a MI, so a lack of HR power is more acceptable.

Murton has 28 HR through his age-25 season. McGwire had 117, outdoing Murton's present career total in each of his three full seasons.

So, uh, yeah, not really comparable.