Cubs 2010 2B and "the L word"

it will bring a smile to ol’ SWL’s face…

How exactly is he mildly below average?

…because of the super two status? Not to mention having Miles and Blanco?

Honest questions, not trying to push buttons.

To me there’s no reason to look around for other options there. He showed me enough last year to convince me that he’s fine at 2B.

As an aside, weren’t you the one who was talking him up alot when he was first acquired and many were against the acquisition?

One thing that I wonder is whether or not there should be serious consideration of moving Theriot to 2B. Unless a trade is made, Starlin Castro is the long term solution at SS and if Theriot is in the Cubs long term plans, it will likely be at 2B. Moving Theriot over to 2B removes the questionable arm and the Cubs can find a stopgap at SS.

A second thought is Marco Scutaro. I don’t expect him to match his 2009 season and he’s no spring chicken, but he may be worth a one year deal + option. He can play 2B or SS and isn’t likely to break the bank.

Plus he is able to cover about ever position except catcher.

Age 27 .287/.345/.410 with questionable defense, but position flexibility

Sandberg at second

You said, “Fontenot/Baker splitting time evenly”.

What about a straight platoon of Fontenot & Baker?

Fontenot career vs RHP: .272/.348/.435, .783 OPS
Baker career vs LHP: .285/.346/.543, .889 OPS
 

But I’d rather have Theriot move over to 2nd (his future and natural position anyway), and either sign a veteran SS or have Blanco give us some actual SS defense next year. Then if Castro comes up mid-season as some have been speculating, he’s your new SS. Baker becomes your super-utility guy, and Aaron Miles and Fontenot take a trip to DFA or get traded.

I’d rather see the Cubs go big after Granderson (and Halladay?), and get enough fielding to make the middle IF work. Fielding in CF was a much bigger problem in 2009 and Soriano will still need cover in 2010.

Of course, Granderson is an “L,” too. ;-)

but since we’re supposedly talking mostly to the Rays about Bradley, I’d love to find a way to get Willy Aybar tossed into the deal. Probably not a full time guy either, but he’s a switch hitter who could play 2d, 3d, or 1st with some nice pop in his bat, decent glove too. Other than as Longoria’s backup, I don’t see the Rays desperately needing his services. His numbers aren’t spectacular or anything, I could just see him breaking out with more regular playing time.

But otherwise, I think a 50/50 Fontenot/Baker platoon is the way to go. Leverage both of them in the most favorable situations, and pay at most $1.5M for your 2B position. On a similar note, I am fairly comfortable with re-signing Johnson and giving him and Sam Fuld a similar split in center. Even with a modest raise for Johnson (although I think we might be able to get a small discount), you’d only be paying about $4M for your CF. Swap Bradley for Pat Burrell, and then it’s smooth sailing until spring training.

To be honest, if Baker has a good spring training, I think he could snag the job outright. But I think his versatility might well turn the position back toward a platoon eventually anyway.

I must admit, though, I’m somewhat tempted by the charming specter of Orlando Hudson. His defense does appear to be slipping, but he’s still a good hitter. And if I dare bring clubhouse chemistry into the discussion, O-Dawg is pretty much the diametric opposite of Milton Bradley. Not sure whether the budget would allow for his acquisition, however.

COOL!