Ben Zobrist, the omnipresent SS
The Chicago Cubs have a lot of shortstops on 40-man roster:
- Starlin Castro: Starting SS
- Addison Russell: ML-ready SS, now playing 2B
- Jonathan Herrera: Utility IF, plays anywhere on the infield
- Javier Baez: Converted to 2B, also a backup SS
- Arismendy Alcantara: Cubs version of Ben Zobrist, plays everywhere. Starting at 2B in AAA
- Junior Lake: Now exclusively an OF in AAA
So what do you do when you have one spot for a SS and that many guys who can play the position on your roster? You move them around somewhere else!
When I discussed the Cubs 2015 Defense, I talked about how many players were playing out of position, which was a bit of a concern. That got me thinking about how easily the Cubs FO is willing to put a SS somewhere else on the diamond:
- Javier Baez, who still needs to work on his pitch selection, was brought up to the big leagues and told to learn 2B on the fly.
- Addison Russell has just been told the same thing: welcome to the big leagues—here’s your new position!
- Junior Lake was converted into an OF as he approached the big leagues, and now that’s all he plays. Not to blame the position shift on his bombing with the bat at the big-league level, but you never know.
- Arismendy is probably the most interesting case, because his athleticism has anointed him with the title of “super utility” player, which means he’ll play anywhere on the field.
Is all of this OK?
Well, it’s obviously OK because the Cubs are doing it and Joe Maddon can do no wrong.
But seriously, if you want to move a player around like this, the SS is the right guy to ask. From way down in little league all the way up to pro ball, the SS is typically one of the most athletic, talented players on the team.
And this is especially true when it comes to defensive ability—the Cubs just happen to have a handful of shortstops that can actually hit.
So how hard is it to take a SS and ask him to play a new position?
This question was brought up a lot when Javier Baez was called up and asked to move to 2B. I didn’t think it was a great idea because his bat needed work—why put this whole new set of demands on him?
The Negatives
Why take a young player that’s on the cusp of making it to the big leagues and then ask him to learn a brand-new position at the highest possible level? Not only does it hamper his development, it also negatively affects the big-league club’s defense.
So you’re losing out at both ends. Why do it then?
The Positives
We got to see Javier Baez playing in the big leagues regularly at the end of 2014. We are getting to see Addison Russell NOW rather than later on.
Here’s where you try to take a negative and turn it into a positive: asking Baez and Russell to “worry” about playing a new position takes some of the mental toll off of their bats.
You hear managers and veterans tell young players all the time: “Just be yourself, do what you’ve always done, don’t try to do too much.”
Asking them to play a new position helps with that. As long as they’re athletic enough (which most SSs are), they should be OK defensively while the bat just does what it should do. This is assuming the bat is ready (which is why Baez should be at AAA, still).
As for the Alcantaras and Lakes—players who aren’t currently everyday players at their new position—they’ve now become more flexible players that can bring that versatility to the team and to their game.
Alcantara could become a super utility guy that allows Joe Maddon to do all kinds of crazy things with the lineup.
Junior Lake could provide some depth as a 4th outfielder or could bring something back in a trade.
How Hard is It?
For a player who can play SS at the pro level, not terribly hard. Yes, the double play is different. The ball comes off the bat differently. There are new angles to learn. You won’t be as comfortable in the field at the new position.
That can all be learned rather quickly—the part that is VERY hard is doing this at the big league level for the first time.
Welcome to the highest rung of pro ball—you finally made it here! Now go stand over here and learn all these nuances on the fly while helping the team win. Go!
That’s not easy, but it’s what the FO has chosen to go with in an effort to make 2015 the season where the Cubs are no longer “rebuilding” and go into “competing” mode.
Personally, I’ve waited long enough. After seeing Kris Bryant in CF last night, I’m excited to see what else Maddon has up his sleeve in an effort to get this team to the playoffs.
Get your catcher’s mitt ready Javier, you never know…
Image by Keith Allison
The Stretch 