Cubs Outfield

HR…………….RBI…………….SB………………AVG

40…………….119……………..32……………….297

42…………….170……………..27……………….265

One is my prediction for LA outfielder Matt Kemp, the other is my prediction for the Cubs outfield trio of Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd, and David DeJesus.  I’ll let you guess which is which. Ouch!!!

Rice, Lynn, and Evans…this outfield is not……………

I know the Cubs have a new manager to go along with new management, but other than DeJesus, they have the same players. Not that that is Epstein and Hoyer’s fault.

No one is gonna take Soriano and the $56M he is owed off the Cubs hands. And if they aren’t going to contend this year, which they won’t; there is no reason to get rid of Byrd now on the last year of a very reasonable $6.5M contract. I don’t expect Byrd to be around all year though. His play, his contract, and most importantly his leadership almost demand that a team in contention come calling for his services around July 1^st. And I expect Hoyer to make that trade and free up center field for the last three months of the season to Brett Jackson.

David DeJesus was a fine signing for the price (2yr/$8.5M), just don’t expect the stats he had with KC. At the age of 32, his speed has dropped off (just 7 total SB’s in ‘10-’11) and his average against left-handed pitchers took a nose dive last year (.174). I think you can expect to see Reed Johnson (.305 vs LHP) start in place of DeJesus every time there is a lefty on the mound.

Barring an injury, you can expect to see Soriano start 140 games in left for the Cubs. I know the thought of that turns some people’s stomach, but the truth is……..he’s your best hitting outfielder folks. The last two seasons he has hit an average of 25HR’s and 84RBI’s with a respectable .251 average. He’s not Billy Williams, but he’s not Gene Clines either.

So as I said, don’t think Rice/Lynn/Evans with this crew.

Think Burnitz/Hollandsworth/Patterson.