In 2008, after winning 97 games, the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs by the Dodgers.
As a result, the Cubs panicked because they perceived their problem in the playoffs as being too right handed offensively. That panic pushed them to make the poor move of signing Milton Bradley.
So fast forward a year. Milton Bradley is gone. The lineup looks pretty much the same. Mark DeRosa and Jim Edmonds are gone and Marlon Byrd and Jeff Baker have taken their place.
I looks to me like the Cubs are even more right handed now than they were in 2008.
Should we be concerned?
Assuming Fukudome is leading off against right handers, the Cubs would have 7 consecuative right handed batters in their lineup.
Theriot
Lee
Ramirez
Byrd
Soriano
Baker
Soto
I'm sorry...but that is rather frightening to me.
We could take Fontenot, a lefty, and have him in place of Baker, especially against right handers, but I don't think the Cubs want him to have more at-bats than Baker. Fontenot failed last year getting a majority of the ABs at second. Besides, Fontenot's career batting average versus righties isn't all that much higher than Baker's.
So where can the Cubs make some changes?
Well, what we are really talking about is trading a starter away for a lefty replacement or sign a free agent.
I've advocated trading Derrek Lee in the past. He has high trade value and I believe the Cubs should be able to fill 1st base easily with a lefty bat.
This doesn't appear likely, though. Lee has a no-trade clause, and Jim Hendry really has a hard time making a trade as gutsy as that.
I think the Cubs would love to dump Soriano and his contract onto some other team, but I don't think they would have any takers.
So, the only area that any change could be made is the middle infield.
We all know the Cubs have Starlin Castro in the waiting to take over at shortstop. Castro probably isn't ready for the big leagues yet, and he still wouldn't solve the problem being discuss as he is a right handed hitter as well.
But if the Cubs would trade away Theriot and get a short term fix at shortstop who happens to be left handed, that might work. Another possibility is finding a different second baseman too.
Who is available?
Via trade there is one big name out there. The Mets are supposedly dangling Luis Castillo. He would probably cost the Cubs a lot.
Via free agency, we are looking at mediocrity but it won't be any worse than what we have now...just that they would bat left handed. Adam Kennedy is available. Orlando Hudson is a switch hitter. That's about it.
This would be so much easier if they could trade Derrek Lee.
But if being too right handed was a problem in 2008, then the Cubs are in an even deeper hole in 2010.
