Chicago Cubs: For the Cubbies, it’s “who’s on second?”
By Bill Felber
Chicago Cubs: For the Cubbies, it’s “who’s on second?”
The insurgent
Nico Hoerner hopes to impress new manager David Ross enough to earn a major league roster spot. If he does, that spot will almost certainly involve starting at second. Since Hoerner is only entering his age 23 season and has never played a game at Triple-A, why would the Chicago Cubs even entertain giving him the second base job?
The reason is that Hoerner made an impressive presence following his September callup as an injury fill-in for Baez. True, he played shortstop rather than his natural position at second, but that adaptability only added to the impression.
Hoerner batted .282 with three home runs in 82 plate appearances and appeared to be unfazed by his quick promotion.
light. Must Read. Astrogate: One apology, more details
His offense was uneven, leaving enough of a question mark to make his showing this spring pivotal. In the week following his arrival, Hoerner batted .364. But that average fell to .167 in his second week and .286 in his third. The Cubs will spend a great portion of the spring determining which figure represents the real Hoerner.
Even if he does well, a big strike against Hoerner may end up being the fact that he has options, meaning he can be reassigned to Iowa and recalled if that is required. Since his college days at Stanford, Hoerner has logged 70 games above Class A or rookie ball, none of those — as noted previously – at Triple-A.
The bottom line: to go north with the team, Hoerner must enjoy a spring that makes it impossible for Ross to send him down.
Likelihood of Hoerner as the opening day starter at second base: 8 percent.