Author Topic: On The Farm  (Read 324231 times)

Deeg

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Re: On The Farm
« Reply #10665 on: September 29, 2022, 06:36:36 pm »
Is is possible that Canario or Davis starts in CF on opening day, 2023?  With Happ and Seiya in the corners, regular starts in the OF will likely be in CF only next year.  After that, there's the question of whether they will extend Happ (who is useful as a switch hitter and good defender).  Perhaps in 2024, PCA arrives to take over CF in which case the issue of OF LHedness would be less of a factor. It seems likely down the road that Davis and Canario will become redundant and a choice will need to be made.

I'm not ready to call Happ a good defender  - let's see how flukey this year's numbers end up being.  But the issue of left-handedness is not going away even if PCA is an opening day (or close) player in 2024.  The Cubs as currently constructed are glaringly weak from the left side, and most of their best prospects and guys they're rumored to be in on (shortstops) are RH hitters.  Maybe Mervis proves that results trump scouting and manages to be a middle of the order hitter, but this is an area where you figure they're going to have to supplement from the outside.

I certainly think Canario and/or Davis could wind up playing a lot in CF next season, and in a perfect world it's nice to imagine the two of them and PCA make Happ obsolete.  But the odds are pretty low that all three of them pan out.  There are a lot of uncertainties with Happ, given how inconsistent his performance has been over his career.  Use next season to assess and make a decision at the deadline when - despite the insistence of the Brett Taylors of the world - it's very likely the Cubs will be selling again.