Cubs lineup in flux: A plea for Brian Roberts

It has recently been reported that the Cubs will try batting Soriano in the 2 spot to try to keep his legs healthy for the regular season. If Lou is thinking of tinkering with the lineup, maybe he should try a few of these scenarios.

What Lou is doing on Friday:

1. Theriot
2. Soriano
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. DeRosa/Soto
7. Soto/DeRosa
8. Pie

The main reason I don’t like this lineup is mainly because Soriano doesn’t do the things a 2 hitter does. Soriano won’t move runners over by  bunting or by trying to drive the ball through a hole on the right side of the infield. Soriano was so good in the lead off spot because he could do whatever the hell he wanted and no one was going to argue with the amount of lead off home runs he hit. Soriano is also too impatient and wouldn’t work the count the way that Theriot or Fukudome could. Alfonso also wouldn’t benefit from having D-Lee batting behind him because most pitchers would consider Soriano a more dangerous hitter (aka they would be more prone to giving up a HR to Soriano than Lee).

Here are a few lineups that I will propose:

Lineup #1

1. Theriot
2. Lee (Lee is the best 2 hitter on the Cubs like it or not)
3. Fukudome
4. Ramirez
5. Soriano
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. Pie

Lineup #2

1. Soriano
2. Theriot
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. Soto
7. DeRosa
8. Pie

These lineups both have expose a weakness in the Cubs offense that could potentially leave them inconsistent through out the season: Lead Off. Soriano was a great lead off hitter with the Nationals and the Cubs because of the power numbers and his ability to steal bases. Well, if Lou is worried about his legs and doesn’t want him batting lead off, then the Cubs have to make a move. This is the most compelling case for a Brian Roberts trade:

1. Roberts
2. Fukudome
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Soriano
6. Soto
7. Theriot
8. Pie

With this lineup, you allow Fukudome to see a greater number of fastballs and his ability to use his plate vision to draw walks and get on base. That way, even if Fukudome struggles with the bat, he will still be productive by getting on base. Soriano at the 5 spots provides protection for Ramirez, something he wouldn’t necessarily have with Fukudome or DeRosa batting behind him. Also, with Soriano batting 5th, his 25+ home runs would be more valuable to the team as a whole. Everyone batting above Soriano has the potential to either bat .300 or have a higher than average OBP, which would leave Soriano with many RBI opportunities. Also, if Soriano were to be on 1st base with one or no outs, he would provide problems for the pitcher. Soriano’s speed would mean that the pitcher would be more inclined to throw fastballs to try to throw him out on a steal attempt. Soto, who would bat 6th, can kill a fastball, but has some problems with breaking stuff. Put two and two together, and we have a situation that helps both players.

DeRosa is a really nice player, but he doesn’t really provide protection to Ramirez and he struggled last year batting second. However, DeRosa can play all the infield positions and spent time in the outfield last year, meaning the Cubs would be able to rest players on a more regular basis and not lose much offensively. A Brian Roberts deal would mean a deeper bench and a much needed lead off hitter to set the table for a more than formidable 2 through 5.