Chicago Cubs: Will Jason Heyward Play Center Field?
Will Jason Heyward see some starts in center field for the 2017 Chicago Cubs?
When Jason Heyward signed with the Chicago Cubs last offseason, he was expected to take over as their primary center fielder. At the time, Dexter Fowler was a free agent who was unlikely to return and right field was going to be filled with some sort of platoon between Jorge Soler and Chris Coghlan.
Instead, the Cubs brought Fowler back on a one-year deal, moving Heyward back to his natural position in right field. Heyward’s offensive struggles in 2016 are well documented. He hit an ugly .230/.306/.325 on the season but his elite defense in right field and great base running still makes him a valuable player.
If he can’t hit, none of this will matter. The Cubs are too deep to allow Heyward to go through the same kind of struggles he did last season. If he is awful at the plate again, I expect Joe Maddon to bench him. Heyward will still play some, but he will not be an everyday starter.
That being said, if Heyward can get his stroke back, I wonder if he will see more starts in center field than we expect. He did start 21 games at the position in 2016 but with Fowler gone for real this time, I wonder if that number will grow.
I love Albert Almora and think that Jon Jay will be a nice addition to the Chicago Cubs. However, an argument could be made for Heyward in center field being the Cubs’ best possible lineup. This opens a spot for Javier Baez at second base with Ben Zobrist going to right field.
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Kyle Schwarber, Heyward and Zobrist in the outfield from left to right leaves plenty to be desired defensively, but the infield defense is elite and the offense is probably better.
The Cubs are loaded with depth and talent on the position player side. They also have a ton of players who bring elite position versatility to the table. There is not going to be an “everyday lineup” in the traditional sense. The Cubs have too many options and Joe Maddon is too creative for that to happen.
Heyward will undoubtedly start many games in right field, it is also a natural position for them to open up spots for a guy like Baez.
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If Heyward hits like he did last season, I imagine that Zobrist will see quite a few starts in right field with Baez filling in at second. If Heyward can get closer to his career averages at the plate, I still expect to see that defensive alignment but instead of going to the bench, Heyward will just move over a bit to center field.