The Chicago Cubs have plenty of time to make a decision, but as the days go by it appears they're more than likely to make a drastic decision before the July 31 trade deadline. Are Addison Russell and Javier Baez the two middle infielders the club will opt to move forward with?
We wrote yesterday that Starlin Castro's continued defensive woes may cause Chicago to trade him before the deadline, especially since Javier Baez is improving at Triple-A Iowa. Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com also said Russell's value is diminishing at second base because he's better at shortstop (and much better defensively than Castro).
However, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times hears neither of those two are the team's best shortstop.
"The Cubs have talked about Russell being a candidate to eventually take over at short, but one scout said after a recent Iowa trip that Baez is the best shortstop of the three," he wrote on Wednesday night.
The 22-year-old Baez is batting .296/.375/.423 with six runs scored, two home runs, 10 RBIs and six stolen bases in 19 games at Triple-A and his 20 strikeouts are much lower than his past struggles have indicated. He played 30 games at shortstop and 25 games at second base for the Cubs last season and made 10 errors (five at each position). In 2015 he already has seven errors in 18 games between second base and shortstop.
It does not appear as if Baez will take over at shortstop, despite the scout's comments, because Russell appears to be the more consistent option, both offensively and defensively.
President of baseball operations Theo Epstein said the club has no plans of using Baez in the outfield in the minor leagues. Manager Joe Maddon praised Baez, claiming he "was one of the finest young infielders I've seen" during spring training. Wittenmyer also noted Baez "looks like he might even become the key midseason upgrade for team trying to turn an encouraging start into a pennant race." It's more than likely he ends up back at second base or serves as a utility player if he's promoted this season.
It's clear Castro isn't a formidable defensive option for Chicago in the middle infield. He still has lapses in making routine plays and he ranks 23rd among MLB shortstops with a -3 DRS (total defensive runs saved). Wittenmyer talks about the possibility of shifting Kris Bryant to left field (where the team is lacking production), which would open up a spot in the infield.
"Castro said he considers himself a shortstop but will do whatever the team thinks is best. Those close to him say if he's moved, he'd prefer second and wants no part of third."
However, he may not have much of choice. The club has been said to view Russell's best position as shortstop and they have no plans of using Baez at third base in the minors either, further indicating that the team's future middle infield may consist of these two. As Baez continues to get reps at second in the minors, it's clear the club is looking to gauge the better fit for each youngster in the middle infield moving forward.
All three could be in the infield together at some point, or one could be traded if things don't work out. At this point it's all speculation, but it's looking more and more like Castro will eventually be moved to a different position or to a different organization altogether.
