Cubs Mailbag - What To Make Of The Outfield Situation?

Welcome to the inaugural edition of our Cubs Mailbag! Following the success of our Bears Mailbags, thanks to your participation, we at Sports Mockery are now beginning a Mailbag series for the Cubs. Get excited. These are always fun to write, mainly because I get to interact with all of you. I respond to everyone's questions, either directly through Twitter or right here in the Mailbag if it requires some thought and/or lengthy exploration. But, as always, this only works with your participation. And for that, I thank you. The MLB season began early this year, in the last week of March. The Cubs opened up with a four game series in Miami, and their first nine games of the season on the road, finishing at 5-4. They kick off the home portion of their schedule today against the Pittsburgh Pirates, following a snow-out yesterday afternoon. Without further ado, we reach into this first ever SM Cubs Mailbag. Thanks again for your participation.

The outfield situation is interesting. Coming into the season, the Cubs' abundance of versatile players in the infield and outfield was considered a strength. But Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ, the starting LF and CF respectively, are struggling so far at the plate. Jason Heyward is playing fine defense in RF as is his trademark, but his work at the plate leaves much to be desired once again. Don't forget, the Cubs also have Albert Almora Jr., who is a defensive wizard in CF but can't seem to crack the lineup consistently (read: barely ever) against right handed pitching. What's more, is the Cubs are likely to be in the market next offseason for All-World outfielder Bryce Harper. The lineup fit and reasoning are both pretty obvious. But he's a right fielder. The Cubs can't exactly get rid of Heyward's massive contract easily, so does one of them switch to left field? If so, the Cubs will have decisions to make about Schwarber. And there's still the logjam in center field with Happ and Almora Jr. The Cubs can't continue juggling these guys like this forever. This is a critical year for Joe Maddon, Theo Epstein, and Jed Hoyer to evaluate their players and make a decision at some point. Perhaps one or two of them can be moved for more pitching at the mid-season trade deadline. But is their value as high as was anticipated going into the season? And how much value is there for the Cubs to make a move in-season? To me, it makes sense to continue juggling this year and re-evaluate in the offseason. The reality is the Cubs are stuck with Jason Heyward for the next five plus years. So any moves would involve their younger guys. Why push them out now when you can wait? But make no mistake -- moves will certainly (have to) be made.

The Cubs haven't been known for having a strong pipeline of pitching prospects to come up and contribute year in and year out like, say, their rival St. Louis Cardinals, who seem to grow pitching prospects on trees. And the Cubs lost one of their best prospects last year, Dylan Cease, in the Jose Quintana trade. So what's left? Keep your eye on the following guys: Adbert Alzolay, Oscar De La Cruz, Alex Lange, Brendon Little, Thomas Hatch. Alzolay is the closest prospect to the majors. Last year, he went 7-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 20+ starts between Single A and Double A ball. Experts project that Alzolay could make his debut some time in 2018, but are almost certain he will be up with the team in 2019. He's the first and foremost name to watch. De La Cruz, Lange, Little, and Hatch are all projected to be up at some point between 2019 and 2020. In fact, Lange, Little, and Hatch were all top picks, too, as Theo Epstein put an emphasis on pitching in early rounds in recent drafts. While the Cubs are relatively set for the immediate future with a strong rotation and bullpen, these guys might be taking the mound at Wrigley Field sooner than we know.

Q: What moves do you think the Cubs should make at the All Star Break? -- Sean T.

I'll tell you what -- if the Cubs can invent a machine that can help them have better at-bats when there are runners in scoring position and less than two outs, that'd be great. And why wait until July 31st? I'll take that machine now. Seriously. This was a big problem that plagued them last year, and it has reared its ugly head repeatedly so far during the young season. Yes, the Cubs' hitters are adjusting to new hitting coach Chili Davis. But it's amazing how magnified this issue has become. Something needs to be fixed here quickly. The reality is, the Cubs have everything they need to win the World Series again already on their roster. They have a strong rotation, a strong bullpen (that can be baseball's best), and a fearsome lineup that needs to put it all together. Once they do, this team has the makings of being unstoppable.