Chicago Cubs: Jed Hoyer talks versatility, value within 2016 Cubs

670 the Score picked the brain of Chicago Cubs’ general manager Jed Hoyer. With Spring Training within reach, Hoyer hopes a successful offseason translates to a successful Summer.

Baseball is right around the corner and several players from the Chicago Cubs are catching some rays of the Mesa, Arizona sun before the team’s mandatory report date. The offseason is just about at its end and one-half of the Cubs’ front office dynamic duo joined the Mully and Hanley Show late last week to discuss a plethora of topics.

Among them included a certain 26-year-old who signed an eight-year, $184 million contract getting some early work in at Sloan Park. The year old complex was built with the hope it would become a prime destination for players due to its state of the art facilities and so far athletes are taking advantage.

It was no surprise to Hoyer that his new outfielder was among the early arrivals as he complimented Heyward on his professionalism. When asked about the gold glove right fielder’s position with the Cubs, Hoyer answered with confidence.

“Right now, with the way things are set up, Jason is going to play a lot of center field,” Jed Hoyer said, in the radio interview. “We have no doubt he’ll be good out there.”

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Heyward was slated to be the Cubs’ centerfielder from the get-go so this should not come as any shock. However, due to the versatility of the roster, Heyward will have several chances to roam around in right-field throughout the year.

Versatility, Hoyer says, is a major strength of this club and will be among the many aspects of expected success on the North side in 2016.

The Cubs’ general manager listed several key position players including Javier Baez, Ben Zobrist and the aforementioned Heyward as guys who will see time at different spots in the outfield this season, with Baez notably getting work in at center. He also touched on the strength of his pitching staff with guys like Trevor Cahill, Adam Warren, Travis Wood and Clayton Richard acting in key roles as both relievers and starters.

Access to interchangeable pieces makes this the perfect roster for manager Joe Maddon. Ben Zobrist is often described as Maddon’s main squeeze (I’m paraphrasing, of course) due to the utility man’s ability to play anywhere. However, Hoyer made it clear that Zobrist will have a set position with this team.

“At this stage of his career he’s perfectly willing to move to the outfield or move around the infield if we want him to, but I think he also wanted to feel like [he] has a position,” Hoyer said on the Mully and Hanley Show. The 34-year-old will be at second base – a position he’s played more than any other in his career.

Adding veterans like Zobrist, John Lackey, David Ross, and Miguel Montero is vital for many reasons. At the same time, Hoyer stressed the importance of cycling in young talent consistently for a franchise to maintain success.

“You want to have that drip of young talent coming into this system every so often,” Hoyer told 670 the Score. “You don’t want to just get to a point where you’re a contender and you start trading off all those guys and never break in any young players. There’s a real danger in that.”