Chicago Cubs: Five questions that need answering in Spring Training

#5: Who plays the outfield?

There is depth all over the field for the Chicago Cubs. They feature a deep rotation, several players that can play the infield, multiple catching options and eight possible outfielders.

That’s right. Eight

Granted, those eight include Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras, but that adds to the overall depth of the team. As does Matt Szczur, but he will be on the bench to start the season. It comes down to five other players.

Jason Heyward is penciled into the starting outfield, but will it be at right field or center? He will need to prove the work on his swing this offseason can produce offensively. We already know his defensive ability will be needed throughout the year.

Fitting the pieces together

This leaves the four other cast members of the outfield drama. Both Kyle Schwarber and Ben Zobrist should be in the lineup for their hitting abilities. Some analysts seem to think Schwarber must play left field and Zobrist in right, leaving Heyward in center. This may not be the strongest defensively, forcing Heyward to cover more ground than is preferred.

The other two candidates are Jon Jay and Albert Almora. Financially, the Cubs are not spending a great deal on either, but both need at-bats in order to progress. Jay is a (mostly) proven commodity, succeeding at the plate his first five years in the majors. The young Almora showed his aggressiveness on the bases and skills in the field to be valuable.

What is the solution? Finding the balance of offense and defense that the pitching staff requires.

#4: Can Montero replace Ross?

Let’s be honest.

Replacing the glue between two items after the adhesiveness has worn is difficult – almost impossible. No matter what you do, the hold never seems as strong.

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The Chicago Cubs are facing a comparable situation in the retirement of David Ross. He was the man that led the team, teaching the young stars like Anthony Rizzo and setting the tone on the field.

With his departure, the door is now open for someone else to step up. Rizzo will be the likely candidate for the role, with Zobrist and Jon Lester to help. But it is behind the plate the loss of Ross will be most evident.

Lester no longer has his longtime personal catcher and must build relationship and communication with either Miguel Montero or Willson Contreras.

Passing the torch

One may think Montero is the likely candidate for the role. The former All-Star knows National League hitters better than the young Contreras. And, in any season in which he played 128 games or more, Montero averaged double-digit doubles and home runs.

However, based on comments made by Joe Maddon, it will be Contreras who gets the nod to open the year. The addition of his arm behind the plate and ability to cut down runners will help pitchers hold runners to their bases. He must eliminate passed balls and block wild pitches with greater accuracy, but his time is coming.

Additionally, Schwarber will get time behind the plate, which Maddon hinted at earlier this week.

#3: Who starts and who is in the bullpen?

Most of the pitching staff has defined roles. Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey will be in the rotation. The bullpen is loaded with quality arms including Wade Davis, Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Koji Uehara.

With that in mind, there are two, maybe three, spots up for grabs in camp this spring with more than 30 pitchers vying for a role.

Chicago Cubs

It is certain that Mike Montgomery will be on the team. Obviously, it is hard to pass up on the person that got the final out of Game 7 of the World Series in extra innings. He and his curveball earned their spot through stellar play in the postseason.

Justin Grimm is still on the team and his options are limited. Heading into a contract year, it’s hard to determine what lies ahead for the right-hander.

What the future holds

The top candidates to fill the open spots are Brett Anderson, Brian Duensing and Caleb Smith. Anderson will likely start, moving Montgomery to a long-relief role in the bullpen. Other players will get time in front of scouts and show what the future could hold for the organization.

With prospects like Felix Pena and Duane Underwood in the pipeline, the future looks bright. Their making an immediate contact seems unlikely, at best.

Regardless of how the staff shakes out, it looks better on paper than it did when the Chicago Cubs opened the 2016 campaign.

#2: Who makes the lineup go?

“You go, we go,” is now a mere memory.

Dexter Fowler excelled as the Chicago Cubs’ leadoff man.

His run production and on-base percentage were crucial to the team’s success. But now, the role of leadoff hitter is wide open. And it must be filled by the right person.

Sure, you only truly lead off a game once, but the feeling a pitcher gets when the lineup turns over can be intimidating. The middle of the Cubs’ lineup is as daunting as some of the most significant lineups in baseball history.

The opportunity to set the table for Bryant and Rizzo cannot be understated. And, while the former batted second much of last year, dropping to third or (preferably) fourth could lead to massive offensive numbers for the team.

Who’s the Cubs’ best option?

There are three true candidates to leadoff.

Much of the talk focused around Schwarber in this slot can be attributed to his ability to make contact and hit the ball with power. Of his contact numbers, only 15.2 percent of all contact ranked as “soft.”

He hits two-seam fastballs, sinkers and sliders well; therefore, hitting at the top shouldn’t be an issue. That being said, his speed (or lack there of) may hold up the line.

The other two candidates bring more experience to the table in Zobrist and Jay. Both have above average on-base percentages in their respective careers. While Jay has better numbers in the leadoff position than Zobrist, he excels in the middle of the order, hitting for .347/.390/.583 split when slotted fifth. Most of his career, Jay batted second with great success.

For me, the lineup should look like this: Zobrist, Schwarber, Bryant, Rizzo, Jay, Russell, Heyward, Pitcher, Contreras. But that is just me.

#1: Can the team trust Maddon?

It seems like there’s a lot of fuss surrounding the man who led the Chicago Cubs to a championship after 100 years.

Three players depicted Joe Maddon as someone who does not communicate roles and intentions well. First of all, Aroldis Chapman said he was misused by Maddon in the postseason. Montero came forward, consequently saying Maddon did not explain his playoff role well enough. Jason Hammel suggested more miscommunication and misuse from his now-former manager as he left for Kansas City.

Where there is smoke there is often fire. What is more telling to me is that Maddon told reporters during the playoffs that he only trusted two pitchers in the bullpen. As a result, players likely feel a lack of confidence from their leader.

Many of the decisions Maddon makes are without question. However, since the postseason started last year, more questions have appeared than compliments.

Next: Maddon brings new slogans for 2017 season

Is that a sign of discontent? I doubt it.

Chalk it up to player egos and stressful situations. He is the heartbeat of this team who walks to the beat of his own drum – as does his young ball club.