Chicago Cubs: What the future holds for the Cubs core

Albert Almora Jr.

With Jay leaving, Albert Almora Jr. looks poised to be the team’s starting center fielder. And that’s a good thing too since he’s a hitter that, unlike Báez, Schwarber and others, relies on contact rather than pure power.

He can defend, too. In fact, he’s one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. This combination of offense and defense is invaluable for a young player, and the Cubs understand that keeping a guy like him around will do more good than harm.

Like Báez, however, no player is untouchable. Even if Almora is traded Jason Heyward can switch to center and Happ can play right field, therefore opening up more playing time for the latter. It could very well come down to which young outfielder the team wants to keep for the future.