Chicago Cubs: Mike Freeman shows what he can do

It is almost a guarantee Chicago Cubs shortstop Mike Freeman will not find himself on the Opening Day roster. But after he’s had some success early in spring training, so maybe we should get to know him for later down the road.

Some may remember Chicago Cubs shortstop Mike Freeman from the end of last season. The Cubs signed him to a minor league deal in early August after he was released by the Mariners and Dodgers, respectively.

With the rosters expanding in September and the Cubs dealing with injuries, Freeman was called up and appeared in 15 games. The 30-year-old didn’t perform well, to say the least, recording only four hits in his 25 at-bats.

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Spring training has been a completely different story for Freeman. In fact, he’s been one of the best hitters in the Cactus league to date. He leads the league with a .550 batting average, 11 hits and a .591 on-base percentage.

The level of competition in spring training compared to the major leagues is much different. Yes, his 11 hits in seven spring training games are already more than he had in 35 games. And that was with three different teams last year.

What would it take for him to get a shot to play?

Despite his breakout spring so far, there isn’t a spot for Freeman on the Cubs. The Cubs are set all around the infield, especially up the middle with Addison Russell and Javier Baez, where Freeman would primarily play.

Not to mention Ian Happ, Ben Zobrist and Tommy La Stella are all more than capable of filling in and producing.

Next: Maddon keeping options open at the top

The only way Freeman will see the field is if the Cubs are bitten by the injury bug and a number of players end up on the disabled list. If Freeman can continue the level of play he has shown this spring, he would be a viable option at shortstop or second base in case of an injury. If not, then we could see him again in September.

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