Chicago Cubs hope Carlos Gonzalez is more than Murphy was in 2018

With the Chicago Cubs offense floundering in the second half of last season, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer got aggressive at the non-waiver deadline, signing left-handed hitter Daniel Murphy to be a run producer in the lineup.

On the surface, Daniel Murphy put up good numbers with the Chicago Cubs. In 35 games with Chicago, Murphy hit .297 with a .800 OPS, including six homers.

But the Cubs were hoping that Murphy would be a real spark plug, evoking images of the man who had tortured them in the 2015 NLCS and frequently burning Chicago pitching as a member of the Nationals.

Despite the numbers, Murphy went 0-for-11 in a crucial September series against the Milwaukee Brewers, then got hot at the end of the month only to go hitless in the NL Wild Card game.

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Now, it must be stated clearly that the entire offense shut down in the last month-plus. But the addition of Murphy did not galvanize the rest of the lineup like Epstein had hoped.

Another old Cub-killer joins the fray

This year, the Cubs have added another left-handed nemesis to try to add some pop to the lineup.

Carlos Gonzalez had been struggling this season in Cleveland, hitting just .210 with a .558 OPS in 31 games. But the Cubs signed him to a minor league deal in the hopes that he will experience a career renaissance similar to that which Cole Hamels had last year.

Gonzalez is well in line with Murphy in terms of being a “professional” hitter. His career slash sits at .285/.344/.501, and he is just a couple years removed from an All-Star season when he hit 25 homers with a .855 OPS. Even last season, he posted close to a .800 OPS while hitting 16 homers.

Sure, Gonzalez may have been a serious benefactor of the “Coors Effect” throughout his career, but he also has a .546 slugging percentage in 27 total games at Wrigley Field. That bodes well for the summer months when the ball flies on the North Side.

And again, because of the nature of the contract, Gonzalez provides a very low risk, high reward option for manager Joe Maddon.

Through his first two starts as a member of the Cubs, Gonzalez is 2-for-6, with a pair of RBIs that came against his old club on Tuesday. Most importantly, he has been vocal about how happy he is to be in a Cubs uniform.

Lineup protection will serve him well

One of the reasons Murphy was under the microscope last year is because he frequently took on the black hole that has become hitting leadoff for the Chicago Cubs. Gonzalez will have no such problem.

He hit fifth in the order on Tuesday night, behind Bryant, Rizzo and Baez. Those guys are going to provide ample opportunity for Gonzalez to drive in runs, and opposing pitchers are going to have to go after Gonzalez. By the way, Gonzalez has a .857 career OPS with runners in scoring position.

If he can get hot, Gonzalez provides yet another fearsome left-handed bat while simultaneously giving the Cubs more depth and versatility.

Gonzalez can play three outfield spots and can come in to pinch-hit in a tight spot. And he is an above average baserunner.

This is not so much a knock on what Murphy did for the Cubs as to say that Gonzalez may prove to be the better–and ultimately more productive–fit.