Cubs News: Top three questions surrounding second base

Chicago Cubs: Why doesn’t David Bote get time at second base?

It’s quite simple. Pinch-hitting. He does it better than anyone. David Bote is a lifetime .342 hitter with a 1.076 OPS in 45 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter. Like most right-handers, though? He doesn’t handle left-handers very well (.122/.234/.293). Still, he’s terrific against right-handed pitching.

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Bote will handle other spots while Hoerner gets time at second base in 2021. He had four starts at second base (seven games played) in 2020 and will probably get his chances at second for ’21. Sill, Hoerner will receive the playing time necessary to figure out if he’s qualified for second base.

So if he isn’t, what then? I assume he’ll go down to Triple-A and work on it.  And in time, he’ll come back as a second baseman–or a shortstop? Who knows how it will go with Javier Baez. Baez is in the final year of his deal. If they aren’t in the Wild Card race, they may trade him. Time will tell.