Cubs: Three outfield depth options as the injuries continue to pile up

Cubs: Nick Martini is the logical choice to get reps in the outfield

Unlike the other guys I’ll go through on this list, Nick Martini is already on the team’s 40-man roster. Logistically, this makes things a whole lot simpler for the Cubs: do what you need to do with Heyward and Marisnick and slot in Martini along with Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson and you have your starting outfield.

The 30-year-old Martini, who’s a Crystal Lake, IL native, signed with the team back in January and has seen action in three games this year, going 0-for-2 in a pair of plate appearances. He didn’t get into a big league contest during last season’s shortened campaign, but in 2019 turned in a solid season as a member of the San Diego Padres.

That year, Martini batted .244/.344/.317 in 96 plate appearances. Now, that’s a far cry from what he did with the Oakland Athletics during his 2018 rookie season. That year, while playing all three outfield positions, he hit .296/.397/.414, drawing 21 walks to 36 strikeouts – looking like a quality piece for the club.

He’s never come close to replicating that early success. But given the Cubs’ current situation, he makes sense as a guy who can play all three outfield spots, giving Ross at least some options when it comes to moving guys around with several of his key outfielders on the shelf.