If the Chicago Cubs don’t fix the outfield in free agency, they’re doomed

Chicago Cubs: 3 Outfielders to Target in Free Agency – #3: Starling Marte

Starling Marte was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Oakland Athletics at the deadline and has turned in a monster walk-year performance. Aside from being on pace to steal 50 bases, he is currently slashing .320/.402/.464 with nine home runs and 39 RBI. You absolutely love to see the batting average Marte has maintained. In fact, he has gotten better in his time spent in Oakland, batting .353 in 102 at-bats since the deadline.

A one-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove outfielder, he is a career .289 hitter with 288 stolen bases who the Cubs know all to well from the eight years he spent in the NL Central with Pittsburgh. In 254 career ABs at Wrigley Field, he has slashed .268/.321/.465. Although that’s not as high of an average has he has in most ballparks, it is important to note that a few of the seasons where he routinely visited Wrigley as a Pirate, the Cubs has a dynamite starting rotation he would have to face most games when prime Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester were still in town.

Adding Marte to the front of the lineup would be a major production boost for any team. Especially the Cubs. With a .402 on-base percentage, Marte consistently gets on base and steals second to get in scoring position. He has scored 62 runs on the season thus far. Looking at a hypothetical batting order with Marte at the top and maybe Nico Hoerner batting second, you can envision the runs that would be scored.