Bud and Lou are rolling over in their graves as Craig Counsell and the Cubs brass try and figure who is going to open the domestic season at third base for the Cubs. I already hate the new term, domestic opener with a passion. The Cubs are using the two-game series in Japan with the Dodgers as an excuse to hold Nico Hoerner and maybe Matt Shaw out of the opener.
Like every soft-tissue injury the oblique (strained or otherwise) is treated like the unicorn or dodo. At present, the aforementioned Shaw is playing in Arizona after this confounding injury. However, it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for March 18 in Tokyo. Quite honestly, speculating about who should and who will begin the season at third is more entertaining than pretending to know who the Bears will select with their first three draft picks. Now that Alex Bregman has signed with the BoSox, the options are limited (nobody covering the team has thrown out any potential trades).
Here’s the current list of potential Harry Steinfeldt’s, Shaw, Justin Turner, Nicky Lopez, Vidal Brujan, Jon Berti, Gage Workman, Michael Busch, and Ben Cowles. Even if Shaw breaks camp with the team, it’s likely a few of the veterans with experience at third will get a few chances at the hot corner. Without checking my notes, I think Workman is the first position player selected in the Rule Five draft to have a shot at making the roster since Jed Hoyer took over. That’s not to say his chances have improved because of Hoyer’s current lame duck status.
Until my July trip through northern Ohio last summer, I had never heard of Workman, but immediately loved his baseball name. He played third for the AA Erie Sea Dogs (Tigers) and was 3-4 with a run scored. He made a decent play in the field which I did not capture on film. Instead, I got a shot of his first at-bat single.
The odds of Workman heading north with the team are not likely as he is blocked by most of the guys listed.
If the Cubs are going to reach the magic 90+ wins this season, someone’s going to have to produce at third. So, who’s on third?
