BOTE WINS 2B, HOERNER SENT DOWN
Hot bat helps him win job in uphill battle with Hoerner, who’s optioned to Iowa
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — David Ross made it clear at the beginning of spring training that the Cubs’ second-base job had to be earned.
The performance of the players battling for the spot showed that message was received, and while each candidate landed haymaker’s during camp, only one would be able to be the starter.
It was an uphill battle for David Bote after Nico Hoerner’s hot start to the spring. It appeared Hoerner was the frontrunner for the job, and with the team signing infielder Eric Sogard early in camp, there were a lot of at-bats to go around.
“You let the play do the talking,” Bote said earlier this spring. “Whoever is coming out and doing it is going to get that [job]. I have confidence in myself as much as they have confidence in themselves. You just go out there and you play your best and you don’t worry about anything you can’t control.’’
Bote’s torrid stretch and his play throughout camp showed that he was out to win the job. The 27-year-old second baseman is slashing .316/.381/.684 with three home runs in 16 games. His performance proved to be enough to win the competition.
“It’s an opportunity that David has earned and he deserves,” Ross said. “It’s a chance to play every day at second base for a guy that is going into his fourth season in the major leagues and has put up some good numbers and played great defense and has never really got a chance to play every day. If this is a real competition, in my opinion, David won it.
“It’s David Bote’s turn. David had been hearing the message a long time that it’s someone else’s turn. So now David gets an opportunity.”
Hoerner was optioned to Class AAA Iowa on Saturday. He’s in the midst of a great spring himself, slashing .361/.400/.639 with three doubles, two triples and a homer in 14 games.
“This is a little bit less about Nico and more about David Bote,” Ross said. “[Nico’s] an amazing person, but it hurts. It hurts when you want to be on the team, and it sucks not to make the team when you put in all the work and you feel like you’re in a really good place. It’s a [expletive] terrible feeling. I know it is, but he handled it like the professional he is.”
The 23-year-old made a strong case to win the job, but with Hoerner’s non-traditional development path and lack of minor-league at-bats, the decision to start him in the minors made sense.
Hoerner clearly made improvements, as his numbers showed, but he struggled in limited playing time last season, hitting just .222 with a .578 OPS in 48 games. While his defense is major-league ready, getting him consistent at-bats played a big part in the team’s decision.
“We love Nico and Nico is going to be a stud here for a long time,” Ross said. “Gold Glove second baseman, future All-Star, in my opinion. What he’s done in the offseason and the work he’s done and put in, there’s a
“I DON’T THINK IT’S FAIR FOR HIM TO COME OFF THE BENCH AND GET STALE AND HAVE SPORADIC AT-BATS. THAT’S NOT SETTING HIM UP FOR SUCCESS.”
DAVID ROSS, Cubs manager, on Nico Hoerner (left) starting out in the minors
lot of confidence in this organization about him. But I don’t think it’s fair for him to come off the bench and get stale and have sporadic at-bats. That’s not setting him up for success.”
With Hoerner headed to South Bend, Indiana, to play at the Cubs’ alternate site to begin the season, Ross announced that Sogard also made the Opening Day roster and will come off the bench. So will outfielder Jake Marisnick.
Infielder Ildemaro Vargas also still could make the initial roster in a bench role.