Chicago Cubs Infield Lacks Depth

With the departure of Ronny Cedeno to the Seattle Mariners, the Chicago Cubs must address the fact that their infield is dangerously thin.

Aaron Miles, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this off-season, now, becomes a poor man's Mark DeRosa, because of his ability to play second base, shortstop, third base and the outfield.

At 5'8”, the reality is that Aaron Miles simply can't get to all the balls that 6'1” Mark DeRosa could — based purely on physical size.

To make matters worse, Miles, the lone utility man on the Cubs roster, may be expected to start at second base, leaving Mike Fontenot as the only available infielder with major league experience on the bench.

Those who have followed the Cubs for the past few years know about the problems that Aramis Ramirez has had with his groin.

Can the Cubs expect Miles to play third base and Fontenot to play second on a daily basis if Ramirez was to be injured for an extended amount of time?

At first base, Derek Lee has played 305 games over the past two-years and appears to be a safe bet to play at least 140 games this year. However, Lee will turn 34 at the end of this year and is just three-years removed from a devastating wrist injury in 2006 that caused him to miss over 100 games.

Micah Hoffpauir appears to be a decent replacement every once in a while, but can the 29-year-old career minor leaguer make an impact offensively and defensively if necessary?

Then, there is Ryan Theriot.

There is no question he is a great contact hitter and base runner, but his defense has to get better. If nothing else, however, Theriot should be expected to play in 150 games this year, if not more. 

The bottom line is, the Cubs need another infielder.

Juan Uribe's name has come up in rumors recently and he could potentially fill the void left in the wake of the Cedeno trade and the DeRosa departure.

Uribe would provide a decent bat off the bench and would be able to fill in at second, shortstop, and third base. If not Uribe, someone with major league experience and the ability to play multiple infield positions must be brought in.

Lou Pinella, a manager that likes flexibility on his roster, appears to be handcuffed by the most recent wave of Cub transactions.