Can we pencil in Mike Olt at 3rd?
I'm pretty sure we can.
Donnie Murphy has been claimed off the waiver wires and is now a ranger.
On Cubs.com, they only talk about Mike Olt vs Luis Valbuena at third as sort of the battle, but it's more complex that.
Valbuena could move to second and add a bit more pop to the lineup, and if you count out any trade scenarious, Darwin Barney's suddenly a nice bench guy.
Who's gonna play where, yada yada...
What Mike Olt feels like to me is the first actual proof that the Theo Epstien Plan is coming to life on the actual baseball diamond we'll all be watching.
Sure some stuff has happened, but Castro was basically already here, Rizzo came with the new management, Junior Lake - I'm not sure what he is yet...
But putting Mike Olt at third could mean alotta stuff for the Plan.
If he sticks and is awesome, then perhaps Kris Bryant moves to the outfield.
Then the mind boggles with possibility of greatness.
This is in no batting order, but Byrant, Almora, Soler, Olt, Baez, Castro, Rizzo, Castillo...timewise, that's not that far off.
Maybe a new commish suddenly says the NL will adopt the DH.
Add Vogelbach.
I don't know what's really going on in Theo's mind, maybe there are big trades coming up.
If you're a god-like pitcher, would you not want to come be god-like in Chicago when they're making The Big Run?
Anyway, this is all so freaking exciting my eyes roll back in my head, I make baby noises and I might easily walk in front of a bus, so I gotta stop now.
But the last thing about Olt.
How much more exciting will summer be with just that one guy coming up?
What might happen to the pitches Rizzo sees if pitcher's gotta worry about Olt?
I mean, it's just one man but the enetertainment scale for this summer could go from a 64 to an 88.
Pencil him in Renteria.
Right now.
EDIT.
He's on the team...