NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 12: Chicago Cubs 66th Rafael Ortega faces the New York Yankees during Round Three at Yankee Stadium on June 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
These three Chicago Cubs deserve more playing time than Jason Hayward.
Jason Hayward continues to underperform the Chicago Cubs. Signed ahead of the 2016 season to a massive eight-year deal worth $184 million and still high even by 2022 standards, it’s one of those contracts that turned real ugly, real fast.
Hayward hit .230 in his first year with the Cubs only to continue putting up mediocre numbers every year after that. It has reached new heights in 2022, and is struggling to reach over 0.200. His defensive capabilities are also deteriorating, leaving the penultimate season of his tough contract just about to feel more pain next season if he continues and isn’t set for the task first.
The Cubs may feel compelled to play Heyward regularly but they shouldn’t feel compelled to. There are other players who deserve more playing time than him. We know exactly what Heyward can do. It’s time to see what these others can offer.
Rafael Ortega
From, Chicago Cubs
The Cubs should give Rafael Ortega more playing time than Jason Hayward
Rafael Ortega could turn into an interesting commercial piece for the Cubs this summer. His ability to play in midfield should interest teams looking for more depth on the field. He can also run and hit to get decent enough power to get his racket in the lineup.
This season for the Cubs, Ortega has played all three positions on the field and has also found himself as a coach on a regular basis. Cubs may be afraid of exposing their weaknesses too much. Otherwise, the commercial value it has may quickly evaporate.
Ortega is already 31 and with his fifth major league team without yet making 1,000 appearances on the MLB board. He had 330 promising board appearances last year with the Cubs, hitting .291/.360/.463 with 11 times in the small sample. He’s continued to play well this year, far surpassing the numbers Heyward set in Chicago.
In order to raise the value of his trade, hoping to have Ortega in the squad above Heyward. Fortunately, the cubs find ways to get him there regularly even if Heyward is there too.
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