The Case For Reed Johnson

With the upcoming return of Soriano, there has been a lot of guessing on the future of the lineup for the Cubs. Sources have said the Lou is going to stick him back into the lead-off spot that he was struggling in at the beginning of the season. I completely hate this idea. Reed has more than filled in for Fonzi, he has earned Center Field and the lead-off position. I have seen great offense, defense and great hustle. Did you see his slide into first yesterday? Soriano is not the future lead-off for the Cubs and should be moved to number 2 in the order. He will see more fastballs and be able to find his groove and maintain it much better from that spot. He is not a Kenny Lofton or Juan Pierre (the best lead-0ff hitters they have had this century). The return of the Fonz should indicate an improvement for the Cubs, not stepping back to where they were before. They have proved that they can play well without him, he should just add to the mix and make them even better. That is, if they handle his return correctly. While we are at it, the Cubs should definitely ride the hot bat of Cedeno for a while. He started off hot two years ago and faded, but as a more seasoned and physically defined player, I believe that he will be able to last even longer into the season. He earned the spot and will only flourish with the chance to be an everday starter with the occasional break. Lou is still going to fiddle with the line-up, but here is how I think it should go down for a while.

1. Reed Johnson CF
2. Soriano LF
3. Lee 1B
4. Ramirez 3B
5. Fukodome RF
6. Theriot SS
7. Blanco C
8. Cedeno 2B
9. Pitcher

This lineup shows a much better balance of power and speed. Theriot and Cedeno can be mixed around between 6 and 8 depending on how they are doing and Soriano could even be moved around and switched with Fukodome on occasion for a little twist. Even though losing a series to the Nats could cause some frustration, it doesn't bother me in the long haul. This next series with the Brewers could really be pivotal and set the tone for future division battles though.