With Alfonso Soriano on the disabled list and the Cubs looking for a replacement leadoff hitter, it would seem like a perfect fit for the Northsiders to go after veteran outfielder Kenny Lofton. Not only would he be able to bat at the top of the order while Soriano is gone, but him and Reed Johnson would make a much better platoon in center field even when Soriano comes back. Though Jim Edmonds has shown signs of positive improvement in recent games, it’s doubtful he’ll make it through the season as the starter. He just doesn’t have the bat speed for his type of swing at his age.

Lofton still has plenty left in the tank. Last season, he posted a .380 OBP and 21 steals (in 25 attempts) with the Rangers in 84 games after being traded by Cleveland. And he has the advantage of starting midseason so he’ll still be fresh come playoff time.

That sort of speed and veteran leadership at the top of the order would do a lot for the Cubs as they vie for the top seed coming out of the NL. Kenny Lofton has been there (with the Cubs in 2003 even) and has proven he can give a spark to a ballclub time and time again. He may not be the best option available, but rumor has it the Cubs are interested in Randy Winn, a poor man’s Kenny Lofton at best. Why would you give up even a halfway decent prospect for Winn (that you could save as trade bait for C.C. Sebathia or AJ Burnett) when Lofton is still a free agent waiting to be signed?

Like the Edmonds deal, there really is nothing to lose. And with the Cardinals heading for a tailspin with Albert Pujols and 87% of their rotation on the DL, the Cubs have some room for error.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 at 2:13 am and is filed under Cubs, Cardinals, MLB, kenny lofton. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.