Chicago Cubs’ Mike Olt has a chance to compete for third base job

A big piece this Chicago Cubs team needs to figure out for right now, is who will be a reliable every day starter at third base?

Last season Luis Valbuena was splitting playing time with Cody Ransom before Donnie Murphy stepped onto the scene and displayed his power. Valbuena fell to an injury and missed some time as he was played on the 15 day disabled list with a strained oblique in early August.

Valbuena hit .218/.331/.378 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI’s through 331 at bats for the Cubbies this season. I’m personally a big fan of Valbuena, I was very excited to hear that they picked him up last year.

Chicago has a permanent third baseman in mind with top prospect Kris Bryant who will spend at least another year or two at the minor league level, but who will man the hot corner next season?

Well former Texas Rangers third baseman Mike Olt really hopes it’s him. The job won’t be handed just to anybody, but Olt could make a case for picking up the job for himself.

Olt hit .201/.303/.381 with 15 home runs and 42 RBI’s in 107 games, mainly at the Triple-A level. Olt’s problem right now is failing to make contact with the baseball. He struck out 132 times but only managed to draw 55 walks.

Right now Olt is supposedly already working out at the spring complex in Arizona where he plans to spend most of his off-season hoping to sharpen up his game in time for Spring Training.

I say Valbuena takes the starting third base job next season, but we’ll have to see.

Is it Spring Training yet?