Feb. 27--After waiting patiently for his development as a right fielder, the Cubs are moving Jorge Soler primarily to left field as their championship expectations accelerate.
"This is the first time ever for me to play left field, and I'm working hard to get better every day," Soler said Friday before performing drills there Friday in the wake of Dexter Fowler's return.
Adjusting is becoming a way of life this spring for the Cubs and Soler, 24, whose injuries and defensive flaws often have overshadowed his tremendous power and strong throwing arm.
If he concentrates as well as he did in the 2015 postseason, Soler could provide the Cubs with more consistency -- and comfort.
"I had a lot of focus during the playoffs," said Soler, who batted .474 (9-for-19) with three home runs, five RBIs and a .600 on-base percentage. "During the season I got out of my mind when I failed (at the plate). I got lazy defensively. But during the playoffs I was focused on my at-bats and defense."
Manager Joe Maddon likes the way Soler committed himself in the offseason. He thinks better preparation, as demonstrated in the 6-foot-4 losing 10 pounds over the winter, could signal a turning point.
"I'm not looking for great plays," Maddon said. "I'm not looking for 30 homers. I'm not looking for .310. It's just a matter of getting a young player to understand the major leagues on a daily basis, that his prep work is good, that he's ready to play when asked to play. Those are the biggest things about Jorge moving forward. I want to take care of those ancillary things.
"You saw what he did in the playoffs. He was very motivated. We need to get that playoff performance out of him on a more consistent basis."
Soler isn't worried about playing left field for the first time, as he practiced there Friday with newcomer Shane Victorino.
"The opportunities are going to be out there," Soler said.
But the number of at-bats could depend on his health and consistency. Soler missed five weeks because of an ankle sprain and nearly another month with a left oblique strain.
Soler struck out 121 times in 366 at-bats and went 23 consecutive games without a home run until he ripped a solo shot off the White Sox's David Robertson on Aug. 16.
"There's a lot in there," Maddon said. "He's a young guy with high expectations who didn't get off to the good start we were looking for. I don't think he processed the moment as well as he possibly could.
"I'm not blaming him. He's just a young guy getting caught up in the moment. It's our responsibility to give him more tools to work with, whether it's mental or physical.
"I'm really anticipating him more (like the postseason), as opposed to (his) chasing pitches in (midseason) when his game wasn't as crispy (before he) got back to it."
mgonzales@tribpub.com
