Oct. 01--Manager Joe Maddon has a nice problem as he assesses his options at second base for the National League wild-card game.
Starlin Castro has rebounded at the plate and has played more comfortably after moving from shortstop. He went 4-for-5 with a home run Wednesday night in a 10-3 rout of the Reds at Great American Ball Park, raising his average to .269.
But Javier Baez arguably is the Cubs' best defensive infielder and has shown an ability to hit to the opposite field since his promotion from Triple-A Iowa on Sept. 1. He doubled to the right-field corner in the eighth inning Wednesday.
And Tommy La Stella gives Maddon another option as a left-handed hitter, which could loom large in Wednesday's wild-card game against the Pirates and ace Gerrit Cole.
"You still have to score a couple of runs early to get the lead to have that defense play, or is it going to be so tight that you don't want to miss any opportunities on defense?" Maddon said.
Maddon said he continues to ask his analytics department to run through simulations and show him the results, but he has yet to make a decision.
Jon's journey: Maddon believes left-hander Jon Lester has "more left in the tank" with the hope he can show his strength should the Cubs advance to the division series. He was superb again Wednesday, giving up one run on three hits while striking out nine in eight innings.
Maddon thinks Lester has made remarkable improvement in holding runners more effectively, which could give opponents second thoughts about running on him.
"(Picking off runners) once or twice takes a little bit of wind out of their sails," Maddon said. "I know he's going to get better at it because I watch him do it. He does it well. It's a matter of doing it more consistently.
"But you watch him in practice. It's like everything else. He does it very well. We'll continue to work through (it). But what he did the other day, he's doing it well right now. The box is checked."
