Dec. 10--Ben Zobrist didn't need to make a recruiting visit to Wrigley Field.
Instead, a telephone call to Joe Maddon convinced Zobrist that the Chicago Cubs were the perfect fit for him.
"That's all I needed to know," said Zobrist, recalling a chat three weeks ago in which Maddon defined Zobrist's role as well as express his enthusiasm for the young players and their work ethic.
It helped, of course, that the Cubs were able to increase their offer to $56 million over four years despite more lucrative offers from Washington and San Francisco.
But the comfort provided by Maddon -- Zobrist's manager for nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays -- presented a strong base for Zobrist and his family.
Zobrist developed a reputation as one of the best versatile players in the game thanks to Maddon's creative use of him. Zobrist will play primarily second base but is willing to play other positions as he did with the Rays, as well as the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals last season.
"We had (Jason) Bartlett at shortstop, and there wasn't really a clear spot for me," Zobrist said of his initial role with the Rays. "It was 'let's find a way to get him in there.' It ended up being right field for a while. I think to me, understanding how that can help a team, naturally makes me a National League player, as well."
Zobrist has been so effective in that role that the Cubs believe that they can use 23-year-old Javier Baez in a similar manner.
"With Javy, he has a chance to be what Zobrist was in Tampa," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said. "He can play everywhere and play everywhere well. And if someone gets hurt, he can slot into that position and play there for a long time.
"But if we were healthy, the ability to move around is very valuable. And Joe being able to move Zobrist and Baez gives the roster so much flexibility. That's how we're envisioning things going forward."
