Do the Cubs Hate Felix Pie?

Is it just me or has there been a rumor that the Cubs are after every single centerfielder in all of baseball? Coco Crisp, Ryan Freel, Marlon Byrd, Reggie Willits....if you're a 4th outfielder on your team's roster, and you can play centerfield, odds are the Cubs want you.

But why?

Does the team dislike Felix Pie that much? For years we've all been told about what a phenom Pie was, and how great he'd become once he reached the Majors.

Yet at the same time, it seems that the team takes every chance they get to delay his arrival.

Last year they signed Alfonso Soriano with the original intent of having him play in center, but that experiment obviously didn't work. Now this season they're trying to add anybody to the roster to take time away from him.

As Paul Sullivan writes in the Tribune today, Pie has been playing well this spring and is the front runner for the starting job right now. So why won't they let him have it? Can't they afford to?

The Cubs lineup is strong enough right now to deal with any growing pains Pie may experience this season. Soriano, Fukudome, D-Lee, and Aramis will provide plenty of pop, so the team can sacrifice some offense if it has to for Pie's defense.

I mean, when you think about it, what the hell is the difference between Pie and Coco Crisp? Both are better defensive players than offensive, and Pie has more room to grow, so you'd think that logically he's the better choice.

So why are the Cubs doing everything in their power to take Felix's job away? It's pretty simple, really. For months now there's been talk that the Cubs and Orioles are working on a deal for Brian Roberts, but for some reason, they just can't get it done.

Anybody want to bet that it's because the Orioles want Pie in return and that the Cubs just aren't ready to part with him until they find a replacement first? If the Cubs do land Crisp, Freel, Byrd, or Willits, you can expect to hear an announcement about their new second baseman and lead-off hitter as well.