Posted on April 17, 2008 by Andrew Flynn
Matt Murton Screwed, Left to Rot in Iowa
The Cubs decided to call up Eric Patterson over Murton after placing Alfonso Soriano (calf) on the 15-day DL Wednesday. Murton is off to a better start at Triple-A, but the Cubs are going the speed route here. Mark DeRosa started in left field for the Cubs on Wednesday, while Mike Fontenot got the nod at second and was the leadoff man. (Rotowire)
Baseball Prospectus had further snaps for Murton, in Caleb Peiffer’s Prospectus Preview:
Yesterday, Cubs fans got their first glimpse of what the lineup and batting order will look like with left fielder Alfonso Soriano sidelined for “a while.” Second baseman Mark DeRosa began yesterday’ the game in left field, while Mike Fontenot played second. The Soriano injury creates a number of interesting ripple down effects for Chicago. For one, it could increase the pressure to acquire Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts. It also illuminates just how little the organization thinks of minor league left fielder Matt Murton.
The Cubs’ souring on Murton has been well-documented, but even given that it is hard to believe they called up Eric Patterson over Murton after Soriano went down. The 26-year-old Murton owns a .296/.365/.455 line in 929 major league plate appearances, and PECOTA projects him to hit almost exactly the same this season, with a .295/.359/.462 forecast. In order words, he would be an average left fielder (so far this season NL left fielders have hit .262/.346/.435 in 960 PA) and a slightly better offensive performer than both DeRosa and Fontenot. Even if the Cubs didn’t want to play him everyday, it doesn’t make sense not to carry him as a platoon player, as Murton is another of the Eduardo Perez All-Stars, with a larger-than-average split between his performance against lefties and righties (909 career OPS vs. southpaws in the majors, 771 vs. righties). Murton is projected by PECOTA to slug .488 with a .380 OBP vs. left-handers this season, and would help a Cubs lineup that has a low 725 OPS against lefties thus far.
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