When the Chicago Cubs signed outfielder Jon Jay last year, there were quite a few questions about just how much he would contribute. It turns out he contributed quite a bit when the smoke of the season had cleared. Joy has since moved on but it seems as if there might be a chance the team could replace him on the roster with yet another former St. Louis Cardinal. this time the player that is trying to jumpstart his career in Chicago is Peter Bourjos, who just happens to be a native of the city.
Chicago Cubs would love to see the Peter Bourjos redemption story
When Peter Bourjos was on the Cardinals, he recently told the Chicago Tribune that he realized he wanted to be a part of what was happening with Theo Epstein’s rebuilding job. He says he looked at a team that had a ton of confidence and knew where they were going. Bourjos says that being around to see a team go from being one of the worst in the National League to one of the very best was enough incentive to try and one day make it to the Cubs.
He’s finally achieved that little dream of his, though he’s got a ways to go until he’s actually landing himself on the big league roster.
Bourjos is a non-roster invitee to spring training. There isn’t any guarantee that he’s even going to be able to sign a contract to play with one of the Cubs’ minor league teams, let along actually play in Wrigley.
While Peter Bourjos isn’t neccesarily the kind of player that is going to make a huge impact from one day to the next, there is a decent chance that he could be someone who could spark a bit offense from time to time. That might be enough for a Cubs team that is looking for a role player who can bring just a little bit extra off the bench.
That was indeed the role of Jon Jay last year and he ended up starting more games than anyone could have expected him to start. Bourjos has the tools to be a good impact player on the team.
He just needs to tap into them again.
Cubs manager happy to have Bourjos on the team
If Chicago fans aren’t super excited about having Bourjos on the team yet, they might get more excited when they see what manager Joe Maddon had to say about him. “I really believe he’s going to help us get back to the Promised Land this year somehow,” Maddon said. “I have a lot of faith in this fellow.”
There is still a chance that the Chicago Cubs might not be able to use Peter Bourjos on their active roster. It does appear though, as though Maddon is going to push to give him every opportunity.