Chicago Cubs Should Rearrange Lineup To Overcome Recent Offensive Struggles

1. LF Chris Coghlan

Coghlan batted leadoff for the Cubs last season and did a pretty good job in that role. With the team acquiring Dexter Fowler this offseason, he slid down in the lineup, but now that Fowler is struggling, it only makes sense to give him another crack at the No. 1 spot in the order. He gets on base more consistently than Fowler and puts the bat on the ball more as well. While Fowler tries to recover from his recent slump, Coghlan should be the leadoff hitter.

2. SS Starlin Castro

Castro hasn't gotten off to his best start this season, but he has provided more timely hitting than normal in 2015. If that can translate to hit-and-run situations, he could be much more valuable out of the No. 2 spot in the order. On top of that, him batting second slides down Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant to the middle of the order, which stretches out the lineup more than it has been recently. With more depth normally comes more production on offense.

3. 1B Anthony Rizzo

Even though Bryant has been impressive in his rookie season, it is Rizzo who has been the Cubs' best overall hitter this year. The best hitter normally bats third in the order even though the Cubs' first baseman has been batting second lately. He should slide back into the No. 3 hole where he has the best chance to succeed and where he has Bryant providing protection in the lineup behind him.

4. 3B Kris Bryant

Bryant is driving in runs in bunches this year, and someone with a clutch bat like that belongs in the cleanup spot in the order. He leads the team in RBIs despite missing the first two weeks of the season which just speaks to his elite ability to drive in runs. With more guys in front of him, especially in the early going, he may have even more opportunities to drive in runs out of the No. 4 spot.

5. C Miguel Montero

Montero provides a little bit of pop and a left-handed bat to go behind Bryant. Being able to keep the opposing pitcher off balance is key and alternating righties and lefties can help to do that. With Montero in the No. 5 spot, the Cubs would alternate righties and lefties through the first five spots in the order. He started off hot, but has struggled lately. With Montero's ability to hit the ball hard, though, he still belongs toward the middle of the lineup.

6. 2B Addison Russell

Russell is majorly struggling, going 4-for-50 between June 17 and July 5. He is actually someone who could benefit from sliding up in the order. Pitchers may go after him more, trying to get him to make mistakes with runners in scoring position. On top of that, it spreads out the Cubs' two players who are struggling the most: Russell and Dexter Fowler. With Russell batting after the pitcher and before Fowler, it had essentially been three automatic outs in a row. By moving him up and separating him from Fowler, the Cubs won't feel as helpless for long stretches during games.

7. RF Jorge Soler

As he slowly comes back from his sprained ankle that left him out for over a month of the season, Jorge Soler needs to be batting toward the bottom of the order. The Cuban outfielder doesn't need so much pressure placed on him as he returns, because the power will come if he's seeing more fastballs hitting down in the lineup. Once he shows he has fully recovered and is seeing the ball well at the plate, he probably figures to be a better No. 5 hitter, but for now, Soler needs to have some pressure taken off him at the bottom of the lineup.

8. Starting Pitcher

Maddon should continue using the pitcher in the No. 8 spot because it seems to have worked more times than not. Having "two leadoff men" by having the No. 9 and No. 1 hitters both be leadoff types is a good strategy and is one the team should continue to employ.

9. CF Dexter Fowler

Fowler is in the middle of a month-long slump that has seen him dip into the .220s in batting average, which isn't anywhere a leadoff hitter wants to be. So that he can continue preparing like a leadoff hitter without the pressure of a leadoff man, Fowler should slide down to the No. 9 spot in the order. If he regains his form, he will act as a great second leadoff man and might even get moved back to the leadoff spot after a while. For now, Fowler just needs to focus on getting back on track and finding ways to help the team win.