Colvin closes in on roster spot with Cubs

MESA, Ariz. - Maybe it's no longer a question as to whether Tyler Colvin will make the Cubs' opening-day roster.

Manager Lou Piniella ratcheted things up just a little bit Saturday after watching Colvin go 4-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBI in a 2-2, 10-inning tie with the San Diego Padres.

"He's not looking for a roster spot; he's looking for somebody's position," Piniella said.

Piniella tried to calm things down a bit when asked it Colvin was going to get that position.

"This is spring training," the manager said. "But I tell you what, it's impressive, isn't it? He's going about it the right way."

Colvin isn't packing his bags for Atlanta and the regular-season opener yet.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he said after a postgame session in the weight room. "Right now, all I have to do is wait until our last game on April 3 and see what he says.

"I'm just going about it trying to get ready for the season, have good at-bats and make it tough on them."

In a game televised by WGN, the 24-year-old Colvin singled twice, homered and tripled. He is 28-for-59 in the Cactus League for a sizzling batting average of .475.

Although Colvin has not walked this spring, his on-base percentage is .475, and his slugging percentage is .729 on the strength of 5 doubles, 2 triples and 2 homers. He also has driven in 13 runs to lead the Cubs.

"He's taking aggressive passes," Piniella said. "He looks like a major-league hitter up there."

With less than a week to go before spring training ends, it will be awfully difficult for the Cubs to send Colvin down to the minor leagues. Piniella admitted as much Saturday.

"Yeah, it really is," he said. "Let's be perfectly clear about that. I don't think the way this kid's playing that he's satisfied just making our team. Remember what I said about 4-5-6 days ago that if he's on our team, we've got to play him some. He's making it very easy to do that."

There's the rub.

The Cubs have $136 million tied up in left fielder Alfonso Soriano, $48 million in right fielder Kosuke Fukudome and $15 million in center fielder Marlon Byrd. Throw in another $3.3 million for backup outfielder Xavier Nady, and that pushes the commitment past $200 million.

Do the Cubs send Colvin to the minor leagues and let him play every day? Do they get him three or four games a week in the big leagues? Or do they take the bold step of having him supplant one of the two corner outfielders?

For his part, Colvin said he believes he can handle spot duty.

"I'd like to think so," he said. "I'm a competitive guy, and any time I get an opportunity to play, I'm going to go out there and give it my all. If I can do that, great."

Colvin came up as an emergency outfielder late last September and got into six games. His plans this spring were just to open some eyes after putting on about 25 pounds of muscle in the off-season.

"Best thing was that I would have a good spring and that I would be in their mind later on in the season if they needed me," he said.

Now, that later is looking more like sooner.

"Obviously, he's earned a right to be here," Piniella said. "He's been fun to watch."