ESPNChicago.com reports that manager Lou Piniella will put center fielder Marlon Byrd in fifth spot with Alfonso Soriano slotted for the sixth spot.

Piniella said, “that, to me, is the most important thing to our team this year offensively – who hits fifth,”

Byrd spent of last season with the Texas Rangers in the clean up spot and hit only .223 (94 at-bats) in the fifth spot for team. Byrd will replace Milton Bradley, who spent most of his time as the Cubs’ number five hitter.

Piniella plans to look at both Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot as the team’s potential leadoff hitter. Derrek Lee will hit third and Aramis Ramirez will be cleanup.

Byrd, 32, hit 20 home runs, drove in 89 RBI’s and had a .283 batting average while making $3.06 million with the Texas Rangers in 2009.