Year End Chatter Part Two - Infield Assessment (2035 #28)

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Year End Chatter Part Two - Infield Assessment (2035 #28)

Post by scottsdale_joe » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:16 am

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Assessment and Outlook - Infielders
a Look Back and a Glance Ahead
by Caitlen Sullivan
Vancouver Sun Sports Reporter
October 3, 2035


First Base
Three players split time here in 2035
  • Scott Harper started about 60 games at first when he wasn’t DH-ing. While far from an accomplished fielder and with a low rating as first baseman, he did OK in the field with a +2.3 zone rating. With 35 home runs and 100+ RBIs, you know he’s going to be in the lineup somewhere.
  • Jésus Marte started 60+ games with the idea that Harper would be better off as a DH. Much more highly rated as a first baseman, the ratings didn’t exactly predict reality. Marte had a zone rating of -0.5. He had a way too many eight errors, and he hit only .246 after a good start. If he doesn’t play first, he doesn’t play. The future does not appear bright for him.
  • Regular shortstop Zi-jing Lou started 36 games at first. A very versatile defensive player, he would be best from a defensive perspective if he isn’t playing shortstop. But he lacks the power that you’d like to see at the plate from your first baseman.
    The Mounties could go after a mid-level first baseman in free agency if they want to free Harper up for DH-ing full time. Or Lou could play here depending on whatever the shortstop strategy ends up being.
Second Base
Alfredo Bermúdez started 100 games here. He had a positive zone rating and hit a respectable if unimpressive .265. He sat down the last third of the season to get Valentín Colón ’s bat into the order. Colon will not be here next year, but the team is most likely stuck with Bermudez’s high salary for three more seasons (unless he opts out after 2036 or rejects his player option for 2038. He remains a viable starting candidate for the keystone sack job in 2036.
[aside: quoting Russell Baker from a 1992 edition of the New York Times:]
“They don't call it "the keystone sack" anymore. Don't ask me why. You don't see Boy Scouts helping old ladies across the street anymore either. That's how it is with history. And history is what happens in America. Things change. Old ladies disappear, and in their place all we have left are senior female citizens.
“When I was a kid there were old ladies, just like the Boy Scout manual said there'd be when you had to do a good deed. And there was a keystone sack too. Nowadays maybe you call it "second base." That's what's happened all over America. The poetry all leaking out, like the air leaking out through the hole in the ozone layer.
“If you grew up in the days when you called a keystone sack a keystone sack, and a spade a spade, and an old lady an old lady whether she was a lady or not, you still feel your hair stand on end and a chill run up your glove hand when the ump cries, "Play ball!" and the nifty little second baseman takes his position atop the bag that an earlier, purer, more innocent America called "the keystone sack" . . .[end aside]
Third Base
19-year-old Rashardo Menne III started 136 games here and is pretty guaranteed the starting job for the foreseeable future. His -3.1 zone rating is a concern, but he lacks skills at other positions and his bat is invaluable. He hit .301, led the league in triples, and stole 46 bases.

Shortstop
The aforementioned Zi-jing Lou started 106 games here. He plays the position well. The club hopes he can improve on his .247 batting average. Pablo Soto started 50 games and hit close to .300. He was benched for significant portions the year with the intention of encouraging him to take the opt out option on his contract. If he’s back next year, his offensive superiority and defense adequacy could win him the starting job. The Mounties probably would like to see Lou in the starting lineup, but his defensive versatility make him a perfect backup player to have around. We’ll have to see how this plays out after Soto makes an opt-out decision.

There are also some wild cards to keep in mind. Christian Baudouin is often totally overlooked. He excels defensively at 2B, 3B, and SS, and he can run like the wind. But his skills at the plate are often questioned. He managed to hit .270 this year, but that's misleading since he only had 12 plate appearances. Expect to see plenty of Baudouin in Spring Training. At Victoria (AAA) the Mounties have three infielders with some potential to crack the roster:
  • Ismael Pena (21) plays great defense at 2B, 3B and SS. He spent most of this year in AA and is currently playing Florida Prospect League ball at Miami.
  • Gary Lewis (21) is primarily a shortstop with adequate defensive skills. He may have the most offensive potential of the three. He too spent most of 2035 in AA and is also now in the Florida Prospect League.
  • William Clark (23) hit .254 at Victoria in 2035. He’s OK at 2B, 3B, and SS and can also play LF. He should still be improving.
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Re: Year End Chatter Part Two - Infield Assessment (2035 #28)

Post by RonCo » Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:34 pm

Nice quote.
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