Projected Starter: James MongerThis is a series that I have stolen from the Jackrabbits, where we will evaluate each position leading into and during the early stages of Spring Training. Only players currently on the 40 man roster will be included in this series as prospects will be looked at in upcoming weeks. This is the third of eleven positions that will be posted. In this part, we will take a look at the second base position.
Backup: Jesus Rojas, Max Hatcher
Trying to find a spot:Manny Gonzalez
Monger will start at second base without any question in our minds. The fan favorite re-upped with the club for 3 more seasons after the current season and has a career 18.1 WAR over 3.5 seasons. He should be a good bet for 30 home runs and a batting average around .300. His glove work also does him big favors as he has won a diamond glove in years past. There was rumored discussion over the off-season that he may shift back over to shortstop but that seems to have cooled off. Monger was very underwhelming at shortstop, which is part of the reason he has played most of his career at 2nd base.
Jesus Rojas appears to be the backup for many positions on the roster and that is the case for 2nd base as well. Rojas struggled at the plate last season, and will look to rebound this coming year.
Manny Gonzalez was signed to a minor league contract in December but has not played in the BBA in over 5 seasons. He has a good power stroke hammering out double digit home runs each year in the minor leagues but is probably a borderline player who will need to impress in order to earn a spot on the active roster.
