Trail Droppings 2034-4 Calgary’s Infield of the Future

[indiansfan]

Calgary’s Infield of the Future

One way to stay competitive without having to tear apart your team and rebuild every five years, is to build your future in your own farm system. Calgary is a team with several starters on the wrong side of 30. These guys aren’t going to be able to play forever and somebody is going to have to take their place. So let’s look at our infield of the future.


1B - Current Starter Dan Leonard (8/6/3/6/9 Talents) - Future Starter Miguel Saurez (7/8/8/5/7 Talents) or Francisco Marin (8/8/3/5/9 Talents)

Leonard has been a starter for 14 years and is closing in on 2500 hits. A career .313 hitter, Leonard is not your typical BBA first baseman as he doesn’t hit for power. He just turned 32 and has a good chance of making it to 3000 hits as he is hitting .366 right now, 2nd in the Frick to his teammate Mario Soriano (9/6/1/5/10 Talents). The problem is that he is making almost $14 million and wants that much or more to renew. The other problem is the team has a younger version of Leonard down on the farm

Francisco Marin (8/8/3/5/9 Talents) is that younger version. He hits for average, but not power. He has more speed than Leonard and will hit more doubles, but he has a worse glove. He should be up with Calgary right now and has had a couple of brief appearances when Leonard moved to LF to fill in for injuries and Marin took his place at first. He is hitting .344 at AAA He is 21 years old but has already wasted two potential BBA years in the minors.

If the team wants to go the more traditional power hitter route they have Miguel Saurez. He is only 19 and is hitting .319 with 17 homers in AAA. He would most likely need platooned with a righty, but that isn’t tough to find. In fact Calgary has several players in their minors right now. Saurez could also replace Rupert Grant (8/5/10/7/4 Talents) at DH if it came to that, although he wouldn’t put up Grant’s numbers. He should be good for 30 homers a year though.

While the fans want to see Leonard continue to play in Calgary, the financial situation may dictate a change. A change that wouldn’t hurt the Calgary lineup much at all.


2B - Current Starter George Lee Anderson V (7/5/2/9/10 Talents) - Future Starter Jose Rios (8/8/8/5/8 Talents)

Sparky is in his fifth season with the team at second base. He is an on base machine, averaging 100 walks a year to go with about 40 stolen bases. He isn’t a great defender at second, but his bat keeps him in the lineup, often at the top with a team that has four guys that could bat lead off. Only 25 and still under team control, he has a future whether it is in Calgary or not.

The reason Anderson is probably on his way out of Calgary’s lineup is Jose Rios (8/8/8/5/8 Talents). The team is looking to add power and Rios has it. The team would like better defense at second and while not a Zimmer candidate, Rios will be an improvement. He is tearing up AA hitting .354, 18 HR and a whopping 1.043 OPS. He is ready now and some are curious why the team didn’t bring him up during Anderson’s injury. There is no reason to waste his time at AAA, this 19 year old is heading to the big leagues.


3B - Current Starter Tony Franco (7/6/7/4/8 Talents) - Future Starter Susumu Nakanishi (7/8/8/7/7 Talents) or Bill Wilkins (6/8/7/6/5 Talents)

Franco is having a career year. He is on pace to have the best HR and RBI year of his career and he is almost 35. He is a perennial Zimmer candidate, he’s won a Puckett at two different positions, just hit his 350th HR and is closing in on 2500 hits. He just signed a team friendly 2 year extension. Franco will be with this team until he retires and probably after. The question is how long will he be the starting third baseman?

Nakanishi, like Rios, is at AA. He is having a solid year and will probably get moved to AAA. The 19 year old is almost ready, but it will not be this year. He needs the rest of the year to work on his glove so he can avoid being a hindrance in the field. He will never have Franco’s glove, but he might hit more home runs. The only concern with him is that unless something changes, he will need to platoon.

Then there is Wilkins, always the odd man out. He should be in the BBA playing first or third for someone. The team has shopped him, but no takers so far. The 22 yr old switch hitter has averaged 40 homers a year in the minors and yet he can’t find a spot. He will be in Calgary next year, even if he is on the bench, unless he gets dealt.

So sooner or later the team will replace Franco and they have the players in the system to do it.


SS - Current Starter Bilbo Baggins (6/8/2/6/7 Talents) - Future Starter ???

Baggins has improved his glove to become a decent shortstop. He won’t win any trophies, but he won’t hurt you. However, his bat has been terrible this year and he might be playing himself out of a job. The team counts on him to hit .260 and hit 40 doubles. If he can’t do it, he might become a glorified utility man. The question is who does the team have in the wings and unlike the other infield spots there is no obvious replacement.

Ron Keys (5/5/2/5/7 Talents) is the oldest of the potential replacements, currently at A ball working on diversifying his positions. The 23 year old is a switchy with a Zimmer potential glove. However, he may not have the bat for Calgary and he doesn’t possess great speed. He is moving up to AA and at 23 he needs to move up quickly or miss his window.

Winston Abernathy (6/5/2/5/7 Talents) is also at A ball, but is only 18. He has the potential to be a better hitter than Keys, but not as good a glove. He would be solid at short, just not Zimmer quality. Like Abernathy he has no power or blazing speed. One of these guys will be a future utility man in Calgary, the question is if either of them will become a starter.

Carl Quinn (5/6/4/5/7 Talents) is only 18, but already has a Zimmer quality glove. He has more speed than either of the above guys and is a natural leader. The problem is the team hasn’t seen much improvement with his bat since they drafted him last year and he is only hitting .205 in Rookie ball. Quinn is a long term project and won’t be moving up to Calgary when Marin, Rios and one of the third basemen will be making their appearance.

There is one other option at shortstop. He has done it before, but last played it regularly 10 years ago. The team could move Franco back to his old position for a year or two. He has a better glove than Baggins and that would let the team generate more offense. Hmmm…

[recte44]

I didn't realize Anderson was so limited defensively.

Also, Wilkins is Quad-A all the way.

Ok, now that I dropped a deuce on your guys....here comes the compliments!

Franco is just something special. I think he has a really decent shot at the Hall of Fame- better case than Cochran IMO.

Also, Rios is a stud. *drool*

[indiansfan]

I'm hoping Franco can have at least one more really good year and finish with 400 HR. That along with his Zimmer Awards I think gives him a shot. However, there are some really good players going to be retiring in the next 5-6 years and there are only so many votes.

Rios has forced my hand. He is coming up to Calgary and he is going to tear up the league. I hope.

[Lane]

I don't like this future infield at all.

[RonCo]

Lots of leather at shortstop...not a lot of rubber.