Trail Droppings 2042-6 Calgary Infield Competition

[indiansfan]

Calgary Infield Competition

The Pioneers invited 9 players for to Spring Training this year for the 4-5 spots available in the teams infield, minus 1B. One position is locked down, the other 2 have probable starters and the utility spot or spots is anyones guess at this point. So here is the breakdown

2B - Jose Rios - This is the lock. The team made a decision after last season that either Rios or Chip Puckett needed to go for salary cap reasons. Puckett is now in San Antonio and Rios will be Calgary’s starting second baseman for the 9th straight season.

3B - Scott Bell - Brought over in the Lynch deal, the 3B job is his to lose. While he hasn’t played above AA, the team thinks Bell is more than ready to take over the hot corner. He had a superb winter ball season in Ft. Lauderdale, winner a Platinum Stick Award and came in 3rd in the MVP vote. Bell can hit for average and should excel as a gap hitter in The Stockyard. He also has some power, great speed and a decent glove.

3B - Terry Rowland - Last year’s starter is a long shot to continue in that role. If Bell has a terrible spring, Rowland could remain the starter. The starter the past 2 seasons, hasn’t generated the power that was expected from him and has frankly been a dick in the clubhouse. If he doesn’t make it as a starter, he probably doesn’t make the team at all and will head back to the minors.

3B - David Godwin - A bit of a surprise invite to camp, Godwin played last year in A ball. One of the things that makes him interesting is that he is a switch hitter with decent power. Last year he hit 41 homers and 11 more in winter ball. While the team says he is getting a serious shot at the job, it is more likely that the big league staff wanted to get a better look at him on his way to AAA this year.

SS - Imazighen Kibasila - The favorite at SS, Kibasila was a September call up after 2 years at AAA. He is a solid hitter that won’t need a platoon and has a good glove. Maybe not the glove Puckett had, but good enough. He doesn’t run or bunt particularly well so will find himself toward the bottom of the lineup. If for some reason he doesn’t lock down the starting short stop role, he will probably make the team as a utility guy. He also really needs a nickname so I never have to type his first name again.

SS - Alex Herman - One of those guys that has lingered in Calgary’s system as a good glove, bad bat guy for years. The team protected him over 2 guys it lost in the Rule 5 draft so they needed to give him a shot this year. He does have some power, which Calgary always likes. If he doesn’t get the starting job, he will go to AAA and work on fielding some other positions to increase his versatility.

UT - Robinson Trujillo - Trying to figure out his odds are like trying to predict the NFL wild card teams 2 weeks before the end of the season. Trujillo spent half of last season in Calgary and did not impress hitting .203. He can play 3B and has a great glove in CF. He is working on some other positions this Spring. He has value as a pinch runner. He could pair with Godwin in a platoon if the team went that direction. He could provide a better glove in CF which the team is looking at this year. Hile could be a versatile utility guy, or he could go back to AAA and work on broadening his fielding.

UT - Ian Patrick Anderson - He spent all of 2041 in Calgary and only played in 24 games. Thats how healthy the infield was last season. A typical utility guy with a glove, he is a switch hitter that doesn’t favor one side over the other. A good guy in the clubhouse, but he also has an option left which may increase the chances that he goes to St. Paul.

UT - Jack Douglas - The Rule 5 guy that GM Dickson is very high on, has a better shot of making the team than Anderson, just for those reasons. A little better bat than Anderson and better wheels, the team either keeps him sends him back. Be assured they will make every attempt to keep him in a utility slot.

Most likely outcome: Rios, Bell, Kibasila, Douglas and maybe Trujillo make the team.
AAA - Godwin, Herman, Anderson.
Trade or Waive - Rowland