42.7 Checking the Locks: Third Base

[crobillard]

This is a series where I will evaluate the options in each position leading into Spring Training. This is the fourth of eleven parts. I will be taking a look into the third base position in this post.

Sure fire locks: Steven Collins III
Trying to get in the door: Carlomaria Donadoni, Miguel Deleon

Finally there is a competition at third base. Our prize prospect from the 2038 Baseball Gods Draft is arriving. He's not fully developed yet, so I'm still on the fence on calling him up. I really want those 9s and 10s, but either way he can certainly perform at a high level in the bigs right now and we'll get a preview of what this lineup might look like this spring. There are a lot of wild variations. Some experts are predicting Donadoni plays at first and Raider moves to DH to protect him from injuries, others suggest Collins is moving to second with Carlomaria at third, some fans seem to think that Collins is moving to left field to bump Jose Salas to DH. All of these combinations affect the rest of the team so I will details these combinations later in the series.

For now, let's discuss performance. Collins is no joke, no one hit wonder. I was hearing out a GM on some interest on Collins a couple seasons ago and they told me that Collins had a fluke season in 2038 with his 7.2 WAR and he will be more of a 3-4 WAR guy. Then, Collins finished 2040 with a 6.5 WAR and 2041 with a 6.8 WAR, so suck it GM who didn't believe. Collins finished 2041 with a .345/.398/.551 batting line with 39 doubles, seven triples and 30 homeruns, his highest homerun total in his career. He swiped 58 bags out of 68 attempts on top of that. I spoke a little bit about the possibility of replacing Collins at third, it wont be because of his defense. He was fine in the hot corner with a .961 efficiency and a +3.0 ZR if you're into that. You probably want better than .961, but it's not the worst I've seen in the BBA.

Donadoni will certainly be worse at handling third, but that's where I have him slotted in for now until I decide how I want the lineup to look. He also plays first base and I could teach him RF at some point, but his range is only a 2 in the outfield, so I'm not stoked about that option. What I am stoked about is his offense. He's Fernando Cruz's replacement and he's more than a decade younger, a better hitter and he has a superior split against lefties and he doesn't have to give up much against righties to get it. Not to mention he can actually play in the field unlike Cruz. He's rated 8/8/9/6/7 and bumps to 9/9/10/6/7 against lefties. He still has room in his potentials to fill out to 9/9/10/6/7 overall too which would make him even more of a danger to lefties if that split carries over after the bumps. For infield defense he's rated 5/6/11/3, so he might struggle at third some. The 21 year old Argentinian will definitely be a welcome addition to the lineup whether he plays this year or next and should slot right in at cleanup and he could be a Newcomer of the Year candidate.

The speedy Miguel Deleon was battling for a spot on the roster this time last season and he finds himself in the same position after a lackluster rookie campaign. I don't think anyone expected him to wack the ball well, but .279/.295/.302 has to be a bit underwhelming even for him. The real crushing blow is that he's supposed to be a speed demon on the basepaths with 12 speed, 11 stealing and 11 baserunning and he was only 19 for 26 in stolen base attempts. We've seen much better results elsewhere on the team, so Deleon appears to be on the bubble if someone else can step up in the spring and kick him off the hill. He's definitely a skill player, but he's rated an 8 at third and can play first a little bit, so running isn't the only thing he can do.

My feelings can change at any time, but right now I think if Donadoni develops at all during the spring (he didn't gain at all in the offseason) than he makes the team, if not I have a very difficult decision to make and I'm inclined to think I will keep him in AAA for the season or consider a midseason callup.

[recte44]

If you keep him in the minors it's a crime.

[RonCo]

Well he's got to play 3b, pretty much. Raider had to play 1st. Collins in OF is really the only option, isn't it?

[crobillard]

Well he's got to play 3b, pretty much. Raider had to play 1st. Collins in OF is really the only option, isn't it?

Yeah, it’s going to be very interesting to see how this plays out. I’m not trying to fake anyone out reading this. As is usually the case with me, I have no idea what I’m doing and I’m even more certain of that when I look at this conundrum. Donadoni to third, first or DH and Collins to third, second or LF is everything.

[indiansfan]

Hey if you can't find a spot for him, I'll find one for him in Calgary.

[crobillard]

Hey if you can't find a spot for him, I'll find one for him in Calgary.

Thanks. I'll release him for the next sim.