43.12 Checking the Locks: Right Field

[crobillard]

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

Sure fire locks: Pedro Huerta
Trying to get in the door: Jim Loudenslager

Quickly becoming one of the best hitters on the team, the defense-challenged Huerta amassed a 6.2 WAR last season with a .353/.405/.636 batting line with 63 doubles, nine triples and 31 RBIs. He's been outstanding at the plate, but in right field he's struggled mightily with a -7.7 ZR with a .970 defensive percentage. It's expected he will be moved back into the cleanup spot that he owned in 2041. A major question for the team is how they will try to mitigate Huerta's defensive liability without a great hitting defensive option like Myeung-hwan Kim. The last several years the team has had a high number of defensive substitutions in late innings to attempt to mitigate the defensive challenges. I've been kicking around the idea to move Huerta to left field or even to DH.

Loudenslager is a solid defensive option in right field and he's a fine bat against RHP with 4/5/7/6/4, but it's certainly not good enough. The question for me is whether Loudenslager can be good enough to bounce one of the other stronger defensive and offensive options in the outfield out. Loudenslager has some speed with an 11 speed and 10 stealing. His 8 defensive rating is really good, but he needs to perform to get a spot. His performance in AAA helps him. He had a .840 OPS in AAA last season and in 2041 he had a .851 OPS, so he's performed well when he's gotten the chance. His spring will be really important.