44.9 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 the face of the offense, Huerta has been fantastic since storming onto the scene in 2041 and winning the Landis in his rookie season. Just like the rest of the league, he took a notable loss in production last season. Hitting 67 and 63 doubles in 2041 and 2042 and then nosediving to 32 doubles in 2043. He hit a career high 35 homeruns though and still had a 4.6 WAR at the end of the season, so confidence is still strong in this one. He hit .302/.340/.535 last season which is a career worst in all three categories. The 23 year old lefty should continue to be a beast at the plate this season, but I'm hoping for better results closer to his '41 and '42 numbers.

Loudenslager might be looking at his last shot to make the team. He's a lefty who has pretty solid defensive ratings at 7/9/8 for an 8 in right field. He hits RHP at 4/5/7/6/4 so it's not very likely that he will make the team. What used to keep him as a AAAA depth option is his ability to steal at 10/11/10, but after the decline in stolen base numbers last season, Loudenslager's stock has taken a hard hit. He still went 22 for 31 in stolen base attempts in AAA, but his bat was lacking in his worst minor league career performance to date. He's not a likely option to make the team, but Edmonton probably wants one last look at him before they move on.