The Spuds have several candidates for the keystone position, including four on the 40-man roster in José Campos, Calvin Clohessy, José Cortés and Cristóbal López, as well as George Helton in Triple-A.
LAST YEAR BY THE NUMBERS (AGE IS 2042 OPENING DAY)
NAME | AGE | BATS | LEVEL | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | SB | OPS+ | WAR | SCOUTING GRADES |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
José Campos | 25 | L | AAA | .268/.345/.394 | 2 | 3 | 92 | 0.7 | 5(5) / 6(6) / 4(4) / 5(5) / 6(6) |
Calvin Clohessy | 32 | R | BBA | .257/.317/.442 | 5 | 5 | 86 | 0.3 | 4(4) / 6(6) / 5(5) / 5(6) / 5(5) |
José Cortés | 25 | S | AA | .288/.353/.406 | 4 | 6 | 97 | 1.2 | 5(5) / 5(5) / 2(2) / 6(6) / 6(6) |
George Helton | 29 | L | AAA | .259/.403/.343 | 7 | 4 | 92 | 2.9 | 3(3) / 3(3) / 2(2) / 8(10) / 9(9) |
Cristóbal López | 23 | R | AA | .256/.347/.383 | 8 | 0 | 96 | 2.2 | 5(5) / 6(6) / 3(3) / 6(6) / 5(5) |
The off-season trade of Jared Gillstrom left a sizeable hole to fill in the lineup and up the middle of the diamond for 2042. Campos arrived in Boise via trade in a 2041 deadline deal with Hawaii, providing need depth at the position in the foreseeable future. With 440 BBA starts under his belt, Campos is one of the most ready options to plug in at second base, however his big league career slash line of .226/.290/.359 doesn't offer the most exhilaration. With good speed and baserunning skills and an excellent glove at second -- as well as the ability to fill-in in the outfield in a pinch -- at the very least, Campos' rounded skillset will earn him a long look during spring. Despite the tepid stat line, Clohessy was one of the unheralded key members of the Frontier-winning Spuds. Clohessy made 29 starts, allowing Gillstrom a day off or two or spelling him at the keystone spot when the future Hall of Famer would DH. In all, Clohessy played in 44 games in his first season with Boise. A whiz with the glove, Clohessy can handle every position besides pitcher and catcher, and while he's best suited in a super-sub role, he'll have an opportunity to win the job outright during spring training. Cortés was part of the return for Gillstrom and while he only has 56 plate appearances above Double-A, he could force his way into the discussion at some point in 2042. Cortés playing experience has only been at shortstop and third base up to this point, however his skills (namely range and arm) suggest he'd be best suited at second base, a new position Boise expects him to learn in the spring and minors. Helton's been in the Boise minor league system since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2034. Blessed with a tremendous control of the strike zone (career .408 OBP in over 2200 minor league plate appearances with a walk-to-strikeout rate of nearly 3.0), Helton has an elite talent that keeps him around in the Boise system, but is likely miscast as even a BBA-worthy backup without much offense or a plus glove. López is a "Punch and Judy" hitter who's improved his defense through the years. Having yet to reach Triple-A, López is merely organizational depth and is more likely playing to keep his spot on the 40-man roster than earn a spot for the Spuds.
VERDICT
Barring a pre-season acquisition (rumors are Boise's General Manager Joe Lederer remains in talks with teams about a trade for a second baseman), it's anyone's guess as to how the position battle will play out. Given Lederer and Spuds manager Millard Davis' willingness, if not propensity, to use platoons as needed, one could see a Campos/Clohessy duo emerge during the spring. If the switch-hitting Cortés blossoms at second base during the preseason, he could take the starter's job for his own, or at the very least be a part of a platoon with Campos, pushing Clohessy into a utility role.