League insiders have marveled over the positional battles emerging out of the Frostbite Falls spring-training camp. Evan Longoria, the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year, is battling to unseat inconsistent (but protected) 3B Edwin Encarnacion. Jay Bruce, the odds-on favorite for NL Rookie of the Year, is trying to get into the OF mix but faces competition from the already-established Justin Upton and Delmon Young for the third or fourth outfielder's spot. (We presume Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Beltran's jobs are safe). And, as if that wasn't enough, Erick Aybar has to be wondering if he's going to get a chance to play short with Edgar Renteria coming over in a trade.
Realistically, none of these guys are a lock to even make Frostbite Falls' Opening-Day roster, which raises a question: will the Squirrels sit on their young talent for most of the year, looking ahead to 2009, or will they attempt to cash in their depth for more pitching depth? One can't help but notice that GM Haynes protected not a single lefty, for example...
The rest of the East is (by comparison) a little short on young talent knocking on the door. Worcester may give Adam Loewen and Ian Kennedy a shot in the rotation, but probably not right away. Brooklyn has Cameron Maybin and Andrew McCutcheon in the clip, but are unlikely to squeeze the trigger on them in April. A dark horse to break camp: 3B/OF Joel Guzman, who is actually close to winning a job with the Rays. And as for Darwin? Projected rookie C Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been informed that even if he makes the parent roster in the spring, he will not be the starter and will have to improve his defense. Lastings Milledge seems to be the default fourth OF barring a trade, but is also unlikely to start. Perhaps the young Finch most likely to make a key contribution in April is LHP Franklin Morales, who (with both Kelvim Escobar and Scott Kazmir out ) will probably get 3-4 starts.
Stay tuned.
1 comment:
Hey now do not sleep on Daric Barton, who has a 1B job and has been far more powerful in the majors than the minors. His eye is so good, that he may walk 70 to 80 times this season as a rookie. Also, Tulowitzki has less experience than Delmon Young (Frostbite) yet Tulo is GOOD. His defensive prowess makes him a huge commodity. Also, Kendry Morales could be important to the Angels this season. Remember he had the second highest slugging percentage on Angels only to Vlady. He could be crucial as a switch hitting powerful young player. And Guzman, he could be a slow starter in teh majors, but he could end up with 30 to 40 homers with consistent playing time.
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