Spring Training Battle: 3B (and SS and UT)

[homer]

For the record, when I brought up Hernan I was only referring to the ability to play all over the field.

[Jopal78]

Hernan Perez was almost exactly what every manager wants for a bench player: had baseball smarts, extremely versatile defensively, good baserunner. He is still only 29 by the way.

 

But, he isn’t with the Brewers now because outside of his 2016 season he couldn’t get it going with the bat. He had a sub .400 slugging percentage, was a low average hitter and hardly ever drew a walk.

 

If he had a league average OBP or regularly hit .270 he’d play in the major leagues for a decade or more.

[pacopete4]

I think sometimes stats don't tell the entire story when it comes to role players. It is harder to be one, that's for sure. Always going from position to position, never knowing where you'll hit in the lineup or if you will even hit for days. Hernan played an important role on some very good teams in our history.

[Warning Track Power]

Shaw has looked better today than most of 2019. Bases loaded walk against a LHP (Andrew Heaney), a relatively challenging grounder back at the pitcher in his second AB against another LHP, and a rocket past the mound to a perfectly positioned 2B next to the base. I hope he keeps it up.

[DR28]

Shaw has looked better today than most of 2019. Bases loaded walk against a LHP (Andrew Heaney), a relatively challenging grounder back at the pitcher in his second AB against another LHP, and a rocket past the mound to a perfectly positioned 2B next to the base. I hope he keeps it up.

 

Great to hear!

 

Gotta imagine he's added to 40 man roster by next Monday.

[djoctagone]

Shaw has looked better today than most of 2019. Bases loaded walk against a LHP (Andrew Heaney), a relatively challenging grounder back at the pitcher in his second AB against another LHP, and a rocket past the mound to a perfectly positioned 2B next to the base. I hope he keeps it up.

only two strikeouts in 13 plate appearances. that's a significant improvement.

[JohnBriggs12]

On eyeball test alone, Zach Green sure looks the part of the classic 3B. I'm intrigued by his slugging percentage rising as he went up the levels. And he's never exceeded 129 K's in any one season. By today's standards, that's good contact for a guy with power.

[Jopal78]

On eyeball test alone, Zach Green sure looks the part of the classic 3B. I'm intrigued by his slugging percentage rising as he went up the levels. And he's never exceeded 129 K's in any one season. By today's standards, that's good contact for a guy with power.

 

The number of strike outs is irrelevant it’s the percentage of at bats where struck out which is close to 30% of the time. Not a bad depth option, but there’s a reason he’s a ten year minor leaguer with his third organization.

[Outlander]

A 34% strikeout rate in AAA is pretty bad, 28% overall in the minors. Safe bet he would strikeout once every three at bats in the majors. However, his on base skills have improved a great deal moving up to AA and AAA and he has started to show some power so there is a chance he can produce at the major league level.

[DR28]

Really pulling for Green, but I doubt he wins the 3B job... He'll be the everyday 3B in Nashville, ready for a callup when he need him... Hope he gets a shot at some point in 2021.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I think they'll initially go with the Shaw/Robertson/Arcia combo (with Shaw seeing the majority of the work as the big side of a platoon), and while Shaw's leash isn't going to be incredibly short, I imagine that if we get to mid-May and he's scuffling, they may look into other options. The Bradley acquisition really helps by adding an extra lefty bat to the lineup, which would enable them to give more playing time to guys like Robertson and Green should Shaw not work out.

 

It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see them scour the waiver wire and cut lists for a LHH 3B that they can stash in AAA (or I guess in Appleton for April at least), as a fallback option. i'm really pulling for Shaw, though, and hopefully he can provide enough offense to stay in the lineup on a regular basis. The results haven't been great so far in spring (.673 OPS), but that .400 OBP certainly is a positive, and only 2 Ks in 15 plate appearances is encouraging.

[monty57]

I think they'll initially go with the Shaw/Robertson/Arcia combo (with Shaw seeing the majority of the work as the big side of a platoon), and while Shaw's leash isn't going to be incredibly short, I imagine that if we get to mid-May and he's scuffling, they may look into other options. The Bradley acquisition really helps by adding an extra lefty bat to the lineup, which would enable them to give more playing time to guys like Robertson and Green should Shaw not work out.

 

It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see them scour the waiver wire and cut lists for a LHH 3B that they can stash in AAA (or I guess in Appleton for April at least), as a fallback option. i'm really pulling for Shaw, though, and hopefully he can provide enough offense to stay in the lineup on a regular basis. The results haven't been great so far in spring (.673 OPS), but that .400 OBP certainly is a positive, and only 2 Ks in 15 plate appearances is encouraging.

 

I think we're at that point where the sample size is so small that stats are pretty much meaningless. For example, Nick Kahle probably won't have a 2.500 OPS this season for the Crew :-)

 

From what I've seen, Shaw has hit the ball pretty well and looked good at the plate. Sometimes hard-hit balls just get caught. I think Shaw will be added to the roster soon, and agree with you that Shaw will be the 3B starter vs RHP at least to start the season.

 

The Arcia/Urias battle is intriguing to me. The more I watch Urias, the more I hope he starts the season in AAA for "more seasoning." Other than optics, there is no reason he needs to be on the MLB roster to start the season. Let him get more experience at the AAA level rather than wasting service time when he's not ready. Arcia gets one more shot to prove himself, with Robertson as the primary backup at 3B/SS/2B.

 

I personally have hopes that Robertson stays healthy and breaks out a little this year. He was a good prospect who started showing something before he got hurt in 2019, and then had some success in last year's short season. Looks like a good candidate for a breakout year.

[Jopal78]

The Arcia/Urias battle is intriguing to me. The more I watch Urias, the more I hope he starts the season in AAA for "more seasoning." Other than optics, there is no reason he needs to be on the MLB roster to start the season. Let him get more experience at the AAA level rather than wasting service time when he's not ready. Arcia gets one more shot to prove himself, with Robertson as the primary backup at 3B/SS/2B.

 

With Robertson on a major league deal, he’s all but certain to break camp with the club. Thus, if Urias doesn’t win the starting shortstop job, he probably should be optioned to AAA. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to have a 23 year old sitting the bench as the 2nd utility infielder.

 

That would also allow them to keep Fisher and then either McKinney or Vogelbach. McKinney has versatility, but Vogelbach has some successful major league experience.

[Warning Track Power]

I'm really pulling for Shaw, though, and hopefully he can provide enough offense to stay in the lineup on a regular basis. The results haven't been great so far in spring (.673 OPS), but that .400 OBP certainly is a positive, and only 2 Ks in 15 plate appearances is encouraging.

I am pulling for him too but you have to watch the ABs. They are much better than what I remember of him in 2019. In a very small sample size, he's 2-11. The game against the Angels the other day, he had a rocket that was hit to the shifted 2B right behind the base. Give him that hit and he's all of a sudden his AVG is at .273 instead of .182. Additionally, he had a line drive double down the line in RF yesterday. The approach is very promising.

[pacopete4]

Shaw is in for me. He just makes sense. He's looked good in his at bats and the defense is there.

[Lathund]

I'm really pulling for Shaw, though, and hopefully he can provide enough offense to stay in the lineup on a regular basis. The results haven't been great so far in spring (.673 OPS), but that .400 OBP certainly is a positive, and only 2 Ks in 15 plate appearances is encouraging.

I am pulling for him too but you have to watch the ABs. They are much better than what I remember of him in 2019. In a very small sample size, he's 2-11. The game against the Angels the other day, he had a rocket that was hit to the shifted 2B right behind the base. Give him that hit and he's all of a sudden his AVG is at .273 instead of .182. Additionally, he had a line drive double down the line in RF yesterday. The approach is very promising.

 

From what I recall, his 2019 ST gave us a real indication of what was coming. He had a strikeout rate that would embarrass Keon Broxton from what I remember. So as you say, the fact that his at bats look good is very promising, even if it's "just" ST. Still too early for the stats to mean anything of course, we'll see once sample size gets a bit bigger and they start seeing more plate appearances against the major league roster pitchers.

[markedman5]

Adam McCalvy

@AdamMcCalvy

·

16m

Mark Mathias injured his right shoulder yesterday and it's significant enough to require an MRI. Utility candidate for the Brewers.

[DR28]

Shaw with the bomb today, keep it up!!

[DR28]

 

This guy needs to be on OD roster, move on from Arcia... We know what he is.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

This guy needs to be on OD roster, move on from Arcia... We know what he is.

 

Nice depth piece ... but like Sammon says in that tweet, probably not gonna happen.

[djoctagone]

while pablo reyes does have minor league options if added to the 40-man, there's value in having non-roster major-league ready talent at the alternate training site in the event of a covid outbreak.

 

remember, if a covid outbreak occurs, teams don't have to worry about 40-man roster status at all for any of the replacements. pablo reyes fits the bill if an outbreak happens.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Adam McCalvy

@AdamMcCalvy

·

16m

Mark Mathias injured his right shoulder yesterday and it's significant enough to require an MRI. Utility candidate for the Brewers.

If Mathias is sidelined through the start of the season, the Brewers triple-A middle infield rotation could consist of three players who have spent more time in the outfield than the middle infield in recent years: Reyes, Peterson and Westbrook. For all the jokes about the number of utility infielders Stearns brought in, perhaps it was prescient.

[brewerfan82]

38% of the way through Spring Training update:

 

[monty57]

Has anyone seen anything about how Reyes is on defense? He has limited time at 2B (38.2 Innings, -0.1 RngR, -0.6 ErrR, -0.8 UZR, -56.9 UZR/150), 3B (30.2 innings, 0.1 RngR, -0.4 ErrR, -0.3 UZR, -12.7 UZR/150), and SS (6.0 innings, -0.4 RngR, 0.0 ErrR, -0.4 UZR, -53.7 UZR/150).

 

From these small samples, it doesn't look like he should play anywhere but left field. However, these samples are small, so does anyone know anything about his defense that would make us think he should get more than a spot start at any of the infield positions?

 

Reyes could be a nice "super-utility" guy with his positional flexibility and decent bat. I think that if the Brewers decide that they have to keep Urias on the MLB roster, it will be hard for Reyes to make the opening day roster. Since I think it would be a good idea to give Urias more time in AAA, I think Reyes would be a good addition to the team.

 

I'd go with a platoon of Shaw/Robertson at third, Arcia at SS, with Reyes at "super utility." Shaw can be used to help back up first base, and Robertson can play SS or 3B if needed. I'd probably put Robertson at SS and Reyes at 3B if Arcia needed a day off and a lefty was pitching.

 

Note that I don't think the Brewers will send Urias to AAA. I just think that they should because he has a lot of potential, so I'd rather see them keep the year's service time for when he's in his prime and playing well rather than wasting the service time now when he's clearly not ready. He will probably be starting at SS mainly because they traded away a lot of talent to get him, and it would look bad if he was in AAA while Grisham is playing well in SD. That shouldn't matter, but it probably will.

[Eye Black]

I’m a little surprised that Robertson has yet to play a single inning at 3B in a Spring Training game. Maybe they just want to see his versatility at other positions, but I figured he’d get plenty of reps there this spring.