59.2- Around The Horn

[chicoruiz]

I wonder how many baseball-related notes in history have been titled “Around The Horn”? Thousands, I bet… Anyway, it’s an appropriate title for a preview of a team’s infield situation, and that’s what this is…

The corner spots are easy. Tyler Ober has never been quite the player I had hoped for when I signed him to a big-money free agent deal, but he’s a good-fielding 1B who hits 20-30 homers a season. He’s not the reason we’re awful. Mesrak Youssef was a pleasant surprise at third, and gets first call there. Newly signed Abu Wamukota will DH and back up both corners. Javier Manuel, who hit .223 but added 20 homers, is in the 1B-DH mix as well.

The middle infield is where things get a bit dicey. Every year I vow to improve these spots, and every year I end up with a bunch of hobos and transients filling 2B and shortstop. Having failed to land someone like Sammy McNeill, here’s what I’m left with:

-Gerald Mitchell is probably my opening day second baseman. He can field the position, and his great eye means he gets on base more than his batting average would suggest. I may even try him at the top of the batting order- I’m just that desperate.

-Ed Faktorovich is a former first-round pick who was scheduled to be my third baseman before Youssef jumped the line ahead of him. His destiny now is probably a utility spot.

-Enrique Estrada was acquired from Nashville in a trade. He’s conquered AA, but has yet to experience AAA, much less the majors.

-Miguel de la Cruz was just plain yucky for Jerusalem last year, but he has the glove, the speed, and in 2057 he hit .285 and led the GBC in doubles. And in 2056 he dominated his AAA league. I may start him at short and hope he makes me look really smart for signing him.

-Estaban Flores was a rule 5 pick from the Twin Cities roster. He’s had good years here and there in the minors with the bat, but he profiles best as as a bench glove, and I’m overstocked with those. We’ll see if he sticks, or if he ends up abandoned on Twin Cities' doorstep.

-Jafar Seif al Din is probably the best fielding shortstop of the bunch, He’ll start in AAA but could move fast. He’ll need to if he wants to establish any sort of career, because Johnny Lazer, who’s the same sort of player but probably better, is coming up behind him.

-Jibril Qasim is in camp. That concludes all the positive things I have to say about him. That’s not fair; he was okay in AAA last year, and they’ll probably be glad to have him back in Wilmington.

So, hopefully I can pick seven guys out of the above list that won’t totally embarrass the franchise. The rest will head either to AAA or be coming soon to a waiver wire near you.

I probably should have gone a little harder after Sammy McNeill...

[BaseClogger]

I like Jafar at shortstop for you but no need to rush him.