ShortStop 2014

[seawolf17]

Oh, how different the 1987-88-89 Mets would have been with Kevin Mitchell at SS.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Edgy MD wrote: I'm sorry. I promise not to talk about anything. no no, we can talk about it. That's fun. Flores to SS is humorous. Trying to figure out how to make Duda work in LF is funny. It's acting like this stuff is even remotely likely that's sorta silly. Reporting it like they're talking about it any more seriously than we are. I don't know about remote. It's more likely after Alderson's statement than it was before, and it's completely (almost literally) out of left field, which makes it exciting to me, even if it doesn't come to pass (and Duda did play left field! and right too!)), because I like that my team is considering game-changing maneuvers. When I treat it like a fait accompli, please let me know.

I'd rather point it out before people start treating it like a fait accompli.

[Frayed Knot]

I suppose you could do worse than having Flores available for at least part time SS duty.
Of course I've never seen him actually play the position so exactly how bad (or not) he would be there remains speculation to this point.

[Edgy MD]

Plus'n he's spent the offseason working the fuck out. Him, Duda, and Tejada all passed on winter ball and are up in Wisconsin making themselves quick, lean, and supple. If that doesn't make superior fielders out of them all, you know at least it's good for a couple of "best shape of my career" quotes in February. And hopefully Tejada doesn't sneak home in between and get snagged by visa problems again.

[nymr83]

The worst defensive shortstop ever plays across town, sp why not?

[Ceetar]

Nymr83 wrote: The worst defensive shortstop ever plays across town, sp why not?

you saying we should just start Duda there?

[ashie62]

Flores at SS?? hard to imagine and almost comical...

[Frayed Knot]

Anthony Seratelli (I can already hear Benigno cheering for him) is a local kid--NJ HS, Seton Hall walk-on--attempting to make the squad as the backup SS, making him a potentially good story with only a couple minor flaws:
1) Self-admitted Yanqui/Jeter fan.
2) He's now 31 y/o

Article
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Nothing mentioned specifically about his fielding in that Post article although he's played more at 2B (and 1B for that matter) than at SS in the minors.
But he's got some [crossout]good[/crossout] great walk rates and SB rates that didn't fall off as he moved up through the lower levels.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Makes the assignment of No. 2 to him kinda creepy. Let's put him in 87 instead.

[Vic Sage]

A switch-hitter with a good OB%, good SBs, and decent pop over the last 4 AA-AAA seasons. If he can play even barely adequate D, I'd start him at SS today, and likely a better backup option than Quintanilla, Tovar or Flores. That's before you even get to the human interest story aspects.

[smg58]

I'd also guess Omaha is at least a bit less hitter-friendly than some of the other PCL parks, too. As a backup, Seratelli wouldn't need to be that good of a defensive SS if he is a viable pinch-hitter. I think his chances of coming north are pretty good.

The thing you need to consider with Flores is that he's probably a better hitter than Turner was, and may not field any less poorly. I can totally understand wanting him to start at AAA over using him as a reserve up here, but the latter is an option I'm willing to keep open if there's a chance it makes the team better.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, if that training camp did him any good, he may be more or less as good an emergency option at shortstop as Turner was.

Depends on whether his sore ankles we saw last September are going to be chronic thing or not.

[Frayed Knot]

Bobby V used to talk about being 'three deep' at each position. That didn't mean you'd actually want to use the third guy, only that you had one in mind if the extra-innings/PH-ing/in-game injuries all piled up at the same time.
IOW, if Flores is that 3rd SS and winds up playing there for a handful of innings over the year then I think we can live with it.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Bobby V used to talk about being 'three deep' at each position. That didn't mean you'd actually want to use the third guy, only that you had one in mind if the extra-innings/PH-ing/in-game injuries all piled up at the same time. IOW, if Flores is that 3rd SS and winds up playing there for a handful of innings over the year then I think we can live with it.

sure, if we're talking an emergency start or a couple of reallly late innings when you'd rather Flores bat in the lineup than Tejada's..

still concerned about the _second_ guy though.

[Frayed Knot]

Not really new news, but Adam Rubin reminds us today that "the Mariners are likely to trade [short-stops] Nick Franklin or Brad Miller -- most likely Franklin -- before Opening Day."

The emergence of Miller bumped Franklin to 2B last year but now the signing of Cano takes that option away so something has to give.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Franklin whiffed an awful lot last year but showed some legit powa. Only 22 years old. Miller is more a batting-average guy, and is 23.

Can't vouch for either guy's D.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Franklin played mostly second base last year, but is supposedly "more comfortable" at short (where he played throughout the minors). That said, by all reports, he's a bat-first, iffy-arm kinda guy.

Sickels and others describe Miller as "error-prone." But I'm not sure I don't like Miller's disciplined, line-drive-y offensive approach better.

[Edgy MD]

Franklin's gravitating away from shortstop already. You look at pictures of him and he doesn't even look nimble. I think he projects more like a Wigginton --- enough bat that you want to get him in the lineup, but not so much that you can shrug off what he can't do on D. Wiggie can crack a lineup for 10 years but rarely on a good team.

Maybe a more generous projection is Uggla.

I can think of worse paybacks, but I imagine the team wants to wait a few weeks to see what they have in camp now, just like a few possible suitors for Ikas Duvis are waiting to get a look at the guys they have in camp.

[Frayed Knot]

But is he (Franklin) gravitating away from SS because he lacks the skills for it or is it strictly because Seattle came up with a better option?
I certainly haven't seen enough M's games to know.

Maybe that lady/super-fan for the Clinton Lumberkings still has an opinion on Franklin ... or at least one of his old socks or something.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Franklin doesn't look especially "unnimble" in this photo. Adam Rubin says of the two, Franklin is the one more likely to be dealt. Nothing on what the Mariners would want. It seems likely that if the Mets were to trade for him, they'd be sending a young pitcher, since that's where they have depth. (I have no idea which one it would be.)

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: But is he (Franklin) gravitating away from SS because he lacks the skills for it or is it strictly because Seattle came up with a better option? I certainly haven't seen enough M's games to know.

Nor I, but I have read REPORTS! And the reports I've read peg him as below average.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Franklin doesn't look especially "unnimble" in this photo. Adam Rubin says of the two, Franklin is the one more likely to be dealt. Nothing on what the Mariners would want. It seems likely that if the Mets were to trade for him, they'd be sending a young pitcher, since that's where they have depth. (I have no idea which one it would be.)

They need power. Like, they're heavily-weighing signing Cruz or Morales, even with the draft-pick tags.

We've got some spare DH-1B around here somewhere, don't we?

[Guest sharpie]

Kendrys Morales was on the Mariners last year and wouldn't cost them a draft pick.

[Benjamin Grimm]

If either of these guys are as good as they're made out to be, the Mariners should expect to get back more than Ike Davis or Lucas Duda.

[Frayed Knot]

I suspect that if a deal gets done it's more likely to be of the package variety rather than a simple one-for-one
Ike + Tejada + ??? for Franklin + ??? ... or something along those lines.
Or, for instance, we've got several passable young CFs on hand (Lagares, den Dekker, Nieuwenhuis) while Seattle's former CF Franklin Gutierrez won't play for them this season due to "irritable bowel syndrome". Betcha haven't heard that one for a DL reason in a while.

[ashie62]

Brad Miller would be the one I am hoping for...

[Theoldmole]

Sometimes the Mets give me irritable bowel syndrome.

[Benjamin Grimm]

FLORES A SHORT LOOK Collins reiterated that Wilmer Flores will get a look at shortstop this spring, but also added that he will need to look at him at second base and third as well. He is impressed by the way Flores re-shaped his body this offseason. "I tip my hat to him, he has a whole different body than he did at end of the season," Collins said. "He went to the training in Michigan, he looks tremendous. He came in lighter, he came in more athletic, I am going to let him play some short, I want to see him at second and third," Collins said. "His bat potential is off the charts. Everybody talks about what a big RBI guy he is. Somebody told me they watched him in winter ball and reminds them of Fonzie. That's a big statement. I don't like to compare guys, but Edgardo Alfonzo was outstanding offensive player. "We just go to find a position for him to play." Collins said. Coincidentally, Alfonzo is in camp this spring as a special instructor. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-insider-montero-ball-grapefruit-opener-article-1.1699363#ixzz2uHJLvMHo

I wouldn't be too surprised if they tried to shoehorn Wilmer into the lineup at shortstop for a year or two until Daniel Murphy moves on, and then slid him over to second base.

I bet that's what 1984 Davey Johnson would do!

[Edgy MD]

Chase D'Arnaud DFA'd by Pittsburgh.

[seawolf17]

Edgy MD wrote: Chase D'Arnaud DFA'd by Pittsburgh.

Sorry. We're out of little d's.