Something very, very interesting is going on in Cleveland right now. The lineup is beginning to fully set. Bobby Bradley seems to have the 1st base job locked up. Josh Naylor and Oscar Mercado are zoning in on outfield spots. Adam Plutko and Cal Quantrill seem to be battling for a rotation spot.
But most peculiarly, two guys who were traded together from New York are battling for the shortstop position formerly filled by Francisco Lindor. It is one of the most cutthroat positional battles I've seen in a while, mostly because it's been going on for a year now.
Andres Gimenez' arrival in the majors last year spelt doom for Amed Rosario, the longtime shortstop in Queens. Rosario has kept fans waiting for that breakout year, and it just hasn't come- his highest WAR has been 2.4 in 2019, and has muzzled around .5 otherwise. He's sort of hit for contact, he's not a power hitter, and he was dropped more and more in the lineup as several Mets prospects that DID pan out, like Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, started hitting.
So Gimenez coming in for 49 games, hitting .263 and finishing with a 1.2 WAR like it was absolutely nothing must have really infuriated Rosario. And so, once they were dealt to Cleveland together, the race for that starting SS spot was on.
Right now, Gimenez seems to be winning the battle. He's hitting .375 with 9 hits, 7 RBIs and 2 homers. Rosario has 7 hits, but none of them have been extra-base. He's also played less games than Gimenez, and is beginning to play in other positions, such as the outfield and DH. Which is to say...the Indians think they have something with Andres Gimenez, and while Rosario is hitting .389, he's not as multi-dimensional as his competitor.
The real test will be what happens when the season actually starts. Will Gimenez' spring success indicate a strong season? Will Rosario need to step in for him? Will neither of them pan out and force Yu Chang to play games at short? Moreover, what happens if Shane Bieber seems to be as inconsistent post-Cy as his early numbers are teasing?
The Indians could be a lot of things this year, and they may still be competitors. But this shortstop race may just determine their true identity in the AL. And so I hope Gimenez gets the spot.
Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of infield reshufflings, the former third baseman turned second baseman might be playing third again this year, but only if his team's star third baseman can play some games at short to allow for a prospect to play second. You thought the Reds were weird in 2020? Buckle up.
Giménez definitely impressed me last year with my Mets. He's a terrific fielder. If he can continue to improve at the plate, he could really be something.
ReplyDelete