Spring Training Battle: Backup Shortstop
by Eric Stephen on Feb 22, 2010 8:19 PM PST
in Los Angeles Dodgers Roster
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PrintThe position of backup shortstop last year was an illustration of the Dodgers' preference to have veterans on the bench rather than youngsters. Blake DeWitt made the opening day roster with the idea that infielders Orlando Hudson, Rafael Furcal and Casey Blake would get regular rest, with DeWitt filling in for all of them. DeWitt even got a start at shortstop, in the fourth game of the season, but after just seven plate appearances in the opening week it was decided he would be better served with regular playing time in Triple A. Juan Castro, who was a non-roster invitee to spring training, was recalled from Albuquerque, and remained with the big club for the rest of the season.
This season, the Dodgers face a similar decision. Is the 24-year old DeWitt, a natural third baseman, able to occasionally spell starter Rafael Furcal at shortstop? If DeWitt doesn't win the starting second base job, would he get enough at-bats by backing up short and third as well as second? Could he also be a lefty pinch hitter? Perhaps, but I still think the Dodgers would rather have DeWitt play close to everyday, whether it be in Los Angeles or Albuquerque.
Angel Berroa was here in 2008, providing comic relief in addition to playing shortstop. Acquired midseason after Rafael Furcal went on the disabled list, Berroa started 64 games and had twice as many innings at the position as anyone else on the team. In limited time with both New York teams last season, Berroa put up an OPS+ of 6 and a wRC+ of -1. Of the 444 players who have amassed 500 plate appearances over the last four seasons, Berroa ranks 441st with a 51 OPS+. But, fear not, Castro is below Berroa, with a 50 OPS+!
Nick Green is likely to be better than Berroa with the bat and with the glove. UZR has him as an above average defender at shortstop (+12.1 UZR/150 career), as does Baseball Prospectus (five fielding runs above average career), but Dewan's plus/minus system rates Green as average in the field. However, Green is recovering from offseason back surgery, so that might hamper his chances.
Chin-Lung Hu is considered a defensive wizard at short, but is he good enough offensively? He's already 26 years old, so I don't know how much development there is left to do. Still, there is concern about his bat after putting up OPSs of .708 and .725 in the hitters havens of Las Vegas and Albuquerque, respectively. Hu did start 2008 as the backup shortstop, and took over for Furcal went he went down in early May, starting 24 of 31 games. However, he was sent down in June after he plummeted to a line of .159/.224/.206. Fair or not, I have to think that poor performance is still in the mind of Joe Torre and Ned Colletti, so Hu would have to really go above and beyond to overcome that impression. But, when the offensive standard is Castro, Berroa, or Green, I'm tempted to stick with Hu as the backup here.
Alfredo Amezaga is the most versatile of the bunch, even though he is similarly as offensively challenged as the other candidates. He has been above average defensively at his two primary positions, centerfield (+11.5 UZR/150) and shortstop (+19.5 UZR/150), in his career. However, he is coming off micro-fracture surgery in his left knee and his return date is up in the air.
| Backup Shortstops: Tale of the Tape | |||||
| 2010 Projections | Career at SS | ||||
| Player | Age | CHONE | ZiPS | UZR/150 | Innings |
| Alfredo Amezaga |
32 | .253/.315/.347 | .264/.319/.353 | +11.5 | 741.2 |
| Angel Berroa | 32 | .240/.295/.354 | .250/.298/.360 | -5.2 | 5964.2 |
| Blake DeWitt | 24 | .254/.327/.398 | .250/.329/.397 | -61.1 | 8.0 |
| Nick Green | 32 | .234/.295/.381 | .241/.294/.377 | +12.1 | 752.1 |
| Chin-Lung Hu | 26 | .258/.305/.366 | .257/.295/.353 | +1.3 | 312.0 |
The Dodgers' 40-man roster is currently full, meaning adding Amezaga, Berroa, or Green would require a corresponding roster move. However, my feeling is that Amezaga has the advantage to securing the spot on the bench if he's healthy, but otherwise Green or Berroa will be chosen over Hu if given the choice.
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my choices
1. chin lung hu…. he has offensive potential with some nice pop and a great glove… give him his chance…
2. Dewitt…. possess’s the highest offensive upside of the group but probably the worst or second worst defense… but we can probably live with it once a week.. (unless furcal gets injured)
3. Amezega … great defense and is a switch hitter and has ALOT of versatilty…
4. nick green- i think i should even put him ahead of amezega cause he has some more pop and potential along with good D and isnt coming off a microfracture… so ya switch amezega and green around…
5. berroa… STAY AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE… defense is really bad even though some might say he is known for a good glove and he hacks at every pitch… please no berroa
He can grow that back
in like 4 hours. Also, I am not a fan of the white line on the hats.
by robotmadeofnails on Feb 23, 2010 8:54 AM PST up reply actions
+1
Looks like an aborted attempt at a crafts project at the Y. I imagine those are spring only.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 10:45 AM PST up reply actions
Eric or Phil just retweeted something that indicates that these are also the BP caps.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 12:49 PM PST up reply actions
I always forget because he wears a baggy uniform, but Manny is freaking ripped.
by robotmadeofnails on Feb 23, 2010 11:16 AM PST up reply actions
In a budget-cutting move, the Dodgers shipped Pierre to the White Sox during the offseason, although they are picking up $10.5 million of the $18.5 million that Pierre is guaranteed over the next two seasons. In Pierre’s place is Reed Johnson, who comes with a price of $800,000, a better fit for a team saddled with the option year it foolishly gave Ramirez a year ago.
FOX NEWS EVERYBODY!!!!
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/02/22/manny-saying-goodbyes/
I’d say that report was fair and balanced.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 22, 2010 9:48 PM PST up reply actions
From Twitterfeed: "Who knew Fox News had a sports dept? Here’s their “fair & balanced” (& anonymous) take on Manny Ramirez #Dodgers http://bit.ly/cNeUNZ"
That’s the work of that asshat (and Denver guy) Tracy Ringolsby.
Somehow it lost its byline—and got converted from a column into a news story—in the move from FoxSports.com to FoxNews.com: Original Link
shaqfor3 mentioned one of my favorite Kemp home runs in the last article’s comments, a blast off Ted Lilly that cleared the LF bullpen and landed on the walkway behind it. You can see the video here. It was a national broadcast by Fox, so you don’t get Vin, but it was a hell of a blast.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
That had “GET THE EFF OUT OF HERE” written all over it
by Julio Nievas on Feb 22, 2010 11:56 PM PST up reply actions
In-effin-deed.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 22, 2010 11:58 PM PST up reply actions
Hiroki Kuroda is pretty funny
Asked whether there are any other side effects he has experienced because of the ball that struck him in the head, Kuroda laughed and said, “I forgot how to speak English.”
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I can’t believe Eric posted an UZR/150 over an EIGHT inning sample with a straight face. ;)
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 22, 2010 11:59 PM PST up reply actions
DeWitt’s crazy UZR/150 number made me add the innings column. :)
by Eric Stephen on Feb 23, 2010 4:57 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
SS and the #5 starter are the two issues of real interest this spring, What will Torre and Ned do if Hu and Dewitt have significantly better springs than their competition. my guess, send them to Albuequerue..
This really depends on how the rest of the roster shapes up
If the Dodgers want to carry an extra pitcher like last year, or they need to find room for other players onto the 25 man roster, this spot could go to Dewitt simply because DeWitt is likely to make the team anyway since he’ll be platooning with Belliard at 2nd and is an excellent defensive 3B to spell Blake. Dewitt probably is capable of giving you 1 start a week at SS (the house money game if you will) without completely killing the defense.
If the Dodgers have the space on the 25 man for a dedicated backup SS (which was a priority for the team all last season as Eric mentions) my guess is it goes to Amezaga if he’s ready to play by opening day.
It stands to reason that DeWitt or even Carroll could play SS once a week, thus eliminating the need for the obligatory weak-hitting backup SS. I tend to agree that if Amezaga is healthy then he may take the spot, though I do like Hu and wish he would get a shot. I have no desire for either of Green or Berroa to be on the team.
It's fascinating
As I thought about it some more, it’s 1) quite clear that these people don’t follow the Dodgers too closely because 2) they are operating under the impression that the Dodgers would actually want Manny back. The Dodgers of course do not, which Manny realizes and he is being pretty reasonable in his responses. He stated that he will either be somewhere else next year or retired. Yup, those are pretty much the only 2 options for Manny considering the Dodgers certainly won’t try to re-sign him after the season.
The people who are upset about Manny must want Manny back next year and think that Manny is saying that he doesn’t want to be in LA which is the exact opposite of what happened. I’m sure Manny would love to play for the Dodgers next year; its the Dodgers who have no interest in that.
by Michael White on Feb 23, 2010 9:35 AM PST up reply actions
I live in Giant country,
and they all keep bringing up Manny. I should let them read your bit because you hit it dead on. Damn Giant fans.
by Skunkburner on Feb 23, 2010 1:26 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
This year’s NRIs that I would absolutely hate to see make the team at any point in 2010:
Eric Gagne
Russ Ortiz
I don’t think they have any chance, period. So I don’t worry about it.
by silverwidow on Feb 23, 2010 11:16 AM PST up reply actions
I knew this was coming
I will be going to less games this year for sure. My 12 pack at $4 a ticket jumped to $9 a ticket and became a 15 pack.
The guy on the phone told me they didn’t have the same plan, but had something similar. I wanted to ask if by similar he meant more than twice the price with three more games added on.
by robotmadeofnails on Feb 23, 2010 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
Here’s some stuff from Torre in this morning’s talk with media:
DeWitt’s been on this roller coaster for awhile. We are going to seriously look at him at second base. We know what he can do under pressure.
On backup short:
We have Berroa and we’ll look at Nick Green, who I have had experience with. I think he’s ok physically..I’ll have to check on that.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 23, 2010 10:22 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Hu
I’m fully on board with carrying Hu as our back-up middle infielder. It’s not like the alternatives are that attractive. Additionally, we wouldn’t have to free a roster spot. The most compelling reason for me, however, is the simple fact that Hu no longer projects to have any type of starting job in L.A.; he can’t even break the AAA starting lineup with Gordon/DeJesus slated to go. If Hu is ever going to have any value with us, it’s as a bench player. Why not try that now?
Totally agree
If Hu is no longer a prospect then why would we be worried about him sitting on the bench. He could have a good deal of value as a great glove, pinch runner, and occassional PH. I still believe he could easily outhit Berroa or Green.
I agree
I think he needs to have his show. If he fails, OK fine. If he is decent, great. Either way I think you need to find out what he can do.
Perhaps they feel they’ve seen enough to convince them he’s an AAAA player. Of course that’s essentially what Green and Berroa are, and Hu would be cheaper.
Cheaper might appeal to the Dodgers these days. :)
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 11:30 AM PST up reply actions
Furcal just needs to step up and get younger
but since he won’t and will need regular rest, I’d like to see DeWitt stick with the big club and fill the role. Hu seems like he might be a good bench guy, but I wonder if that’s all he’ll ever be and would assume just move on.
No more raining on Bruins Nation's rainy parade, they took their ball and went home.
I thought your title was funny…really made me chuckle. And from a Bruin no less!
by KellyStephen on Feb 23, 2010 10:52 AM PST up reply actions
Furcal just needs to step up and get younger
Casey Blake did.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 10:59 AM PST up reply actions
That’s the beauty of having a beard. If you want to look younger one day, just shave it off
by robotmadeofnails on Feb 23, 2010 11:14 AM PST up reply actions
I can’t grow a beard. But I did shave off my mustache for the first time in 30 years just before New Year’s. Might have made me look a little younger.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 11:17 AM PST up reply actions
Was it a Jeff Kent/Rafeal Palmeiro porn-stache?
by KellyStephen on Feb 23, 2010 2:32 PM PST up reply actions
Ken Gurnick on Clayton Kershaw. There are some nice quotes in there from Kershaw and Rick Honeycutt. I like the conclusion:
Kershaw disagrees with fans who are concerned that the Dodgers lost ground over the winter by not making an impact acquisition.
“One more season under your belt makes a lot of people better,” he said. “It gets overlooked, what a year can do for somebody. The guys who are younger have a great chance to get better in a year. I know, last year to this year, I felt so much more comfortable. This year I expect a lot more from myself.”
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
BTW, I was in the stands for what Kershaw called his two high points of the season, one of which was TBLA night at DS:
Kershaw said that the high points of last season for him were pitching the game against the Rockies that gave the Dodgers the division title and his Game 2 playoff start vs. the Cardinals.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 12:46 PM PST up reply actions
ah game 2...
such fun memories, beautiful day and great seats at DS, our Cy Young in waiting on the hill after warming up right in front of me and my son. Holliday gets hit in the nuts and Loretta comes through.
by MammothDodger on Feb 23, 2010 4:10 PM PST up reply actions
I guess the mascot/cheerleader oral fetish has been going on for awhile.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 11:25 AM PST up reply actions
Let the spinning continue
Until all the lawyers get dizzy and fall down. From Bill Shakin on the LA Times Dodger blog:
The scheduled May 24 trial date was set aside by Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon on Tuesday morning.I could imagine Frank’s lawyers wanting Jamie’s lawyers to have as little time as possible to dig around in the financial documents and Jamie’s lawyers wanting as much time as possible, of course.
…Jamie McCourt’s initial filing for [a March 29] hearing included more than 1,400 pages.
Lawyers for Jamie McCourt asked Gordon to delay the trial until October, citing the complexity of the case and the delays in obtaining documents. Lawyers for Frank McCourt opposed any delay, saying there was no reason both sides could not be prepared by May.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Ugh. I am already tired of hearing about it and now we may have a whole season of it? That is just great.
1,400 pages of Bert Fields drama awaits
by 68elcamino427 on Feb 23, 2010 4:58 PM PST up reply actions
Baseball America’s top-100 prospect list is out.
10 . Carlos Santana, c, IndiansEven if Bell hadn’t been traded, I can’t imagine I would have voted him our number 1 prospect over Withrow.
37. Josh Bell, 3b, Orioles
46. Dee Gordon, ss, Dodgers
48. Chris Withrow, rhp, Dodgers
As always, our view is not necessarily to what a player will do this season, but what his ultimate major league ceiling is, weighed against the likelihood that he will reach that ceiling.Elbert is not on the list, but given those criteria, I would expect him to be on it somewhere, given that he has some major-league experience and that he should still be considered a guy with a high enough ceiling.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Triple post comin up, I’m just that awesome.
I’m happier about this list than all the others so far, because the disparity between Withrow and Gordon is only Gordon being 2 spots ahead of Withrow, rather than 30 or so. I think it’s very close who’d be our number 1 prospect at this point, but I’d lean towards Withrow.
Yes, I’d imagine 46 and 48 overall is a virtual tie for top Dodger prospect. I definitely lean Withrow over Gordon. The oft-stated concerns of CanuckDodger w.r.t. to Gordon resonate with me. If Gordon is the top prospect, you have to believe there is a decent probability of him hitting his ceiling, which would require him to develop into a slick-fielding, not error-prone SS, develop solid gap power, develop some plate discipline, and develop his stolen-base technique to major-league levels. Seems to me the odds of him falling short in one or more of those is pretty decent, and then his value starts dropping quickly. (I am assuming significant HR power is out of the question.)
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
mayos list was bad...
martin is not a top 100 prospect YET… he will be after next year though….
Daigoro Rondon (Dodgers #27):
Here’s a quote from the Handbook:
The biggest knock on Rondon is his attitude, as he’s quite the showman and likes drawing attention to himself while riling opponents with his antics.
I find this curious and fascinating for some reason. :)
theres a reason why elberts not on the list...
BA Projects him as a reliever…
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7539
46 Dee Gordon, ss, Dodgers
48 Chris Withrow, rhp, Dodgers
Kershaw
I’m a little late on the Kershaw story, but after reading it I now know what his theme song should be:
http://www.thesixtyone.com/EddieVedder/song/NoCeilingDemo/GkcX3RgOTnf/
(btw, if you don’t have the album, it’s amazing)
More fun videos of Matt Kemp. Two clips from the same game, last July 10 in Milwaukee, first a grand-slam to bust the game wide open, then a game-ending catch echoing Willie Mays.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I remember that catch thinking it would rank on top of "catch of the year" category
by Julio Nievas on Feb 23, 2010 1:23 PM PST up reply actions
Unfortunately, all odds against DeWitt
I’m all about continuing the Dodgers youth movement: DeWitt starts at 2B, 5th starter goes to McDonald or Elbert, and give Hu a shot as the utility man.
After analyzing the bench situation, it seems DeWitt (and Hu) are almost destined to not make the Opening Day roster. If DeWitt wins the job, then a potential bench spot is taken by Belly-ard. Either the Dodgers will have to carry one less pitcher (a possibility up until the 5th starter is needed) or they lose the backup SS and risk using Carroll/DeWitt at short from time to time. Knowing Ned, he’ll carry the extra SS purely for defensive purposes (especially if Amezaga is healthy and can add speed to the bench) meaning there is no bench spot available for Belly-ard, sending poor DeWitt once again to AAA.
Age is on his side
Belliard will be 35 in April and Carrol will be 36 in Feb. Chances are good that one or both will not even make it out of spring training intact. If they do they won’t make it to May.
Dodgers released promotional schedule today
Among highlights:
bobbleheads:
Ethier (May 8)
Broxton (June 8)
Loney (July 20)
Kemp (Aug 17)
3 different action figure nights (kids 14 & under) featuring one OF each night
8 posters incl
June 4: 70s night (Loney & Blake)
July 9: young guns (Brox, Bills, Kershaw)
July 23: Vin Scully
by Eric Stephen on Feb 23, 2010 3:16 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I’m not sure how they define sellout, but the Manny bobbleslam night was the only one of the four bobblehead games last year to draw 56,000. The others were 50,000+ too but not capacity. Such is the case for Wednesday games.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 23, 2010 3:42 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Don’t underestimate the power of the bobblehead. It will definitely go over 50k
by robotmadeofnails on Feb 23, 2010 3:45 PM PST up reply actions
Funny thing happened on the way to practice...
Good stuff(as in funny) about Manny talking Manny From Tony Jackson at ESPNLosageles.com. From Manny today, "After I practiced yesterday, I feel like I could play five more years,‘’ he said. "I’m going to play three more years here, then two more in Japan.’’
dodgers
definately take dewitt & huu over the rest—what happened to doug menkawitz?—he plays -1b-2b-3b & the outfield and he can hit-i dont see him on the 25 man or 40 man roster!
by spc7@verizon.net on Feb 23, 2010 6:30 PM PST reply actions
Mientkiwicz is in camp as a non-roster invitee
by Eric Stephen on Feb 23, 2010 9:41 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
dodgers
I think the infield catchers are set-we need a 4th out fielder and give gagne the nod as the last reliever if he does good this spring—but mainly find a top notch #1 starter -in a trade-this is a must!!!!!!!!!!
by spc7@verizon.net on Feb 23, 2010 6:33 PM PST reply actions
Sorry man,
but The Brox is our man to end the game. I’d Gagne does well in st, he can come in and mop up. He had his go at it. The OF is set too. Reed, Paul, Repko. I woulndt mind a top notch starter, but we have young guys who are hungry. We get them going and it’s game over.
by Skunkburner on Feb 23, 2010 9:08 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I took “last reliever” to mean the mean the lowest guy in the pecking order, not the closer. Low man on the bullpen totem would seem to be Gagne’s only hope.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 11:55 PM PST up reply actions
I doubt there is a “top notch #1 starter” available in the trade market with Halladay off the market.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 11:56 PM PST up reply actions
With Giles and Paul we don’t need another left handed bat off the bench. I think Dewitt should be starting at 2B. Berrora can be this year’s Juan Castro (all glove, no bat) and Belli/Carroll as the guys to spell Blake and Furcal when their achy bones begin to ache.
Giles healthy is a giant ?
Berroa sucks wind as a SS defensively. He is Juan Castro’s bat w/out the glove.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 11:57 PM PST up reply actions
Sales policy
It stinks when you want to buy tickets to see a certain team and are told that those tickets are for certain people only…and your not one of them.
Cold blooded greed
Or simple capitalism.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 23, 2010 11:57 PM PST up reply actions
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