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Looking at the position players still in camp...
Molina, LaRue, Glaus, Hoffpauir, Izturis, Kennedy, Miles, Pujols, Ryan, Jimenez, Ankiel, Barton, Duncan, Ludwick, Mather, Schumaker, Gonzalez, Rasmus.
Figuring we keep 12 pitchers, that's 13 spots for position guys. Molina, LaRue, Glaus, Pujols, Ankiel, Duncan and Ludwick are guaranteed spots, leaving six more.
Hoffpauir needed to have a phenomenal spring to break north with the club, and while he's been solid, I can't imagine he's going to get a roster spot. Aaron Miles is Aaron Miles, but I doubt they'd have brought him back if they didn't expect him to be on the club, so I'm assuming he has a spot. Five open. Ryan is playing well and is a backup option at third, but I've seen nothing to indicate he's out of TLR's doghouse. D'Angelo Jimenez is an older, fatter, browner Brendan Ryan who probably doesn't hit as well. Both of them will certainly not make the team. Barton has to be returned to Cleveland if we don't keep him, so I suspect we will. That's four spots left. Mather is an interesting part of this puzzle. If he can play the infield corners with anything resembling quality, he's probably hit well enough to justify making the squad. Schumaker, Gonzalez and Rasmus are probably all competing for one spot. I think at this point we should resign ourselves to Juan Gonzalez being on this ballclub and Skip Schumaker being involved in a trade of some sort. Rasmus is starting the year at AAA, which is fine.
So, that's Molina, LaRue, Pujols, Miles, Glaus, Gonzalez, Ludwick, Ankiel, Duncan, Mather, Barton. Eleven guys, six of whom are outfielders (including Mather as the new, sober Scott Spiezio). That leaves two spots for Kennedy, Izturis, Ryan and Jimenez.
I don't see why D'Angelo Jimenez would make this team. Maybe I just don't want him to, but he doesn't seem to have any value that I can fathom. He sucks defensively, he's slow, he can't hit. I can't imagine he makes the team. So, two spots for Kennedy, Izturis and Ryan.
Adam Kennedy is making the team. His contract is large enough and he's hit well enough in the spring to justify it, and he can't possibly be worse than last year. We're not going into the year with Aaron Miles starting at second, so Kennedy stays.
So, Izturis and Ryan. Neither is lighting the world on fire; Izturis is way more shitty of course, hitting .115 (3-26). Ryan is hitting .227 (5-22). In OBP, however, the numbers are different. Ryan has a .320 OBP and a .638 OPS. Izturis is .179 and .371, respectively. Neither has been great in the field, Ryan with a .917 FP and Izturis at .897.
So, what to do? Ryan appears to get on base more. He also has experience playing second and third, and lord knows TLR loves utility players. Cesar Izturis sucks, and should not make the team.
When we break camp, then...
Molina
LaRue
Pujols
Kennedy
Ryan
Miles
Glaus
Duncan
Ankiel
Gonzalez
Ludwick
Mather
Barton
And let the battle begin between Miles and Ryan for the starting SS job.
Molina, LaRue, Glaus, Hoffpauir, Izturis, Kennedy, Miles, Pujols, Ryan, Jimenez, Ankiel, Barton, Duncan, Ludwick, Mather, Schumaker, Gonzalez, Rasmus.
Figuring we keep 12 pitchers, that's 13 spots for position guys. Molina, LaRue, Glaus, Pujols, Ankiel, Duncan and Ludwick are guaranteed spots, leaving six more.
Hoffpauir needed to have a phenomenal spring to break north with the club, and while he's been solid, I can't imagine he's going to get a roster spot. Aaron Miles is Aaron Miles, but I doubt they'd have brought him back if they didn't expect him to be on the club, so I'm assuming he has a spot. Five open. Ryan is playing well and is a backup option at third, but I've seen nothing to indicate he's out of TLR's doghouse. D'Angelo Jimenez is an older, fatter, browner Brendan Ryan who probably doesn't hit as well. Both of them will certainly not make the team. Barton has to be returned to Cleveland if we don't keep him, so I suspect we will. That's four spots left. Mather is an interesting part of this puzzle. If he can play the infield corners with anything resembling quality, he's probably hit well enough to justify making the squad. Schumaker, Gonzalez and Rasmus are probably all competing for one spot. I think at this point we should resign ourselves to Juan Gonzalez being on this ballclub and Skip Schumaker being involved in a trade of some sort. Rasmus is starting the year at AAA, which is fine.
So, that's Molina, LaRue, Pujols, Miles, Glaus, Gonzalez, Ludwick, Ankiel, Duncan, Mather, Barton. Eleven guys, six of whom are outfielders (including Mather as the new, sober Scott Spiezio). That leaves two spots for Kennedy, Izturis, Ryan and Jimenez.
I don't see why D'Angelo Jimenez would make this team. Maybe I just don't want him to, but he doesn't seem to have any value that I can fathom. He sucks defensively, he's slow, he can't hit. I can't imagine he makes the team. So, two spots for Kennedy, Izturis and Ryan.
Adam Kennedy is making the team. His contract is large enough and he's hit well enough in the spring to justify it, and he can't possibly be worse than last year. We're not going into the year with Aaron Miles starting at second, so Kennedy stays.
So, Izturis and Ryan. Neither is lighting the world on fire; Izturis is way more shitty of course, hitting .115 (3-26). Ryan is hitting .227 (5-22). In OBP, however, the numbers are different. Ryan has a .320 OBP and a .638 OPS. Izturis is .179 and .371, respectively. Neither has been great in the field, Ryan with a .917 FP and Izturis at .897.
So, what to do? Ryan appears to get on base more. He also has experience playing second and third, and lord knows TLR loves utility players. Cesar Izturis sucks, and should not make the team.
When we break camp, then...
Molina
LaRue
Pujols
Kennedy
Ryan
Miles
Glaus
Duncan
Ankiel
Gonzalez
Ludwick
Mather
Barton
And let the battle begin between Miles and Ryan for the starting SS job.
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