2b competition update

[JAHV76]

Who would be the fifth starter if not Heaney? Tropeano?

[OregonLAA]

Who would be the fifth starter if not Heaney? Tropeano?

I'm hoping for Rucinski. I'm easily impressed I guess

[disarcina]

Heaney to SLC to start season -- that needs to happen based upon ST performance.

 

Rutledge?  Has had a terrible ST -- probably still makes the team -- Gaviatella (spelled wrong) should make the team but probably won't. He may accept an SLC assignment based upon Halos assurances that if the 2B situation remains 'fluid' (as in "We gotta keep Rutledge at least two months because we traded for him, but if he doesn't work out"  possible DFA and a roster spot opens up).

 

Featherston -- Rule 5 guy makes the team.

[Blarg]

http://www.ocregister.com/angels/roster-652916-keep-tropeano.html

Updated my 25-man roster guesstimate today.

 

You may want to be rethinking Butterfingers in the backup catchers job.

[disarcina]

Fletcher obviously has his finger on the pulse -- interesting take on Rutledge -- I assumed he would stay up but he has options remaining.

 

Clearly Gaviatella (spelled wrong) has out-played Rutledge but in the (very small sample size) games I saw in ST, Gaviatella wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire.......

 

I really think after his most recent ST outing that Heaney needs to work on some things at SLC to start the season. He's obviously pressing and has looked downright terrible in ST.

 

Lindstrom may have played himself off the roster and out the organization with his last ST outing -- hard to say -- I guess there's not much flexibility with him so the always tough choice comes down to 'do we take the best 25 players' or 'do we try to keep guys out of options even if they're not in the top 25?"  always a very tough call for the last 2 to 3 spots on the opening day roster.

 

sort of disappointment that it appears Grant Green won't be part of the opening day 25 -- think he deserves a shot but hard to say........

[Mark68]

Heaney seems to suffer from CJ-itis. Gets squeezed by the ump and it messes with his mindset. He'll be fine, but he might have to go to Salt Lake to work on his mental game.

[Second Base]

If ST actually mattered, Giavotella or Green would be starting at 2B or in a timeshare and Rutledge would be in AAA while Featherston was the UTIF.

If ST actually mattered, Perez would be the backup catcher, not Butera.

And if ST actually mattered, Rucinski would enter the season as the #4/5 starter, in a competition with Santiago. Loser gets sent to the pen upon Richards' arrival.

There's a possibility of all three happening, just like there's a possibility that all three don't happen. Translation, ST only matters if it fits the organization's plan.

Chances are, It doesn't matter in any case. Rutledge sucks right now, but if he shows even moderate growth in the next two weeks they'll hand him the job. Butera will be the backup catcher because he doesn't have options and Perez does. Rucinski will likely be in the pen, but once Richards is back he'll have a one way ticket to Utah.

ST doesn't matter, no matter how much we think it should.

Edited March 25, 2015 by ScottyA_MWAH

[Turd Ferguson]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2015-positional-power-rankings-second-base/

It might be time for a trade

 

Interesting, frankly I was surprised we were ranked that high.

[disarcina]

Thanks for posting the 2B rankings -- we've really dropped from last year which is not news.

 

what is news from this ranking is that there may be a lot better options available to us at cut down time.

 

Looks like Colorado could use Rutledge back and perhaps we should consider sending him back there and get something in return -- not much.

 

I still think we should watch the LA Dodgers situation closely -- if they move Darwin Barney -- we should be there to scoop him up -- not much at the plate but pitchers will love his D and he would make a good keystone partner for Aybar leading to inning ending DP's.  Mike Aviles is FOURTH on the depth chart in Cleveland -- as a stop gap he may be better than what we have -- although Giavotella may be the better choice/ option.  The White Sox has an abundance of MIF'ers including a familiar face -- Beckham and then Emilio Bonifacio -- I assume one of these guys may not make the 25 man opening day roster for them......either would probably be just as good as what we have in camp.   Kelly Johnson from Atlanta --formerly a starter there - no longer seems to be part of their plans -- again -- a stop gap type measure to get through 2015.

 

I'd like to see a combo of a solid defender like Barney and someone with some pop in the bat, like Grant Green.

 

Looks like Halos will carry extra position player for the first two weeks as they do not need a fifth starter until mid-April.

 

If Richards is back close to then, all this debate on the fifth starter may become moot.

 

I think Heaney needs more time at AAA.

[Troll Daddy]

Grant Green has pop in his bat.

Good stuff

[Blarg]

Grant Green has pop in his bat.

Good stuff

 

The Angels are more concerned with the hole in his glove.

[disarcina]

well, Grant Green's D isn't great -- I don't think it's as bad as some say - he played some MIF and 3B for us last year.

 

But if you couple him with a good defender (reports are mixed on Featherston, who as a Rule 5 guy is going to make the team -- some say he's the best of the bunch in camp defensively, others have indicated his minor league performance on D at 2B has not been stellar).......but if you combine Green with a slick fielding MIF, you can probably hide Green there in the early innings -- although, whenever a team tries to hide a guy (usually 2B or LF), the ball always seems to find them.......

 

I'd be watching the Darwin Barney situation closely during the freeway series.......Look -- Howie is going play 155 games for the Dodgers -- so there's not too many ABs or even defensive innings there -- Dogs may pull HK in the late innings to rest him, perhaps -- but more likely scenario is HK remains the stable, steady player he's been with the Halos.......not too spectacular but always in the line up and gets the job done day in, day out and some days does very well at the plate, solid on D.

 

Rollins at SS is an area the Dodgers need to be concerned about as Rollins will likely play well when he's in the line up but also may rack up some DL time.......having Barney there as a late inning defensive guy and as a potential fill in starter makes sense -- but Dodgers have other MIF'ers in camp and may go with them.

 

If Barney is one of the cuts off the 25 man roster on cutdown day, Angels should be ready to pounce........not sure what we have to offer the Dodgers -- they are pretty solid with position players.......might have to give up a decent pitching prospect.  The other guy who might be on the bubble in LA is Turner but I see the Dodgers keeping him over Barney. Hard to say.

 

Barney won an NL gold glove with the Chicago Cubs.

[Angelsjunky]

Rutledge is my least favorite of the five candidates (including Yarbrough). I have a feeling (or fear that) he'll be this year's punching bag for Angelswin, as Scioscia continues to play him while other and better players languish on the bench or in AAA.

[disarcina]

Fletcher's prediction for the 25 man roster says that Rutledge isn't on it.........Halos still have some flexibility with him -- he has options.........

 

Gavioatella is listed on the Angels MLB.com official page in the depth chart section as the starter there over Rutledge -- that may not mean much in the mix of things but two weeks ago Rutledge was listed as the top guy, starter..........

[Hollyw00d]

I hope gyavotella makes it, just so we can all misspell his name in the GDT millions of times

[Hollyw00d]

what's his nickname by the way?  Telly?  Gia-y?  Votty?

[SoWhat]

lmao @ Gavioatella

[Glen]

Jose Mota just said Giavotella is the current favorite to get the starting 2B job. Cum grano salis.

[disarcina]

When Giavotella first came up with KC -- he was noted for being a speedster......decent D and pretty much weak hit.

 

is he still a base stealing threat (assumes he gets on base -- the old adage applies : 'can't steal first base')

[Chuck]

Giavotella with two hits so far today. 

[Chuck]

When Giavotella first came up with KC -- he was noted for being a speedster......decent D and pretty much weak hit.

 

is he still a base stealing threat (assumes he gets on base -- the old adage applies : 'can't steal first base')

 

.305/.378/.438 with a .816 OPS career in the minors. 

 

He was also a 2nd round pick. 

[disarcina]

we traded for Giavotella in December, 2014 -- KC gave him his shot to win the 2B job over four seasons and he failed to do so.

 

He came up with KC in 2011, had 178 ABs and hit .247 -- his high water mark in MLB BA.

 

In 2012, 181 ABs, he hit.238

 

In 2013 41 ABs (must have been a Sept, call up) ,220

 

In 2014, 37 ABs he hit .216.

 

In 2014 for AAA Omaha, he had 493 ABs -- so he pretty much played every inning of every game  and hit .308 with 20 stolen bases.

 

Giavotella is a guy who, to this point, has not been able to hit MLB pitching.  He has some speed.

 

I liked him when he came up with KC but he never really made it the transition to become an everyday MLB starter and KC leap frogged other organization guys over him.

 

He seems the best of the lot we have in camp -- Rutledge has not impressed.......I'd go with Giavotella, send Rutledge to SLC (if he will agree to go -- Rutlegde may find a home back with the Rockies -- they need help at 2B) and then Featherston our Rule 5 guy stays up and plays late inning D w/ some pinch running/ bunting duties.

 

Would like to see Grant Green stick but the 25 man roster may be out of room for him...........

[Hollyw00d]

Seems to me Kansas city never gave giavotella a real shot and dicked around with him for 4 seasons

[ukyah]

here's the facts. every single one of these guys has a bird in the hand opportunity this season. if they fail to take it, then they'll have only themselves to blame. they won't be able to say, "i never got a shot."

[LAAMike]

What could the Dodgers possibly need from the Angels? They have their own infield overcrowding with Rollins, Howie, Uribe, Turner, Barney,Guerrero, Enrique Hernandez, Cory Seager and Hector Olivera. Their outfield is already set with Joc Pederson getting the nod over Eithier. Looks like Giavotella and Featherston are going to be what the Angels go with at least to start.