Yesterday we looked at catchers, a position of strength for the Jays system. Today it is corner infielders where, other than Brett Lawrie, most of the players are well down the prospect lists.
Toronto
The Adam Lind experiment continues at the big league level and there will be some mix and match with Edwin Encarnacion. There is no plan B, one of these guys should work out.
It looks like Jose Bautista will man the hot corner to start the season. Bautista's talents are probably better used in right field but he is a team guy and will play third on request. EE or Johnny Mc could get some starts here too.
Las Vegas
David Cooper has spent two seasons in AA so it's time for the Jays to figure out if he can handle AAA. Cooper's hitting numbers for 2010 look weak but he did improve in the second half of the year. Also his contact rate was quite good so you could argue that he was very unlucky with his hitting in 2010. With Brian Dopirak gone Cooper or Jason Lane are the options for first base in Vegas but I think Cooper will get the starts in April at least.
Brett Lawrie is making the conversion to third base, his second move as a professional. Initially he switched from catcher to second base and now the Jays are moving him to third. Some scouts see Lawrie as a right fielder so it remains to be seen how well this move works. The other challenge is that Lawrie has the reputation of a guy who only cares about hitting. Hopefully he realizes he needs a position to play in the majors and that, along with Brian Butterfield's tutelage, will convince him to put in the effort on the defensive end. It could be argued that Lawrie should go back to AA but I don't see the Jays doing that with a player they just acquired in a big trade.
New Hampshire
Mike McDade's hitting improved in 2010 and he followed that up with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. McDade hit 21 home runs for Dunedin in the FSL at age 20/21, an impressive feat. McDade is a big guy, he is listed at 260 lbs, and unusually for a first baseman he is a switch hitter. McDade will begin the season at age 21 and turn 22 in May, that is young for AA. If McDade can continue to develop he will become a legitimate option for the Blue Jays. Interestingly McDade has played well when challenged, he had some big hits for the Blue Jays in last years spring training and hit well in the fall league. Hopefully he will hit well when challenged by AA.
Who handles third base in New Hampshire is one of the mysteries of spring. Scott Campbell, Jon Tolisano, Marc Sobolewski and Kevin Ahrens are all options. Campbell is coming back from almost two seasons of injuries and no-one knows what kind of player he will be when he gets back on the field. Is Tolisano a third baseman? That is the position he played the most in his injury shortened 2010. When he wasn't injured Tolisano played reasonably well, he hit over .250 and showed a little power. He has played 167 games in Dunedin over two seasons so this move is not too quick based on experience and age. It might be too quick based on his performance to date. But a strong spring training could get him a spot in AA. If the Jays see Tolisano as a third baseman they might have to push him to AA based on the logjam behind him.
Sobolewski and Ahrens are long shots to make the AA squad. Both have some experience in advanced A ball but you could claim that Sobolewski doesn't have enough experience to move up, he played a half season in Dunedin and his numbers are almost the same as Tolisano's. Ahrens hasn't "earned" the promotion but his hitting was a lot better in 2010 once he abandoned switch hitting. I doubt Ahrens would be top of the list unless he too had a huge spring.
Dunedin
First base in Dunedin is another uncertain position. Jon Talley will play more first base in 2011 and he could see playing time there. But as we saw yesterday Sean Ochinko is a hitter in need of a position. With AJ Jimenez getting the majority of the catching starts and with Sobolewski and Ahrens both claiming third, Ochinko is confined to first base or DH. Balbino Fuenmayor played first in Lansing in 2010 but he didn't do enough to move up unless the Jays want to challenge him.
Marc Sobolewski and Kevin Ahrens will compete for this job. I would put Ahrens as a slight favourite due to his draft position and his potential now that he is a right handed hitter exclusively. Plus there was some suggestion last season that Ahrens might have taken things for granted until he struggled last season.
Lansing
KC Hobson was promoted to Lansing for the last few weeks of the 2010 season. That is a sign that he will be headed back that way in 2011. Hobson looks to have moved ahead of Lance Durham on the depth chart.
Matt Nuzzo is the likely third baseman, a promotion from Auburn. The other third basemen behind Nuzzo are younger high school guys. Andy Fermin is another option but his lack of size and power makes him more suited for second base.
GCL
Yudelmis Hernandez and Art Charles handled first last season in Auburn and in the GCL. They will likely continue in those roles in extended spring.
Kellen Sweeney and Chris Hawkins likewise were the primary third basemen in the GCL to end the season. They will take the jobs in extended spring. Sweeney was described as an advanced hitter when he signed so there is a small chance he could go to Lansing. The Jays tried that several years ago with Ahrens, Jackson, etc and it was a long season for those guys. I would expect Sweeney to stay in Florida for a month at least.
Tomorrow Dave Rutt checks in on the middle infielders.
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