Spring Battles: Week 4 Hitters

Written by: Michael Taylor on 22nd March 2009

Spring Battles: Week 4 Hitters | read this item

There is a list of 10 names below who are still playing with the Indians big league team in Goodyear, AZ. These 10 names are still officially in the running for roster spots. But let’s be honest here. How many of these guys actually have a legit shot at making the Indians opening day roster, barring any unforeseen injuries?

Maybe four?

Then of the two who do make it, what are the odds that they even last the first two months of the season on the team, let alone the whole year? So to keep this “spring battle” into perspective, we are talking about the last spots on the roster. This is where you will typically see guys getting released or sent down to the minors from or called up from the minors into.

Team management already has an idea of who will be taking up these roster spots initially, but we still get to speculate about it until the winners have been officially named to the team, which is what we are waiting for with Josh Barfield and David Dellucci.

Instead we get to constantly hear the same quotes, “We like him”, “He could be a good fit for us”, “He has to come in and make the ballclub, but he’s very capable of doing that. He offers a lot to a club” or more direct ones such as “I’m still very aware of Francisco and Choo and their youth and the fact that it’s still early in their career and there’s going to be adjustments made to them. I want to protect them.”

You know that these quotes mean that the subject of questioning will make the team, even though they can’t commit themselves to admitting that until they are ready to.

What should then be the focus of fans is who is doing well other than Barfield and Dellucci – who, lets face it, are going to be holding up roster spots just to make sure the kids will be ready come May/June.

So while we have fun discussing who should win the jobs, what really is going on is players positioning themselves to be one of the first guys called upon when the teams needs help.

That is where Chris Gimenez, and the young trio of outfielders, Michael Brantley, Trevor Crowe and Matt LaPorta fit in. Each has impressed in their own way this spring, whether it be Gimenez’ positional versatility and plate awareness, or Brantley’s speed and bat control, or Crowe’s speed and versatility in the outfield, or LaPorta’s power and ability to make adjustments.

These will be the names that Cleveland turns to for answers during the season, and more than likely for the stretch run. Because really, do we believe that Barfield will last the whole year as a glorified pinch runner? Or that will Dellucci last as a fourth outfielder that only plays left field?

With that, let’s get to the competitors who are positioning themselves…

Utility Role

Josh Barfield – play in the field has been focused at two positions, third base and center field, over the past few weeks. Wedge believes Barfield to be a very good center fielder, but third base remains a question with more errors there this week. Bat has come alive a bit with a three-game hitting streak. ’09 Spring: .205/.239/.250, 0HR, 2RBI, 1SB

Andy Cannizaro – continues to get mop-up play late in games in the middle infield. The veteran may soon be the victim of another round of reassignments to the minor league camp where he will compete for a job in Columbus. ’09 Spring: .278/.381/.500, 1HR, 2RBI, 0SB

Chris Gimenez – received just one start last week, and it was at first base during yesterday’s loss to the Dodgers. He went 0-4 with two strikeouts. But Gimenez did have a game-winning pinch-hit three-run HR on Tuesday. ’09 Spring: .292/.414/.667, 2HR, 7RBI, 0SB

Tony Graffanino – the odds are stacked against Graffanino, but don’t count him out just yet. He has been one of the most consistent players of the spring and is getting on base over 40% of the time. He could be a veteran presence off of the bench who can play most positions on the field. ’09 Spring: .345/.424/.414, 0HR, 3RBI, 1SB

Andy Marte – finally got a start this week, but it was nothing special. He went 1-4 with a run scored while playing defensively at first base. But hey, he did have a hit! Decision time is coming very soon. Is he a straight up release, or will he be reassigned? ’09 Spring: .125/.125/.125, 0HR, 1RBI, 0SB

Wilson Valdez – another uninspiring performance from Valdez last week. He made one start, played in four games, and had just one hit in six at-bats. That actually raised his spring average to .080. One positive for Valdez is that he was given a look in centerfield rather than the usual shortstop. ’09 Spring: .080/.148/.080, 0HR, 3RBI, 2SB

4th Outfielder

Michael Brantley – playing time was cut last week to just four at-bats in five games played as he came in to play toward the end of each game. This could be a signal that he may soon be reassigned to the Columbus camp to get his time in before the Triple-A season starts. ’09 Spring: .333/.367/.370, 0HR, 3RBI, 4SB

Trevor Crowe – while Crowe has helped his case this spring to be an early call-up this season, he has not shown during game action yet much pop at the plate or ability to draw a walk – both of which he has shown he can do in his minor league career. I wouldn’t read too much into it until this is the case a month or two into the season. ’09 Spring: .257/.278/.286, 0HR, 1RBI, 6SB

David Dellucci – its about time that the team just comes out to say it. Dellucci will keep his job to start the season. Reports out of Goodyear say Dellucci is swinging a faster bat, and with a bit more pop to it than last year. ’09 Spring: .263/.333/.632, 2HR, 5RBI, 0SB

Matt LaPorta – bounced back very well after a tough week a few weeks ago. LaPorta had seven hits in 12 at-bats with four doubles, three RBI and two runs scored last week. If there were an everyday spot open in one of the corner outfield spots, you bet that LaPorta’s spring would be making a strong case to start with the Tribe. ’09 Spring: .394/.474/.667, 1HR, 4RBI, 1SB

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Topics: Andy Cannizaro, Andy MArte, Chris Gimenez, David Dellucci, Josh Barfield, Mat LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Tony Graffanino, Trevor Crowe, Wilson Valdez