2023 Infield

[Ripken]

Mancini/Mountcastle at 1B, Henderson on the left side... and two other guys.  By '23 one of the other two could be our 1st rounder this year if he moved fast.  Vavra maybe at 2nd or might be a nice util.  Westburg could be on the left side with Henderson.  That's about it right now.   A real FA signing?

[Aristotelian]

4 minutes ago, Ripken said:

Mancini/Mountcastle at 1B, Henderson on the left side... and two other guys.  By '23 one of the other two could be our 1st rounder this year if he moved fast.  Vavra maybe at 2nd or might be a nice util.  Westburg could be on the left side with Henderson.  That's about it right now.   A real FA signing?

No way Mancini is still here in 2023. Might not be here in 2022. 

[Ripken]

2 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

No way Mancini is still here in 2023. Might not be here in 2022. 

I do think Mountcastle is our future 1B, which is why I wrote it that way.  That said, if there's anybody who can survive the purge of old players, it's Trey.  Loved, leader, produces, the cancer, all that stuff... and he may not be worth all that much in trade pushing 30 with limited defensive value.

[Aristotelian]

2 minutes ago, Ripken said:

I do think Mountcastle is our future 1B, which is why I wrote it that way.  That said, if there's anybody who can survive the purge of old players, it's Trey.  Loved, leader, produces, the cancer, all that stuff... and he may not be worth all that much in trade pushing 30 with limited defensive value.

He seems healthy. I would think he gets traded this year. 

I'm not sure Mountcastle can really play 1B, otherwise wouldn't he be playing there now? He's like Trumbo without the arm...

[Ripken]

7 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

He seems healthy. I would think he gets traded this year. 

I'm not sure Mountcastle can really play 1B, otherwise wouldn't he be playing there now? He's like Trumbo without the arm...

I think he could be a good 1B, yes.  He's a former SS/3B with throwing issues.  Seems ideal and I think he'd be there now if Trey wasn't.  He played 10 games at 1st last year.

[Beysbol]

2 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

No way Mancini is still here in 2023. Might not be here in 2022. 

I agree

[sportsfan8703]

We have a major depth issue in the infield. I know we have Gunnar, Westburg, and Mayo, but they are a ways away. The infield has been a weakness for a long time and I don’t see things getting better anytime soon. 
 

Second base looks to have some hope with Vavra and Jones. However, it looks like we have nothing at SS and 3B. 
 

Teams are, and have been, real stingy with trading away IF prospects recently. So even if we do trade are rentals, and a reliever or two, I just don’t see us having the chips to acquire our IF of the future. We’re going to have to hit big on one of the HS SS in the draft and hope that we can get lucky and get a 3B/SS by trading away Mancini. 
 

It’s just not looking good. 

[glenn__davis]

1 hour ago, sportsfan8703 said:

We have a major depth issue in the infield. I know we have Gunnar, Westburg, and Mayo, but they are a ways away. The infield has been a weakness for a long time and I don’t see things getting better anytime soon. 
 

Second base looks to have some hope with Vavra and Jones. However, it looks like we have nothing at SS and 3B. 
 

Teams are, and have been, real stingy with trading away IF prospects recently. So even if we do trade are rentals, and a reliever or two, I just don’t see us having the chips to acquire our IF of the future. We’re going to have to hit big on one of the HS SS in the draft and hope that we can get lucky and get a 3B/SS by trading away Mancini. 
 

It’s just not looking good. 

Well the good news is that (very) early in the season most of the guys you mentioned above are performing very well.  I don't think Gunnar is long for Delmarva if he keeps hitting the way he has. Westburg is off to a great start.  Joey Ortiz looks like he may have taken a big step forward this year.  Servideo and Hernaiz are off to solid starts as well.  Not to mention Vavra hitting very well thus far as you mentioned.

You're correct that none of these guys are imminent (maybe Vavra could be close), but by 2023 odds are good that a few of them are going to be knocking on the door.  Again, very early in the season, but I don't think the situation is as dire as painted above.

[coe76]

McCoy could be a stopgap middle infield/utility option until the youngsters are ready.  Several short term options in the system, none are going to be stars but could be serviceable for a short time.

[Aristotelian]

I wonder if we might have something in Vavra. Close to .900 OPS in A level, now off to 1.200 start in AA. Excellent walk rate with .300 AVG across levels. Is he decent defensively? Looks like most of his errors have been at SS. If he can play decent 2B with high OBP and plus hit and some pop... Yes, please. 

[UMDTerrapins]

Henderson seems close to a lock. Mountcastle likely at 1B. I feel pretty good about Vavra at 2B. The last spot has a bunch of good options in my opinion. My worry isn’t the infield, it’s the 40 man roster squeeze that we’ll be facing. 

[Just Regular]

7 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

I wonder if we might have something in Vavra. Close to .900 OPS in A level, now off to 1.200 start in AA. Excellent walk rate with .300 AVG across levels. Is he decent defensively? Looks like most of his errors have been at SS. If he can play decent 2B with high OBP and plus hit and some pop... Yes, please. 

Seconded.   Elias yesterday specifically praised his Eye, which is about enough for me to make him 2B tomorrow and hope he's a third respectable one with Mullins/Hays.

For now 2023 has Turner/Swanson if this offseason there is CBA/Davis last year poverty crying at the 2022 group of Correa/Story/Baez/Seager/Semien/Simmons/Galvis.    I think even by 2022 there is like half a decent team earning nothing, then by 2023 Davis is gone and there's probably more like 70% of a decent team earning nothing.

In the best case scenario, Gunnar 2022 could un-roll like Machado 2012, so I think OD23 my hope is like Gunnar--$$$$--Vavra--Mountcastle.    Hays and Westburg a fine bench for Santander--Mullins--Kjerstad.     $$$$ symbolizing a hand that ought to be bet on.

[Ripken]

Maybe Elias should start the FA spending by reuniting with Carlos Correa.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 hour ago, Aristotelian said:

I wonder if we might have something in Vavra. Close to .900 OPS in A level, now off to 1.200 start in AA. Excellent walk rate with .300 AVG across levels. Is he decent defensively? Looks like most of his errors have been at SS. If he can play decent 2B with high OBP and plus hit and some pop... Yes, please. 

And Vavra doesn't strike out a ton compared to many hitters coming up now in addition to his walk rate.

[Ruzious]

Don't forget Servideo at SS.  I think he, Hernais, Westburg, and Henderson.are all at Delmarva.