Infield batting, besides 1B

[NCRaven]

1 hour ago, Gentile4 said:

Obviously, Mateo is no Belanger, but he's by far the best SS option we have at the moment. The data that shows he's well above average defensively, so it makes sense to play him there. That said, it's the offensive boat anchors at 2B and 3B that prompt many to find another lineup option. If we had reasonable offensive production at 2B and 3B, couldn't we live w/Mateo at SS until one of the young players is ready?

I think that Mateo is every bit the offensive anchor that Odor and Nevin are.  Players aren't just defense or just offense.  They're a combination of both and need to be evaluated that way.  Mateo's May numbers weren't good, they were just better than his horrid June numbers.  I enjoy watching him on the field, but his contribution at the plate is nearly zero.  Having said all this, I don't think it matters very much who is standing between second base and third base today.  Hopefully, one of Westburg or Henderson will be standing there by August.  I would expect either to provide a better overall performance than Mateo.