So, chances of Dyson getting cut? We have tons of OFs

I'd personally like to keep Dyson for insurance. Also for base stealing.

Zero. He has some value to this team for his pinch running for Billy as well as a fill in for Cain.

I have always believed from the beginning of the offseason that the odds of Dyson getting traded or cut were almost zero. Something has to give, but I don't believe it will be him. Dyson is faster than everyone but maybe 4 or 5 people in the entire game, and for a team who ostensibly wants to make the playoffs, a super pinch runner who can play center field is worth something even if his bat isn't very strong.

edit: and as far as his bat goes, his offense is not embarrassing at all, either.

About zero, unless they really believe in Aoki's ability to play CF for more than a day here and there.

As of right now, my bench is (insert random backup catcher here), Maxwell (4OF), Dyson (pr/ Def CF), and Valencia (if Moose sucks), and I'd ask Escobar to do his best Cal Ripken Jr impersonation for the first 2 months. He played 158 games last year and 158 games 3 years ago, so he apparently doesn't need much rest. Injuries or something will happen at some point to open up a spot to temporarily shuttle Ciriaco or someone up and down to rest him later. If Moose looks good, we can probably trade or cut Valencia loose for a true UTIL later.

edit: woops, Ciriaco has no options. Unless he accepts a minor league assignment, we may have to figure out whether Moose can do it quicker than I thought.

edit2: Infante is nowhere near the horse Escobar is. We may have to have a backup middle infielder to start the season. I seriously doubt we'll start with 11 pitchers, so I dunno.

If only they'd had access to a player who could play 2B, SS AND CF...

Who could play a game a week at 2B, two a week in CF and one here or there at other spots.
Oh, wait...

:clap:

This is really kinda tight. I think Valencia has to make the team as moose insurance unless he sucks in spring. I believe Dyson is on the team, and I'm now starting to think we need Ciriaco or someone like him, because I don't think Infante can play every day in April into half of May.

Is Maxwell really the odd guy out? Maybe we can try to start the season with 11 pitchers, and try to decide between Moose and Valencia ASAP?

edit: and of course Maxwell has no options either. Screw it, they all make the team. We'll have to start the year with 11 pitchers probably, and get that bus to and from Omaha fired up and ready to go.

Valencia is making this team; like it or not. Don't know if he could spell Escobar and Infante at times, but I would imagine he could occasionally.

I'm not so sure. He has never played 2B in the majors, and he has played a middle infield position for a grand total of 1 game in his minor league career.

Which tells us that Ned is salivating at the possibilities.

Valencia is a stiff everywhere but third - and he isn't great there. He is a guy who hits lefties and that is about it.

There was a pretty simple solution to this roster crunch problem staring them in the face:

Pay Emilio Bonifacio and use him as the backup CF (2 starts a week), and IF (2 starts a week at 2B/SS/3B).

Cut ties with Dyson.

One of the hard truths with Dayton Moore is that he has ALWAYS been bad at roster construction. He has ALWAYS held onto guys with much less real value than he perceives for too long.

Dyson is just the latest example. He's probably the best player they've held onto too long - he at least has some useful skills - but his mediocre D in CF and speed are not that SPECIAL/RARE.

Dyson was never going anywhere. If we sign Boni, we don't need Ciriaco or Valencia.