Maybe, but there's a massive difference between the respective responsibilities of a starter and bench player, especially in the AL. I'd actually far prefer a defense-first ballplayer for a utility infielder role.

I think that money would have been better spent on a legitimate utility player. For instance, wouldn't Nick Punto have been a far FAR better fit? And he cost less.

This is a head-scratcher. Yuni simply isn't well-equipped to be a utility player in the American League. His power is too intermittent to be considered a premier pinch hitter. His defense is waaaaay to lousy to be a defensive replacement. He's nowhere near fast enough to be a pinch runner. He serves no legitimate purpose other than as an "in case of emergency" injury replacement.

That seems like a strange use of resources to me.

From Tragedy to Farce: The Return of Yuni

Yuni is a terrible player, with value stats that place him squarely at replacement level. (revisiting the definition of "replacement level", we're talking about career AAA guys who no one wants, and can be had for the minimum at any time) There's lots of guys out there, just as good as Yuni (perhaps better glove, lighter bat), who we could have signed to a minor league contract.

His bat is decent for a shortstop (most of that value negated by his awful, awful glove). His bat barely plays at second, and doesn't play at third. This season he may lose enough SS positional adjustment to become a negative-WAR guy again.

This.

I'd say 99.5% of MLB 2nd baseman were probably originally SS at some point in their professional careers.

If you can play SS in the bigs somewhat effectively, 2nd base should be a layup.

I remember a few years ago when Hamas and I got into an argument about 2nd baseman not having as good of arms as SS and I told him it wasn't high school and that just about every 2nd baseman was a SS playing 2nd base because his team had a better SS ahead of him...

If you can play SS, you can play all 4 IF positions.

I remember a few years ago when Hamas and I got into an argument about 2nd baseman not having as good of arms as SS and I told him it wasn't high school and that just about every 2nd baseman was a SS playing 2nd base because his team had a better SS ahead of him...

If you can play SS, you can play all 4 IF positions.

That's fair, but it shifts the conversation from "this was a horrible addition" to "this might not have been the best possible addition". I'll listen to the second argument. The former is silly.

Keep in mind the fact that our SS is 25 years old and played in 158 games last year. This move was made under the assumption that the utility infielder isn't going to spend a lot of time manning the 6.

We have gold glove talent at 1B, SS, C, LF, and CF, plus a DH who leads the majors in bench-surface-area-kept-warm. Even Frenchy is solid in RF. 3B and 2B are already defensive liabilities, but we've got enough talent around them to fill in some of the gaps.

I'll trade a glove for a stick any day at 2B and 3B.

And most of them then spent a couple of seasons learning how to play 2b well.

Skip Schumaker played SS in college and got shifted to OF when he was drafted. Watch him play 2b now and he just looks like an OFer playing 2b. He arm angles aren't right, his release is long and slow, his footwork around the bag is putrid.

He looks like a guy that played some infield (his hands are soft enough most of the time), but clearly doesn't understand the mechanics of the position.

2b isn't inherently easier than SS, it's just different.

Again - MLB is absolutely loaded with examples of guys that just don't make the transition well. Your argument is completely undercut by history. That or you don't truly understand what I'm trying to say.

It's not as easy as just walking to the other side of the bag. There's a lot of technique and mechanics that have to go into making that switch and they generally take a season or two of heavy work to perfect. Sure, most SSs can go over there without embarrassing themselves too badly. In fact, Jack Wilson made one of the best plays I've seen a 2b make last season. That said, he still fought the hell out of the position and was never anywhere close to as fluid and efficient at 2b as he was at SS.

But to play it at a consistently solid level (i.e. like an average ML defensive 2b), there's a lot of work that needs to be done.

It really isn't as easy as you're arguing, not at the major league level.

I'll never trade a glove for a stick at SS, 2b, CF or C (well, within reason). Defense up the middle is paramount.

It's especially critical if you're trying to groom young starting pitching.

I'm not terribly familiar with Getz's glove, but I honestly don't recall it being a legitimate asset as much as it's just league average. That said, I'd take a starting 2b like Punto over Yuni every time at 2b. So if Getz has a plus glove, I'd have no problem saying I'd take Getz at 2b over Yuni as well.

There are very few substitutes for solid interior defense.

well perhaps but a lot of the time the guys being shifted from SS to 2nd base are being shifted because they are just shitty fielders in general...I won't pretend to know much about Jack Wilson at 2nd base...I do know he was a great SS so I find it odd he couldn't transition...

either way...1st base is the easiest position on the field...

2nd base in much easier than SS and 3rd base...

there's a reason why Soriano passed at 2nd base for a handful of years...it doesn't really matter that much if you have a stud fielder at 2nd base if the guy can hit 30 bombs...

Yuni had some pretty good hot streaks at the plate last year for the Brewers...and we're talking backup...so I think everyone in this thread is getting a bit bent out of shape.

well perhaps but a lot of the time the guys being shifted from SS to 2nd base are being shifted because they are just shitty fielders in general...I won't pretend to know much about Jack Wilson at 2nd base...I do know he was a great SS so I find it odd he couldn't transition...

either way...1st base is the easiest position on the field...

2nd base in much easier than SS and 3rd base...

there's a reason why Soriano passed at 2nd base for a handful of years...it doesn't really matter that much if you have a stud fielder at 2nd base if the guy can hit 30 bombs...

Yuni had some pretty good hot streaks at the plate last year for the Brewers...and we're talking backup...so I think everyone in this thread is getting a bit bent out of shape.

Virtually every one of those guys played 2b in the minors for several years before getting called up.

Even guys like Cano, Kinsler and Phillips, guys that were drafted as SSs, played a ton of 2b in the minors before getting starting jobs at 2b at the big league level.

A few guys, folks like Grudzielanek, end up moving from SS to 2b on the fly as they age and their range can't hold up at the position any more, but that's never the preferred method.

Very true, I didn't mean to imply that if you can SS at the major league level you are automatically a good defensive 2nd baseman. From my somewhat limited baseball experience and knowledge someone who can be an everyday shortstop can handle 2b duties as a utility guy.

I would disagree that 2B is easier than 3B.

well go stand at 3B against a ML right handed batter and then get back to me