Around the Horn: Middle infielders
02/01/2006
There will be a shift in appearance up the middle for the Diamondbacks in 2006.
Gone is shortstop Royce Clayton, with Craig Counsell moving over from his second base position. Filling the gap, though, is Orlando Hudson, who will add considerable life to the D-Backs' infield.
Acquired from the Blue Jays along with pitcher Miguel Batista in exchange for Troy Glaus and shortstop prospect Sergio Santos, Hudson brings athleticism along with a Gold Glove as the American League's best at his position from last year.
Alex Cintron will likely be the reserve second baseman, with a number of suitors also in the mix for playing time in the middle of the diamond, including veteran Damion Easley, third-year man Andy Green and 2004 first-round pick Stephen Drew.
Easley certainly has the edge in experience with 14 years in the Majors, while Green, like Easley, is versatile. Drew is a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, but he should see some time with the big club in 2006.
The key piece to the infield next season, though, is Hudson, a burgeoning star around whom general manager Josh Byrnes can begin to reassemble the pieces.
"I think there are many qualities," Byrnes said of Hudson. "One, he's arguably the best defensive second baseman in the game. Two, he brings a great deal of energy to the field. And three, he's also a pretty good offensive player for the position."
Losing Glaus will hurt in the power department. In his lone season with the Diamondbacks, Glaus led the club with 37 homers and 97 RBIs. But the club feels it will more than make up for Glaus' absence with Hudson, both defensively and in the clubhouse.
Among those who played at least 130 games, the 28-year-old Hudson led the AL in range factor (5.84) and tied the Angels' Adam Kennedy with a .991 fielding percentage. Hudson committed one more error than Kennedy, but he also had 130 more chances. At the plate, he hit .271 with 25 doubles, five triples, 10 homers and 63 RBIs.
"I played with him in the [2003] Futures Game," D-Backs infielder Chad Tracy said. "He's fun to have around and a heck of a player. He keeps everyone upbeat in the clubhouse. He's a great dude."
The presence of Hudson pushes Counsell back to shortstop, a position he started in 2004 while playing for the Brewers. Last year's starter, Clayton, is a free agent.
Counsell is mostly a place-holder for Drew, but he's a capable one. The 10-year veteran can play third and second base as well as shortstop, and he can even log some time at first base. Counsell hit a career-high 34 doubles last season while posting his highest average in four years. He also established career highs with nine homers and 26 stolen bases. By committing just eight errors in 143 games, Counsell proved to the club his ability to field the ball cleanly. In 2004, he booted the ball nine times while logging 129 games at short.
Cintron will begin his sixth season with Arizona and his second straight in a reserve role. The 27-year-old split his time evenly between third, second and short a year ago. But in both 2003 and '04, Cintron was the club's primary starter at shortstop.
Also in camp will be Justin Upton, Arizona's first-round draft choice from last year. Like Drew, Upton is a shortstop, but he will be there on a non-roster invitation, so the D-Backs will mostly be taking a look at the 18-year-old to see where he stands in his development.
Aside from Easley and Green battling for a reserve role and the presence of Hudson, a number of eyes will be on Drew.
The Diamondbacks drafted Drew with the 13th overall pick in 2004 because, in their minds, he was the best player available. He performed well at two different levels last year, plus the Arizona Fall League. Some scouts think that he's ready for the big leagues right now, but the Diamondbacks plan to be cautious and will likely start him out at Triple-A Tucson this season.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
There will be a shift in appearance up the middle for the Diamondbacks in 2006.
Gone is shortstop Royce Clayton, with Craig Counsell moving over from his second base position. Filling the gap, though, is Orlando Hudson, who will add considerable life to the D-Backs' infield.
Acquired from the Blue Jays along with pitcher Miguel Batista in exchange for Troy Glaus and shortstop prospect Sergio Santos, Hudson brings athleticism along with a Gold Glove as the American League's best at his position from last year.
Alex Cintron will likely be the reserve second baseman, with a number of suitors also in the mix for playing time in the middle of the diamond, including veteran Damion Easley, third-year man Andy Green and 2004 first-round pick Stephen Drew.
Easley certainly has the edge in experience with 14 years in the Majors, while Green, like Easley, is versatile. Drew is a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, but he should see some time with the big club in 2006.
The key piece to the infield next season, though, is Hudson, a burgeoning star around whom general manager Josh Byrnes can begin to reassemble the pieces.
"I think there are many qualities," Byrnes said of Hudson. "One, he's arguably the best defensive second baseman in the game. Two, he brings a great deal of energy to the field. And three, he's also a pretty good offensive player for the position."
Losing Glaus will hurt in the power department. In his lone season with the Diamondbacks, Glaus led the club with 37 homers and 97 RBIs. But the club feels it will more than make up for Glaus' absence with Hudson, both defensively and in the clubhouse.
Among those who played at least 130 games, the 28-year-old Hudson led the AL in range factor (5.84) and tied the Angels' Adam Kennedy with a .991 fielding percentage. Hudson committed one more error than Kennedy, but he also had 130 more chances. At the plate, he hit .271 with 25 doubles, five triples, 10 homers and 63 RBIs.
"I played with him in the [2003] Futures Game," D-Backs infielder Chad Tracy said. "He's fun to have around and a heck of a player. He keeps everyone upbeat in the clubhouse. He's a great dude."
The presence of Hudson pushes Counsell back to shortstop, a position he started in 2004 while playing for the Brewers. Last year's starter, Clayton, is a free agent.
Counsell is mostly a place-holder for Drew, but he's a capable one. The 10-year veteran can play third and second base as well as shortstop, and he can even log some time at first base. Counsell hit a career-high 34 doubles last season while posting his highest average in four years. He also established career highs with nine homers and 26 stolen bases. By committing just eight errors in 143 games, Counsell proved to the club his ability to field the ball cleanly. In 2004, he booted the ball nine times while logging 129 games at short.
Cintron will begin his sixth season with Arizona and his second straight in a reserve role. The 27-year-old split his time evenly between third, second and short a year ago. But in both 2003 and '04, Cintron was the club's primary starter at shortstop.
Also in camp will be Justin Upton, Arizona's first-round draft choice from last year. Like Drew, Upton is a shortstop, but he will be there on a non-roster invitation, so the D-Backs will mostly be taking a look at the 18-year-old to see where he stands in his development.
Aside from Easley and Green battling for a reserve role and the presence of Hudson, a number of eyes will be on Drew.
The Diamondbacks drafted Drew with the 13th overall pick in 2004 because, in their minds, he was the best player available. He performed well at two different levels last year, plus the Arizona Fall League. Some scouts think that he's ready for the big leagues right now, but the Diamondbacks plan to be cautious and will likely start him out at Triple-A Tucson this season.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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