MLB.com's Corey Brock brought readers into the dugout for some game action in an interesting read today. Receiving permission to camp out with the Padres during their game Thursday, Brock observed a number of inside snippets. For instance, infielder Stephen Carmon, who came over from minor league camp as depth and did not play, enjoyed a peaceful afternoon chatting with some veterans and sampling the wide variety of sunflower seed flavors made available.
Here are a few notes from around baseball:
- In another great story out of the NL West, Alex Pavloic of the San Jose Mercury News tells how 31-year-old Mark Minicozzi took an improbable path — around the world, through multiple injuries, and over multiple years — to rejoining the Giants. He left the organization after 2007, only to come back in 2012. Last year, he homered in his first Spring Training at-bat with the big club after coming over from the minor-league side for a road trip. This year, he earned his first non-roster invitation, and had his first ever start today. In his first trip to the plate, he swatted another long ball. Though Minicozzi still has many obstacles to overcome to reach a regular-season MLB game, his tale is testament to the power of perseverance and positive thinking.
- The second base position for the Dodgers is now a "full-blown tryout camp," reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Major offseason acquisition Alex Guerrero continues to try to learn second while adapting to the pace of the big league game, and Gurnick says it seems as if he'll start off in Triple-A. Though Dee Gordon is the other player that the team would like to see emerge, he too has not separated himself from a pack that includes Brendan Harris, Chone Figgins, Justin Turner, and Miguel Rojas.
- Infielder Jack Hannahan has not yet appeared in full spring action for the Reds because he underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Hannahan struggled mightily last year, but was apparently playing through the injury the entire time. The 33-year-old is in the final guaranteed year of a two-year, $4MM deal that comes with a $4MM club option for next season.
Guerrero is super ready for the starting job, he gonna get even better thru the season.
Well at least we have enough players to cover second base.
Unless none are any good. Right?
Just throwing this out there but I wonder if the Dodgers would have any interest in Darwin Barney as a 1 year or first half placeholder if nobody steps forward at 2b in spring training. I don’t think he would cost a lot in a trade and with the Cubs bringing in Bonifacio they have other options, even more if Mike Olt looks good this spring and Valbuena and Murphy are not playing 3b.
It would be a good idea for the Dodgers to trade Kemp to the Mariners for Franklin and a stud pitching prospect. They’d still carry an outfield of Crawford, Ethier, Puig, and Van Slyke, they’d get their second baseman, they’d save some money and sell high on Kemp before teams realize he may never play 130+ games again.
Which is fine for a couple months, then what? I’m sorry. Broken down Kemp is worth more than a 2 month second base solution.
Worst case scenario, Figgins and/or Gordon cover 2B while Guerrero comes up to speed in the minors.
Starting Figgins for any length of time is a terrible idea.
Because?
Because he is terrible, really really awful and a clubhouse problem. Having watched him in Seattle just stink up the joint and whine and complain about everything, blaming everyone but himself. There is a very good reason he wasn’t in the majors last season.
If this is true at all, it was only true in Seattle. Food for thought, as they say.
I’m sorry dude, but selling high on a for MVP (basically) doesn’t mean INF depth and “a pitching prospect”.
It doesn’t make any sense trade Kemp right now, his value can’t get any lower, nobody gonna give good prospects for him right now but if he shows that can stay healthy and play at the level that he’s supposed to play then they can trade him and get a really good ship in return.
I guess I don’t have quite as much faith in Kemp as you do. Plus I disagree that nobody would give up any good prospects for him at this point, the Mariners certainly would. They need a right-handed center fielder and more importantly, someone to hit behind Cano and validate their offseason.