Come March, when Spring Training rolls around, the Florida Marlins will without a doubt turn to Matt Dominguez for a shot to claim the third base job. Originally, Chris Coghlan was destined to man the hot corner until the Dan Uggla and Cameron Maybin trades left him in the outfield only this time in center.
But what if Matt Dominguez isn’t ready with the bat? His defense is major league ready at this point but at 20, many wonder whether the offense is a year or two away. He hit .252/.333/.411 with 14 HRs, 81 RBI in 138 games.
If the worst case scenario were to occur and Dominguez end up back in AA Jacksonville, who can replace him at third base?
One automatic name that pops up is Emilio Bonifacio, the team’s speedy utility player but the last time he maned third base, he committed 14 errors in 86 games back in 2009.
Even with the presence of Perry Hill, Bonifacio is better suited as the teams’ bench, pinch runner, and occasional starter perhaps taking over for Chris Coghlan, Omar Infante or playing a third when a player needs a day off.
That leaves one available free agent bargain who was an Oakland Athletic since 1998, Eric Chavez. Let’s take a look at why the Marlins should pursue Chavez as third base insurance policy.