Kuzul

While the Oakland A’s had a successful season by all means in 2012, the infield is bound to be a lot better in 2013. 

The A’s went out and got Hiroyuki Nakajima and Jed Lowrie, and they will return formerly injured Scott Sizemore in 2013. Brandon Moss hit .291 in 2012, and Donaldson hit .284 in his last 225 at-bats (for the regular season). Sizemore doesn’t have too much on his resume, but he is a talented player who may start at second base.

Lowrie has some pop, as he homered in 4.71 of his at-bats in 2012. He is a good middle infielder, and while he might not start, I see him improving on his stellar .331 on-base percentage (OBP) and seizing a starting spot eventually.

Right now, however, the leading candidates appear to be Sizemore and Jemile Weeks, who broke out and had a spectacular 2011 season before regressing significantly and getting sent down to the minors. Weeks hit .303 in 2011, but in 2012, his .158 well-hit average placed him among the 10 worst players in the league at making hard contact.

Weeks has speed, however, and while he isn’t a great defensive second baseman, he can play defense. However, it’s going to take a lot from him in the spring, as his numbers were appalling last year. It’s hard to post a horrific minus-one wins over replacement (WAR) and bounce back so significantly the next spring to win the starting job.

And, unfortunately for Weeks, that’s the position he is in.

Sizemore, however, is also in a tough position. He tore his ACL in 2012 and was forced to watch Oakland’s magical playoff run from the dugout. Due to his injury, his chances of starting in 2013 have significantly decreased. Sizemore is only a career .239 hitter, so it’s not like he’s automatically penciled in as a starter.

In 2011, Sizemore posted a .345 OBP with the Athletics, which is good by all means. Sizemore has a career .958 fielding percentage as a second baseman, a mark that needs to improve. However, he seems to be a better and more proven option than Weeks, which gives him a slight edge.

Lowrie is expected to get time everywhere, backing up Nakajima, who was projected by scouts to hit .270 or .280 in the big leagues. Lowrie, who doesn’t hit for average, is predicted to be a utility player, although he piqued interest from teams as a trade target and should see significant time at lots of positions.

Lowrie won’t be playing first base, however. Moss did a great job in 2012, hitting .291, and Daric Barton is a capable backup. He isn’t great, but he has posted a .360 OBP over his career. Unfortunately for him, he will need to build significantly on his .204 batting average for 2012 if he wants to work his way into a platoon.

Luckily for Barton, he should be on the roster, unlike some players. The A’s cannot afford to carry eight infielders, and presumably, they will keep Weeks, Sizemore, Lowrie, Nakajima, Donaldson, Moss and Barton. Guys like Andy Parrino and Adam Rosales have an outside chance of making the team, but they don’t bring anything special.

Donaldson locked down third base due to his great end-of-year performance, as he almost hit .300 over a span of 225 at-bats. Moss and Barton have first base under control, and a strong start from Nakajima will give him shortstop.

Second base is the only position that appears to be in doubt, and while I believe Sizemore will start on Opening Day, we will see if Weeks can rebound from his sophomore slump and if Lowrie can make a good first impression on manager Bob Melvin.

It will be interesting to watch how the infield works together, who plays when, where and how often. Any of these guys can play designated hitter, especially someone like Weeks, who isn’t an exceptional defensive player.

The infield is set in terms of which guys will make the 25-man roster, but the mess is yet to be sorted out. Melvin will have a difficult task at hand, and he will have to decide a lot of things. While I think he’s fairly confident about all four positions and how the infield can help the A’s, he has to be worrying about how to shuffle everyone around.

Spring training will be vital for all second basemen and just infielders in general, so everyone can prove that they’re ready to contribute in 2013. Oakland has enough depth and talent at each position that they are completely set in the infield, a place where they had lots of trouble in 2012.

What does that mean for the A’s? It means they are ready to embark on a legitimate championship journey, and every man in the infield will play a vital role in the team’s fate.

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After a busy offseason for the Oakland A’s, they will fight to retain their standing on top of the American League West.

During said offseason, the A’s have moved around a lot of infielders through addition and subtraction.

Gone are the days of Cliff Pennington at shortstop or second base, after he was traded to Arizona. Stephen Drew is gone as well after being the A’s shortstop down the stretch.  

Another trade split apart the solid first base platoon of Brandon Moss and Chris Carter with Carter being sent to Houston.

Brandon Inge also will not be back in Oakland this year.

With all the departing infielders, who will take their spots rather that be an everyday job or part-time platoon job?

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Say what you will, but Billy Beane is not averse to making decisive moves. Adding guys like John Jaso and Jed Lowrie may not be as sexy as Josh Hamilton, but the Oakland Athletics have further addressed offseason deficiencies with their moves. 

With Lowrie in the fold, the A’s now have someone with real Major League pop to fill in voids all over the infield. That means players like Eric Sogard and Adam “Skolnick” Rosales have less at-bats in meaningful situations. I like them both, but neither should be hitting more than 70 times a year in the big leagues. 

The reality is, the A’s were not far away last year and the two biggest holes in the lineup have been addressed with a trio of potentially big time upgrades in Jaso, Lowrie, and Hiro Nakajima. Yes, losing Chris Carter has the potential to take home runs away from the lineup. As a matter of fact, I anticipate that happening. 

However, you sometimes have to pull from a position of strength to address a position of weakness. There is no guarantee what Nakajima will give the A’s.

Lowrie would be a fantastic alternative at shortstop. He also fits at second, third, and first base as well. Scott Sizemore hasn’t played second base in the Major Leagues with any consistency. In other words, having a player with a real pedigree in waiting can only help this infield.

But the separation Oakland has from both Texas and Los Angeles, er Anaheim, is in the starting pitching. One to five, no team in the AL West is better than the A’s in terms of pitching. The Angels tried to address their deficiencies with outsiders Jason Vargas, Tommy Hanson, and Joe Blanton. Good luck. They aren’t on the level of the departed Zack Greinke, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana. 

Meanwhile, Texas has issues with a lack of starting pitching and the potential issues with Nelson Cruz being implicated in the most recent PED scandal in baseball. The reality is, Oakland’s status quo is still the best in the division until proven otherwise. No team has the depth of pitching combined with a solid lineup one through nine in the division. Oakland doesn’t have a Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Felix Hernandez, Yu Darvish, or any other marquee name (though Yoenis Cespedes is darn close) yet.

What they still have is the best overall team in the American League West.

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It’s just been that kind of year.

Nothing has gone right for the Boston Red Sox. Their lone bright spot, rookie Will Middlebrooks, hit .288/.325/.509 with 15 home runs before breaking his wrist. While he’s only been placed on the 15-day DL, there’s a very good chance he misses the rest of the season.

Boston is now in a delicate situation. The Sox need a third baseman, but need to avoid any options that will make the roster too rigid in the future.

Here are a few waiver wire options Boston can explore before the final trade deadline.

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At the beginning of the season, everybody had considered the Tigers to be World Series contenders.  But as of right now, the team has struggled to get above the .500 mark.  The only way the Tigers are going to make the playoffs is by winning the division; and in order to win the division, they must become buyers at the trade deadline.  Here’s a list of players that could help the Tigers at the trade deadline.

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After a disastrous September, Boston missed the postseason for the second straight season. We saw a major upheaval of the organization and the roster.

Theo Epstein and Terry Francona left.

Ben Cherington and Bobby Valentine are here.

The front office made several moves during the offseason to try and revamp the team with hopes of making a postseason run in 2012. This included letting players walk during free agency as well as trading players to try and give the team a new feel.

Here are six players that didn’t return to Boston after their epic collapse last season and have made strides to help their new teams.

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Boston Red Sox fans were probably unhappy to hear that their powerful backup shortstop has been traded.

They may be upset, but the trade, which included right-handed pitcher Kyle Weiland, brought right-handed reliever Mark Melancon to Boston for much-needed pitching.

Houston Astros fans should be excited about the trade. Lowrie brings powerful hitting and a strong arm to the Astros.

When Mike Lowell was placed on the DL in Boston in 2008, Lowrie was called up from Triple-A. Lowrie received the call on April 10th, 2008. On April 15th, he hit 3 RBI against the Cleveland Indians.

Julio Lugo was placed on the DL later in the season. Lowrie was called up again on Aug. 1st, 2008. In his second call-up, he hit a game-winning single in the 12th inning against the Oakland Athletics, winning 2-1.

His first MLB walk-off home run was on Aug. 24th, 2008, winning 6-5. He had another game-winning hit on Oct. 6th against the Angels.

He ended the 2008 season with no errors in 49 regular season games.

Jed Lowrie had a phenomenal showing for his call-up to the major leagues. Unfortunately, circumstances slowed him down, but only temporarily.

Early in the 2009 season, he was put on the 15-day DL for a sprain to his left wrist. He attempted to rehab in the minor leagues and was reactivated by Boston.

On Aug. 8th, he was placed on the DL again for ulnar neuritis in his wrist. In his first game back, he hit a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Adding to his resume, on Oct. 4th, 2009, he hit his first career grand slam against the Cleveland Indians.

Lowrie had some difficulty at the start of the 2010 season. He developed mononucleosis, which kept him out for much of the first half of the season.

He made his season debut on July 21st against the Oakland Athletics after his recovery. Showing that he can’t be held back permanently, he hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Lowrie had a stellar beginning in the 2011 season, with a batting average of .516 in his first 31 at-bats.

On April 18th, he hit a home run and 4 RBI going 4-for-5 at the plate. He started a triple play against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 16th.

Boston enjoyed great success at the hands and the bat of Jed Lowrie. His career batting average is .252 with 19 home runs and 117 RBI.

Boston decided to trade him with Kyle Weiland in a deal for Mark Melancon on Dec. 14th, 2011. Red Sox fans will feel some pain to see him go, but they will have success with Melancon.

Houston Astros fans will have the privilege of being recipients of a highly-skilled hitter, shortstop and occasional first baseman.

He will bring speed and power to a lineup that desperately needs a kick-start. Lowrie will show that he is the go-to guy when they need a clutch hitter or a clutch play.

The Astros will reap the benefits and enjoy the rewards of this trade.

Good move, Houston.

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Chances are, if you’re a committed fantasy manager, you have at least one team where you’re not particularly happy with the standing of your middle infield. 

The depth and injury questions that characterize the upper tiers of both second base and shortstop provide a perplexing issue for fantasy managers.

For those of us who opt out of overpaying for big names, finding consistent production—especially in deeper leagues—can be an problem.

So, when a guy comes along with the potential for high impact and eligibility at both shortstop and second base, it’s good to take notice. Jed Lowrie fits that description, and he’s available in just four percent of Yahoo leagues and 0.9 percent of ESPN leagues.

Much of Lowrie’s fantasy relevancy stems from the stellar end to his 2010 campaign. After struggling with injury for most of his first two seasons in the bigs, Lowrie was finally healthy last season.

He became a regular in the much-maligned Red Sox infield over the final two months of 2010, and he put up some rather gaudy numbers, albeit in a small sample size:

Lowrie 2010: 55 G, 197 PA, 9 HR, 31 R, 24 RBI, 1 SB, .287/.381/.526 slash line, 12.7% BB rate, .240 ISO, .393 wOBA, 143 wRC+.

Lowrie suffered from a wrist injury for a good chunk of his first two seasons in the bigs (2008-09), and as a result, his power was almost non-existent. He struggled to drive the ball, hitting just four HR in 382 PA’s, a 1.1 HR percent.

But last year, Lowrie showed the ability to drive the ball, an indication that he was no longer hindered by his wrist problems. His nine home runs in 197 plate appearances translates to a 4.6 HR percent.

The caveat with Lowrie, however, is the incumbent shortstop, Marco Scutaro, who—at least for now—has the starting gig. After a breakout 2009, Scutaro returned to form with a less-than-stellar not-quite-terrible 2010:

Scutaro 2010: 150 G, 695 PA, 11 HR, 92 R, 56 RBI,5 SB, .275/.333/.388 slash line, 7.6% BB rate, .112 ISO, .319 wOBA, 93 wRC+.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought Lowrie deserved more of shot to win the starting job than he got this Spring. Little separates them defensively and it doesn’t take advanced statistical analysis to discern that Scutaro’s ceiling lies much lower than Lowrie’s.

But Red Sox manager Terry Francona is a “Scutaro guy.” In a season which the team had issues just getting players onto the field, Scutty gave them 150 games (second highest on team) and 695 PA (highest on team), despite suffering through a myriad of injuries for most of the season.

So, at least for now, Lowrie is on the fringe. Currently, he’s serving as the teams super-utility infielder, and he’s managed to get himself at least one at bat in seven of the team’s eleven games thus far.

He’s regularly splitting time between first, second, third and short, and he’s made two starts at short and one at third already.

But Lowrie is also 7-16 (.438) to start the season, one of the few hot bats on a Red Sox team that has stumbled to a 2-9 start and a .230 team average.

Scutaro, on the other hand, is 5-29 (.172), one of the five regulars hitting below the Mendoza line.

Even before the season started, there was speculation that Lowrie could seize the starting job from Scutaro. Now, with the team’s slow start, those voices have only grown in magnitude.

It’s become apparent that Lowrie, when playing to his fullest ability, is the better player by a significant margin.

Lowrie offers the Red Sox a number of advantages over Scutaro. His plate discipline is the real deal; Scutaro has a career OBP of .336. He’s a switch hitter capable of hitting anywhere in the order; Scutaro only operates as a number 8-9, or a number 1 hitter.

He’s a line-drive/flyball hitter who could be a doubles machine if given a full seasons worth of at bats, and who appears to have average-moderate power; Scutaro is mostly a singles hitter with below average power.

Perhaps most importantly, a Lowrie-Scutaro flip wouldn’t drastically alter the dynamic of the team. Lowrie could continue to fulfill his “utility” role—in the sense that he can continue to play various positions when the Red Sox shake up the lineup—while starting the majority of his games at short.

Marco Scutaro has spent the majority of his career as a utility man, and he can backup the shortstop and second base position more than adequately.

Recommendation:

At this point, Lowrie is worth a speculative add in deep mixed leagues and AL only formats.

In shallower mixed leagues, he should be at the top of your watch list. The Red Sox haven’t given any indication that they intend to make Lowrie the full time starter, but it seems illogical to keep the player with a great deal of upside on the bench, especially when he’s outperforming the starter.

If Lowrie were to suddenly find himself with a starting job, consider him a must-own in all formats.

Lowrie would likely bat anywhere from 6-8 in a starting role, although he could move up to the fifth spot if the Sox sit David Ortiz against a tough lefty.

He’ll likely have on base machines like Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Gonzalez hitting not too far in front of him, so the chance for RBI will be there even if he’s batting lower in the order.

Position eligibility is also something to consider. He’s already qualified at second and short; he could end up with third and even first base eligibility before the season is out.

Dan is a Boston Red Sox featured columnist and a baseball fanatic. You can follow him on twitter @dantheman_06.

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Those who have tuned in to the extensive spring training coverage NESN has dedicated to the Boston Red Sox over the last few weeks—which, at this point, rivals the treatment of most international disputes—have had the opportunity to observe highly touted shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias in his first extended big league camp.

And it’s hard not to come away impressed.

Iglesias defines the word fluid, making the difficult plays look routine and the routine plays look smoother than Terry Francona’s head. He’s been hyped as a Gold Glove-caliber player and appears ready to live up to every word of the billing.

Meanwhile, the debate in many Red Sox circles this spring has centered on the shortstop position and who should start the season at the post: Marco Scutaro or Jed Lowrie.

Scutaro is the incumbent, having gamely played through injuries all of last year while batting in the leadoff spot for much of the campaign, while Lowrie is the upstart who finally turned in a month-long stretch of impressive play to close the 2010 season after years of injury-riddled silence.

Iglesias needs more seasoning—if only a little of it—before he becomes an everyday Major Leaguer, but it would be wise to pencil him in as the starting shortstop this time next year.

As for the debate regarding the here and now, it seems the prevailing thought is Lowrie will overtake Scutaro by sometime this season, wrestling the job away before we reach the dog days of summer.

And to that I say, not so fast.

Nobody’s stock rose faster in a shorter time last year than Lowrie’s. He put on a torrid September display that included some surprising pop, belting a handful of home runs in a short period of time.

And he’s a switch-hitter who is widely regarded as a more than capable fielder.

So it’s a no-brainer, right?

Wrong.

Let’s remember that before Lowrie put it all together for one month—less than a month, really—he spent almost three seasons trying to find his way consistently onto the field.

He’s spent almost all of his Red Sox career as a member of the walking wounded, with some nagging ailment or another keeping him off the field for extended stretches.

He’s had plenty of chances to stake claim to the shortstop post as a revolving door of transient fill-ins wobbled through and hasn’t come close to doing so.

When he took the field last year, he looked pretty good, but what assurance does anyone have that he can do it on a daily basis for an entire Major League season?

But there’s more to it than just that. He was certainly impressive with the stick during the final stages of the year, but he hasn’t proven he can do that for an entire season either.

Is it possible? Sure. But is it likely?

Be honest with yourself.

It would be great for the Red Sox if the Jed Lowrie we all saw in September was, indeed, the real Jed Lowrie. They are a much better team if he’s healthy and contributing, be it as a utility infielder or the starting shortstop.

But he’s being talked about as if he’s spent six seasons building up a Major League resume. Television and print journalists have all but handed him the keys to the position, and I even heard a discussion at work this week about whether the Sox would choose him over Pedroia at second base if Lowrie turned in the kind of monster year many apparently expect.

But let’s all take a deep breath and soak up some reality here.

Jed Lowrie has plenty of potential and could well turn into a full-time Major Leaguer. But he hasn’t proven anything yet, be it the ability to stay healthy or the ability to produce over the long haul of a Major League season.

Everyone in Red Sox nation is hoping he can become a switch-hitting force in the middle infield before all is said and done.

But expecting it might be a little ambitious.

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It’s that time of year again. The time when managers pull out their stat sheets, turn on the computer and enjoy the smell of virtual hot dogs, peanuts and beer (okay, maybe not that).

It’s fantasy baseball season.

My focus here today is on two players, Jed Lowrie and Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Boston Red Sox, and what their potential fantasy impact could be in 2011.

Neither are particularly leviathan in their projected fantasy outlook for next season; they aren’t at the top of anyone’s cheat sheet.

Moreover, the pair are interesting bubble candidates; not necessarily players you should draft, but players you should certainly keep an eye on.

For starters, they share a number of desirable fantasy traits. They both play in shallow positions (shortstop/second base for Lowrie, catcher for Saltalamacchia), and they both figure to be part of one of the better offenses in the game, giving them a greater chance at accumulating runs and RBI.

However, there are a few things that separate the two. Let me start by examining Lowrie.

Injury-plagued season after injury-plagued season, the-26 year-old Lowrie finally showed why exactly the Red Sox have so much faith in him.

The beneficiary of a depleted team falling fast in the playoff race, Lowrie got ample playing time during the final two months of the 2010 campaign.

In 197 PA, he finished with 9 HR, 24 RBI and a .287/.381/.525/.907 slash line. The sample size is small, but he certainly did a number of great things at the plate.

For starters, he improved his career HR/PA ratio from 1.1 percent (2008-2009) to 4.4 percent in 2010. That’s going from a HR every 96 at-bats during his first two seasons to a HR every 22 at-bats last year.

What accounts for this surge in power? In my opinion, it’s the fact that his wrist (which he’s struggled with during his professional career) was finally healthy, allowing him to fully drive the ball.

Lowrie also posted a .381 OBP and a 12.7 BB percentage, which are more in tune with his career minor league averages (.380 OBP, 13.3 BB percentage) over a much larger sample size.

But what do all these numbers really mean? When it boils down to it, Lowrie proved last season he can be comfortable in his approach on the big league level, and given a clean bill of health, he can be very effective.

For fantasy purposes, Lowrie is invaluable in the sense that he’s qualified in two scarce positions (second and short) and could be qualified in another two (first and third) before the season’s end.

This year, shortstop is a nightmare (especially in AL-only formats); unless you happen to own Troy Tulowitzki or Hanley Ramirez, nothing is guaranteed. Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter form the barely-palpable second tier of shortstops, and none of those three inspire much confidence in their owners.

There will be many owners looking to pass on spending a high pick on a shortstop this year and rightfully so. Other than Tulo and Han-Ram, investing a pick in the first four or five rounds on a shortstop could prove to be a big mistake.

So, naturally, there will be many a manger looking to scrape the bottom of the barrel when it comes to value.

Considering the lack of depth at the six hole, Lowrie could certainly be a dark horse candidate for value pick of the year. The only thing standing in his way is the incumbent shortstop in Boston, Marco Scutaro, and questions of how exactly the Sox plan on using Lowrie.

It seems as if he’ll at least start the season as the team’s super-utility man, filling the void left by Bill Hall. But, given his production during the final months of 2010, it might be hard to justify not having his bat in the lineup on a consistent basis if he were to replicate last year’s success.

If an injury were to open up consistent playing time for Lowrie, or if he just flat-out wins the job, I think he should be considered “ownable” in all formats. His position eligibility makes him a nice late-round flier in deeper formats and a definite watch-list addition in all formats once the season starts.

Saltalamacchia, on the other hand, differs from Lowrie in that we know he’s going to get the majority of the starts behind the plate for the Red Sox this year.

And if you are unable (or unwilling) to nab the Mauer’s, Posey’s and V-Mart’s of the fantasy world, you could also find yourself looking for a bargain behind the plate.

This spring, Salty has been busy developing relationships with the members of his team, especially the staff for which he will be responsible. Everything I’ve heard and read from the players is full of nothing but praise for his work ethic and improvements behind the plate.

Yet, while Salty might be a solid player for the Red Sox in 2011, that doesn’t necessarily mean his fantasy impact will be better or worse than expected.

Maybe it’s a cop-out, but I think it’s nearly impossible to predict what Salty will do offensively in 2011, as he’s never really been in a situation like this before.

His MLB service time has been sporadic at best, and he’s never been outright handed a starting job like he has with the Red Sox.

He could take the job and run with it, finally living up to (or at least exceeding) everyone’s expectations for him. He could be hitting .230 in July, but we just don’t know because his situation this year is so radically different than any other he’s been in during his career.

We do know this, though: he’s 25 and still young. He’s a switch-hitter who is going to get a career high in at-bats (barring injury), near the bottom of what will likely figure to be one of the best lineups in baseball. 

He seems to be having a great camp so far, and expectations for him offensively will be relatively pressure free.

I’m not predicting a break-out season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what happened. I think in his case, it’s best to take a wait-and-see approach. If you want him in a fantasy draft, he’ll be available to you (he’s ranked 1032 in Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues). In all likelihood, he won’t be drafted in most formats, so he’ll be available on the waiver wire once the season begins.

I think most managers should at least keep an eye on Salty. His youth and his stake in the Red Sox make him a definite player to watch during the 2011 season.

Dan is a Boston Red Sox featured columnist. Follow him on twitter @danhartelBR.

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