Amed Rosario.
EL NUEVO DIARIO, PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA.- For the Rays, signing free agent infielder Amed Rosario on Tuesday was a pretty easy decision.
They loved his character and all the reports they received about the Tampa resident’s reputation as a teammate. They’re obviously intrigued by his proven ability to hit left-handed pitchers and, as a bonus, the desire to improve that he showed when visiting Driveline Baseball during the offseason. They like his baserunning. His defensive versatility (he will play second base, shortstop and corner outfield) made him a better fit for their roster.
All that for just $1.5 million, with $500,000 more available through incentives? Probably too good to pass up, even with spring training camp underway at Charlotte Sports Park.
«Erik [Neander, presidente de operaciones de béisbol de los Rays] “He thought, and our group thought, that he can help us immediately be a better team on Opening Day,” manager Kevin Cash said. “And I’m glad I did”.
Rosario has been an everyday player in the past, but that won’t necessarily be required of him with the Rays. He can give José Caballero a day off at shortstop, although his defense there faltered last year to the point that the Dodgers moved him to the other side of the pocket. He can play Brandon Lowe at second or Josh Lowe in right against a left-handed starter. If a lefty pitches, he is playing.
But every movement has an impact. The playing time he will receive now would have gone to someone else before this signing. So how does this affect the rest of the Rays roster?
First, let’s look at how Tampa Bay’s 13-position group could prepare for Opening Day, starting with the players who are locked in if healthy.
Receptor (2) : René Pinto and a substitute, possibly Alex Jackson
Indoor field (4) : Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe, Caballero, Isaac Paredes
Gardens (3) : Randy Arozarena, José Siri, Josh Lowe
BD/gardens (1) : Harold Ramirez
Indoor field/gardens (1) : Rosario
There are 11 players, leaving two spots available. Considering what the Rays have said about Jonathan Aranda, and the way his left-handed bat complements the rest of their roster, he seems like the favorite for a job that could go to him or fellow left-handed hitter Richie Palacios.
That would leave a spot, at least until shortstop Taylor Walls fully recovers from offseason right hip surgery, that will likely come down to outfielder Jonny DeLuca or infielder Curtis Mead. But they also have to consider Yu Chang, Osleivis Basabe and perhaps top prospect Junior Caminero, among others.
Either way, some interesting players could be bumped to Triple-A to start the season. But that’s the whole point of camp competition, isn’t it?
“If you’re trying to be good, if you’re trying to be competitive, to navigate a 162-game season, you have to build a camp where you get to the end.” [y] you will have difficult decisions,” Neander said. “You know you are going to send some players who will probably impact your club at some point in the future.”
Because Rosario is versatile enough to handle four positions, the Rays can spend the spring evaluating those players to determine who will help their team the most on Opening Day, no matter what positions they play.
If it’s DeLuca, for example, Rosario can play more in the infield. If it’s Mead, maybe he’ll spend more time in the outfield. If it’s Chang as a defensive-minded backup shortstop, Rosario can focus on second and the outfield. If Ramírez is traded and Aranda or Palacios claim at-bats as the left-handed designated hitter, Rosario could be on the other side of that pack.
In other words, his role might not be fully clear for another month. And there will be more questions to answer in the future, like what will happen when Walls returns? And how will the infield fit Caminero when he’s ready for The Show?
Those answers will come in time, but the Rays believe they are better off with Rosario now than they were last week.
“We have some competitions at camp,” Neander said. “Depending on how all those issues are resolved, the ability to help us at both positions, both center and outfield, gives us a lot of different ways to put this together and come out with a better club than if we hadn’t been here.”
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2024-02-24 01:23:56
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