Having spent a couple days covering the rotation and the bullpen, the time has come to go around the horn and take a look at what to expect from the infield this season.
Heading into Spring Training, here’s how things line up on the diamond:
C: Russell Martin
1B: Edwin Encarnacion
2B: Maicer Izturis
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: Josh Donaldson
Bench: Dionner Navarro (C), Josh Thole (C), Justin Smoak (1B), Ryan Goins (2B/SS), Danny Valencia (1B/3B)
Non-Roster Invitees: Daric Barton (1B), Jonathan Diaz (2B/SS), Munenori Kawasaki (2B/SS), Ramon Santiago (SS)
East York’s Martin was a major acquisition for the Jays in the offseason – a veteran that can be a major force on the defensive side of the ball that does a great job with handling a pitching staff and can chip in with a little pop at the plate as well. He’s probably not going to hit .290 again like he did last year in Pittsburgh, but he wasn’t brought in for his bat.
Martin’s arrival has caused some issues in Toronto though, as last year’s starter Dionner Navarro, has no interest playing second banana and has requested a trade and because R.A. Dickey likes have Josh Thole and only Josh Thole behind the plate, the Blue Jays are currently projected to carry three catchers, which limits their bench options until this situation is resolved.
As of right now, Encarnacion is penciled in to play first base, but that could change. While the Dominican smasher of baseballs has been solid in the field over the last couple seasons, he’s in the lineup for his bat, not his glove and with Justin Smoak around, “Double E” could spend more time as the DH than anything else in 2015.
Following a handful of frustrating seasons in Seattle, the Blue Jays claimed Smoak off waivers this winter as a potential reclamation project. Viewed as a Top 5 prospect coming out of the 2008 Draft (where he went 11th overall to Texas), the 28-year-old hasn’t been able to produce at the big league level. What he does bring, however, is an outstanding glove, having committed just 23 errors in over 500 major league games.
If he shows anything with the bat in the spring, the switch-hitting South Carolina native with the slick mitt could man first base this year in Toronto.
Izturis missed most of last season after blowing out his knee when he tripped down the dugout stairs. Seriously. The 34-year-old has never been a big production guy at the plate, but he too is smooth in the field, especially at second. Toronto is going to need him to stay healthy as his potential back-up, Ryan Goins, hit just .188 last season in nearly 200 at-bats.
Shortstop is still patrolled by Jose Reyes and after playing just 96 games in his debut season in Toronto, the speedy Dominican infielder logged 143 games in 2014, delivering a .287/9/51 slash with 30 steals and better defense than his .965 fielding percentage suggests.
Reyes is the catalyst for this offense, even more so this season with Melky Cabrera having moved to the South Side of Chicago. He needs to get on base so that the powerhouses in the middle of the order have runners to drive in when they get to the dish, and all of that hinges on his health. If he can deliver as many appearances as last season, Toronto has a good chance of being a Top 10 offensive team in 2015.
The big addition on the infield this season is Donaldson, who replaces Brett Lawrie at third base after being exchanged for the fiery Canadian during the winter. The 29-year-old former Oakland A’s all-star has finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting each of the last two years after going .301/24/93 in 2013 and .255/29/98 in 2014 while playing in the expansive, pitcher-friendly confines of the O.co Coliseum.
Moving to the hitter friendly environs of the Rogers Centre, the former catcher should be able to put up more robust numbers, especially with consistent maulers like Encarnacion and Jose Bautista in front of him. While he’s nowhere near as good as Lawrie was defensively, Donaldson doesn’t present the same injury concerns the departed Canuck did, having played 158 games each of the last two seasons.
The catcher situation is going to dictate how many infield subs the Jays carry, as they will most likely carry just a single extra outfielder. Danny Valencia should make the squad as a backup at both corners, providing a decent bat off the bench who can spell Donaldson at times or man first base, depending on how things shake out with Smoak.
If GM Alex Anthopoulos can move Navarro, it opens up another bench position for a middle infielder, likely to be either Goins or veteran Ramon Santiago, who arrives in Toronto after spending last season in Cincinnati.
As much as depth and support on the pine is important, this team will rely heavily on its starters and count on them to stay healthy and produce. It has the potential to be one of the better units in baseball – even with Izturis playing every day – but like every season, it all comes down to staying healthy.
