2083 Offseason Preview: Free Agents, Part Three: Third-basemen and Shortstops
Al Vincent
Staff Writer
Third Base:
There are no truly great free agent third-basemen available, but there are several solid ones, including former Bronco Joseph Swayze.
At 34, Andrew Francis can still hit the ball over the fence, as evidenced by his 18 longballs last year while playing for Phoenix and Memphis. However, his other batting skills have almost completely eroded, as he mustered just a .214 batting average and an abysmal .264 OBP. He remains a top-notch fielder at the hot corner.
Former Portland third-sacker Don Guan doesn't have great career numbers- just a .229/.312/.364/.676 batting line- but there are those that feel the 29 year old might be a late bloomer. Last season, Guan batted a respectable .268/.348/.426/.774 with 35 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homeruns, 75 walks, 99 runs scored, and 61 stolen bases. Guan has a solid batting eye and is very dangerous on the basepaths.
Charles Troutt is a younger, slightly inferior version of Andrew Francis. The 28 year old ex-Sacramento third-baseman batted .217/.281/.390/.671 last year with 13 homeruns. It was a down year for Troutt, who has a career SLG of .412 and a career OPS of .707. Like Francis, Troutt also provides a capable glove at third.
One other potentially interesting player is career backup Daniel Briese. Though the 34 year old, ex-Rochester third-baseman has never really started, and has unimpressive career numbers(a .258 batting average and .689 OPS), there are a few general managers who might be swayed by his .304/.350/.426/.776 batting line in 115 at bats last year and sign him to be a starter.
It is unclear what direction John Mounts will go in. The Broncos liked Joseph Swayze very much, and may try to bring him back. On the other hand, both Andrew Francis and Charles Troutt have similar, if not quite as much, power and superior gloves. Troutt is also much younger. Or maybe Don Guan will interest them as someone who can get on base a lot. The Broncos might also be willing to see if reserve infielder Michael Phillips can be productive as a regular. If that's the case, though, they will want to work heavily on his fielding ability, as he tends to field like a fire hydrant. Additionally, if the Broncos move both Phillips and Jack Rumfelt into starting roles, there will suddenly be some gaping holes on the Broncos' bench. Filling those would almost certainly become a priority, and there are few existing internal options for the infield bench.
Shortstop:
Though the Broncos are not likely to be in the market for a shortstop this offseason, as they are comfortable with Booker Romero's all glove-no hit approach, it is still worthwhile to look at who is out there.
Possibly the biggest prize of the offseason is 27 year old Ralph Jennings. Jennings, who played for Washington last year, is one of the biggest talents in the game at shortstop. His glove is only average, but he more than makes up for it with his potent bat. Jennings hit .309/.388/.597/.985 last year, and slugged 41 homeruns. He also drove in 134 and scored 108. Landing such a player who is still in his prime will be a major coup for whoever does it.
Jennings isn't the only good shortstop available. Former Knoxville shortstop Joseph Bailey is coming off of a season in which he hit .296/.330/.460/.790 with 36 doubles and 17 homeruns. The 32 year old has a .735 career OPS and is an excellent fielder.
Brian Hall is only 28 years old, and batted .316/.352/.459/.811 last year for Portland. Hall has a career OPS of .751 and is a good fielder.
Next up: Outfielders