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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In an unexpected move, recently acquired left-handed reliever David Purcey was dealt to the Detroit Tigers for second baseman Scott Sizemore.

Sizemore, who was the Tigers minor league player of the year in 2009, was immediately sent to Triple-A Sacramento. 

The most likely scenario seems to be that the A’s acquired Sizemore as a feasible option—with some long-term potential, still, at just 26 years old—at third base in case the A’s pull the plug on Kevin Kouzmanoff and Andy LaRoche in favor of Sizemore and Rosales, who is due to return before the All-Star break. 

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote today that, in part, the trade was made with Andrew Bailey in mind. 

Bailey is due back in a week or so, Slusser argued, and the only players who have options are Brad Ziegler and Joey Devine, thereby making Purcey the odd man out. 

I don’t see any way this wasn’t part of the A’s thinking, but it is also highly unlikely that the A’s don’t expect Sizemore to play a role with this club very soon. 

Sending Sizemore to Triple-A may just be to get his feet wet with the organization and hopefully put together a good string of at-bats, for the A’s may be close to making a move at third base. 

The idea that he will challenge Mark Ellis for starts and at-bats at second base is far-fetched in my view.  Ellis, with his history with the club and stability he provides defensively, will almost certainly play out the last year of his contract regardless of the quality of his play. 

In the long term, Jemile Weeks, their first-round pick in 2008, seems to be an easy guess to fill Ellis’ role next year. 

I don’t see any way the A’s did this deal without the idea that Sizemore can help them—i.e, an upgrade—now, and at third base. 

In 2009, Sizemore was the Tigers’ lone representative in the All-Star Futures Game and was named to Baseball America’s minor league All-Star team.

Since winning the starting job in 2010, Sizemore has struggled and been shifted back and forth between the major and minor leagues. 

For his career, he has a .223 BA, .306 OBP, and hit three HR and 18 RBI in just 65 games.  The small sample size is a reason for optimism.  In the minors, he has posted a career line of .296/.376/.446 in 454 games. 

The A’s move to acquire some organizational depth also speaks to their apprehension towards bringing up Triple-A infield prospects Adrian Cardenas and Jemile Weeks to fill their hole at 3B, while they are still fighting for the playoffs.

Also, Kouzmanoff has battled some injuries and may need a stint on the DL, if not an outright release. LaRoche makes the minimum salary and may be close to being cut loose.  Sizemore could also be insurance if the A’s are skeptical regarding Rosales’ return.

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It’s hard to call Scott Sizemore anything but a disappointment in 2010.  Thought to be a sleeper second baseman entering the season, he lasted until mid-May before being sent back to Triple-A.

He was solid while there, hitting .298 with nine HR, 37 RBI, 49 R, and two SB.  With injuries piling up in Detroit, the Tigers ultimately brought him back to the majors, though they were still hesitant to depend on him.

However, in September he’s finally showing signs of his potential.  In limited playing time he’s gone 4-for-7 with two HR, five RBI, and three runs scored.  Obviously it’s a tiny sample size, but at least it’s something for us to hang our hats on.

At this point, however, we can forget about worrying about his potential value for 2011.  That’ll be a discussion for another day.  The real question is, can owners in need of a middle infielder catch lightning in a bottle over the final two weeks?

Honestly, why not?  Of course, that requires the Detroit Tigers reestablishing their faith in him.  Despite homering in back-to-back games, including a pinch hit home run, they opted to have Will Rhymes play second base yesterday over Sizemore.  Considering his .250 average with zero HR, eight RBI, and nine runs scored in 60 AB, you have to wonder why.

There’s no questioning that Sizemore is the better option long-term, and with the Tigers out of the AL Central race, why not give him an opportunity to build on his success?  Why not find out exactly what Sizemore could be, and if he deserves a chance at everyday playing time in 2011.

He does have some power, having hit 17 HR in 2009.  Of course, he hadn’t hit more then four in a season prior to that, but he’s showing it again this season.  Between the majors and minors, he’s hit 12 HR in 423 AB.  He’s also hot right now, and it’s possible that he can continue to pad those totals the rest of the year.

He also has speed, despite having just two stolen bases this season total.  That has been his constant throughout his career, with 51 SB from 2007-2009.  He has the ability to steal a few bases, if given the opportunity.

Obviously, there’s no guarantee he even plays, but he’s showing signs of the potential that caused many to dub him a preseason sleeper.  If you are in need of a middle infielder, then he’s worth rolling the dice on if the Tigers look they are going to commit to him.

That’s the wild card and stops me from saying that he’s a certainty to be worth adding right now.  If he starts, however, there’s no reason to think that you can’t get a little lucky.  Still, at this point in the season, that type of risk is probably not what you are looking for.  You’d be much better served to pick up someone like Daniel Espinosa, who is locked into a starting job, unless something changes.

What are your thoughts on Sizemore?  Could he be worth adding for the final two weeks?  Why or why not?

Make sure to check out previous Fantasy Baseball Minor League Player of the Year Award articles:

• Atlanta Braves
• Kansas City Royals
• Philadelphia Phillies

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The Tigers have played 39 games in the 2010 season. They recently shook up their roster in a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox. Struggling SP Max Scherzer and 2B Scott Sizemore were shipped off to exile in the minors. The pair have given fans ample opportunity to scratch their heads and wonder about some of the offseason moves the Tigers made.

Well, I figure 39 games is enough of a sample to evaluate and second guess everything the front office did over the winter. Let’s see what David Dombrowski got right for this season, potentially for the future, and what he perhaps bombed out on.

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After an almost five hour marathon victory, Detroit Tigers’ general manager David Dombrowski announced a few roster moves late Saturday night.

Second baseman Scott Sizemore was sent to Toledo of the International League. Through 30 starts this season Sizemore was hitting a mere .206 with one homerun, and 6 errors in the field. 

Manager Jim Leyland had shown a preference to pinch hit for him in crucial game situations, as well as replacing him defensively in other situations.

His demotion undoubtedly surprises very few, as his struggles at the plate have been readily apparent. This was the prime reason Dombrowski cited for making the move, adding that Sizemore needs to slow the game down.

In Sizemore’s place, the contract of infielder Danny Worth was purchased from the Mud Hens. Worth is a right handed hitting second baseman, drafted in 2008 out of Pepperdine. 

This season at Toledo he was hitting .274 with 14RBIs and 10 stolen bases. He figures to enter a timeshare with Ramon Santiago and Don Kelly for playing time.

However, current speculation is that his promotion is only temporary until Carlos Guillen is ready to return from the disabled list. Guillen was seen yesterday working out at second base. Moving Guillen to second would allow the Tigers to keep the potent bat of Brennan Boesch in the everyday lineup.

Announced alongside this move was the demotion of SP Max Scherzer to Toledo. In his place SP Armando Galarraga was recalled, and will start Sunday’s rubber match against the Boston Red Sox.

Galarraga has made seven starts in Toledo, going 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA and a 38/13 K/BB ratio in 41.1 innings pitched. He should get at least three starts with the Tigers, since Scherzer cannot be recalled until 10 days after being sent down.

Scherzer has struggled in eight starts this year with the Tigers, allowing 34 earned runs in 42 innings. 

In the cases of both Sizemore and Scherzer, Dombrowski noted the need for them to work on their respective game and to regain form and confidence. 

Expect Scherzer’s demotion to be only temporary. If Guillen returns and can stay healthy, however, Sizemore may have a long summer ahead of him in Toledo.

As ever, The Hammer Toss  will keep you informed as more news or speculation becomes available.

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