InfieldersHéctor Bruno; 36 years old; RHB; 269 PA, 221/254/340
Hector Bruno is one of the team captains, and my suspicion is that he does help hold together a team full of young players. He’s a sure-handed infielder with just okay range and an okay arm - basically, good as a second baseman, average at best at shortstop, and can play third base in a pinch.
He spent time starting at both second base and shortstop this season (we had a bunch of injuries in the infield and everybody got moved all over). His bat isn’t great, although he can still hit lefties a bit at this stage in his career. The ideal role at this point is probably utility infielder and team captain from the bench, but we’ll have to see how he handles that morale-wise next season.
Bruno has appeared in 16 seasons for the Grays. He was my first-round pick in 2061.
Tim Burton; 25 years old; SH; 303 PA, 188/300/226
Tim Burton is a defense-first infielder. He plays gold-glove quality defense at both SS and 3B, and I have no reason to believe he couldn’t do so at the other infield spots if called upon. He ostensibly switch hits, but he’s much better from the left side of the plate
Burton is also a strong leader, so he potentially has a long-term role on this team. That role should be from the bench, though. It’s possible he’ll see a season or two as a no-hit starting SS depending on how other players age and develop, though.
He made his major-league debut last season. He was originally selected in the 7th round of the 2074 draft.
Luis Chavez; 31 years old; RHB; 6 PA, 333/333/333
Luis Chavez doesn’t have the arm to play the left side of the infield, doesn’t have the bat to force his way into the lineup, isn’t fast, and is on the wrong side of 30. He’s an injury fill-in call-up only.
2078 was actually his major-league debut. He was a scouting discovery way back in 2063.
Jorge Cruz; 26 years old; RHB; 626 PA, 238/283/344, 17 sb
Jorge Cruz probably has the defensive skills to play anywhere on the diamond other than catcher. He’s spent time in our system in the outfield, at second base, and at third base. He can hit a little bit, and with some gap power, but isn’t really special, so his best position is probably utility player.
That said, he’s been Virginia’s primary third baseman for the last season and a half. He’s been a smidgen above replacement level, so this is an obvious upgrade opportunity.
He’s played in five major-league seasons (and has primarily been in the majors since 2076). He was a sixth-round pick in 2069.
Kane David; 30 years old; RHB; 103 PA 290/330/366
Kane David was originally drafted as a two-way player, and spent his first couple years in the minors both pitching and playing some shortstop. He showed real promise as a pitcher, so I had him focus there. Unfortunately, the control never developed so I ultimately moved him back to the infield. Somewhere along the way his infield range had dipped enough that middle infield wasn’t viable anymore, so he became a corner infielder.
For a couple of years I had hopes that he’d develop into a starting third baseman, but that never really happened. Instead he settled in as a backup and pinch hitter. His days with the team are probably coming to a close, although to a certain extent that depends on the development of younger players.
David has played in 7 major-league seasons. He was a third-round pick in 2066.
Santiago Dávila; 24 years old; RHB; 283 PA, 180/258/286, 5 sb
Davila’s another guy who can’t hit all that much, but he’s fast and can play a bunch of different positions. He’s got a shot at a utility role in the future, but we’ll see how he comes back from the ruptured achilles he suffered in August. I do like that he’s one of the few prankster personality types in my system.
Davila was a rookie this year. He was a scouting discovery in 2070.
Ed Gamblin; 25 years old; LHB; 552 PA, 251/292/438, 1 sb
Ed Gamblin seems to be rated well enough to be a platoon player (though he shouldn’t be allowed to face LHP very often), and in his good years he’s been worth a win or two. Still, I’d like a bit better eye from him, and more consistency. He’s a very streaky player: he only hit 3 HR in July and August combined (and he was not injured). On a great team, he’d probably be a fringe player, but we are not a great team, so an upgrade at 1B is not our top priority. Plus, at 25, he might still improve a hair.
Gamblin has played in 5 seasons for Virginia. He was a first-round pick in 2074.
Jon McMillan; 30 years old; RHB; 80 PA, 270/313/338
Jon McMillan can play a bunch of positions on defense and won’t kill you with the bat (plus he has a little pop). That said, the promise he showed in part-time duty in 2073 (258/333/522, 13 HR in about 200 PA) is pretty clearly in the rear view mirror. His role going forward is AAA filler and occasional injury callus.
McMillan has appeared in 7 major-league seasons. He was a second-round pick in 2067.
Bobby McNeiledge; 31 years old; RHB; 167 PA, 189/261/257
McNeiledge is an elite defender (Matthews Award at SS in 2077) who struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness at the plate in 2078 (and he was never a great hitter to begin with). If he can hit like he did in 2076-77, his glove is enough to make him worth a couple of wins a season. If he hits like 2078, he won’t get many more chances in the future.
McNeiledge has appeared in seven major-league seasons. He was a fifth-round pick in 2066.
David Russell; 23 years old; RHB; 6 PA, 000/000/000
David Russell is hoping to grow up to be Bobby McNeiledge.
This cup of coffee was his first big-league experience. He was a fifth-round pick in 2073.
Alejandro Salazar; 28 years old; RHB; 191 PA, 192/250/282, 3 sb
Alejandro Salazar is a two-way player for us (also discussed in the relief pitchers section). He’s a fringe contributor in both phases of the game, though, and will have to claw his way onto the roster every season.