Editorials

Dodgers Nation Roundtable: Should Alex Guerrero Or Juan Uribe Start?

Alex Guerrero, Juan Uribe

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Matt Borelli (@DodgersIn2015)

Just because it’s so early in the season, I believe that Juan Uribe should still remain as the starting third baseman — for now.

It would be unfair to remove Uribe from the starting role based on a small sample size. Yes, Alex Guerrero has torn the cover off the ball in 20 plate appearances, but is that really enough to deem him the starter after months of constructing a suitable lineup? I don’t think so.

Just one season removed in which Uribe had a career-best .311 batting average (yes, BABIP-inflated) and solid .777 OPS, he should at least be given a fair amount of plate appearances to prove he doesn’t belong in the starting lineup anymore. Forty-two plate appearances is simply not enough.

And despite the lack of offense to this point, his glove is a valuable asset to the team. He’s still one of the best defensive third basemen in the game, and removing him from the lineup makes the Dodgers weaker defensively.

Guerrero was never known to be a solid defensive player, so right away he would be a major liability in the field.

Realistically, Uribe should have until the end of May to show his slow start is just an anomaly. In the meantime, having Guerrero’s power off the bench will be a nice commodity for the Dodgers to have late in games when a pinch-hitter is needed.

Jared Massey (@JaredJMassey)

I’m of two minds on this particular issue. On the one hand, there’s my head, which tells me that an established Major-Leaguer with Gold Glove-caliber defense shouldn’t be supplanted because of 20 great at bats.

On the other hand, there’s my gut, which tells me that the young Cuban upstart could provide that coveted right-handed power at the hot-corner that everyone craves. Uribe has not hit well this season. That’s not because he suddenly forgot how to hit, it’s because he’s gotten incredibly unlucky.

Despite nearly half of the balls he hits being grounders and a 25. percent line drive rate, he’s batting just .250 with one extra base hit. He’s also only drawn two walks, which could be expected.

Guerrero, who was signed because of his bat, has been impressive on both sides of the ball this year, more so defensively simply because he isn’t a complete disaster anymore. Offensively, people expected him to hit and he has, just a lot more a lot more quickly.

So, who starts? I say stick with Uribe for the time being and hope his luck on offense changes. However, if he’s still OPSing less than .600 come June, it might be time for a change.

Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015)

As others have stated, it’s entirely too soon to strip Uribe of his status as the club’s starting third baseman. Yes, it’s not eye-opening but his current seven-game hitting streak may be a sign of an upswing for him offensively.

Moreover, Uribe’s glove can’t be underestimated. The Dodgers very clearly shifted to being a more defensive-oriented team during the offseason. From the front office down to manager Don Mattingly, there was talk of not allowing as many runs when asked how the Dodgers were going to offset the purported loss in offensive production.

Replacing Uribe with Guerrero at this point would go against that idea. It’s not that Guerrero has given any indication he’s terrible with the glove, but there also haven’t been signs he’s of the same caliber as Uribe.

So for now, continue utilizing the 28-year-old Cuban off the bench, giving Uribe a day off here and there, and see how the situation plays itself out.

Jeff Spiegel (@JeffSpiegel)

Uribe is 36. He’s struggling at the plate. And he’s in the final year of his contract. And there’s zero doubt that he should be the Dodgers starting third baseman.

If you haven’t picked up on the fact that defense matters to the new front office, then you haven’t been paying attention, and, to put it simply, Uribe is an elite defender while Guerrero is below-average at best.

Combine that with the fact that we’re talking about a player in Guerrero who has had just 20 (albeit good) at-bats this season, and asking for him to replace Uribe (who hit .311 last year (!) and added 4.0 WAR), and, well, it’s kinda crazy.

In 104 games last season, Uribe had the ninth-highest WAR of any third baseman in the Majors. He was more valuable to his team than Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Holliday, Evan Longoria, James Shields and Yoenis Cespedes (among others). And we’re supposed to chuck all of that because of 15 games? No thanks.

Russell Valenzuela (@RussVal4)

There’s no question Guerrero has a hot bat. The Dodgers should get him as many plate appearances as they can, just not as a starting third baseman. His defense still needs work, and Uribe is better at handling the hot corner.

Uribe has gotten off to a slow start offensively but can still turn things around. One thing going against him however, is that he’s only getting older and the chances his production levels are near his past two years seem unlikely now. That’s not to say it won’t happen though, it is only still April.

Similarly, Guerrero has had a great start and could falter off as the year goes on. Just look at Adrian Gonzalez. After an amazing first week, Gonzalez spent the last couple of games not as hot, although still productive nevertheless. It’s mainly because he has spent years in the Majors that he’s been able to stay on top of his game.

Guerrero has done just fine in a pinch-hitting role. The system isn’t completely broken despite the recent San Francisco sweep. Until Guerrero improves defensively, I don’t see him as an everyday player just yet.

You’ve read what our staff has to say, now let your opinion be known by voting below…

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4 Comments

  1. I think Guerrero should be playing right now, I’m not saying name him the full time starter, but I believe you ride the hot hand. See how long Guerrero can keep this up, if he does then it’s the right decision to have him in. I say let him prove he deserves to be in the lineup and if he starts cooling off or costing games, then let him come off the bench as a role player. But he needs to be in the lineup as of now.

  2. @JeffSpiegel Did you actually type that line about Juan Uribe being more valuable to the Dodgers than Adrian Gonzalez with the straight face? You don’t seriously believe that, because of a 4.0 WAR, do you? If you do, you should find a new line of employment. Gonzalez was the most valuable position player last season, a key offensive contributor to 50 wins. Uribe’s bat helped win 16 games. Your WAR comparison doesn’t pass the eye or smell test.
    Speaking of the eye test, Uribe looks terrible at the plate. Guerrero should start until his bat cools off, and then platoon.

  3. Let Guerrero play. He needs experience at third anyway so let him get it especially while he is swinging the bat well. We should use Uribe like we did Rojas last year as a defensive replacement late in the game. Uribe can also mentor & critique Guerrero on his defense

  4. It’s the transition that Uribe himself knows is coming.
    Mix them up a bit. Uribe is on his last year of his contract and he knows he will retire at the end of it. Guerrero full time might not work yet.

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