Dodgers Spring Training: Corey Seager Will Only Play Shortstop
Seager was drafted at shortstop, and has played shortstop in the Minors; however, some believe that he could move to third base due to his size. The 6’4 infielder is bigger than the average shortstop, but it has yet to be a problem yet. Seager is starting Spring Training in camp with the Dodgers and Don Mattingly cleared up any confusion.
According to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, Seager will be at one spot and one spot only this spring:
Corey Seager will be exclusively a shortstop this camp.
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) February 26, 2015
As of now, the Dodgers have no long-term players at shortstop or third base with Juan Uribe and Jimmy Rollins in the last year of their contracts. When the team traded for Rollins this winter, it was expected that he would provide the one year stopgap between Hanley Ramirez and Seager. It appears that Dodgers management considers their top prospect a shortstop, something that affect their plans addressing other positions in the future.
Seager is not expected to reach the big leagues until next season, but with injuries and September call-ups, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him reach the Dodgers this season. In 284 Minor League games, the 20-year-old has a combined .304 batting average, including a .349 average split between Advanced-A and Double-A in 2014. It’s unclear whether Seager will begin the year in Double-A or Triple-A this year.
The depth at shortstop is not very strong if Rollins does go down this season. After Rollins, there are utility infielders Darwin Barney and Justin Turner that can fill in. The only natural shortstop on the 40-man roster besides Rollins is Erisbel Arruebarren, who had trouble hitting in the big leagues.
It would appear the Dodgers want to prepare for the worst this spring, giving Seager the confidence at shortstop.
Dodgers FanFest – Zack Greinke
