Far and away the biggest source of intrigue heading into spring training is the Angels second base competition. It portends to be quite the battle royale, a true melee of mediocrity. Who will be the lesser of five evils? Let’s find out!
Josh Rutledge
Pro: Maybe he will develop now that he has that Rockies stank off of him.
Con: Couldn’t hit at Coors Field. Couldn’t field at any stadium or position.
Handicap: 45%. I honestly don’t see what Dipoto likes about Rutledge. He’s never played well in the majors despite multiple opportunities. Still, Dipoto traded a quality relief prospect for him, so cognitive dissonance will likely compel Dipoto to install Rutledge as the starter to justify the trade.
Grant Green
Pro: He sure can make a lot of contact.
Con: He sure can’t do anything else but make contact. Green is a poor defender, doesn’t walk and doesn’t have much power.
Handicap: 35%. The Halos seemed to avoid finding plate appearances for Green last season despite him tearing up the minors. If they really believed in him, they never would have traded for Rutledge.
Taylor Featherston
Pro: He can actually field and even has a little pop in his bat, comparatively. His Rule 5 status also gives the Angels an incentive to find an excuse to keep him on the active roster.
Con: He hasn’t played above Double-A and has some troubling contact issues that could hold him back. Plus, the Rockies didn’t seem to mind losing him, which is concerning because they need all the talent they can get. Then again, the Rockies are idiots.
Handicap: 10%. Featherston is far more likely to make the roster as a utility infielder, but because he is the most capable defender, he could steal the starting gig if his bat plays up during Cactus League play and Rutledge and Green fall on their respective faces.
Johnny Giavotella
Pro: He used to be a top prospect.
Con: He used to be a top prospect. He isn’t anymore. He has never hit in the majors and is a total clank in the field.
Handicap: 5%. This is basically just the odds that somehow Don Baylor and Alfredo Griffin quickly coach him up to a point where he suddenly unlocks all that potential everyone used to think he had. It is probably a pretty generous percentage.
Alex Yarbrough
Pro: The only guy in the competition that can swing from the left-hand side of the plate and he also is not horrible defensively.
Con: He probably isn’t ready for the bigs just yet as his approach still needs a fair amount of work.
Handicap: 3%. If he flashes an improved approach in the spring, he can at least force the Angels to think about using him as part of a platoon at the keystone. A late-season call-up seems far more likely.
Someone Else
Pro: This is someone that the Angels sign or trade for before the season starts. The best thing that this mythical person has going for them is that they are not Josh Rutledge, Grant Green, Taylor Featherston, Johnny Giavotella or Alex Yarbrough. That’s a pretty compelling case.
Con: There is probably a reason Dipoto has not acquired “Someone Else” already.
Handicap: 2%. The five guys listed above would all have to perform spectacularly poorly during the spring for Dipoto to pull the ripcord this early. He’s got enough internal options that he’ll give them all a chance to fail during the regular season for at least a little bit. A deal for a legit second baseman is far more likely at the trade deadline. In fact, it is probably inevitable. What I’m saying is that you might want to go ahead and pre-order that Aaron Hill jersey now.
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