Barney at 2B?

[BeerHere]

With today's roster cuts it looks like Darwin Barney will make the team out of ST. Does anyone know how he compares to DeWitt and Baker offensively and defensively? I have him as a couple steps above DeWitt defensively. I don't know how Baker grades out defensively at 2B.

[Rob]

Defensively, he's the best of the three.

 

Offensively, he's Ryan Theriot lite.

[apete6]

I think having him on the roster is good in general, but if he gets a lot of starts, our offense is going to be putrid. The fact that Jeff Baker can only hit lefties is very frustrating. So he's Babe Ruth for 1 game and then Rey Rnez for 4 games. Blake DeWitt sucking is not good for the Cubs.

 

Anyone know if there are any legitimate 2B out there for trade or FA after the season?

[Cubswin11]

I think having him on the roster is good in general, but if he gets a lot of starts, our offense is going to be putrid. The fact that Jeff Baker can only hit lefties is very frustrating. So he's Babe Ruth for 1 game and then Rey Rnez for 4 games. Blake DeWitt sucking is not good for the Cubs.

 

Anyone know if there are any legitimate 2B out there for trade or FA after the season?

FA wise there really aren't any 2B available if you actually want a good 2B. Trade wise there is Michael Young who seems untradeable at this point due to his contract and Rangers asking price, Brian Roberts could possibly become available this season/during the offseason but he is on the decline. There are some FA SS worth looking at to see if they would be open to playing 2B (Reyes, Furcal, Rollins).

[Little Slide Rooter]

I think having him on the roster is good in general, but if he gets a lot of starts, our offense is going to be putrid. The fact that Jeff Baker can only hit lefties is very frustrating. So he's Babe Ruth for 1 game and then Rey Rnez for 4 games. Blake DeWitt sucking is not good for the Cubs.

 

Anyone know if there are any legitimate 2B out there for trade or FA after the season?

 

Are we talking Rey Ordonez or Rey Sanchez?

[ctcf]

I think having him on the roster is good in general, but if he gets a lot of starts, our offense is going to be putrid. The fact that Jeff Baker can only hit lefties is very frustrating. So he's Babe Ruth for 1 game and then Rey Rnez for 4 games. Blake DeWitt sucking is not good for the Cubs.

 

Anyone know if there are any legitimate 2B out there for trade or FA after the season?

 

Are we talking Rey Ordonez or Rey Sanchez?

 

Pretty sure that was Ordonez's nickname.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

duh and/or hello

[NCCubFan]

I think having him on the roster is good in general, but if he gets a lot of starts, our offense is going to be putrid. The fact that Jeff Baker can only hit lefties is very frustrating. So he's Babe Ruth for 1 game and then Rey Rnez for 4 games. Blake DeWitt sucking is not good for the Cubs.

 

Anyone know if there are any legitimate 2B out there for trade or FA after the season?

 

Are we talking Rey Ordonez or Rey Sanchez?

 

Pretty sure that was Ordonez's nickname.

Yep. No "o," no "d."

[biittner77]

This reminds me a little of when Bobby Hill was hitting during ST and Grudz. hit like .150. They started Hill off in Iowa and Grudz. went on to have a pretty good season.

 

ST numbers don't really mean very much.

[abuck1220]

I think having him on the roster is good in general, but if he gets a lot of starts, our offense is going to be putrid. The fact that Jeff Baker can only hit lefties is very frustrating. So he's Babe Ruth for 1 game and then Rey Rnez for 4 games. Blake DeWitt sucking is not good for the Cubs.

 

Anyone know if there are any legitimate 2B out there for trade or FA after the season?

 

Are we talking Rey Ordonez or Rey Sanchez?

 

Pretty sure that was Ordonez's nickname.

Yep. No "o," no "d."

 

i get it.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Whoever starts the season at 2B will not last much later into June, if there are any struggles out of Baker/Barney/DeWitt i think the Cubs will make a strong push towards Kelly Johnson or possibly someone like a Aaron Hill, BRob type veteran. Obviously this depends on the teams position in the standings.

[apete6]

Whoever starts the season at 2B will not last much later into June, if there are any struggles out of Baker/Barney/DeWitt i think the Cubs will make a strong push towards Kelly Johnson or possibly someone like a Aaron Hill, BRob type veteran. Obviously this depends on the teams position in the standings.

 

Let's hope so, although Baker has proven extremely valuable as a lefty killer. Too bad there's no 2008 Jim Edmonds to platoon with him at 2B.

[hawkeyecub]

So does Barney elevating past DeWitt mean he's going to be in the lineup against RHP to start the year?

[RammyFanny]

Surprised it wasn't mentioned, but Levine said that Barney and Baker would be at 2nd with Dewitt backing them up.

[mookie]

Can Brandon Wood play second? I know he doesn't look like much, but why not?

[hawkeyecub]

Surprised it wasn't mentioned, but Levine said that Barney and Baker would be at 2nd with Dewitt backing them up.

 

Yeah that was kind of what I was getting at in the post above yours.

[KingCubsFan]

Can Brandon Wood play second? I know he doesn't look like much, but why not?

I wouldn't mind taking a shot. Only problem is that we probably can't carry him on the major league roster if we already have four middle infielders, and I'm guessing they'll be giving Scott Moore a lot of time at 2b in AAA.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I don't know so much about Barneys OBP, but he has decent speed, so is there a chance of him hitting leadoff?

[Guest]

If Barney is above DeWitt, why have a platoon at all? Just play Baker there every day.

[dew1679666265]

I don't know so much about Barneys OBP, but he has decent speed, so is there a chance of him hitting leadoff?

 

Career .334 minor league OBP and .708 OPS.

 

I really hope he's nowhere near the top of the order. Put Kosuke and Starlin up there and leave them (unless a lefty starts, then go with Castro and Soto).

[Backtobanks]

If Barney is above DeWitt, why have a platoon at all? Just play Baker there every day.

 

Baker against RH pitchers is like starting Koyie Hill at C for 162 games. I always wonder how a guy like Baker makes it to the ML without being able to hit RH pitching since most RH are probably 70% of all pitchers.

[Guest]

If Barney is above DeWitt, why have a platoon at all? Just play Baker there every day.

 

Baker against RH pitchers is like starting Koyie Hill at C for 162 games. I always wonder how a guy like Baker makes it to the ML without being able to hit RH pitching since most RH are probably 70% of all pitchers.

 

.286/.334/.374

.244/.300/.378

 

One of these is Jeff Baker's career MLB numbers v. RHP, and the other is Darwin Barney's career MiLB line against all pitchers.

[hawkeyecub]

If Barney is above DeWitt, why have a platoon at all? Just play Baker there every day.

 

Would Barney's defense be enough of an upgrade on Baker to justify playing him against more RHP to start?

[Guest]

If Barney is above DeWitt, why have a platoon at all? Just play Baker there every day.

 

Would Barney's defense be enough of an upgrade on Baker to justify playing him against more RHP to start?

 

Considering Baker's defense is above average, and it would probably benefit Baker's overall offense to play him everyday(at least, relative to a platoon partner that is his equal), I don't think so.

[sneakypower]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/jeff-baker-starting-second-baseman/