Gonna need range at 2B

[Dtwncbad]

Let's be honest.  If Pujols is going to play first, he is going to have to play about 7 feet from first base.  He is just not going to be able to move further away from the bag to cover more ground.  He won't be able to get to the bag and cover like a more nimble player could.

So whomever the Angels get to play second is going to need to be able to cover a lot of ground.

[Mark68]

 

[Mark68]

[eaterfan]

The second baseman can cheat over toward first a little. Simmons covers a lot of ground on the other side.

[tomsred]

This is why we keep Cowart for the utility position until we are absolutely sure he can't handle major league pitching.  The guy has range, and is an above average fielder.  Now let's see if we can find the starter who can both defend and get on base, and lead off successfully.  There are several possibilities now, but I hope we don't wait too long and start to see those options narrow.

[Rico]

Pujols can't hit.  Pujols can't field.  Why are we trying to get him more AB's by playing him at first?

[tomsred]

Here's some good range.....

 

[UndertheHalo]

Angels are just gonna have to have the guts to take AB’s away from Albert and start winding him down.  He’s probably not an everyday player anymore.  Period.  Even as a DH.  It’s just how it’s gonna have to be.  We can’t compromise the infield defense to accommodate Pujols limitations. 

Edited December 11, 2017 by UndertheHalo

[zenmaster]

6 minutes ago, Rico said:

Pujols can't hit.  Pujols can't field.  Why are we trying to get him more AB's by playing him at first?

Can our alternative hit any better?

[Angel Oracle]

56 minutes ago, eaterfan said:

The second baseman can cheat over toward first a little. Simmons covers a lot of ground on the other side.

This is why a 3B with decent at best range can be brought in, as long as they have an accurate enough arm (anti-Noscobar) and gobble up everything hit near them.

But yeah, a very good range 2B has to be brought in.  After Fletch commented in another thread about it, dare we acquire Kinsler? 

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, Rico said:

Pujols can't hit.  Pujols can't field.  Why are we trying to get him more AB's by playing him at first?

Because it’s going to happen any way. 

[Angel Oracle]

2 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Because it’s going to happen any way. 

Yep, have to figure that due to having a normal off-season for a change, they will give him 2018 to see what happens.   If he struggles in 2018, then the negotiating on him bowing out may begin because there will be no more excuses.    But if somehow he goes Big Poopy (without the enhancers) on us and has a strong 2018, then we all are feeling a lot better.

[Mark68]

[Mark68]

[nate]

1 hour ago, Rico said:

Pujols can't hit.  Pujols can't field.  Why are we trying to get him more AB's by playing him at first?

Agreed, he should sit on the bench most games.  It is a stupid old school baseball thing where the high paid veteran has to get play time even when they suck as bad as Pujols.

[DMVol]

8 minutes ago, nate said:

Agreed, he should sit on the bench most games.  It is a stupid old school baseball thing where the high paid veteran has to get play time even when they suck as bad as Pujols.

[Jobu]

Naw, we just need to get the grounds keeping on board... 

[beatlesrule]

1 hour ago, Rico said:

Pujols can't hit.  Pujols can't field.  Why are we trying to get him more AB's by playing him at first?

27 million reasons why.

[Hubs]

Pujols is a good first baseman. He just can't do it every day anymore. 

If he plays half the games at DH and Ohtani DH's the other half and he'll play twice a week at 1st. That's roughly 55 games. That's 130 games on the season. Maybe he gets 10 more than that and you're at 140 games played, one day off a week, and slightly more than two days a week in the field. Valbuena is the likely guy at 1st for the remaining games and then another guy gets the other half. 

So we need a 3rd baseman, and a 2nd baseman. 

 

[Second Base]

Pujols was always a good defender at 1B. I think we can chill on bagging on him as a defender and just focus on his age and the amount of money he makes.

[DMVol]

15 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

Pujols was always a good defender at 1B.....

Range is the issue now....

[Angel Oracle]

Of all the 2B mentioned as possibilities, which of them have the best range?

[Hubs]

I believe Cozart would be the best defender as he is a premier defensive SS. Yet he's never played 2nd at the MLB level as far as I know.

[tomsred]

9 hours ago, Hubs said:

I believe Cozart would be the best defender as he is a premier defensive SS. Yet he's never played 2nd at the MLB level as far as I know.

And I thought I read somewhere that he doesn't want to play second, probably because it diminishes his value.

[Hubs]

1 minute ago, tomsred said:

And I thought I read somewhere that he doesn't want to play second, probably because it diminishes his value.

He prefers to play SS and also doesn't want a utility role, I'd assume.

However, one of the virtues of having Andrelton Simmons at SS, is that he's unquestionably the best SS in baseball, so no one would want to supplant him.