Shortstop is a position where we still might see some additional flux between now and Opening Day – maybe not with the Mets as Flores will likely be starting in April, but almost certainly in Philadelphia. So for now, how do the shortstops stack up in the National League East?
1. Andrelton Simmons (Braves) – The 25 year old Simmons is one of the most exciting and dynamic glove men we’ve seen in a long time. Who cares that he’s a career .252 hitter with a .297 OBP. That Glove. Wow. The way we Mets fans drool over Lagares play in center field is the way they drool over Simmons’ glove in Atlanta. He is a Stud. There’s no one better in the East than him and I’d love to see him in a Mets uniform. Unfortunately, we have to watch him from afar in Atlanta.
2. Ian Desmond (Nationals) – Desmond has three straight Silver Slugger awards for a reason. Over the last three years, the Nationals shortstop has averaged 23 HR, 81 RBI and 32 doubles. He’s a career .270 hitter and does strike out a lot, having been punched out 183 times in 2014 and averaging 138 strikeouts per season since 2010. He’s also made 720 starts at short for the Nationals since becoming their everyday starter in 2010. Not too shabby.
3. Adeiny Hechavarria (Marlins) – Hechavarria has made 291 starts at shortstop for the Marlins over the last two seasons and he has averaged 2 HR, 38 RBI, 42 runs scored, 136 hits and 9 stolen bases with a slash line of .251/.287/.327. He’s not in Simmons class with the glove, but he’s certainly solid defensively in the field and can make some highlight reel plays of his own.
4. Wilmer Flores (Mets) – Should Flores be our Opening Day shortstop? Will or won’t the Mets trade for Troy Tulowitzki? Will the Mets sign Stephen Drew who still remains on the free agent market? It’s looking more and more like Flores will start the season at short for the Mets, and while we all know that he has a world of potential with the stick, the defensive concerns still cast a pall on him. In 105 big league games, he’s a career .240 hitter with 7 HR and 42 RBI. Since becoming a regular in the second half of 2014, his slash line was .257/.295/.408 with 5 HR and 22 RBI in 53 games and 49 starts. A shortstop can get away with those offensive numbers if your last name is Simmons. If your last name is Flores, the production will need to be better. He’s at number four now, but once the Phillies upgrade, Flores couls slide down to number five until he proves otherwise.
5. Freddy Galvis (Phillies) – With the Jimmy Rollins trade to the Dodgers complete, Galvis now stands atop the depth chart for the Phillies. The Phillies didn’t win the rights to Jung-ho Kang and until Ruben Amaro upgrades the spot, the utility infielder with his career slash line of .218/.259/.362 is first in line. His .176 batting average in 2014 in 43 games played makes the Phillies envious of Ruben Tejada. He’s fifth on the list for the time being, and even with the Phillies looking like a complete disaster heading into 2015, I can’t see them sticking with Galvis as their everyday shortstop for too long.
