#shortstop

#shortstop

the Braves were in desperate need of a shortstop and Ha-Seong Kim (a Scott Boras client) was looking to cash in on being one of the highest-profile free agent shortstops in a particularly weak market for shortstops this offseason. He would've made $16 million had he accepted his player option but instead, he's managed to get the Braves to pony up an extra $4 million for this upcoming season.

Elly De La Cruz has led the league in errors the past two seasons, but the Reds intend to keep him at shortstop, at least for the time being. President of baseball operations Nick Krall spoke to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com for a piece about Cincinnati's top prospects. With shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo knocking on the door of the majors, Krall was asked if there were plans to move De La Cruz off the position. " As of right now, no," Krall told Sheldon.

The right shortstop could play 150+ games (well I guess we're all about that club 162, though right?), hit above average and field at least average shortstop level. The Braves lineup looked much better with Ha-Seong Kim rather than the more offensively-challenged group of Nick Allen, Orlando Arcia, and Luke Williams (although Vidal Brujan was decent). The right shortstop could add two or as many as eight wins to a playoff-adjacent team.

For all of those calling to replace him, it basically boils down to Lopez being guilty of the same sin every Marlins shortstop has been guilty of since 2011: not being peak Hanley Ramirez. And to be fair, Ramirez wasn't even that in 2011, leading in part to his being replaced at short by Jose Reyes for the 2012 campaign.

The Marlins announced that shortstop Xavier Edwards has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left mid-back strain, with Lopez taking his place.