By Tomasz Kamien / NewJerseyHitmen.blogspot.com
March 12th, 2014: Trenton, NJ – Let's move on to the infield next. There is currently little contention for any infield spot; the roster is pretty much set after the acquisition of a few big names and the return of another. Originally, 22-year-old second baseman Nick Rose was going to be taking balls at first base to gain some experience. He would have been the starting first baseman this season, but the return of a free agent changed that quickly.
Starting Infielders
Starting Infielders
- C – Manuel González came over in an off-season blockbuster trade with the Omaha Cyclones. The big deal sent two pitchers and two outfielders as well as draft picks and $8,000,000 to Omaha in hopes that the recent thunder ManGo has been providing them would translate over to New Jersey. During the press conference to introduce ManGo, we mentioned that he last played with the Hitmen back in 2008 and had a very lackluster year. His past two seasons in Omaha have been spectacular, though, and ManGo has commented that this is the product he is bringing back to New Jersey. He is off to a solid spring already and will hopefully have a big season. One reason why the Hitmen decided to pay so much for him is that they want to win now. Coming off a surprising 94-win season, the team is only getting better. There are high hopes that they can become the first team in PEBA history to win a second Planetary Extreme Championship. A second reason the Hitmen pursued ManGo is that young catcher Jesús Téllez just isn't ready.
- 1B – Pablo Souza was signed as a free agent a couple weeks into last season. He decided once again to test the free agent waters at the end of the year but ended up taking a hefty pay raise to come back to NJ one more time. And you can't complain with the decision. Souza put up impressive numbers in 2013, going .294 at the plate with a .347 OBP. He also contributed 18 home runs and 92 RBI. He started out at third last season. Not a natural third baseman, he soon moved to first with the arrival of Mario Tessier from AAA. Souza owns a sound career .997 fielding percentage for at first, so we probably will not see the 17 errors again this year that he produced while playing third. The return of Souza is also the reason that the youngster Rose will be out of a starting role one more season. He will get more time to mature as a flexible back up after a lackluster season.
- 2B – Lawrence “Man of Steal” Jones was the eighth overall pick in a deep 2011 draft. He is another part of a very young and talented NJ infield. What the team has always liked about the kid is his great athletic skills that allow him to play any of the infield positions if necessary. This type of flexibility is crucial over a long season where injuries can take some of your top talent away for long stretches. He also brings a sound bat to the box and knows how to hit the ball. What he lacks in power, he makes up for in sheer speed. The kid is lightning fast, which is why Jersey City manager Luis Rodríguez gave him the nickname “Man of Steal” (after former MLB great Ricky Henderson). "The kid is incredible. One second, he is on the bag; then, before the pitcher is through his motion, Lawrence is already three-quarters of the way to second. It's a sight to see, if you can!” In 94 AAA games last season, Jones stole 54 bases. He was leading the GBB in steals before being called up to the bigs. In just 59 games for NJ, he stole another 29 bags. It will be fun to see what he can do in a full season, although Jones tore a hamstring and will miss spring training, hopefully returning just in time for the regular season.
- 3B – Mario Tessier has been playing beyond everyone's expectations except his own. Drafted 69th overall in 2011 out of Washington State, Mario always considered himself a big-ticket hitter and is putting in the effort to prove to everyone that he is the next big thing in the PEBA. Nearly a career .400 hitter in college, Tessier started his 2011 pro debut in SS-A Hilo slowly. 2012 was a whole different story, though, as he decimated the competition at Hi-A and AA levels. It did not take long before management could just no longer say, “No,” to his big numbers, and a timely team injury allowed him to come up early last season to help the Hitmen to their first playoff appearance since 2009. At just 24, the Canadian-born hitter has locked down the job at third base and will be the starter for the first time this coming season. There are high hopes riding on this young man.
SS – Lee Kohler has continued to show maturity and growth at the young age of 23. Already a two-time winner of the All-Leather Award at shortstop, Kohler will be entering his third season as the full-time starter. Like Jones, Kohler has the athletic talents to play the whole infield if necessary, and the two combine to give the Hitmen a lot of flexibility and a great combo up the middle. The team finally acknowledged his talents this off-season with a hefty extension that will have him averaging $8.5 million over three seasons. It was not an easy process to extend Kohler. Talks started at the beginning of the off-season. The team and Lee's agent went back and forth, only to sign near the end of December. Some feared that an extension might not get done, as the two sides couldn’t agree on dollars. Now with the contract talks behind him, Kohler will focus on improving his game and work to win a third straight All-Leather Award.
Infield Depth
The Hitmen are fortunate to have some infield depth to work with, which helps them to avoid skipping a beat when that pesky injury comes around. This year, there are three talented defensive-minded catchers fighting for one big league spot, and four infielders looking to give the Hitmen that utility option and depth they need.
The Hitmen are fortunate to have some infield depth to work with, which helps them to avoid skipping a beat when that pesky injury comes around. This year, there are three talented defensive-minded catchers fighting for one big league spot, and four infielders looking to give the Hitmen that utility option and depth they need.
- C – Manuel Silva was last season's backup to catcher Rafael Gonzáles. Although he did not get much playing time, he did hold down the fort and was a favorite amongst the pitching staff. This year, Silva has some competition with Jesús Méndez and José Rosário for the backup role. Of the three, Méndez is the most sound defensively, while Rosário is probably the best offensive option. Silva brings the most familiarity to the picture and knows his pitching staff well. So far this spring, all three men are neck and neck; this position could go to any of them.
- IF – Dave Morrison is an ex-Warrior getting another shot to show he still has some pop left in his bat. A career .279 hitter for Duluth, the first baseman wasn't tenured by any club last season and spent most of his time trying to stay in shape by coaching his nephew's little league team in Austin, Texas. Now back in the bigs in a potential backup role, Dave isn't taking anything for granted and calls his opportunity a second shot at the thing he loves most. We wish him luck this year.
- IF – Nick Rose was the starter at second base last season at just 21 years old. The kid still has a lot of growing up to do. Now 22, management seemingly has decided to give Rose a little more time to grow. They plan to use him in a versatile backup role this season. Rose has shown amazing patience at the plate and has no trouble working the count when he is up. Despite showing the talent and skill to hit the ball, he had trouble translating that skill to the big league level last season. The return of Souza has put Rose out of starting first base job this season, but management still plans to hand that role to the kid. Rose can get on base, that is for sure, but that does not seem to be enough for Evans. Rose will need to raise his defensive work and start putting wood on the ball to make the manager happy.
- IF – David MacFadden has had a tough-luck career. Showing plenty of talent at the AAA level, MacFadden has had many chances to play backup already for the Hitmen. He even has gotten a few chances to start. But there always seems to be someone just a little bit better getting that chance ahead of him, and he has spent a lot of time bouncing up and down between the bigs and AAA over the years. He will once again be fighting for a bench spot this season. David has been taking his situation with great humility, but with his options running out, I would not be surprised if the team and David will soon be at an uncomfortable crossroads. What this kid needs is an injury in the system to get his shot, it seems, which is unfortunate. This blogger, at least, has taken notice of his hard work.
On the Horizon
C – Jesús Téllez is strongly considered to be the team's next big league catcher. Téllez is more of an all-around talent. His defense is solid and he shows that he has the ability to swing the lumber, as well. Téllez, like many of his 2011 draft class teammates, has been tearing apart the minors at every level, although his growth slowed last season. Management believes one more season in AAA will be enough to get the kid ready to take the reins in the bigs. I would not be surprised to see him up earlier, potentially September of this season or sooner if there are any big injuries.
Some additional catchers to keep an eye on are Rafael Pérez in Hi-A Hoboken, and Jack Collins and Sean Dymond in SS-A Hilo. Rafael is another 2011 draftee that was off to a slow start in his minor league career but has shown some signs of life recently. Although not spectacular, he is putting his work in and could very well be a leading backup candidate down the line. Dymond is a 19-year-old recently scouted down in Aruba who will make his debut in the minors this season. Like with Rafael, first reports are that Dymond is an all-around talent that will probably fight for the backup role, though as hard a worker as Sean has shown himself to be, he could very well be fighting for that starting role, too. Finally, we have Collins, who was drafted 34th overall in last year's draft for his bat more than for his defense. Oddly enough, in his first season with Hilo, it was his defense that shone and his bat that needed the work. A work in progress, Collins still might be a threat for the starting job when his time comes.
- 2B – José Mateo was recently acquired in a trade with division rival Manchester that sent the Kung Fu Panda to a home that is willing to start him again. Despite being a solid defender and crushing the ball, new management was not happy with Pablo's paltry .227 performance in 2012. Mateo was acquired in what was essentially a trade for a borderline prospect. Mateo has the skills to be a solid backup when he fully matures, but there is hope that he might one day amount to more. You could not ask for more in this sensible trade.
Some more borderline talent to keep an eye on is Bergen third basemen Alberto Rodríguez and Hoboken second basemen Hunter Penton. Alberto reminds me a lot of David MacFadden, although he is still young enough that he could avoid the current situation with a full boat in the backup department and make the squad as a sound backup down the line for the team. Hunter, on the other hand, is looking like a possible utility infielder when his time comes. He has shown a knack for learning new positions quickly and is currently working on improving at third and shortstop. His one question is his bat; if he can manage to improve it, he could very well make the squad in years to come.
Finally, down in SS-A, the verdict is still out on first basemen Kevin Forrest and Jaime Flores and second basemen David Parrish, who round out our in-depth look today. Forrest was the seventh round pick for the Hitmen last season and shows some potential with the stick while displaying defensive versatility. With his hard work and high baseball IQ, he could become a solid infielder in future years. Flores recently recovered from a broken bone in his elbow that sidelined him for seven months and will have a long road to prove himself again. The big injury has not thrown out all hope for the kid, however. David was a solid hitter in high school and, at 19, has plenty of growing time ahead of him. He very well could eventually fight for a spot on the roster as a backup or potentially a starting role.
The road for any of these players will not be easy. The current Hitmen roster is filled with a very youthful bunch that seemingly will be around for a long time. It is just good to have those few extra guys working their way through the system to give you depth.
Finally, down in SS-A, the verdict is still out on first basemen Kevin Forrest and Jaime Flores and second basemen David Parrish, who round out our in-depth look today. Forrest was the seventh round pick for the Hitmen last season and shows some potential with the stick while displaying defensive versatility. With his hard work and high baseball IQ, he could become a solid infielder in future years. Flores recently recovered from a broken bone in his elbow that sidelined him for seven months and will have a long road to prove himself again. The big injury has not thrown out all hope for the kid, however. David was a solid hitter in high school and, at 19, has plenty of growing time ahead of him. He very well could eventually fight for a spot on the roster as a backup or potentially a starting role.
The road for any of these players will not be easy. The current Hitmen roster is filled with a very youthful bunch that seemingly will be around for a long time. It is just good to have those few extra guys working their way through the system to give you depth.
Tomasz Kamien is a beat writer for the New Jersey Hitmen. This story was not subject to the approval of Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance or its clubs.
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