With the whirlwind of moves GM Rick Hahn made this past off-season, the Chicago White Sox are well set to retake command of the American League Central Division. Hahn’s carpenter impersonation was quite impressive as he patched and filled nearly every hole left in an already strong and promising lineup. While every other position in the field has at least one player penciled in to start the season, 2nd base remains the sole area left up to a legitimate competition. With spring training well underway, and the start of the season right around the corner, the time is nigh to decide who will man what is a critical position in the Sox lineup. This is a list of the possibilities.
Carlos Sanchez 2b (age 22)
Even though he is still only 22, Sanchez has played in his third season at AAA last year for the Charlotte Knights. Thus, it wasn’t a shock that he was the first option out of the minor leagues to replace Gordon Beckham. Sabremetric apologists will argue that he can hold his own with the bat, even though he won’t win any slugging awards anytime soon. No one part of his game stands out in particular, but he has decent speed while having the ability to not embarrass himself at the plate. His best shot at starting is to keep 2b warm until either another major league option takes over or one of the prospects show that they are ready for the show.
Gordon Beckham 2b (28)
Gordon is now into his sixth season removed from his “promising” rookie season. Age is still on his side, but he’s got to make some traction starting this season. He’s behind several options, and is on his second tour of duty with the Sox after having been traded to the Angels last season. He seems destined to be a perpetual prospect, never quite translating potential into production. A devastatingly strong spring can go a long way toward revitalizing this fan favorite’s career.
Emilio Bonifacio 2b/of (29)
One of the more unlikely options for a starting position, Bonifacio was brought in to be a supersub that will shuffle anywhere from 3b, 2b, and and even center field. As a Chicago Cub, he would get off to a scorching hot start to the season just to slowly and painfully regress to barely above replacement player level status. He’s not very durable, as minor injuries keep him out of the lineup all too often to be depended upon as a starter. He has some speed and gap power, but he’s definitely more suited for a utility role.
Leury Garcia 2b (23)
Acquired in 2013 from the Texas Rangers in the Alex Rios trade, Garcia is the least known option of this group. He has little to no power, but displays very good speed on the base-paths. He’s versatile defensively as can play SS, 2b, and even center field. But he has a very poor contact rate, and rarely finds himself on base via the walk. If his defense can hold up, he appears to max out as a utility defensive replacement while garnering the occasional pinch run opportunity.
Micah Johnson 2b (24)
Baseball America rates Johnson as the fourth best prospect in a progressively deeper White Sox minor league system. And it is easy to see why the young infielder gets so much attention. For a team that is hardly considered “swift,” Johnson provides this team with a much needed commodity in speed. He is still raw when it comes to stealing bases, and he is far from the fastest player in the league, but the athleticism he exhibits helps scouts envision him as a future table setter. He has succeeded at every level in the minors, and appears ready to prove he can translate the potential at a major league level. While the team is very well set with depth at 2b, no one is as talented and as ready to play as Johnson is. Assuming he shows no signs of regression this spring, it would appear that the Sox will give him every chance to win the job outright as the rosters are set.
Tim Anderson SS (21)
The youngest of the group, Anderson is also the furthest away from breaking camp with the team. His game profiles similarly to that of a young Beckham, a developing bat and solid defense but with a little more speed. While he is very athletic, his bat still needs a lot of work in making better contact while simultaneously reducing strikeouts. He does have the potential to develop power down the line, but he is definitely not making the trip to the Southside of Chicago anytime soon.
Regardless of who wins the 2b job this spring, the Chicago White Sox are stacked with talent for years to come. It’s comforting to know that the problem of choosing a winner is born out of an abundance of talent, rather than scraping the bottom of the barrel. This current hole in the infield is quickly becoming a clog, but in a very good way.
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