Ask BA - 美國職棒

: resume with more consistent success. If I tried to play Jim Callis' game, I
: would go with this order: Cabrera, Jones, Betancourt, Tuiasasopo, Morse,
: Navarro. All in all, our disagreement comes from Asdrubal. It's hard to not
: be high on Jones.
: 因為Cabrera比起他在攻守兩面都很穩定。要我像Jim Callis一樣幫水手農場的游擊手
: 排名的話，我的順序是這樣：Cabrera, Jones, Betancourt, Tuiasasopo, Morse,
: Navarro。差別在於Asdrubal的位置。很難不把他擺在Jones上面。

所謂Jim Callis的排名指的是下面這篇
BA的Jim Callis對水手的游擊水兵做了簡單的排名

How you see all of the Mariners shortstops sorting themselves out? Mike Morse
is doing surprisingly well in Seattle, Yuniesky Betancourt is holding his own
at Triple-A Tacoma, Adam Jones is hitting well at Double-A San Antonio,
Asdrubal Cabrera is doing well at high Class A Inland Empire and Matt
Tuisaosopo is having a decent year at low Class A Wisconsin. Jones, Cabrera
and Tuiasosopo are all teenagers. Can Betancourt hit enough to play regularly
in the majors, and do the others field well enough?

Philip Meneely
Philadelphia

A year ago in Ask BA, I answered a similar question about the Mariners'
shortstop depth. At that point, I ranked their minor league shortstops in
this order: Jose Lopez, Matt Tuiasosopo, Michael Morse, Adam Jones, Asdrubal
Cabrera and Juan Gonzalez. "It's very difficult sorting them out, as the only
easy call is putting Gonzalez sixth," I wrote. "I may be conservative with
Cabrera, who's hitting very well in the short-season Northwest League at age
17. On pure upside, Tuiasosopo would be No. 1, but Lopez is five levels ahead
of him and playing well in Triple-A at age 20."

Since then, Lopez has lost his rookie/prospect status, Betancourt signed a
$3.65 million major league contract as a Cuban defector and Gonzalez was
released by the Mariners and re-signed by the Tigers. What hasn't changed is
that the Mariners still are loaded with shortstops. Oswaldo Navarro also
deserves mention with that group.

Betancourt and Cabrera are both dazzling fielders, while Jones has an
absolute cannon for an arm to go with solid range. Navarro has very sure
hands and is a legitimate shortstop, though with all the others in the system
he already has been shuttling between second base and short and has seen a
little time at third base—he'll probably wind up as a utilityman.

Morse and Tuiasosopo probably aren't going to be long-term shortstops. Morse
has been decent in the majors so far, but he lacks the first-step quickness
and range of an ideal shortstop. Though Tuiasosopo is a good athlete and a
former top quarterback recruit, he doesn't have classic shortstop actions and
probably will outgrow the position.

As for Betancourt's bat, he should be fine. After not playing at all in 2004,
he has jumped right into Double-A and Triple-A at age 23 and hit a combined
.280/.305/.420 with 18 steals in 91 games. He needs to draw more walks (13)
but he makes good contact (just 30 strikeouts in 379 at-bats) and he has gap
power and plus speed. Throw in a defensive package scouts compare to that of
Cesar Izturis, and Betancourt does project as a big league regular.

It's still difficult sorting out the Mariners shortstop prospects, but I'll
take another crack at it: Jones, Betancourt, Tuiasosopo, Cabrera, Morse (I
think he's playing over his head in Seattle right now), Navarro.

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