Credit to Baseball America
Will the White Sox keep Gordon Beckham at shortstop or move him to second base? How soon do you think it will take him to reach the major leagues? How much will he hit, and how good will he be defensively?
Robert Barker
Athens, Texas
The White Sox plan on keeping Beckham at shortstop for the immediate future. He'll also see time at second and third base in the Arizona Fall League, but that's because he signed too late for Chicago to request a priority roster spot for Beckham on the Peoria Saguaros. It appears that Ian Desmond of the Nationals will get the bulk of the starts at shortstop for the Saguaros.
Beckham should hit for a solid average with well above-average power for a middle infielder, while playing steady defense at shortstop. His hands are the biggest question for him defensively, but he covers enough ground and has plenty of arm for shortstop. His big league ETA is mid- to late 2010.
Ultimately, where Beckham fits with the White Sox depends on where Alexei Ramirez winds up. Ramirez likely will shift from second base to shortstop next season. If Ramirez looks good defensively there, then Beckham probably slides over to second base. If Ramirez leaves something to be desired, he could return to second base or even move to center field when Beckham is ready.