Unfortunately, a bench of Alexei, Danny, Anderson, and Hall might look better with the bats, it also leaves us without any reasonable backup at 3rd base, since Lexi and Danny are both SS/2b players. Maybe Lexi could play 3rd some, no idea, but Danny hasn't played it at all as far as I know. Sticking Uribe at 3rd winds up being your only play when Crede's back acts up.

If Danny comes back and performs well in his rehab stint, then I think he ought to be called up and you ought to treat it as a Uribe/Richar platoon with Alexei getting more AB's down at Charlotte. That works a fair amount better because it gives us another lefty bat against righties and makes our bench go from 4 righties to a 3 and 1 mix on an average day.

 

If it acts up, you put him on the DL and bring up Fields. I know Fields is on the DL but he should hopefully be ready to go and Uribe can man the position until then.

If what the bench needs is a lefty bat who kills RHP, preferably one who plays multiple infield positions, and has a little speed maybe... there is a guy who fits that perfectly in Charlotte, hitting .297 with an .813 OPS (.826 vs RHP), ready for call-up. And there are 2 open slots on the 40-man.

 

Just sayin'.

 

If it acts up, you put him on the DL and bring up Fields. I know Fields is on the DL but he should hopefully be ready to go and Uribe can man the position until then.

FWIW, Fields was activated a couple days ago and played yesterday.

Hey, what about a blast or two from the past?

 

Rob Mackowiak anyone? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4718

 

Or Alex Cintron? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4814

 

JUST KIDDING!

 

Frankly, for a team where the starting SS, DH, 1B, and CF are all hitting way below their career averages, and neither one of the two guys we've used at 2B is hitting .200, on base even 27% of the time, or posting an OPS of .600 or more, I'd say we have more to worry about than "bench insurance."

 

It's hilarious to read how we need a "lefty bat off the bench" when two of the three lefties in our lineup are hitting .210, .339., .331, .670 (Swish) and .214, .352., .441, .794 (Thome). Would we settle for a bench bat hitting worse than these numbers?

 

How about this idea? Start Brian Anderson in CF. He's at .260, .315, .380, .695. Then Nick Swisher and Jim Thome can rotate at being the "lefty bat off the bench." Both actually redeemed themselves rather well as pinch hitters in SF.