TAMPA — Marwin Gonzalez struggled at first base. After developing as a shortstop and enjoying second base and even third, he instinctively knew the way to observe the ball and play the angles. But first base, standing there and ready for essentially the most half, that wasn’t straightforward.
But he knew that his profession trusted it.
“The only chance that I had to play was like, moving around,” Gonzalez mentioned. “And that’s what I knew was going to get me in the lineup everyday.”
That is strictly what has him on the Yankees roster proper now. Not solely can Gonzalez play each defensive place within the infield, he additionally performs the outfield properly. That he can also swap hit makes him the last word versatile participant.
And that offers Aaron Boone a number of flexibility off his bench, one thing the Rays have used properly towards them over the previous few years — and what they’d been hoping to get from Tyler Wade for the previous few years.
“With a four-man position player bench, you like to have that flexibility,” Boone mentioned. “It’s huge. Having that flexibility to be able to give a guy a day off because you can slide (him in there) or rotate the (designated hitter) and use him in different spots is huge.”
Gonzalez got here into camp late after signing a minor league take care of the Yankees. Coming off his worst yr since his first two within the large leagues, he needed to show he might nonetheless contribute offensively for the Yankees so as to add him to the 40-man roster. He did that.
But up to now, Boone has used Gonzalez little or no. He has one hit in 5 at-bats. Gonzalez was 7-for-20 with three residence runs and 9 RBI in seven spring coaching video games. His defensive versatility allowed the Yankees to make the choice to go along with 16 pitchers to start out the season and only a three-man bench.
“Let’s say when you are giving a guy a day off, you can target more from a matchup standpoint when you have the flexibility to move around,” Boone mentioned. “Giancarlo (Stanton) with the ability to go to the outfield now on a extra common foundation helps, however that’s going to be necessary and definitely one thing you’ll see so far as the leadoff spot.
“I mean, every day will be a little different because we’ll have a regular out of there,” Boone continued. “Like we’ll have a regular out of there tomorrow. And that guy will probably be in there the next day.”
The Yankees bought their first actual style of versatility in DJ LeMahieu, who doesn’t frequently play shortstop or the outfield, and like the pliability he’s delivered to their roster. As the Rays have proven, nevertheless, there’s a profit to having a number of gamers who can transfer across the area and match into any spot when wanted.
Gonzalez was a key participant for the 2017 World Series champion Astros, which was additionally a profession season for him. He was an early hybrid of this period together with Ben Zobrist, who was valued not as a shortstop or a second baseman, however for all of the positions he can play.
“It’s been changing a lot. I think like when everything started for me it was like one or two guys in the whole league (who did it) and then the next few years again like Kike (Hernandez),” Gonzalez mentioned. “And then now I see like all the teams are trying to like, even before they get to the big list the young guys are being moved around in the minors. it’s one thing you’re seeing every team try to do now.”
For Gonzalez, versatility has stored his profession going and it’s one thing he sees solely being valued extra sooner or later. In reality, this spring he made certain to say that to Yankees prospect Oswaldo Cabrera. Like him, the 23-year-old Venezuelan broke into skilled baseball as a shortstop, however Gonzalez inspired him to study different positions.
“I told him it’s good to keep your options open,” Gonzalez mentioned, “to move around and see what happens. I think the way the game is going that could help him and others.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com