Though he continues to knock off rust after being waylayed for six weeks with a broken hand, Blue Jays third base prospect Brett Lawrie is quickly rounding out not only with his bat but even his glove.
The 21-year-old former first-round draft pick returned to the Las Vegas 51s last week and quickly put up a 9-19 streak, raising his Triple A batting average to .352, with a .412 onbase percentage and .655 slugging with 16 homers in 261 atbats. He also has stolen 14 bags.
Questions persist about his defensive play at third base, as he has 14 errors, but many came early in the season. Now he is beginning to look pretty flashy around the bag, and at any rate he probably could not do much worse than Blue Jays potential starting third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, a 29-year-old veteran who is anything but a defensive whiz.
After showing flashes of brilliance during spring training, Lawrie, a former catcher and second baseman, continues to demonstrate major league readiness in the field, as he barehanded a hard-hit grounder last week to keep it from going for extra bases, then fielded another tricky bounce to help turn a 5-4 double play.
Meanwhile, fans are becoming inpatient, especially after the Blue Jays made it clear the team is in no hurry to call him to Toronto.
"I've just got to keep playing, and hopefully I'll get an opportunity," Lawrie told The Las Vegas Review Journal.
Showing posts with label Edwin Encarnacion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edwin Encarnacion. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, December 21, 2009
Ex-Reds GM Jim Bowden Blasts Scott Rolen Pact
The restructuring and extension of Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen's contract has come under fire from the team's former general manager, who questioned the pact on grounds of Rolen's advancing age, history of injuries and declining offense.
Jim Bowden, now co-hosting a morning baseball radio talk show on Sirrius/XM. said it was unwise to extend Rolen through 2012 at a cost of $23.63 million, after he was due $11 million in 2010. Rolen will be 37 when the contract expires.
"It's very disappointing to me committing that amount of money without knowing that Scott Rolen can bounce back," Bowden said.
Rolen will receive $6 million this season, $6.5 million per season in 2011 and 2012, plus a $5 million signing bonus.
The Reds acquired Rolen from the Blue Jays last season for third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and pitching prospects Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart.
Jim Bowden, now co-hosting a morning baseball radio talk show on Sirrius/XM. said it was unwise to extend Rolen through 2012 at a cost of $23.63 million, after he was due $11 million in 2010. Rolen will be 37 when the contract expires.
"It's very disappointing to me committing that amount of money without knowing that Scott Rolen can bounce back," Bowden said.
Rolen will receive $6 million this season, $6.5 million per season in 2011 and 2012, plus a $5 million signing bonus.
The Reds acquired Rolen from the Blue Jays last season for third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and pitching prospects Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart.
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Doctor X -- the 'Baseball Medic' -- is an anonymous U.S. government trauma specialist with a Duke University sports medicine background and more than 20 years experience in emergency medicine. From time to time he considers MLB rumors, events and news reports as they pertain to baseball players' injuries, illnesses and various other disabilities, both on the field and off.
MLB Rumors editor Greg Fieg is a former sports news editor and award-winning writer whose bylines have appeared on the wires of the Associated Press and in numerous publications, including San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio Light, Houston Chronicle and Philadelphia Bulletin. He formerly was posted in various positions on the U.S.-Mexican border with Freedom Newspapers, and was a regular, independent contributor to United Press International.