Atlanta Braves: Second Base Competition Is Wide Open

For the Atlanta Braves there are two position battles that seem to be the most intriguing this Spring Training. Other than the battle for the final slot in the starting rotation, the competition for the starting second base job will be the most hotly contested.

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Last season the position was initially held down by Dan Uggla. After yet another poor start, the Braves sent him packing. Tommy La Stella and Phil Gosselin split time at the position after Uggla left town, performing adequately.

La Stella has since been traded to the Cubs, and Atlanta has brought in a slew of other middle infielders to battle it out for the starting job. There are several ways the Braves could choose to go here, let’s take a look at some of the possibilities.

Phil Gosselin: Gosselin would seem to be the obvious choice. The Virginia product got off to a torrid start in Triple-A last season, batting .344/.379/.487 with 5 homers in 407 plate appearances. Once reaching the big leagues, he hit .266/.304/.320 in 136 plate appearances. Obviously, his bat is nothing special, he has a decent glove, but no elite skills. He is probably more suited as a utility player off the bench, rather than a full-time starter.
Jace Peterson: Peterson was acquired this offseason in the same deal that sent slugger Justin Upton to San Diego. Left-handed pitching prospect Max Fried was the star of the deal for Atlanta, but Peterson could become a nice piece for the Braves. He’s a fairly quick middle infielder who has primarily played shortstop in the minor leagues. Most scouting reports boast primarily about his athleticism. He’s only had 58 plate appearances in the major leagues, batting .113/.161/.113 with 2 stolen bases. However, his career on base percentage in the minors is .381, which is encouraging. If he could come close to replicating his minor league success, he would give the Braves a base-stealing top of the lineup hitter to perhaps fill that leadoff void. Based on his Twitter account, he is an avid hunter, meaning he will be my Dad’s favorite player. So there’s that.
Alberto Callaspo: Then there’s the old man of the group. Callaspo, who is 31 years old, is a journeyman utility player that has played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, and most recently the Oakland Athletics. His career best season came in 2012 with the Angels, when he hit .252/.331/.361 and put up 3.2 WAR. Last season he stumbled a bit, posting -1 WAR and finishing with a punch-less OPS of .580. Callaspo can also play third base, so if he can get his groove back with the bat, the Braves may elect to play him in a platoon with Chris Johnson, rather than have him become the full-time starter at second base. For any of that to come into play, he has to start hitting again.
Jose Peraza: The final candidate is the Braves top prospect, shortstop turned second basemen Jose Peraza. Of course, we all know what Peraza has to offer. He’s an excellent base-stealer, a contact hitter that hit .339 and stole 60 bases between Double-A and Single-A last season, and he projects to be an above average defensive player at second base. However, he may not be ready yet. He will likely start the season in Triple-A with Gwinnett, but I would not be surprised if he is in Atlanta by midseason. Second base will eventually be his, and he seems to have a bright future.

I’m sure Spring Training performance will at least slightly come into play when deciding who begins the season as the starter. Right now, I’d give the edge to Gosselin, based on the organization’s familiarity with him, and Mark Bowman’s speculation about the opening day lineup.

It’s apparent that eventually this job will go to Peraza, but right now someone needs to keep the job warm while he gets the last bit of seasoning he needs. Personally, I’d like to see Peterson get the first crack at the job. He has an interesting skillset, and he’s proven all he can at the minor league level. It would also be nice to see a piece from the Upton trade already producing in the big leagues.

We will find out soon enough. One thing is certain. It’s nice to talk about baseball again.

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