Small blurb about Urias and Arcia

[TURBO]

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said this week that getting a long look at Luis Urias at shortstop during spring training is "something we want to do."

 

Urias was set to compete for the shortstop job in 2020, but he missed spring training because of a broken hamate bone and then tested positive for COVID-19 at the start of summer camp. He then mostly played third base when he was healthy because the Brewers needed help at the position. Now, it sounds like he might be the favorite to start at shortstop over Orlando Arcia. Urias has posted a lackluster .635 OPS over 422 career plate appearances at the major league level, but the former top prospect has some offensive upside. Arcia, meanwhile, is expected to play some third base and center field this spring in addition to shortstop.

 

RELATED: Orlando Arcia

SOURCE: The Athletic

Feb 26, 2021, 5:42 PM ET

[Warning Track Power]

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said this week that getting a long look at Luis Urias at shortstop during spring training is "something we want to do."

 

Urias was set to compete for the shortstop job in 2020, but he missed spring training because of a broken hamate bone and then tested positive for COVID-19 at the start of summer camp. He then mostly played third base when he was healthy because the Brewers needed help at the position. Now, it sounds like he might be the favorite to start at shortstop over Orlando Arcia. Urias has posted a lackluster .635 OPS over 422 career plate appearances at the major league level, but the former top prospect has some offensive upside. Arcia, meanwhile, is expected to play some third base and center field this spring in addition to shortstop.

 

RELATED: Orlando Arcia

SOURCE: The Athletic

Feb 26, 2021, 5:42 PM ET

 

I love the Brewers' desire for players with positional versatility but this type of thing is getting a bit old for me. They literally have Taylor, McKinney, Fisher, Ray, etc. who should see CF before Arcia ever plays there. It's not as if one of those guys as a 4th OF is going to be significantly worse offensively than Arcia 1-2 days a week, that he needs to be in CF.

 

This may only be for BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY but it is reported as if we should expect to see a starting lineup in May that includes an OF of Yelich-Arcia-Garcia while Cain needs a day. That to me is inexplicably stupid.

[brewcrewdue80]

Or maybe the team increases any trade value showcasing Arcia at CF and 3b during ST before waiving him/dfa to save money. I mean if Robertson is going to be super utility with Urias as SS and Shaw as 3b. Do you need Arcia as a PH? Or would Vogelbach be better off the bence as PH late in games?

[jerichoholicninja]

The team knows what Arcia can do at SS so there's not much to gain from him getting anything more than the minimum reps there so why not try him somewhere else in spring training? And if Urias wins the SS job there really is no reason for Orlando to even be on the team unless he can play a bunch of other positions. There's probably pitchers I would rather pinch hit before him.

[umphrey]

Although Arcia is only 26, it's probably more likely that he makes a long MLB career as a SS/CF/2B util guy than has an offensive breakout at SS. He has the tools to play CF and his bat sort of plays there as a part time guy.

[CheeseheadInQC]

I'm not ready to write off Arcia. If the gains he showed last year in plate discipline and other metrics (career highs in exit velocity, hard hit rate, line drive percentage, etc.) are sustainable, he has a chance to be a decent contributor, whatever the role. The guy was probably brought up a season early out of necessity. It isn't out of the realm of possibility that he becomes a passable middle infield bat.

[CheezWizHed]

If they plan to carry 4 normal OFers, perhaps they want to see if he can cover CF in an emergency.

[pitchleague]

Bill Hall played some centerfield. If Bill Hall can play there, so can Arcia.

[TURBO]

Or maybe the team increases any trade value showcasing Arcia at CF and 3b during ST before waiving him/dfa to save money. I mean if Robertson is going to be super utility with Urias as SS and Shaw as 3b. Do you need Arcia as a PH? Or would Vogelbach be better off the bence as PH late in games?

 

No one is going to trade for Arcia because he tried playing some CF.

[TURBO]

Bill Hall played some centerfield. If Bill Hall can play there, so can Arcia.

 

...and Kotsay, don't forget Mark Kotsay and his CF abilities...

[Warning Track Power]

Or maybe the team increases any trade value showcasing Arcia at CF and 3b during ST before waiving him/dfa to save money. I mean if Robertson is going to be super utility with Urias as SS and Shaw as 3b. Do you need Arcia as a PH? Or would Vogelbach be better off the bence as PH late in games?

 

No one is going to trade for Arcia because he tried playing some CF.

Amen. If Arcia hasn’t cut it at SS for 5 seasons, nobody is going to look at 40 innings in CF and say AH HA we need that guy on our team. It’s so obviously transparent (and idiotic) for the Brewers to try him in CF that it’s almost insulting.

[Oxy]

Or maybe the team increases any trade value showcasing Arcia at CF and 3b during ST before waiving him/dfa to save money. I mean if Robertson is going to be super utility with Urias as SS and Shaw as 3b. Do you need Arcia as a PH? Or would Vogelbach be better off the bence as PH late in games?

 

No one is going to trade for Arcia because he tried playing some CF.

Amen. If Arcia hasn’t cut it at SS for 5 seasons, nobody is going to look at 40 innings in CF and say AH HA we need that guy on our team. It’s so obviously transparent (and idiotic) for the Brewers to try him in CF that it’s almost insulting.

 

 

Sure, if he isn't very good at other positions. However, if he is a plus CF defensively his value skyrockets. It's one thing to have a utility guy who CAN play anywhere, it's quite another to have a guy play WELL everywhere.

 

That said, I don't expect anything special out of him defensively in the OF. He just isn't quite naturally fast enough. Good arm and instincts though.

[brewcrewdue80]

Some people have such poor reading skills and thought processes. Utility guys doesn't mean CF starters. Simply back-ups. Arcia has 4innings of defense outside of SS for his career. As Cheesehead noted above, he shows improvement via statcast on his bat. Showing he can play defense in CF or 3b is helping Arcia's future. Like I mentioned trade value vs just a straight up dfa. There will undoubtedly be a good share of dfas before the season begins and before the claiming process begins teams can try to trade that player. Arcia imo could fit a swap of dfa type players. Versatility is all. Arcia has only 4innings of of being anything but SS. But stay closed-minded and a sad angry poster always with negatory comments on FO moves. Bet you're a real thrill to work alongside with.

[Lathund]

Versatility helps roster construction, might allow them to keep bats with inconvenient positional fits, or to run with a 4-man bench to fit another pitcher in. Like if they want to keep Vogelbach and have that extra pitcher, then you'd only run with one pure OF on the bench and would need the bench guys to be capable of playing there too. They want to see what Urias can do at SS, and while he's there why not see if Arcia can handle other spots? I really don't get how it's "insulting" to do so.

 

I do think he's too slow to be a good CF, but no harm giving it a try in ST.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

They are going to play Arcia at 3B, and probably at 2B and CF because they more than likely are viewing him as a reserve this season, and the Brewers like their reserves to have positional versatility. I think it is as simple as that. Heck, they like their starters to have positional versatility. They know that Arcia has a capability of playing a fine SS, so what's the harm in seeing if he can handle other positions on the diamond? If Urias fulfills his potential and plays full time, they are still going to want to get Arcia in the lineup when he's on one of his typical hot streaks.

[Thurston Fluff]

Unless you're an established, highly productive player you should expect competition for your job every year. Given some will lose said competition there has to be alternative plans for the loser. This seems like nothing more than that to me. May the best man win.

[adambr2]

Bill Hall played some centerfield. If Bill Hall can play there, so can Arcia.

 

I mean Bill Hall was a pretty versatile player.

[RollieTime]

I will never forget the Sportscenter anchor doing the highlights for Bill Hall’s Mother’s Day walk-off home run. It showed his homerun, cut to his mother celebrating in the stands and said:

 

“That’s my baby! I love my baby and he loves me!”

[stalton]

I will never forget the Sportscenter anchor doing the highlights for Bill Hall’s Mother’s Day walk-off home run. It showed his homerun, cut to his mother celebrating in the stands and said:

 

“That’s my baby! I love my baby and he loves me!”

 

Not to go too offtopic but that moment is one of best Brewer moments I've ever witnessed.

[Warning Track Power]

Versatility helps roster construction, might allow them to keep bats with inconvenient positional fits, or to run with a 4-man bench to fit another pitcher in. Like if they want to keep Vogelbach and have that extra pitcher, then you'd only run with one pure OF on the bench and would need the bench guys to be capable of playing there too. They want to see what Urias can do at SS, and while he's there why not see if Arcia can handle other spots? I really don't get how it's "insulting" to do so.

 

I do think he's too slow to be a good CF, but no harm giving it a try in ST.

Insulting was my word and May have been a bit harsh when I posted it. My point really is that Arcia isn’t some elite bat you have to find a spot for like Hiura. The Brewers should be playing a legitimate OF like Taylor, McKinney, Fisher or Ray before playing Arcia in CF.

[RollieTime]

McKinney was a solid pickup. He’s a nice left handed power bat that could see some time in right field and first base. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a good season from him and look back at that pickup as another great diamond in the rough find by Stearns.