OnlyBucs

Team announced that they have won the starting jobs!

Also:



2B Kevin Kramer was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. 3B Ke’ Bryan Hayes, 1B Will Craig, LHP Brandon Waddell , RHP Geoff Hartlieb, INF Nick Franklin, C Arden Pabst, C Christian Kelly and OF Bryan Reynolds were reassigned to minor league camp.



Huntington also said 2B Kevin Kramer will play some outfield at: "Not because we're trying to create a utility player, but we're trying to find a pathway to our major league team because we like the bat and we are going to need him this year."

I can live with Kang and Gonzalez as the starters. After all the Bucs have internal options if they fail! ;D

I think Gonzalez had the job the day they traded for him. Some of what they do is PR related, putting the best spin on their moves or lack thereof. After all, they're trying to sell tickets so it looks better if they appear to know what they're doing. So they traded for Gonzalez and he starts. He didn't tear it up in ST but neither did Newman. So it makes sense.



When they traded Cole, Musgrove was a question. For Houston he had struggled as a starter and excelled in the BP. Jason Martin is still an unknown so much of the spin centered on Moran being a valuable addition. He disappointed both in the field and at bat. But Musgrove did well when healthy and is now counted on to be an effective starter. So Moran can lose his starting job without making the Cole trade look worse. Kang is the far better fielder but has hit nothing but HRs in ST. But they would have been satisfied with Pedro Alvarez at 3B if he had fielded well to go along with being a HR hitter who didn't hit much of anything else. Hopefully, Kang will hit for a better average but if the worse case scenario is that he has a low average, hits a lot of HRs and fields 3B well, it won't be too bad.

So far this Spring Kang is 5 for 28 with 13 strikeouts. 



Better defense though, and Moran is this year's fan whipping boy (fairly or not, there is one every year) and has done no better, so . . .

I wonder if Newman makes the team as a bench player, or will they option him to Indy. If he goes to Indy, I hope he does not take playing time away from Tucker. Newman does not give me much confidence with coming off the bench to get a big hit. Possibly Reyes can back up Gonzalez at shortstop, giving someone like J B Shuck to make the team as a bench player.

today Moran is getting a start at first and Newman at 2nd.



That tells me that Newman has probably made it

There is no room for Newman at Indy, and he is a reliable glove at SS and 2b. I see this bench as the season opens:



Jake Stallings ( a surprise, but Diaz is hurt)

Kevin Newman (2b & SS)

Colin Moran (3B and 1B)

Melky Cabrera (RF platoon)

Pablo Reyes (CF and utility)



And here is the AAA lineup:

C - Baron & Kelley

1B - Craig

2B - Kramer

3B - Hayes

SS - Tucker

INF Util - Franklin

LF - Reynolds

CF - Martin

RF - Osuna

OF Subs - Kivlehan & Shuck

25th Man - Wide open

41737F7F6B597A737E7B7473120 wrote: today Moran is getting a start at first and Newman at 2nd.



That tells me that Newman has probably made it
I think they may be looking at Newman as a utility player at AAA. I think with him and Stallings opening the season on the bench, it will not be a very strong hitting bench. I just don’t think Newman is a lock at this time. Who knows they may make a waiver claim before opening day.

7F555E6E594F4F432C0 wrote: There is no room for Newman at Indy, and he is a reliable glove at SS and 2b. I see this bench as the season opens:



Jake Stallings ( a surprise, but Diaz is hurt)

Kevin Newman (2b & SS)

Colin Moran (3B and 1B)

Melky Cabrera (RF platoon)

Pablo Reyes (CF and utility)



And here is the AAA lineup:

C - Baron & Kelley

1B - Craig

2B - Kramer

3B - Hayes

SS - Tucker

INF Util - Franklin

LF - Reynolds

CF - Martin

RF - Osuna

OF Subs - Kivlehan & Shuck

25th Man - Wide open


That's going to be a fairly exciting Indy team to follow.