Who ultimately takes over at 3B for the Tribe?

[Gunther]

Really good writeup of the situation from Lastoria here:

- With Peralta’s exit, third base is now wide open for the rest of this season and for most of next season. They will initially take a look at the trio of Andy Marte, Jayson Nix, and Luis Valbuena at the position, and then later on Jared Goedert is expected to get a crack at it. Whoever they settle on at the position will just be considered a stopgap until eventual long-term option Lonnie Chisenhall is (hopefully) ready by July/August next year to handle everyday duties there.

- There has been some disappointment with the trade because the Indians called up Valbuena instead of Goedert. There is no doubt the time may be now to find out about Goedert, but his callup is being delayed some in order to get a look at the Marte-Valbuena-Nix trio and see if anyone can be reliable at third base next year. I don’t expect the experiment to last long, and really, this is a good opportunity to find out once and for all about Marte, Nix, and Valbuena, three guys taking up valuable spots on the 40-man roster. They will likely want to keep one of them around for next year as insurance for Goedert or as the starting option at third base until Chisenhall is ready, so auditioning them at the position now makes a lot of sense.

- As for Goedert, he can use the rest of his time in Triple-A to continue to work on his defense. It’s the one thing holding him back and the one thing the organization has stressed needs improved to ensure he is at least an average major league defender. I am not entirely sure when they will call up Goedert, but in conversations I have had lately with people they believe the bat is as ready as it ever will be and it just may be time to find out what he can do (at least offensively). I expect him to be a September callup and get a majority of the at bats in September at third base, though I think there is a chance he is called up sooner.

SOURCE

I've never seen Goedert play, but it sounds as if his D is lacking. I saw Chisenhall play one game in Akron this season and I was unimpressed - he looked like far from a finished product to me defensively. To be fair, that was only one game, but it fits in with what I've been reading as well. At any rate, there is no guarantee that we see Chisenhall before next September.

 

[sjeppe]

Have fryman give them one on one Defensive instruction, he could shape them both up quick with the glove.

 

[AZ_]

Goedert is athletic enough to play there, he's just awkward and his arm is pretty poor.

Comes with time

 

[Otsego Mar]

Anybody but Marte or I might kill myself.

 

[chiefwahoo]

I don't see an option to vote for Brook Jacoby?

We were spoiled in the good old days when that position was locked up by Thome, Matt Williams, then Fryman. I would love someone in Fryman's mold to anchor down that position again. Obviously that guy isn't Marte. I'm hoping eventually it will be Chisenhall. Don't know much about this Goedert kid, aside from what I've read here.

 

[KCOTT]

all i know is that Goedert has 17 home runs in only 185 at bats/46 games, and Santana when he was there had just 13 home runs in 196 at bats/57 games at columbus

he also leads the team with 11 errors, basically 1 every 4 games

 

[Steve_424]

Lonnie Chisenhall will be the long term 3B for this team. They'll probably look to sign a veteran stopgap to a one year deal - Bill Hall, Juan Uribe, Miguel Tejada, and Ty Wigginton are free agents who fit what I'd guess them to be looking at...maybe even - I'll say it - Omar Vizquel, who has handled third base nicely for the White Sox.

 

[Gimme Some Mo]

I have seen Chisenhall about 5 times and he defense is shaky to say the least. I'd say he made 4 errors in those 5 games.

Once again, small sample size. But like Gunther said, he was unimpressed as well and he has read bad things about his D so it's probably not just a coincidence.

Unfortunately, I think we'll be watching a lot of Marte, Nix, and Valbuena.

 

[macbdog]

Chisenhall just switched to 3B last year, he has time to grow into the position. I'll worry about his defense if he is still struggling into next season.

Goedert on the other hand, has been playing 3B since college. He had the year and a half experiment @ 2B, but he has spent all of last year and this year back at his original position. He is also 26. Not saying he can't make improvement, but he is about at the point where he is what he is.

Who finishes the year @ 3b? If the Tribe brass has a brain, it is whoever can be above average defensively at the position. This club has a starting staff, bullpen, and minor league system filled with groundball pitchers. The organizational philosophy is to be efficient and pitch to contact. To then go out and put out possibly the worst defensive infield in MLB is shooting yourself in the foot. Frankly, I don't care who ends up getting the gig @ 3B as long as they are not just competent but can excel defensively there.

Right now, Marte is the only plus defender of the 4 possiblities. Can he hit enough to stick? Probably not after 700 bigleague ABs, so that leaves Goedert, Donald and Valbuena. As long as they can maintain a passable OPS (700+), to me, defense should dictate. My early money is on Valbuena.

 

[macbdog]

Lonnie Chisenhall will be the long term 3B for this team. They'll probably look to sign a veteran stopgap to a one year deal - Bill Hall, Juan Uribe, Miguel Tejada, and Ty Wigginton are free agents who fit what I'd guess them to be looking at...maybe even - I'll say it - Omar Vizquel, who has handled third base nicely for the White Sox.

I see the Tribe doing everything they can to fill 3B internally. Uribe will be pushing for a multiyear dea, so that prices him out. Wigginton is a butcher @ 3B and so is Hall. That leaves Tejada, as a cheap washedup vet, as the one most likely to interest the Tribe if they go that route.