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Revolving door: Toughest positions to fill
- Updated: January 2, 2017
For each of the past 13 seasons, the Red Sox wrote David Ortiz’s name into their lineup at designated hitter at least 81 times. Of course, that is about to change in 2017.
Such consistency is much more the exception than the rule in Major League Baseball, where players tend to come and go.
Sure, there are others ready to take the reins from Ortiz in terms of tenure with one team at one position. To name a few: Yadier Molina has been the Cardinals’ primary catcher since 2005, Brandon Phillips has been the Reds’ primary second baseman since ’06 and Ortiz’s longtime teammate Dustin Pedroia has been the Red Sox’s primary second baseman since ’07.
But on the other end of the spectrum, there are many examples of clubs that have experienced a revolving door at certain spots. Here is a look at one team that has faced such a situation at each position over the past 10 years (2007-16).
Catcher: Rangers The closest thing the Rangers have had to a mainstay behind the plate during this span is Robinson Chirinos, who has started 207 games over the past three seasons. But after last year’s non-waiver Trade Deadline, he gave way to Jonathan Lucroy, who will be the main catcher in 2017 until reaching free agency at the end of the season. Before Chirinos, a different player led Texas in starts by a backstop for six straight years, including Gerald Laird, Yorvit Torrealba and A.J. Pierzynski.
First base: Marlins In the past 10 seasons, the Marlins have gotten -0.1 wins above replacement (WAR) at first base, according to FanGraphs, hitting a below-league-average .235/.307/.395. So it’s no surprise the club has been unable to find a long-term solution at the position, although Justin Bour will head into his third season as the primary starter in 2017. Prior to Bour, Miami cycled through the likes of Mike Jacobs, Jorge Cantu, Gaby Sanchez, Carlos Lee, Logan Morrison and Garrett Jones. Only Sanchez started more than 122 games in a season.
Second base: Dodgers Jeff Kent’s four-year Dodgers tenure ended following 2008, and the club has bounced from second baseman to second baseman …
