5 Burning Questions to be Resolved
Atlanta Braves catcher Evan Gattis (24) hits an RBI single off of Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jon Lester. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Q3: So We’re Really Playing Gattis in LF
Granted, this is a statement, not a question, but that’s kinda what it looks like. The question, then, is maybe along the lines of ‘how long will we have to endure this?’
John Hart insisted – despite reports to the contrary – that he wasn’t making calls to shop Evan Gattis, but that he’d listen on almost anybody. Even at this date, that’s clearly still true, though it would take a really big offer to pry the Bear loose.
At this point, my own guess on The Way Things Will Work is something like this:
- Gattis in Left Field most of the time. Might catch once a week.
- Zoilo Almonte picks up those 1 or 2 days a week in LF. Or Joey Terdoslavich – depending on who wins the spot out of Spring. Or Dian Toscano, once he gets on board and is deemed ready to go.
- Christian Bethancourt catches most of the time.
- A.J. Pierzynski (one of the worst catchers in baseball – regardless of who’s counting) might catch once or twice a week.
Given all of the moving parts above, there is one name that seemingly has the power to change the equation: Dian Toscano. He won’t be a power hitter, but if he can start hitting and generally getting on base at high rates, then Fredi might have to re-allocate the playing time accordingly. That said, I’d hold back on the enthusiasm, for it’s still way too early to go there.
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