Atlanta Braves mailbag: Fans ask about the bench and other moves

That glove-first shortstop

I believe Adeiny Hechavarria lands back in Atlanta; he’s the perfect fit as Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos’ glove-first shortstop.  Fans asked me why Hechavarria isn’t signed now, and that’s simple, he’s holding out for a better offer.  Like all ballplayers, Hechavarria wants an everyday shortstop job, and until he’s sure one of those isn’t going to happen, he’ll hold off signing anywhere.

MLBTR lists eight other players as unsigned shortstops, if Hechavarria signs elsewhere, two of those players qualify as glove-first solutions according to traditional defensive metrics; JT Riddle and Addison Russell are the best glove men not yet signed.

The Marlins selected Riddle in the thirteenth round of the 2013 draft, and he made his Major League debut against the Atlanta Braves in April 2017. Over the next three seasons, he saw part-time play with the Fish but never produced anything like a Major League bat. However, his defense at shortstop consistently produced a DRS around six.

Russell became a Cub as part of the trade that sent Jeff Samardzija to Oakland in 2014 and took over as their primary starting shortstop in 2016. Russell’s never hit much, but his glove earned him a 19th place finish in the 2016 NL MVP vote. Off the field issues clouded his future with the Cubs, and he became a utility player when he returned from suspension.

Russell is a career .242/.312/.392/.704 batter with enough power to provide around 15 homers a season, but his glove is special. From 2016 through 2017, his 34 DRS place him second in MLB behind Andrelton Simmons, and ahead of Brandon Crawford, Francisco Lindor, Trevor Story, and Hechavarria. He’s consistently posted good FRAA numbers as well, something many SS find hard to do.