Once again, third base appears to be a bit of a train wreck for fantasy owners as the drop-off in talent after the top eight or 10 guys is pretty significant. There might be one or two guys on the border, but that’s about it. You’d like to think that, with so few strong options there might be a couple of guys on the horizon just waiting to break out this spring, but unfortunately, for the most part, what you see is what you get. Still, there are a handful of situations which bear monitoring and maybe, just maybe, you could find a little bit of late-round help.
Atlanta Braves
Adonis Garcia vs Kelly Johnson vs Hector Olivera
Garcia gained some notoriety last season when the DFS community pounced on him as a low-cost GPP option with some pop in his bat. He smacked 10 home runs in just under 200 plate appearances and is expected to be the starting third baseman entering the 2016 season. But Garcia is not some toolsy prospect we should all be getting excited about. He’s a soon-to-be 31 year old who started his professional career in 2007, vanished from baseball for four years and re-emerged in the Yankees farm system in 2012. It’s tough to say he’ll hold onto the job all year long with any real degree of confidence. The Braves do have Olivera who used to be a third baseman, but they’re working him out in the outfield right now. Should Garcia flop, he could move in or, the Braves could simply turn to Johnson as the veteran utility man can handle the hot corner fairly easily.
Cincinnati Reds
Eugenio Suarez vs Ivan DeJesus
Last season, Suarez finished the year as the Reds starting shortstop thanks to a season-ending injury to Zack Cozart. He posted a .280 average with 13 home runs in 398 plate appearances and the 24 year old offered the team some hope for the future. But with Cozart now back, the Reds have moved Suarez over to the hot corner after trading away Todd Frazier and will give him the chance to thrive there. While he should be able to handle the job, he’s still unproven and therefore could end up losing at-bats to DeJesus if he falters. DeJesus has had some obvious struggles in his time which is why he’s still just a utility man, but might be able to play his way into a potential platoon.
Cleveland Indians
Juan Uribe vs Giovanny Urshela vs Lonnie Chisenhall
The dumpster fire that is the Indians offense continues to burn as the team brought in Uribe because they have zero faith in Urshela, who is only 24 years old, in improving his work at the plate. Maybe it’s not a lack of faith, but more just that they don’t feel like he’s ready for full-time duty. Uribe is expected to lead the way, but considering we’ve had 15 years to see what he’s all about, there’s obviously a chance he doesn’t hold the job all year. The Tribe could mix in Chisenhall as well if he doesn’t work out in the outfield, but for now this is a two-horse race.
Houston Astros
After a major power surge last year that saw him hit 25 home runs in just under 500 plate appearances for a career-best .214 ISO, Valbuena has earned the right to walk into this spring as the starting third baseman. However, given the fact that his batting average was so atrocious and his 16.7-percent HR/FB seems unsustainable, it is possible that Duffy pushes him for playing time. Duffy just recently jacked his third home run of the spring and looks like he’s coming into his own right now. Maybe he’s a flash in the pan, a la Chris Shelton or Bryan LaHair, but if he continues to swing a hot bat, he’s going to force the Astros to play him. Now he’s also a potential candidate for first base, so maybe Valbuena is safe, but the fact that Duffy can play the hot corner, Valbuena’s job is not untouchable.
Oakland A’s
Danny Valencia vs Chris Coghlan vs Jed Lowrie
Not so much a position battle as much as it is a likely platoon situation depending on how Valencia hits against right-handed pitching. We already know he crushes lefties and last year, he actually hit .285 against righties which kept him in the lineup more regularly. However, he’s a career .237 hitter against right-handers, so if he regresses this year, then Coghlan could slide in a the left-handed bat in the platoon. The A’s could also slide Lowrie over and use Eric Sogard at second base, so keep in mind that the team has options. The ball is in Valencia’s court so to speak, so keep tabs on him against same-handed starters this spring.