Backup Shortstop a 'High Priority' for Lovullo, D-backs
Here at Inside the Diamondbacks, we've discussed the nuances of the looming camp battles on the D-backs roster. One of the ones we've highlighted is who will take the backup shortstop role behind incumbent starter Geraldo Perdomo.
"We’re looking at our backup shortstop position, that is undefined right now," said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo, "we’ve got to figure out who that’s going to be, that's a high priority through the course of this spring training."
"The backup shortstop, for me, just needs to pick up a baseball and make a play. You're the captain of the defense. I look at the shortstop as someone who needs to be able to articulate what’s going on and take control in different situations."
Lovullo noted that, while the D-backs might be continuing to make moves, there likely won't be any more bats added to compete for the backup role.
"We have a couple candidates that we’re talking about right now. And they’re all internal, they're all on this roster."
Perdomo, coming off a solid defensive season and a .246/.353/.359/.712 slash, is set to take the majority of shortstop reps in 2024 regardless of who ends up taking the backup spot.
"Perdomo is going to be our starting shortstop. He’s earned that, he’s earned that right," Lovullo, "I want to see what [he] looks like coming into camp, and he deserves the opportunity to show me that he’s able to handle a full workload as an everyday shortstop. So what does that number mean? 130-plus, 140-plus, I don't know, but that's going to be my starting point."
Lovullo cited the switch-hitting Perdomo's focus on developing his right-handed swing, saying that what he wants to see in a backup's handedness isn't defined at this point.
In the mix are two veteran infielders in the right-handed Kevin Newman and left-handed Jace Peterson, as well as Arizona's top young prospect in Jordan Lawlar.
Newman was signed to a minor league deal this off-season, and is coming off a light-hitting season with the Cincinnati Reds, through a career of consistently lower offensive production. He slashed .253/.311/.364 in 2023, and although he has the ability to play a variety of infield spots, he sports a -15 career rDRS.
Peterson was a deadline addition to the D-backs from Oakland in 2023. He served at the third base and first base positions primarily as depth, and, with a .211/.304/.307, he failed to produce much offensively, albeit working through an unknown meniscus tear suffered in September. He had surgery in the off-season, and feels good ahead of Spring Training.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo didn't speak on Newman as a candidate, but was noncommittal about Peterson's potential to take some reps at shortstop.
"We’re coming up with some of those game plans right now. Out of fairness to [Peterson], I’m going to wait to have that discussion with him before I say yes or no."
Lovullo did insinuate a possibility of Peterson taking some of those reps, but wouldn't give a firm answer regarding the veteran serving as the backup to Perdomo. With the third base slot filled by Eugenio Suárez, Peterson might be in store for a bit of a position change, however nothing is certain.
Potentially the most interesting factor at play in this competition has to do with Lawlar. The 21-year-old shortstop had a short, unproductive offensive stint in the majors last season, but has been an absolute force in the minors, and showed a great deal of defensive prowess even in his limited major league action.
It does seem likely that Lawlar's .129/.206/.129 MLB slash (in only 14 games) compared to his .358/.438/.612 slash in Triple-A might see him start the season in Reno.
When asked what he's looking to see out of Lawlar in 2024, Lovullo noted that "a lot of what we saw last year," needs to be carried over, with some improvements that needed to be made to his offensive approach.
"Athleticism, his ability to play on both sides of the baseball and not try and do too much and drive the baseball out of the ballpark, just control the zone, control the at-bats, understand what the at-bat is asking for, and just be himself. He’s a fantastic player that has an unbelievable future in this game."
General Manager Mike Hazen mentioned his belief in Lawlar as a player, and mentioned the importance of being able to find him a role going forward.
"There’s going to be a role. I think his performance last year, he did a good job defensively, for sure. I think from an at-bat standpoint I think there’s still some growth that needs to happen. But he's gonna figure that out pretty quickly, and he’s going to come out here and compete," Hazen said.
"He’s too good of a player to not be playing, he needs to play, and that might be with us, it might not be. We think he's going to have a chance to be a stud in this league for a long time, and part of what we’re going to be as an organization today and moving forward, and we’ll see how spring training goes."
Whether or not it's the young guy or one of the veterans, the backup shortstop position continues to be one to watch. Both Lovullo and Hazen seem to be confident that Lawlar will develop into a great player, but have a tough decision ahead of them when evaluating all three candidates.
With a high priority placed on this role, this camp battle looks to be one of the more intense aspects of the D-backs' 2024 Spring Training.
