Gotay or Greene?
December 1st, 2009 | by Ryan Boyer |I was happy to see that the Cardinals gave a non-roster invite to Ruben Gotay. That said, I hope he doesn’t make the opening day roster.
Gotay had a heck of a year at Triple-A Reno in the Diamondbacks organization, batting .272 with 11 homers and 57 RBI, but most impressively, 102 walks, which led to a .429 OBP. The park in Reno has garnered quite a reputation as a hitter’s park in its short existence, but still, that’s a pretty nice year at the plate. Gotay also offers positional versatility, as he can play second and third base and is passable at shortstop.
Gotay would almost certainly be an upgrade over Joe Thurston (I know, who isn’t?), but if he earns a roster spot over Tyler Greene, that would be a mistake.
Gotay will turn just 27 later this month, so he’s not that much older than Greene, who will turn 27 next August. But Greene, a former first-round pick, has much more upside and there could still be some growth there. He is also coming off a hell of a season at Triple-A Memphis, where he batted .291 with 15 homers, 42 RBI and 31 steals (while being caught only three times). Greene also holds a significant edge defensively, as he plays a great shortstop and can also fill in at second and third base.
It’s possible both Gotay and Greene could be kept on the roster, but it seems unlikely with Julio Lugo already guaranteed a roster spot as a backup infielder. So while I certainly approve of the Gotay acquisition, I’m hoping he will begin the year at Triple-A Memphis and not in St. Louis.
Tags: Ruben Gotay, Tyler Greene
By Seals on Dec 2, 2009
Much like Thurston, Gotay’s ability to hit from the left side (switch-hitter) may help him earn a job on the big club more than it probably should.