SPECULATOR: Skills searching for roles, 2021
Apr 28 2021
Remember back, like, four weeks ago when Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) was "blocked" in a crowded TOR outfield? Or when Jake Cronenworth (2B, SD) was lost amid a sea of middle infielders in SD? Through Sunday's games, Cronenworth led MLB with 106 plate appearances, while a slew of injuries in TOR have yielded everyday playing time for Grichuk (.292 BA, 4 HR in 72 AB).
The age-old mantra persists: "Draft skills, not roles".
So while everyone is itching to dissect this season's early returns—heck, we've been guilty of making snap judgments ourselves (hitters | pitchers)—we'll take a different path this week and look at players who haven't yet been given an everyday shot, but have the skills to make an impact.
Filtering out injuries, here are...
Almost!
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