Infield Solutions – Padres Could Trade with Cubs

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Arismendy Alcantara

Alcantara’s Basics:

Positions – SS, 2B, CF

Bats S, Throws R

2015 Opening Day Age – 23

Size – 5’10” 170lbs.

Signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager, Arismendy Alcantara started out playing mostly shortstop in the Cubs minor leagues.  He has since played second base, shortstop, third base, and center field.  The takeaways: he has a good enough arm to play on the left side of the infield, quick enough reactions to play third base, and the speed to play both center field and shortstop.  According to Bernie Pleskoff, Alcantara needs more repetition if he is to man shortstop everyday at the major league level as he is error-prone.

On the offensive side, his good speed has netted him 52 steals over the past two years in the minors (and 8 steals in 13 attempts in the majors).  In his first 70 games in pro ball, Alcantara produced a .205/.254/.367/.621 slashline.  (For a guide to slashlines click here).  The batting average and on-base percentage were not very good.  They certainly weren’t as good as his career minors stats .284/.337/.437/.774, including his sensational .307/.353/.537/890 in his 89 games in 2014.  If he were to put up those numbers in the major leagues, he would be a very competent middle infielder.  Regardless, his power while with the Cubs was quite good.  The average major league player has a slugging percentage about 140 points greater than his batting average.  Alcantara had a difference of .162.  That’s about the difference Tommy Medica had last season.  For a middle-of-the-diamond player weighing 170 pounds, he has shown a good amount of power.