Wilson has appeared in more than 100 games just once since 2007. Now he’s out for another four to six weeks, leaving the Braves with a SS who’s never played a game in the majors, a pair of non-roster invitees — Josh Wilson and Drew Sutton — and Brandon Hicks.
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He’ll only miss a couple weeks of the regular season. No big deal.
Shouldn’t be a big deal, but one never knows. Shortstop well may be our Achilles heel. I would feel a lot better if Wilson were available to play. We have had good luck with veteran shortstops like Belliard and Weiss.
Gimme a break! Scouts have said that P’nicky was a major league ready shortstop last year. True, they said that he would be about league average, with an above average bat, but major league ready. Would you rather have Brandon Hicks at short??? He has more MLB playing time, is major league average (at his best) and cannot hit beach balls with a cricket bat. How about “I’ll gound into a rally killing double play” Alex Gonzales? Sure, he was great on the field, but can’t you live with average defense if it comes with a better bat?
Whine and moan all you want. The Braves need offense (and have for years). Let P’nicky do his thing, I’ll guarantee that when he goes to the plate with runners on, you won’t get ready to swear as often as you did with Gonzales!
Big Bad Bob, I don’t really care if our shortstop hits .220 if the glove is good. 30 or 35 errors from a shortstop don’t just extend the opposition’s rallies, they can destroy the psyche of a young pitcher. Watching Gonzalez at the plate was no worse than watching most of our other guys at the plate in 2011.
I’m not saying this should apply to a rookie season, but a team shouldn’t feel grateful for defensive prowess as the trade-off for a crappy bat. Even a .260 average for a sterling defensive SS doesn’t make you a five-tool gem, it means you’re just barely an adequate hitter at the major league level.