AFL Update: Oct. 25, 2018
Just one National got into yesterday’s game in the AFL – which the Rafters won, 10-9 – but what a game Carter Kieboom had.
Kieboom, who started and played second base, played error-free ball and made three assists and two putouts, including the middle man on a ’round-the-horn twin-killing in the 4th and a 1-4-3 DP to end the game.
At the plate, he singled twice, scored twice, stole two bases, and smacked a two-run HR.
With the win, Salt River kept pace with Mesa with an 8-5 mark in the AFL East. They play tonight in Scottsdale, then finish out the week with games at and against Peoria.
Who could be the next JD Martinez to Lazarus off some clubs org scrap heap??
They may already have one in Yadiel Hernandez. I wonder if he is playing winter ball?
Nothing won’t happen in Vegas.
This might be a long winter before brass addds Fresno fodder , loggies for the depth chart, old farts for Fresno , but we know Harrisburg will be stocked cleverly for the short shuttle call to D.C. In a pinch for 2019
Harold Castro DFA by Tigers. Fresno infield fodder ??
It might be smart to split west coast versus east coast? Pitchers in Harrisburg, and hitters at Fresno where they’ll meet up with more major league like challenges, climate, and field challenges.
Guys like Kieboom or Johnson, that makes sense to some degree, but the AAAA batters, like Adrian Sanchez, Pedro Severino and whoever becomes the new Matt Reynolds/Moises Sierra types should remain in Harrisburg to be called on on short notice.
Sevy is out of options. It seems safe to say that he won’t/shouldn’t break camp with the big club. So he may not be in Harrisburg or Fresno. The emergency catcher more likely to stay on the East Coast rather than the West would be Read.
Now that’s a little more like it. Hope he continues to get reps at second base. It’d be nice not to have to give another big contract to a veteran second baseman this winter and trust Carter Kieboom will have the job by May or June.
Agreed! I know I’ve harped on and on about this, but even if our batters were hitting, the best news of the AFL is Kieboom getting reps at 2B.
Before last week, he didn’t play a single inning at 2B in perhaps his whole life. He played a bit of 3B in high school, and has played every single inning in defense in the minors at SS.
With Turner occupying SS until 2023, the only logical move was moving Kieboom to 2B, 3B (for when Rendon possibly departs), or trading him. I was beginning to worry it was the latter. So I’m glad 2B is in his future.
We’ll see with Kieboom. It’s amazing what one good day does to a SSS. I don’t like a lot of the 2B options on the FA market, and Lowrie is said to want to stay in the Bay Area. We’ll see. They can’t afford to make the same “he’ll be healthy by the season” mistake with Kendrick that they did with Murphy . . . and Eaton . . . and Zimm . . .
Anyway, I’d love for Kieboom to start looking like he could be ready by June, but he’s got to show more consistency before that begins to look likely.