The Diamondbacks have a difficult decision ahead of them when shortstop Geraldo Perdomo is activated from the injured list. Despite losing their starting shortstop to a knee injury in April, Kevin Newman and Blaze Alexander have done a great job of filling in the void at the position and keeping the team afloat.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!When healthy, the assumption is Perdomo will resume being the everyday shortstop. That will create a trickle-down effect that impacts Newman and Alexander’s playing time. Newman would likely revert to the backup shortstop, as he gives them a steady presence defensively and at the bottom of the order. It also helps he’s a right-handed bat, which complements the switch-hitting Perdomo, who is a better hitter from the left side of the plate. Newman also has the versatility to slide in at second base or third base, but as a starter, he’s better suited to play shortstop.
With Perdomo and Newman likely entrenched at shortstop, the next logical question to ask will be “What happens with Blaze Alexander?”. Alexander, who turns 25 next week, has acquitted himself nicely at the major league level. The strong spring he had with the bat carried over to the regular season, as he’s slashing .300/.359/.433 in a part-time role. He has crushed left-handed pitching, to the tune of a .356 average and a .958 OPS in 65 plate appearances on the season. Even without a position to play, that level of impact vs. southpaws is worth rostering.
He’s struggled with the speed of the game on the defensive side of the ball, which has negatively impacted his overall value, but has improved as the game has slowed down for him. Alexander has the arm and athleticism to play almost any position on the diamond and has already gotten looks at second and third base this season. Sending him down would significantly weaken their lineup against left-handed pitching, even though there isn’t a role for him on the roster other than a DH.
The other elephant in the room has been the play of Eugenio Suárez. Suárez is hitting just .202 on the season with five homers and a .592 OPS. That falls well short of what the team has expected out of him offensively. However, it’s not so easy to replace him at the same time. The Diamondbacks lack a capable replacement for him on their 40-man roster that can provide the same type of offensive impact Suárez can give when he’s hot.
Despite the cold bat, he’s been solid with the glove in 2023, ranking above-average defensively at third base and giving the team a steady performance at the position. Looking at the organization’s depth chart, their best third base options to replace Suárez are either converted shortstops or moving Perdomo over to third. Neither option is more than a temporary solution. Unless the team acquires another third baseman, it’s likely they’ll continue to run him out there every day and see if they can jumpstart his bat. With the roster crunch looming, it’s unlikely they cut bait this early.
The fourth and final player whose status is likely to be impacted by Perdomo’s return is Pavin Smith. Smith serves as a fifth outfielder and backup first baseman, getting starts against right-handed pitchers. The former first rounder is starting to find his footing at the plate, hitting .278 with three home runs and a .859 OPS in 59 PA, despite sporadic playing time. Smith has proven to be a capable bench bat worth rostering due to his ability to provide quality at-bats, especially late in games to help the team win. While he has the most fungible roster spot, as a fifth outfielder is a luxury, he’s earned his keep for when the decision comes.
With a roster decision likely coming, and the need to send down one of four players who has a clearly defined role on this club, it will be interesting to see who gets sent down when Perdomo is activated off the injured list before the next homestand.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
