katoy2j wrote:  McDonald is basically a poor mans Clint Barmes. 

katoy2j wrote: Sadly I think he's going to get Ciriaco-ed and will probably hit 20 home runs for the Yankees in 2014 replacing Derek Jeter.

burghsports3 wrote: Yeah, I don't get it. Inge is definitely gone. No big loss there. But I hope it doesn't spell the end for Mercer.

This move has stupid written all over it. Is Littlefield back or what.

katoy2j wrote: I think a lot of it is the manager. He doesn't really like to play kids.

The biggest problem really though if Frank Connelly. He is the decision maker when it comes to firing. Normally the GM has that axe to hold over the head of the manager. You either do what the GM says or the manager gets canned. The problem with Connelly getting final say is that the GM can't hold the manager accountable. Hurdle is basically a teflon Don. Huntington can't force Hurdle to play the kids and he doesn't have the power to get rid of him and replace him with someone who does.

My only hope here is that this is some kind of concession move where perhaps Huntington said we'll get a veteran for the bench but Mercer has to get a spot and Harrison is the off man out. I highly doubt this is the case however.

fishmong wrote: Mercer has two options remaining right? Odds are he doesn't get better defensively by sitting on the bench. If you want to groom Mercer to be a utility player then keeping him in a bench role makes sense. If you want him to potentially be the starting SS in 2014 it makes sense to have him play everyday at AAA. He'll probably see time in Pittsburgh at some point regardless of the McDonald signing.

McDonald is the type of guy you want in a reserve role. He provides superb defense SS, 3B, and 2B. His bat is not his best asset but he's not an automatic out either. As a utility IF he was worth about 1 win last season in Arizona. I'm guessing McDonald means Inge won't get a spot on the Major League roster.

BAMSTEELERFAN wrote: ...but his presence is so veterany.

katoy2j wrote: Mercer is already a fine defensive shortstop. He will be 27 this year so keeping him in AAA makes little sense to me. He needs to be given a chance even in a reserve role to showcase himself at the major league level so we can see if he can hit enough to be an option as the starting shortstop in 2014. If he was 22 it would make sense to send him to AAA however at his age AAA performance means nothing. 200 at bats in the majors are much more beneficial to him than 600 in AAA. If he plays in the minors he's a complete question mark for 2014.

fishmong wrote:

katoy2j wrote: Mercer is already a fine defensive shortstop. He will be 27 this year so keeping him in AAA makes little sense to me. He needs to be given a chance even in a reserve role to showcase himself at the major league level so we can see if he can hit enough to be an option as the starting shortstop in 2014. If he was 22 it would make sense to send him to AAA however at his age AAA performance means nothing. 200 at bats in the majors are much more beneficial to him than 600 in AAA. If he plays in the minors he's a complete question mark for 2014.

He didn't stand out in the games I went to last season, but I'm no scout. I now he's older but he has options left and isn't going to be the starter. I'd rather see him play everyday in AAA than be a pinch hit and maybe start once in a while. Odds are he will get over 150 AB's in the majors this season between Walker's bad back and Barmes turning 35 this year.

For what it's worth the fine folks at MLBDEPTHCHARTS have Harrison and McDonald on the 25. I prefer Harrison to Mercer in the utility role because he can play OF and he doesn't have a real shot to be a starter. His development won't be altered as he is a guy that will likely be a bench player his whole career.

He didn't stand out in the games I went to last season, but I'm no scout. I now he's older but he has options left and isn't going to be the starter. I'd rather see him play everyday in AAA than be a pinch hit and maybe start once in a while. Odds are he will get over 150 AB's in the majors this season between Walker's bad back and Barmes turning 35 this year.

For what it's worth the fine folks at MLBDEPTHCHARTS have Harrison and McDonald on the 25. I prefer Harrison to Mercer in the utility role because he can play OF and he doesn't have a real shot to be a starter. His development won't be altered as he is a guy that will likely be a bench player his whole career.


This is a pretty good analysis, I think.  The only question for me is whether Mercer could sort-of fake it as the starter at short for a couple of seasons.  My guess is that he could, and that his "hitting" would not be far from what Barmes has done in most years in his career.  Basically a .240ish guy who adds a little bit more power than most glove-first SS's.  Now, with Barmes you can live with that because his defense is very good if not better than that.  Mercer, unfortunately, while still probably better than average with his glovework, is no Barmes---at least, he hasn't looked like that to this point.  Thus his future at the big league level is almost certainly utilityman and no more than that. 

However, there is still a little bit of uncertainty.  Some guys rise to the occasion when they finally get a shot.  I would definitely much rather have Mercer than Harrison as an infield utilityman, but now that job is obviously McDonald's.  Thus Harrison makes the team as a 3B-2B-OF-pinch hitter type, and McDonald is the all-purpose defensive replacement.  But geez Louise, surely at some point you have to give Mercer a couple hundred AB's, don't you?  To be sure he isn't a starter, if nothing else, right?  This organization really doesn't like its kids, I'm dead serious. 

williamjpellas wrote:

  This organization really doesn't like its kids, I'm dead serious.