MLB: The All-Average Lineup

Left Field – Melky Cabrera – 1.6 fWAR, 2.6 bWAR, 646 PA, 120 OPS+

Depending on which metrics you prefer, Melky Cabrera is either a below average left fielder or a miserable left fielder. On the other side of the field, Cabrera rebounded from a very disappointing first season on the south side of Chicago to post a batting line of .296/.345/.455. His 42 doubles were good for third in the American League, and his 47 walks were his most since 2006 as a 21-year-old rookie. Cabrera has combined poor defense with above average offensive production for much of his career, and that should continue as he enters 2017 playing for a new contract.

Center Field – Leonys Martin – 2.2 fWAR, 1.2 bWAR, 576 PA, 88 OPS+

Leonys Martin had his worst defensive season in center field in his first year in Seattle, which meant he was average instead of great. His 15 home runs were a welcome addition, and somewhat surprising given he did not display much power during his tenure in Texas. Martin has good speed and is a good baserunner, adding value to his somewhat below average bat. Martin’s ability to rebound defensively will be key to the Mariners trying to end their postseason drought in 2017.

Right Field – Carlos Gonzalez – 1.9 fWAR, 2.2 bWAR, 632 PA, 111 OPS+

Carlos Gonzalez is now seven years removed from finishing third in MVP voting in 2010. His .298/.350/.505 batting line is tempered somewhat from playing in Coors Field, and his defense is decent but no longer Gold Glove caliber. It’s hard to imagine a three-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger as an average player, but that is what Gonzalez has become at this point in his career. He will be playing out the final year of his seven-year contract in 2017, and Gonzalez would serve himself well to take advantage of the friendly Colorado atmosphere one last time before hitting free agency.

Designated Hitter – Mark Trumbo – 2.2 fWAR, 1.6 bWAR, 667 PA, 120 OPS+

Yes, Mark Trumbo led baseball with 47 home runs for Baltimore in 2016. He also was a horrible defensive outfielder. Trumbo spent 59 games in the DH spot last season, and he would provide more value as a full-time DH than as a full-time outfielder. In his career, Trumbo has actually performed fairly admirably as a first baseman, but the market for 1B/DH types remains flooded. Trumbo continues to hold out for the type of offers in free agency that may not come. There are simply too many adequate options available for power bats at first base to result in Trumbo getting much better than the three years, $40 million that the Orioles reportedly offered early in the offseason.

Put it all together and you have a lineup that looks something like this:

1. Yunel Escobar – 3B
2. Melky Cabrera – LF
3. Carlos Gonzalez – RF
4. Mark Trumbo – DH
5. Brad Miller – 1B
6. Cameron Rupp – C
7. Josh Harrison – 2B
8. Leonys Martin – CF
9. Danny Espinosa – SS

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Next: Reds All-Time 25-Man Roster

While this kind of lineup probably wouldn’t make the playoffs, it’s a great start toward approaching .500. Nobody likes to be average, but in Major League Baseball, average is pretty darn good.