Arizona Diamondbacks: Jeremy Hazelbaker Is Not a Bad Choice

Spring Training has come and gone, and Jeremy Hazelbaker remains with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was awarded the fourth outfield position despite a poor Cactus League showing. There are worse options around the league.

The St. Louis Cardinals had a bit of a problem toward the end of spring in 2016. Potential Opening Day shortstop Ruben Tejada suffered a left quad strain in one of the last days of spring training and was to be moved to the disabled list to start the season. Tejada’s injury opened a roster spot. Jeremy Hazelbaker‘s place on the Arizona Diamondbacks is a direct result of the Cardinals’ spring misfortunes.

Seven years in the minor leagues was telling enough that now 29-year-old Hazelbaker may not ever best Triple-A, a level he had bounced to and from for four years. His ride on the professional baseball roller coaster seemed over when the Los Angeles Dodgers let him go early in 2015. That is, until the Cardinals took a chance. Jeremy Hazelbaker, afraid of a career change, made the most of his offseason after 2015 and made a change in his game instead. Per Fangraphs:

“I made adjustments during the offseason before the beginning of last year. I did that with the help of a guy named Mike Shirley. He’s a crosschecker with the White Sox. I work out with him every offseason in Indiana. We were talking and he suggested some things. I knew I needed to make an adjustment, and I was on board with what he was saying. I was all in.”

While L.A. wasn’t impressed, the adjustments just hadn’t clicked yet. Hazelbaker saw himself shooting into the spotlight as soon as the Cardinals heard the click.

Making the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster was the payoff he’d been looking for. The success continued as he hit .281/.324/.583 through his first 38 games. He cooled off down the stretch and spent some time at Triple-A Memphis, but he was still a solid contributor off the bench and in the later innings.

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On the other side of the league, the Arizona Diamondbacks had cut ties with General Manager Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale. Mike Hazen was announced as the new GM, and his first order of business was to claim Jeremy Hazelbaker off waivers. Fast forward to a spring outing where Hazelbaker hits .182/.224/.200, and it appears carrying him as a fourth outfielder might be a liability.

That could prove to be true, but if he can play all year at the .235/.295/.480 line he ended at last season, he wouldn’t be the worst option as a fourth outfielder. With an OPS+ of 103 last season, he was considered an average bat due to his moderate power. He also plays a hair under average defensively, according to Defensive Runs Saved at -3, in overall outfield performance.

Hazelbaker is nowhere near the best fourth outfielder in the league. He’s a great personality that can get the job done more often than not. The type of player you need to keep an eye on just to be sure he’s still locked in.

There are a handful of players who forced their way into a spare outfielder role across the league that don’t stack up to the 2016 Jeremy Hazelbaker.

We as fans must always remember that performances in spring games don’t mean anything. They do in some cases. Hazelbaker’s 2017 seems to not be one of those cases. He’s appeared in all six Arizona Diamondbacks games so far, collecting six hits in six at-bats, with two walks, a double and two RBI. He’s even been walked intentionally.

Going into more detail on some of the examples, the Baltimore Orioles are vying for a Wild Card spot this season. They’re playing with Joey Rickard as their backup outfielder. He’s younger at 26, and he’s got less MLB experience, but he has played poor defense to date with a -9 DRS. His 2016 was cut short due to a thumb injury. He’s still projected to repeat a below average offensive presence.

The Oakland Athletics are giving playing time to Mark Canha. Canha is entering his age-28 season, comparable to Hazelbaker. He’s also comparable in play. Canha is slightly below average in the batter’s box, and plays the outfield as well as Hazelbaker. Canha gets passed over here due to lower offensive contribution, even if it is similar. Offense is more valuable than defense in the end.

Looking to the San Francisco Giants, their outfield situation may change soon after signins Melvin Upton Jr. to a minor league deal. Gorkys Hernandez is the backup in the Bay Area for now. His career .197/.260/.321 slash doesn’t sit well for a team trying to overcome its NLDS exit against the World Series champion Chicago Cubs. It’s a situation that won’t last all season, but that’s what it is for now.

Next: D-Backs Offense Producing Early

However Diamondbacks fans feel about Jeremy Hazelbaker on the roster, keep in mind there are worse options getting play elsewhere. He’s got a great story and he’s having fun. That’s always fun to watch.