The Phillies are expected to call up top prospect J.P. Crawford next month, but he might receive a look at a position other than shortstop.
It was always a good bet that J.P. Crawford was going to be called up to the Philadelphia Phillies when rosters expand in September. But when he does receive that highly anticipated promotion and makes his major league debut, it might not be at his usual shortstop.
According to Matt Gelb of Philly.com, the Phillies have been considering playing Crawford at third base and perhaps second as well when he joins the team. In fact, the 22-year-old appeared at the hot corner yesterday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the first time he played a position other than shortstop in his minor league career.
The move isn’t intended to signal a shift in the organization’s long-term plans for Crawford. Instead, Phillies assistant general manager Ned Rice says it’s more about fostering versatility and helping the top prospect find opportunities for at-bats in the upcoming month.
Rice further explained the club’s rationale, per Gelb:
"“It’s important for the next few weeks to see how he looks at different places . . . You need the talent and readiness to meet an opportunity. The more different places you can play, that increases the odds of an opportunity. If he shows he can play multiple positions well, it makes it easier to fit.”"
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With Freddy Galvis having a solid year, it doesn’t make much sense to cut into his playing time at shortstop. The six-year veteran is slashing .259/.307/.409 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI in 122 games this season. However, fans might interpret the Phillies’ willingness to try Crawford out at third base as yet another sign that they are not exactly pleased with the production of Maikel Franco.
Franco is batting a lowly .224/.277/.389 with 17 homers and 59 RBI over 118 contests. After posting an .840 OPS with 14 long balls through 80 games in 2015, he has shown few glimpses of becoming the true heart-of-the-order bat the Phils envisioned him to be. Though he’s still just 24, more and more questions are being asked about Franco’s long-term place on the club.
Regardless of where he’s playing on the field, Philadelphia will hope to see more of the offensive production Crawford has demonstrated in the minors of late. After an awful start to the season that saw him batting below .200 as late as June 22, Crawford has been hitting stride over the past couple months. In August he’s batting .338 with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 10 RBI.
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While it’s best to temper expectations for what should be only a cameo for Crawford this season, the month of September will still provide him a chance to lay some encouraging groundwork for 2018. As the Phillies continue their rebuild, they’re counting on Crawford to play a key role. His performance at the major league level will have significant ramifications in the team’s overall outlook.