The Phillies’ two biggest defensive problems heading into 2019 are shortstop and left field. Rhys Hoskins playing left field is a clear issue, but that can easily be solved by moving him back to first base where he belongs and letting an actual outfielder play left. Solving the shortstop problem isn’t nearly as easy. The Phillies have a ton of money to spend this offseason with franchise-changing free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado the top targets. I prefer Harper for a variety of reasons, with one being that Machado wants to play shortstop even though he's a better defender at third base. Assuming just for this article’s purpose that the Phillies land Harper, it will likely cost over $300 million, so they’ll need to be more economical in filling holes at other positions, especially shortstop. Enter Jose Iglesias, who has been an elite defender and solid hitter since his first big-league season in 2013 with the Red Sox and Tigers. In 2018, Iglesias was 9th in Range Factor (3.80) and sixth in overall fielding percentage (.983), only .04% behind league-leader Didi Gregorious in that category. Iglesias leads active Major Leaguers in career fielding percentage with a .985 mark as a shortstop, and led the American League in 2016 and 2017. Meanwhile, Scott Kingery was last among the 23 qualifying shortstops in range factor (2.93) and 15th in fielding percentage (.975) during his rookie season in 2018, according to MLB.com. Fielding percentage isn’t the best stat to showcase a player’s impact though, so here are a couple better ones. Among all Major League shortstops since 2013, Iglesias is 3rd in Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) at 37.1 and 4th in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with 5 according to fangraphs, and has had a positive defensive WAR every year of his career. The DRS number might look low, but Iglesias is one of only 10 shortstops with a positive DRS since 2013, which shows he’s been a Top-10 defensive shortstop for half a decade. He's also one of the best in the business when it comes to making the highlight-reel play. Shortstop is the most important of the four infield positions (excluding catcher) and Iglesias can flat-out pick it. The Phillies need stability there and it’s not a position you see playoff and championship teams use as a platoon, like the Phillies did last season at times. With power coming from other positions on the diamond (especially if they sign Harper), the Phillies should commit to a defense-first everyday shortstop. But it’s not like Iglesias is a liability with the bat. He hit .269 with a .310 on-base percentage in 2018, in line with his career averages of .270 and .315, respectively. He also posted a .699 OPS, his highest mark since his All-Star 2015 season. Iglesias' .269 batting average would have been second-highest among Phillies' qualifiers in 2018, just a tick below Maikel Franco's team-leading .270 mark. Iglesias doesn’t walk a lot (his career-high is 28) and he’s not a prototypical top-of-the-order hitter, but he’s never struck out more than 65 times in a season and has whiffed 50 times or less in each of his last four seasons. That’s a really underrated bonus to signing Iglesias in an era where strikeouts are at an all-time high. For comparison, gold-glove-caliber shortstop and former Phillie Freddy Galvis has struck out over 100 times each of the last four seasons, including a career-high 147 in 2018, with a career .290 on-base percentage. Iglesias is a more reliable hitter and although he isn’t on Galvis’ level defensively anymore, he can be close to it when he’s healthy. Injuries have plagued Iglesias in the past, including last season with an abdominal strain and in 2014 when he missed the entire season with shin fractures. But he’s played in at least 120 games each year since 2015, including a career-high 137 in 2016. Iglesias can slide right in as the Phillies’ everyday shortstop, replacing Kingery, who manned the 6-hole in 2018 mainly out of necessity.
The Phillies wouldn’t have guaranteed Kingery $24 million and bought out arbitration years before he made his MLB debut if they didn't project him as a cornerstone piece of this franchise. He's just not going to be that guy as a shortstop. Kingery is a second baseman and, like Hoskins, belongs at his natural position for the best interests of both himself and the Phillies. JP Crawford is another option at shortstop, but the former first-round pick hasn’t shown much with the bat. At the same time, neither has Kingery, but again, the Phillies have already committed to Kingery long-term and giving him a full season at second base could change things. Crawford looks like he can help the Phillies more as a utility player in 2019, splitting time between short, third and second, getting spot starts and being used as a late-game defensive replacement for Carlos Santana at third base, for example. Iglesias is a good fit because you know what you’re getting: an elite defender with a serviceable bat who has playoff experience, and it won’t break the bank to sign him. At 29 years old he’s not “young” by today’s standards, but he’s young enough to be worth a three/four-year deal and still be a veteran presence as a seven-year Major Leaguer. By pairing him with the team's current core and other incoming free-agents, Iglesias is the type of player who can quietly help elevate the Phillies from a pretender to a contender. The Phillies should make this free-agent signing happen. Story by Michael Marcantonini
1 Comment
Kari Rice
12/23/2019 02:37:15 pm
It is now December 23rd 2019.
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