RADIO
During a recent radio stop on 92.3 The Fan radio, Indians manager Terry Francona said that the team would be okay with Giovanny Urshela opening the season as the team's starting third baseman despite “knowing that his offense [hasn't] quite caught up” to his defense. As a 23-year-old rookie last season, Urshela hit .225 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 267 at-bats.
While he didn't light the world on fire, Urshela did show that his mid-teens power should translate just fine at the major league level. He'l definitely work a bit harder to keep his streak of zero professional seasons with over 100 strikeouts intact as well. Other than that, it's hard to predict what Urshela will do in 2016, making him an extremely volatile fantasy asset. His AAA stats the past two seasons—a .272 batting average, 16 home runs and 74 RBI in 476 at-bats--show that he can hit. Unless the Indians sign someone else, Urshela's glove alone will buy him a few months to show the Indians he can grab the brass ring. He's a deep sleeper, heavy on the deep.
Source: Let's Go Tribe
