RADIO
A Land of Opportunity
After a BABIP-fueled breakout in the first half of 2014, Lonnie Chisenhall struggled dreadfully in the second half of the season. He hit just four home runs with a .218 batting average in 235 plate appearances. He also played poor defense. If he wins the Indians starting job at third base - and all indications are that he will - he'll be on a short leash. Given the Indians' defensive woes in 2014, they may be looking at other options who can provide an upgrade in that department.
Giovanny Urshela is an internal option who could give Chisenhall a run for his money as early as Spring Training. Urshela was one of the youngest players in Triple-A last season in his age 22 season. He slashed .276/.331/.473 in 430 plate appearances. His calling card is 70 grade defense on the 20-80 scale used by scouts. He'll have less pressure on his bat if he can contribute near-elite defense.
While defense doesn't add any value to a fantasy team, it does afford Urshela a clearer path to playing time. At the plate, Urshela doesn't walk much (7.0 BB% in AAA), but he doesn't strike out much either (11.9 K%). He's a good bad ball hitter with moderate power in the mold of a poor man's Pablo Sandoval.
The Indians were clearly impressed, naming Urshela the recipient of the Lou Boudreau Award, given to the top position player in their farm system. They've openly admitted that they believe Urshela is already the top defensive third baseman in their entire organization and has a chance to play in the big leagues next season.
This offseason, Urshela continued to hit well, leading the Venezuelan league with a .398 batting average until he injured his knee sliding into third base. Reports are encouraging that he'll be ready by Spring Training. It's certainly promising that Urshela has improved his hitting in each minor league season, but it's questionable how much more offensive upside is left. At his peak, it's possible Urshela is a .270-.280 hitter with 20 home runs, but it's probably more realistic to expect a .260 average with 15 home runs.
In Summary
Urshela is the kind of player that managers in deep leagues or dynasty leagues should watch. Unless he wins a starting job out of the gate, he probably won't be relevant in smaller re-draft leagues. The defense makes him more valuable in real life than fantasy, but it's not crazy to imagine Urshela being a top 20 player at third base in 2016 or potentially even a fringe starting option for 10-12 team leagues by midseason. Urshela doesn't have the same upside as some other prospects, but he's a fairly safe bet to see some playing time. He could surprise when he gets the chance.
