Sawchik: The next big thing in defense?

From Travis Sawchik at FanGraphs on March 1, 2018:

On Tuesday, in Grapefruit League play, those in Clearwater, Fla., witnessed what might possibly represent the future of defensive alignment. They at least saw how aggressive and creative first-year Phillies manager Gabe Kapler is prepared to be.

As Matt Gelb reported for The Athletic, non-roster invite outfielder Collin Cowgill and Tommy Joseph (who is playing some outfield this spring) were told before the game that, if Tigers switch-hitting prospect Victor Reyes batted left-handed, they would swap corner-outfield positions. Reyes did bat left-handed, and when he did, Cowgill and Joseph swapped their positions mid-inning.

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Per Gelb, it seems as though the Phillies are considering this as a regular practice.

Read the full article here: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-next-big-thing-in-defense/



Originally published: March 2, 2018. Last Updated: March 2, 2018.