Tag Archives: Adeiny Hechavarria

July 27, 2017

The Shift Taketh Away, and the Shift Giveth

With the Rays leading the Yankees 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Brett Gardner leads off with a triple. The rookies don’t bring him home, however, as Clint grounds out and Aaron Judge flies out to shallow rightfield. Gary Sanchez then grounds a ball to the shortstop side of second base, where the shortstop and second baseman are shifted. The ball is halfway between them, either can field it, and neither does. Tim Beckham and Adeiny Hechavarria just look at each other as the ball goes through for a single and the Yankees tie the game at five. The teams go to the tenth.

Without the shift, the shortstop gets the ball. It was an easier play for Hechavarria, since he would be moving toward first, and because he is the shortstop.

Update: Brett Gardner homers leading off the 11th inning to win the game for the Yankees 6-5.

June 26, 2017

Trade Season Starts

The Rays are the buyers and the Marlins are the sellers as the trade season begins:

The Marlins have agreed to trade shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to the Tampa Bay Rays for a pair of fringe prospects on Monday as the first step in what could turn into a major roster rebuild for Miami.

The trade of Hechavarria, which is pending medical reviews and had been rumored for days, came as no surprise.

With rookie shortstop JT Riddle settling into an everyday role for the Marlins, the slick-fielding Hechavarria — and the approximate $2.35 million still owed to him this season — became expendable.

The Rays ranked 15th in the majors in shortstop defense at FanGraphs. The rank fifth in the majors at overall shortstop WAR. So this is not really fixing a weakness. Hechavarria is not a good offensive player, but might serve the team well as a late inning defensive replacement, or insurance against an injury to one of the infielders.

April 13, 2010

Rich Cuban

The Blue Jays make Cuban prospect and defector Adeiny Hechavarria a very rich man:

The Blue Jays have agreed to a $10 million, four-year contract with Cuban shortstop prospect Adeiny Hechavarria.

A right-handed hitter who turns 21 on April 15, Hechavarria started for Cuba at the 2007 World Junior Championships in Canada. He hit .262 with six doubles, two triples and one homer last season in the Cuban league and had five errors in 217 chances.

I assume the Blue Jays saw more than that in offering Hechavarria that big money. It looks to me that they believe he’ll move through their minor league system very quickly. If he getst through this season, the Jays will likely save themselves a year of arbitration with him.