Could Max Muncy Be Oakland Athletics’ Next Utility Man?
During this year’s trade deadline, the Oakland Athletics lost a lot of players. However, none were as painful as losing Ben Zobrist. Zobrist’s utility man skills are highly coveted and there is not another player like him. However, it seems as though the A’s may be looking to turn one of their own into a Zobrist clone.
It was reported by Susan Slusser on Sunday that Max Muncy has spent the past three days practicing his fielding skills at second base – a position he has never played at in his Minor or Major League career. However, he did play at second base when he attended Baylor University, so thankfully he does have some background knowledge of fielding that position.
Additionally, the Oakland Athletics recently announced that Muncy will be heading to Mexico to play winter ball in the Mexican Pacific League. He will be based in Guadalajara where the team there is managed by Juan Navarrete, one of the A’s defensive instructors in the minors. Manager Bob Melvin also told the press that Muncy will be testing his skills in the outfield this offseason.
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Muncy usually field at first and third base. He has also spent some time in the outfield in the Minor Leagues. With the addition of second base, Muncy will hopefully be able to effectively field at three infield positions and in the outfield. This would make him very valuable to a team that loves versatile players. It would also boost his overall worth since his bat has not been that strong since being called up to the MLB. If he can master all of these fielding positions, he definitely could become the next Zobrist.
It is interesting to see that the Athletics are trying to mold Muncy into the team’s utility man especially since Tyler Ladendorf was suppose to fill that role. However, Ladendorf missed the majority of the 2015 season after undergoing ankle surgery and has not played much since being called up this September due to a wrist injury. Perhaps the Athletics’ think that these two injuries have set Ladendorf back so far that he will not be ready for the big leagues come 2016. Hence why they need someone to fill that utility man role for next year.
Spring training next season will give Muncy a chance to show off what he has learned during the offseason. This will be a crucial time for him to demonstrate what he could bring to the table for the future season. If the A’s do not see much improvement or believe that this utility man thing is not for him, he could start 2016 in the minors.
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