It was actually pretty difficult to rank the ten best benches in baseball. When you’re dealing with so many moving parts and uncertain job situations, there are plenty situations that are always changing and not settled. So yes, these are very objective and subject to change at a moment’s notice – but aren’t all rankings?
1. Dodgers. If the Dodgers somehow dump Andre Ethier’s salary this spring, their bench will get even better. Past Ethier (who does still have some value against right-handed pitching), LA’s bench consists of Scott Van Slyke, A.J. Ellis, Justin Turner, and Chris Heisey. Van Slyke can play first base and all three outfield positions, and has 20 homers in 455 career plate appearances. He’s also brutalized lefties to a .268/.362/.530 line. Ellis had been the Dodgers’ starting backstop prior to the acquisition of Yasmani Grandal, and has a career .343 OBP in 428 games. Turner can play any infield position in a pinch, and is coming off of a BABIP-fueled .340/.404/.493 season in 109 games. Finally, there’s Heisey, one of Andrew Friedman’s newest acquisitions. He’s a solid defender at all three outfield positions, and hit 50 homers in part-time duty with the Reds over the last five seasons. There’s versatility, and then there’s what the Dodgers have going on. Getting rid of Ethier and adding another capable infielder would be the cherry on top to their offseason.
2. Red Sox. Boston’s bench is so good because of their wealth of offensive talent all over the diamond. Because the DH effectively limits AL teams to four bench spots, you need to have versatile players on your bench. The Red Sox have all the versatility they need in Brock Holt, who played every position aside from pitcher and catcher in 2014 and hit .281/.331/.381. Boston also brings back Shane Victorino, who can play all three outfield spots, and Allen Craig, who can fudge it in an outfield corner and can spell Mike Napoli at first. The Red Sox backup to young catcher Christian Vazquez is experienced veteran Ryan Hanigan, a great defensive catcher and a perfect guy to mentor Vazquez. All in all, it’s a damn solid group, though one that’s slightly limited by the presence of Craig.
3. Rockies. For as much as we pick on the Rockies here (which by the way, is a lot), they’ve worked their way into a solid bench situation this year. You’ve got a backup catcher in Nick Hundley that started down the stretch for the AL East champion Orioles last year and could probably outplay Wilin Rosario if given the chance. You’ve got a pair of versatile infielders in Daniel Descalsco and Charlie Culberson who can’t hit but can play anywhere in the infield when the inevitable injury bug returns. In the outfield, the Rockies have Drew Stubbs, who hits well enough to start on most teams in the league, and Brandon Barnes, who can play anywhere. This quintet will likely be called into action a lot this season, simply because there are so many questions about the health of some of Colorado’s best players this season.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – MAY 23: Second baseman Sean Rodriguez #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays makes a throw to second base after fielding a hit by Jackie Bradley Jr. #25 of the Boston Red Sox during the second inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on May 23, 2014 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
4. Pirates. Pittsburgh’s bench will look a lot different in 2015 than it did in 2014. Corey Hart is the new first base caddy, but he’ll be caddying for former third baseman Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez’s move across the diamond happened because Josh Harrison’s fantastic play off the bench last year forced Clint Hurdle to play him every day at third instead of in a super-sub role. Chris Stewart will reprise his role off the bench as a backup catcher, but will be backing up Francisco Cervelli as opposed to Russell Martin. Sean Rodriguez will serve in Harrison’s jack of all trades role after his acquisition from the Rays this winter. Korean import Jung-ho Kang will take over from Clint Barmes as Pittsburgh’s primary backup middle infielder, and while his defense likely won’t even compare to that of Barmes, he’s a much better overall hitter. The last spot on the bench will likely go to outfielder Andrew Lambo, who can hit but can’t stay healthy.
5. Padres. It’s funny – the Padres still have a terrible infield, but their bench is quite competent. How’s that work, anyway? You’re looking at a team with the ideal fourth outfielder in Will Venable, the stereotypical backup catcher in Tim Federowicz, a competent backup middle infielder in Clint Barmes (or Alexi Amarista, depending on who gets more playing time), the power threat that isn’t a solid regular (Tommy Medica), and the overpaid outfielder that can’t stay healthy (*both* Cameron Maybin and Carlos Quentin, but I assume one will be gone by Opening Day). That’s an interesting combination, and aside from that last spot, there isn’t a lot to get worked up about when it comes to San Diego’s bench.
6. Mariners. Another “stereotypical” bench for an AL team. Seattle’s got a fantastic right field platoon with Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano. Their backup catcher is Jesus Sucre, who really can’t hit but is a decent enough defender to spell Mike Zunino. Endy Chavez is the quintessential defensive replacement at all three outfield positions. Seattle’s backup middle infielder, right now, is Willie Bloomquist, but if he can’t go on Opening Day following microfracture knee surgery over the summer (which is a plausible situation), I’d expect Chris Taylor to get a shot, which would make the bench that much better. Just keep Jesus Montero far away from the majors, OK?
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 21: Center fielder Arismendy Alcantara #7 of the Chicago Cubs catches a fly ball hit by Angel Pagan #16 of the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field on August 21, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)
7. Cubs. Chicago’s bench has a trio of veterans that can help out their young players a good deal – coveted backup catcher David Ross, platoon outfielder Chris Denorfia, and versatile platoon outfielder Ryan Sweeney. Then, the Cubs have a pair of young guys – potential supersub Arismendy Alcantara and the other half of the proposed third base platoon of Tommy La Stella and Mike Olt. Chicago also has 2014 catcher Welington Castillo in limbo, and he’ll likely be traded to a team that needs help behind the plate in 2015. Too many major league catchers isn’t a bad problem for the Cubs to have.
8. Cardinals. Tony Cruz is one of those backup catchers that was formed out of a mold created years ago – can’t hit, decent behind the plate, rarely plays because the starter is so good and rarely misses time. Thus, Cruz is the ideal guy for the Cardinals. Pete Kozma takes up a spot on the Cardinals bench as their primary backup infielder, and while he can’t hit worth a damn, he’s solid defensively. Mark Reynolds is *not* solid defensively, but can hit the bejeezus out of the ball in between strikeouts. Peter Bourjos is an outfield version of Kozma, but better both offensively and defensively – but he’s still clearly the Cardinals fourth-best outfielder. Then, there’s Randal Grichuk, who might wind up as an outfield version of Reynolds with better defense. You can do much worse than the bench that the Cardinals have put together.
9. White Sox. The White Sox got a lot of attention this winter for their higher profile moves, but their lower profile ones also were quite good. Rick Hahn completely remade his club’s bench this winter, and it looks pretty solid going into 2015. Emilio Bonifacio isn’t a great hitter, but can play anywhere on the diamond in a pinch and won’t kill you. Geovany Soto has had his ups and downs behind the plate, but could be a better option at catcher for the ChiSox than incumbent Tyler Flowers. Gordon Beckham returns to Chicago after a successful September in Anaheim, and will have a lot less pressure coming off the bench as a backup second and third baseman. Backup outfielder J.B. Shuck is the member of the White Sox bench I like the least, and he was just brutal in 2014 with the Angels and Indians. However, he was pretty good in 2013 with Anaheim, and could be a solid late inning defensive sub for Melky Cabrera or Avisail Garcia.
10. Yankees. Did I put the Yankees on this list for the lulz? Maaaaaaybe. However, the Yankees bench does have a fantastic defensive middle infielder in Brendan Ryan and a great platoon outfielder in Chris Young. Throw in another one of those “quintessential” backup catcher in Austin Romine and the other half of the Garrett Jones/Alex Rodriguez DH platoon, and you have…well, you have the 2015 Yankees in a nutshell. Romine and newly-acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius are the only projected hitters on the Opening Day roster younger than 30. Talk about going all-in with veterans…
Honorable mentions: Brewers, Giants, Marlins
