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Shortstop
Julio Lugo, 28 yrs.(ML) - Lugo is a solid allaround player. He will steal a decent amount of bases, along with hitting for decent contact and power. He plays good defense, and has an average arm. With all of the talent at SS in our minors, look for him to be traded before we get too far along here.
Deivi Cruz, 31 yrs.(AAA) - Cruz isn't worth being a longtime starter in the majors. He doesn't have a good arm, and isn't particularly good in the field. He can't hit for average or power, and won't steal many bases. He could be a temporary fillin at the ML level if Lugo is indeed traded.
BJ Upton, 19 yrs.(AA) - Upton is one of our best prospects, the future of the SS position in the franchise. He is amazing in the field, you will rarely see him commit an error, and possesses blazing speed. He will be up in the leaders among steals once he gets into the bigs. He can hit for average, and his only downside could be his lack of power. Look for him to breeze through the minors very fast.
Aneudi Cuevas, 22 yrs.(A) - Cuevas isn't very good at the hitting quite yet, but his fielding and throwing are ML ready. He is very fast, and will get to about any ball that's near him. He also uses that speed to get many bases on the paths. He will probably have to play 2B if he ever wants to reach the majors with Upton ahead of him, though the possibility of being traded is quite high.
OVERALL GRADE: B- .. Lugo has the ML tied down for now, and with two great prospects in the minors on their way up, the SS position looks pretty good in Tampa.
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