One player who has flown under the radar this spring is one who really needs to start making some noise. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop is coming off a very rough year offensively and headed for free agency. Hopes for a good season and another solid payday are at stake for the player. For the team, there’s no long term commitment to worry about should he prove unable to turn things around. They won’t be impatient, but the leash can’t be very long at this point.
Now 31 years old and a free swinger whose hand-eye coordination and home run power compensated for his poor plate discipline, there’s a real chance that Schoop is just in permanent decline.