In recent years, the prevalence of the super-utilityman has increased. Almost a decade ago, Ben Zobrist established the model for the MVP-caliber player who can play nearly every position on the diamond. Not every player who can make appearances from third base to right field is nearly as good as Zobrist, but whether it’s Zobrist and Javier Baez on the Cubs, or less-heralded players like Sean Rodriguez or Brock Holt, the number of guys who can plug in at any position is on the rise.
The Cubs earned praise for the versatility their roster exhibited last season due to players like Zobrist and Baez, and over at Baseball Prospectus last month, Rob Mains explored how more and more hyper-versatile players are cropping up, and how their value seems to be shooting up as well.