Could Tyler Ladendorf Make the Opening Day Roster?

Sep 10, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A pile of official major league baseballs prior to a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday, the A’s moved utility man, Tyler Ladendorf to the 40-man roster to protect him from being claimed in the Rule 5 draft. If you’re curious how the Rule 5 draft works, here is the link to MLB’s FAQ page on the matter. Back to Ladendorf. You may remember him as the player that was suspended for fifty games in June for a second positive test for drug abuse. Before the suspension however, Ladendorf was having a great year for the River Cats, batting .305 with two home runs, with 38 rbi in 68 games. After the suspension, Ladendorf played in just ten games before the end of the season, adding another five rbi to his season total (43), and finishing the season with an average of .297 and an on-base percentage of .376 to go along with it.

According to FanGraphs, Tyler Ladendorf’s ISO (slugging percentage-batting average; used to determine how often a player gets extra base hits) is .110, which is below average. By comparison, in 2014, Jed Lowrie had a .106, Eric Sogard came in at a lowly 0.45, and Nick Punto had a 0.86. While Ladendorf compiled his ISO in Triple-A, it still ranks best among the foursome. In fact, it was Andy Parrino who ranked highest (while playing the least, just 51 plate appearances) with a .130 ISO, or almost average.

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The A’s have a need for a middle infielder for 2015, with Jed Lowrie being a free agent, and fans clamoring for a replacement for Eric Sogard and his lack of offensive ability. Right now the middle infielders under contract are Sogard, Punto and Andy Parrino, none of which are known for their offensive prowess.

Enter Tyler Ladendorf, who was ranked the Athletics’ Best Defensive Infielder in both 2010 and 2011, along with being named the Best Defensive Second Baseman in the Texas League in 2011.

According to Susan Slusser’s Drumbeat on Friday, “a strong spring could help Ladendorf make a splash”, with no other viable options currently in the middle infield mix. Slusser also added two very important statistics for Tyler Ladendorf, a right-handed batter. The first is that he hit .342 with runners in scoring position. The second is that he hit .395 against left-handed pitchers in 2014. Both of these are areas that the A’s struggled in during the 2014 campaign.

The problem here, is that the A’s will have to wait until spring to see how Tyler Ladendorf performs in his big audition. By then, the free agent market will likely be dry, or, at the very least, the ripe fruit will have been picked. It will be interesting to see what the front office does in the coming weeks. If the middle infield issue is addressed, it is unlikely that Tyler Ladendorf will make the Opening Day squad. Yet, if the A’s are willing to stand pat, it could be a fight between Parrino and Ladendorf for a spot on the 25-man roster.