I've seen him several times. Abe's defense is okay. He's not brilliant, but he doesn't fall down out there. Abe is very fast but doesn't always have the best routes, a la Ackley. Guess who was a 2B conversion to the OF? That's right, Abe.
Now, he converted several years ago, but it's still doesn't feel quite like his natural position, watching him. He makes up for it better than Ackley right now, though, and can handle center with a stronger arm than Ackley shows. He won't look like Guti but he is a CF, not a corner OF lumbering around in center. Because he's a switch-hitter I absolutely expect him to be in the mix for a bench OF spot, but as a starting CFer in an outfield with no corner OF, I guess I'm waiting to see how that plays out.
I was seeing him and Ackley in the same OF for part of the time, and both guys had trouble reading some of the balls hit in the altitude here. For the first few years of his career Adam Jones was a "Doesn't fall down out there" CFer, so I guess when a guy has speed and can make up for some miscues I don't consider it a drastic problem. I don't consider Abe plus with the glove but I do consider him adequate, and he has the tools to get plus. Positioning is a big thing as well, something focused on a lot more in the bigs and something that would no doubt help.
But Abe has had health issues his whole career (one full season played, came stateside at 19, is now 24). He's very fast, and if he can stay healthy he's got decent skills. He doesn't know what a line drive looks like but the rest of his game is pretty solid.
He's an option. I still expect him as the backup OF since he's a switch-hitter who can fill the Endy Chavez role of late-inning D and injury replacement who can get on base without counting on him for 162 games (when he's only played more than 115 once).
I'd give him the shot to play his way onto the team and into more playing time, though.
~G
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