Not-in-Book Players: Players on Opening Day Rosters We Missed

Each edition of the annual Baseball Prospectus covers more than
1,600 players, with full Davenport Translations and comments. Even with
that kind of blanket coverage, every year players who miss the cut for the
book make the cut in spring training, finding their way onto major-league
rosters.

Our staff has collected DTs and player comments for just about everyone who
made an Opening Day roster but wasn’t in BP2K1. We’ve also included updated
Wilton projections for hitters. Enjoy!

Chris Donnels
3B
Bats L
Age 35
(Los Angeles)

The journeyman made the Dodgers thanks to Adrian Beltre’s post-appendectomy
complications and Dave Hansen’s subsequent injury. He’s a serviceable bat
off the bench and a lousy defender, and will lose his roster spot ten
seconds before Hansen is ready, probably sometime in May.

Tony Fernandez
3B
Bats B
Age 39
(Milwaukee)

Tony Fernandez spent the 2000 season in Japan after enjoying perhaps his
best offensive season the year before. Now the Brewers have brought him
back to be their leadoff hitter and third baseman; they need him to be the
former and will tolerate him as the latter. Though he once was a standout
defender at shortstop, he now has unimpressive range at third, and his
arcing sidearm flips inspire little confidence. He’ll be turning 39 at
midseason, and his playing time may erode if he shows signs of wearing down
in the midsummer heat.

Charles Gipson
UT
Bats R
Age 28
(Seattle)

Charles Gipson has long been a tease, tempting the Mariners organization
with his slick glovework at multiple positions, rifle arm and blazing
speed. However, he still has trouble hitting the ball out of the infield
and reading a pitcher’s move to first, which makes him an ineffective
base-stealer. Gipson has some late-inning strategic value, but his utter
feebleness at the plate doesn’t afford him much job security.

Shea Hillenbrand
3B/1B
Bats R
Age 25
(Boston)

Shea Hillenbrand has hit for high averages in his two full seasons in the
pros, two years that bookended a 1999 season lost to a knee injury that
probably ended his tenure as a catcher. Now a stone-gloved third baseman,
Hillenbrand’s empty .300 averages–he never walks and doesn’t have much
power–are even less valuable. His time in Boston will likely be short as
major-league pitchers exploit his weak command of the strike zone.

Ryan Jackson
1B
Bats L
Age 28
(Detroit)

Things were looking up in Toledo, what with the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic,
Muddy the Mudhen breaking ground for a new downtown ballpark and the
Tigers’ off-season signing of Triple-A stalwart Ryan Jackson for the
beleaguered local nine. Then, Phil Garner threw a wrench in the works and
broke camp with Jackson on the 25-man roster. Don’t be alarmed, Toledoans;
Jackson is already on his way.

Robin Jennings
OF
Bats L
Age 29
(Oakland)

Robin Jennings has been handicapped by trying to work his way through the
organization during Al Goldis’s "let’s get goofy" days as Larry
Himes’s player-development sidekick. His best shot was probably 1997, but
Doug Glanville won the center-field job. The Cubs then went for broke in
1998, which basically left Jennings to make that uncomfortable
transformation from prospect to minor-league veteran. He was always going
to be a tweener, in that he’s not a center fielder (his first step seems
consistently late in coming), and not enough of a hitter to start regularly
in either corner. He’ll probably get demoted this week for fifth starter
Cory Lidle.

Mark Little
OF
Bats R
Age 28
(Colorado)

Mark Little an awful lot in common with Robin Jennings, except that Little
can handle center. He’s not really a platoon player, so he doesn’t have a
tidy potential role as Todd Hollandsworth’s platoon mate. Along with
Hollandsworth, he gives Buddy Bell some nice flexibility in that he’s got a
pair of outfield backups who can handle all three positions. On an
organizational level, if Dan O’Dowd had to pass Little through waivers he’d
probably slip through, which isn’t a bad quality in a fifth outfielder.

Jose Macias
UT
Bats B
Age 27
(Detroit)

Jose Macias is your garden-variety utility man, not as annoyingly abundant
as zucchini, but more palatable, like broccoli. The Tigers’ predicament is
that they’re carrying two similar players in Shane Halter and Rule 5
selection Jermaine Clark. Now that Dean Palmer’s shoulder has mended enough
for him to come off the disabled list, Jermaine Clark has been designated
for assignment, leaving the zucchini that is currently occupying third base.

Sandy Martinez
C
Bats L
Age 28
(Montreal)

If you blinked, you missed Sandy Martinez’s brief return to major-league
baseball. He blew out his elbow making a throw in his first game, and
should be done for the year. His lone claim to fame was a flirtation with
being Kerry Wood’s personal catcher during 1998. The nicest thing you can
say about him as a player is that he threw well.

Donaldo Mendez
SS
Bats R
Age 23
(San Diego)

For the second straight season, the Padres intend to keep a Rule 5 pick
with little minor-league experience on the roster all year. Donaldo Mendez,
from the Houston farm system, is a shortstop with a good defensive
reputation who hadn’t played above low-A ball before this season. Chris
Gomez has limited range at shortstop, and Santiago Perez’s minor-league
numbers look positively boot-tastic; Mendez has an opportunity to be a
useful defensive replacement for either, while also doing on-the-job
training in the outfield. He’ll contribute nothing with his bat, of course.

David Newhan
IF
Bats R
Age 27
(Philadelphia)

David Newhan is primarily known for being the son of soon-to-be Hall of
Fame Los Angeles Times sportswriter Ross Newhan. The son will have
to buy a ticket to join his father there, because he’s nothing more than a
standard issue utility infielder. He’s mildly useful to the Phillies,
primarily because their bench is so awful.

Tim Raines
OF/PH
Bats B
Age 41
(Montreal)