You ask the wrong question. The correct question is "Why Beltre?" The "sorry-but-there-is-simply-no-intelligent-way-to-do-this" reality with the current club and that guys it needs to evaluate is this ... too many are poised to the same position.
Tui and Hannahan are both supposed 3Bs. Everyone and their mother seems to be wanting to move Lopez to third base as well. Hey, we can re-write the old A & C routine, "Who's On First?" EVERYBODY!!! "Who's on third?" EVERYBODY ELSE!!!
Why did Hannahan play first? Because Adrian Beltre, who nobody really wants back, is playing third.
There's also the case, if you're going to be juggling guys into new positions at the major league level, then there are VASTLY superior methods to "you're a first-sacker now, do good, or we'll see you in AAA next year." A more nuanced, (and effective), methodology would be to introduce the player to the position, let them play a game or two. Then work with them on the first 10 of the 400 things you saw them not doing right, (but they got away with).
In the minors you can get away with position change by fiat a little easier, but you don't want to bring a kid up to the bigs and intentionally put him in a position leveraged to increase the odds that he's going to make a fool of himself. That's the kind of thing that can break a kid's spirit and make him useless forever. It's also the kind of thing that can make every OTHER player appreciate the organization less.
There's no EASY answer to the September dance of looking at call-ups and continuing to play the guys who are making 8 figures, (and who the fans are paying to see).
Maybe you throw Hannahan at first, at the last second, to see how he handles it. You haven't made up your mind whether he's gonna be a bench guy next year. Personally having watched the dreadful results from the previous "sink-or-swim" prospect development program, I actually find the nuanced approach of giving PT to the newbies in dribs and drabs optimistically refreshing. I don't need to know WHY myself. I've got enough confidence in the new regime that I suspect heavily that their is a why, and that it's probably inter-connected with 100 variables revolving around who the club may or may not invite back next season. Carp and Tui? There's no decision to be made there. They return -- guaranteed. But Hannahan? THERE, you've GOT to make a choice. And that choice will have implications for subsequent choices.
One can argue that an extra 4 ABs for Hannahan, or an extra 9 innings isn't likely going to be the critical decision maker. Perhaps. But, what Hannahan does at first MIGHT have bearing on what you decide to do with Sweeney, for example. Or when you're playing Lopez at first, and Tui at second. That can impact those DH choice for 2010.
Then again, maybe Carp slept poorly and woke up with a crick in his neck.
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