The. Final. Piece. Of. The. Puzzle.
Simon says Championship.
It's hard to even feign emotion one way or the other about this signing. It's a minor-league deal, and he did man each of the four infield positions for the Yankees in 2008, so there is certainly an element of roster flexibility that he would fill in Mark Teahen's absence. He is pretty much a replacement player with a little postseason experience who isn't going to cost the Royals much of anything.
As far as his defense is concerned, it would appear as though he is sub-par across the board. The only position he has garnered enough playing time at to be able to make any quasi-meaningful analysis on is third base, where he has managed a -11.1 UZR/150 in 243 games played (173 starts). That is roughly comparable to Teahen's -10.1 in about twice as much time played at the hot corner. I was never particularly impressed with Teahen's defense at third, visually or statistically, but it always seemed like he was getting praise and then having his apologists chalk it up to being moved all over the field. If the not-having-a-home argument actually holds water, then the same argument can be applied to Betemit.
Again, this is not a move to get excited about, but he was a guy who the Yankees traded for a couple years back at the deadline for depth. At the price tag, it is hard to complain about the signing.
On an unrelated note, Fangraphs will be doing their Royals minor league assessment this week. Keep your eyes peeled.
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