Arizona Diamondbacks: Socrates Brito to the Rescue
By Thomas Lynch
The Arizona Diamondbacks now a spot in their outfield for Socrates Brito.
When the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Ender Inciarte to the Atlanta Braves as part of the deal for Shelby Miller, they lost a key component of their outfield. Inciarte is one of the better defenders in the game and always seemed to be right in the middle of a big Arizona rally. However, the fact of the matter is that A.J. Pollock and David Peralta are both better and Yasmany Tomas is going to play every day, given the length and dollars committed to the Cuban second year player. With Inciarte’s departure, a spot now opens up for someone that can mirror his skill set.
Hello, Socrates Brito.
More from Venom Strikes
- Happy Thanksgiving Diamondbacks Fans! We have lots to be thankful for!
- The perfect holiday gifts for the Arizona Diamondbacks fan
- Diamondbacks make some BIG 40-man roster Moves
- About time! Diamondbacks to now provide housing for Minor League players
- What is the Rule 5 Draft? How does it impact Diamondbacks?
The 23-year old Brito had ten hits in 33 at-bats for the D-backs in a September call-up. He is one of the more highly-rated prospects in the organization’s system but before his audition, had never played above Double A ball. Then again, Inciarte only received 120 at-bats at Triple A Reno before being permanantly called up to the Snakes in June of 2014. They also have speed in common with Brito swiping 38 bags in 2014 and 20 last season. Inciarte has 40 stolen bases in two Major League seasons. Brito has some more power than Inciarte with 19 homers and 47 doubles over the past two campaigns and he also smashed 15 triples in 2015. Inciarte gets on base at a little bit better clip than Brito and of course, is an outstanding defender with 52 Defensive Runs Saved over the last two seasons. That will be the most difficult aspect of Inciarte’s game to replace. However, the speed of Brito will allow him to cover a lot of ground in the vast areas of Chase Field.
Next: Do the Arizona Diamondbacks Need to Add a Bullpen Arm?
Inciarte’s departure represents a golden opportunity for Brito to crack the Opening Day roster. With Peter O’Brien once again committed to catching, there are no other upper level outfielders that could challenge Brito during Spring Training. There also have been no indications that the D-backs are looking at any free agent outfielders to sign for the Major League roster. The lack of Triple A experience should not be a determination of whether or not Brito is ready for a full-time Big League job. The Arizona Diamondbacks have found their replacement for Ender Inciarte and his name is Socrates Brito.