Sabersphere 2/25: Elvis Andrus, Aroldis Chapman, Best Defenders

Welcome to the first full week of spring training games! It didn't start well for my team, the Yankees, as Curtis Granderson was hit in the arm by J.A. Happ and will miss the first month of the season. On the plus side, Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress at the Academy Awards last night, and is also a perfect human being.

Around the Sabersphere

Defensive metrics are far from perfect, but over a large enough time frame, they do give us a pretty good idea of fielding ability. James Gentile of BtB fame and fortune took an in-depth look at the best fielding performances and best fielders of all time at each position: Who was best at playing the field? | The Hardball Times

The Texas Rangers are doing quite well in the middle infield department, with Ian Kinsler at second base, Elvis Andrus at shortstop, and top prospect Jurikson Profar waiting in the wings. Matt Klaassen analyzes Andrus' offensive ability and how that relates to the Rangers' situation: Elvis Andrus and the Future of His Bat | FanGraphs Baseball

A bit overdue, but on Wednesday, John Kochurov provided us with an interesting look at perpetual minor leaguer and exemplar of a possible market inefficiency, Scott Van Slyke: Trapped in the minors | The Hardball Times

One of the more intriguing storylines of the 2013 season will be Aroldis Chapman's possible transition from elite closer to starter. Pitch f/x expert Harry Pavlidis takes an in-depth look at Chapman's performance and repertoire: Pitcher Profile: Aroldis Chapman | Baseball Prospectus

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