A-Rod Replacements

Alex Rodriguez is heading to the disabled list to have surgery on a meniscus tear in his right knee. Rodriguez is expected to be on the shelf for four to six weeks so it is crucial to find a serviceable replacement at third base.

Analysis: Minnesota third baseman Danny Valencia has been playing very well as of late and has some pop to offer. Valencia has ten bombs on the year with 46 RBI. Valencia also has four multi hit games over the last two weeks to bring his batting average back to a respectable .236. He’s actually a pretty good contact hitter but his .256 BABIP is the sole reason he’s not hitting in the .280s. San Diego third baseman Chase Headley is not widely available but he does supply a bit of speed to his .299 batting average. Headley has eight swipes on the year and totaled seventeen stolen bases last year. His power is lacking but he is still a solid option. The only other option at third base is the Florida outfielder Emilio Bonifacio who has third base eligibility. Bonifacio plays all over the place with the Marlins so he may have a place on your team regardless. Bonifacio has eleven steals in the last two weeks alone as well as a slew of multi hit games. He doesn’t bring the power and he will cool off but he is still an option at third in place of A-Rod.