"I don't have any intentions of moving to third, outfield, wherever it may be," Upton said. "I plan on being in that six hole."
I say let him earn the job. If he shows up this Spring and outplays Lugo, thats how he gets the SS job. He has not backed down from the challenge which is something I respect.The errors in AAA had more to do with his throws than it did to not being able to get to the ball. If he can fix the bad throws (which seem to be a thing of nerves). Its not like he is too slow, he has the range that is neccesary for a SS.
LaMar does not know if he is coming or going. At one point he has said Upton has risen to challenge and really has improved significantly at SS, next moment he is throwing Upton under a bus saying he wants to move him.
The kid is young. I agree with what some of the people like the ones at Baseball America who have said moving Upton will be a huge mistake.
Earlier this year I said temporarily moving Upton might be good if he is pressing. But, the kid never backed down. He never let those high errors numbers affect other parts of his game. Like I have been saying, this kid is mentally tough. It wont be long before the errors start going away.
For those who like Lugo at leadoff, you'll even like Upton better in that spot.