Spring Training Profile: Checking in on Caleb Gindl

The player I decided to follow this Spring Training is Caleb Gindl. A couple weeks ago, I gave an overview of Gindl as a player and his likely role with the team, both now and in the near future.

We’re a good ways through Spring Training, and Gindl has certainly held his own. With the caveat that 26 Spring Training at-bats are meaningless, Gindl has displayed the solid batter’s eye and decent power that he’s shown the last few years in the minors. His line to this point is .308/.379/.423.

Much more important than his spring numbers are the reviews he’s gotten from the coaching staff. It was nice to see Ron Roenicke compliment Gindl’s defense along with his bat. Both Gindl and especially Logan Schafer have opened some eyes this spring, and I continue to think that we could see an outfielder traded at some point this season. If not this year, then almost certainly in the off-season.

It seems likely that Gindl could handle a Major League job right now, although another year at AAA certainly doesn’t hurt anything. For now, I maintain that if Corey Hart went down for an extended period of time, I’d have no problem playing Gindl against right-handers.

For now, I’d expect Gindl to hang around the big league club for the next week or so before being sent to AAA camp. He’ll play every day in right field and be ready to fill in if needed.