On any other team Malquin Canelo starts for their Low-A affiliate in 2014. However, most organizations don’t have J.P. Crawford, and so Canelo stayed in Florida this spring. He made a brief cameo in the Florida State League, where he didn’t completely embarrass himself.
Canelo isn’t going to replace Crawford for the Blueclaws. However, his defense may actually be an improvement, Canelo has the raw tools to be at least a plus defensive shortstop. He is still missing some polish to consistently make every play, but he has the range to have a chance on everything. Canelo can fill in at second base and third base, but with Pullin, Green, and Walding he will likely get all of his starts at shortstop.
At the plate Canelo looks better than last year, but he still lacks any sort of impact with the stick. He won’t have it knocked out of his hand, and he might square one up, but he will make his home at the bottom of a lineup. On the bases Canelo is a good runner, but despite being a Latin shortstop, he is not a burner.
If it all works out for Canelo he is the next Freddy Galvis, he could be a fringe starter at shortstop due to just the defensive abilities, but more likely he slots in as an ultra versatile bench player. There is a small chance he hits enough that he can be a regular or more, but it could be a slow time coming as he makes his way up the levels.
In Williamsport, 2014 7th round pick Emmanuel Marrero, who was one of the best defensive college infielders in the draft will take over full time. He is another all glove, light stick shortstop with a utility profile outcome.
How many of these all-glove shortstops do we have? Not that I’m complaining, but I find the number of shortstops throughout the Phillies system that fit that profile amazing.
Stateside I would say 4, Galvis, Canelo, Marrero, and Edgar Duran. That being said, they aren’t horribly rare and many teams have a good amount of them. The thing to remember is that the defensive scale at shortstop is “broken”, in that you aren’t going to have much that is below average there because it has been moved elsewhere on the diamond. Of the group the Phillies have, I would rank them in that order and none are too terribly high on a prospect list.