Quote:
Originally Posted by kq76
If you check [Bregman's] minor league stats, he primarily played SS. And from what I've heard, everyone thought he'd probably play 2B in the majors, but with Altuve there they moved him to 3B.
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Alex Bregman made his major-league debut on July 25, 2016. A lot of things were different then. Donald Trump had just been named the Republican nominee. While David Bowie and Prince had died earlier in that year, the Grim Reaper hadn't yet gotten Tom Petty (2016 was a rough year for veteran rockers. And that's not even counting Lemmy, who drew the Ace of Spades in the final week of 2015). The Scrubs hadn't won a World Series since Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House. And so on.
More pertinently, in 2016, Bregman was 22 years old. He'll turn 31 on March 30th. His age 31 body is likely significantly larger than his age 22 body (due to bone development, building mass via workouts, etc) and less-flexible. If he had been a 2B all this time, there would be thoughts of moving him to 3B or the outfield by now.
To try and do it in reverse is just silly. I defy you to find an over-30 player who made the move successfully, after spending more than a season with easier duties.
(In 1979, the Mets did restore 31-year-old Richie Hebner to 3B, after he'd spent the previous 2 seasons at 1B. [The Phillies having this "Mike Schmidt" guy at 3rd.]. But it only lasted for a season, and then Hebner was a 1B/DH in Detroit. And 3B isn't as demanding a position as 2B, anyhow.)