What do we want? Lawlar! When do we want him? Now!
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Earlier in the week, we asked you whether it was time for the Diamondbacks to promote their top prospect, Jordan Lawlar. The results are now in, though it feels like events since have perhaps exacerbated the situation. The D-backs have lost three games in a row to opponents below .500, and the struggles of Eugenio Suarez, Lourdes Gurriel and Gabriel Moreno have made it feel like the team needs a shot in the arm offensively. Of course, last year’s Most Valuable Player, Ketel Marte, will hopefully be returning, perhaps as soon as next week. But thanks to Tim Tawa, second-base hasn’t been the biggest problem on the diamond in his absence.
Here are the results:
All told, that’s a 68-32 margin in favor of bringing Lawlar up. He had another three hits yesterday, finishing a home-run short of the cycle, and his line in Reno this year is now .354/.446/.656 for an OPS of 1.103. However, the problem would be, where is he going to play when he gets here. All told, across all levels and including his stint in the Dominican League over last winter, here’s how Jordan’s experience breaks down by position:
- Short-stop: 2,134.1 innings
- Third-base: 136 innings
- Second-base: 123 innings
So, you can see he has been a short-stop for the vast majority of his professional career. What’s interesting is that the team HAS had him playing elsewhere than short this year at Reno. However, that has been mostly at second, not third. The hot corner is the position most people on social media are calling for him to play, replacing Suarez, who is hitting .139/.253/.236 over his last 21 games. But so far, Lawlar has started 14 games at 2B for the Aces, six at SS and only two at third. With Geraldo Perdomo now signed long-term at short, it does make sense to have Lawlar playing elsewhere. But Marte is signed through 2030 too. Is there a plan to move him to DH? Seeing Lawlar playing second suggests there may be.
That, however, is probably a longer-term perspective. If Lawlar were to be promoted right now, it would suggest the end of Garrett Hampson’s time on the D-backs. The rise of the Tawa has pushed him to the end of the bench, getting only 11 PA over the last two weeks. But then Ketel Marte’s rehab seems to be going well. We have only just passed the point where, if we brought Lawlar up for the rest of the year, it would cost the team a year of control [He gained 25 days of service in 2023, so would have to be kept down for at least that lone in 2025, which was Monday, if my math is right] But with Marte back soon, playing-time at second becomes restricted.
He could play short, with Perdomo moving to third. But Perdomo has even less experience there than Lawlar, having just eight professional starts there, for a total of 85 innings. However, as Brett of Dbacks Dispatch mentioned to me on Twitter last night, “I might just take the lesser experienced Lawlar at 3B than keep seeing Geno be a net negative on both offense and defense.” Suarez has already made five errors this year, half the tally from all 2025. Though as last night’s one showed, we might be missing Christian Walker, digging out some of the errant throws on the far end [Albeit not so much, Walker’s 81 OPS+] But there is a point at which it feels Lawlar might not be much worse.
So, the question for all those who voted, yes. How do you handle the roster and line-up construction issues which would result from Lawlar’s promotion? That would be what the comments section is for…