As I look at this post, I see the following:

. John Sickels says that Kevin Frandsen appeared healthy and “looked fine.”

. As you point out, the Giants have no backup shorstop at present.

. Hobbes2d says (correctly) that Frandsen “has been terrible” at the position in the past.

Those are the things we can believe. But does it follow that Frandsen shouldn’t be playing shorstop in a DEVELOPMENTAL league? I guess it does for those who have little vision with regard to the Giants’ present shortstop position and who think that with practice a player can’t improve his fielding at a position.

If everyone gave up on accomplishing something merely because he failed the first time, the world wouldn’t be a very good place, would it?

I tend to get along with people like that ;)

To me the backup shorstop should be a complement to the starting middle infielders — with an emphasis on hitting and if the middle infielders bat from just one side of the plate, hitting from the opposite side.

So if Manny Burriss and Kevin Frandsen were the starting middle infielders, I would like a guy who hit right-handers better and preferably had more power. Naturally I would like the backup to field as well as possible, but since both Burriss and Frandsen appear to have at least average potential in that regard (and in the case of Burriss, above-average potential), it would be the bat that would be my primary concern.

Eugenio Velez doesn’t have the power or on-base ability I would prefer, but he does hit right-handed pitching better despite being a switch hitter. If he DID have the power and on-base ability I would like, he would likely start over either Frandsen or Burriss.

He does have nice speed. He is cheap and young enough that he might improve. He is already on the squad and wouldn’t require an added transaction. What he doesn’t do, ironically, is play shortstop, even though that was his original position. So in order for Burriss, Frandsen and Velez to work as the middle infield threesome, Kevin needs to be able to play shortstop at least well enough to take over for brief periods.

Based on the above, I say give Kevin every chance to become that barely adequate shortstop until a better alternative comes up. I suspect the Giants will sign or trade for a middle infielder. But since Kevin is the only backup shorstop alternative in the house (aside, possibly, from Velez), shouldn’t the Giants give him the chance to learn the position? Shouldn’t they really be trying to get EITHER Frandsen or Velez (or preferably both) ready to perform at least backup duty there?

If Burriss can make as much improvement as quickly as he did batting from the left side (and Pablo Sandoval can have a breakout season from the left side), why can’t Kevin Frandsen ever learn to become a barely adequate backup shortstop?