Can Weeks claim starting second-base job?

JemileWeeksAthletics
Where do you see Jemile Weeks at the start of next season? Will he work hard enough on his game to be a starter and be more consistent in doing so? -- Mike P., Danville, Ky.

There's no questioning Weeks' work ethic. It's obviously there, and the slip in his performance last season seems to derive from a few early-season tweaks in his game he's now having a hard time reversing. Recall Weeks' rookie campaign and he wasn't really trying to do too much, other than put the ball in play. This year, he hit a couple of home runs in the early goings and, as a result, maybe began swinging a little bigger and putting the ball in the air. That resulted in far too many fly-ball outs, and his numbers obviously dipped.

That being said, if Weeks proves he's made the adjustments necessary to earn an everyday job in the big leagues this spring, he has a decent shot at getting one -- though it'll take a weak showing from Scott Sizemore for that to happen. Sizemore is clearly viewed as the top second-base option at the moment, but he, too, has plenty to prove, having not seen Major League action in a year after undergoing knee surgery last spring. With that in mind, Sizemore will also have to assure the A's that his knee is no longer of concern. Should he fare well in camp, I expect him to start at second base, with Weeks back in Triple-A waiting for the phone to ring again.


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(oaklandathletics.com)
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