Bonfield is playing for the Wareham Gatemen after going undrafted. He is playing some first base there this summer, which is something I said last week that I thought Arkansas might experiment with him in the fall. It’ll be interesting to see how much he plays there and how well he does.
Bonfield has had a good week. He made a diving catch in the outfield a couple of nights ago and was 4-for-5 with a 3-run home run last night.
Matt: It seemed like Bonfield DH’d all season. Was there any particular reason that he was unable to gain a regular position out in the field? What is the outlook for a field position for him next season?
Not to hijack Matt’s response, but I think the answer is pretty clear.
There was no position in the lineup where he would be the better option defensively than the person playing there. He was clearly not as good an outfileder as Cole, Arledge, or Fletcher. Clearly not a middle infielder. Not going to supplant Spanberger at first. But his bat was needed in the order, thus he is a DH. Could he have played third? Never even heard that suggested.
Bonfield did start 35 times in the outfield, which is more than he started as the DH. He was relegated to DH late in the year, a time when Van Horn almost always goes with more defensive-minded lineups. As Doc posted, he was not near the caliber of the other three in the outfield.
That’s why I’ve wondered if he’ll get a look somewhere like first base next season. I think he needs to show he can play a position well to help himself in the draft. Just being a DH probably won’t help him much and there should be some competition again in the outfield next year.