Pic of the Week

Jonathan Herrera makes a jump throw
Thursday to throw out the Twins'
Wilkin Ramirez.

This photo gets the nod because I was there and thought it a good play on a difficult chance, but I didn't have the angle on it that the photographer did. The second baseman had to go behind the bag to field the ball, and instead of planting his foot to make the throw, he used the Derek Jeter-style jump throw. With, it appears, serious hops.

Jonathan Herrera is a 29-year old who's been with the Rockies for all or part of five seasons. Now he's competing for a utility infielder job with the Red Sox with prospect Brock Holt. This the sort of roster battle that doesn't get much attention outside the fan base; nobody's basing their fantasy draft on who wins this job. (For what it's worth, Herrera's the likely winner.)

But the contrast with the Twins is illuminating. The Twins have a similar young guy-veteran competition for their utility infielder job too. Only their veteran is a 34-year-old who was out of baseball last season, Jason Bartlett.

Herrera isn't a great player by any means; he didn't start for the Rockies, and he isn't going to start for the Red Sox. But it's easier to take him seriously as a major league player in 2014 than Bartlett.