Alek Thomas’ arrival could lead to tough decisions for Diamondbacks

Alek Thomas’ front leg hung in the air before dropping to the ground, his bat whipped through the zone and he shot a liner to the opposite field, one-hopping the wall in left. He later called it one of the better swings he has taken this season.

Thomas’ major league debut on Sunday delivered on aesthetics. He flashed his ability at the plate and looked smooth in center field, giving fans reason to believe the Diamondbacks’ next standout player has arrived.

His debut also triggered a fascinating position-player domino, one that highlights not just the roster’s versatility or the depth the organization appears to have assembled, but also the fact that tough decisions involving the club’s more established players might need to be made sooner than later.

Thomas was called up to take the roster spot of catcher Carson Kelly, who landed on the injured list with a strained left oblique. Thomas will get starts in center field, with Daulton Varsho shifting from center back to his natural position behind the plate.

SCOREBOARD | STANDINGS | INJURIES

By all accounts — at least among Diamondbacks evaluators — Thomas is the organization’s best defensive center fielder. Varsho had played a terrific center field, as well, prompting longtime outfield instructor Dave McKay to say he has “no doubt” Varsho has what it takes to contend this year for a Gold Glove.

But Varsho has looked far more comfortable behind the plate, as well. He entered Monday having caught only six games — and started only three — but he has stood out, and not stood out, in mostly the right ways. He cut down the Cardinals’ Tyler O’Neill trying to steal second in St. Louis, using a lightning-quick transfer and an on-the-money throw. In a game in New York, he sprung up to field a popped up bunt and made a sprawling catch down the third-base line.

Varsho has not been charged with a passed ball nor has there been a wild pitch with him behind the plate. He has neither registered as a positive or negative in terms of his receiving, according to Baseball Savant’s catcher framing numbers.

“The game has definitely slowed down for him overall,” manager Torey Lovullo said.

That said, Varsho’s offensive contributions might make staying at catcher a little tricky. He leads the team with a .479 slugging and .809 OPS, and Lovullo has acknowledged how difficult it is to make out a lineup without Varsho in it.

If Varsho were to catch full-time, that likely will necessitate an extra day or two off per week, not to mention the potential for the position’s wear and tear to cut into his ability to produce offensively. General Manager Mike Hazen admitted it is possible for Varsho to hit his way off the catcher’s position.

“What (Cardinals catcher Yadier) Molina does — nobody does that,” Hazen said, referring to Molina’s durability. “It’s not to say somebody else can’t do it, because obviously he does it, but nobody else does that. I just think hitting your way off it in the sense that are you going to be taking him out of the lineup too much — I think probably there is some decision that could get made there. But we’ll see.”

Hazen also mentioned that his team’s “best alignment” likely does not include Varsho behind the plate. That is because the club still feels strongly about Kelly. Despite a miserable start — Kelly headed to the injured list having gone just 6 for 57 (.105) to open the season — the Diamondbacks believe the potential still exists for an elite performer on both sides of the ball. Moreover, Kelly is a right-handed hitter in a lefty heavy lineup.

If Thomas is like almost every other young position player, he will struggle early in his career. But in the event he doesn’t — and if the Diamondbacks continue to play well — it could make for some difficult decisions.

The club could always send Thomas back down, even if he does perform. Or they could keep him and put Kelly on a shorter leash. Another possible outcome could be increased pressure on veterans like left fielder David Peralta and first baseman Christian Walker, the latter of whom could be pushed for starts by either Pavin Smith or Seth Beer.

None of these scenarios are problems, not yet. In fact, it probably is not right to call them problems at all; they are the kind of problems teams want. The club could have more of them in the years to come, with players like outfielders Corbin Carroll, Dominic Canzone and Jake McCarthy pushing for opportunities and a stable of young arms advancing alongside them.

The Diamondbacks have wanted for years to create a culture of competition. That finally seems to be getting close to becoming reality.

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Alek Thomas’ arrival could lead to tough decisions for Diamondbacks