With Shohei Ohtani’s ascendance last season both on the mound AND at the plate, versatility has become a buzzword in baseball circles. Prospects like Brendan McKay and Hunter Greene both tried being a two-way player in the minors to varying success; Greene has since given up hitting while McKay is keeping it up through A+ ball.
Perhaps Jerry Dipoto read all about those stories earlier this offseason. Perhaps he read through our Select a Scenario article and was inspired by the stories of Daniel Vogelbach and James Paxton, two-way sensations. Or perhaps he just wants to mess with all of us.