There are a lot of these sorts of deals around — former player agrees to hang out at spring training and work with select players on his area of expertise. Kenny Lofton is a great choice for this in Indians camp. The stuff he did best is the stuff that is probably the most teachable: making smart decisions on the basepaths, positioning oneself correctly on defensive. No, he can’t teach his speed, but any little bit helps coming from a guy with his track record.
The unusual thing about this deal — and I’m really only half-joking — is that it’s not at all out of the realm of possibility that he’d be a better choice for the Indians’ roster than some of the guys who will ultimately make it.
