I hate to post this, because it seems like we’ve debated this to death, but I guess it’s worth a look. From a Jim Callis chat at BA yesterday

Mike (Lancaster, PA): Can Cardenas play third?

Jim Callis: Yeah, he should be able to.

Hmm. Most people generally think Cardenas doesn’t have the arm for 3B. It’s not a secret that the best athletes on high school teams normally play shortstop. Lots of guys get drafted as shortstops (like Cardenas) and then get moved off the position immediately in pro ball. The Reds drafted Todd Frazier as a shortstop out of Rutgers and immediately moved him to 3B. It’s a common practice. But the guys who get moved to 3B normally go there because they have strong arms. If they can’t make it at 3B because of poor hands or reactions, they usually end up in RF, again because of their arm. If the arm isn’t good enough, they go to LF, for obvious reasons. All the talk about Cardenas has been that he might end up in LF, which seems to indicate that the Phillies don’t think much of his arm. Or could it be that they thought 2B would be easier for him to adjust to while he was also adjusting to pro pitching for the first time? He held his own at Lakewood as a 19 year old, and will move to Clearwater at age 20. Did anyone see him at Instructs taking balls at 3B? Will the Phillies gamble and try him there at Clearwater? We have no other legit 3B prospects in High A that would be blocking him.

Jim Callis is far from the trumping voice on Phillies prospects, but this could be an interesting plotline to watch.