I think the idea of expecting certain levels of offense from the different positions has pretty much gone by the boards , except maybe for catcher. It still holds true that for a kid who is not a good hitter, catching is his best chance to make it. Not a lot of kids are anxious to get behind the plate.
Moreland might not have made much of a difference, but no one knew that was going to happen during the offseason. We had a supposedly healthy Hanley/Moreland tandem at 1B with Hanley being able to fill the DH role when not playing first.
Dombrowski did not have to rush to sign JD.