QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 09:26 AM)
I don't think Eaton relies on speed that much. He's really just a good contact hitter with a great arm. Sure, his speed affects him on defense, but the marginal speed decrease that will come as he ages won't affect it that much.
Even if he was some big base-stealer or speed guy, plenty of those guys still play well with age. Take Juan Pierre, for example.
Comparing Eaton to Pierre is like comparing apples to oranges, IMO. Eaton is way better than Pierre ever was. But I do think a decrease in speed will effect Eaton's range and possibly his routes on fly balls. It's less of an issue if he's in RF full time but it's still something to consider.