Thread: Bollinger: Twins Leaning Toward In-House Solution for Center

"But Twins general manager Terry Ryan said he expects to fill the position from within, with Darin Mastroianni and prospects Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson competing for the spot."

Twins leaning toward in-house solution for center field | twinsbaseball.com: News

I'm ok with that. Benson's getting old - it's time to give him a chance. I suspect Hicks wins it in ST but will struggle and get sent down at some point. But if at the end of the year we have a Benson/Hicks/Arcia OF, I won't be unhappy.

Originally Posted by gunnarthor

I'm ok with that. Benson's getting old - it's time to give him a chance. I suspect Hicks wins it in ST but will struggle and get sent down at some point. But if at the end of the year we have a Benson/Hicks/Arcia OF, I won't be unhappy.

The decision about who is gonna start in CF is almost assuredly already made. The last three big ST battles that we had the one who did the best didn't end up with the job (CF job in 2008, 3B job in 2010, rotation 2011)

How many rookie fielders have the Twins just handed a job to out of ST without previous time in the majors? I know Joe back in '04. Anyone else?

Book it that they start the season with Mastro and bring up Hicks or Benson in late May or June, like it or not, unless Hicks rips it up similar to Hughes last Spring.

Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

Book it that they start the season with Mastro and bring up Hicks or Benson in late May or June, like it or not, unless Hicks rips it up similar to Hughes last Spring.

well, if neither Benson (more likely) or Hicks (least likely) makes the team out of the gate, who is the other player that can man CF? And there is no advantage to waiting to bring Benson up...his clock has already started.

Twins will grab a veteran CF off another team who gets waivered. Dickerson of the Yanks is a good example. There will be players available as good or better than Maestroianni. In fact, they got Maestro the same way last year about this time. No way they start Hicks clock before they have to. No way.

Originally Posted by Old Twins Cap

Twins will grab a veteran CF off another team who gets waivered. Dickerson of the Yanks is a good example. There will be players available as good or better than Maestroianni. In fact, they got Maestro the same way last year about this time. No way they start Hicks clock before they have to. No way.

and the reason for not bringing up Benson until late May/early June? As far as delaying Hicks' clock, I never figured HE would make the team out the gate, but they've done a good job of delaying the start of his clock already.

Originally Posted by ThePuck

well, if neither Benson (more likely) or Hicks (least likely) makes the team out of the gate, who is the other player that can man CF? And there is no advantage to waiting to bring Benson up...his clock has already started.

I said Mastro, right there in the first sentence. You're right, no advantage to waiting on Benson, just a disadvantage if he plays anything like he did previously.

I'm rooting for Benson, I think the bulk of the post-May season will be Hicks, so I'd like to spend some time seeing Benson again for the first few montsh. The more I look at this roster the more I think Mastro will be playing significant time in RF with Parmalee, Doumit, Mauer, Morneau splitting 1B/DH time a bit. Not every day, but maybe 3-4 days a week we see him playing.

Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

I said Mastro, right there in the first sentence. You're right, no advantage to waiting on Benson, just a disadvantage if he plays anything like he did previously.

I'm not sure we're on the same page. Originally you said Maestro would be the CF with Benson or Hicks coming up later in the year. I asked who would be the other player who could play CF then, and by 'other' I meant other than Maestro. You said you think they'll get some worthless reject, and then I asked why not Benson out the gate because his clock is already started. I always understood you thought Maestro would be the starter, I'm just not sure why he would be if Benson got brought up. Either way, it'd make more sense if it was Benson and Maestro BOTH on the roster out the gate.

Brandon Boggs and Wilkin Ramirez can play all three OF positions, especially Boggs. It would be idiotic to sign another FA.

Benson should probably have some good at bats that don't involve the pressure of the major league first.

Originally Posted by ThePuck

I'm not sure we're on the same page. Originally you said Maestro would be the CF with Benson or Hicks coming up later in the year. I asked who would be the other player who could play CF then, and by 'other' I meant other than Maestro. You said you think they'll get some worthless reject, and then I asked why not Benson out the gate because his clock is already started. I always understood you thought Maestro would be the starter, I'm just not sure why he would be if Benson got brought up. Either way, it'd make more sense if it was Benson and Maestro BOTH on the roster out the gate.

Yes, you're right, I missed what you meant, I agree the last part is likely the way it will and should go.

I agree with North...

I think the Twins (like every other club) will say. We are looking at our options and we will go with the best of the 3...

They Are Mastro, Hicks and Benson.

I think the Twins (like every other club) will say publicly that whoever wins the job of the 3 will be starting game one. However, like every other club... They only kinda mean it. For Hicks to win the starting job he would have to look like Heyward looked. Hicks would have to be at least a foot more talented than Mastro and show it like Heyward did with Atlanta.

If everything they say about Hicks is true. Hicks would have to already look like the best of the 3 but I think unless Hicks performs better by a country mile over Mastro. He will be sent to Rochester like almost every other prospect in baseball and wait for the Arb Clock. I'd be disapointed if they didn't do that. I don't want to see Hicks gaining a year of service of time for the difference of a 50 OPS points.

As for Benson... In my opinion... He's gotta do something to erase 2012 first. Having his potential is one thing (everyone says he has tools coming out the wazoo) but the numbers he put up last year in AAA and AA are another thing and they have to be erased by decent numbers at AAA in 2013 first.

If Benson comes up with the big club and continues with the production he had last year at the MLB level. He will start his career in a big hole and eventually he will be gone. For anyone who is a Benson Fan and I'm a Benson Fan. You should hope that he reports to the minors and starts his turn around.

It's gotta be Mastro unless Hicks goes completely off the charts good in ST ala Heyward...

Hicks and Benson start in the minors.

I agree with Shane... I don't think they will sign a Nyjer Morgan type to back up but who knows... The CF backup will have to come from within. Wilken or Boggs... Ok... I've only seen a little of Boggs.

Shane, Seth, Thrylos, Crikket and Rosterman are posters who I think have real good grasps on our options from the farm. I'll certainly take their thoughts on the subject.

Thanks RB, though I am really not in that company (though I am going to make a trip to Fort Myers this summer). I wish the Twins could swap Rochester for Indianapolis with the Pirates somehow . . .

It is wise to not look at the CF issue in a vacuum. If the Twins were serious about competing in 2013, they would have signed Jackson or would have by now given Marcum an offer he couldn't refuse. They have half-assed it there. That being the case, I think that there is no point to starting Hicks or Arcia out of the gates without giving them AAA time. Good god, I will be angry if they send Arcia to AA for NO GOOD REASON. Mastroianni is by no means ideal at all as a starting CF, but that is the best bet now. I am not going to be anti-Benson at all, but I do find it odd to consider him as a starter out of ST. Wilkin Ramirez and Brandon Boggs are legitimate fourth outfielders. I like Boggs for his defensive versatility and his OBP (I like bench players who can draw walks) and I like Ramirez because he can smack homers (absent for YEARS other than Thome, who was a starter much of the time anyway).