The secret isn't so much the flexibility. The secret is the depth.
When you have honest to God depth like we have this year. You have no choice, you have to have flexibility. If you don't have flexibility... the depth that you have acquired will be wasted and pointless. If Arraez can only play 2B and Schoop can only play 2B... then every time you play Arraez, Schoop must sit and vice versa. The fact that Arraez can play a decent LF and 3B along with 2B gives you the chance to get that bat into the lineup without killing Schoop in the process. Other players on the roster can share the burden if you will.
If you choose a starting 9... you are forced to roster lesser players for the other 3-4 position player spots. Because if you have 12-13 fairly equal players there would be no reason to go with a starting 9 and kill the other 3-4 fairly equal players.
By not rostering lesser players (LaMarre for example). A team can survive injuries, get occasional rest, compete against each other for playing time. Become Bulletproof. Become Logan Morrison resistant.
By not rostering lesser players... You have 12 - 13 roster positions that can be used for developing talent, for helping us win or for increasing trade value instead of just 9 for that purpose with 3 to 4 throw away's. 12 developing players instead of 9 increases your odds of actually developing it.
And... And... If you are going to roster the kind of depth the Twins currently have, which is 12-13 players who can compete with each other for playing time. You must have flexibility to accommodate... there is no other option. Depth is the secret... flexibility is the by-product.
This 2019 team was exactly what I was talking about last year. This 2019 team was exactly what I was begging for and exactly what I was meeting resistance over.
Here it is now... right in front of us all, we've been watching it since the start of the season and yet so many still can't see it despite watching it.
We still have posters who want stick Arraez into an every day 2B job next year and just throw away his ability to play 3B and LF. We have posters afraid that Arraez playing occasional LF means that Rosario can't play LF in 2020. They can't see it.
This discussion started by Stringer can't even discuss the topic without it turning into a "Is Polanco good enough to play SS every day" discussion instead. I don't understand the lack of understanding.
Just watch, it's working. Old habits are hard to break I guess.
A Skeleton walks into a bar and says... "Give me a beer... And a mop".
President of the "Baseball Player Positional Flexibility" Club
Founded 4-23-16
Strike Zone Automation Advocate
I'm not a starting 9 guy!!!