It's not? Here's last year. I see 70% of the roster playing more than one fielding position. What do you see?
Name PosSummary
Tyler Austin 1B-DH
Logan Morrison 1B-LF-DH
Joe Mauer 1B-RF-DH-C
Brian Dozier 2B
Logan Forsythe 2B-LF-DH
Gregorio Petit 2B-SS-3B-1B-DH
Miguel Sano 3B-1B-DH
Eduardo Escobar 3B-SS-2B
Bobby Wilson C
Juan Graterol C
Jason Castro C
Chris Gimenez C-1B-P-3B-DH
Mitch Garver C-1B-P-DH
Willians Astudillo C-3B-2B-LF-P-CF-DH
Byron Buxton CF-DH
Ryan LaMarre CF-LF-RF-P-DH
Jake Cave CF-RF-LF-DH
Eddie Rosario LF-RF-CF-3B-DH
Johnny Field LF-RF-CF-DH
Taylor Motter RF-3B-SS-2B
Max Kepler RF-CF-1B-DH
Robbie Grossman RF-LF-DH
Jorge Polanco SS
Ehire Adrianza SS-3B-1B-2B-LF-DH
What do I see?
I see a team that was completely unprepared, traditionally shallow and not flexible. If they would have set up for depth and flexibility before the season started... you wouldn't be able to list Logan Morrison or Logan Forsythe and others as part of your 70%. They were unprepared and forced to shove guys into positions under emergency.
Taking a closer look at that 70% you present.
Logan Morrison - 3 Innings total in LF. Why? They got caught with their pants down by not being flexible.
Joe Mauer - One Third of an inning in RF and one pitch at C. You really can't include Joe as an example of Flexibility.
Logan Forsythe - Stood in Left Field for a second... No Outs Recorded.
Eddie Rosario - 2 Innings at 3B... Team Caught with Pants down... The rest is typical outfield play.
Garver - 13 Innings at 1B
Gimenez - 2 starts and 24 Innings at 1B in September
Wilson, Graterol and Castro - Just Catchers... Typical... nothing out of the ordinary.
Lamarre, Cave, Field and Grossman... Outfielders being asked to play Outfield.
Miguel Sano - Played 1B and 3B. OK... a little typical corner infield flex. Nearly every team will ask their 3b to grab 1B mitt. Nothing out of the ordinary.
This reduces that 70% down to the following players.
Gregorio Petit - Molitor didn't want to play him... He is that typical Utility guy who doesn't play.
Taylor Motter - That typical utility guy that is thrown wherever on exceedingly rare occasions because Molitor didn't want to play him.
Eduardo Escobar - He could be a fine example of a super utility player other than our chosen method of deployment, which is playing one static position at a time. Polanco suspended... Escobar becomes the everyday SS. Sano gets hurt and sent down to Ft. Myers. Escobar moves to everyday 3B with Adrianza taking over as the everyday SS.
Adrianza - That typical utility player that every team has, who becomes necessary to play when injuries occur.
And finally
Willans Astudillo - Who was called up to be a utility player... didn't play... sent back down and was then called up to be a catcher.
Every team in baseball has a Adrianza, Escobar, Motter and Petit. They are called bench players.
Baldelli plays all of his players more often and purposely starts a handful of them in multiple positions to get this done. It can't be compared with any past Minnesota Twins teams.
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!!!