Let's face it, there isn't much left to talk about in terms of the Twins and their 2014 season. We know the story all too well at this point. Worst starting pitcher ERA in all of baseball, last place in the AL Central, can never seem to get a hit with runners on base, etc. This tired story has caused me, like many of you, to care way more about the future than the present. In this post, I am attempting to answer a simple question: Which players look OK to stick with in 2015 and which players could use a replacement (or at least some competition)?

I went on Fangraphs and looked at all the Twins hitters who have compiled 100 or more PA this year. This accounts for 18 players (4 of which are not with the Twins in any capacity and 1 of which is currently in the minor leagues). I looked at wOBA, wRC+, and WAR, since I think those three stats do the best job of describing someone's total value. Since WAR is not a rate stat, I calculated what each players WAR would be in 500 plate appearances. This probably isn't the best measurement, but it will serve its purpose.

I have ranked the players based on wOBA, since I feel that statistic is the best description of a player's value. I have included each player's wOBA, wRC+, and WAR/500PA in parentheses. I've also supplied their ages, when they are eligible for arbitration (if applicable), and when they are eligible for free agency (as per Baseball-Reference).

1. Danny Santana(.364/134/3.1) Age 23(2017/2020)
   
2. Kennys Vargas(.356/128/2.0) Age 24(2017/2020)
   
3. Jordan Schafer(.354/127/6.2) Age 28(Current/2017)
   
4. Brian Dozier(.342/119/3.5) Age 27(2016/2019)
   
5. Josmil Pinto(.341/118/1.2) Age 25(2017/2020)
   
6. Josh Willingham(.328/109/1.4) Age 35(FA 2015)
   
7. Trevor Plouffe(.328/108/3.0) Age 28(Current/2018)
   
8. Sam Fuld(.327/108/3.9) Age 32(Current/2017)
   
9. Kurt Suzuki(.327/108/2.0) Age 30(FA 2017)
   
10. Joe Mauer(.321/104/1.6) Age 31(FA 2019)
    
11. Oswaldo Arcia(.317/101/1.0) Age 23(2017/2020)
    
12. Eduardo Escobar(.315/100/2.4) Age 25(2015/2019)
    
13. Chris Parmelee(.304/92/-0.2) Age 26(2016/2019)
    
14. Eduardo Nunez(.304/92/1.6) Age 27(2015/2018)
    
15. Chris Colabello(.293/84/-2.3) Age 30(2017/2020)
    
16. Aaron Hicks(.288/81/-0.6) Age 24(2017/2020)
    
17. Jason Kubel(.278/-1.1/-3.1) Age 33(No Contract)
    
18. Kendrys Morales(.255/58/-0.8) Age 31(FA 2015)
    

Well I can say I'm happy we got rid of Kubel and Morales. Also I think Colabello may not be seen in a Twins uniform again. I feel sorry for him because I wanted him to become an incredible player, but baseball is a business. I'm going to break the players still on the Twins roster down by position to make for easy analysis:

Outfielders: Is Schafer going to be a 6 WAR player? I seriously doubt it. But at 28, he isn't really that old and I think he has shown that he can be better than he was in Atlanta. I respect anybody who says that Schafer should be nothing more than a 4th OF, but by the numbers, he's been our best outfielder this year; so even if there is regression, he has to be legitimately discussed as a starting option. I hope Arcia figures it out, but it's been frustrating to watch him this year. Every time he seems to figure something out I feel like he regresses right away. I think if Arcia can't figure out how to hit more consistently he's going to be in major trouble. It is excusable to play a poor defender in right field, but only if they can out hit their defensive woes, and I just haven't seen enough of that from Arcia. I think Hicks deserves another chance, but I think he's on thin ice. I'm actually much more sold on Schafer than Hicks right now, and Schafer is only 4 years older. Especially with Buxton in the minors, I think Hicks needs to perform very well next year if he ever wants to make an impact for the Twins. I think it's time to give up on Parmelee. I always wanted him to succeed, but I just don't see anything to indicate he will outplay his current numbers.

Infielders: A note for Twins management: I'm considering Santana and Nunez as infielders regardless what your lineups and rosters say. Until somebody invents a stat for expected regression rate, Danny Santana is the man. He is exactly the type of player who should hit on top of the Twins lineup (or any lineup for that matter). Put him at short, where his defensive rating will increase even if they are still slightly below average, and we could be looking at a darn good player here. Of course, if Danny Santana is our shortstop, what does that mean for Escobar? I have been a huge Escobar fan all year long and think he has done nothing to justify the loss of his job, but as the title indicates, I'm going by the numbers. Offensively, Escobar has been average. Now, for a shortstop, average is good, especially when 2.4 WAR would be generated in 500 PA, but Santana is simply better. Unfortunately, so is Plouffe and so is Dozier. I think Escobar is too good to be a bench player, but the Twins infield, weirdly enough, is actually very solid right now. Maybe this means he's trade bait. I can definitely see why Gardy plays Santana in the outfield, whether I agree or not. In terms of WAR/500 PA, there are 3 infielders better than Santana and only 1 outfielder. Nunez has actually turned out to be a pretty good bench player.

C/1B/DH: Like Danny Santana, many people don't trust Vargas so sustain his numbers, but a .356 wOBA would look pretty dang good at the middle of any lineup. As we all would have thought, Pinto is a much better choice in terms of offense than Suzuki, but because of his defensive problems, he still rates lower in terms of WAR. He also doesn't have the bat to boot Vargas out of his spot. I like Pinto as a backup catcher, and he can DH on days Mauer has off, so I do think he can contribute to next year's Twins. He's been our 6th best hitter this year; he needs to be in the lineup. Mauer, I hope, can only get better.

Well, the outfield could use some help. I have no problem with giving Arcia another shot, and I think Schafer has earned some playing time as well. Hicks should be in the mix, but it depends on how September goes. With Schafer and Hicks able to play center, it is not necessary that a FA signing be a centerfielder, but I think they would need to be capable of solid defense at the corner spots. Other than that there really isn't much need for offense. I would be content if the Twins broke camp with these 13 (again note to the management, the Twins should have 13 hitters):

Outfield: Schafer, Hicks, Arcia, Free-Agent Signing

Infield: Santana, Dozier, Plouffe, Escobar, Nunez

C/1B/DH: Suzuki, Pinto, Mauer, Vargas

Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading!