Roster Sausage

[Brock Beauchamp]

Danny Santana! He has the raw tools to be a good center fielder. It would be a risk, but he might be have enough tools to overcome his lack of experience.

 

Aaron Hicks has all the tools AND experience, yet he hasn't been particularly good in center.

 

Why would you want to jerk around Santana like that? What good could come of it?

[stringer bell]

Aaron Hicks has all the tools AND experience, yet he hasn't been particularly good in center.

 

Why would you want to jerk around Santana like that? What good could come of it?

To keep the guys who are hitting best in the lineup. I think Escobar has earned a shot to be the regular SS and Santana is hitting, so let him play in center until he stops hitting. If it turns out he really can play outfield, then Santana has some proven versatility. Gardy wants to win as many games as he can with the roster he has. I think today Danny Santana is a better choice to be playing center field than Aaron Hicks. If and when Hicks gets his head on straight, then he should get another chance.

[stringer bell]

This whole center field mess started because the Twins kept Hicks for the second straight year on the basis of spring training. The circumstances, to me, screamed for a trip to Rochester to start the season no matter how good he looked in Fort Myers. Until Presley was let go, I thought it only made sense to start Presley and let Hicks gain confidence at Triple A. Yes, Presley was poor in the spring and his upside is really that of a fourth OF, but he was capable last September and that should have mattered more than his poor spring. The Twins lost Presley and have been scrambling for CF depth since.

[LaBombo]

Unbelievably, Chris Parmelee is the only outfielder on the 40 man roster who is between the ages 24-32, peak hitting years. (Kubel actually turns 32 in two weeks but no longer can perform anywhere near peak).

Even a stalwart like Reusse is starting to get the message. In his bit about the NFL draft, the blurb add-on thing at the end was the brutal first grade arithmetic of Bartlett + Guerwarrior your tail off <<<<<<<<<< Brooksie + Elvis + Mastro for a rebuilding 3 year/300ish loss team.

 

Your comment about the age situation is right on, but maybe a bit generous to Hicks. He's definitely a guy who should be near his peak, but something is obviously not right.

[Brock Beauchamp]

This whole center field mess started because the Twins kept Hicks for the second straight year on the basis of spring training.

 

And as a response, you're advocating playing a 23 year old middle infielder out of position based on the same number of plate appearances Hicks had in Spring Training.

 

How do you not see just how terrible this idea is?

[stringer bell]

And as a response, you're advocating playing a 23 year old middle infielder out of position based on the same number of plate appearances Hicks had in Spring Training.

 

How do you not see just how terrible this idea is?

IMHO, it is the best of many bad options. There are several components that go into my support of benching Hicks in favor of Santana, I suppose all of them are debatable. 1) Escobar is hitting and deserves a chance to be the everyday shortstop. Still SSS, but he's hitting .333 with 10 extra-base hits and an OPS of .882. 2) If Santana is in the big leagues, he should be playing. 3) Aaron Hicks is a mess and needs to get it together in Triple A. 4) Santana, on the basis of his speed and arm can be acceptable in center field.

 

Read my blog "Danny Santana and the .1% Solution" and you will see that I realize it is a long shot. I happen to believe playing Aaron Hicks right now is no better and probably hurts him. So I favor playing the 23 year old out of position over the 24 year old who currently doesn't have a clue.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

How do you not see just how terrible this idea is?

 

The Twins have experimented with the "terrible" idea of playing Santana in centerfield 23 times over his minor league career. Given the Twins terrible management of their 40 Man Roster, this might be the least terrible option, among many that are worse.

[sorney]

End of day, it's pretty embarrassing that they have to resort to using a supposed SS of the future in CF because of roster mismanagement...

[Brock Beauchamp]

The Twins have experimented with the "terrible" idea of playing Santana in centerfield 23 times over his minor league career. Given the Twins terrible management of their 40 Man Roster' date=' this might be the least terrible option, among many that are worse.[/quote']

 

Oswaldo Arcia has twice as many starts in CF in the minors.

 

What is the end game with putting Santana in CF? You're stunting a guy's defensive development at a position of weakness; the biggest position of weakness for the team going forward. Outside of FA, Santana is the only guy who remotely projects as future help at the SS position in the next 2-3 years.

 

And for what? So he can be replaced by Buxton in the next 12 months? This is advocating that the Twins continue this bizarre knee-jerk roster management that we've all been condemning for the past six weeks.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Read my blog "Danny Santana and the .1% Solution" and you will see that I realize it is a long shot. I happen to believe playing Aaron Hicks right now is no better and probably hurts him. So I favor playing the 23 year old out of position over the 24 year old who currently doesn't have a clue.

 

Then you send down Hicks when Fuld is ready. You don't start patching together makeshift rosters that won't last at the expense of players you want to help win games in 2015 and beyond.

 

Danny Santana has 20 career MLB plate appearances.

 

Twenty.

[stringer bell]

I just don't think another week or two of consistent playing time (out of position) at the the highest level is going to stunt his development as a shortstop. When it is time for him to go down to Rochester, he can play shortstop or if Escobar goes o-fer the homestand, he can slide back to short. I am trying very hard to have no illusions about Danny's offense, but right now it is infinitely better than Hicks'. Certainly, there should be someone else playing center field (and I don't even mean Fuld), but Aaron Hicks needs to be optioned yesterday.

[stringer bell]

Perhaps Brock, I am also advocating Santana going to center for now because I still don't think he's really the answer at short. He's got the range and the arm, but hands and footwork are questionable. It's easier to outrun mistakes in the outfield, especially with burner speed. Maybe Santana can become a poor man's Bonifacio and considering where I put him on the prospect spectrum, that wouldn't be bad.

[Mike Sixel]

Santana should be your starting SS in the majors until he shows he's not. Esco is a nice utility player, and should have that job. Fuld should be in CF, and Hicks should be in AAA only hitting RH until he shows he can hit (and field). If only there had been a CF available in the off season that only cost money......

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I guess moves like Santana to CF depend on how Gardy wants to approach the season. I would agree with the argument that Hicks is not the answer at the position either long term or short term.

I think Santana's development as a shortstop would be hurt by having him in center. Again, I think it depends on what the Twins want long term for him and for the team. If they really want him to be the guy at SS, they probably won't play him regularly in center in hopes of winning a few more games this year.

 

 

I think it would be fine to have Fuld in center regularly this year since the team is not going to the playoffs this season - it would be better to give Santana starts at SS, either on the Twins or in Rochester.

 

Hicks, geez, I dunno. Is starting in AAA going to help him?

[stringer bell]

Hicks: He has like what? less than 100 PAs at Triple A? I think it would help to spend a couple months in Rochester and it certainly is better than the downward spiral going on now.

 

Fuld: Much like Presley, he is a guy who profiles as a fourth outfielder. Could he fill in for the year? Yes, but he's not going to hit much and he isn't going to get better.

 

Santana: Probably what is best for him is to play regularly at AAA. However, he is here now and has hit so far. Get him at-bats and if it means playing him in center until his hot streak peters out so be it. Maybe, just maybe, the Twins catch lightning in a bottle and Danny stays and never looks back.

 

Escobar: He deserves a shot as a regular. He's got almost 70 plate appearances and he has hit well. He has shown himself to be a capable utility guy and has a rep as being pretty good defensively. Nunez can serve as the utility guy.

[cmathewson]

You were right on Hicks all along, Mr. Bell. He needs more time in AAA. I was for giving him another shot if he earned the job. But his confidence is shot. It's almost like he is afraid to swing lest he make an out. As soon as Fuld is ready, he should go to AAA. But until then, run him out there and hope for the best.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

What is the end game with putting Santana in CF? You're stunting a guy's defensive development at a position of weakness; the biggest position of weakness for the team going forward. Outside of FA, Santana is the only guy who remotely projects as future help at the SS position in the next 2-3 years.

 

And for what? So he can be replaced by Buxton in the next 12 months? This is advocating that the Twins continue this bizarre knee-jerk roster management that we've all been condemning for the past six weeks.

 

I still see Fuld (when he returns from that concussion DL thingee) as the stopgap CF until Buxton emerges, or Hicks exorcises some demons in AAA. All I'm saying is that Santana should be the backup CF until that time comes, rather than wasting resources on a free agent CF. He should be the primary SS with Escobar and Nunez as utility guys behind him. Do you really think that if Santana starts in CF once or twice a week over this summer that his future as a SS will be jeopardized? Again, I see this as the "least terrible option."

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

This quote, from LEN 3, says it all:

 

"His future is at short, but Gardenhire sees center field as a way to play him more often. Santana has played 23 games in center in the minors, including two in 2012 while at Class AA New Britain. With Aaron Hicks struggling to hit and Sam Fuld on the disabled list because of a concussion, Santana might be the best-equipped player the Twins have to play center." http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/258999511.html

 

It's ridiculous to think that a few games in centerfield will destroy Santana's status as the Twins shortstop of the future. Sometimes we treat professional players like porcelain dolls, rather than kids who, in a pinch, just want to play and help their team win--especially when their team is in a bad spot due to injuries and "terrible" roster moves.

 

Santana seems to be a gamer. I hope Gardy finds a way to keep him in the lineup, whether that means playing him at short, or in center.

[bear333]

Convert Santana to a center fielder.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I still see Fuld (when he returns from that concussion DL thingee) as the stopgap CF until Buxton emerges' date=' or Hicks exorcises some demons in AAA. All I'm saying is that Santana should be the backup CF until that time comes, rather than wasting resources on a free agent CF. He should be the primary SS with Escobar and Nunez as utility guys behind him. Do you really think that if Santana starts in CF once or twice a week over this summer that his future as a SS will be jeopardized? Again, I see this as the "least terrible option."[/quote']

 

Backup is a completely different argument. I'm not sure I'm on board with that idea but it's a very different argument than suggesting that he should be the starting centerfielder, which sounds like a disaster in the making.

 

In the end, I think it's a moot point. I believe Santana will be rocking a sub-.700 OPS within a month, negating any reason to keep his bat in the lineup at all.

[Otto von Ballpark]

In the end, I think it's a moot point. I believe Santana will be rocking a sub-.700 OPS within a month, negating any reason to keep his bat in the lineup at all.

 

To be fair, .700 is almost league average right now, which makes it a fairly high bar for SS and CF (and 4th OF). (Could be almost a lateral move replacing our current 3B/LF/RF too, unfortunately...)

[Thrylos]

What is the end game with putting Santana in CF? You're stunting a guy's defensive development at a position of weakness; the biggest position of weakness for the team going forward. Outside of FA, Santana is the only guy who remotely projects as future help at the SS position in the next 2-3 years.

 

Jorge Polanco would like to have a talk with you. Maybe Nico Goodrum too, but certainly Eduardo Escobar. I am on the minority here, but seeing Santana play for the last three seasons, I really believe that his ceiling is utility. Punto. Not bad, but that is what it is (in my book of course.)

[Brock Beauchamp]

Jorge Polanco would like to have a talk with you. Maybe Nico Goodrum too, but certainly Eduardo Escobar. I am on the minority here, but seeing Santana play for the last three seasons, I really believe that his ceiling is utility. Punto. Not bad, but that is what it is (in my book of course.)

 

Neither Polanco nor Goodrum look to have an impact in the next 2-3 years. One of them could be in Minnesota in two years but it's unlikely he's an impact player (or even a good starter) at that point. Escobar, eh. I view him as a utility guy (which, when you really get down to it, is how I view Santana as well).