Nunez

[DaveW]

Never been a fan but the guy has been hitting very very well, so much in fact I'm not sure it can be explained as a fluke SSS. With that said, he doesn't play D well enough at SS and won't hit well enough long term to be a LF/DH type, ultimately does he just become the ultimate "25th" man on the team? A guy who can hit and field at an acceptable level to fill in as a starter from time to time and as a late innings PH as well?

[Willihammer]

First base?

[jokin]

Clearly the manager stuck with him at SS tonight over Santana when the CF spot opened up just before game time, Santana easily could have been given another start @ SS, with Nunez or Esco in LF.  And Nunez seems to have been given a tryout to try to take away playing time from  Escobar at the position.  

 

Over the last 8 games:

 

Nunez has 5 starts at SS

Santana has 3 starts at SS

Escobar has 0 starts at SS

[SwainZag]

 

Clearly the manager stuck with him at SS tonight over Santana when the CF spot opened up just before game time, Santana easily could have been given another start @ SS, with Nunez or Esco in LF.  And Nunez seems to have been given a tryout to try to take away playing time from  Escobar at the position.  

 

Over the last 8 games:

 

Nunez has 5 starts at SS

Santana has 3 starts at SS

Escobar has 0 starts at SS

 

 

When the team has trouble scoring runs I don't blame them giving a little on defense to try and bolster the offense.  In those 5 starts at SS, Nunez had double digits hits in 2 of them and drove in runs in 3, meanwhile taking 3 walks in 5 starts................or as many as DanSan has taken all season.  Paulie is going with the hot bat, and honestly it's needed right now.  Run him out there.

[Linus]

I've never understood the hate for this guy. He's always been a decent hitter and he is fast. His glove is not great but it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

[diehardtwinsfan]

He's a good hitter.  Think his career is best served as a bat off the bench when it's clear they need some runs.  He may give them back defensively though.  But I'd argue that a pinch hit bat and occasional offensive sub has value.  The danger is when we find him constantly starting.

[HitInAPinch]

 

I've never understood the hate for this guy. He's always been a decent hitter and he is fast. His glove is not great but it's not as bad as people make it out to be.

With consistent AB's, Nunez is living up to his potential.  His defense has always been in question not because of Errors [ only 1 this season?? ] but because of some really bone-head plays in the past.  His Fld% is .833, so not great, but not hideous.  I haven't been able to translate out the advance Sabermetrics yet     but his RDRS / yr is 92.  But one article says fielding stats can be skewed by inconsistent playing time and playing different positions....

[drjim]

Nice guy to have as a 4th or 5th bench guy (after utility, OF, C), but going to start getting real money next year. Not sure Twins can keep him.

[spinowner]

 

Nice guy to have as a 4th or 5th bench guy (after utility, OF, C), but going to start getting real money next year. Not sure Twins can keep him.

If the Twins don't keep him I think his career will continue, either with a team like the Yankees who can afford to pay more for a bench player or a team that has no better alternative at SS or 3B.

[USAFChief]

I understand trying to find some offense, and running him out there right now.

 

But he's not an .800 OPS hitter, and he's not a good enough SS to hold down the position regularly.

 

He can be an effective bench player, used in stretches of necessity, such as now.

 

I agree with Jokin above...what's interesting to me is Escobar's drop in the pecking order.

[DaveW]

Escobar played LF two nights ago, he hasn't exactly been buried.

[USAFChief]

Escobar played LF two nights ago, he hasn't exactly been buried.

I think this year in general, and the past couple weeks in particular, show that the Twins do not consider Escobar a realistic candidate to be the everyday SS.

 

He hasn't started more than two consecutive games at SS all year, even when Santana was sent down. Hasn't been at SS in over a week.

 

That's an interesting development, to me at least.

[jorgenswest]

Nunez is a historically bad defensive shortstop. You can see it with your eyes. You can see it in the metrics. He must also be a very poor defensive left fielder. Last night he could have been in LF with Santana at SS and Rosario in CF. Nunez had to be the reason they didn't go that way.

 

In two of his 5 recent starts at SS the results have cost the team. The Pelfrey start in Chicago he missed key balls to his left and right that a typical SS would have made. No errors. They just extended the inning and in one case allowed two runs to score. He also fumbled a double play ball that caused a run to score and extended the inning. The extra batters increased Pelfrey's pitch count and created the at bats by LaRoche and Cabrera late in the game that never needed to occur. We saw last night his disastrous play in the seventh. Tere Twins were fortunate to win. The Twins can't afford to have a SS giving away two of every five starts. Teams can't win consistently that way. Teams can win with a solid defensive SS and good bats from their DH and 1B slots. Fix the offense. Get more production from those spots.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I've never understood the hate for this guy. He's always been a decent hitter and he is fast.

This year's 100 PA aside, Nunez has been a pretty consistent ~86 OPS+ hitter for the first 1000 PA of his career.  I don't really know if that is "decent" to you, but it's probably not acceptable at any position unless it is accompanied by plus defense.

[Linus]

 

This year's 100 PA aside, Nunez has been a pretty consistent ~86 OPS+ hitter for the first 1000 PA of his career.  I don't really know if that is "decent" to you, but it's probably not acceptable at any position unless it is accompanied by plus defense.

I'm not suggesting that he is the SS of the future.  What I am suggesting is that for the 25th guy on the roster, he can hit some, runs pretty well and plays multiple positions.  That brings value to the team. 

 

If his fielding were better, he would be a regular position player somewhere.  Right now, outside of Dozier, Hunter and maybe Rosario he's probably the person with the best chance to get a base hit.

[stringer bell]

He's a good guy to be used just as Molitor has used him.  No, he shouldn't be used every day and heck no, he's not an everyday shortstop. This club has needed an offensive boost and Nuñez has done his best to provide it.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I'm not suggesting that he is the SS of the future.  What I am suggesting is that for the 25th guy on the roster, he can hit some, runs pretty well and plays multiple positions.  That brings value to the team. 

 

You are using a very loose definition of "plays".

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I'm not suggesting that he is the SS of the future.  What I am suggesting is that for the 25th guy on the roster, he can hit some, runs pretty well and plays multiple positions.  That brings value to the team. 

A lot of guys are acceptable as "the 25th guy on the roster".  The Twins have usually had several of them the past few years.

 

And I'm not sure anyone here is advocating cutting him.  Just wondering what the heck his role is -- right now, it's trending towards mis-cast as starter...

[Linus]

 

A lot of guys are acceptable as "the 25th guy on the roster".  The Twins have usually had several of them the past few years.

 

And I'm not sure anyone here is advocating cutting him.  Just wondering what the heck his role is -- right now, it's trending towards mis-cast as starter...

Well, cutting him was a common comment in multiple, past threads around here.  It doesn't matter I'm just saying that he's not a bad guy to have on the bench.

[bird]

 

When the team has trouble scoring runs I don't blame them giving a little on defense to try and bolster the offense.  In those 5 starts at SS, Nunez had double digits hits in 2 of them and drove in runs in 3, meanwhile taking 3 walks in 5 starts................or as many as DanSan has taken all season.  Paulie is going with the hot bat, and honestly it's needed right now.  Run him out there.

 

 

Gee, with production like that, you'd almost forgive a manager for slotting Nunez temporarily in the DH spot if his current DH happened to be stepping on his tie.

 

[strumdatjaguar]

He plays several positions, and has a decent bat. The Twins are better with this guy on the bench and starting when it is needed because of injury or whatever.   I don't see any controversy in keeping Nunez around.    .Maybe Molitor will even start pronouncing his name correctly.