Odds of Plouffe in 2016 being a Twin

[Halsey Hall]

95% chance Poof is traded.  I'd go with 100% but I really want him gone anywhere so there's odds I'll be disappointed.  I'll say it again, he's a downer and we'll never win with him.  Sano can play 3rd base. 

 

That won't be the only trade TR makes either. 

[ashbury]

And, if every pessimist's opinion on Sano's D at 3rd comes to fruition, then you see how Polanco handles it over there. He would be a hell of a lot better option than Nunez.

As one of the Sano pessimists^* you are probably referring to, I would like to also point out that Polanco's arm is what is holding him back at shortstop. So I'm not sure the team would want to stretch his capabilities even further with a move to 3B. He has logged zero innings at third base in the minor leagues, for whatever that tells you about their thinking. (Of course Sano has logged 0 innings in RF, and Ryan is talking that up, so never mind, maybe. )

 

^{* _{It's a short term pessimism, not necessarily long term}}

[Badsmerf]

I'm in the boat of keeping them all and reducing Mauers role. Let him earn a spot just like everyone else. Don't even worry about the contract. I also think he needs to be flexible enough to catch, but that is a pipe dream.

 

To begin the season, for 3b/1b/dh/rf the twins will have plouffe, Mauer, Sano, vargas, Arcia, park. 6 guys for 4 positions. That isn't too bad. Arcia and Vargas are big question marks anyway.

 

In the minors, you have Kepler, Buxton and maybe even Park. I don't think it would be egregious to start him in aaa to allow the bat to develop. Talent wins tittles.

[Vanimal46]

 

Funny, but I might place the exact opposite odds. Ryan doesn't strike me as being capable of posturing. I also think he's had some recent painful experiences, some self-inflicted, with unready players that are haunting him and will make him reticent to part prematurely with either Dozier or Plouffe. He was stung by Hicks, Arcia, Santana, Vargas, and Pinto in the last two years, and still has to worry about Rosario and Buxton too. I think the Sano OF thing is real.

 

Time will tell and one of us will be right. I suppose it can be possible that Sano takes on the same kind of route that Plouffe had starting in the OF and transitioning back to 3B. We're still a long ways away from the most recent news that Sano's getting some innings in the Dominican winter baseball league to Sano will be our starting RF opening day. If Sano to the OF is real, I will be wrong, and it certainly won't be the last time I will be wrong on this site.

[snarkerbarnyard]

As one of the Sano pessimists^* you are probably referring to, I would like to also point out that Polanco's arm is what is holding him back at shortstop. So I'm not sure the team would want to stretch his capabilities even further with a move to 3B. He has logged zero innings at third base in the minor leagues, for whatever that tells you about their thinking. (Of course Sano has logged 0 innings in RF, and Ryan is talking that up, so never mind, maybe. )

 

^{* _{It's a short term pessimism, not necessarily long term}}

While third is farther away from first base, the ball is generally hit harder at the third baseman than the shortstop, giving them time to set their feet and make a good thrown instead of rushing one. I think Polanco's arm would play there. My only concern is would he hit enough.

 

By no means is it a foolproof plan, and would only really happen if Plouffe got traded, Park needed to be sent down and Sano's defense at third was atrocious.

[Platoon]

Not a big believer in the sophomore slump thing as a predictable event, but Ryan might be inclined to hang on to Plouffe and Dozier for one more season precisely because of his experiences with "sophomores": Hicks, Santana, Vargas, Arcia... I'll plug the Offseason Handbook here by alluding to the fact that Ryan bluntly said the failings of Arcia, Vargas, and Santana were probably the biggest disappointments last season. Ryan is exceptionally patient though, and my guess is his patience has worn out with one or more of those guys. My bet is he's had it with Arcia.

The failings of Arcia, Vargas and Santana? Over one season at their age?? First of all, that is not the definition of the word patience. And secondly you might as well include another Santana, Johan and some big guy in Boston as examples of players who were not necessarily out of the gate success stories. What's TR going to do if Buxton comes up in June, and does his usual "I need 3-4 weeks to get going in a new league" thingy?