Nunez

[Linus]

He's proven he can hit. Many of the proposed replacements have not or worse proven they can't hit MLB pitching.

[stringer bell]

What I see is that some people are saying the best way to improve the Twins' bench is to remove their best bench player from last year. I, too, like what Nuñez has to offer (and it keeps me in practice typing a tilde!). In addition, it seems to me that Nuñez is more of a certainty than most of the other players mentioned here. Santana could resemble his 2014 self and become a regular, but if he plays like last year, he could be DFAed and be able to be outrighted. Park might hit or he might not, Sano might be satisfactory in the outfield or he could be brutal. I also agree that entrusting a utility role (especially what most are forseeing for Nuñez) to a young player makes little sense--it probably hurts the player's development and they might not be that productive in limited playing time anyway.

[Kwak]

 

If you don't think much of a thread topic, then don't spend your time reading it let alone responding to it. That goes for everyone. If someone here wants to have a discussion, so be it. If it's been rehashed many times before, okay. If it seems silly to you, live with it. If you don't like the 'tone,' ignore it. I can assure you that there are those out there who probably think the same of things you post from time to time. It's the way it rolls. We're not all interested in the same topics, we don't agree on much, some use different criteria to come to the same or different conclusions ... that's how discussion boards work. If something is perceived too 'negative' or 'positive' or whatever, give your rebuttal but don't do it by characterizing other posters. And I don't care how 'right' you are, you aren't; not here; even if you might be. If you really think something has crossed the line, then report without responding in thread to it. It will be dealt with as soon as we can. But this kind of 'whining' serves no purpose nor does it enhance any thread. Snark and sarcasm can be funny; but when used for ill, it's not. Let's all work on that. I realize it's a slow time leading up to lots of activity and perhaps some are trying extra hard to fill in the gaps, but perhaps it's better at times to just let it go.

 

As for this topic, some feel Nunez has no place on the roster. Some do. Give your reasons one way or another, or don't at all. But because someone has a different take or disagrees, try not to take offense. Give your rebuttal and if you still can't come to terms, agree to disagree and go. Personally, I think Nunez has done what he's been asked to do and played his role well. That's my opinion. I don't agree with Dave, but whatever; he doesn't agree with me, either.

 

I'm sorry my post was short and didn't include a lengthy explanation--so I can see why it was misinterpreted.  I'll try to clarify:  Dave often complains ( ) about "dumpster-diving".  I do too!  Nunez' role (bench player) is often filled by dumpster-diving.  His point is (roughly) why keep a low-quality veteran--who is unlikely to improve--when the Twins can "go fish" in hopes of finding a suitable replacement for the "bench role".  My response:  is to contend that  Nunez actually succeeded in the role of "bench player";  they quite possibly won't obtain as useful of a player for the bench if they "go fish", and finally his  advocacy  that the Twins should "go fish" after a plethora of posts criticizing the frequency of the Twins using that tactic is hypocritical.

 

Retaining Nunez also "fits-in" with the several posts I've made concerning the lack of depth at 3B (in other threads).

Santana has a lot more upside at SS and overall then Nunez.

Nunez's role is not expected to involve "upside".  Santana is different.  Is Santana a possible starting SS (where "upside" is used in the evaluation metric) or is Santana consigned to the "bench"?  Bench players are for now--what will you do this year.  In the "bench role" Nunez outperformed Santana last year--and he is unlikely to "sulk" because he failed as a starter (like Santana did in 2015).  

[DocBauer]

If Nunez could hit well and field well, he'd be a starter, not a reserve. But that's true of just about any reserve isn't it? And while Nunez's career numbers might "X", his Twins career "Y" has been solid thus far.

 

Could Polanco be a better and more explosive option with even more ability and potential? Yes. And assuming he is not traded, that may be his future. At least in the short term. But he is still rather young, has roughly half a season of AAA if I recall, and I could see the Twins wanting him to play daily right now.

 

I have to say, IMHO, Nunez is a solid option for now. He can hit and has some XB power, runs OK, and is not a complete butcher in the field. He's also inexpensive.

[Major League Ready]

There seems to be a presumption here that his role is assured next year.  The first question is does he have trade value or are there scenarios that would make it more beneficial to keep Nunez until these other scenarios play out.  For example, what if they trade Plouffe?  Perhaps they have already had talks about including him in a trade package or they feel he has trade value.  If so, why cut him now.  Settle the arbitration, let the off-season play-out and make decisions when they need to be made.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Seems like he gets a bad rap to me. A .754 and .721 OPS the last two years with the Twins as a utility guy? Normally we would be thrilled if our 2B or SS could do that. Have we forgotten what Twins futility players do? I really don't understand the can't hit angle for him.

 

Not that I'm a huge fan, I just don't get all the displeasure with him, offensively he seems to be a pretty solid utility guy.

Yes, this. I wish he was better defensively - though it appears he has improved - but he's an acceptable bench guy. I'm not sure what people expect from a bench player. If he was better, he'd be starting somewhere.

[JA]

Do we realize we need depth in our system? He is a bench guy, not a starter. Even a the case of an injury, not a starter. Plouffe breaks his arm, Sano goes to third, Kepler called up. Escobar pulls a hammy, Polanco up for SS, in both cases Nunez stays as a bench guy.

[TheLeviathan]

Nunez is a perfectly acceptable bench player.  The only thing I'd want to be different is that he'd hit left-handed so we could better take advantage of matchups with our righty-heavy lineup.  

 

Otherwise, Nunez is just fine.  People seem to have forgotten some of the godawful players we've employed on our bench in the very recent past.

[jorgenswest]

Twins pinch hitters were 9/71 for a .126 batting average last year. Their bench of a back up catcher, two utility players and a back up center fielder didn't give them any options. They also had a 13 man pitching staff for a while with a 3 man bench (Santana was optioned to AAA).

 

Can they do better? I hope so.

 

They can back up SS, 2B, CF and C with two guys in Santana and Murphy. Neither is a pinch hitter. There will be one or two more spots on the bench depending on when they have a 13 man pitching staff. With one guaranteed spot left it has to be the pinch hitter. Is Nunez the best guy they can find to fit that role?

 

They can keep Nunez in favor of Santana but now the 4th OF needs to be a CF. it is unlikely he will be a useful pinch hitter.

 

Bench options

 

Murphy, Santana, Corner OF/bat

Murphy, Nunez, 4th OF that can play CF like Robinson or Fuld

 

They will have a fourth guy on the bench. That guy better have options or he will need to be DFA'd when they need a 13th pitcher. Nunez is acceptable in that role until that time comes. Nunez may be acceptable. Pinch hitting at a clip of 9/71 is not.

[stringer bell]

Pinch hitting just doesn't happen much in the AL. With three or four-man benches, having a guy who is primarily a pinch-hitter just can't happen and really isn't that important.

[jorgenswest]

Pinch hitting just doesn't happen much in the AL. With three or four-man benches, having a guy who is primarily a pinch-hitter just can't happen and really isn't that important.

Primarily pinch hit? I am having difficulty communicating.

 

I think the Twins agree with you about pinch hitting though. The Astros probably do not. They had 6 pinch hit home runs last year. The Twins had 1(Sano). The Astros found a spot for a guy like Preston Tucker on the roster. He was a young corner OF. They used him to pinch hit. They platooned him. He had an option so they sent him out once when they had a roster crunch. This is the kind of guy I hope the Twins can roster rather than two utility men.

[Monkeypaws]

 

Agreed. He's solid in his role as 24th or 25th man on the roster. Not everyone can handle playing every 4th or 5th day. From what we saw in Molitor's first year, he didn't subscribe to the same philosophy as TK and Gardy, that bench guys need to play frequently to keep ready. Molitor isn't afraid to let Nunez go 5-8 days without playing. And that's tough. 

 

There's no way I'd let Polanco come up to play every 3rd or 4th game. Santana is already in the picture to do that. Nunez is fine. He's also a good leader for many of the young Latin players.

That is the key to a great bench guy. They can sit for a long spell, yet give something when called upon.

 

You are absolutely correct about the 4-5 wait. EN knows his role, and does pretty well at it IMO.

[DaveW]

Pinch hitting just doesn't happen much in the AL. With three or four-man benches, having a guy who is primarily a pinch-hitter just can't happen and really isn't that important.

You act like I am saying they need someone who can just PH and PH only, fwiw when you have Suzuki playing the majority of the games, you prob should have an option to PH for him nearly every single game.

 

Nunez frankly can't do anything well, give me the 25th bench guy with a guy who can at least do a thing or two wel (i.e. Elite PR type, a bat, or someone who can field well) in reality Nunez should be PH for no one, is worse than everyone for INF defense and isn't that fast. A Jarrod Dyson type makes sense as your 25th type, Nunez? Nope. Especially when you already have a util guy on your roster in Santana. Escobar/Sano/Plouffe/Dozier should be playing nearly every day anyways, you don't need Nunez at all. Santana can pick up the slack for a start or two a week.

[DaveW]

That is the key to a great bench guy. They can sit for a long spell, yet give something when called upon.

 

You are absolutely correct about the 4-5 wait. EN knows his role, and does pretty well at it IMO.

Other than a very luck driven first half, it's hard to say Nunez did anything well, he reverted to his sub .700 ops self very quickly.

[stringer bell]

 

You act like I am saying they need someone who can just PH and PH only, fwiw when you have Suzuki playing the majority of the games, you prob should have an option to PH for him nearly every single game.

Nunez frankly can't do anything well, give me the 25th bench guy with a guy who can at least do a thing or two wel (i.e. Elite PR type, a bat, or someone who can field well) in reality Nunez should be PH for no one, is worse than everyone for INF defense and isn't that fast. A Jarrod Dyson type makes sense as your 25th type, Nunez? Nope. Especially when you already have a util guy on your roster in Santana. Escobar/Sano/Plouffe/Dozier should be playing nearly every day anyways, you don't need Nunez at all. Santana can pick up the slack for a start or two a week.

I was responding to jorgenswest who has cited the Twins' lousy pinch-hitting stats several times. Depending on the composition of the roster, it would be good to have a one-trick pony with an elite skill, but with short benches, it is tough to carry such a guy. If the out-of-options Arcia and Santana are givens along with the second catcher, I'd rather keep someone like Nuñez than a Vargas especially given the fact that Vargas is still pretty young and hasn't functioned much or very well as a bench player.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Other than a very luck driven first half, it's hard to say Nunez did anything well, he reverted to his sub .700 ops self very quickly.

 

Your expectations are just not realistic.  The World Series champs had a .692 OPS backup IF.  Hell, most teams didn't even manage to have starters post a .758 OPS.

 

The guy hit in his limited playing time and has some versatility.  I don't know what bar you are holding bench players to or why, but it seems really out of whack with reality.

[Kwak]

 

You act like I am saying they need someone who can just PH and PH only, fwiw when you have Suzuki playing the majority of the games, you prob should have an option to PH for him nearly every single game.

Nunez frankly can't do anything well, give me the 25th bench guy with a guy who can at least do a thing or two wel (i.e. Elite PR type, a bat, or someone who can field well) in reality Nunez should be PH for no one, is worse than everyone for INF defense and isn't that fast. A Jarrod Dyson type makes sense as your 25th type, Nunez? Nope. Especially when you already have a util guy on your roster in Santana. Escobar/Sano/Plouffe/Dozier should be playing nearly every day anyways, you don't need Nunez at all. Santana can pick up the slack for a start or two a week.

"...someone [elite] ..." .  From the dumpster?  Because if that guy isn't in the organization that's where Ryan will have to go--and I don't think there is anyone there who is elite.

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

.267 career hitter + Can play almost anywhere + Can steal a base (28 SB per 500 AB) + Entering his prime years + Postseason experience = Not a bad guy to have on your bench

[BK432]

It's hard for me to get too worked up about this. I probably would have leaned toward letting Nunez walk even before last year, not to mention this year, but at the end of the day he's probably an acceptable bench option.

 

I think this is one of those issues that will probably clear up a bit by the end of spring training. If later, fine. A DFA of a guy owed less than $1.5 million is probably not going to be a big deal. This just doesn't seem like an issue to sweat too much.

[Andrew]

Can he play catcher?

[jud6312]

Average/below average offensive and defensive production aside, let's get to the real reason I never want to see Nunez play in another game for the Twins ... that batting helmet.

 

Seriously, Nunez's batting helmet falling off is the present day equivalent of Lil Nicky Punto diving headfirst into first base. He/they want people to know that they're out there busting their tail and this is proof.

 

A chinstrap for the helmet or a DFA for Eduardo ... there can only be one.

[GACbaseball]

I'm in favor of having your last bench player be an average-at-everything kind of player. We should have our bench bat with Arcia, two utility guys (one with high upside, one with high floor) in Santana and Nunez, and a solid, respectable catcher.

 

This is such a sigh of relief to have a solid bench compared to the miserable ones we've trotted out over the past few seasons. I'm so glad I won't go to a Twins game and find out the lineup includes Mastroianni, Butera, and Bernier all hitting under .200

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

1.933 OPS...

 

http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Eduardo+Nunez+Minnesota+Twins+Photo+Day+xAXnkdCd3Fhl.jpg

[USAFChief]

1.933 OPS...

 

http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Eduardo+Nunez+Minnesota+Twins+Photo+Day+xAXnkdCd3Fhl.jpg

And a 4.000 smile.

[spinowner]

And just think of the comments on this board if he'd been released and did this for another team. So does TR get credit for keeping him on the roster? Not saying, just asking.

[SF Twins Fan]

Seems like his career numbers aren't all that relevant when he's only playing every few games. He played well last year and is continuing to play well. He plays hard, has a good attitude about only playing a few times a week, is a great teammate and is able to hit.

[stringer bell]

I've never known why people have been so down on him. He may not be a major league regular, but he is a major league player with characteristics that fit his role very well (speed, positional flexibility). On top of that, he seems to be the kind of character who keeps others loose and can handle long periods on the bench. I wish he hit lefty, but he's still an asset on the Twins team of 2016.

[Rosterman]

Well, some of his baggage is that he was supposed to replace Jeter, which is impossible.

 

Yes, he is not a bad bench guy for the right price, and probably given regular turns at shortstop, he would play as well as, say, Escobar.

 

But is he better, worse, does it matter? Is he too expensive as a bench piece? A lot of talk is more around his value compared to, say, a cheaper or more assured better piece of the puzzle. He's NOT better than Dozier. I don't want him at third instead of Plouffe or Sano. He shouldn't be in the outfield. Right now, Escobar has earned the starting job.

 

Then you ask the next BIG question of bench/utility guys. Is this the guy you would give a starting job to short-term if any of your players in his positions go down for a short span...or is he pure bench and you promote someone young and promising to do most of the work.

 

Nunez is having an unbelievable stretch. It should increase his value to the Twins and his own personal standing, if he can keep it up, for a contract next year. But I truly wonder if during the off-season where he would've landed and for what price if the Twins didn't take him to arbitration.

[DocBauer]

I don't know that Nunez has, or deserves a fan club, so to speak, but I also like him. As I've often stated, if a guy could field well and hit well consistently, he'd be a starter. Not everyone can do that, that's why they are bench players.

 

There are those who didn't like Punto because he could field but not hit consistently. Just the opposite with Nunez, for some, as he hits pretty well for a utility infielder type, with a little speed and pop, but he's only average with the glove.

 

As long as you have a 12 man staff, (not my preference), you have a 4 man bench. One of those guys has to be a catcher. That's 3 spots left. You figure a 4th OF of various ability, and a utility infielder. That leaves 1 spot left. Your choices then are a bat, probably exclusively, or another versatile role player. I'm OK with Nunez as the latter, especially in the AL when you face fewer PH options with the DH.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Nunez is having a nice stretch. I think he should have scored on Mauer's single from second today, though.