Should Sano be Sent Down?

[Ncgo4]

With the exception of 2 very short but very productive streaks, 1 in each of his 2 years in MLB, Miguel Sano has not been a valuable asset to the Minnesota Twins.  If he didn't walk so often, he would be total disaster.

 

Last year from August 12, through September 2.  Sano batted .329 with a slugging % of .800 for an OPS of 1.129.  The rest of the season he was .201/.397/.598.  Fortunately, during this time he walked enough to raise his OBP to around .350.

 

This year from 4/18 to 4/29 he batted .342 with a slugging % of .639 for an OPS of .981.  The rest of this year his number is .186/.336/.522.  His OBP this year (during the bad streaks) is less than .300.

 

When Sano is not hot he doesn't cool down, he goes into a deep freeze.  This has happened now for the second year.  Not being a baseball coach, I don't know what it implies.  With his walks a case can be made, I suppose, that he has plate discipline.  But boy, it sure seems like something isn't clicking.  It may be the frustration with playing right field, it could be that he's trying to hit everything over the fence since no one else is driving him in.  But something ain't right in Mudville.

 

When putting numbers together, I could not find HBP's, SF's or on by Errors so some numbers are a bit off, but I think the analysis holds.  The question is, should he be sent down to get his focus back?

[Ncgo4]

I put this here rather than the MLB site because it is about sending him down.  Perhaps it better belongs in the other site, I don't know.

[Winston Smith]

It would be best if the entire team could be sent down.

[clutterheart]

What?

[Rosterman]

Maybe, since everyone else is down there for one reason or another. Man, an outfield of Arcia, Santana and Grossman with Mastro in the wings. But, of course, send him down with the thought of getting back into the third base groove and keep him there. Which means you make a decision that moving Plouffe is priority #1, but also by doing this you tell everyone else you wish to rid yourself of Plouffe who will then draw only a position opening, payroll decrease and a low level prospect (or maybe two) in return.

 

But why not! Let's make the Rochester Red Wings the MOST EXCITING TEAM in baseball!

[nytwinsfan]

No.

[Tom Froemming]

No, I wouldn't send him down. He has been a disappointment, but not a disaster. I think he'll learn more struggling in MLB than destroying Triple-A.

 

Also, at a certain point the higher ups need to be considering entertainment value too. You send Sano down, there's not much left to be interested in, to be honest. At that point, I'd rather be watching Rochester Red Wings games.

[Mr. Brooks]

Those numbers you listed are not deep freeze.

Unless I'm reading your numbers wrong, you cite a .997 OPS and an 858 OPS as deep freeze slumps.

Those are pretty good numbers.

When you factor in his age, his stint thus far has been very encouraging.

[FunnyPenguin]

 

Those are pretty good numbers.
When you factor in his age, his stint thus far has been very encouraging.

My thoughts exactly.

[Lonestar]

Sano's slash stats outside that hot streak this year are

.194 /.280 /.350 /.629

[Mr. Brooks]

Sano's slash stats outside that hot streak this year are

.194 /.280 /.350 /.629

Ok that's not as good, but I'm guessing most players stats look like that if you take out their hottest stretch.

 

The hot stretch counts.

 

Also, and I don't know if it's still the case, but earlier in the year he led all of baseball in line drive %, so he's had some poor luck too.

[jokin]

We can't separate out the position change. By all accounts, being informed of the move to RF did not go well in the Sano camp- like "literally out of Left Field". And the distractions thereby entailed toward his hitting prep can not be ignored as a big piece in the puzzle concerning his sub-standard plate productivity.

[curt1965]

Mike Max, on tonight's 6:20 WCCO sports, said Sano has some major issues, such as not taking instruction, and the Twins are thinking very seriously about sending him down to send a message.

[Platoon]

I might be wrong, but he seems to take an awful lot of hittable pitches, and with two strikes seems prone to take close pitches for strike three, instead of trying to foul one off and extend an at bat. He also gives me the impression he operates with his own strike zone, not accepting the fact that there is already one being established by the guy behind the catcher.

[jimbo92107]

Problem is, Sano's one of the only things left that makes the Minnesota Twins worth watching. I don't really care if Joe Mauer is hitting .327 with a bunch of singles and playing solid 3rd base. If you take out Sano, then pitchers will work around Park. This team could go from worst to historically bad to a crime against nature.

[Platoon]

Mike Max, on tonight's 6:20 WCCO sports, said Sano has some major issues, such as not taking instruction, and the Twins are thinking very seriously about sending him down to send a message.

I think this, and what seemed a sudden departure from winter ball, with conflicting reports and quotes on the cause, lends me to believe that he is not excited to be Hunter's replacement. I don't think in his wildest imagination he ever expected to be an OF. And if he did, he sure didn't put in any early time working the craft! That said, no one will convince me that the Plouffe/Sano/Park situation was not the start of the whole downward spiral.

[jokin]

 

Problem is, Sano's one of the only things left that makes the Minnesota Twins worth watching. I don't really care if Joe Mauer is hitting .327 with a bunch of singles and playing solid 3rd base. If you take out Sano, then pitchers will work around Park. This team could go from worst to historically bad to a crime against nature.

 

Wow. If only that were still true...

[jokin]

 

 

Mike Max, on tonight's 6:20 WCCO sports, said Sano has some major issues, such as not taking instruction, and the Twins are thinking very seriously about sending him down to send a message.

 

They've been sending quite a few of those in the month of May. Not sure how many of them are being received. (IE... If you recall, starting the message flurry... it was about one year ago at this time that the Twins sent down Vargas, who for the month of May was the Twins hottest hitter- Vargas has never recovered)

[birddog]

Hitting is contagious--unfortunately the Twins have loaded up on antibiotics and aren't about to let anyone's 2-4 game get them going as a team. Sano is the closest thing we have to someone who can get the rest of the team going by carrying them for a few weeks. Send him down and there is absolutely no reason to watch this team hit.

[Mr. Brooks]

Mike Max, on tonight's 6:20 WCCO sports, said Sano has some major issues, such as not taking instruction, and the Twins are thinking very seriously about sending him down to send a message.

With the mlb season in the tank, they're going all in on a AAA title.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I'm going to move this to the main forum, as I think this is an appropriate question there.  But my 2 cents:

 

• He's got a .750 ish OPS presently, which believe it or not is above league average.  Not great by any means but not poor. Playing in RF with below average defense is probably the bigger problem at the moment, as that cancels out any advantage that his bat may give.
• I don't think it's wise to analyze his results by hot/cold streaks.  Those are pretty common through all of baseball for various reasons. 
• If there is a problem with him not taking instruction well, then yes, by all means there's a point here.  If he's hitting .750 swinging for the fences and not listening to coaching, then a little 'seasoning' in AAA might be warranted, for no other reason than he might need a dose of humility.

I'm waffling here, but to be honest, this is looking more like a Sophomore slump than anything else.  The book is out and major league pitchers have adjusted to him.  He's not doing horribly, which to me indicates that at least from a talent standpoint he's a major leaguer.  He's got to adjust, and given that he's more than holding his own with the stick, he probably deserves that chance....  Now if there's a serious problem with him flat out not listening to people, then quite honestly, that's different. 

[Circus Boy]

 

Hitting is contagious--unfortunately the Twins have loaded up on antibiotics and aren't about to let anyone's 2-4 game get them going as a team. Sano is the closest thing we have to someone who can get the rest of the team going by carrying them for a few weeks. Send him down and there is absolutely no reason to watch this team hit.

 

Or pitch, sad to say.

[Vanimal46]

Mike Max, on tonight's 6:20 WCCO sports, said Sano has some major issues, such as not taking instruction, and the Twins are thinking very seriously about sending him down to send a message.

I can understand this if it's only Sano that has this issue. Doesn't it feel like multiple people aren't taking instruction well and struggling as a result? Could it be argued that the issue is Molitor has lost the clubhouse and their respect?

[Halsey Hall]

I'd send down Sano along with Dozier (who has 3 hits to right, 2 in one game all year) and Arcia who is likely gone from the org very shortly. Heck, send down a few more too, May, for one.

[Riverbrian]

 

Mike Max, on tonight's 6:20 WCCO sports, said Sano has some major issues, such as not taking instruction, and the Twins are thinking very seriously about sending him down to send a message.

 

Where Mike Max got this information... I have no idea... Players not taking instruction is probably a common enough occurrence to be plausible... BUT... BUT...

 

If the Twins sent Sano down for instructional issues and continued to play Brian Dozier with his obvious instructional issues. 

 

Well... At that point... the double standard will be proven and the issue can be put to bed without any need for further discussion. 

[Rosterman]

Mike Max, on tonight's 6:20 WCCO sports, said Sano has some major issues, such as not taking instruction, and the Twins are thinking very seriously about sending him down to send a message.

Where Mike Max got this information... I have no idea... Players not taking instruction is probably a common enough occurrence to be plausible... BUT... BUT...

 

Hummmmm...why aren't you listening to the coaches. Or better yet, what coaches will you listen to. Is there no clubhouse leader on the team, no go-to veterans who can also inspire the play of the young guys. Is everyone pouring over analytics? Are the coaches as lost as the players?

 

[pierre75275]

Just wait until he steals a base when the Twins are down by 4...

[adorduan]

 

I'd send down Sano along with Dozier (who has 3 hits to right, 2 in one game all year) and Arcia who is likely gone from the org very shortly. Heck, send down a few more too, May, for one.

Arcia is out of options.

[Danchat]

I think Sano has been hitting better as of recently, and his power has been coming back. The outfield is already full in Rochester, so there's no reason to send him down there.

 

If anyone deserves to be sent down, it's Brian Dozier. Does he have any options left?

[howieramone2]

 

I think this, and what seemed a sudden departure from winter ball, with conflicting reports and quotes on the cause, lends me to believe that he is not excited to be Hunter's replacement. I don't think in his wildest imagination he ever expected to be an OF. And if he did, he sure didn't put in any early time working the craft! That said, no one will convince me that the Plouffe/Sano/Park situation was not the start of the whole downward spiral.

No one will convince me it was.