Article: Twins To Deploy More Platoons In 2017?

[DocBauer]

There are two very obvious platoons that should come naturally for the Twins this season, 1B and catcher. Mauer needs to rest more and pretty much sit against LHP. Enter both Park and Vargas, each of whom can see time at DH as well. Depending on final roster construction, there can be room and AB for all three.

 

Castro has some hitting, OB and power ability against RHP. He also needs to sit from time to time to rest just by the nature of his position. It doesn't take a genius of a manager to rest Castro by playing the RH portion of the catching duo against LHP, ideally, this would be Garver.

 

Where the Twins could also find some match up advantages is to be able to sit Rosario and/or Kepler once in a while against RHP. Now, I certainly don't want to sit or platoon these talented young guys so early in their careers, but a day or two off here and there in favor of a RH hitting OF should be just natural roster management. But is Grossman that guy? And if you bring in another OF, which I'm in favor of BTW, you either eliminate Grossman...who has value...or one of the 1B. That's the one rub, no room for a 14 man player roster.

[jorgenswest]

Castro is a good choice offensively but there may be some value in pairing catchers with a pitcher. Are there pitchers that benefit more from framing? Will the younger pitchers have a greater need for an experienced catcher? Catchers may platoon but it is not obviously clear that it should be based on the opposing pitcher. It might make more sense to platoon by Twin pitcher.

 

Mauer, Park and Vargas also represent a possibility. There is no way to know when scouting by stat line whether Vargas has an advantage one way or the other though. He does not have enough career major league plate appearances against either side to answer the question. While his major league slash stats look good against lefties the sample is so small it should be ignored. It also conflicts with his minor league data where his slash stats have been better against right handed pitching. Park's record, unless there is something from Korea that should be trusted, has less. Mauer playing less would be helpful but it might be better if he is the bench guy getting starts against right handed pitching rather than the starter sitting only against lefties.

 

Hopefully Kepler develops into a solid hitter that does well against both sides of the platoon. That can't happen unless he sees enough left handed pitching.

[DocBauer]

I find it interesting that Vargas has hit better from the left side in his mlb career and have heard and read that before. Encourages me to think with more opportunity his performance may even out.

 

I like what I saw from Park defensively last season. I am not Mauer bashing, but have to wonder about him being more that bench player as you mention.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I find it interesting that Vargas has hit better from the left side in his mlb career and have heard and read that before. Encourages me to think with more opportunity his performance may even out.

I like what I saw from Park defensively last season. I am not Mauer bashing, but have to wonder about him being more that bench player as you mention.

 

Honestly, I want to see a lot more of Park and Vargas. Both of shown flashes of being able to be pretty solid contributors to the team.  There's potential there. It won't get unlocked sitting on the bench, and both have little to learn in AAA.  I want to see Mauer sitting a lot more, both for his health and because we need to see what have in those two. If Mauer wants to play more, the occasional game at 3B when Sano needs to rest is one way.  Defensively, there's not much different to 3B and 1B, and we all know Joe has the arm for it. 

[ThejacKmp]

 

While I agree the Twins should try a 1B platoon, we shouldn't expect too much from it.

 

Vargas didn't have extreme splits in MiLB. He was slightly better against RHP most seasons, actually.

 

Yeah, this is going to sound insane because Vargas hasn't done that much but I think of the Park, Mauer and Vargas threesome, he's the one who should be playing every day. Against lefties he should play 1B while Park DHs (or vis versa) and against righties he should DH while Mauer plays 1B. Let's see if he can break out with a spot in the lineup every day.

 

* Obviously if Park struggles, the Twins can sub in Grossman or Sano or someone for Park when Mauer sits.

[ThejacKmp]

 

I find it interesting that Vargas has hit better from the left side in his mlb career and have heard and read that before. Encourages me to think with more opportunity his performance may even out.

I like what I saw from Park defensively last season. I am not Mauer bashing, but have to wonder about him being more that bench player as you mention.

 

Mauer's .885 OPS versus right handed pitching (and .793 last season) is all the argument we need to say he isn't a bench player. He should be out there against righties any time he's healthy (and that's 70% of the at bats).

 

He just should be rested against lefties almost as a rule. Give him days off so he's rested and les injury prone while you get Park some at bats he's likely to succeed in.

[ThejacKmp]

It's too bad Palka also hits from the left side of the plate; he'd be fun to see as a 4th OF but as constructed, he doesn't make a ton of sense for this Twins MLB roster.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Correct, Rosario has a .724 OPS vs. LHP, Kepler's is .590. Grossman probably deserves to be getting regular at bats one way or anthoer. Among players with at least 350 PAs last year his .386 OBP ranked 14th, right between Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant.

 

Disagree....Kepler is what, 22? He should be playing every single day, to get better.

 

I'd only platoon older players, frankly, like at 1B and DH and catcher for obvious reasons.

 

But, imo, every young starter should play as much as possible. That's how you get better. I'd be good with more platoons in the future, but not now.

[Tom Froemming]

 

Disagree....Kepler is what, 22? He should be playing every single day, to get better.

 

I'd only platoon older players, frankly, like at 1B and DH and catcher for obvious reasons.

 

But, imo, every young starter should play as much as possible. That's how you get better. I'd be good with more platoons in the future, but not now.

I don't think Kepler should be in a strict platoon. He killed lefties down in Double A (.319/.390/.473) so there's reason to believe he should improve against them going forward. But some regular days off can be good. Maybe in 3/4 of games against LH starters Rosario would sit in favor of Grossman and the other 1/4 of the time Kepler would get the day off. 

 

And I know he's not some hot shot prospect or anything, but Grossman himself is only 27 and won't be a free agent until 2021. If he hits like he did in 2016 and can have a better showing in the outfield there's really no reason why Grossman shouldn't be in the Twins' long-term plans. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

I don't think Kepler should be in a strict platoon. He killed lefties down in Double A (.319/.390/.473) so there's reason to believe he should improve against them going forward. But some regular days off can be good. Maybe in 3/4 of games against LH starters Rosario would sit in favor of Grossman and the other 1/4 of the time Kepler would get the day off. 

 

And I know he's not some hot shot prospect or anything, but Grossman himself is only 27 and won't be a free agent until 2021. If he hits like he did in 2016 and can have a better showing in the outfield there's really no reason why Grossman shouldn't be in the Twins' long-term plans. 

 

It seems unlikely, imo, he'll either hit as well, or field as badly, as he did last year, but fair point.

 

As long as it isn't Dan San....