Berardino: Breslow passes first test (plus Polanco, Dozier, Slegers more)

[Seth Stohs]

http://www.twincities.com/2017/02/20/craig-breslow-passes-first-test-facing-batters-for-minnesota-twins/

 

Mike Berardino witnessed Craig Breslow's first live BP and said it was a success. He faced Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano. Both were impressed with his new arm angle. Jason Castro caught him too. And Mauer compared it to what he saw from Breslow a decade ago.

 

 

In other news in the article... Paul Molitor full acknowledged the mistake of Jorge Polanco not playing any shortstop in the minor leagues last year.

 

 

Berardino also had a fun story on Aaron Slegers throwing to Brian Dozier in live BP with Torii Hunter observing. First pitch Dozier hit a long home run. Second pitch nearly hit Dozier, which got Hunter all excited. 

 

Several other notes.

[Thrylos]

Here is the full quote from Molitor regarding Polanco:

 

 

 

“I wish I had a better explanation,” Molitor said. “We didn’t handle it the right way. Sometimes you’re going to miss them. Some people weren’t convinced that he was ever going to play a game in the big leagues at shortstop.”

 

Well, I have not been loud proponent of Polanco as the Twins' future shortstop and have been loud about the Twins making ridiculous decisions in his development.  It appears that Falvrine are on the bandwagon now, and good to see Molitor joining

 

On the other hand, heads have to roll, in addition to Ryan's.   The Twins' cannot afford to have those "some people" in the organization.

[GP830]

Isn't it amazing how people outside the organization can sometimes see things so clearly?

[snepp]

 

Second pitch nearly hit Dozier, which got Hunter all excited. 

 

Must have been confusing Dozier for Punto.

 

[DocBauer]

You know, I'm a pretty smart guy overall, and I like to think I know a couple things about the Twins, and baseball, etc, but there are people here on TD that are smarter and more informed than I am. And there are certainly more people within the Twins organization who have forgotten more about baseball than I'll ever even hope to know. But as I see it, Polanco's entire career the past couple of seasons has been handled as poorly as anything I have ever witnessed.

 

I have followed Polanco's career with great attention and interest since his initial signing. When inked to contract, the comments were that he was a good athlete with good speed and a natural SS with the question being his bat. Fast forward a couple of seasons, and his bat began to turn in to something bordering on special. Virtually every stop he made on his milb ladder climb had him hitting initially in the #1 or #2 hole to begin the season before he would slide down to the #3 spot as one of his team's best and most clutch hitters.

 

And somewhere, somehow, somebody...despite a glaring need at the ML level at SS...decided he wasn't good enough or special enough to be a ML starting SS. And maybe, ultimately, that's true. But he was still a young, still developing milb player with said glaring hole on the parent club. And they just gave up on him as an option while still developing? And they further torpedoed his development by bringing him up for a few days here and there to sit on the bench, thus removing his options? Just ridiculous!

 

While it doesn't fix anything to admit the mistake in his handling, I will give credit for Molitor at least having the courage to admit to a mistake. Now, work with the young man, keep up his confidence, and give him a real opportunity to develop and show what he can do.

[Walter's Whites]

On the Breslow topic:

 

I know people have to get some coverage of spring training happenings, but I don't consider this that much of a story. It seems like every pitcher early in spring training gets rave reviews, but that's due to hitters not facing live pitching in 4+ months.

 

The Polanco subject is frustrating, because it feels like the Twins either don't have a clear plan for some of their most important prospects or they abandon the plan and hurt the development of the player.

[DocBauer]

Also, have to say, I was actually pretty excited when the Twins signed Breslow. Now, I would have preferred a younger and injury rebound or former quality prospect who converted to the pen to A] present a younger, better flip candidate, OR B] a younger player who might be kept around as part of the rebuild longer.

 

But there are some legitimate bullpen arms ready or almost ready, as well as a couple starters who could find a role in the pen, and adding a bright, experienced possibility on the cheap with an upside is exactly the kind of move this team should make, and did make. I've always felt age and the whole "bullets in the gun" theory applied far more to starters than relievers. Many solid to high quality RP are former starters who found their role in their later 20's. The very nature of their role is about brief in game success vs multiple IP starters. Breslow may or may not prove himself to be effective and "re-made" this season. Regardless, it was a smart flier to take.

[DocBauer]

On the Breslow topic:

 

I know people have to get some coverage of spring training happenings, but I don't consider this that much of a story. It seems like every pitcher early in spring training gets rave reviews, but that's due to hitters not facing live pitching in 4+ months.

 

The Polanco subject is frustrating, because it feels like the Twins either don't have a clear plan for some of their most important prospects or they abandon the plan and hurt the development of the player.

Nice post!

 

I get your point about early showings in any camp, and you aren't wrong. But I think there is a bit of an asterisk when talking about a prospect looking more confident or a rebounding veteran vs someone "looking good" early, if that makes sense.

 

As to the second part of your post, what I am most encouraged by with our new leadership is simply the new approach they are bringing in. Talk is cheap, and the best laid plans of mice and men and all that, but based on what we have seen from the organizations they are coming from, and what they have said this far, I see a very different approach being implemented by Falvey and Levine both going forward. Not only in regard to new implementations of how things are done overall, but in regard to approaching players as individuals in regard to their strengths and development.

[Seth Stohs]

Should Polanco have played some SS last year in Rochester? Probably.

 

But anyone who watched him at SS the previous years, and certainly anyone that watched him last year in spring training, saw that he is going to be a bad shortstop. Yes, he's just 23 and can improve, and hopefully he will... but the advanced stats have also verified that he is not very good at SS. 

 

I think we can say that the strategy of not playing him more there last year probably wasn't right.

 

But as of this point, those evaluators that struggled to see him as a shortstop aren't likely wrong either. 

[Linus]

We've heard plenty of criticism when the twins didn't realize that plouffe wasn't a MLB ss and didn't move him until after he failed at the big league level. Whomever was in charge made the decision that he wasn't a big league ss and should learn to be an excellent second baseman. Had Dozier been traded we would be commenting how wise the twins were in grooming him for his natural position. IMO he is not a big league ss and this will just be another detour for a twins prospect.

[brvama]

Should Polanco have played some SS last year in Rochester? Probably.

 

But anyone who watched him at SS the previous years, and certainly anyone that watched him last year in spring training, saw that he is going to be a bad shortstop. Yes, he's just 23 and can improve, and hopefully he will... but the advanced stats have also verified that he is not very good at SS. 

 

I think we can say that the strategy of not playing him more there last year probably wasn't right.

 

But as of this point, those evaluators that struggled to see him as a shortstop aren't likely wrong either.

 

The question I have is that early in his career he was considered a good defensive SS, IIRC: So how can one go from that to poor SS?

[Riverbrian]

If those some people are still in the organization.

 

I'll start preparing myself for the strong possibility of Adrianza or Escobar starting at SS and Polanco moving into a utility role. 

 

 

 

 

[Linus]

The question I have is that early in his career he was considered a good defensive SS, IIRC: So how can one go from that to poor SS?

Because playing ss at the class A level is a far cry from the big leagues. The minor leagues is all about transitioning to the next level in all phases of the game. Success at one level doesn't grantee success at the next level.

[Seth Stohs]

 

The question I have is that early in his career he was considered a good defensive SS, IIRC: So how can one go from that to poor SS?

 

When he was signed, the thought was that he would be a good fielder who might eventually develop some offensive abilities. 

 

When he got up to Cedar Rapids, he split time at SS and 2B almost evenly, though when Niko Goodrum was healthy, he was clearly the better defensive SS. 

 

They put Polanco at SS almost exclusively in Ft. Myers and then in Chattanooga. It wasn't until last year that he didn't really play much SS.

 

So, it's not like SS is new to him. 

[Thrylos]

 

Should Polanco have played some SS last year in Rochester? Probably.

 

But anyone who watched him at SS the previous years, and certainly anyone that watched him last year in spring training, saw that he is going to be a bad shortstop. Yes, he's just 23 and can improve, and hopefully he will... but the advanced stats have also verified that he is not very good at SS. 

 

I think we can say that the strategy of not playing him more there last year probably wasn't right.

 

But as of this point, those evaluators that struggled to see him as a shortstop aren't likely wrong either. 

 

 

Seth, thanks for holding up the party line and apologizing for what does not need apologies after a 99+96+96+oops+103 L seasons.

 

Those "evaluators" have proven themselves wrong by default.

 

About time to call things the way they are, isn't it?

[jorgenswest]

It isn't clear to me that it was a mistake to move him to 2B full time a year ago. He had played under Mientkiewicz the previous two years and they had to be going on reports from that staff. It is very possible they correctly assessed that he would not field nearly well enough to be a starting SS at the major league level.

 

If the Twins had made the same assessment about Plouffe and Santana, they would have been more prepared to play positions other than SS instead of learning those at the major league level. Now the Twins are betting that their assessment a year ago was wrong. I think that there is a lot more hope than substance in putting Polanco at SS. The payoff is big if hope wins out.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Seth, thanks for holding up the party line and apologizing for what does not need apologies after a 99+96+96+oops+103 L seasons.

 

Those "evaluators" have proven themselves wrong by default.

 

About time to call things the way they are, isn't it?

 

Sure, it was a mistake not to have him play some SS in Rochester. I've said that since... well, last year, when I questioned it several times in the first half of the season. 

 

But Polanco's defensive stats also indicate that they haven't been wrong about his defense. 

[USAFChief]

Should Polanco have played some SS last year in Rochester? Probably.

 

But anyone who watched him at SS the previous years, and certainly anyone that watched him last year in spring training, saw that he is going to be a bad shortstop. Yes, he's just 23 and can improve, and hopefully he will... but the advanced stats have also verified that he is not very good at SS. 

 

I think we can say that the strategy of not playing him more there last year probably wasn't right.

 

But as of this point, those evaluators that struggled to see him as a shortstop aren't likely wrong either.

 

Then how does he enter camp as option A at SS for the Twins?

[Seth Stohs]

 

Then how does he enter camp as option A at SS for the Twins?

 

Because they couldn't get a king's ransom for Brian Dozier...

 

And, he's played like 400 professional baseball games a shortstop. Now we hope he gets better, which since he's 23, he could. 

[beckmt]

They have to play him at shortstop or trade him or Dozier, it makes little sense to have a part time player of his caliber sitting on the bench 2-3 days a week.

[nytwinsfan]

 

Should Polanco have played some SS last year in Rochester? Probably.

 

But anyone who watched him at SS the previous years, and certainly anyone that watched him last year in spring training, saw that he is going to be a bad shortstop. Yes, he's just 23 and can improve, and hopefully he will... but the advanced stats have also verified that he is not very good at SS. 

 

I think we can say that the strategy of not playing him more there last year probably wasn't right.

 

But as of this point, those evaluators that struggled to see him as a shortstop aren't likely wrong either. 

Seth, whether he is a natural or even plausible SS isn't the point. The point is the Twins had no reasonable plan, or at least no such plan that they actually executed. Either (1) Polanco is a SS despite not being natural/plausible there, OR (2) Dozier will DEFINITELY be trade making room for Polanco, or (3) Polanco will DEFINITELY be traded.  Those are the ONLY three options. Notice the word DEFINITELY in (2) and (3). That's because if the Twins were not close to 100% sure Polanco would be traded or Dozier would be traded POLANCO SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLAYING SS EVERY DAY.

[Linus]

On the bright side he looks to be a professional hitter that won't struck out much. The Twins can use that so he's gonna play somewhere.