Jorge Polanco

[Linus]

He is going to be one of my favorites. He's already a professional hitter from both sides of the plate; doesn't strike out much and walks quite a bit. He's doing much better at SS than I thought he would although I believe he would be a great second baseman. And he is still very young. We might be looking at someone who will be a starter for 10 years.

[TheLeviathan]

He is absolutely one of the most positive parts of the start of this season.

[70charger]

Yep. Big bright spot. Definitely a guy who doesn't let being in the majors brother him.

[bluechipper]

I feel the same way. It's great to see a young player come up and be almost complete offensively. I think he might have a few .300 hitting seasons in his career.

[Bark's Lounge]

Yeah, Polanco is the real deal. He has the 3 C's and is a very talented hitter. He has been admirable at SS this season, no reason to think he can't stick there for a few more years - we'll see what happens. He plays like a veteran.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I'm very pleasantly surprised with Polanco's arm. He's played well and made the throws a major league SS should make.

[Linus]

Another strong game especially in the field.

[Riverbrian]

I was never worried about Polanco defensively. I saw him make throws and make some nice plays last year... I felt he could figure it out. Besides If he struggled at SS... They'd move him.

 

It was his bat that had to continue and his bat that made me nervous because he couldn't survive without it.

 

Good to see him put the bat on the ball.

 

I'm a fan!!!

[DaveW]

He looks solid all around and can definitely handle SS.

 

With Nick Gordon having a 2018 ETA, I'd actually shop Polanco to a team like the Yankees to try to get some young SP help in return. It's gutsy no doubt, but the Twins need some high upside SP, and with the Yanks in contention and no long term solution at SS it might be the perfect time.

[HitInAPinch]

 

He looks solid all around and can definitely handle SS.

With Nick Gordon having a 2018 ETA, I'd actually shop Polanco to a team like the Yankees to try to get some young SP help in return. It's gutsy no doubt, but the Twins need some high upside SP, and with the Yanks in contention and no long term solution at SS it might be the perfect time.

Why not shop Dozier instead?  At 29, he's still in his prime.  I would think Polanco would represent more risk to the buyers than Dozier.  Just curious.....

[DaveW]

 

Why not shop Dozier instead?  At 29, he's still in his prime.  I would think Polanco would represent more risk to the buyers than Dozier.  Just curious.....

I'd shop them both aggressively, along with Ervin Santana and Santiago.
Santana, Dozier, Santiago NEED to be traded by this deadline assuming the Twins are "out of it" if they are in the hunt then perhaps you keep em around and take a run at it.

Polanco should be traded if the price is right, I think the Yankees are an excellent candidate (plus the Yanks don't need a 2B currently IMO)

[Brock Beauchamp]

Santiago absolutely needs to be traded. He's on an expiring contract, that's a no-brainer.

 

Dozier should probably be traded. I hope there's a better market for him at the deadline (and that he's still performing).

 

I'm a bit more iffy on Santana. I'd certainly try to move him but wouldn't accept just any ol' deal offered to me. The downside is that Santana is getting old. The upside is that he has a ton of time left on his contract. It, like Dozier, is a roll of the dice.

 

But if I get a fair offer, he's gone for sure.

[Halsey Hall]

With Polanco and Grossman I feel a calmness when they come to bat.  I wouldn't think of trading him now.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

With Polanco and Grossman I feel a calmness when they come to bat.  I wouldn't think of trading him now.

Yeah. I'd throw Kepler in there, too.

 

I think the Twins' offensive triumvirate may end up being Sano, Kepler, and Polanco. Still iffy on Grossman but damn, he continues to take good plate appearances.

 

Nobody was calling that in 2015.

[Linus]

Does Santiago have another arb year left? If yes I'm keeping him. Somebody in this org has to pitch.

[Halsey Hall]

Right! I was going to throw Kepler in there. But with Sano and Max I'm on the edge of my seat, expecting them to mash the ball. Max's hard work this spring is  paying off as he's hitting the ball on the button. 

[bluechipper]

He looks solid all around and can definitely handle SS.

With Nick Gordon having a 2018 ETA, I'd actually shop Polanco to a team like the Yankees to try to get some young SP help in return. It's gutsy no doubt, but the Twins need some high upside SP, and with the Yanks in contention and no long term solution at SS it might be the perfect time.

Didi Gregorious and Gleyber Torres say otherwise.

[yarnivek1972]

Why would you trade Polanco? He's still under team control for 5 years AFTER this year. Are you really convinced that Gordon will A) stick at SS? hit enough to contribute at the MLB level? Why not let it play out? Why trade a 23 year old? That's silly.

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, Polanco should be part of the future of this team with Buxton, Sano, Kepler and Rosario.  That's a damn good nucleus on the offensive side IF Buxton develops.  Throw Gordon into the mix after they move Dozier.  

 

[Twinsbar107]

 

He looks solid all around and can definitely handle SS.

With Nick Gordon having a 2018 ETA, I'd actually shop Polanco to a team like the Yankees to try to get some young SP help in return. It's gutsy no doubt, but the Twins need some high upside SP, and with the Yanks in contention and no long term solution at SS it might be the perfect time.

Isn't their top prospect a SS? Gleyber Torres??

 

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the previous post.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Does Santiago have another arb year left? If yes I'm keeping him. Somebody in this org has to pitch.

No, he's a free agent at the end of the season.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Why would you trade Polanco? He's still under team control for 5 years AFTER this year. Are you really convinced that Gordon will A) stick at SS? hit enough to contribute at the MLB level? Why not let it play out? Why trade a 23 year old? That's silly.

 

Because they have not 1 SP that we know is a starter past 2018. Not 1. The AA pitchers are not doing well (Stewart looking bad, Jay moved to RP), Gonsalves is hurt, and Berrios is not good enough to be on this roster, apparently. 

 

Kind of hard to win with zero starting pitchers.

 

That said, I'd try to hold onto him, and move Dozier. But, Dozier isn't making that easy right now....

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

That said, I'd try to hold onto him, and move Dozier. But, Dozier isn't making that easy right now....

We haven't even crossed into May and Dozier has raised his OPS from .648 to .713 in the past four games.

 

I'm not worried about Brian Dozier. Will he hit 40 homers again? Eh, I doubt it, but I doubted that going into the season.

 

I'll become more concerned if the weather warms and Dozier continues to hit them to the warning track instead of out of the park.

[Mike Sixel]

 

We haven't even crossed into May and Dozier has raised his OPS from .648 to .713 in the past four games.

 

I'm not worried about Brian Dozier. Will he hit 40 homers again? Eh, I doubt it, but I doubted that going into the season.

 

I'll become more concerned if the weather warms and Dozier continues to hit them to the warning track instead of out of the park.

 

Since teams were not willing to consider him a DH or 1B, and no 2B has been hurt, and Dozier hasn't been as good as last year when apparently NO TEAM WANTED HIM, how is he making it easy to trade him? He has to actually somehow be even better than last year, right? Or, they have to accept less than a top 20 SP prospect and 1 other player.....

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Since teams were not willing to consider him a DH or 1B, and no 2B has been hurt, and Dozier hasn't been as good as last year when apparently NO TEAM WANTED HIM, how is he making it easy to trade him? He has to actually somehow be even better than last year, right? Or, they have to accept less than a top 20 SP prospect and 1 other player.....

There is roughly half a season to be played until we reach July 31st. So many things can happen around baseball that it's kinda pointless to predict who will perform at what level and which teams will need help at which positions.

[drjim]

Polanco can handle SS, sign Dozier to an extension. Market isn't there for a trade.

[Mike Sixel]

 

There is roughly half a season to be played until we reach July 31st. So many things can happen around baseball that it's kinda pointless to predict who will perform at what level and which teams will need help at which positions.

 

Isn't that exactly what teams do, when they do or do not trade for players, make assumptions about who will play how?

 

I agree, we don't know what will happen, but what do you EXPECT to happen? A good to great 2B gets hurt, on a contender, and they are willing to pay MORE than the Dodgers were, for half a year less control? Or, the Twins just decide to keep Dozier around?

[Mike Sixel]

 

Polanco can handle SS, sign Dozier to an extension. Market isn't there for a trade.

 

How would you acquire even 1 SP for the future if you won't trade Dozier?

[drjim]

 

How would you acquire even 1 SP for the future if you won't trade Dozier?

 

Other assets to trade, draft, free agency, develop their internal guys. The usual.

 

It's no sure thing they would get a SP in the future even if they did trade Dozier. If they did the trade people wanted last offseason, they'd have a guy heading towards TJ. That doesn't do anything for the franchise. Keep good players if you can't get a good return for them.

[TheLeviathan]

I'm as big of a skeptic on Dozier as anyone, but I'm waiting until around the All-star game to judge him.

 

He's just too streaky, but the floor for Dozier was remarkably low for a guy that just hit 40 HR.  It was one of my biggest reasons for pushing a trade - it's really hard to know what to expect from Dozier.

 

It's nice that Polanco is becoming as good a hitter as hoped and a much more capable fielder than most of us expected.  It's made the non-deal much easier to handle so far.  (Not that a few core issues aren't still there.  Like, I don't know, the fact we have no pitching.  That's kind of a big deal.)