Jorge Polanco

[Kwak]

 

I love it. In one frustrating thread we have fans crushing the Twins for giving up on players too early. In this frustrating thread we have fans actively calling for us to give up on a talented young player.

We TD Twins fans certainly run the gamut of emotions and expectations!

Polanco isn't going anywhere and will be just fine. He will look even better at his 2nd team when we move on from him.

 

FTFY.

[Joe A. Preusser]

FTFY.

I

 

Well then that would work out perfectly. When he's an All-Star for another team our other type of TD malcontent can start a thread complaining we didn't keep him. Bitter fan circle of life.

[Riverbrian]

Jorge reminds me of Kolten Wong. 

 

He puts the ball in play. Might be good enough to start... might be a back up. It's up to Jorge. 

 

However... It goes to show that thinking he could slide to 2B so we can comfortably trade Dozier from a position of strength was maybe a little premature. 

 

(That was not a comment that we shouldn't trade Dozier... because we still need pitching) 

 

I think Escobar should play more at this moment but I don't think Polanco should collect dust on the bench either. Tomorrow is another day. 

[Kwak]

Escobar has been the Twins' SS--it didn't work out.  That is why Polanco is the SS! Barring an acquistiion of another placeholder, the Twins should promote Gordon this September for a one month tryout.  Even a failure by Gordon will be useful--both Gordon and the Twins will see "what needs to happen" for Gordon to become "the fixture" at SS that Gordon was planned to become.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Speaking nothing of his defense, it seems to me the fringy top 100 prospects that initially bust but figure it out after their first team gives up on them are the guys that based their minor league success on plate discipline. Aaron Hicks, Robbie Grosman, JD Martinez.

Possibly true, but it's defense we need from Polanco right now. Two of those other three you mentioned are defensive liabilities (to put it politely).

[mickeymental]

a 39-year-old nick punto can probably still pick it as well as anybody ...

[yarnivek1972]

Polanco looked fine, spectacular even, for the first quarter or whatever. I have no way of pulling up defensive stats from a partial season but nearly everyone here was raving about how smooth he looked despite a few short throws, which seemed to be getting better.

 

For what it is worth, Polanco made his 4th error on June 3rd. Meaning that in the 44 games he played before that he made 3 and in the 28 since (and including) June 3, he's made 8. Note: those numbers are actually more tilted. I just added his games played in April and May and then June and July. So, he possibly made 3 errors in 46 games and 8 in 26. Clearly, a line of demarcation to his season.

 

I don't think he all of a sudden forgot how to catch the ball. Maybe it's his personal loss. Maybe he just can't separate defense from offense. I don't know. The Twins do employ a sports psycologist.

 

It's not a problem the Twins can ignore. They need to do something. What exactly that is, I am really not sure.

[Joe A. Preusser]

Looked awesome in the field tonight? Where are all the SSS, "what hàve you done for me lately" folks tonight? Now he's a future HOFer I'd guess?

[Mr. Brooks]

Where are all the SSS, "what hàve you done for me lately" folks tonight?

I guess that's you tonight. Go figure.

[howeda7]

 

a 39-year-old nick punto can probably still pick it as well as anybody ...

Polanco is Nick Punto circa 2007 at the plate right now. I have zero confidence that he can get a hit right now (tonight's bunt not withstanding). And more importantly, neither does he. He desperately needs a couple weeks in the minors. Find an injury ASAP.

[old nurse]

 

I love it. In one frustrating thread we have fans crushing the Twins for giving up on players too early. In this frustrating thread we have fans actively calling for us to give up on a talented young player.

We TD Twins fans certainly run the gamut of emotions and expectations!
 

 

Noam Chomsky over the years has had some interesting things  to say about sports.  There are plenty here who validate his thesis with the actions you describe.

[Joe A. Preusser]

I guess that's you tonight. Go figure.

I say we really lean into it and start parsing it out by AB.

 

AB #1 - SO - trade the bum!

AB #2 - GIDP - trade the bum!

AB #3 - Single - keep the solid performer!

AB #4 - HR! - extend the stud!

AB #5 - SO - trade the bum!

 

This would require a lot of work, but the clear benefit is that we wouldn't have to wait until after the game is over to make unreasonable demands.

 

Real time process people!

[Suicide Skweez]

So... us Minnesotans are, by nature, too nice to speak bluntly. We like to beat around the bush and spare each other's feelings. In honor of this series, I'll speak bluntly as a New Yorker would: Polanco absolutely sucks. No reason he should be playing ahead of EA or EE.

[Vanimal46]

Polanco has less than 600 PAs. This is what you see with young players. Lots of ups and downs. Let's settle down on the Polanco sucks train of thought.

[USAFChief]

 

Polanco has less than 600 PAs. This is what you see with young players. Lots of ups and downs. Let's settle down on the Polanco sucks train of thought.

I'd feel better if there were, indeed, lots of ups.

[howeda7]

Another missed play tonight. And hasn't gotten a regular hit in weeks. Can you DL a guy for mental reasons? They really need to come up with something. It's not going to do any good to keep running him out there. At least Buxton had his defense. 

[Linus]

At this point it's hard to justify why Adrianza isn't the regular SS. Perhaps when they throw in the towel Jorge should play everyday. The concerns about him playing short seem pretty real right now.

[drjim]

I'd feel better if there were, indeed, lots of ups.

Last year? .756 ops and 101 wrc+ in 270 PAs is pretty solid. Probably not a ss tho.

[drjim]

I still think he'll ultimately hit enough, but maybe there was a reason the previous front office gave up on him being a ss.

[Tomj14]

I am pretty sure I have been reading (on this site) he was going to be an all star 2nd baseman on the 2020 world champion MN Twins.

 

The last regime thought so much of him they pissed though all his options and now this regime kind of has their hands tied with him. Keep playing him and hope this is just a bad streak, make him a utility player (which is what I believed he always was), or move him and hope it doesn't come back to haunt them.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Last year? .756 ops and 101 wrc+ in 270 PAs is pretty solid. Probably not a ss tho.

 

If he hit that as a SS, that would be an above average player. 

 

It is hard to see it right now, though.

[drjim]

I am pretty sure I have been reading (on this site) he was going to be an all star 2nd baseman on the 2020 world champion MN Twins.

 

The last regime thought so much of him they pissed though all his options and now this regime kind of has their hands tied with him. Keep playing him and hope this is just a bad streak, make him a utility player (which is what I believed he always was), or move him and hope it doesn't come back to haunt them.

He still could be really good in 2020.

 

The previous front office probably scewed up by not manipulating his minor league assignments to get a 4th option, but they didn't do anything wrong with the options they used.

[twinsnorth49]

He's Pedro Florimon.....minus the glove. 

 

Gulp!

[drjim]

If he hit that as a SS, that would be an above average player.

 

It is hard to see it right now, though.

That would be a perfectly acceptable 2b too.

 

I don't think it's that hard to see, he did it last year in over 200 PAs and his minor league track record suggests it's a reasonable outcome. Sometimes there's a blip in a development curve.

 

He's another example of playing young guys. Flash talent but also sometimes big, extended downs.

[Mike Sixel]

 

That would be a perfectly acceptable 2b too.

I don't think it's that hard to see, he did it last year in over 200 PAs and his minor league track record suggests it's a reasonable outcome. Sometimes there's a blip in a development curve.

He's another example of playing young guys. Flash talent but also sometimes big, extended downs.

 

well, about a page up I basically said Play the young guys over and over......so I'm with that plan given where they are in the rebuild.

[mikelink45]

I am not ready to dump him, but I would love to see us bring up another young SS and let them take turns in the field and at the plate.  Give the "next SS" time to develop and let Polanco feel less pressure and see if he gets back to what we expected from him. 

[Tomj14]

 

That would be a perfectly acceptable 2b too.

I don't think it's that hard to see, he did it last year in over 200 PAs and his minor league track record suggests it's a reasonable outcome. Sometimes there's a blip in a development curve.

He's another example of playing young guys. Flash talent but also sometimes big, extended downs.

He is basically the same hitter as last year, minus 1 single every 4 games (17 less singles). 

[Mike Sixel]

 

He is basically the same hitter as last year, minus 1 single every 4 games (17 less singles). 

 

Well, those 17 hits kind of matter over half a season.....

[drjim]

He is basically the same hitter as last year, minus 1 single every 4 games (17 less singles).

Significantly less power too, .146 iso vs .096.

 

His drop in iso probably correlates with his drop in babip too. But he has improved his k and bb rates. Some to like, some to be concerned about.

[Tomj14]

 

Well, those 17 hits kind of matter over half a season.....

I agree, I was just saying he is basically the same player as last year in about the same amount of at bats. I don't think he is our future anything, except utility player.