4th OF Discussion with Hamilton now DFA'd

[Brandon]

With Billy Hamilton DFA'd by KC today should we claim him to be our 4th OF/ speed off the bench?  This would allow our OF defense to be at its best with Buxton out and that could be a big boon to our pitching staff.  Also it would improve team base-running late in the game when Hamilton could be called on to pinch run.  Cave is the other option when he is hitting he is the same as a regular.  Hamilton has no power and has a low on base percentage.  So the question is who is better for the playoff run Hamilton or Cave?

[darin617]

You mean claim a speedster who has 18 SB this season..

[Vanimal46]

He's washed up. Pass.

[mrtwinsfan]

If we can , yes, puts us more stable in the outfield ,  

[jimbo92107]

Tough call. I think I'd grab him for late inning defense, let him rest up and work on improving his OBP. Hamilton is an excellent base stealer too, which could come in handy in close games as a pinch runner. Imagine Nelson Cruz cracking a double in the 8th inning, then replacing him at 2B with Hamilton.

[Thegrin]

How many times have the Twins run themselves out of runs.  Players thrown out and then a HR was hit afterwards ?  The eye test says ."Too many times." 

With the Twins hitting HR at a record breaking pace, it is detrimental to risk loosing baserunners on the basepaths.  Please let the players stay at their bases and trust their teammates to bring them around to score. 

 

[Danchat]

Hamilton is great defensively in the outfield and a great basestealer, but I find it hard to ever pencil him into the lineup with his microscopic .544 OPS. I'd rather stick with Cave as the 4th OF.

[bighat]

 

He's washed up. Pass.

 

Agreed.

[Puckett34]

Assuming the Twins make the playoffs, wouldn't mind having a Hamilton-type player on the bench in a Terrance Gore-esque role. Don't know if Billy Hamilton is the answer but that type of player would be worth having down the stretch.

[gman]

At the beginning of the month when the Twins played KC I wondered what it would take to get Hamilton. Defense and base running, but someone would need to tell him to bunt every time he came up. Then slap hit when the infielders pulled in. Get him a Matty Alou bat if necessary.

[rdehring]

Best news related to this is he won't be at KC when we play them however many times this fall.  Hate it when he does get on base because of his speed.  

 

Assume we will have 13 position players on the playoff roster.  No way one could be Hamilton so I have zero interest in claiming him.

 

 

[SwainZag]

I think he would be a great September addition if they could roster him until then.  Elite speed and above average defense.  I'd sure like seeing him on 2nd in the 9th inning of a tie game rather than Cron.

[jorgenswest]

Hamilton would be a free agent this winter so the only reason to add hi. Is to use in the playoffs from the bench.

 

He might be worth a playoff spot. They won’t need 5 starters and they get off days so they won’t need as many pitchers.

[yarnivek1972]

I’d rather have him on the bench than Cave. Frankly, it’s not close. Especially with Buxton’s status up in the air. Just to be able to give Kepler a breather.

[IndianaTwin]

With only one 40-man roster spot (right?), I'd rather add Graterol. Not sure that anyone is worth dropping to pick up Hamilton.

[stringer bell]

Hamilton has game changing speed and is pretty good defensively. They certainly could use a good defensive OF until Buxton returns and having him as a defensive replacement or pinch runner after September 1st would be a real plus. 

 

Good teams find more than one way to win and with Buxton absent, speed and base running are not ways that the Twins routinely win games.

[yarnivek1972]

With only one 40-man roster spot (right?), I'd rather add Graterol. Not sure that anyone is worth dropping to pick up Hamilton.

Shut Gonsalves down and put him on the 60 day DL if a spot is needed.

[Riverbrian]

We are pretty stacked on the offensive side so normally I'd say no. 

 

However, come playoff time, having Hamilton on the bench, would be a late inning weapon. 

 

Imagine a tie game in the 8th inning. Cron leads off with a single... Hamilton coming in as a pinch runner.

 

After Buxton... we don't have that type of option and we may need that option at a key moment. 

 

So Yeah... I strongly consider it. 

 

I don't know how you fit him on the roster... but I strongly consider it. 

[IndianaTwin]

 

Shut Gonsalves down and put him on the 60 day DL if a spot is needed.

 

If that's an option, then sure.

[yarnivek1972]

I also don’t think I’d lose any sleep if Stewart were outrighted. It’s a foregone conclusion he won’t be on the team next year.

[DiscGolfer]

Haven't looked into Hamilton much this year but always kind of liked him.  Buxton and Hamilton on the same team would be interesting to see, 2 fastest guys in MLB.  BUT the Royals are so good that they don't need him and we should pick him up?

[twinsnorth49]

Could be what Jarrod Dyson was for the Royals in 2015. That’s about the ceiling.

[David HK]

 

How many times have the Twins run themselves out of runs.  Players thrown out and then a HR was hit afterwards ?  The eye test says ."Too many times." 

With the Twins hitting HR at a record breaking pace, it is detrimental to risk loosing baserunners on the basepaths.  Please let the players stay at their bases and trust their teammates to bring them around to score. 

Well, especially recently, it's a matter of whom we've been sending around 3rd lately. Cron- an M1 Tank.  Garver- not much faster. Neither Adrianza nor Arraez have anything you'd call decent wheels. I'd be much more confident with Hamilton PR-ing than anyone else but Bux. There is no speed whatsoever on the Twins bench right now, and that quality comes in handy in the late season.

[stringer bell]

To me, there are two parts to a possible Hamilton acquisition--until Buxton returns (and September 1) he would fill the fourth outfielder role now held by Cave. Hamilton could get an occasional start in the next two weeks, but mostly be a defensive replacement/pinch runner. He could man center field in late innings with a lead, moving Kepler to right. Hamilton could pinch run for just about any player with Gonzalez switching to cover that spot.

 

After Buxton returns (hope it is soon!), he would be more purely a pinch runner, but stealing a base or scoring from first on a double are things he can do that no one except Buxton have a chance of doing. Good teams win more than one way. Producing runs without homers hasn't been a Twins strength, but Hamilton could help them improve in that area.

[Doomtints]

 

Hamilton is great defensively in the outfield and a great basestealer, but I find it hard to ever pencil him into the lineup with his microscopic .544 OPS. I'd rather stick with Cave as the 4th OF.

 

Why? The Twins have enough hitters and could use some defense.

[Linus]

Would much rather have Hamilton than Cave. Hamilton brings a couple different tools to the table. Cave: zero

[jorgenswest]

I think Cave is the hitter we saw last year. If he had shown it he might be platooning with Cron.

 

I like Hamilton in September if they can carry 14 position players in the playoffs. I am not sure that is realistic.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

How good is Hamilton's arm?

[jorgenswest]

Hamilton has a strong arm to go with his great range.

 

He has never played LF though. If added to a playoff roster that would be the spot where they might be a late inning defensive replacement.

[Only Here in Negative]

The question is Hamilton vs. Adrianza, not Hamilton v Cave. Gonzalez is the 4th OF, Cave is gone when Cruz comes back. No way we drop Adrianza for Hamilton. The man can't hit his way out of a paper bag.

This would be more interesting just for september when rosters expand. Not sure they can make it two weeks though. Maybe if they decide to dl someone else?