Front Page: Hot Corner Consideration: Potential Third Base Alternatives to Miguel Sano

[raindog]

 

I think it would be ironic if a team with a purported glut of SS prospects would have to go outside the organization for a SS. The problem is a lack of 3rd base talent. Without that hole maybe Sano would already be a first baseman. Does Arraez's bat or arm play at 3rd? I don't think that's the best fit. I previously suggested the possibility of Schoop at 3rd. Would it be frightening to have Schoop learning 3rd while Sano learns 1st? I don't want to find out. There is no question they have the money to sign a third baseman, so pick up one of the top three mentioned above and move Sano to 1st. Gives you a year with Cruz at DH to see if Sano has a future at 1st. If they can't get that deal done they might have to settle for bringing Cron back who I thought had a nice glove there, except of course on Arraez's crappy throw.

 

We may have had a glut of "SS" prospects but none of them turned out to be a plus defender there. Royce could get better there, but he's not very close to being ready for the majors. 

 

If I was in charge, I couldn't stomach another year of Polanco at SS and Arraez at 2B. Arraez doesn't have the traditonal power of a third baseman, but hitting .320+ makes up for that. His arm there isn't ideal, but I think that's probably comes into play less than we think. His range would at least be ok there. 

[David HK]

Royce has been spending some time at 3B in the AFL...

 

I'm good with Sano (and his bat) at that corner. I grew up watching Harmon go back and forth between 3rd and 1st. He gets more experienced over there all the time, and as mentioned above, his positioning and his weight are issues that can be worked on.

 

I'm also fine keeping Cron over there- and next year... move Sano over, and let Royce take the hot corner.

 

But......... I'm NOT fine not holding on to Jake, and perhaps Mike, and getting at least 2 quality starters to add to the mix!!

[twinfan]

I am not sold on Lewis just yet. The only 3B I would shoot for is Bryant or maybe Escobar. I agree with others that pitching- especially starting pitching- is our biggest concern. I always thought that Sano was a decent, if not even good, 3B. The stats pointed out are only for this season. What about over his career? How about getting good pitching and telling them not to let hitters hit to 3B (ha,ha). Better yet, how about trading our team for the Yankees then playing them in the playoffs. Maybe we'll finally win.

[jkcarew]

 

Lewis' draft position is a sunk cost. He should play where he adds the most value to the MLB team. That might be third, it might not, but his draft position is irrelevant to the discussion at this point.

 

I doubt he hits enough next year to be a consideration, and he certainly isn't to start the year......

Agree that his draft position is a sunk cost and shouldn't impact 'where he adds the most value'.

 

Still, I'd be disappointed if a corner is where he adds the most value. With all the speed and athleticism he's purported to have...it would be at least mildly disappointing if he skill level is such that the speed/athleticism is marginalized by having to play in a corner. It would mean, basically, that he's doesn't have more defensive upside skill-wise than even Polanco. And also that the offensive threshold for what will make him valuable rises.

[insagt1]

anyone think Sano could be traded? Could Twins parlay him into some top line pitching? Just a thought. We found out in post season that hitting an occasional HR often doesn't compensate for fanning 8 times in 12 AB's.

 

I am in the Escobar camp. Never should have let him go. Lots of guys who have cycled thru here fit that descriptor.  I wonder if we would be better off with his 20-25 HR's and near .300 BA in the long run.

 

Just thinking about all the alternatives.

[Mike Sixel]

anyone think Sano could be traded? Could Twins parlay him into some top line pitching? Just a thought. We found out in post season that hitting an occasional HR often doesn't compensate for fanning 8 times in 12 AB's.

 

I am in the Escobar camp. Never should have let him go. Lots of guys who have cycled thru here fit that descriptor. I wonder if we would be better off with his 20-25 HR's and near .300 BA in the long run.

 

Just thinking about all the alternatives.

So you think he's not good because of a twelve at bat stretch, but you think he's a valuable trade commodity?

[Aerodeliria]

I think it is always a stretch to compare someone who played in the 1960s when there was no DH (and no attention to a wealth of data) to someone who is playing today (in any category). My problem with Sano is his lack of agility. Maybe that could be worked on, but how long does it take to 'make' someone more agile? He made a brilliant play on the slow chopper down third in the first game against the Yankees, but even then, it looked like he was throwing an acorn to first rather than a baseball--there was nothing smooth about it. Maybe he can take ballet lessons in the offseason or something?

[Aerodeliria]

I was just checking errors by our infield (and outfield). Sano would have had the most errors of any 3rd baseman had he not been injured for a significant amount of time. As it was, he committed the second most in baseball for 3rd basemen. Polanco committed the second most errors in all of baseball (not only for shortstops). Schoop would have committed the most errors by a 2nd baseman had he not been replaced by Arraez. As it was, he finished with the second most in baseball. Cron was just outside the top five for 1st baseman with eight errors (and I thought he was particularly bad at scooping low throws or even blocking them), so the infield defense is not something that we cannot crow about.

 

For the most part, the outfield defense was fine and even pretty good (even when Cave was playing), with the exception of Rosario who had the third most errors for all outfielders (although, this is primarily a concentration issue IMHO).

 

To take the next step, I think the issue of errors cannot be swept under the rug IMHO.

Edited October 23, 2019 by Aerodeliria

[Nash Walker]

 

I am not sold on Lewis just yet. The only 3B I would shoot for is Bryant or maybe Escobar. I agree with others that pitching- especially starting pitching- is our biggest concern. I always thought that Sano was a decent, if not even good, 3B. The stats pointed out are only for this season. What about over his career? How about getting good pitching and telling them not to let hitters hit to 3B (ha,ha). Better yet, how about trading our team for the Yankees then playing them in the playoffs. Maybe we'll finally win.

 

Miggy had just one year in which his URZ was positive in 2015. His career DRS is -19 and has been negative every year in the majors. His career average UZR/150 is -6.0.