Article: Can Brian Dozier Make the Opening Day Roster?

[Mike Sixel]

Lots of other MLB teams bring up prospects and have them be on the bench, playing 2-3 times a week to give older guys a rest. I see no reason not to do that with Dozier, if he's ready. Service time is irrelevant to a guy his age, with his upside. We aren't talking about a 21 year old, who will be in his prime in FA. He's in his prime right now, actually. That prime age has gotten younger and younger for hitters, from what I've read on line.

 

The best 25 players should come north, and not be sent down to keep a crappy vet around, or a guy that won't contribute around, or to save service time.

 

That said, I don't think he's ready right now.

[Thrylos]

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That said, I don't think he's ready right now.

BINGO

 

And he only had one good and one average game this Spring. All the others were below average. As of Yesterday (Data here), there are six infielders who have performed better than him (and I am not counting Casilla or Carroll who are locks)

[Seth Stohs]

"Lots of other MLB teams bring up prospects and have them be on the bench, playing 2-3 times a week to give older guys a rest."

 

Like who?

 

And Thrylos - Hollimon is 4-6 this spring... he's 29... I'd be just fine with him as a utility player... Dozier isn't a utility player.. at least not yet.

[dave_dw]

And he only had one good and one average game this Spring. All the others were below average. As of Yesterday (Data here), there are six infielders who have performed better than him (and I am not counting Casilla or Carroll who are locks)

It's spring training! If we're going to value the stats in these games that much, then Mauer should be benched behind J.R. Towles!

 

I agree that Dozier and the Twins would benefit most from him starting in AAA, but please leave spring training stats out of this.

[Thrylos]

And Thrylos - Hollimon is 4-6 this spring... he's 29... I'd be just fine with him as a utility player... Dozier isn't a utility player.. at least not yet.

That's exactly my point too Seth. The Twins would rather have a utility player (like Hollimon) to warm the bench than Dozier...

[Thrylos]

It's spring training! If we're going to value the stats in these games that much, then Mauer should be benched behind J.R. Towles!

 

That's not the point. Mauer will make the team. Towles is battling to make the team (as Dozier is.) So you got to compare the players who are fighting for a spot. Like Towles, Butera and Rivera. And at this point, Rivera and Towles are ahead of Butera (and not of Mauer. Mauer is going North)

[gil4]

HAH Between the 2 of them they may have 9 minor league HRs

It could have been worse. My first thought was Denny Hocking, but then I realized that it probably was about 20 years ago that he was a semi-prospect.

 

I guess I didn't read too carefully, either. Read the first stat line and then saw the second one was vaguely similar at the start, so I missed the bit about 18 HR. (Casilla did hit 7 HR at age 23 in the majors - that was the major power output for his career so far.)

[dave_dw]

Towles is battling to make the team (as Dozier is.) So you got to compare the players who are fighting for a spot.

This is very true. I can maybe understand using Spring Training stats to break a dead-even tie between two guys, but other than that Spring stats mean nothing. It makes way more sense to see how many good at-bats a player has or how good they can field, things that aren't as fickle as hitting is.

 

All this to say, I really hope the Twins don't get sucked into giving a big league roster spot to Mike Hollimon or anyone else based on how well they play in a few games in March.

[PopRiveter]

Like Thrylos, I have been thinking of Luke Hughes comparisons. We see some good numbers and want to project this automatic major league success. Many of us did it with Hughes and Plouffe last year and will do it with Dozier this year. Once we watch a AA player struggle with the transition to mlb, we write 'em off and look at the next guy as a better option. In reality, Valencia, Plouffe, Revere, Hughes, Benson and Parmelee are all likely several steps more ready to break through and have a big impact, but that thought process isn't as fun when we watched them lose 99 together.