Yuniesky Betancourt

[John Bonnes]

Lord, but this seems like the kind of move the Twins might make. A toolsy player whos statistics say is worthless, but who scouts seem to love. I'm bracing myself.

 

Yuniesky Betancourt could soon be yours, 29 other baseball teams | HardballTalk

[Nick Nelson]

Yuck.

[glunn]

Agreed.

[Physics Guy]

Lord, but this seems like the kind of move the Twins might make. A toolsy player whos statistics say is worthless, but who scouts seem to love. I'm bracing myself.

 

Yuniesky Betancourt could soon be yours, 29 other baseball teams | HardballTalk

 

So, tell us how you really feel about the front office. Are you really worried they will make this move? It seems pretty apparent that they are going to stick with what they have.

[ashbury]

Who is the fattest middle-infielder you ever saw play? Kent Hrbek goofing around at SS during BP mid-1990s does not count.

[Winston Smith]

Sad thing is he may be better than some of the guys we have.

[Oldgoat_MN]

On FanGraphs for 2013 Bill James, Oliver, Steamer and ZiPS all expect him to hit over .250, but they all project him to have an OBP less than .300.

 

Not sure exactly what that says, but it isn't very nice.

[Boom Boom]

On FanGraphs for 2013 Bill James, Oliver, Steamer and ZiPS all expect him to hit over .250, but they all project him to have an OBP less than .300.

 

Not sure exactly what that says, but it isn't very nice.

 

What are they projecting for Escobar and Florimon?

[TheLeviathan]

On FanGraphs for 2013 Bill James, Oliver, Steamer and ZiPS all expect him to hit over .250, but they all project him to have an OBP less than .300.

 

Not sure exactly what that says, but it isn't very nice.

 

Shortstops can only bat ninth though right? Impact = minimized.

[Rosterman]

It makes me happy the Twins don't have any wiggle room on their 40-man roster. Maybe that's why Inge and Figgins weren't signed to minor league contracts.

[mrmpls]

It makes me happy the Twins don't have any wiggle room on their 40-man roster. Maybe that's why Inge and Figgins weren't signed to minor league contracts.

Looking at our 40 man. maybe 20 deserve it?

[Brandon]

He has enough power to be ok off the bench. and I dont think what we have is so special that we couldnt have him ready to replace if Florimon hits worse than already expected. or play 3rd in case of injury. I am ok if it is a 1 year and low cost low risk signing.

[jokin]

It makes me happy the Twins don't have any wiggle room on their 40-man roster. Maybe that's why Inge and Figgins weren't signed to minor league contracts.

 

It makes me sad that the Twins over-value so many below-replacement-level players enough to guarantee them scholarshipped roster spots.

[jorgenswest]

This guy is an awful defender. That should be written to headline this post. It doesn't matter if he hits better. He is not a shortstop.

 

Unless a player is changing positions, you will not see considerable defensive growth as players enter their prime. Defense will also decline before the bat.

 

If a team can find a young player with a good glove and weak bat, it is not unusual for the bat to improve as the player progresses towards mid career. These guys are worthy of investments in playing time up the middle.

 

On the other hand, guys with and good bat and poor glove generally don't improve their glove enough and move to a less demanding position on the defensive spectrum.

 

Escobar and Florimon reportedly have the glove. Escobar is young enough to grow the bat. Florimon is on the edge where he can still grow some. One of these two could develop into an adequate bat and plus glove. Why not invest in that possibility? Like a few other signings, Betancourt would only add to the cycle of mediocrity.

[Jim H]

I agree with Physics Guy, the Twins aren't going to sign Betancourt, why would anybody really think they would? I think it is time for the games to start. To much idle speculation.

[tellis205]

I think we should wait until the final cuts are made by all the teams. There may be a bargain that might pop up. There's gotta be a few guys that are out of options that are worth taking a chance on. I'm specifically looking in the reliever area as a possible way to upgrade.

[Brad Swanson]

It makes me sad that the Twins over-value so many below-replacement-level players enough to guarantee them scholarshipped roster spots.

 

Above-replacement-level players don't just show up after Spring Trainng. Who is on a scholarship?

[cmathewson]

He's not at all the kind of player Twins scouts love. They read spray charts. They see how many balls get by him. They see how slow his first step is, so, when he does get to a ball, he has to make a spectacular play to make an out. They see all that stuff.

[johnnydakota]

Looking at our 40 man. maybe 20 deserve it?

 

15?

[ashbury]

Looking at our 40 man. maybe 20 deserve it?

 

It's not that they don't belong on a 40-man roster somewhere, it's that twenty of them would be the final two or three on most rosters.