Shortstop Succession

[stringer bell]

I am intrigued by the positional flexibility of many of the Twins players. I wonder who the real options are at shortstop if Correa is out for a long period of time (more than a week). It also probably would shed some light on the future for the Twins. Six choices are listed, three of whom are unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster.

[Squirrel]

I said Urshela ... but I think we or more likely to see a split at SS between him and Polanco and maybe Gordon starting a rare game there. If this were the 2nd half of the season I might be inclined to say Lewis, but it definitely won't happen earlier.

[Squirrel]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

I am intrigued by the positional flexibility of many of the Twins players. I wonder who the real options are at shortstop if Correa is out for a long period of time (more than a week). It also probably would shed some light on the future for the Twins. Six choices are listed, three of whom are unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster.

Did you edit your question here?

[stringer bell]

4 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Did you edit your question here?

Not my question, but the possible choices.

[DJL44]

Urshela lets you play Miranda or Arraez at 3B. Either of them is better in the lineup than Nick Gordon.

[Unwinder]

Urshela, unless we try him a few times and it works worse than Gordon. They won't rush Royce. Whatever position he lands in, I expect Martin to be an occasional fill-in shortstop once he's at the MLB level, but they won't call him up just for that.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I chose Gordon but woof, he has looked absolutely terrible this spring.

[DJL44]

12 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I chose Gordon but woof, he has looked absolutely terrible this spring.

He's out of options but I can't think of a good reason to keep him on the 26 man roster. He wouldn't get off the bench.

[stringer bell]

18 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I chose Gordon but woof, he has looked absolutely terrible this spring.

I don't think he has much value on a Twins team that is trying to win if he's the third option at second base and the fourth at shortstop. I'd like to keep someone around who can run, but he's got to be able to hit and defend and so far I don't think he acceptable at either.

[DJL44]

Sergio Alcantara just got waived by the Cubs. I think I'd rather have him on the roster than Nick Gordon.

[bean5302]

Urshela, guaranteed. I don't think there is any question on this at all. It all depends on the severity of the theoretical injury to Correa. The Twins are not adding Martin to the 40 man for a 10 day IL stint for Correa/Urshela and they're not going to start the clock and burn Lewis' rookie status for 2 months.

10 day IL
Urshela
Lewis 
Gordon
Beckham
Robertson

60 day IL out for 60 days
Urshela
Palacios
Beckham
Robertson
Gordon
Lewis

60 day IL out for season
Urshela
Palacios
Martin
Lewis
Unknowns
 

[stringer bell]

21 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Urshela, guaranteed. I don't think there is any question on this at all. It all depends on the severity of the theoretical injury to Correa. The Twins are not adding Martin to the 40 man for a 10 day IL stint for Correa/Urshela and they're not going to start the clock and burn Lewis' rookie status for 2 months.

10 day IL
Urshela
Lewis 
Gordon
Beckham
Robertson

60 day IL out for 60 days
Urshela
Palacios
Beckham
Robertson
Gordon
Lewis

60 day IL out for season
Urshela
Palacios
Martin
Lewis
Unknowns
 

Sort of off-topic—do Beckham and Robertson have opt-outs in their minor league contracts? With Correa added and Martin/Lewis getting closer, they might want to move on. 

[ashbury]

I think if Urshela were to be given any significant time at SS, the results on defense would be gruesome.  I went with Palacios, although that might cause a roster problem if the injury isn't a 60-day IL variety.  Bad offense but good defense at SS is death by a thousand cuts; good offense but bad defense is more like one step forward and two steps back.  Difficult choice.

[Otto von Ballpark]

5 hours ago, DJL44 said:

He's out of options but I can't think of a good reason to keep him on the 26 man roster. He wouldn't get off the bench.

How about a 28 man roster?

[Otto von Ballpark]

5 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I chose Gordon but woof, he has looked absolutely terrible this spring.

With G Cinco, it's less how he looks, and more how he sounds.

[DJL44]

13 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

How about a 28 man roster?

I think that saves the jobs of both Gordon and Thorpe for Opening Day.

[DJL44]

18 minutes ago, ashbury said:

I think if Urshela were to be given any significant time at SS, the results on defense would be gruesome.  

He was better last year than Polanco was in 2020.

[howeda7]

5 hours ago, DJL44 said:

He's out of options but I can't think of a good reason to keep him on the 26 man roster. He wouldn't get off the bench.

5 hours ago, stringer bell said:

I don't think he has much value on a Twins team that is trying to win if he's the third option at second base and the fourth at shortstop. I'd like to keep someone around who can run, but he's got to be able to hit and defend and so far I don't think he acceptable at either.

I'd rather have him in CF when Buxton gets hurt than Divin' Jake Cave. But I'd have rather had Kevin Pillar than either one.

[gman]

If you move Urshela to SS due to injury, does that downgrade the third base defense significantly? Arraez has looked ok there. I would much rather have Arraez in the lineup than Gordon. Leave Polanco alone at second base except for the occasional day off.

[bean5302]

49 minutes ago, gman said:

If you move Urshela to SS due to injury, does that downgrade the third base defense significantly? Arraez has looked ok there. I would much rather have Arraez in the lineup than Gordon. Leave Polanco alone at second base except for the occasional day off.

Still have Miranda. Honestly, I don't think there's a chance Gordon is put into the infield except in the most dire of short term situations. The Twins clearly have a very low view on him.

I believe the front office views him as a utility outfielder because his speed allows him to cover center. That's something even Kepler may be hard pressed to do after losing a step last year.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

He was better last year than Polanco was in 2020.

Yeah.  Like I said.