Jorge Polanco's Late-Season Surge Puts Twins in a Tight Spot

[EGFTShaw]

This was probably those most no brainer of articles I have seen in a long while.  Not that the point shouldn't be considered, but it is gosh darn dang it good problem to have.

Pick up the option. 

If needed, the TwinsFO has multiple positions of strength to deal from.  I look at we have in the pipeline, what we have on the roster and the Tweeners who are on the roster and on the Saints sometimes it feels like at the same time, (j/k), and we have done some good drafting.  

Of course, I want a pitcher or three in our pipeline that is forecasted to be the number 1 guy.  Who doesn't it?  Oh yeay, JerryR of the ChiSox...LOL.

This team is stacked moving forward in many of the positions.  I would welcome Sony Gray and Kenta Maeda back on contracts.  It seems only last year we didn't have pitching and enough hitting.  

This may not be the year we break the playoff series win drought, but we will in the next 2-3 years advance to the championship series.

[William K Johnson]

This is a no brainer.   Bring him back for another season and let Lee get another year at St. Paul.   Kepler should be brought back as well.   He is a bargain at his salary and performance.

[Blyleven2011]

Pete and re-pete say keep him and re-sign as future depth  ...

He's very valuable to the lineup , has been a solid and team player ...

What more do you ask of a player , he'll hold together  for a few more years ...

Let him retire a twin   ... when healthy  he doesn't hurt the team ...

Onw last thing to mention  ... If the team  FO doesn't pick up his option  it will say alot about  how they definitely take advantage of players ...

[jmlease1]

I think picking up his option is a no-brainer. Whether he stays or not is a little tougher and there's a lot of moving parts.

Is Buxton going to be capable of playing the field in 2024? how ready is Brooks Lee? How much faith does the team have in a bounce back from Miranda? how much can you count on Kirilloff at 1B? Is Farmer coming back? Are the Twins comfortable backing up SS with Lewis/Castro? How many ABs at 2B does the team need to find for Julien?

I could easily see the opening day roster for position players (presuming health) being: Vazquez, Jeffers, Kirilloff, Polanco, Julien, Correa, Lewis, Farmer, Castro, Kepler, Buxton, Wallner, and Martin. (Larnach would be the odd-man out along with Gordon...if Gordon isn't gone before then) That would leave Lee, Miranda, and Severino as the 3 most likely chomping at the bit to get out of AAA as position players. but that's a bit thin for the OF? 

Moving Polanco give you room to hold on to a guy like Larnach (who is finishing his season strong in AAA) and might balance the roster a bit better. Plus, Polanco would bring back a good return: he's having a solid season and more importantly seems to be finishing strong. but a healthy Polanco is an all-star caliber player. Tough to give up.

It's definitely the problem I want to have. I'd much rather try to sort out the best of many good options, as opposed to begging for someone, anyone, to step up and take a position.

[DocBauer]

I don't know that you have room for BOTH Farmer and Polanco. That's about $18M combined. But bringing back Polanco is absolutely a no-brainer. He brings confidence, production, and experience. While he's 30yo, his legs are around 35. But he's got a couple more good years left in him, even if we're talking 100-120 games due to a IL stretch or two here and there.

I'd have him play some 1B to increase lineup depth and variation, as well as a means to rest his legs a bit. He and Julien can share 2B as well as logging some 1B and DH time. Polanco can also help at 3B and e en SS, though he might not be the #2 there.

Nothing says Lee is ready after 13 1/2 months of pro ball. So why push it? You try to have as many good ballplayers as you can. And when someone better/younger is ready, then you can move on. 

Lewis/Correa/Polanco-Julien/Kirilloff are your primary INF in 2024 with Castro splitting time between there and the OF. Do you have room for another? Maybe Solano again as a bat first utility player and DH/PH? Again, just not sure you can afford $8M for Farmer, even though I'd love to have him back. Does Miranda get right and play both corners and DH? And all the while, Lee is just getting closer and closer to being ready.

But it starts with keeping Polanco as part of your INF plans.

 

[Guest]

The only reason I could see for not bringing back and keeping Polanco is the TV revenue that will be lost next year.

[Jham]

6 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

Larnach isn't an infielder by the way. And neither is Wallner.

I guess I view both as eventually first basemen. Wallner is slightly more natural out there, but he seems stretched range wise already...

[weitz41]

I'd like to see Polanco retire as a Twin so I'm biased. 

Pretty easy decision imo. Of course, you pick up his option. Same with Kepler. There's a lot that can happen between the end of the season and opening day. Maybe there's another Luis Arraez type trade this offseason. Lee/Julien/Martin need to take 2nd base from him. Until they do, the best Twins team has him as the starting 2nd baseman.

Also, MLBtraderumors just put out a 2024 free agent article on 2nd base options and had this to say.. "Polanco would be the best player in the second base class if he were available." 

[terrydactyls]

Duh!  Pick up the option and figure it all out at spring training.  A lot of commenters have mentioned CF as a problem but no one (yet) has mentioned that both Lewis and Martin could fill that area.  Lots of decisions to be made in March and April next year and all winter for us to tell the Twins' front office how to make those decisions.  Now, if only they would listen to us.

[John Belinski]

23 hours ago, Craig Arko said:

In many ways, this hinges on the future of Buxton. What happens with the DH spot in 2024 affects a number of players.

It doesn't appear that there is a future for Buxton based on his latest injury. He can not play in field and can not hit. Think he should retire, but do not think that will happen.

[John Belinski]

17 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

I think picking up his option is a no-brainer. Whether he stays or not is a little tougher and there's a lot of moving parts.

Is Buxton going to be capable of playing the field in 2024? how ready is Brooks Lee? How much faith does the team have in a bounce back from Miranda? how much can you count on Kirilloff at 1B? Is Farmer coming back? Are the Twins comfortable backing up SS with Lewis/Castro? How many ABs at 2B does the team need to find for Julien?

I could easily see the opening day roster for position players (presuming health) being: Vazquez, Jeffers, Kirilloff, Polanco, Julien, Correa, Lewis, Farmer, Castro, Kepler, Buxton, Wallner, and Martin. (Larnach would be the odd-man out along with Gordon...if Gordon isn't gone before then) That would leave Lee, Miranda, and Severino as the 3 most likely chomping at the bit to get out of AAA as position players. but that's a bit thin for the OF? 

Moving Polanco give you room to hold on to a guy like Larnach (who is finishing his season strong in AAA) and might balance the roster a bit better. Plus, Polanco would bring back a good return: he's having a solid season and more importantly seems to be finishing strong. but a healthy Polanco is an all-star caliber player. Tough to give up.

It's definitely the problem I want to have. I'd much rather try to sort out the best of many good options, as opposed to begging for someone, anyone, to step up and take a position.

I certainly would like him back, but the $10 million price seems too high for him based on his history of health problems.  

[Mike Sixel]

You definitely pick up the option. From there? I've flipped and likely keep him.... But it's not like he's an iron man....

I only trade him for elite pitching. As stated above, so much depends on Buxton. Because there isn't a lot of room for him and Julien and polanco on the same team. 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, weitz41 said:

Also, MLBtraderumors just put out a 2024 free agent article on 2nd base options and had this to say.. "Polanco would be the best player in the second base class if he were available." 

The Twins will not even think for one minute about picking up Polanco's contract; it is a sure thing. Teams around baseball have a high opinion on Jorge. Polanco has tremendous value for the Twins but not enough future value to be a part of a major trade to acquire pitching. Think about the Arraez-Lopez trade to have a guess at who might be valued if the Twins attempt to find a team to replicate that transaction. 

I would be shocked if Polanco was not still with the Twins in 2024. I do think the Twins will try to trade Farmer for an arm, similar to how Kyle was acquired last offseason. 

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, John Belinski said:

I certainly would like him back, but the $10 million price seems too high for him based on his history of health problems.  

He hasn't been particularly healthy this season but FanGraphs still pegs him at being worth $11.2M. (other metrics would rank him higher) There's decent odds he'll play more next season than this one, frankly, and while he hasn't been healthy the last 2 seasons...it's the same injury that dropped him from the end of last season and had him missing the time in the middle of this season. If he finishes this season without injury, has a healthy off-season he seems fairly likely to have a reasonably healthy season. And if someone like Farmer is moved, Polanco could slide into a role where the expectation is for him to play 125-140 games at multiple positions with plenty of rest to keep him on the field and producing.

[P Meyer]

People are assuming there will be a roster problem because they are assuming we will have long stretches where all of Polanco, Lewis, Correa, and Julien will be healthy, that Lee will just thrive in the majors, and Julien won't regress, And assuming Buxton will be filling the DH spot, and producing in it. 

 

I think the Twins should stand pat, and deal with the problem if all of those things occur.

[Shaitan]

I don't think the FO is basing anything on a "late season surge." Polanco has more than proven who he is (when healthy) as a MLB player. Whatever they do, they're basing it on his physical and their ongoing assessment, not the last 6 weeks of the 2023 season.

[Shaitan]

21 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I don't know that you have room for BOTH Farmer and Polanco. That's about $18M combined. But bringing back Polanco is absolutely a no-brainer. He brings confidence, production, and experience. While he's 30yo, his legs are around 35. But he's got a couple more good years left in him, even if we're talking 100-120 games due to a IL stretch or two here and there.

 

Farmer is a great depth piece, but I think Castro and Lewis have pushed him out already. Add the depth of Julien, Lee, Gordon, and probably 2 more out-of-nowhere utility players next year and he's expendable at his asking price.

 

[Coach Wheels]

Polanco back as a Full time DH, and I'm in. I'm no longer interested in watching him play defense. Kepler can be traded, his value is real