Twins' Biggest Roster Needs for 2025

[Riverbrian]

Left Handed Reliver... A GOOD ONE... top of the pile. Tanner Scott free agent or trading for Puk or Strahm. 

If the team is going to do any retooling of offense.

Speed: I'd like some Speed added to the team for better balance. Baserunning/Stolen Bases are a part of the game now. 

Left Handed Hitters... More left handers than they can platoon. Forcing organizational change and improving our odds against the 75% in regards to left handed hitters facing left handed pitchers. I'd love to see 7 left handers in a lineup against a right handed pitcher.   

[mrcharlie]

21 hours ago, mickster said:

This will be unpopular opinion, but I would like to see:

Resign Santana and sign Castro

Keep Zebby in the minors for a full year, Festa???  Sign a 4th starter so SRW can slot at #5

Trade Brooks Lee, Austin Martin, and maybe other prospects for a RH outfielder

Quit platooning Larnach and Wallner so much and let them play everyday.

Miranda at 1B and 3B, but if others like his potential - send him packing.

None of this matters if Lewis, Buxton and Correa don't play in the same lineup for over 80 games.

 

 

You offer some good thoughts, but I don't agree with all.  Leave Zebby and Festa to pitch in the majors, and learn from Lopez.  Yes...Santana and Castro were bright spots in 2024.  The trades you suggest are doable. Twins need to focus on improving the offense... Situational hitting, base running and not giving away at bats.  The fielding left a lot to be desired (historically a strength of Twins).  My concerns are with the preparation and conditioning, and those areas need to be addressed by coaching and training staff.  Watkins, Conger and Diaz are replaceable. (Clear to me, either players don't listen to their instructions or poor in game coaching).  It's well known that the season is a grind so why did the Twins have so many players wear out the last 30+ games? 

[bigdave]

Restocking the bullpen and the pitching staff is by far the biggest need. Teams in the playoffs are winning by using 6-8 pitchers in a game. Competent starting pitching is now a luxury. You need to have 10-15 arms in your pipeline that are ready to pitch out of the bullpen to start a season. Dumping Vasquez's contract and resolving first base are  needs as well.

[oregontwin]

Lewis to 1st is an interesting option. I hadn't considered that, but now that I am I like it more than putting Miranda there. Good enough glove and his bat plays there. Lee to 3rd...OK, assuming he is the Lee from early in the season. 2nd would need someone. Is there anyone in the system we would want to see there every day?

[TwinsDr2021]

IMO they need to clean up the 40, Larnach or Wallner needs to go (I would choose Larnach). They need to decide on Martin or Castro (I would choose Martin to go) the other can go. Trade Julien.

Lewis, Correa, Lee, and Miranda full time infield. ERod (Or Jenkins) , Buxton and a RH bat in the outfield, give Wallner the DH job, Castro and Jeffers at catcher, I am sick of guys needs more time in the minors lets give a young guy the job and let him play out the season. Three bench guys Castro, and two of everybody's favorite old minor league players ("Prospects")

Starters Lopez, Ober, Ryan, SWR and Paddock (unless you can trade him with one of the others)

Festa, Matthews and Morris next men up.

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

IMO they need to clean up the 40, Larnach or Wallner needs to go (I would choose Larnach). They need to decide on Martin or Castro (I would choose Martin to go) the other can go. Trade Julien.

Lewis, Correa, Lee, and Miranda full time infield. ERod (Or Jenkins) , Buxton and a RH bat in the outfield, give Wallner the DH job, Castro and Jeffers at catcher, I am sick of guys needs more time in the minors lets give a young guy the job and let him play out the season. Three bench guys Castro, and two of everybody's favorite old minor league players ("Prospects")

Starters Lopez, Ober, Ryan, SWR and Paddock (unless you can trade him with one of the others)

Festa, Matthews and Morris next men up.

 

 

Why are we moving Wallner out of RF? Why get rid of Larnach?

[bean5302]

#1 - Center Fielder. Buxton cannot be expected to play more than 60 games there next year and 20 games at DH. The Twins need an OF who can be an every day CF to back up Buxton, but they have nothing at the moment. Austin Martin's defense was very rough and his bat is fringe. Emmanuel Rodriguez has played 1/2 a year in AA.
#2 - Second Base. Edouard Julien? 0 WAR last year and he can't play any other IF position. Brooks Lee? Negative WAR last year. Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro likely off the books. Who is trusted to be the every day 2B?
#3 - Top end starter. Lopez is a back end #2. The Twins need a guy who can go out and give them a start which gives them a good chance to win the game 75% of the time next year to advance in the playoffs, provided they make them.
#4 - DH. Right handed power bat, preferably. Got nothing by the time you round out the roster.
#5 - LHP for the bullpen.

Significant departures:
Willi Castro
Max Kepler
Carlos Santana
Manuel Margot
Kyle Farmer

As it stands right now, the roster probably looks like (arb estimates from MLBTR):
C - Jeffers $4.7MM
1B - Miranda - $0.8MM
2B - Julien - $0.8MM
3B - Lewis - $2.3MM
SS - Correa - $37.3MM
LF - Larnach - $2.1MM
CF - Buxton - $15MM
RF - Wallner - $0.8MM
DH - Severino - $0.8MM
UI - Lee - $0.8MM
UI - Eeles - $0.8MM
UO - Martin - $0.8MM
BC - Vazquez - $10MM

SP1 - Lopez - $21.7MM
SP2 - Ryan - $3.8MM
SP3 - Ober - $4.3MM
SP4 - Paddack - $7.5MM
SP5 - Woods-Richardson - $0.8MM

BP1 - Duran - $3.7MM
BP2 - Jax - $2.6MM (I think this one is way, way low)
BP3 - Stewart - $0.8MM
BP4 - Sands - $0.8MM
BP5 - Topa - $1.3MM
BP6 - Alcala - $1.5MM (team opt)
BP7 - Varland - $0.8MM
BP8 - Funderburk - $0.8MM

Just a little issue. There's no money in the Twins' payroll capacity.
Subtotal $127.4MM
+Dobnak $3.0MM
+Farmer/Jackson buyouts $0.5MM
Total = $130.9MM

Also, also, depth is a major concern for the Twins. Probably okay with starting rotation... and that's about it. Everywhere else is REAL thin for MLB ready guys.

[TwinsDr2021]

7 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Why are we moving Wallner out of RF? Why get rid of Larnach?

Because there is no need for both of them if you are going to platoon them. I am OK, with Wallner being both an outfielder and DH. But both Jenkins and Erod are left handed and giving an actual young player a shot is putting two left handers in the outfield.

One of the Twins biggest problems (besides health) is they two hand fulls of guys older than 25 that nobody really knows what kind of player they are (Miranda, Julien, Lewis, Larnach, Wallner, Martin, Castro, Severino, AK) and it causes active roster problems. Most of those guys are in their prime years and nobody knows if any are full time players. (sure we believe Lewis and Wallner probably are but are they?)

[TwinsDr2021]

4 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Just a little issue. There's no money in the Twins' payroll capacity.
Subtotal $127.4MM
+Dobnak $3.0MM
+Farmer/Jackson buyouts $0.5MM
Total = $130.9MM

That is someplace between a rebuilding team or a team built on hope that a whole bunch of players play the whole season like they do when they get hot for short periods.

[bean5302]

1 minute ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

That is someplace between a rebuilding team or a team built on hope that a whole bunch of players play the whole season like they do when they get hot for short periods.

I didn't create the roster. Derek Falvey did that. This is what the Twins are currently working with. I don't believe the Pohlad's are going to expand the budget, do you?

If this was a "what would you do" article, I'd be changing a lot around.

[DJL44]

6 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Because there is no need for both of them if you are going to platoon them. I am OK, with Wallner being both an outfielder and DH. But both Jenkins and Erod are left handed and giving an actual young player a shot is putting two left handers in the outfield.

I have no interest in burning up a year of service time watching Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez help the Twins lose while they suck at the plate in 2025. They can trade Larnach AFTER either of them have an OPS > 1000 in AAA for > 2 months.

If you want to trade Larnach for a comparable RH hitting OF bat, that's defensible but you can't just expect guys who have hardly played in Double-A to produce.

[tony&rodney]

3 hours ago, bean5302 said:

#1 - Center Fielder. Buxton cannot be expected to play more than 60 games there next year and 20 games at DH. The Twins need an OF who can be an every day CF to back up Buxton, but they have nothing at the moment. Austin Martin's defense was very rough and his bat is fringe. Emmanuel Rodriguez has played 1/2 a year in AA.
#2 - Second Base. Edouard Julien? 0 WAR last year and he can't play any other IF position. Brooks Lee? Negative WAR last year. Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro likely off the books. Who is trusted to be the every day 2B?
#3 - Top end starter. Lopez is a back end #2. The Twins need a guy who can go out and give them a start which gives them a good chance to win the game 75% of the time next year to advance in the playoffs, provided they make them.
#4 - DH. Right handed power bat, preferably. Got nothing by the time you round out the roster.
#5 - LHP for the bullpen.

Significant departures:
Willi Castro
Max Kepler
Carlos Santana
Manuel Margot
Kyle Farmer

As it stands right now, the roster probably looks like (arb estimates from MLBTR):
C - Jeffers $4.7MM
1B - Miranda - $0.8MM
2B - Julien - $0.8MM
3B - Lewis - $2.3MM
SS - Correa - $37.3MM
LF - Larnach - $2.1MM
CF - Buxton - $15MM
RF - Wallner - $0.8MM
DH - Severino - $0.8MM
UI - Lee - $0.8MM
UI - Eeles - $0.8MM
UO - Martin - $0.8MM
BC - Vazquez - $10MM

SP1 - Lopez - $21.7MM
SP2 - Ryan - $3.8MM
SP3 - Ober - $4.3MM
SP4 - Paddack - $7.5MM
SP5 - Woods-Richardson - $0.8MM

BP1 - Duran - $3.7MM
BP2 - Jax - $2.6MM (I think this one is way, way low)
BP3 - Stewart - $0.8MM
BP4 - Sands - $0.8MM
BP5 - Topa - $1.3MM
BP6 - Alcala - $1.5MM (team opt)
BP7 - Varland - $0.8MM
BP8 - Funderburk - $0.8MM

Just a little issue. There's no money in the Twins' payroll capacity.
Subtotal $127.4MM
+Dobnak $3.0MM
+Farmer/Jackson buyouts $0.5MM
Total = $130.9MM

Also, also, depth is a major concern for the Twins. Probably okay with starting rotation... and that's about it. Everywhere else is REAL thin for MLB ready guys.

Pretty fair look at the roster as is, which should make people think that some changes must be made. There will need to be a few gambles taken. A reboot with the roster above would not be very handsome.

[bean5302]

4 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I have no interest in burning up a year of service time watching Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez helping the Twins lose while they suck at the plate in 2025. They can trade Larnach AFTER either of them have an OPS > 1000 in AAA for > 2 months.

If you want to trade Larnach for a comparable RH hitting OF bat, that's defensible but you can't just expect guys who have hardly played in Double-A to produce.

Not to mention Larnach doesn't have much trade value. No options, arb eligible, defensively limited capping him at 2 WAR seasonal value. Maybe a surplus value of 10? Not getting an organization top 5 prospect... maybe not even a top 10 for him. Just good enough to play every day so long as he's cheap.

[tony&rodney]

7 hours ago, oregontwin said:

2nd would need someone. Is there anyone in the system we would want to see there every day?

The budding superstar, Payton Eeles. Wouldn't that be something?

[TwinsDr2021]

15 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I have no interest in burning up a year of service time watching Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez help the Twins lose while they suck at the plate in 2025. They can trade Larnach AFTER either of them have an OPS > 1000 in AAA for > 2 months.

If you want to trade Larnach for a comparable RH hitting OF bat, that's defensible but you can't just expect guys who have hardly played in Double-A to produce.

Of course you wouldn't, but you know who hasn't done what your asking for? Jackson Chourio, Jackson Merrill, Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt, Joe Mauer and just about every other star in MLB.  The love on this site for having players sit in the minors until their are in their mid twenties is baffling to me.

I absolutely expect that in 8 plus years this FO drafts, signs, trades for a stud players that doesn't need all this extra seasoning in the minors and can just flat out play. Can the Twins fans have a nice things?

Look at what Detroit did with Willi Castro, up at age 22, 4th in ROY at age 23, and age 25 decided he wasn't a full time player and moved on. The Twins signed him to be a bench player and thrived, but when forced to be a full time player he went back to being the guy Detroit knew wasn't a full time player. The Twins are still trying to figure out what they have with multiple players who are the same age as Castro was or even older. Because IMO they left every player in the minors too long (Miranda, Wallner, Julien). Get them up, get them in the game, and figure what you have, if you don't believe they are full time players move on because while a team needs platoon/bench type players, you can't have half of your 13 guys be those type of players.

[Fatbat]

18 hours ago, bean5302 said:

#1 - Center Fielder. Buxton cannot be expected to play more than 60 games there next year and 20 games at DH. The Twins need an OF who can be an every day CF to back up Buxton, but they have nothing at the moment. Austin Martin's defense was very rough and his bat is fringe. Emmanuel Rodriguez has played 1/2 a year in AA.
#2 - Second Base. Edouard Julien? 0 WAR last year and he can't play any other IF position. Brooks Lee? Negative WAR last year. Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro likely off the books. Who is trusted to be the every day 2B?
#3 - Top end starter. Lopez is a back end #2. The Twins need a guy who can go out and give them a start which gives them a good chance to win the game 75% of the time next year to advance in the playoffs, provided they make them.
#4 - DH. Right handed power bat, preferably. Got nothing by the time you round out the roster.
#5 - LHP for the bullpen.

Significant departures:
Willi Castro
Max Kepler
Carlos Santana
Manuel Margot
Kyle Farmer

As it stands right now, the roster probably looks like (arb estimates from MLBTR):
C - Jeffers $4.7MM
1B - Miranda - $0.8MM
2B - Julien - $0.8MM
3B - Lewis - $2.3MM
SS - Correa - $37.3MM
LF - Larnach - $2.1MM
CF - Buxton - $15MM
RF - Wallner - $0.8MM
DH - Severino - $0.8MM
UI - Lee - $0.8MM
UI - Eeles - $0.8MM
UO - Martin - $0.8MM
BC - Vazquez - $10MM

SP1 - Lopez - $21.7MM
SP2 - Ryan - $3.8MM
SP3 - Ober - $4.3MM
SP4 - Paddack - $7.5MM
SP5 - Woods-Richardson - $0.8MM

BP1 - Duran - $3.7MM
BP2 - Jax - $2.6MM (I think this one is way, way low)
BP3 - Stewart - $0.8MM
BP4 - Sands - $0.8MM
BP5 - Topa - $1.3MM
BP6 - Alcala - $1.5MM (team opt)
BP7 - Varland - $0.8MM
BP8 - Funderburk - $0.8MM

Just a little issue. There's no money in the Twins' payroll capacity.
Subtotal $127.4MM
+Dobnak $3.0MM
+Farmer/Jackson buyouts $0.5MM
Total = $130.9MM

Also, also, depth is a major concern for the Twins. Probably okay with starting rotation... and that's about it. Everywhere else is REAL thin for MLB ready guys.

Having Eeles on your list makes the team depth thinner.  Having Erod and Rosario in AAA makes for better depth in the OF than we have had in the last decade. Also, if Jenkins is onfire in AA in May/June… everyone will be shouting to move him up.  
Infield depth of LK coming back from TJ surgery is probably the only guy with a shot to be late season depth finding a spot on the 40man if the injury bug bites hard. 
I do agree that we have lots of young pitching depth but we need to find proven MLB talent that isn’t an injury retread. We never have enough pitching. 

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Of course you wouldn't, but you know who hasn't done what your asking for? Jackson Chourio, Jackson Merrill, Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt, Joe Mauer and just about every other star in MLB.  The love on this site for having players sit in the minors until their are in their mid twenties is baffling to me.

Not until their mid-20s, until they prove it for 2 months in AAA. You know who was terrible during his first callup? Byron Buxton (and many other All-Stars). If you look at Jenkins' numbers in Double-A this fall they project to a 550 OPS in MLB.

[stringer bell]

If the Twins have Correa back ready to play 150 games, plus Buxton as healthy as he can be plus Lewis rested and refocused, they have the tent poles to be a good to great team. They'd have to "roll sevens" to have those guys play in excess of 130 games each, but .....you never know. On the pitching side, López, Ryan, and Ober is a good to great front of the rotation. Jax, Sands, Stewart and Durán a very good back of the bullpen.

With that said, the club could compete next year without adding salary. The reinforcements would have to come from within--Lee, Keaschall, Jenkins, Rodriguez and maybe someone like Keirsey or Eeles. I don't think the should clear a path for their prospects until they have to and I don't think the start of 2025 is when they have to. If they struggle and again look like they're only better than the White Sox, the mid-to-late 20s guys should be on their way out making room for the younger guys.

[TwinsDr2021]

24 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Not until their mid-20s, until they prove it for 2 months in AAA. You know who was terrible during his first callup? Byron Buxton (and many other All-Stars). If you look at Jenkins' numbers in Double-A this fall they project to a 550 OPS in MLB.

And Buxton was 21 when he was called up and by age 23 was a MVP candidate. And not 24 like Miranda, Larnach, Julien, Wallner, or 25 like Martin, or older like Keirsey and Hellman.

Guys don't do what your asking in AAA unless they are on the older side because if they are on the younger side teams get them up because teams generally don't waster young talent in the minors unless they are blocked by a superstar.

[TwinsDr2021]

13 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Not to mention Larnach doesn't have much trade value. No options, arb eligible, defensively limited capping him at 2 WAR seasonal value. Maybe a surplus value of 10? Not getting an organization top 5 prospect... maybe not even a top 10 for him. Just good enough to play every day so long as he's cheap.

Oh I agree Larnach might not have much trade value, but if the requirement of a trade is an organization top 5 that is a high goal to achieve. There has to be team that is looking for a left handed platoon outfielder.

[DJL44]

7 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

And Buxton was 21 when he was called up and by age 23 was a MVP candidate. And not 24 like Miranda, Larnach, Julien, Wallner, or 25 like Martin, or older like Keirsey and Hellman.

Guys don't do what your asking in AAA unless they are on the older side because if they are on the younger side teams get them up because teams generally don't waster young talent in the minors unless they are blocked by a superstar.

Prospects have to prove they're ready in the minors all the time. They didn't hesitate to bring up Brooks Lee when he was doing well in AAA. Emmanuel Rodriguez is pretty close. If he can beat up on AAA until May, he will probably get a callup. He could have been promoted in 2024 if he had been healthy at the right time. 

Jenkins hasn't proven he's ready yet. An .450 OPS in Double-A says he isn't ready yet. A measly 6 HR in 368 plate appearances in the minors in 2024 says he isn't ready yet.

[Fatbat]

19 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I have no interest in burning up a year of service time watching Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez help the Twins lose while they suck at the plate in 2025. They can trade Larnach AFTER either of them have an OPS > 1000 in AAA for > 2 months.

If you want to trade Larnach for a comparable RH hitting OF bat, that's defensible but you can't just expect guys who have hardly played in Double-A to produce.

I agree that you don't want to burn up a bad year of service time on a prospect and possibly hinder his development but trying to delay the call up of a major league ready player is a completely different animal.  Its a lot of fans hopes that Erod will be ready for opening day ‘25 but its not likely. Its also on the table that Jenkins may be ready for opening day ‘26, or he might just be a phenomenal prospect that forces his way to MLB in July ‘24.  He hasn’t shown that n his development yet but thats 9 months from now.  We don’t know yet and we can’t bet on it happening.  
I do know that if the Pohlads want to maximize the value of the product they want to sell, they need to win games.  That costs money. 

[thelanges5]

Maybe we can sell a patch to 3M or General Mills and get a couple relievers?

[bean5302]

3 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Having Eeles on your list makes the team depth thinner.  Having Erod and Rosario in AAA makes for better depth in the OF than we have had in the last decade. Also, if Jenkins is onfire in AA in May/June… everyone will be shouting to move him up.  
Infield depth of LK coming back from TJ surgery is probably the only guy with a shot to be late season depth finding a spot on the 40man if the injury bug bites hard. 
I do agree that we have lots of young pitching depth but we need to find proven MLB talent that isn’t an injury retread. We never have enough pitching. 

I'm just working with that the Twins roster currently looks like. Any "prospect" which is on the 26 man makes the depth thinner, but the Twins need to replace 3 infielders (Farmer, Castro, Santana) from this year somehow.

When it comes to Luke Keaschall making the 26 man (no way he gets added to 40 man without getting a corresponding call up since he's not rule 5 eligible until 12/2026) after 58 games at AA seems like a desperation move by Minnesota.
Gordon AA - a22, 42G .333/.381/.525 wRC+ 153 - Washed out at MLB
Julien AA- a23, 113G .300/.441/.490 wRC+ 144 - Washing out at MLB
Keaschall AA - a22, 58G .281/.393/.439 wRC+ 138
Lee AA - a22 87G, .292/.365/.476 wRC+ 120 - Washing out at MLB

As far as the outfield, I think Kirilloff + Rooker + Larnach + Martin was just as good if not better depth, though the Twins were desperately trying to make Martin into a SS at the time.

 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Oh I agree Larnach might not have much trade value, but if the requirement of a trade is an organization top 5 that is a high goal to achieve. There has to be team that is looking for a left handed platoon outfielder.

Larnach is a cheap, passable every day outfielder right now, and the Twins are already very short on legitimate outfield depth. Since Larnach isn't going to bring back an MLB ready prospect or even a higher end prospect with a chance at MLB in the next couple years, I just can't see the logic in trading him unless you're going to exchange a cheap, young-ish, passable, RH corner outfielder for Larnach, and there just aren't any.

[TwinsDr2021]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Larnach is a cheap, passable every day outfielder right now, and the Twins are already very short on legitimate outfield depth. Since Larnach isn't going to bring back an MLB ready prospect or even a higher end prospect with a chance at MLB in the next couple years, I just can't see the logic in trading him unless you're going to exchange a cheap, young-ish, passable, RH corner outfielder for Larnach, and there just aren't any.

Kind of weird to say he is an everyday player since he only got 22 at bats against left handers last year and the Twins have given him less than 200 plate appearances. I do hear what you are saying, maybe some crappy team would take him and Winder or somebody and give the Twins something in return. The Twins going into next year with him and Wallner on the the team and unwilling to play either against lefties is an issue IMO.

[MesaTwinsFan]

For 2025 starting without Santana Kepler Farmer and Margot there should be money for Castro and let the kids play full time instead of coming to the park and not knowing if Mr.new lineup everyday will have them sit because Rocco scientist studied the analytical data the night before and puts in his new lineup. To the best of my knowledge I don't believe there is a rule saying you can't use the same lineup more than once per season and pitchers ARE allowed to throw more than 82.4 pitches. PLENTY OF MONEY WITHOUT THOSE FOUR AND THEIR PRODUCTION DIDN'T EVEN MEET LEAGUE AVERAGES

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, MesaTwinsFan said:

For 2025 starting without Santana Kepler Farmer and Margot there should be money for Castro and let the kids play full time instead of coming to the park and not knowing if Mr.new lineup everyday will have them sit because Rocco scientist studied the analytical data the night before and puts in his new lineup. To the best of my knowledge I don't believe there is a rule saying you can't use the same lineup more than once per season and pitchers ARE allowed to throw more than 82.4 pitches. PLENTY OF MONEY WITHOUT THOSE FOUR AND THEIR PRODUCTION DIDN'T EVEN MEET LEAGUE AVERAGES

On payroll, as has been covered on many threads on this site, the raises from arbitration and the first year of Pablo López' extension eat up almost all of the savings of the contracts of the Twins' free agents. 

Rocco Baldelli has put together a position player roster which allows for platoons at several positions. Do you propose that whoever is the starting nine start every day if they are healthy. What do the bench players do? When would they play, only when a starter is injured? I'm not a fan of pinch hitting for players in the middle innings and then seeing a lesser player trying to get a big hit in the late innings, but having a lineup reflect the handedness of the pitcher they are facing always has made sense.