Article: Twins Roster Projection 2.0

[Jim H]

The Twins said that Polanco will play full time SS this season. His contact and eye are better than almost all Twins' infielders (save Rosario, maybe.) This is the guy who could be the Twins next great SS, if his fielding holds up. He has made tremendous strides at fielding and it mostly is a range issue at this point.

 

I don't actually recall the Twins saying that. What I remember reading is that he would continue to see time at shortstop which is an entirely different thing. That doesn't mean I am right here, but I am not too sure you are either. As far as his ability to play shortstop, well Seth says that Goodrum is the superior shortstop right now. Since there are questions about Goodrum being able to stay at the position, I am not really too sure what that says about Polanco.

 

I have not seen either of these guys play shortstop, nor Santana either except the one time on TV last year, so I am in no position to judge. You have, which carries some weight with me. Since none are major league ready, it becomes a matter of tools and projection. I actually hope one of these guys becomes the next great Twins shortstop, though frankly, I don't know which if any of them is very likely to become that.

[Major League Ready]

Nolasco / Pelfrey / Hughes / Correia

Deduno if he is healthy / Worley or Diamond if not

Trade Correia ASAP and bring up Gibson

Would also trade Deduno for a high ceiling A+/AA SP if possible to make room for Gibson.

 

Perkins / Burton / Fein / Swarzak / Duensing / Thielbar / Worley or Diamond

I would trade any of the relievers (including Perk) if the price is right.

 

 

Suzuki / Pinto (50/50)

Mauer / Parm

Dozier / Escobar

Florimon / Escobar

Plouffe / ?

OF / Arcia / Parm / Willingham / Presley

CH / Hicks / Presley

DH / Willingham / Parm

 

The 13^th guy would ideally be able to back-up 3^rd or Escobar could be the back-up for 3^rd. That might favor Bartlett as the 13^th guy but he has yet to get a hit this spring. Romero seems like a stretch but at least he would be a RH bat of the bench. Has he ever played in the OF?

[lukingood]

Hicks needs to prove that he can hit AAA pitching before he ever plays another ML game. And as for Arcia, his fielding in left or right is subpar, and his swing has a bit of a slow-pitch softball style to it which is easy for a ML pitcher to take advantage of. If Parmelee can shorten his swing, I think he still has a chance to be an effective ML player.

[TwinsTerritory]

I don't think it's a matter of being crazy. There are certainly reasons that each of them could have more time in AAA. But what is really blocking them? For example, how is age 32 and slipping badly Jason Kubel a better option than age 23 and growing Oswaldo Arcia? If it is because Arcia struck out 31% of the time last year, well, so did Kubel. Give me the youngster. Give me Pinto at least half time instead of Fryer a quarter of the time. There will be some growing pains, but if we don't have the kids on the roster it isn't like the pain will go away. It will just be aging pain instead of growing pain.

 

My roster:

OF - Willingham, Hicks, Arcia, Parmelee, Presley

IF - Plouffe, Florimon, Dozier, Mauer, Escobar

C - Suzuki, Pinto

Bench - right handed bat. i don't really care who this is, as along as they are willing to step in and swing hard at a moment's notice. maybe 1 game a week they are in the line up.

SP - Nolasco, Hughes, Correia, Pelfrey, Worley

BP - Perkins, Burton, Duensing, Fien, Swarzak, Thielbar, Deduno (Long Relief)

 

Goodbye to Diamond. Gibson to AAA because of the FA signings and the mess of out of option players. Hopefully he's throwing well when someone gets a blister or achey shoulder.

 

I couldn't agree with this more. Plug Colabello into the 25th spot and you have a mix of young guys getting a shot (Hicks, Arcia, Pinto), veterans that could be traded if they get off to a good start (Willingham, Corriea, Burton), and some younger guys in the minors ready to come up if needed (Gibson, Meyer, Tonkin, Santana, etc).

[JB_Iowa]

Sounds like Gardenhire wants Deduno (starter or bullpen):

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/03/09/twinsights-sam-deduno-should-have-a-spot-somewhere/

[stringer bell]

I couldn't agree with this more. Plug Colabello into the 25th spot and you have a mix of young guys getting a shot (Hicks, Arcia, Pinto), veterans that could be traded if they get off to a good start (Willingham, Corriea, Burton), and some younger guys in the minors ready to come up if needed (Gibson, Meyer, Tonkin, Santana, etc).

I'm conflicted about Colabello. First of all, he's 30. Secondly, he failed in his big league trial last year. Thirdly, he's a DH who can play some 1B, and hitting (for power and average) is his only real tool.

 

On the plus side, he tore up the minor leagues last year, has demonstrated real power, and he's a RH hitter on a club that lacks RH hitting.

 

I think what sours me, though, is his awkward stance and long swing. He's done great so far this spring, but his hits have been almost exclusively against minor leaguers. I'll withhold judgment about his "improvements" this spring until he gets his hits against front-line pitchers.

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins said that Polanco will play full time SS this season. His contact and eye are better than almost all Twins' infielders (save Rosario, maybe.) This is the guy who could be the Twins next great SS, if his fielding holds up. He has made tremendous strides at fielding and it mostly is a range issue at this point.

 

The Twins have never said that Polanco will play SS full time. They have said that he will continue to play at SS. Today, Rob Antony said that they want him to continue to play SS, but he will certainly continue to play 2B as well.

[cmathewson]

Hicks needs to prove that he can hit AAA pitching before he ever plays another ML game. And as for Arcia, his fielding in left or right is subpar, and his swing has a bit of a slow-pitch softball style to it which is easy for a ML pitcher to take advantage of. If Parmelee can shorten his swing, I think he still has a chance to be an effective ML player.

 

Everybody has issues. Presley has issues. Mastro has issues. Parmelee has issues. It's not clear to me that AAA is the place to fix every issue. If not, why send guys down and force the team to be worse than they would be with more talented (and still developing) players? If they can learn up here and they're the best players right now, bring them north.

[oldguy10]

stringer bell - tearing up the minor leagues is not a plus now nor has it ever been. Some players simply cannot hit MLB pitching and it appears Colabello is on a long list as one of them.

[Craig Arko]

Sounds like Gardenhire wants Deduno (starter or bullpen):

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/03/09/twinsights-sam-deduno-should-have-a-spot-somewhere/

 

Reading that certainly implies that the notion Deduno start the season on the DL is pretty unlikely. Unless some new injury occurs.

[Seth Stohs]

stringer bell - tearing up the minor leagues is not a plus now nor has it ever been. Some players simply cannot hit MLB pitching and it appears Colabello is on a long list as one of them.

 

Can that be said with certainty based on 180 plate appearances. Maybe he won't, but there's no way to know it.

[Kwak]

Goodness, managers and coaches are required to make decisions without certainty. They give evreybody 1000 ABs (or whatever number Gardenhire was qouted at) and then conclude: "you're right, he can't hit".

[Oxtung]

The Twins said that Polanco will play full time SS this season. His contact and eye are better than almost all Twins' infielders (save Rosario, maybe.) This is the guy who could be the Twins next great SS, if his fielding holds up. He has made tremendous strides at fielding and it mostly is a range issue at this point.

 

Who was the first? [bolding my addition]

[stringer bell]

Goodness, managers and coaches are required to make decisions without certainty. They give evreybody 1000 ABs (or whatever number Gardenhire was qouted at) and then conclude: "you're right, he can't hit".

That is for guys that project. Colabello is 30 and has never projected. He's been among the best hitters in his league two years in a row, which earned him a big-league shot, but I doubt he would get close to 1000 PAs to prove himself.

[cmathewson]

Who was the first? [bolding my addition]

 

Zoilo.

[JB_Iowa]

Today's Line-up:

 

Hicks CF

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Willingham LF

Arcia RF

Plouffe 3B

Kubel DH

Suzuki C

Santana SS

 

Media pundits all seem to agree that this is close to the opening day line-up:

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1h Pretty much the Opening Day lineup today, with possible exception of CF and SS .

 

Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger 1h Today's #MNTwins lineup could closely resemble Opening Day's

LaVelle E. Neal III ‏@LaVelleNeal 1 This could be one player short of the Opening Day lineup

 

 

I would guess that LEN3 is thinking Florimon instead of Santana.

 

CF still seems wide-open to me -- no one has put their best foot forward yet.

 

But what has Kubel done to "earn" that spot? Seems to me that we need to see a lot more from him over the next two weeks before he should be penciled in.

[jokin]

Today's Line-up:

 

Hicks CF

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Willingham LF

Arcia RF

Plouffe 3B

Kubel DH

Suzuki C

Santana SS

 

Media pundits all seem to agree that this is close to the opening day line-up:

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1h Pretty much the Opening Day lineup today, with possible exception of CF and SS .

 

Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger 1h Today's #MNTwins lineup could closely resemble Opening Day's

LaVelle E. Neal III ‏@LaVelleNeal 1 This could be one player short of the Opening Day lineup

 

 

I would guess that LEN3 is thinking Florimon instead of Santana.

 

CF still seems wide-open to me -- no one has put their best foot forward yet.

 

But what has Kubel done to "earn" that spot? Seems to me that we need to see a lot more from him over the next two weeks before he should be penciled in.

 

When in doubt, as long as Gardy is manager (with the final say), go with the veteran.

[cmathewson]

Today's Line-up:

 

Hicks CF

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Willingham LF

Arcia RF

Plouffe 3B

Kubel DH

Suzuki C

Santana SS

 

Media pundits all seem to agree that this is close to the opening day line-up:

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1h Pretty much the Opening Day lineup today, with possible exception of CF and SS .

 

Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger 1h Today's #MNTwins lineup could closely resemble Opening Day's

LaVelle E. Neal III ‏@LaVelleNeal 1 This could be one player short of the Opening Day lineup

 

 

I would guess that LEN3 is thinking Florimon instead of Santana.

 

CF still seems wide-open to me -- no one has put their best foot forward yet.

 

But what has Kubel done to "earn" that spot? Seems to me that we need to see a lot more from him over the next two weeks before he should be penciled in.

 

Hicks is the front runner. He's just been hurt. But a couple of weeks like the last two games and it won't be a question.

[Seth Stohs]

Today's Line-up:

 

Hicks CF

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Willingham LF

Arcia RF

Plouffe 3B

Kubel DH

Suzuki C

Santana SS

 

Media pundits all seem to agree that this is close to the opening day line-up:

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 1h Pretty much the Opening Day lineup today, with possible exception of CF and SS .

 

Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger 1h Today's #MNTwins lineup could closely resemble Opening Day's

LaVelle E. Neal III ‏@LaVelleNeal 1 This could be one player short of the Opening Day lineup

 

 

I would guess that LEN3 is thinking Florimon instead of Santana.

 

CF still seems wide-open to me -- no one has put their best foot forward yet.

 

But what has Kubel done to "earn" that spot? Seems to me that we need to see a lot more from him over the next two weeks before he should be penciled in.

 

Don't forget:

 

Seth Stohs ‏@SethTweets 11h

Close to regular lineup. pic.twitter.com/rEnVWdgrB6

 

 

And, I would agree that the only difference is likely Florimon for Santana.

[Guest USAFChief]

Don't forget:

 

Seth Stohs ‏@SethTweets 11h

Close to regular lineup. pic.twitter.com/rEnVWdgrB6

 

 

And, I would agree that the only difference is likely Florimon for Hicks

Florimon is gonna open up in CF? Now that IS a scoop, Seth!

[stringer bell]

Presley hasn't done anything to distinguish himself this spring. I have said that Hicks should start in Rochester, but no one else has staked a claim on center field.

[stringer bell]

I saw Florimon today. He was with the minor leaguers. I think he may have taken BP with them, but he left just as I arrived. After watching Santana today and Bartlett yesterday, I look forward to Florimon's return.

[JB_Iowa]

I saw Florimon today. He was with the minor leaguers. I think he may have taken BP with them, but he left just as I arrived. After watching Santana today and Bartlett yesterday, I look forward to Florimon's return.

 

Florimon update via Berardino this afternoon:

 

Gardy on Florimon: "Moving great. No issues." Should play 3 innings Friday on minor league side. "Next few days he'll be back w/us."

[DocBauer]

Floriman is the SS until such a time as the Twins either make a move outside the organization, or until Santana or Goodrum are ML ready. And to be fair, both of those young men have the most talent we've had at the position in many years. Probably since Guzman. And based on his defense, and ability to it above the Mendoza line, plus run a little, and a probable progression forward with the bat after a year's experience, (even if small) he has more than proved and earned that spot.

 

SS is and always has been a defense first position. I don't know if the era of offensive SS's in MLB was an aberration or the result of stimulants or steroids, but there seemingly has been a form of adjustment across the board to defensive players who can hopefully contribute sme with the bat. Which is the way SS has largely been the case in regard to the position for most of the history of MLB.

 

CF is wide open, true. But Hicks is clearly the best option at the position not only for defense but offensive potential. And while he has had a small injury setback, he's healthy and playing again, as well as having the best overall ST amongst the candidates. My belief, and hope, is that he learned a lot from his struggles last season to build on. The early results, and work with Carew this off season are encouraging thus far. Gardenhire himself has spoken recently about the need for Hicks to step forward for the club this year.

 

He has also spoken well of Pinto, who is hitting well, and spoken of taking him north to produce and learn on the ML level this year. Gardy wants to win, of course, but he as spoken well openly of many young players. I believe he recognizes the abilities and team future involving our young players, and I don't believe he's "stuck" in the same veteran player mode he has sometimes shown in the past. I think the writing is very clear on the wall after the past three seasons.

 

To this pont, the rotation is clearly set with Deduno as the 5th starter with Worley and Diamond gone, and Gibson in AAA until injury or trade of Correia. The pen is also almost set with a few battles: Hoffman vs Thielbar, Gurrier vs Tonkin vs Pressly.

 

Out of options, Escobar thus far is the utility Inf. Nobody else has done enough to step forward to take the spot away.

 

Willingham can still play a little LF here and there, but there is nobody who believes he is a quality LF defensively any longer. And I think it is very possible the Twins might keep him for the entire year if productive. I find the thought of him playing LF daily to prove his trade value rather humorous. Scouts, GM's, managers and coaches already know what he brings. NOBODY is going to watch him and say, " oh look, the Twins have him in LF every day, he must be better than we thought." Let him play there on a semi basis, but the time is right for him to be a mostly full time DH, and Molitor can help him ease in to that role.

 

Arcia has RF, unless the final lineup pushes him to LF for various reasons. LF can be a successful mishmash of Willngham on occasion, Presley, Mastro, Parmelee with non starters in the DH role, Willingham primarily, with Colabello a RH possibility. He's having a good spring, has proven himself n the minors, can back up Mauer a first along with Parmalee, and shouldn't be discounted simply due to his production in limited AB's the last part of last season. There is an adjustment period and learning curve for most players in their first exposure. (Dont go to sleep n Romero as a RH option)

 

l love me some Jason Kubel, always have, but one HR and a whole series of bad AB's so far this ST does not make me feel comfortable with him in our lineup. Now, to be fair, there is still time for him to find his timing, prove he has life left, and make the roster as a productive DH/PH/part time OF. Just haven't seen anything encouraging as of yet.

 

This leaves Hicks, hopefully/likely, Arcia and Willingham filling 3 of the final 6 spots on the roster. You have to figure Mastro or Presley takes up one remaining spot either as a 4th OF, or even primary LF starter. Could both make it? Absolutely. They could platoon in LF, or be a starter and backup OF. But then we have Parmelee, Colabello and possibly Kubel for one spot. So you have 3 open spots and 5 guys fighting for those spots. That's the real battle that's left to decide.

[John Bonnes]

You're right as always. The Twins have never had a great shortstop, third baseman, left fielder or right fielder. 'Cause, you know, you have to be a hall of famer to be great.

 

Easy does it.

 

I don't care to define "great" in his thread, but if Polanco has Zoilo's career, I'll be ecstatic. I think we all will.

[stringer bell]

DocBauer--I mostly agree with your comments about SS. Not in total agreement about your roster analysis. Here goes: Despite a "blah" ST, Presley has a spot. The battle is between Hicks and Mastro. If Hicks prevails, Presley slides to 4th OF and Mastro goes to Rochester. Two of three of Kubel, Colabello, and Parmelee will make the club. The loser of this grouping would compete for last man with Wilken Ramirez, Herrmann, Bartlett and a 13th pitcher. The Twins have to decide what is best for Pinto. If staying in the majors is the answer, he and Suzuki are the catchers. If going to Rochester is the answer, then Herrmann and Fryer compete to be Suzuki's backup. I don't think either Pressly or Thielbar make the club because two out-of-options pitchers will be pushed to the bullpen. Gibson could win the fifth starter derby, which would force Deduno to the 'pen and Worley or Diamond to DFA.

[Dman]

stringer bell - tearing up the minor leagues is not a plus now nor has it ever been. Some players simply cannot hit MLB pitching and it appears Colabello is on a long list as one of them.

 

Lots of guys don't hit MLB pitching well when they first come up. Hunter wasn't great when he came up, It took Cuddyer a while to get there as well and David Ortiz they finally gave up on him and you know the story there. There are likely hundreds if not thousands of similar examples. That is why teams typically give guys X number of at bats before deciding they cannot do it. I don't think Collabello is there yet.

[Thrylos]

Who was the first? [bolding my addition]

 

Zoilo Versalles

[Thrylos]

Florimon update via Berardino this afternoon:

 

Gardy on Florimon: "Moving great. No issues." Should play 3 innings Friday on minor league side. "Next few days he'll be back w/us."

 

I mentioned it in detail here too, but I saw Florimon take exclusive batting practice from Miguel Sulbaran (who also is not allowed to play, because he showed up really overweight and the Twins want him to lose weight and condition himself to start) and it was a sad sight. He faced around 30 pitches or so, he made contact on only 2 and neither left the cage. One hit the top and another the back. I doubt that he is going to be ready. He has major timing issues and it is expected. At this point, his bat is like Bartlett's and that against A-level instead of AAAA level competition that Bartlett is facing. I think that the possibility of the Twins to start with Santana or Escobar as their opening day SS is pretty big. I have not seen Florimon field yet, maybe in an hour or so

[Chance]

I can't believe how fast people are willing to give up and declare Collabello a career minor leaguer. He hasn't even had consistent playing time in the majors. In his first stint he showed good power and the ability to hit the ball the other way. I couldn't believe there was talks of selling him to Korea so soon. He showed potential last season. Yes he is older than a typical rookie, but if you can get 3-4 years of solid contributions at a low dollar amount why not try?