MLB Trade Rumors: Twins Offseason in Review

[JB_Iowa]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/03/offseason-in-review-minnesota-twins.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

 

Overall assessment seems pretty fair.

 

I am looking forward to Mauer proving the doubters wrong and putting the "catcher unable to transition" garbage to rest.

[Mike Sixel]

Hard to disagree with any of that, actually.

[DaveW]

I am looking forward to Mauer proving the doubters wrong and putting the "catcher unable to transition" garbage to rest.

I didn't read the Stark article, but I would imagine that the majority of those "catchers" weren't able to transition because they were either:

1. Not good enough offensively to stick at a corner OF/1B position.

2. Broken down.

3. Both

 

Mauer obviously is good enough offensively to stick anywhere and be an asset, I think his production is actually going to improve a bit, and even if it stays flat, a 140-150 OPS+ will play anywhere.

 

While Mauer has had his share of injuries, he is hardly "broken down" he is making the move because of a concern re: concussions, not because his knees are shot or legs aren't working. While he will never be a speed threat it should be noted that Mauer even at catcher didn't hurt the Twins on the base-paths as fangraphs is able to back up and he was certainly able to leg out enough doubles over the years.

 

I think Stark does great work, and I am not dismissing his study, in fact I am a big believer in looking at historical data, though as we have learned over the years, that data helps us predict what will happen with the majority of players (95% of them) its the 1% of them (Mauer) who have played the game who bend the rules.

[70charger]

I think Stark does great work, and I am not dismissing his study, in fact I am a big believer in looking at historical data, though as we have learned over the years, that data helps us predict what will happen with the majority of players (95% of them) its the 1% of them (Mauer) who have played the game who bend the rules.

 

 

It's sort of similar in that regard to the historical data that show a stratospheric failure rate of drafting high school catchers. Again, if anyone is to buck the trend, it'd be Joe Mauer.