Article: Twins Sent Eight to Minor League Camp

[Willihammer]

I was pretty hopeful about the CF competition but man it has been brutal. Presley has made some ugly outs on the bases. Mastro doesn't look like the guy I remember from 2012. Hicks still looks indecisive at the plate. If it were up to me I'd give the job to Jermaine Mitchell.

[twinsnorth49]

I don't think Florimon is nearly the lock some might think he is, if he doesn't make some strides at the plate I wouldn't be surprised to see Escobar there on a regular basis if his bat get going.

 

I really want Hicks to be in CF come Opening Day, which he really should be. Hicks, Arcia and Pinto are going to be my main reasons for watching early on.

[birddog]

It is such a long season it really doesn't matter who starts out with the big club. Shortstop has to make the plays so I guess that's Florimon, but Santana has a great bat and will be the shortstop of the future--maybe before the All-Star break. Colabello looks like the hitter he was in AAA last year and deserves to go north. I also am hoping Hicks is the CF and last year's issues are behind him much like Dozier two years ago. If Pinto doesn't start the season with the Twins, he should be there before school's out. Without at least some of these youngsters starting out with the big league club, attendance will drop faster and farther than the thermometer did this winter.

[Seth Stohs]

Halsey Hall - you apparently like 90+ loss seasons also then as that is what will continue to be the norm with players like Florimon in the everyday lineup. He simply cannot hit, just look at his career numbers.

 

But he's as good as it gets when it comes to defense at shortstop (taking Andrelton Simmons out of the equation), and defense matters as well, especially with a group of pitchers that will give up contact. Hitting is nice, but so is the ability to make plays on defense.

[oldguy10]

It is such a long season it really doesn't matter who starts out with the big club. Shortstop has to make the plays so I guess that's Florimon, but Santana has a great bat and will be the shortstop of the future--maybe before the All-Star break. Colabello looks like the hitter he was in AAA last year and deserves to go north. I also am hoping Hicks is the CF and last year's issues are behind him much like Dozier two years ago. If Pinto doesn't start the season with the Twins, he should be there before school's out. Without at least some of these youngsters starting out with the big league club, attendance will drop faster and farther than the thermometer did this winter.

 

The shortstop of the future will not necessarily be Santana, could be Polanco, Goodrum or Trea Turner. Colabello is what you state - a AAA hitter, no proof that he will hit in the American League.

[twinsnorth49]

Colabello is what you state - a AAA hitter, no proof that he will hit in the American League.

 

And not enough proof that he won't.

[Intramural Legend]

Blaming Florimon for the team's offensive production is like blaming the worst hitter on the team.

 

Blaming your worst hitter for an offense being terrible seems a bit misguided to me.

[ashbury]

Blaming your worst hitter for an offense being terrible seems a bit misguided to me.

 

I didn't say one ought to. My attempt at a whimsical reply to Brian was meant simply to say that Florimon is the worst hitter in the lineup, that and no more.

 

If you want to go about fixing a bad offense, the worst bat might not be a terrible place to start. But no, you don't blame an entire offense on one guy.

[LaBombo]

Blaming your worst hitter for an offense being terrible seems a bit misguided to me.

It's an awfully good place to start.

 

This defense of bad hitters, which usually boils down to 'it's their job to suck', has puzzled me going back to the Nick Punto era. It's not just that Florimon is bad compared to other Twins hitters, he's bad compared to other shortstops, and is probably one of the 5 worst-hitting SS's in the majors.