2017 Twins Player Predictions: The Designated Hitters

I think you about nailed it Seth, though I could see both Grossman, if used properly as a RH hitter, and Park with slightly higher BA and OB. Park hit a little better than listed above when healthy at the begining of 2016 and has apparently shown improvement.

I think games played, and all numbers, are going to be predicated a bit by Mauer and his health. Not picking on Mauer, and more days off will probably help, but he does seem to miss time every year with at least one injury.

Really need to get down to that 12 man staff ASAP.

This is a puzzle that leaves me very confused.  Considering the players and their abilities and injuries I expect Park to be there.  I do not see April with its lighter schedule being the time to have so many pitchers, and all spring we heard about Mauer getting more rest.  Now I am thinking that April 15 is when we will see the real Twins roster - not now.  So it depends upon injuries, how Vargas does in AAA and if Park still is slugging in the minors.  

Trying to explore the injury rates in MLB April is the month of the most injuries https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21709023 so highest likelihood of call ups until roster expands in September.    For a look at the costs of injuries I found this to be a very interesting report - http://www.mdedge.com/amjorthopedics/article/106556/sports-medicine/injury-trends-major-league-baseball-over-18-seasons

If Mauer or Grossman or one of the outfielders gets injured Park and Vargas will be up quickly, if not I fear Vargas will linger in the minors and eventually move on. 

I'm curious to see how long a look the Twins need for Park at AAA. Considering they removed him from the 40-man and that he also cleared waivers means he wasn't necessarily fitting into the plans of the new administration.

For Vargas, it was his job to lose and he lsot it. I look at a rewarding career for him overseas. Do the Twins send him there or does he go there himself. Better yet, does he stay in the Twins organization this season.

I don't see Grossman as a DH at-all. I see Mauer and Sano getting at bats in the position. But the flip side, right now, is "Who's on First" and "Who's on Third." Suddenly the though of having Trevor Plouffe as a bench player looks mighty tempting, especially at the salary he signed with the A's, which the Twins could've done if they had parted company i August.

They have no one to play first (Kepler?) and I don't want to see Escobar at third, ever, never.

Yes, at this point it would be nice to have the bat of Park, if he does hit for the power, and the ability of Park to play better than even Mauer at first. But we suddenly see the folly in dreaming of a great year for the Twins. They have weak catching at the plate, no bench whatsoever, the question of Sano at third of fulltime DH (but then who plays third) and the elephant in the room -- Joe Mauer. Will he be the Mauer of Real Old or just an aging Mauer of the now.

And I can't wait to see the new batting order and how many times it changes in the first week/first month.

Who are the mid-season managerial candidates for the Twins to look at? Is there any longterm hope for Dougie or Jake to become a Twins manager, or where the powers-that-be go outside the organization?

Is here a Fire Sale happening soon!?

I have no idea. They cut Park, and tried to sign a DH. I am guessing the team has the twelfth best DH at the end of the year. I don't think they like their options.

If he's subbing for Kepler or Rosario against LH pitching, he's not DHing. If he's DHing, both Rosario and Kepler (and Mauer) are in the lineup against LHers. Or Santana, I guess, which doesn't thrill me.

I don't see how that helps much. If they want to give him a try as the fourth OFer, I'm fine with that, even if I think he'll eventually fail. But he doesn't help at DH, They need a RH DH/1b...

Yep. Not that it's a great benchmark but it sure is a better bench if Grossman is on it and DH and part time OF.

38 HR out of the DH spot? I'll take it.