Twins Video
Now, this was on Gibson to some extent. He needs to recover better from that mishap and, in general, you're not going to have much success when you give up four walks and eight hits with no strikeouts in an outing.
But porous defense has been an ongoing theme for this club in the early weeks. They rank last in the American League with negative-12 defensive runs saved. Their defensive efficiency (rate of balls in play turned into outs) is worst in the major leagues at 69.3 percent. Even on a more traditional level, their 11 team errors are second-most in the AL.
This isn't unexpected by any means, but that doesn't exactly make it easy to stomach -- least of all for a new manager who famously preaches fundamentals and steady execution. Paul Molitor undoubtedly cringed at the sight of Arcia flubbing a routine play in left field on Monday, and he has to be aware of the devastating impact that a sub-par fielding unit is having on a pitching staff that allows more contact than any other team in the game by a wide margin. (The Twins have averaged 5.1 K/9; no one else is below 6.3.)
But what can be done about it?
Here are a few ideas for improving the Twins' team defense, some drastic and some less so:
* Swap Oswaldo Arcia and Torii Hunter in the outfield.
This is probably the least dramatic option, as it allows you to keep all the same hitters in the lineup. It's also not exactly a guarantee for improvement, as Hunter is no great shakes in the outfield himself at this point and has barely ever played in left. Still, even at age 39 he appears to be moving around and reacting better than Arcia, and there's more ground to cover on that side. Perhaps Arcia would benefit from returning to right field, where he's spent the majority of his time as a pro.
* Replace Arcia with Eddie Rosario.
Rosario made a late run in spring training, impressing coaches with his athleticism and aggressiveness. He has good speed and range in the outfield corners and would almost certainly represent a substantial defensive upgrade over Arcia. Unfortunately, Rosario is off to a slow start in Triple-A, batting .240 with 15 strikeouts and two walks through his first 12 games.
* Make Eduardo Escobar the starter at shortstop.
This was discussed a little bit on Monday. Santana has slumped at the plate in the early going, but his defensive issues may be more costly. Escobar is considered a steadier glove, and Santana might be best served sharpening his skills at shortstop in the minors after spending minimal time at the position in 2014.
* Call up Aaron Hicks to play center.
You'd have a hard time arguing that Jordan Schafer is at the root of the team's defensive issues, but he's stretched defensively in center and is far better suited as an occasional fill-in at the position rather than a regular starter. Hicks, for all his problems at the plate, is a strong defender capable of making exceptional plays. His bat could hardly be worse than Schafer and Shane Robinson, who have combined for a .424 OPS. Or, if the Twins really want to shake things up, they could...
* Call up Byron Buxton to play center.
He's the best defensive player in the entire system, and several scouts have suggested that he could play a Gold Glove-caliber center field in the major leagues right now. Installing Buxton as the starter in center would be by far the most impactful move the Twins could make to upgrade their defense, but it's not something I would endorse and probably not a notion they would take seriously at this point. Buxton's development outweighs the importance of what's presently happening with the big-league club, and while he might not be THAT far away, there's little evidence that he's prepared to face MLB pitching at this time.
Do you like any of these ideas? Do you have some of your own? Sound off in the comments.
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now