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When your big early splash in the offseason is signing an international free agent with no MLB experience and committing to him as designated hitter, you're inherently putting yourself in a precarious position. Byung Ho Park's raw power is undeniable, but the same was true for Kennys Vargas, who entered the 2014 season as the hopeful long-term DH solution.
But Park himself isn't the only source of ambiguity, of course. His arrival creates a tricky logjam for the Twins with Miguel Sano's natural position occupied by Trevor Plouffe, who Ryan continues to insist isn't going anywhere.
That insistence doesn't mean a lot right now – the GM can't very well openly admit to shopping Plouffe, both because it would diminish leverage and would leave the incumbent third baseman in an unfair spot – but whether or not the Twins make a trade, they're going to face some dangerous risks.
Moving the 260-pound Sano to the outfield, where he's never played before, has the potential to be a disaster, and that cannot be ignored. He might be fast for his size, but Sano does not have the speed to cover a ton of ground and that's without accounting for the lack of instincts and reactions built up from experience.
The two biggest decision-makers in the organization don't even seem to have agreement upon which outfield corner Sano would be best suited for, as Phil Miller laid out in his article for the Star Tribune last week.
"Right now, we are very comfortable … moving Sano to right," said Ryan.
"I would say right now, left field is what I would be leaning toward," said Molitor.
OK then.
Either way, putting Sano at a position where he has to guide his large body around vast and unfamiliar territory while trying not to collide with walls and fellow fielders increases his risk for injury. It also decreases Minnesota's chances of boasting an exceptional outfield defense, which ought to be a focal concern considering the high-contact nature of the pitching staff, and the major role that particular strength played in the success of both the Royals and Mets this year.
Trading Ploufe and moving Sano to third base is much less likely to have a significantly negative impact on the team's defense, but would leave the Twins dangerously thin on established right-handed bats to complement Sano at the heart of the order.
Brian Dozier hit 28 home runs this year but his second-half tailspin casts some doubt on his outlook. Losing Plouffe on top of Torii Hunter and Aaron Hicks (who has an .808 career OPS from the right side) would leave a whole lot of pressure on Park to produce – perhaps more so than we should realistically expect.
Judd Zulgad of 1500 ESPN wrote an interesting column recently suggesting that trading Plouffe would be a mistake and that Park ought to be considered a prospect until he proves otherwise. I think we're already past that point, for all intents and purposes, but it's tough to argue with the core thought process there.
This situation is the most prominent and visible point of uncertainty on the current projected roster, but it's far from the only one.
Is Eddie Rosario going to play center field or a corner spot? That will be dictated by another unknown: Byron Buxton's readiness to be a major-leaguer.
Who will be the fourth outfielder, with Shane Robinson gone and no other internal options fitting the bill especially well?
Can the Twins find room in that oufield for Oswaldo Arcia? Where does Danny Santana fit? Both are out of options.
Who will be the go-to left-hander in the bullpen? Is Trevor May a starter or reliever? What the heck are they going to do about Ricky Nolasco?
The number of moving parts and unanswered questions at play leaves the Twins in an unstable state entering the heart of the offseason. We'll see how creative Ryan can get in trying to reduce his redundancies and create some clarity, but for the most part, we'll have to come to terms with the reality that this team is going to have an awful lot of things to sort out in March.
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