Surprises Mark Twins Opening Day Roster

Too bad they're not playing on Tuesday.

Ok, Monday then.  61 degrees and sunny.  Even better.

trading Santana and putting Mejia or Berrios in his place as the plan would have made them older? 

 

Let me be more clear, the people this FO added are older players, not younger players. I'm not sure how I failed to make that clear, but hopefully now I have. This FO added older players, not younger players. And they tried to sign a 30 something DH, to make it even older.

Almost certainly would have made them older. Any young players added by trading Dozier and/or Santana would have been prospects that almost certainly wouldn't have broke camp with the team. And they would have had to add veterans to fill those roster spots on opening day. This is especially true for Santana. As bad as shape the rotation is in right now, no chance they would go opening day with Mejia or Berrios instead of Santana. They would need a 9 man bullpen.

It's really hard to add young players right? It's not exactly clear how they would do that unless they wanted to force a young guy from the farm he isn't ready. Better to develop them and call them up when they're ready. Even teams that traded everyone and stripped to the studs filled a large part of the roster with veterans to hold a spot until a young guy is ready (I don't think Houston or Chicago were ever the youngest teams in the majors). 

Also, fun fact - looking at ESPNs analysis of rosters at the moment, Twins are second youngest:

http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/rosters/_/sort/average_age/order/true

This obviously is more of a 40 man look with some non-roster guys, but does kind of contradict the complaint taht they didn't get any younger. This is a fuller roster of players that are likely to be used throughout the year. Once the 25 mans shake out they might drop a couple spots for opening day roster, but certainly not that many, and perhaps none at all.

I'm really starting to hate OBP.

It's turning into the reason why I seemingly don't agree with any move a FO makes anymore. Mauer, the team's icon and "face of the franchise" has almost no value beyond it. So he gets every start at 1B and probably bats in the 3-hole all year. Meanwhile, exciting, toolsy guys like Rosario are ridiculed because they don't walk enough (even though his defense and extra-base power give him WAR at  or above the Mauer's of the world). And guys like Grossman make teams and figure prominently into Opening Day plans while a masher like Park is sent packing.

You know when OBP actually helps a team? When it's a good freakin' team! Billy Beane can look like a genius with crapshoot guys who walk a lot when he has Hudson, Mulder, and Zito making 60% of starts.

I can't see the OF thing happening, they have Grossman and Santana on the roster. Who would that additional OF replace?

 

It is certainly possible they are working on a Haley trade, but if so, why announce moves now?

I would expect Dan San to be gone when Adrianza is off DL. Grossman is a terrible defensive OF. The 4th OF should be a defensive replacement, plus the 3 starters will struggle at times and need a break. 

Mike, I think you're arguments lose a little bit of their merit when you're complaining about back up catchers and clearly stop gap bullpen arms.  Sure, Giminez isn't much.  Would we rather have Garver sitting on the bench or playing in AAA?
 

The Twins have some very exciting and young bullpen arms not yet on the 40 man roster (Jay, Burdi) and a few that are (Chargois).  None are ready April 1st.  The Twins are starting 6 former top 100 prospects that are 27 and younger in their lineup on opening day.  Yes, the new FO didn't bring those guys in but they didn't block them either.  That should be exciting.

 

They changed the rotation more than it looks like at first blush.  They removed 73 starts from last years starters and added a rookie to the rotation to go with 4 vets under team control.  I don't think the complaints about 'being older' are valid.  It's a young team so adding a stop gap vet isn't a big deal.

And none of the guys brought in by the new front office have any sort of investment that would prevent them from being cast aside when younger/better options are ready to go.

I'm really starting to hate OBP.

 

It's turning into the reason why I seemingly don't agree with any move a FO makes anymore. Mauer, the team's icon and "face of the franchise" has almost no value beyond it. So he gets every start at 1B and probably bats in the 3-hole all year. Meanwhile, exciting, toolsy guys like Rosario are ridiculed because they don't walk enough (even though his defense and extra-base power give him WAR at  or above the Mauer's of the world). And guys like Grossman make teams and figure prominently into Opening Day plans while a masher like Park is sent packing.

 

You know when OBP actually helps a team? When it's a good freakin' team! Billy Beane can look like a genius with crapshoot guys who walk a lot when he has Hudson, Mulder, and Zito making 60% of starts.

Thus the importance of the OPS stat.  It accounts for both the ability to get on base via walks and getting extra base hits.  According to Fangraphs, Grossman projects to have an OBP better than league average (~.340 to .322) but a worse OPS than league average (~.720 to .739).  Of course, Robbie had a very respectable OPS last year at .828.  You can be sure that the Twins analytics are aware of these and all the other stats.

Well, they didn't take flyers on guys with upside, look at those ages.

 

Also, I don't agree, which is cool. I would have had Chargois on the roster. At some point, you have to take some risks. It is clearly a difference in philosophy. I would have traded Dozier and put Polanco in his stead, not sure who my backup INF is, that might have made the roster older, I don't know, but the starters would have been younger. I would have traded ESan, and replaced him with Berrios or Mejia as my plan. I would have tried a flyer on a younger RP than 36 years old.

 

At what point does not bringing up young RPs turn from "it's a stop gap" to "it's not the plan"? I am asking a question, because I think three years into not really doing it, it seems to be a plan that is continuing. I'm not even sure any young RP had a shot, other than Chargois. Did they give any young RP a chance?

Polanco is starting!

You're upset that Escobar or Santana isn't starting instead of a traded Dozier? Or you think the scrapheap SS they would add to replace Dozier (and move Polanco to 2b) is that much of a difference?

And does it really make a big difference in the grand scheme of Twins future competitiveness if Santana is traded midseason instead of spring training?

I accept the frustration of no young relievers, but still strikes me as a player problem, not a front office problem. They aren't sending relievers down who actually performed.

Anyone heard a health update about Kennys Vargas?  If he was healthy, I'd be less surprised about Park going to Rochester.