Twins 2019 Position Analysis: Left Field

Rosario will probably have a decent year.  Would be nice to see him take a step forward.  Would like to see him extended, as that would make the next few years clear with Kirloff coming.  Otherwise could see him a major trade chip if Rooker is able to cement 1B or Cron is better than we think.

Has been my favorite Twin since the year he battled Sano for the HR championship in the Appy League.  When injured last year he had enough time remaining for one more hot streak which would have made his year ending numbers so much different.  Hopefully, 2019 will be the year he is blessed with good health.  

Assuming good health, and not playing while injured, I see Rosario as ending 2019 with an average around .300, 30+ home runs and at least 100 rbi.  Add 15+/- assists and 15-20 stolen bases and you have a very special season.  That would mean he would also end 2019 with a new contract.

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!

I can't shake this bad gut feeling that Eddie is in for a serious regression year. No real reason, just a bad gut feeling.

Somebody help

Would love to see him get an extension similar to the ones Kepler and Polanco signed.  Being under contract only adds to his potential trade value if that's the direction Falvine choose to go if guys like Wade, Kiriloff, Baddoo develop.  Or, of course, they could trade one of the prospects and just keep Rosario.

Would love to see him get an extension similar to the ones Kepler and Polanco signed.  Being under contract only adds to his potential trade value if that's the direction Falvine choose to go if guys like Wade, Kiriloff, Baddoo develop.  Or, of course, they could trade one of the prospects and just keep Rosario.

100% in agreement that the Twins should extend Rosario.  Because he is closer to free agency, maybe a year shorter than Kepler.

Would love to see him get an extension similar to the ones Kepler and Polanco signed.  Being under contract only adds to his potential trade value if that's the direction Falvine choose to go if guys like Wade, Kiriloff, Baddoo develop.  Or, of course, they could trade one of the prospects and just keep Rosario.

I agree on the extension because it makes him easier to trade. Isn't the new way in MLB to have a continuous stream of prospects so you don't have to ever give the  "big" deal to anybody?

Isn't that the reason you don't go after a Manny or Bryce? (not just saying the Twins by any team?)

We all dream that any Twins prospect turns into one of them and we learned if they ever do they won't sign them, so the dreams have turned into I hope he is really, really good just not one of the best in the game.

Think if you were drafting a fantasy team with just Twins players. Which position player would be your first pick? I think it would have to be Eddie Rosario. If healthy the guy's going to hit 28 HR, drive in 85 runs and bat .285. He's going to be hitting in the heart of the lineup (maybe 3rd/4th?) and is pretty much the straw that stirs the drink for this offense.

The Twins have a boatload of outfield prospects who haven't had a chance to play yet. We'll be lucky if one of them turns in the numbers Eddie did last year - I'd like to extend him but I'm not sure the Twins are of the same mind set.

Can't wait to see Eddie play this year - don't forget that arm, he'll certainly have his share of outfield assists!

His wild swinging puts balls all over the park which is great in this era of concentrated defenses. I love his talent, speed, and attitude. What I want to see is more movement on the bases.

What I want to see is less running into outs on the bases.

"He absolutely has the ability to put up a .300+ average with 30+ home runs."

I love the optimism. I just don't see it happening and I think it sets the bar for measuring Rosario's value to this team much too high. But I appreciate Nick's next line, "...But even if he holds steady he's a quality bat for the middle of the lineup, as well as an energizing spark plug in all phases." I think that's exactly right and I would be very happy to see the Twins extend him this year. I will pay money just to see a Rosario-Buxton-Kepler trio play the outfield.

Going back to expectations....let's consider...there were eight (qualifying) players in the AL who hit .300+ last year. Only three of them hit more than 30 homers. In fact, they were also the only three .300 hitters that hit more than 20! Their names were Trout, Martinez, and Betts.

I love watching Rosario play but he is nowhere near that class in pitch selection, and I think that aggressiveness is such an integral part of his personality that he will never develop into a selective hitter; the kind of hitter that can hit for both power and high++ average. If he ever does, his BABIP would have to be other-worldly.

Also, he doesn't play home games in Fenway :-)

I don't know that they sign him, though I would not be opposed. They have Lanarch and Rooker and Wade and Kiriloff, and that's just the ones I think about, there are more.

 

At some point, they'll need to rely on the cheaper options those guys offer, so I'm not sure what they are going to do.

 

If the relationship with Buxton is really broken, I expect he's traded after he has a monster season this year (and we all complain he was traded), Kepler moves to CF, Kiriloff or Lanarch in RF, and Eddie or someone else in LF.....

There is nothing wrong with the Buxton relationship that money can't fix.

Rosario was hitting .300 with 19 HR at the end of July last year. Not at all unthinkable he could've gotten there if not for the quad injury. 

And he was hitting .320 with 18 HR at the end of June. To my earlier point, Rosario's BABIP was near .400 for May 2018; well into the "unsustainable" zone.Then he hit 9 homers in June.

To pose a common question: is a player as good as their best 2- or 3-month stretch, or will the player inevitably regress to the mean?

I guess my ultimate point is this: while someday Eddie Rosario may string together six great months of baseball to go .300+ and 30+, becoming an MVP candidate, the Twins shouldn't count on him for it, and should build the rest of the team accordingly. 20-30 HR with a high 200s average and showing leadership on the field is plenty good from my (cheap seats) point of view!