Seth Stohs

It can't not be brought up. It's reality which is good and bad for him. But, I am a huge fan of his prospect status because of what I saw in spring training, before spring training, in Cedar Rapids, talking to him, watching him pre game, and chatting with him post game. And then it's about guessing. He's got a great approach at the plate, a sweet swing, uses the whole field, runs the bases well, great hands, strong, accurate arm. There's nothing to not like.

I would say that you're much more on a limb in saying AJ Murray will be "close" than saying Palacios could be #2... I really enjoyed the conversation-turned-article on the Twins 2017 top prospect. It should be very interesting.

Yup, the Tigers were at about $175 million last year.

Very kind of you to say. I do appreciate that!

When ready and when there is a need. I mean, if Fien and Tonkin are pitching great, no need to get rid of them.

And as I've pointed out, if someone is offering Bastardo three years at this point, he'd take it. No one is... I'd be surprised if he does. At this point, he might be willing to do a one year, prove it deal. I like the idea of an option season just in case. But if he wants a prove-it deal, then he wouldn't want the option. He's want to become a free agent next winter, at 31.

Being Ready and Gettiing Called Up are not the same thing.

I think that's probably right.

Wait... Mike and I agree... I want the Twins to sometimes trust and stick with the young guys. Rogers is the one that I think is ready right from the beginning. I do think Tonkin should be trusted for a full 2 month stretch to see if he can become what they hope (we hope) or not. I think Fien and Pressly are worth sticking with. Fien to see if he can return to 2013 and first four months of 2014 form. Pressly, again, because he has shown at times that he can be good with an opportunity. He was just about there last year when he got hurt.

I didn't forget Duffey... I just think that it would be silly - though not completely impossible - for him not to be in the starting rotation to start the season.

Earlier today, I wrote an article highlighting why I don’t think signing left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo long-term makes much sense for the Twins. Now it’s time to take the other side of the coin and look at the case for the Twins locking him up to a long-term deal. After reading each, you can make up your own mind.There were a couple of primary reason for why the Twins should be cautious about signing Antonio Bastardo to a long-term deal. They include: 1.) He walks a ton. 2.) He’s been inconsistent (as are most relievers) 3.) The Twins have a ton of arms that could potentially be ready anytime from Opening Day through the middle of the 2017 season. 4.) The reality is that if he’s so great, someone would have given him the same three year, $18 million deal that Tony Sipp got. Right? (or maybe the other 29 teams are wrong too?) But there are several reasons that the Twins should strongly consider signing the hard-throwing left-hander to a multi-year free agent contract. It doesn’t make the above reasons wrong, but there are reasons to believe that he could really help the Twins bullpen for a couple of years. First and foremost, as much as I love to tout the minor leaguers and believe that a good organization needs to build from within, counting on minor leaguers before they get to the big leagues is risky as well. Signing relievers to free agent contracts (which, by definition, is a huge risk), but so is relying solely on internal options. As much as I believe in prospects like Nick Burdi, Jake Reed, JT Chargois, Mason Melotakis, Taylor Rogers and others throughout the system, the reality is that not all prospects make it and become what we think and hope they will. Twins pitchers and particularly the bullpen need more strikeouts. Antonio Bastardo can get strikeouts. As many walks as he has, he has a lot more strikeouts. His strikeout rates since 2010 have been 12.5, 10.9, 14.0, 9.9, 11.4 and 10.0. That is pretty dominant. Though there would be several games where he would frustrate, there would likely be more games when he came into a big situation, he will come through with a big strikeout. Although he does have noticeable splits, he is good against both left-handers and right handers. In 2015, right-handers hit .210/.311/.315 (.626) against him. Lefties hit just .138/.233/.215 (.448) against him. I still contend that a one year deal would be preferable, but again, predicting the future is impossible. Glen Perkins and Trevor May will be back in 2017. Michael Tonkin is out of options this year and we don’t know if he’ll be around after this year. Kevin Jepsen, unless he signs a multi-year deal before the season, is only signed through 2016. In other words, the unpredictability of the future does not only mean the prospects, but some of the veterans. If the back of the Twins bullpen consists for Glen Perkins, Kevin Jepsen, Trevor May and Antonio Bastardo, that has the potential to be pretty dominant. Also, they will be able to better play matchups. As we know, injuries happen. They are part of the game, so it's another case for depth being important. Finally, if some of those prospects can come up and be the fifth, sixth or seventh bullpen arm, that just extends the strength of the bullpen. As important, it means that starters may only need to provide five or six quality innings before handing things off to the bullpen. The strong bullpen will also be important should the Twins make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. So now you’ve seen both sides of the argument. I still personally still prefer a one-year deal, even if it is as much as $7 million over a three year, $15 million. Maybe a nice middle ground would be two years, and $10-11 million. You can even throw an option in there. Click here to view the article

Many wonder why the Minnesota Twins haven’t signed lefty-reliever Antonio Bastardo. Similar to Tony Sipp, who re-signed with the Astros for three years and $18 million, Bastardo remains unsigned. He is said to be looking for a similar contract. So, why haven’t the Twins been said to be in the conversation, at least not heavily? There are a few good, legitimate reasons. Some good reasons involving Bastardo, and several more good reasons because of other, internal options. Although Bastardo has struck out 11 batters per nine innings, he also has walked 4.3 batters per nine innings. That’s a lot of strikeouts, but it’s also a lot of walks.Per Doogie Wolfson in his most recent episode of The Scoops on 1500 ESPN’s podcast network, the Twins are certainly monitoring the Bastardo situation. Wolfson said he has been told by those in the know that the Twins are interested in Bastardo at one year and $3-4 million. As a Twins fan who also keeps fairly close tabs on the minor leagues, I fully support this decision. First, walks bug me. I like strikeouts as much as anyone, but walks annoy me. Bastardo is entertaining to watch as he can be completely dominant at times, but at other times he can be equally frustrating. The nature of relief pitchers is such that you never really know what you’re going to get. Tony Sipp was a great example of that. He was mediocre at best in his first six seasons, with Cleveland. But in his two years with the Astros, he has been very good. Bastardo’s career can be summarized simply by looking at his ERA+ in his six full seasons with the Pirates. Since 2010, his ERA+ have been 96, 146, 94, 163, 95, and then 129 in 2015. Of course, we know that ERA isn’t necessarily the best way to note how a reliever pitches. His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) numbers have been between 2.76 and 3.34 in those years. I’d be fine with the Twins signing Antonio Bastardo, but I personally agree that a one-year deal is more ideal than a three year deal. In fact, I would make the case that I’d be fine with a one year, $7 million deal rather than a three year, $18 million deal. And, as much as we (many Twins fans) just want the Twins to sign Bastardo because we are comfortable with a three year, $18 million deal. The other thing to remember is that no team has been willing to offer him the three year, $18 million contract that he is said to be looking for. The other reason that I feel fully comfortable with the Twins saying they are willing to only go one year on Bastardo is because, as someone who follows the team’s farm system, there are some high-upside, power arms coming and soon. Last week, Wolfson tweeted, “Radcliff sites Reed, Chargois, Burdi, Rogers, Melotakis, Landa, as all being close. On Landa, ‘Will open eyes this spring.’” While I believe that Landa has incredible upside because he throws upper-90s gas, I would be surprised if he was ready before mid-2017. The others? I think all five of those are guys who could be ready by mid-season 2016. I think Taylor Rogers is ready for a reliever role in the Twins bullpen right away. The main reason to start him in AAA would just be to get him used to working in the bullpen after starting his entire career.The hope was that Nick Burdi might be ready last year. He really struggled, but then came on strong late in the season and continued that domination in the Arizona Fall League. He made some adjustment, and threw more strikes. He may be given a shot at an Opening Day roster spot, but I would think he could be up before June 1.JT Chargois missed all of the 2013 and 2014 seasons with elbow issues and eventually Tommy John surgery. He returned to Instructional League after the 2014 season and was hitting triple-digits. In his return in 2015, he was throwing in the upper-90s, occasionally hitting 100. He spent half of the season in Ft. Myers, and then was the closer through most of the second half of the season for the Lookouts.The former 2nd rounder, who was co-closer at Rice with Tyler Duffey, will also be given a real opportunity to make the Opening Day roster. Like Burdi, it’s more likely that he begins the season in the minor leagues, but he could be up in the season’s first couple of months.Mason Melotakis is another left-hander who may not be far off. He missed all of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery, but reports from Instructs after the season had him hitting 97 again. He was a college reliever who was given the opportunity to start. However, four starts into his 2014 season, he was moved back to the bullpen full time. While I think the Twins will (and should) be cautious with him early in the season, he could prove ready after the All Star break.Jake Reed struggled in his first full minor league season in 2015. The Twins had him start in AA, and he struggled. He went down to Ft. Myers (a level he had skipped) and did well and was quickly back with the Lookouts. He was tremendous in the Arizona Fall League as well. He will likely start the season in AA again, but is a guy who could be ready before the season is over. I would guess he will debut early in 2017, but certainly is feasible in 2016 as well.Yorman Landa is the sixth guy that Wolfson said that Radcliff mentioned. Again, he frequently hit 97-98 mph with his fastball. But he missed the first half of 2015 and a bunch of time in 2014 after shoulder surgery. He dominated at Cedar Rapids, but he has a ways to go. I would say the earliest he’d be ready would be by mid-2017.When I mentioned this to Wolfson, he added this tweet, “Radcliff told me they have 13 arms that have a good chance to be here by, at latest, mid-2017. Didn’t realize it was that high.” So, being me, I had to do a little research. Could I add seven names to the six mentioned above? Of course, when we hear that 13 arms could be ready by mid-2017, it’s important to remember that there are generally only seven or eight arms in a big league bullpen. So, while I have no problem with the statement, we also need to realize that opportunity also comes into play. In other words, we won’t likely see 13 arms before then. But who all could Radcliff be referring to? I’m going to assume that guys like Ryan Pressly, Michael Tonkin and JR Graham are among the 13. Pressly was part of the Twins bullpen when his season came to an end in mid-summer. He was pitching well. Michael Tonkin has been up and down, literally, a dozen times in the last three years. He is now out of options, so he will have to stick or be potentially claimed by another team. JR Graham spent all of 2015 with the Twins after they used the Rule 5 pick on him. He had the biggest arm in the Twins bullpen last year, but was still learning to pitch in the bullpen. He’s likely to spend a lot of time in Rochester in 2016. With those three added to the first six, that gives us nine. Let’s see if we can find another four or more. No problem. Alex Meyer - 2015 is over. 2016 is a new year. It’s a big year for Meyer, but the talent and potential are still there. He will come to spring training with an opportunity to make the team. If not, he could be a guy who comes up quick if he pitches more like he did in 2014 than 2015.Corey Williams - Williams missed all of 2014 due to Tommy John surgery. He returned in June of 2015 and pitched well, getting back to AA. He hits 93 and 94, and could add a bit more in 2016. He’s also known as having a great slider. He is certainly one to watch.Logan Darnell - He struggled early in his transition to the bullpen, but he can be a lefty-reliever option, or at least a long-relief option.Pat Dean - Somewhat controversial when he was added to the 40 man roster, Dean had a terrific 2015 season in Rochester. Though he tops out at 90, he has a good slider and curveball and could be an option as a reliever.Luke Bard - Fought injuries and went through a few surgeries since being drafted, but Luke Bard finally was healthy in the second half of 2015. The Twins kept him in Cedar Rapids, but he could move quickly in 2016. He throws hard and has a strong three-pitch mix. He is definitely a sleeper for me in 2016.Jason Adam - He missed all of 2015 with elbow surgery, but the right-hander was a Top 10 prospect in the Royals system just a couple of years ago. If he can return to form, he is certainly one to monitor this year.Trevor Hildenberger - He was our choice as Twins minor league relief pitcher of the year in 2015. He began the season dominating in Cedar Rapids, and fared well in Ft. Myers upon his promotion. He also pitched very well in the Arizona Fall League. The side-winder throws harder than most sidearm throwers, but also has confidence in three pitches in any count.Brandon Peterson - The Minnesota native was our choice for Twins minor league reliever of the year in 2014. He pitched in Ft. Myers and Chattanooga in 2015. At one point, he went 25 innings without allowing a run.There are eight names, so we’re already past 13 arms. Here are a few more:DJ Baxendale - He has been a starter most of his minor league career, but with a low-90s fastball and a good slider, he could be a solid bullpen option going forward.Michael Cederoth - Though the Twins had the hard-thrower starting in 2014 and 2015, he could move back to the bullpen. In college he pitched in relief and topped 100 on occasions. In the bullpen, he could move quickly.Alex Wimmers - The former first-round pick has been OK in the bullpen. He can become a minor league free agent following the 2016 season if he’s not on the 40 man roster, so I expect he’ll go to AAA and then we’ll see.Cole Johnson - like AJ Achter, Cole Johnson was drafted in a round that no longer exists, but he has moved up the system and got to AAA in 2015.Brett Lee - Another guy who has started through his career. He’s a low strikeout guy as a starter, but his stuff is good, so maybe in a bullpen role, he could thrive.Alex Muren - a ground ball machine, Muren spent some time in Chattanooga in 2015. He was said to be consistently in the mid-90s in 2015.So, as you’re reading those names, you can judge for yourself the level of likelihood that each is going to be ready to contribute to the Twins by mid-2017. Some are probably 90% likely. Others may be closer to 10% But I think that Radcliff’s comment that there are 13 guys who could be ready by mid-2017 is more than fair. And, I chose not to include JO Berrios, Tyler Jay, Stephen Gonsalves, Randy Rosario, Fernando Romero, Aaron Slegers, Kohl Stewart and Lewis Thorpe would all remain starters for the next two years. And that brings us back to Bastardo and the Twins willingness to go one year on him or any other reliever. In my mind, it makes sense to offer him the one year. In fact, I’d be fine with offering him more for that one year just to stay away from a multi-year deal. So, what do you think? Be sure to follow Doogie Wolfson on Twitter and listen to his podcast, The Scoops, on the 1500 ESPN network. Click here to view the article

I don't use it as a method of indicating what a player should be paid... just what is "value" is relative to others. In free agency, Plouffe probably gets a 3 year, $30-35 million deal... even if FanGraphs indicates that he's a $20M player.

Polanco, Vielma and Gordon are all ahead of him on any depth chart.

I appreciate it. They're definitely fun, and they all deserve to be recognized.

I'd say 35 for Sano and 20 for Plouffe works for me... not that I would mind Sano hitting 40.

Plouffe is still under-30... and at 2.5 WAR last year, he was worth $20.1 Million last year (per fangraphs)... so jumping to $7.5-8 million in 2016 isn't so bad. Plouffe was also worth $27+ million in 2014... so, he's fine.

Today, we also present another Q&A with a Minnesota Twins minor leaguer and member of the team’s 2015 draft class. Outfielder Daniel Kihle was the team’s 18th round pick last year out of Wichita State. He spent the rest of his summer in Elizabethton. Today, you can Get To Know much more about him on and off the field.Take a few minutes to read the terrific responses that Kihle provided for our questions today. Feel free to discuss or ask questions in the Comments below. ----------------------------------------------------- Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Kansas, who was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Daniel Kihle (DK): I used to go to Opening Day with my dad and his work friends every year to the Royals games in Kansas City, but actually my favorite team to follow when I was young was the Arizona Diamondbacks because I really sat and watched my first World Series in 2001 when they won it. I remember watching Randy Johnson pitching and thought he was amazing so I followed him from that point on. SS: What were some of the better memories of your high school baseball career? Did you play other sports? DK: I would say some of the better memories would be my freshman year when I got to pitch the first game of regional, and we ended up winning because our first baseman hit a huge home run in the last inning to win! The other great memory was my junior season when we were the first team in our school’s history to finish with a perfect record through the regular season. SS: You grew up less than 25 miles from Wichita State. I know you had other offers, but was it an easy decision to sign and play for the Shockers? DK: Yes, it was very easy to make that decision. I grew up watching a lot of their games, and I always told my dad I was going to play for the Shockers one day. At the time (when I was 10) I don't really think we were serious. As time went on, it became more of a reality that I could end up playing on that field. When I got the offer, I didn't hesitate to commit right away! SS: What were a couple of your highlights from your college years? DK: The biggest highlight was my freshman year when we lost the first game of conference tournament and then won the next 5 or 6 games in a row and made it to a regional. It was awesome being a part of a team that pulled together and found a way to win no matter what happened. We came from behind every game I believe. It was a blast! SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? Did you have any idea where in the draft you might be selected? What was your interaction with the Twins scout? DK: Yes I did speak to some before the draft. No, I did not really have any clue where I would be drafted. I spoke with JR DeMercurio quite a few times before the draft, and then he called me right after I was selected. SS: The Twins took you in the 18th round. How did you find out that you had been drafted? How busy was your phone at that moment? I was out on a boat at Table Rock Lake in Missouri the day that I got drafted. I was swimming around the boat just hanging out when I heard my phone go off. It was my head coach from Wichita State, Todd Butler, congratulating me on being drafted. I answered and then got another call from JR and had to switch lines and that is when I found out I was drafted to the Twins. My phone was pretty busy! I tried to respond to everyone's phone calls and texts, but I am sure I didn't get to them all. It was an exciting time. SS: What was the adjustment like for you, from the amateur/college game to the professional game, both on and off the field? DK: The biggest adjustment was just playing every day. In college, we get at least two days off per week so your body and mind has time to recover and get ready for the next series. I think we got three days off this whole summer. It was just a big learning experience on how to keep your mind and body ready every day. It was also strange being that far away from home and paying rent to live in a small apartment off the back of someone's house. It was all new to me! SS: You put up solid numbers at E-Town in your pro debut last summer, walking quite a bit and showing good power. Having had time to look back, how do you feel about how you played? DK: I feel like I did pretty well this summer. I started out really rough, but was pleased at how I adjusted the last half of the season and learned how I needed to play. Jeff Reed taught me a lot this summer and really helped me get better every day. SS: At this stage in your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths? DK: I would say I am pretty good at letting go of what happened yesterday so I can just focus on what I need to do today. It is very hard to play a game if you are worried about making up for your bad game the day before. It is also hard to forget about a good game that you had the day before. Sometimes they make a player get too confident and then they don't work as hard as they need to. It is very important to keep an even head no matter what is going on. SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve? DK: I need to improve all aspects of my game. I wouldn't say that any area of my game is at a point that I don't need to improve it. I need to continue to improve my all-around game to help the Twins any way possible SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? DK: My parents are my biggest help no doubt. They believed in me from a young age and never gave up on me. They always pushed me to play better and improve my skills, but they were always there to cheer me on along the way. My college coaches really helped me understand the level of baseball that I can and should be playing at and pushed me to get there. They are a big reason to why I got the opportunity to play professional baseball. SS: How has your offseason been? What do you do when you’re not playing baseball? DK: My off season has been good! I have spent a lot of time deer and duck hunting. Pretty much every day I would go out if I had to opportunity! I love getting away from everything and go sit in a tree stand or duck blind and just watch the animals. SS: At what point did you start your preparation for the 2016 season? DK: I took a few weeks off after Instructs and then started lifting a lot. I started running and hitting a few weeks after. SS: Favorite baseball movie? DK: The Rookie! ----------------------- A Big Thank You to Daniel Kihle for taking time to answer our questions. Best wishes to him in 2016! Feel free to ask questions or leave thoughts below. Click here to view the article

We continue to look at the Minnesota Twins organizational depth at all of the positions. Previously, we have reviewed the Catchers, First Basemen and Middle Infielders. Today, we check out all of the third basemen in the organization. If anything goes off of plan, who are some of the options to fill in at first base in the coming years, and are there any prospects with the potential to be impact players down the line? Read on and see what you think, and then let’s discuss below in the comments.MAJOR LEAGUES Trevor Plouffe enters his thirteenth season in the Minnesota Twins organization. Originally drafted in the first round of the 2004 draft, Plouffe debuted with the Twins in 2010. He became the regular third baseman in mid-2012, and he has remained there since. Despite the presence of Miguel Sano, Plouffe heads into spring training as the Twins starting third baseman. In 2015, his hit .244/.307/.435 (.742) with 35 doubles and 22 home runs. His OPS came in just shy of league average, but his defense gave him a bWAR of 2.5. He will turn 30 in June and is in his third of four arbitration seasons. Miguel Sano will continue to take ground balls, even if he is moving out to the outfield for the 2016 season. Eduardo Nunez will also get into games at third base when needed. MINOR LEAGUES Rochester Red Wings In 2008, Buck Britton joined his brother, pitcher Zach Britton, in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He played every position but shortstop and catcher during his seven seasons in that organization. He spent last year with the Dodgers AAA affiliate in Oklahoma City where he played all over but mostly at third base. In the PCL, he hit .262/.311/.374 (.685). Chattanooga Lookouts Niko Goodrum moved to third base in 2014. He is a natural shortstop, and that is where he is at his best. He has struggled with the move to third after being really good at shortstop. Offensively, he hasn’t hit for average, but he takes a lot of walks. He is long and some still believe he’ll gain strength. He may now be more of a super-utility player who plays three infield spots and centerfield. He has very good speed and is a good base runner. Stephen Wickens is 26 and has worked his way up the ladder since the Twins drafted him out of Florida Gulf Coast University in the 33rd round in 2011. The Canadian native is a utility infielder who has played a lot at 2B, 3B and LF. With the Lookouts in 2015, he hit .254/.352/.333 (.685) with 14 doubles. Ft. Myers Miracle TJ White was the Twins 18th-round pick in 2014 out of UNLV. He spent most of his 2015 season in Cedar Rapids, though he spent almost a month in Ft. Myers mid season. In his final 30 games, he hit .364/.454/.551 (1.005). White is strong and has potential to add a lot of power. He also plays good defense at third base. (Get to Know TJ White here.) Logan Wade signed from Austalia and since has played a variety of positions. In 2015 with the Miracle, he played first, second and third base, plus in the outfield. He has some pop in his bat and doubles power. Cedar Rapids Kernels Travis Blankenhorn is 19 years old. He was the Twins third-round pick in 2015 out of high school in Pennsylvania. He began with 14 games in the GCL before moving up to Elizabethton for the final 39 games. Combined, he hit .244/.321/.347 (.668) with seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. He is a tremendous athlete and the Twins could push him up to the Kernels. (Get to Know Travis Blankenhorn here.) Extended Spring Training Trey Cabbage was the Twins fourth-round pick. The team went well over slot value to sign the 18-year-old from Tennessee. Another great athlete, Cabbage hit .252/.302/.269 (.571) with two doubles in 33 games. His season ended early with a back injury.He should move up to Elizabethton. (Get to Know Trey Cabbage here.) The Twins were excited when Nelson Molina was available in the 11th round in 2013. After two years in the GCL, he moved up to Elizabethton in 2015. He hit just .207/.271/.250 (.521) with a triple and a homer. When he signed, the belief was that he could play shortstop and stay there, and he may still be able to, but he has played all over the diamond since signing. He is 6-3 but just 175 pounds, so they may choose to remain patient with him. Dutch infielder Ruar Verkerk signed in July of 2013. He came to the States in 2014 and played in the GCL the last two years. He has hit .147 and .197. At 6-3 and 180 pounds, he is quite athletic, but as you would expect, he is quite raw. He turned just 19 after this season. He has very nice mechanics and a sweet left-handed swing. SUMMARY It’s been a water cooler conversation for Twins fans since the end of the 2015 season. Most fans just assumed the Trevor Plouffe would be traded to make room for Miguel Sano at this position. To this point, that hasn’t happened. Miguel Sano is working in the outfield and Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor insist that is what will happen. Plouffe is a solid, average big league third baseman who plays very good defense at the hot corner. That situation still feels like it could change at any time, but having both Plouffe and Sano in the lineup means up to 50-55 home runs in 2016. When it comes to prospects, the Twins 2015 draft added two really high-potential athletes in Blankenhorn and Cabbage. Both played shortstop in high school, but with their size and strength, they both played primarily third base in their pro debut. Third Base Prospect Rankings: Travis Blankenhorn,Trey Cabbage,TJ White,Niko Goodrum,Logan WadeNext week, we’ll continue to make our Roster Projections, from big league to the extended spring training rosters. Feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article

After his season last year, Nunez would get claimed. The Twins will likely use Santana all over the place, and I'd call him (likely) the #1 utility guy. But, when he enters the game, there has to be someone else on the bench in case of injury, or choosing to use a pinch hitter, etc. When one of the other three is the backup catcher, it'd be nice to have one outfielder (Arcia), and one infielder (Nunez).

I'm fine with Michael moving up, but to be fair, he played 15 games in AA in 2014. And even last year, he played just 63 game. That's the equivalent of just over a half-season of games. They didn't lose him in the Rule 5, so there's no rush. Also, I'm not sure Beresford qualifies as a utility guy at this point. Over the last THREE seasons, he's played a total of 6 games at shortstop and 5 games at third base.