Shane Wahl

Like the pretenders and imitators of the real Slim Shady, the Twins appear to have a preposterous situation at the SS position throughout the organization. Here, I discuss the 15 top shortstops in the organization with regard to their current output and future potential. Initially, the term "shortstop" will designate those players in the organization with significant playing time at the position in 2012 (Eduardo Escobar's 10 games at the position is the low point in terms of playing time at SS). The "big" 15 are: Jamey Carroll, Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, Eduardo Escobar, James Beresford, Estarlin De Los Santos, Daniel Santana, Levi Michael, Tyler Grimes, Stephen Wickens, Adam Bryant, Adam Pettersen, Niko Goodrum, Jorge Polanco, Aderlin Mejia. These players have accumulated 650 games played at SS this season and 559 games at other positions (predominantly 2B, then 3B). So the "shortstops" here have actually played the position for 53.8% of the games. Included in this are the games played by De Los Santos (55) and Bryant (20), but those two players cannot be a part of the future for the Twins with Bryant's .580 OPS as a 23-year-old at Beloit, and De Los Santos' .552 OPS as a 25-year-old. Removing those games makes it about 50/50 in terms of shortstop playing time vs. playing time at other positions. But this ratio could be offset by true shortstops coupled with true second basemen, etc., right? Not really, as Brian Dozier's 83 games and Tyler Grimes' 77 games are second and third respectively in games played at shortstop behind Danny Santana. But Santana isn't even a good fit at SS, but is much better at 2B. In all three cases, it would appear that the better fit is 2B instead of SS. What on earth is going to happen at shortstop outside of adding free agents? The best cases may be Florimon and Beresford, but I have no high hopes for the offensive production in the future for those two players. Maybe that will not matter, as the Twins offense outside of SS may improve dramatically. Otherwise, it would appear that the Twins are going to be hoping for Niko Goodrum to stay at short and develop offensively. There is a major failure by this organization at securing this position. They had a chance with the FA J.J. Hardy, but they sought help elsewhere (nowhere). I am comfortable with Florimon backed by Carroll for 2013, but the outlook is fairly bleak beyond this season. The hope (for the future) for 2013 is going to lie in James Beresford's offensive production, Danny Santana's ability to field the postion, and Niko Goodrum's progress at the position across the board.

2 things I would change. Walker ahead of Morales and Ortiz. Also for me, the EDA on Morales would be "never" Morales, due to injury, is one year behind Hicks. He is a bit younger than Hicks and had similar struggles in A+. Let's see how he does in AA before we give up on him. And I want to see Adam Walker next year in a full season.

I honestly think it would be dumb to do anything other than set a pitch/inning limit at 60/4 and start him at Rochester for a few months (Andrew Albers could be his permanent long relief). Save 100 good innings for the Twins starting in June or whatever.

Ranking OF prospects, in my view, and with EDA: Aaron Hicks, Aug. or Sept 2013 Oswaldo Arcia, Aug. or Sept. 2013 Byron Buxton, Sept. 2015 Max Kepler, Sept. 2015 Joe Benson, April 2014 Nate Roberts, April 2015 Danny Ortiz, Sept. 2015 Angel Morales, Sept. 2015 Adam Walker, April 2016

That is a shame about Tosoni. I don't think Evan Bigley is more worthwhile to have around, certainly. Maybe Clete Thomas is just too important (please tell me he is gone too). anyway, Jorgenswest, Rhodes is 21.5 years old now and was not good at all at Beloit in limited time.

I really want to know the amount of cleaning Aaron did before the podcast, especially if he knew that there was going to be video.

By the way, I take it that this is your first thread-starter? Good job to start with a very good one.

This is roughly the MiL depth chart for the Twins: Hicks, Arcia, Benson, Tosoni, Ramirez, Bigley, Morales, Ortiz, Roberts, Goncalves, Kepler, Jimenez, Pimentel, Pineda, Williams, Rhodes, Rodriguez, Buxton, Walker, Larson. I think that, to survive, players like Tosoni, Bigley, Jimenez, Pimentel, and Pineda will have to establish themselves somewhere outside the OF, at least part time (1B is obvious for some of them, 2B ideal for others). Goncalves and Rhodes are probably going nowhere fast. Morales and Williams really have something to prove this year or else they will join Goncalves and Rhodes. I do not want the Twins to pack older players at Rochester for "veteran experience" (dude, your only a veteran if you actually are good and play some significant time in the majors . . . ) and whatever else nonsense excuse they will give. I would rather have the top 8-10 level-weighted OF prospects at AAA and AA.

I believe that Morales and Ortiz should move up to AA to see if their athleticism comes through there as FTM can be difficult for some players. Morales certainly was a high prospect and needs to not sit around anymore at A+. It is worth pushing him. Ortiz has almost earned it anyway. Roberts and Ray in the corners for FTM to start out is not a bad idea, but Roberts should definitely move up to NBR. I am much more in favor of in-season promotions rather than skipping a level in the offseason. OBVIOUSLY, given the existence of Clete Thomas and co., the Twins could have moved OFs around at the beginning of August and Roberts would have already gotten his time at Fort Myers. But alas. Glad some people are gone who made these inane decisions . . .

I mentioned this to Brock mid-season, but a wiki addition would be a fun thing to play with. It would be a Twinspedia and would be a great reference point for ALL sorts of Twins information both historically and current, up-to-date daily things too.

Great post and you definitely have potential as a blogger/writer in the future. Hope the wrist gets better.

I would much rather give Myers and incentive-laden deal with an option for 2014 than to give 3 years and XX millions to Blanton, et al. I just hope Marcum is the top pitcher signed and Myers is the second pitcher signed. That would actually satisfy me enough for the offseason in terms of starting pitching.

I think there would be teams willing to pay $10+ million for one year. This is why I originally wanted the Twins to trade him (Boston). Every year after that has to be protected against risk, so he might top out at 2/$20 million or 3 $25 million. There is no way that the Twins should extend him at all. He is one concussion away from being done and it is likely to happen.

Cool inside information about our best pitching prospect! Thank you for sharing! Do you know if Jose is coming back to live with you next summer? I don't know. I'm going to spring training in March ( i still have about 30 "baseball sons" in the organization). I try to get all of them out to dinner. We have to work around English lessons! I usually have a list of 13 or so that want to stay here if they come to Elizabethton. I find out about 4 or 5 days before they get on the bus in fort myers who is going to be here. There really ought to a story written about you and the other host families for these guys.

Obviously Tim Wood doesn't belong anywhere near this team. If he ends up being the 2013 equivalent of Jeff Gray, I will just give up on this team.

There is no reason not to skip FTM altogether and promote Roberts to New Britain. He belonged in FTM all of this year anyway. I think that a Roberts-Morales-Ortiz outfield in New Britain makes a lot of sense. Those are the prospects so there is NO NEED FOR FILLER older "veterans" involved anywhere.

With regard to Hicks and Arcia, how did they not improve their "luster" in 2012? Would you not take a Hunter-esque Hicks and a Kubel-esque Arcia right now? Did you see what Kubel did in 2012? Parmelee will be a slightly above replacement level 1B if given the chance in 2013. Down the road, if the Twins don't trade him, he is a bench bat right-side corner fill-in guy. Hopefully, if he is starting in 2015 or 2016, then the Twins have a problem.

Not crazy at all. I definitely believe in putting up numbers. Sano's were great enough to me to warrant being at the top, but Buxton needs a full year of similar (but different) greatness for me to consider placing him above Hicks, Arcia, and Rosario.

I can assure you that for 2013 Torii Hunter > Chris Parmelee in RF (if that ridiculous scenario plays out), both defensively and offensively. The Tigers are WAY ahead of the Twins, unfortunately.

There's like a million good things to respond to in this thread, so I am not going to try. I believe in going big or . . . going big. The safer go big scenario involves not trading anybody and just adding through free agency (two pitchers and maybe a bat to trade--still think if in 2012 D-Lee or Vlad had been given a chance, they could have traded them for something). The other go big scenario is to trade a BUNCH of guys on the Twins (Span, Morneau, Willingham, Doumit, and either Parmelee or Revere) for 5+ B or better prospects who are ready or close to ready. I think the former situation can get the Twins above .500. The latter situation would likely not produce more than 70 wins, but at least there would be interest in seeing a roster of 22-25-year olds with Mauer and Plouffe and a few other guys for a year.

Well the Twins would have to find another Marlins-esque team willing to just give immense talent away for a very questionable return. So . . . no one else is going to do that. The Marlins organization is just barbaric!

I think that Colabello is actually making Chris Parmelee trade bait more than Morneau (Colabello would be the bridge to Sano at 1st).

Haha, exactly. Trust mathematics, Dick Morris and Karl Rove . . . and Terry Ryan. Can the Twins please pay Silver twice as much as he makes now to come help right this ship.

Paying $6-10 million a year for someone who is only marginally better than a replacement level pitcher for under 1/10th of that price is preposterous.

I would never even consider him. I am not sure how on earth anyone with a sub-6 K/9 rate warrants a serious consideration in the slightest. I don't want the Twins to add another Carl Pavano.