jimmer

I remember when people said Santana could maintain a high BABIP (not as high as he had in 2014 obviously) because of his speed as well. His was .290 this year. Assuming one can have a BABIP well above average just because a guy is fast seems odd since it really only matter on IF hits. I mean, I am guessing Rosario was just as fast in 2014 (while in AA) and 2015 (while in AAA), as he was last year in the majors, and he didn't have a BABIP over .280 in either of those.

I believe earlier in this post someone stated that Bernadino posted Sano's weight as 268 at the end of the season.

True to form, the powers to be did what they could to have an SEC team in the championship game by pitting them against the weakest of the 4 teams.

His OBP might take a hit at some point? That would be a real problem since it was already sub .290 last year. And, let's face it, it's not like his BA was much either. Additionally, we can't blame his low BA and/or low OBP on a bad BABIP since his BABIP was well above average (.332).

1/2 the playoff teams this year were younger than the Twins this year including the youngest team in baseball. Of those five, two were division winners and two others had the 2nd and 3rd best record on baseball. Can we really just blame it on youth if we don't make the playoffs?

By all means do so. Those stats are specifically about range and how many plays were made outside of zone. I didn't go cherry picking obscure stats to prove anything, I picked the stats that showed exactly what was being talked about, his range. The same stats I always use when talking about range. The two stats Fangraphs says to look at when talking about range. If those stats said he lacked range, I would have posted the anyway to show you were right. In fact, I will show one from Fangraphs that disagrees with RZR and OOZ. It's called RngR. That stat is supposed to tell us the number of runs above or below average a fielder is, determined by how the fielder is able to get to balls hit in his vicinity. It had Plouffe 15th. It also has Arenado all the way down to 8th and Prado 10th behind players like Bryant and 135 year old Beltre, who is #1 in that stat for 3Bs. I've always had more faith in RZR and OOZ, but if you prefer the other, there it is. Though clearly still a top notch defender, I have my doubts that at this point of his career, Beltre has the most range of any 3B in the game including Arenado, Donaldson and Machado, which is what RngR says. As far as the idea that 'the inclusion of DH's who are forced to play third base, like Pablo Sandoval, actually push Plouffe higher than he really is, I think.' I'm not sure that's true in regards to the stats I used. If Plouffe was close to him in either stat, maybe, but being as high up as Plouffe was in both, he would have been where I showed he was regardless. The only players that would apply to would be the ones very close to where Sandoval. And if for some reason that idea applied to Plouffe it would also have apply to all the others. It would have pushed up Donaldson and Arenado and so on. Additionally, 3B only had one guy like that, some positions probably had more.

With the plethora of quality starters we have in the rotation now and for a few years to come, it's not like we need to rush him. He's only a #4 overall draft pick who has 2+ minor league seasons and who will likely play in A ball again next year ;-)

RZR measures range. For qualifying 3Bs, Plouffe was 2nd in the AL in RZR (1st was fielding freak Machado :-))and 4th in the majors (again behind Machado, along with super defensive stud Arenado, and Prado) OOZ tells us how many balls outside of zone a player made. For qualifying 3Bs, Plouffe was 4th in the AL in OOZ and 7th in the majors. He's got plenty of range.

Are there people under the impression Cuddyer was a very good outfielder? The man had a strong, accurate arm and played the baggy well, but he was not a good OF, and not close to a very good OF.

A thread solely about Sano? You should go back and read all the players named in this thread. The discussion had gotten about conditioning and I mentioned I think it's ridiculous athletes let themselves get way out of shape considering they play so much during the season and they have the so much downtime to stay in shape during the offseason. And before I said that, I said I wasn't talking about Sano specifically. THEN I wrote a whole paragraph about Sano specifically saying I didn't think he was fat but actually muscular. Maybe you should read a bit more carefully. Anyway,he was in the 230s before his injury last year according to a previous poster. To suggest he couldn't get back to the 250s if he wanted to is ridiculous. These are professional athletes with scores of people (dieticians, conditioning coaches, etc) around to guide him to that weight if he, or the team, wanted to do that. The question is whether or not he needs to because like I said, he's muscular. If he's going to be in the OF, he probably should because muscular or not, at 6'4" almost 270, range is going to be an issue in spacious Target Field OF. This is before we take into account, he's never played in the OF as a pro ballplayer.

In the post you quoted that you said was so wrong, this is exactly what I said about Sano: 'Now, in regards to Sano, I'm not sure he's actually fat. He looks muscular with a little baby fat that hopefully goes awAy, but I doubt his body fat is even in the 20s. Either way though, it's a lot to move in a spacious outfield and he's already having leg issues which won't be helped by playing the OF.' Where, in there, did I imply anything about lack of conditioning on his part? But since you said no amount of conditioning is going to make him smaller, yes, it's possible he can trim down a bit. As was mentioned earlier, injuries contributed to his weight increase. He'll trim down some. Probably sit around 250.

What is so wrong? I said I don't think Sano is fat. I said I think he's muscular. So we agree. Still hard to get that much mass going in a spacious OF and he IS already having hammy issues.

Or, during the offseason followng the 2012 season, when he says he will do everything possible to greatly improve the rotation for the upcoming season then goes out and signs Pelfrey, Correia, and trades for Worley? Or when he says he only traded Castillo because he'd be a FA at the end of the season and he wanted to get something for him, then days later said he would have traded him even if we had him under control past the end of the season?

What do you think it 'borders on'? In regards to athletes overall, not Sano in particular, I find it weird how these guys' job is to play sports yet some of them get so out of shape, some early in their careers. They play all year, then they have 4-5 months off and they are athletes. Get in shape and stay in shape. One thing I admired about guys like Jeter and Torii is the fact that they kept themselves in shape, Now, in regards to Sano, I'm not sure he's actually fat. He looks muscular with a little baby fat that hopefully goes awAy, but I doubt his body fat is even in the 20s. Either way though, it's a lot to move in a spacious outfield and he's already having leg issues which won't be helped by playing the OF.

Do you think that 6 foot 4, 260 is showing good weight management? Hasn't he been getting heavier and heavier even before his latest injury? I notice notice a few people pointing out a couple OF that were as heavy (or heavier) as Sano is and saying well they did it he can too. They don't point out the multitude of ones who couldn't. It's like pointing out Randy Johnson when talking about Meyer.

You pointed out Arcia's height and weight and then Sano's and then said you didn't think adding 4 inches and 35 pounds made it so Sano couldn't play OF. That comment suggests Arcia plays OF at a passable level at his height and weight and therefore Sano could to at his height and wweight. But Arcia doesn't play passable defense. Even before the injury at the end of the season, you think, before that, at 6 foot 4, 260, he had good weight maintenance? You think the weight contributed to the injury? All this is premature anyway. We have no idea if Park will even cut it right away (or ever). Sano may be DHing to start the season or soon into the season anyway.

Well Sano ended the season at 268, so it's over 10 pounds per inch. Even at 260, it's a hair under 9 pounds per inch. And how well does Arcia play the OF? How much ground does he cover? Not well and not much. And he's played in the OF his whole professional career. Not sure I'd use Arcia as a point in Sano's favor for playing OF. With the players who have played in the OF these last few years for the Twins, especially the corners, I don't think Corner OF defense is a priority. Running out guys like Willingham, Arcia, Hunter (etc) and now possibly a close to 270 LB IF with no time as an OF as a professional ballplayer certainly doesn't suggest corner OF defense is any kind of priority. Neither was getting rid of Hicks.

Well, there's defense too. We aren't comparing DHs here. Also Plouffe has over 4100 IP at 3B and Nunez has less than 800 IP. There's also the fact that the comparisons given above are for one season and fail to mention Plouffe had more than 3 times as many PAs

You forgot defense. Plouffe was worth over 20M in each of the last two seasons. Easily worth 8M. Easily. And regardless of what the article said, 2014 was his best year overall year.

I doubt he does better than what Plouffe did last year. Plouffe was a 20M+ player last year (and the year before).

Twins never compete to sign players like Jordan Zimmerman, Price, Cueto or Grienke.

There could very well be a reason we were able to win the bid. It was a small bid.

Very inexpensive investment, both by the bid amount and his salary. 3M a year is what we signed Nishi for. A low risk move, the kind of move the Twins are extremely experienced in. The kind of signing where, if it works out, they get praised and if it doesn't, it's no biggy cause it cost so little (in baseball terms).

I finished it. It was very good. I still like Daredevil a bit better, but Tennant was great. Is it wrong that I wanted the lawyer to die. It is, after all, only a show :-)

They'll come together in The Defenders.