Lately there has been lots of talk about wether or not Mauer will play decently, wether or not Morneau will play at all, what do we do with Nishi, will any of our Pitchers not suck, and do we really not have a better SS option than Grandpa Carroll?
What I haven't heard though, is much about Span. He went down with a concussion last year too, and only played in 70 games. Over those 70 games, he amassed a decidedly mediocre line that looks similar to the numbers he put up in 2010.
I personally am a bit concerned. He's only played 4 years at the major league level. 2009 was the first year he actually started the season with the club and he did fantastic. He also spent more than half the innings he played in the corner spots. When the Twins moved to Target Field and gave him the starting CF job, his defense was still good but his offensive numbers took a serious dive. Last year, those numbers weren't looking that much better.
So...why is he already inked in as our everyday leadoff hitter and CF? Do we even know if he'll be ready to play? If he IS fully recovered, is he recovered to where he was the last two years, or will we see 2009 Span again? Is he just another case of a player who excelled at the dome but struggles at Target Field?
