Some people want Joe Mauer batting second? That's a great idea, he is by far the best number two hitter on the Twins. He would also be the best leadoff hitter, the best number 9,8,7,6,5 hitters. In fact, he would be the Twins best cleanup hitter. In short, no matter where you put Joe Mauer in the batting order, he will outshine whoever is hitting there now. But that is the wrong question.
The question is where does Joe Mauer help the Twins the most? And the answer to that is batting third, the traditional spot for a team's best hitter. There are good reasons for that tradition. But lets look at what happens with Mauer batting second.
The general argument for Mauer batting second is that he gets on base a lot, something generally valued in number two hitters. The other argument is that batting second he will get more plate appearances. Based on last year, he will get 17 additional plate appearances by moving from the number 3 spot to the number 2 spot in the order. These extra 17 at bats would all come at the end of the game when the number two batter on the Twins made their last out of that game. So these extra at bats will come with two out. If you substitute his OBP of .400 for a different player with a .300 OBP, the Twins will get 1.7 (round it up to 2) more base runners with two outs over the course of the season by moving Mauer up in the order.
UPDATE 2/23/2013
While this evaluates the effect of putting Mauer in the second spot, it fails to consider the effect of moving the number two batter to the end of the order. Last year the Twins number two hitter got 741 plate appearances, the number nine batter got 619. So moving the number two hitter to number nine shifts 122 plate appearances to the rest of the order, including the 17 that would go to Mauer. The value of those extra plate appearances depends on the extent to which the number two hitter is better or worse than the average player in the rest of the order. Its likely this year that would provide some additional marginal benefit to Mauer batting second.
The first inning is the only time there is any real difference between batting second or third. In subsequent innings, the nine hitter will in essence be in same spot related to the number two hitter that the leadoff hitter is to the number nine hitter. So the beginning of the game is where you see the downside of batting second.
In the first inning, batting second Mauer will see about half as many base runners as he would batting third. If the number two hitter ahead of him batting third would have had a .300 OBP, it will be about 48 fewer base runners (.300*162 game) when Mauer bats second. But, its not only Mauer who will see fewer base runners. So will whoever was batting cleanup and is moved up to the number 3 spot. For the Twins that probably means Willingham (or Morneau).
One beneficiary of this is the number five hitter. By moving to the cleanup spot he will be more likely to hit with Mauer and other base runners ahead of him. About 30% (.300) of the times a runner is on base, the cleanup hitter would have made the last out, preventing the number five hitter from getting a shot at those base runners. Most of the other 70% of those extra RBI opportunities would go to the current number 6 hitter(Ryan Doumit) moving to number 5 and the number 7 hitter (Chris Parmelee/Trevor Plouffe) moving to number 6. There would likely be a few extra chances for the number 8 hitter who moved up to the 7 spot as well.
In short, the result of moving Mauer to the second spot, is to move a bunch of RBI opportunities to lesser hitters lower in the order. All for the benefit of an extra couple base runners with two out at the end of the game. Of course if Parmelee and Plouffe suddenly turn into allstar hitters, then you can make the case for giving them more RBI opportunities at Mauer's expense. But that doesn't seem like a very likely starting point this season.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Twins Batting Order
There are no real obvious replacements for either Denard Span and Ben Revere at the top of the Twins lineup. In addition to creating an opening in center field, trading those two created openings for both the leadoff and number two hitters. Here is a rundown of the Twins lineups with some comments on how various spots will be filled.
Leadoff
There are three basic skills teams look for in a leadoff hitter. One is to get on base. The second is to be able to advance themselves once they get on base by stealing or advancing an extra base. The third is to look at a lot of pitches so the hitters that follow see the pitchers stuff.
The most likely candidate here is Darin Mastroianni if he wins the center field spot. He is a better base stealer than Span, but he gets on base less often. I don't know about his pitch taking ability. If Aaron Hicks wins the center field spot he would bring some tools to the leadoff role also. He has speed and is reputed to be a patient hitter. But the Twins may not want to put that much pressure on him as a rookie. Joe Benson doesn't fit the leadoff spot very well at all. He is more an all or nothing power hitter who should be batting lower in the order. Jamey Carroll would also be a possibility. He gets on base, but lacks the speed to advance himself.
Second
Teams are looking for a player with skills similar to the leadoff batter, but with the additional ability to advance runners. Carroll fits this role pretty well. He gets on base, he is a veteran and he doesn't strike out very often. Brian Dozier would be another possibility here if he can hit like he did in the minor leagues.
There have been some who have suggested that Joe Mauer should be moved up to the number two spot because he gets on base a lot. But Mauer's on base ability has as much value batting third. And, with him batting second, both he and whoever replaces him in the number three spot would see fewer base runners. To put that in perspective, even if the number two hitter only had a .300 OBP, Mauer and the new number three hitter would each see 48 fewer base runners in the first inning. Mauer may not hit many home runs, but he has enough pop that you want him at the plate with runners on base.
Third
Teams usually put their best hitter in the number three spot. They are looking for a combination of the ability to drive in the runners ahead of them and getting on base for the runners behind them. Mauer is the Twins number three hitter and likely to stay there. If Morneau went back to hitting .300+ with home run power, that might change. But that isn't likely to happen in spring training.
Cleanup
Teams put their best power hitter in the cleanup spot. The idea is that they will see a lot of batters on base and use their power to drive them in. Until last year, Justin Morneau was the Twins cleanup hitter. The problem is that both he and Mauer are left handed and Morneau has some trouble with lefties. So last year, with Morneau's numbers down, the Twins moved Josh Willingham into this role. If Morneau returns to his MVP production he belongs here. But I suspect the year will start with Willingham in the cleanup spot.
Fifth
This guy is usually the next best cleanup hitter. And that is how it will work with the Twins with either Willingham or Morneau batting fifth.
Sixth
Ryan Doumit, as the next best hitter, will most likely bat sixth.
Seventh
Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe will probably trade this spot depending on the pitcher with Parmelee here the most against righties. The development of these two as offensive players could transform this lineup into one pitchers would rather skip.
Eighth
Plouffe or Parmlee.
Ninth
Pedro Florimon or whoever else wins the second infield spot. Florimon has some speed on the basepaths, but he doesn't hit enough to be much of an offensive force.
That lineup has the potential to make the Twins a contender. But there are enough question marks that it isn't likely they will all have positive answers.
Leadoff
There are three basic skills teams look for in a leadoff hitter. One is to get on base. The second is to be able to advance themselves once they get on base by stealing or advancing an extra base. The third is to look at a lot of pitches so the hitters that follow see the pitchers stuff.
The most likely candidate here is Darin Mastroianni if he wins the center field spot. He is a better base stealer than Span, but he gets on base less often. I don't know about his pitch taking ability. If Aaron Hicks wins the center field spot he would bring some tools to the leadoff role also. He has speed and is reputed to be a patient hitter. But the Twins may not want to put that much pressure on him as a rookie. Joe Benson doesn't fit the leadoff spot very well at all. He is more an all or nothing power hitter who should be batting lower in the order. Jamey Carroll would also be a possibility. He gets on base, but lacks the speed to advance himself.
Second
Teams are looking for a player with skills similar to the leadoff batter, but with the additional ability to advance runners. Carroll fits this role pretty well. He gets on base, he is a veteran and he doesn't strike out very often. Brian Dozier would be another possibility here if he can hit like he did in the minor leagues.
There have been some who have suggested that Joe Mauer should be moved up to the number two spot because he gets on base a lot. But Mauer's on base ability has as much value batting third. And, with him batting second, both he and whoever replaces him in the number three spot would see fewer base runners. To put that in perspective, even if the number two hitter only had a .300 OBP, Mauer and the new number three hitter would each see 48 fewer base runners in the first inning. Mauer may not hit many home runs, but he has enough pop that you want him at the plate with runners on base.
Third
Teams usually put their best hitter in the number three spot. They are looking for a combination of the ability to drive in the runners ahead of them and getting on base for the runners behind them. Mauer is the Twins number three hitter and likely to stay there. If Morneau went back to hitting .300+ with home run power, that might change. But that isn't likely to happen in spring training.
Cleanup
Teams put their best power hitter in the cleanup spot. The idea is that they will see a lot of batters on base and use their power to drive them in. Until last year, Justin Morneau was the Twins cleanup hitter. The problem is that both he and Mauer are left handed and Morneau has some trouble with lefties. So last year, with Morneau's numbers down, the Twins moved Josh Willingham into this role. If Morneau returns to his MVP production he belongs here. But I suspect the year will start with Willingham in the cleanup spot.
Fifth
This guy is usually the next best cleanup hitter. And that is how it will work with the Twins with either Willingham or Morneau batting fifth.
Sixth
Ryan Doumit, as the next best hitter, will most likely bat sixth.
Seventh
Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe will probably trade this spot depending on the pitcher with Parmelee here the most against righties. The development of these two as offensive players could transform this lineup into one pitchers would rather skip.
Eighth
Plouffe or Parmlee.
Ninth
Pedro Florimon or whoever else wins the second infield spot. Florimon has some speed on the basepaths, but he doesn't hit enough to be much of an offensive force.
That lineup has the potential to make the Twins a contender. But there are enough question marks that it isn't likely they will all have positive answers.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Twins Prospects in Camp
The Twins have a number of prospects in camp this year. That includes a number of players who have lost their rookie status in the last couple years. Many of them are not candidates for the roster, but several have shots at jobs in spring training. Two of them are likely penciled in to starting positions.
Pedro Florimon is no longer a rookie since he barely got over 130 at bats last year. But he is probably the leading candidate for starting shortstop. The Twins hope Aaron Hicks will be ready to take the center field job.
Kyle Gibson is not likely to win the 5th spot in the rotation out of spring training, but he certainly could. He will need to show he is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. And he is not going to get the job by default. He will need to not only show that he is better than the other options, but convince the Twins he is ready to pitch successfully in the major leagues.
Liam Hendriks is the other prospect with a shot at the 5th spot in the rotation. He lost his rookie status in appearances with the Twins last year. He has had great success the last couple years in the minors, but that hasn't translated to success against major league hitters
In addition to Florimon, there are two other guys competing for middle infield spots, Eduardo Escobar
and Brian Dozier. Like Florimon, Dozier lost his rookie status last year as he won the starting shortstop spot but couldn't produce defensively or offensively. The Twins hope that was a case of being rushed. Escobar came to the Twins as part of the Liriano trade. He can play shortstop, second or third and probably fits best as a utility guy. At 24, he is the youngest of the infield candidates, but lost his rookie status while with the White Sox.
In addition to Aaron Hicks, Joe Benson is the other prospect expected to be given a shot at the center field position. Benson has some pop in his bat and can play all three outfield positions. His problem has been making contact even against minor league pitching. His defense makes him a candidate for the 4th outfielder spot. Oswaldo Arcia may be the best bat of any of the young players in camp. But he hasn't played above AA and is a corner outfielder. He may provide some competition for Chris Parmelee in right field, but is unlikely to get a serious chance there to start the season.
Caleb Thielbar has a shot at a bullpen spot, but more likely will start the year at AAA. Pedro Hernandez, Brett Hermsen, Trevor May and Michael Tonkin are all guys who are slated for the minor leagues. Hernandez was the other player besides Escobar in the Liriano trade and has pitched in the big leagues, so he might be considered for the 5th starter spot if he opens some eyes in spring training.
Danny Santana, Chris Herrmann, Josmil Pinto are all slated for minor league roles. They are in camp because they are on the major league roster. Herrmann made his major league debut last fall as an extra catcher. If the Twins need an extra catcher for a few games this summer, he may get that chance again since he is on the roster. But he probably isn't ready to hold a major league catching job for any length of time.
In addition to the prospects on the major league roster there are a number of non-roster invites that are also candidates for positions. Their chances were covered in an early post
Pedro Florimon is no longer a rookie since he barely got over 130 at bats last year. But he is probably the leading candidate for starting shortstop. The Twins hope Aaron Hicks will be ready to take the center field job.
Kyle Gibson is not likely to win the 5th spot in the rotation out of spring training, but he certainly could. He will need to show he is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. And he is not going to get the job by default. He will need to not only show that he is better than the other options, but convince the Twins he is ready to pitch successfully in the major leagues.
Liam Hendriks is the other prospect with a shot at the 5th spot in the rotation. He lost his rookie status in appearances with the Twins last year. He has had great success the last couple years in the minors, but that hasn't translated to success against major league hitters
In addition to Florimon, there are two other guys competing for middle infield spots, Eduardo Escobar
and Brian Dozier. Like Florimon, Dozier lost his rookie status last year as he won the starting shortstop spot but couldn't produce defensively or offensively. The Twins hope that was a case of being rushed. Escobar came to the Twins as part of the Liriano trade. He can play shortstop, second or third and probably fits best as a utility guy. At 24, he is the youngest of the infield candidates, but lost his rookie status while with the White Sox.
In addition to Aaron Hicks, Joe Benson is the other prospect expected to be given a shot at the center field position. Benson has some pop in his bat and can play all three outfield positions. His problem has been making contact even against minor league pitching. His defense makes him a candidate for the 4th outfielder spot. Oswaldo Arcia may be the best bat of any of the young players in camp. But he hasn't played above AA and is a corner outfielder. He may provide some competition for Chris Parmelee in right field, but is unlikely to get a serious chance there to start the season.
Caleb Thielbar has a shot at a bullpen spot, but more likely will start the year at AAA. Pedro Hernandez, Brett Hermsen, Trevor May and Michael Tonkin are all guys who are slated for the minor leagues. Hernandez was the other player besides Escobar in the Liriano trade and has pitched in the big leagues, so he might be considered for the 5th starter spot if he opens some eyes in spring training.
Danny Santana, Chris Herrmann, Josmil Pinto are all slated for minor league roles. They are in camp because they are on the major league roster. Herrmann made his major league debut last fall as an extra catcher. If the Twins need an extra catcher for a few games this summer, he may get that chance again since he is on the roster. But he probably isn't ready to hold a major league catching job for any length of time.
In addition to the prospects on the major league roster there are a number of non-roster invites that are also candidates for positions. Their chances were covered in an early post
Non-Roster Invitees
Each year a bunch of players who are not on the major league roster get invited to be part of major league spring training. This year the Twins invited 26 non-roster players to spring training. Not all these players are really competing for roster spots. Many are AAA backup players signed as minor league free agents. They got invited as part of their minor league deals, a common way to entice minor league free agents to sign. The players want to make sure they get a chance to be noticed by the major league staff in case an opening occurs during the season. They are really competing for AAAA positions, the guys who are first in line when there is a need at the major league level.
Others, like the four catchers below, are invited because of the need for extra players. They also have no real chance to make the roster. They were invited because catchers are needed for all the extra pitchers in camp. It also allows catcher to start becoming familiar with major league pitchers they may have to work with in the future. For instance, Danny Lehman may well be the first guy called up if the Twins lose a catcher since the only other catchers on the roster are youngsters. If that happens, he will already know a little about the pitchers from working with them in spring training over the years. Of course, its also possible one of the other catchers will catch the eye of the major league staff and get the job ahead of Lehman.
Among the pitchers Oliveros is out for the year with Tommy John surgery. Blackburn, and possibly Harden, will start the year on the DL. Once healthy, they are both candidates for the rotation.
Deduno, Vasquez and Walters were all dropped from the major league roster during the winter and resigned to minor league deals. They are all candidates for the 5th starter spot, but Deduno is probably the only one with much of a chance. Vasquez and Walters are there mostly as AAAA backups, just like last year. But they ended up in a Twins uniform in 2012 and they might again in 2013. Martis has mostly been a starter, so its possible he will get a shot there.
The Twins just signed Rafael Perez to a minor league deal. Perez has been used exclusively out of the bullpen in the big leagues and was injured last year with shoulder surgery. The Twins said the initial plan was to stretch him out as a possible starter. He is an experienced major league lefty who will likely end up in the bullpen if he is healthy and recovered. In many ways his situation is similar to Harden. Harden has been a major league starter in the past with a lot of injury issues. He will be given a shot at a rotation spot, but may end up in the bullpen.
Augenstein, Guerra, Martis, Perdomo and Slama are all bullpen candidates. Guerra is the only one without major league experience, but he may finally be starting to display a small measure of the talent the Twins thought they were getting when he was included in the Johan Santana trade. Perdomo did well for the Twins last year. Slama has done well in the minor leagues, but the Twins seem to be very doubtful that his funky delivery will fool major league hitters. Augenstein was a free agents signing. Martis was purchased from the Pirates last season when the Twins ran short of pitching. All of them are long shots, but they all will be given a look for bullpen spots and callups when injuries occur.
Alex Meyer is in camp because the Twins traded Denard Span for him and they are hoping he is going to move the majors quickly. Its very doubtful it will be to start the season, but more likely by September. He is there to get familiar with the organization and to let the organization see him first hand.
There are three third baseman among the infielders. Deibinson Romero is a long time Twins prospect who was a free agent last fall and resigned with the Twins. Mark Sobolewski was taken in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. That means he does not need to be returned and can be sent to the minors. Ray Olmedo is the other third baseman and the only one with any major league experience. He can also play shortstop or second, so he might be a candidate for utility infielder. These guys are whatever competition there is for Trevor Plouffe at third base. Unlike Plouffe, Sobolewski is a good defender. He also started to show some pop in his bat last year. So if Plouffe looks like the guy who struggled the last half of last year, its possible they would turn to Sobolewski.
Jeff Clement and Chris Carballo are both minor league sluggers who might get a spot on the major league roster as a bat off the bench. But mostly they are going to be using their bats to give Rochester or New Britain a chance to win.
James Beresford plays second and shortstop. He might get a shot as the utility infielder, but probably is only a AAA backup. He hasn't played above AA, but was a free agent last fall and resigned with the Twins.
Clete Thomas and Brandon Boggs are both candidates for fourth outfielder on the Twins if neither Hicks nor Benson are ready for the major league jobs. They can play all three outfield positions. So can Ramirez, but it is doubtful the Twins would be comfortable with him in center field. Dinkelman has played with the Twins in the past. He can play several positions, including second base, in addition to the outfield. He could be an extra player, but is probably not a candidate for 4th outfielder since he isn't a center fielder.
Pitchers
Bryan Augenstein (R)
Nick Blackburn (S)
Samuel Deduno(S)
Deolis Guerra (R)
Rich Harden (S/R)
Shairon Martis (R/S)
Alex Meyer (M)
Lester Oliveros (DL)
Luis Perdomo (R)
Rafael Perez (R/S)
Anthony Slama (R)
Esmerling Vasquez (S/R)
P.J. Walters (S/R)
Catchers
Eric Fryer (M)
Kyle Knudson (M)
Danny Lehmann (AAAA)
Dan Rohlfing (M)
Infielders
James Beresford (AAAA)
Jeff Clement (1B/DH)
Chris Colabello (1B/DH)
Ray Olmedo (3B/UT)
Deibinson Romero (3B)
Mark Sobolewski (3B)
Outfielders
Brandon Boggs (4)
Brian Dinkelman (5)
Wilkin Ramirez (5)
Clete Thomas (4)
Abbreviations:
R = Reliever Candidate
S = Starting Candidate
M = Minor League Player
UT=Utility Infielder
4= Fourth Outfielder
5= Fifth Outfielder
AAAA = Potential Backup at AAA
Others, like the four catchers below, are invited because of the need for extra players. They also have no real chance to make the roster. They were invited because catchers are needed for all the extra pitchers in camp. It also allows catcher to start becoming familiar with major league pitchers they may have to work with in the future. For instance, Danny Lehman may well be the first guy called up if the Twins lose a catcher since the only other catchers on the roster are youngsters. If that happens, he will already know a little about the pitchers from working with them in spring training over the years. Of course, its also possible one of the other catchers will catch the eye of the major league staff and get the job ahead of Lehman.
Among the pitchers Oliveros is out for the year with Tommy John surgery. Blackburn, and possibly Harden, will start the year on the DL. Once healthy, they are both candidates for the rotation.
Deduno, Vasquez and Walters were all dropped from the major league roster during the winter and resigned to minor league deals. They are all candidates for the 5th starter spot, but Deduno is probably the only one with much of a chance. Vasquez and Walters are there mostly as AAAA backups, just like last year. But they ended up in a Twins uniform in 2012 and they might again in 2013. Martis has mostly been a starter, so its possible he will get a shot there.
The Twins just signed Rafael Perez to a minor league deal. Perez has been used exclusively out of the bullpen in the big leagues and was injured last year with shoulder surgery. The Twins said the initial plan was to stretch him out as a possible starter. He is an experienced major league lefty who will likely end up in the bullpen if he is healthy and recovered. In many ways his situation is similar to Harden. Harden has been a major league starter in the past with a lot of injury issues. He will be given a shot at a rotation spot, but may end up in the bullpen.
Augenstein, Guerra, Martis, Perdomo and Slama are all bullpen candidates. Guerra is the only one without major league experience, but he may finally be starting to display a small measure of the talent the Twins thought they were getting when he was included in the Johan Santana trade. Perdomo did well for the Twins last year. Slama has done well in the minor leagues, but the Twins seem to be very doubtful that his funky delivery will fool major league hitters. Augenstein was a free agents signing. Martis was purchased from the Pirates last season when the Twins ran short of pitching. All of them are long shots, but they all will be given a look for bullpen spots and callups when injuries occur.
Alex Meyer is in camp because the Twins traded Denard Span for him and they are hoping he is going to move the majors quickly. Its very doubtful it will be to start the season, but more likely by September. He is there to get familiar with the organization and to let the organization see him first hand.
There are three third baseman among the infielders. Deibinson Romero is a long time Twins prospect who was a free agent last fall and resigned with the Twins. Mark Sobolewski was taken in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. That means he does not need to be returned and can be sent to the minors. Ray Olmedo is the other third baseman and the only one with any major league experience. He can also play shortstop or second, so he might be a candidate for utility infielder. These guys are whatever competition there is for Trevor Plouffe at third base. Unlike Plouffe, Sobolewski is a good defender. He also started to show some pop in his bat last year. So if Plouffe looks like the guy who struggled the last half of last year, its possible they would turn to Sobolewski.
Jeff Clement and Chris Carballo are both minor league sluggers who might get a spot on the major league roster as a bat off the bench. But mostly they are going to be using their bats to give Rochester or New Britain a chance to win.
James Beresford plays second and shortstop. He might get a shot as the utility infielder, but probably is only a AAA backup. He hasn't played above AA, but was a free agent last fall and resigned with the Twins.
Clete Thomas and Brandon Boggs are both candidates for fourth outfielder on the Twins if neither Hicks nor Benson are ready for the major league jobs. They can play all three outfield positions. So can Ramirez, but it is doubtful the Twins would be comfortable with him in center field. Dinkelman has played with the Twins in the past. He can play several positions, including second base, in addition to the outfield. He could be an extra player, but is probably not a candidate for 4th outfielder since he isn't a center fielder.
Pitchers
Bryan Augenstein (R)
Nick Blackburn (S)
Samuel Deduno(S)
Deolis Guerra (R)
Rich Harden (S/R)
Shairon Martis (R/S)
Alex Meyer (M)
Lester Oliveros (DL)
Luis Perdomo (R)
Rafael Perez (R/S)
Anthony Slama (R)
Esmerling Vasquez (S/R)
P.J. Walters (S/R)
Catchers
Eric Fryer (M)
Kyle Knudson (M)
Danny Lehmann (AAAA)
Dan Rohlfing (M)
Infielders
James Beresford (AAAA)
Jeff Clement (1B/DH)
Chris Colabello (1B/DH)
Ray Olmedo (3B/UT)
Deibinson Romero (3B)
Mark Sobolewski (3B)
Outfielders
Brandon Boggs (4)
Brian Dinkelman (5)
Wilkin Ramirez (5)
Clete Thomas (4)
Abbreviations:
R = Reliever Candidate
S = Starting Candidate
M = Minor League Player
UT=Utility Infielder
4= Fourth Outfielder
5= Fifth Outfielder
AAAA = Potential Backup at AAA
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Predicted Opening Day Lineup and Roster
We all know there are a bunch of decisions for the Twin to make this spring and lots of people in camp to provide options. But I think it is useful to guess what the opening day lineup and roster will look like even though a lot will change by the start of the season.
Opening Day Lineup:
Hicks - CF
Carroll - 2B
Mauer - C
Willingham - LF
Morneau - 1B
Doumit - DH
Parmlee - RF
Plouffe - 3B
Florimon - SS
Worley - SP
Rotation: Worley, Diamond, Pelfrey, Correia, De Vries
Bench:
Bullpen: Perkins, Burton, Duensing, Burnett, Fien ,Wood, Robertson
Fielders: Mastroianni, Butera, Escobar, Sobolewski
DL: Swarzak
What the exercise shows is there are five spots which are very wide open. De Vries, Robertson, Wood, Escobar and Sobolewksi are in many ways all longshots to make the opening day roster. There are several other players who could be on the roster in place of any of them. In addition, Florimon and Hicks have competition, albeit more focused, for their jobs.
It will be interesting to follow all the competition this spring. If you have your own projection put it in the comments below, but please make it clear whether its a projection of what the Twins WILL do or what you think they SHOULD do. The above is my prediction of what they will do.
Opening Day Lineup:
Hicks - CF
Carroll - 2B
Mauer - C
Willingham - LF
Morneau - 1B
Doumit - DH
Parmlee - RF
Plouffe - 3B
Florimon - SS
Worley - SP
Rotation: Worley, Diamond, Pelfrey, Correia, De Vries
Bench:
Bullpen: Perkins, Burton, Duensing, Burnett, Fien ,Wood, Robertson
Fielders: Mastroianni, Butera, Escobar, Sobolewski
DL: Swarzak
What the exercise shows is there are five spots which are very wide open. De Vries, Robertson, Wood, Escobar and Sobolewksi are in many ways all longshots to make the opening day roster. There are several other players who could be on the roster in place of any of them. In addition, Florimon and Hicks have competition, albeit more focused, for their jobs.
It will be interesting to follow all the competition this spring. If you have your own projection put it in the comments below, but please make it clear whether its a projection of what the Twins WILL do or what you think they SHOULD do. The above is my prediction of what they will do.
Twins Roster Competition
Here is how the Twins roster stacks up going into spring training:
Outfield (4):
Ink: Willingham, Mastroianni
Pencil: Parmelee
Competing: Hicks, Benson
Longshots: Arcia
Willingham is set in left. Parmelee is likely in right. Mastroianni will compete with Hicks and Benson for the center field spot. If he loses, he will be on the roster as a 4th outfielder. If Mastroianni wins the starting center field position, Benson may have a shot as the 4th outfielder. More likely is that spot gets filled by someone not on the roster. The 4th outfielder needs to be able to play center field since none of the other outfielders can play there. Willingham, Parmelee, Mauer and Doumit are not center fielders even in an emergency.
Outfield (4):
Ink: Willingham, Mastroianni
Pencil: Parmelee
Competing: Hicks, Benson
Longshots: Arcia
Willingham is set in left. Parmelee is likely in right. Mastroianni will compete with Hicks and Benson for the center field spot. If he loses, he will be on the roster as a 4th outfielder. If Mastroianni wins the starting center field position, Benson may have a shot as the 4th outfielder. More likely is that spot gets filled by someone not on the roster. The 4th outfielder needs to be able to play center field since none of the other outfielders can play there. Willingham, Parmelee, Mauer and Doumit are not center fielders even in an emergency.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
2013 Isn't a Rebuilding Year for Twins
Are the Twins rebuilding? Should they be?
There are two ways to see that question. If by "rebuilding", the implication is that he Twins don't think they can compete this season, then no the Twins are not rebuilding. If by rebuilding, you mean the Twins are making a lot of changes to the team they had last year. Then yes, the Twins have rebuilt.
There are two ways to see that question. If by "rebuilding", the implication is that he Twins don't think they can compete this season, then no the Twins are not rebuilding. If by rebuilding, you mean the Twins are making a lot of changes to the team they had last year. Then yes, the Twins have rebuilt.
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