Far less concerned about his strikeouts than his health.  Will he ever stay healthy?

He's like the right-handed version of Hrbek.  The guy used to frustrate me to no end.  All the physical gifts in the world, and never bothered to take the least bit of care of himself.  Don't get me wrong, he still did wonderful things for the home town team, but who can ever say what could have been with maybe a little better diet and striving for top physical shape?  Big guys like he and Sano are just so much more susceptible to niggling injuries, like Sano has now.  All that extra weight you have to carry puts extra pressure on your body, inside and out. 

 

Of course, everyone gets to manage their own lives, and everyone wants to feel comfortable in their own skin- but the incredibly short window of a life that you have to perform at such a high level is so fleeting, and subject to whimsical factors, that I fail to understand how a (now) grown man can't recognize that, and do everything he can to put himself in the best shape possible.

 

I played all kinds of sports throughout my decades (too many), and still compete deep into my 50's.  There were always bigger, faster, quicker-reflexed guys out there, and I always had to work my butt off to rise to a barely competent level. Like so many of us fans, we look at these guys  living our dreams out there, and wonder.  I'm sure most of us have made that Walter Mitty pact, that if we'd been given the same physical gifts, man, we'd take care of ourselves to do it as well and as long as possible.

 

Enhancing and prolonging a career in the bigs, (with the $ compensation that goes with it) would seem to compel you to do this.  But some fellas.... well......  coulda been.

Last year the team did well without Sano, and this year the team is again doing well without him. He does not seem to enhance team chemistry. He is a mess physically and mentally and the Twins would do well to part ways with Sano. So I guess that's a #3. 

He's like the right-handed version of Hrbek.  The guy used to frustrate me to no end.  All the physical gifts in the world, and never bothered to take the least bit of care of himself.  Don't get me wrong, he still did wonderful things for the home town team, but who can ever say what could have been with maybe a little better diet and striving for top physical shape?  Big guys like he and Sano are just so much more susceptible to niggling injuries, like Sano has now.  All that extra weight you have to carry puts extra pressure on your body, inside and out. 

 

Of course, everyone gets to manage their own lives, and everyone wants to feel comfortable in their own skin- but the incredibly short window of a life that you have to perform at such a high level is so fleeting, and subject to whimsical factors, that I fail to understand how a (now) grown man can't recognize that, and do everything he can to put himself in the best shape possible.

 

I played all kinds of sports throughout my decades (too many), and still compete deep into my 50's.  There were always bigger, faster, quicker-reflexed guys out there, and I always had to work my butt off to rise to a barely competent level. Like so many of us fans, we look at these guys  living our dreams out there, and wonder.  I'm sure most of us have made that Walter Mitty pact, that if we'd been given the same physical gifts, man, we'd take care of ourselves to do it as well and as long as possible.

 

Enhancing and prolonging a career in the bigs, (with the $ compensation that goes with it) would seem to compel you to do this.  But some fellas.... well......  coulda been.

Some guys just float through their careers on talent. Hrbek was one, by his own admission. He told my Carrier guy at a company function that he never worked at the game, just played, and likely could have been better, but just enjoyed the game in his own fashion. There is nothing actually wrong with that, but leaves a few "what ifs"? When Herbie was in the prime of his career I was listening to a national sports talk show, and they were discussing which MLB player did not play up to the peak his abilities. Herbie was on the top of the list. That said he has had a good life, just as is. As for Sano? I would DH him, mostly to cut down on the chances of injury. I doubt his "health" will improve this summer, and then make a decision over the winter based on how he approaches his "health" issue. Maybe you can play MLB baseball in an "unhealthy" condition but the odds are poor.