2015 lineup

[kydoty]

C. Suzuki

1B. Mauer

2B. Dozier

3B. Sano

SS. Santana

LF. Hicks

CF. Buxton

RF. Arcia

DH. Vargas

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we're gonna be okay. 

[Oldgoat_MN]

I see no reason to believe Santana will take the SS position from Escobar.

 

I will be very surprised if Buxton and Sano are on the Twins next year before June, and a little surprised if they are both on the team before August.

 

If you are going to have those two in the lineup, I would move Santana to LF and put Escobar at SS.

 

Hicks has a value as a good fielding CF. He has never in his career shown the BA or OBP that would suggest he would be a good player to have in LF. Just my humble opinion.

 

Of course, it will be interesting to see if Santana can maintain an OPS of > .800. He never did it in the minors.

[iTwins]

I think you meant 2015 lineup.    Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Buxton in a Twins uniform tonight, but that'd be a bit aggressive on the Twins end.

 

To your point - I like that outfield. Hicks + Buxton equals a LOT of coverage out there. There's some nice power in that lineup too - between Sano, Vargas and Arcia - that team will score some runs.

 

This may very well be a 2015 Twins lineup, but I think it will be late 2015 before all the pieces are starting like you have laid out.

[kydoty]

I should clarify.  I have no delusions that this will be the opening day lineup.  But I think it will be at some point next season.

[Tuba]

Six of those guys could be in the lineup tonight and we aren't very good. Seven if you count Hicks. Always room for improvement. 

[stringer bell]

At some point the OP might be pretty close. I have said this in about 50 threads already: I don't think Aaron Hicks will ever have enough bat to play consistently as a major league corner outfielder.

 

The Escobar thread is talking about whether he should be the regular SS going into the season and I am on the EE bandwagon. I have stated that upon Sano's arrival, Plouffe should be moved to left field, perhaps sharing the position with a LH hitter (Parmelee, Schafer, Rosario). As far as center field options, it wouldn't surprise me if Danny Santana was the Twins' CF to start the season.

 

I am also on the BB (Buxton) bandwagon. I believe the top prospect that the Twins have had, at least since Mauer, will make his debut sometime in 2015 and never return to the minors.

[Shane Wahl]

After the all-star break, yes. Plouffe, Pinto, Escobar, and X (Herrmann, Nunez, etc.) makes for a good bench as well.

[Shane Wahl]

Escobar and Plouffe are pretty clear trade candidates, FWIW.

[Paul Pleiss]

My rebuttal.

 

SS: Danny Santana

2B: Brian Dozier

1B: Joe Mauer

DH: Kennys Vargas

RF: Oswaldo Arcia

C: Kurt Suzuki

3B: Trevor Plouffe (who moves to LF when Sano comes up)

LF: Chicken Parm/Eduardo Nonsense

CF: Aaron Hicks

 

Bench: Pinto, the other between Parm/Nonsense, Eddie Escobar

 

That could be an opening day lineup I could see. Aaron Hicks has always gotten on base at a good clip, and if he can continue to do that from both sides of the plate he can play RF/LF if/when Buxton arrives. Plenty of other guys who can/should be the "run producers."

[Oldgoat_MN]

After the all-star break, yes. Plouffe, Pinto, Escobar, and X (Herrmann, Nunez, etc.) makes for a good bench as well.

Honestly, Shane...

Sometimes you just make me shake my head.

 

Um, you realize that Plouffe, Pinto and Nunez can all hit home runs? That Escobar has an OPS+ of 100?

 

When did the Twins ever bother to have a bench that looked that ready to contribute?