Article: Twins Organizational Depth Chart: Middle Infield

[Seth Stohs]

For years, the Twins had a string of uncertainty in the middle infield. Since the days of Cristian Guzman and Luis Rivas, the Twins have not been able to develop a strong middle infield combination. The Twins appear to have a second baseman to build around and hope that they have found a shortstop for the next several years. How does the rest of the organization look in the middle infield?Let’s take a look.

 

Major Leagues

 

Brian Dozier took another step forward in 2014. He became a 20/20 player, hitting 23 homers and stealing 21 bases. He added 33 doubles while hitting .242/.345/.416 and playing his solid defense up the middle. He may be a candidate for a long-term extension to buy out some arbitration and free agent years this offseason.

 

The season began with Pedro Florimon at shortstop, but he just didn’t hit and was sent down to Rochester. At season’s end, he was Designated for Assignment and claimed by the Washington Nationals.

 

Fortunately, Eduardo Escobar was around, and he was up to the challenge. Still just 25, Escobar has been deemed a utility infielder, but given this opportunity, he really stepped up. In 133 games, he hit .275/.315/.406 (.721) with 35 doubles. He also solidified the position defensively.

 

The Twins acquired Eduardo Nunez from the Yankees early in the season in exchange for Miguel Sulburan. He hit .250/.271/.382 (.654) with 15 extra base hits in 72 games. He played all over the diamond and fit the utility role.

 

What will the new manager and the front office do with Danny Santana? The 23-year-old was a shortstop throughout his minor league career, other than 23 games in centerfield between 2009 and 2012. He was called up to the Twins because of a need at shortstop, but he ended up giving the Twins their centerfielder where he held his own. Offensively, he surprised by hitting .319/.353/.472 (.824) with 27 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs. He also stole 20 bases in 24 attempts. The plan appears to be to move him back to shortstop in 2015. He had 32 errors at the position in New Britain in 2013, but who knows what surprised Santana might have in for us in 2015.

 

Minor Leagues

 

Doug Bernier got into seven games for the Twins in September after a strong season in Rochester. He hit .280/.348/.396 (.744) with 25 doubles and six homers in 124 games with the Red Wings. He played 66 games at shortstop, 44 games at third base, 14 games at second base, five games in right field and seven games in left field. Bernier was removed from the 40 man roster and is now a free agent.

 

James Beresford was the everyday second baseman for the Red Wings, playing 128 games at the position. He certainly can play on the left side of the infield as well. In 131 games, he hit .276/.323/.351 (.674) with 28 doubles. He’s one of the better gloves in the organization. He is again a minor league free agent.

 

Jorge Polanco made the move full-time to shortstop in 2014 after spending more time at second base earlier in his career. He played 123 games at shortstop and just ten at second base. He had a lot of errors, but those numbers decreased as the season went along. Offensively, he hit .288/.353/.395 (.748) with 23 doubles, six triples and seven home runs between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He also had 17 stolen bases. He also came up to the Twins twice during the season just because he was on the 40-man roster. He had a double and a triple (and two walks) in six at bats.

 

Tony Thomas was an Eastern League All Star. The 27-year-old came to the Twins as a free agent before the 2014 season. He played 53 games at second base. He played 33 games at shortstop and 39 games in the outfield. Overall, he hit .241/.302/.411 (.712) with 29 doubles, six triples and 12 homers. He stole 14 bases. He recently resigned with the Twins on another minor league contract for the 2015 season.

 

Levi Michael started to put things together in 2014. He was hitting well in Ft. Myers when he fouled a ball off of his foot. He came back two months later and soon after moved up to New Britain where he hit .340 in 15 games. Overall, he hit .313/.389/.387 (.776) with 14 extra base hits in 65 games. He stole ten bases. He played almost exclusively at second base, though he did play three games at shortstop as well. He would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he is not added to the 40 man roster in November.

 

Stephen Wickens played 30 games at second base and three games at shortstop for the Rock Cats. He mostly played third base. In 72 overall games, he hit .242/.296/.301 (.598) with ten extra base hits.

 

After playing shortstop through his earlier years, the Twins moved Niko Goodrum to third base. However, he did still play 26 games at shortstop. The 22-year-old hit .249/.337/.336 (.672) with 19 doubles, five triples and three home runs. He also stole 35 bases in 39 attempts. He is a good defensive shortstop with good range and a strong arm.

 

After Levi Michael moved up to AA, Tyler Grimes got the playing time at second base, including in the Miracle playoff run. He played 34 games at second base, caught 19 games, played centerfield 12 games, third base five times, right field five times and left field four times. In 79 games, he hit .232/.313/.335 (.648) with 14 doubles and three home runs.

 

Aderlin Mejia began the season as the starting shortstop in New Britain, but by the end of April, he was back in Ft. Myers. Overall, he played 45 games at second base and 39 games at shortstop. He also played 19 games at third base. In 110 games, he hit .273/.360/.318 (.678) with 15 doubles. He also stole 25 bases.

 

Engelb Vielma spent the first half of the 2014 season as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League. He held his own. Defensively, he is remarkable, with soft hands, good range and a very strong arm. Though he is still wire-thin, he was able to hit .266/.313/.323 (.636) with 13 doubles, four triples and a home run. If he can gain more strength, he could be one to watch.

 

Ryan Walker began the season on the disabled list. When he returned, he played 39 games at second base and 31 games at shortstop. Like Vielma, he is rail thin but quick and plays very good defense. In 76 games, he hit .239/.296/.299 (.595) with eight doubles and four triples.

 

Tanner Vavra was the Twins 30^th round pick in 2013. He spent 2014 with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The 24-year-old played in 81 games and hit .258/.345/.326 (.671) with 14 doubles, a triple and a home run. He played 63 games at second base and was the DH in his other games.

 

Logan Wade began the season with the Kernels but a shoulder injury cost him a couple of months. He really struggled offensively in his rehab stint with the GCL Twins but started hitting a bit again when he returned to Cedar Rapids. In 85 games, the 22-year-old hit .221/.263/.356 (.619) with 14 doubles, four triples and seven home runs. The Australian also played for his country in exhibition games against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks when the teams began their season Down Under.

 

Jonatan Hinojosa played mostly third base in 2014. He did play ten games for the Kernels at second base and one at shortstop. He certainly profiles more as a middle infielder, with great speed and quickness, and a strong arm. In 52 games, he hit .291/.332/.390 (.722) with three doubles, six triples and one home run.

Nick Gordon was the Twins top pick in 2014 out of his Orlando high school. At 18, he spent the season with Elizabethton where he hit .294/.333/.366 (.699) in 57 games. He added six doubles, four triples and a home run. He played a solid shortstop in 49 games. He has all the tools and should make the jump to Cedar Rapids to start 2014.

 

12^th round pick and Minnesota native Pat Kelly played 39 games at second base for Elizabethton after three years at the University of Nebraska. He hit .242/.290/.313 (.602) with seven doubles and a triple in just 138 plate appearances.

 

Will Hurt was the team’s 16^th round pick in 2012 out of high school. After two seasons in the GCL, he moved up to Elizabethton where he played 25 game at second base. He hit .235/.303/.235 (.538). He has great speed and a very good glove. He’s got the arm to play shortstop as well.

 

Blake Schmidt is another Minnesota native. He was the Twins 26^th round pick in 2014 out of the University of Maryland. The 22-year-old played in just 22 games (19 at SS, 3 at 3B) and hit .162/.250/.176 (.426) with a double.

 

Joel Ramirez played the most games at shortstop for the GCL Twins in 2014. The 20-year-old played 25 games at the position as well as eight games at second base. He hit .176/.268/.194 (.463) with two doubles. He has good speed and stole ten bases.

 

Manuel Guzman played 23 games at shortstop and another 21 games at second base. The 19-year-old is very fast and has great range. In 47 games in the GCL, he hit .283/.385/.345 (.729) with five doubles and two triples.

 

Nelson Molina was the Twins 11^th round pick out of Puerto Rico in 2013. The 19-year-old returned to the GCL and played all over the diamond. He played 18 games at third base and 14 games at shortstop. He played all of the other positions with the exception of catcher and centerfield. In 45 games, he hit .243/.305/.287 (.591) with three triples.

 

Rafael Valera is another guy who played all over the diamond. He played 22 games at second base and 16 games at third base. He also played 14 combined games between all three outfield positions. The 19-year-old was also the guy who moved up to the Ft. Myers Miracle when they had a need. In 50 total games, he hit .245/.360/.333 (.693) with nine doubles and two triples.

 

Down in the Dominican Summer League, 17-year-old Emmanuel Morel played 52 of his 55 games at shortstop. He hit .240/.332/.304 (.636) with two doubles, three triples and a homer.

 

Jorge Andrade played 33 games at second base for the DSL Twins. In 51 total games, the 19-year-old hit .287/.388/.408 (.796) with five doubles and eight triples. He also stole 22 bases.

 

Luis Arraez played 31 games as a 17 year old in the DSL. 25 of those games were at second base, with three games at shortstop. He hit .348/.433/.400 (.833) with six doubles.

 

Gabriel Ynfante played 39 games for the DSL Twins. The 19-year-old played 15 games at second base, ten games at third base and five games at shortstop. He hit .226/.419/.304 (.724) with seven doubles and one triple.

 

SUMMARY

 

The Twins should feel very good about their big league middle infield. Brian Dozier will be second baseman, and either Eduardo Escobar or Danny Santana will be playing at shortstop.

 

Beyond that, there is some talent. Jorge Polanco and Levi Michael took a step forward in 2014. Engelb Vielma certainly put himself on the prospect map. Nick Gordon will be a Top 100 prospect in baseball and, although we’ll need to be patient, he has big potential.

 

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[beckmt]

Very good group of players.  May need to package or move some talent from here for front line pitching.  Great article. Looking forward to see what Michael, Polanco, Gordon and Goodrum do next year

[hybridbear]

Isn't Rosario still playing infield?

[SockNet]

I never liked the 1st round Levi Michael pick. I felt he had far more in common with Matt Tolbert, a career backup, than a starting middle infielder. Plus I would have expected a 20 year old D1 first round pick to be more polished and move through the system faster. I could have just been bitter about not drafting high end pitching that year. Like every year prior to Stewart.

[Willihammer]

Yikes, looks pretty barren once you get past the major leaguers.

[Seth Stohs]

  On 10/28/2014 at 1:09 PM, hybridbear said:

Isn't Rosario still playing infield?

 

I probably should have included him, but the sentence likely would have read something like "Rosario still got into 18 games at second base in 2014, though it appears he will be moving back to the outfield full time." 

[Seth Stohs]

  On 10/28/2014 at 2:03 PM, SockNet said:

I never liked the 1st round Levi Michael pick. I felt he had far more in common with Matt Tolbert, a career backup, than a starting middle infielder. Plus I would have expected a 20 year old D1 first round pick to be more polished and move through the system faster. I could have just been bitter about not drafting high end pitching that year. Like every year prior to Stewart.

 

When I read reports about Levi Michael, I read them and thought that his upside was Nick Punto. I think Nick Punto was vastly underrated as a Twins utility infielder. His defense was terrific at three infield positions and he took a lot of pitches and walked a lot. However, in my opinion, you don't take a future utility infielder in the first round. 

 

That said, I didn't have a huge issue with it because the Twins system needed middle infielders. He was the 30th pick, and I recall Keith Law ranked him as something like the 14th best player in the whole draft. He was very young for his draft class, so I thought that would be a good thing.

 

To be fair, he wasn't healthy his first two years. He also probably should have started in Cedar Rapids rather than Ft. Myers. Let's hope that 2014 was a start to something good. He's still just 23. Maybe he can become a utility infielder in the big leagues after all. 

[dxpavelka]

  On 10/28/2014 at 2:03 PM, SockNet said:

I never liked the 1st round Levi Michael pick. I felt he had far more in common with Matt Tolbert, a career backup, than a starting middle infielder. Plus I would have expected a 20 year old D1 first round pick to be more polished and move through the system faster. I could have just been bitter about not drafting high end pitching that year. Like every year prior to Stewart.

16 of the 29 guys drafted ahead of Michael have yet to hit the big leagues including 6 who also played college ball.  It's not a race.

[Seth Stohs]

  On 10/28/2014 at 5:34 PM, dxpavelka said:

16 of the 29 guys drafted ahead of Michael have yet to hit the big leagues including 6 who also played college ball.  It's not a race.

 

Tremendous point!

[Lakeside]

Nobody asked, but here's my take.  Please understand that I am a Defense first, up the middle, roster person.  Strong D at catcher, SS, 2B, and CF. . . takes precedence over offense at these positions.  Winning teams seem to get both.

 

MLB--  Dozier, Santana, and Escobar.  You can make the case for Santana as the starting SS and Escobar in a utility role.  You can also make the case for Santana in CF with Escobar starting at SS.  Maybe Nunez or Beresford (if we can sign him) make the grade as an additional Utility player.

 

    Dozier has team control and experience behind him. . . you could also make the case he would bring the most of anybody on the team in trade value.  with Polanco, Michael, Goodrum,and even Gordon as potential long term middle infielders, is it time to sign and trade Dozier??

 

Rochester---Beresford and Polanco as the starters with Thomas (who I just believe we re-signed) spelling them.

 

Chattanooga--Michael at 2B (although I think he will eventually be valuable in MLB as a Punto type utility player) and Mejia and Goodrum at SS.  My guess is that Sano starts at 3B here and Goodrum may replace him at that position when he (Sano) is moved to Rochester or MLB.

 

Ft. Myers--Walker and Vavra at 2b -- this could be their ceilings, but someody has to play 2B here.  Vielma at SS. .  personally, I really like the potential of Vielma. . he is already accomplished on defense and he battles every single at bat. . he will become a better hitter because of that.  Logan Wade could play here, but I'm guessing he will start as Cedar Rapids 3B.

 

Cedar Rapids--2B--Kelly, Schmidt, and Hinjosa. . . it is possible that Hinjosa will play 3B regularly and move Wade to 2B with Kelly and Schmidt.  Nick Gordon will get all the at bats he wants playing SS here.

 

Elizabethton/Gulf Coast --  Extended Spring Training will determine who goes here.  However, don't be surprised if Manuel Guzman becomes the 2nd half 2B, paired with Nick Gordon at SS, at Cedar Rapids.

[DocBauer]

Not saying the Twins are overly deep with middle infield talent, and there's some guys on this list that are very young and very much unknowns as a result, but overall, a big black hold has been closed the past few seasons to provide some quality play and options at the ML level, and some at least interesting options in the pipeline.

 

Count me as a big Dozier fan and believer. And I believe we have yet to see the best of him. I know some point to his age and later arrival/maturity, but players at all positions mature at different rates and ages. You don't draft 15 year hall of famers. You draft good baseball prospects from HS and college, work with and develop them, sometimes move them around, and when they're ready, they're ready.

 

It's ridiculous to state Escobar is a utility player only. He's way too young for that, and does offer a solid set of skills, and really had a very nice season once he got his chance. And if a quality utility guy is his best role, then so be it. There's nothing wrong with that. No questioning the talent and potential of Santana though.

 

I was actually pleasantly surprised by Beresford development this season, but I'm wondering about his floor and ceiling, and if he'll ever get a real shot. The glove appears to be there.

 

I like Nunez as a nice little hitter/utility guy off the bench. I probably like him better than most. But I think his time is limited with Polanco on the way up.

 

Goodrum interests me as a talented and seemingly versatile player potentially, offensively and defensively. Is he another potential Santana? Did his experience at 3B last season increase his versatility or slow his development?

 

Vielma is the guy I find fascinating. I don't know a lot about him except what I read here at TD. All accounts have him as a potentially outstanding defensive SS. I know he's young and physically needing development. But I find myself eager to know more about his potential if he hits a growth spurt or two.

[DocBauer]

  On 10/28/2014 at 5:34 PM, dxpavelka said:

16 of the 29 guys drafted ahead of Michael have yet to hit the big leagues including 6 who also played college ball.  It's not a race.

 

Nice.

 

I remember when drafted he was considered an unspectacular but solid SS who should stick defensively with hit ability, some speed, and some pop. We all want and hope 1st round picks turn in to something important, if not big. But if he develops in to a nice, versatile role player, ultimately, that's not a bad thing. Every team needs those too.

[zak4221]

I still have trouble understanding why a 27 yr old with career BA hovering .240 with a K rate around average and BB rate slightly above average is a 2nd baseman to build around?

[ashbury]

Build around, like you would for a Sano or a Buxton?  No, probably not.

 

But Dozier's defense at second base has been above average, and the batting ability he brings (you left out his power) does not grow on trees in that combination.  Were we to trade him to fill some other hole, replacing him becomes a pressing task.

[Secondary User]

  On 10/29/2014 at 4:36 PM, ashburyjohn said:

Build around, like you would for a Sano or a Buxton?  No, probably not.

 

But Dozier's defense at second base has been above average, and the batting ability he brings (you left out his power) does not grow on trees in that combination.  Were we to trade him to fill some other hole, replacing him becomes a pressing task.

 

Add in that he's improved the last two seasons, and in the minors, has shown the ability to hit for average, so there's reason to believe he still has room to grow

[zak4221]

My point was that, in the article it said he was a second baseman to build around...i am not doubting his ability but don't think his stats should receive a build around status