Tell me why this guy doesn't deserve to be penciled in as the starting shortstop on the 2015 Twins.

 

Tell me why this guy doesn't deserve to be penciled in as the starting shortstop on the 2015 Twins.

I agree with you, but the reason is the same one that keeps us coming back to Aaron Hicks--tools.  Fairly or not, I think the Twins think that last year's version of Escobar is about as good as he can be.  Fairly or not, the Twins see Hicks' undeniable tools and they think he can become a better player than Escobar.  Santana also has tools that project to a better player than Escobar.  In my book, Escobar earned a position over Hicks, even if it means relocating Santana at least temporarily. 

He does, but you are preaching to the choir here

 

He'd be my starting SS over Santana every day (have seen both of them playing enough to get the feeling that 2014 was an aberration for Santana; and his glove at SS is inconsistent)

Conventional wisdom has Escobar being the utility guy - wouldn't Santana be the perfect guy in that role? Infield, outfield, pinch runner, he could play 150 games filling in for just about anybody in any situation. He is young enough to get a starting role down the road.

 

I just really like Escobar's game. Low maintainence, better than average performance.

Edited March 13, 201511 yr by Monkeypaws

 

Conventional wisdom has Escobar being the utility guy - wouldn't Santana be the perfect guy in that role? Infield, outfield, pinch runner, he could play 150 games filling in for just about anybody in any situation. He is young enough to get a starting role down the road.

 

I just really like Escobar's game. Low maintainence, better than average performance.

 

Santana is better suited for utility and late inning PR role than Escobar.  Not sure that he is starter material will Polanco and Michael and Gordon coming down the pipe.  Heck, Escobar is still before his prime too...

I don't see it as a matter of deserves. The Twins need to put the best team on the field. If they are better with Santana at SS than Escobar, they need to play Santana. To my fan's eye, Escobar was very solid last year at SS and could play the position for a winning team without hurting them.

It isn't just Santana vs. Escobar.  This also includes center field.  If Santana is 90% of what he was last year, he needs to start somewhere.  There is a place for him to play in center.  It could be long term that Santana develops into a 10th regular (I think that could be a good role for him), but center would be a good place for him and he should/could be a good defender there.

Problem as I see it is that while Santana's bat might be ready (looked good last year, but definitely a regression candidate), his glove most certainly is not. I'd be thinking long and hard about Santana in AAA. He needs to play at SS every day. CF as a short term gap I can live with, but moving him into a utility role or doing the experiment again this year is not good for his long term progression.

 

Problem as I see it is that while Santana's bat might be ready (looked good last year, but definitely a regression candidate), his glove most certainly is not. I'd be thinking long and hard about Santana in AAA. He needs to play at SS every day. CF as a short term gap I can live with, but moving him into a utility role or doing the experiment again this year is not good for his long term progression.

 

I think that Santana's ceiling is utility player in a competitive team.  Casilla/Guzman +  Not bad, but not starting material for a team that want to be competitive in the postseason, when there are better options.

 

Speaking of, as soon as July maybe, the Santana vs Escobar discussion might be academic, since Polanco looks pretty darn ready to me right now, and he is a better option than both.

Escobar deserves the respect of a really good utility player.  Basically Nick Punto and Punto shouldn't have been given any starting jobs.  Now perhaps he is a better option than Santana but I still believe that Santana's tools are better and he could be a solid MLB SS even if he isn't a All-star level. 

 

I also disagree that Santana is a better utility player.  He played a 20-30 games of 2B in each of 2010 and 2012 but very little 2B/3B outside of that.  The CF part of the utility doesn't matter as much imo since there will be a 4th OFer to cover that.  The Twins need a utility player that they can put in at 2B/3B if either starters needs a day off for whatever reason.  If Escobar is the starter then Santana should be in AAA imo.

I like Escobar and he'll get plenty of chances.  Plouffe is basically a 2 DL stint a year guy and there will be other injuries as well.  He'll get his at-bats.