Article: Twins Waiting, Watching (And Wanting)

[USAFChief]

I'd rather not waste another season at the position, as we already wasted one, arguably two. And if Buxton hits another stumbling block again this year, wasting 2015 makes it more likely you will be wasting the spot again in 2016.

No one is suggesting a megatrade or huge FA signing. And whatever decent solution you find for CF could still have value post-Buxton, in a corner or by trade (kinda the value we all still hope Hicks achieves).

I'm still holding out hope Hicks turns into a decent solution. With value post-Buxton.

 

Admittedly, that flame of hope is flickering badly, but it's still there. At the very least if the season is wasted I'd rather it be wasted on Hicks than other current Twins options.

[Shane Wahl]

While it won't happen, I really wish Hicks would just start murdering the baseball this season to end this nonsense. I still don't understand how anyone watching that play could say that it landed next to him or a few feet from him. It was behind him. I watched the path of the ball from behind home. Then I "rewound" the dvr and watched again a few more times. 

 

AAA time is going to do squat for him now. 

 

Shocked that there is even a debate going on with regard to Shane Robinson and Aaron Hicks.

[TheLeviathan]

 

AAA time is going to do squat for him now. 

 

Shocked that there is even a debate going on with regard to Shane Robinson and Aaron Hicks.

 

Look, whether the play the other day was a bad one or not isn't all that important.  Hicks' resume includes a startling number of comically awful routes and misplays without one more in the pile.  The guy is an average fielder, at best, from what I see and the numbers seem to back that up.

 

The debate isn't Robinson vs. Hicks in terms of talent, I doubt anyone comes down on the Robinson side in that discussion.  The problem is that many of us believe that Hicks is so wildly overmatched by big league pitching that the guy can't ever build confidence or work on improved mechanics without miserably failing.  I want to choose Robinson to go north FOR Hicks and the idea that he can still bounce back from all these failures and get his production to match his abilities.

 

Hicks has still yet to drive the ball with authority anywhere above AA.  It's time to see if he can do it in AAA, let him build some confidence, and come back a long term solution.  If Hicks fails again he's done and any future with the club is done.  I'd rather give that one last opportunity the best chance possible.  

If they foolishly call him north with the team I'll be rooting for him, but I think it's a terrible decision.  One made worse by having Shane Robinson as Plan B.

[Rosterman]

The Twins actually have no backup for first base. Brock Peterson in the minors? Vargas doesn't need to learn the position, really. Plouffe there would allow Mauer to DH at times and Escobar to get some playing time at third.

 

If Santana does stay at short, is there a need for Nunez to be on the bench?

 

Is Herrmann a decent enough backup for Kurt S. Would he still be usable as a pinch-hitter? He would also be the fifth outfielder if the Twins go with duo of Schafer and Robinson in center.

 

Who goes off the 40-man if the Twins keep Robinson. Or if they keep someone other than Nunez (would assume Nunez goes).

 

Do we need to keep the loser of Pelfrey and Milone in the majors? It's not like there are adequate backups to get a shot in the minors for the rotation. If Pelfrey languishes in the bullpen, does it increase his value? Of do you cut him, hope someone picks him up, and eat the salary. Of course, what to do about Staufer. At this point, I would rather have Boyer, but that isn't saying much. Then we might as well keep Thompson over THielbar, but then things really don't start making sense as we fill the team with also rans and AAA fodder.

 

Can't wait until the prospects do fully emerge. The additions of May and Meyer, the bullpen rides of Zach Jones, Burdi, Cederoth, Reed. The arrival of someone other than Pinto to become the next catching prospect. Sano at third. Polanco in the infield. Buxton and Kepler in the outfield. I'm more excited to see these guys flay at the ball than to see Brock Peterson, Shane Robinson, Doug Bernier Edwin Nunez, Mike Pelfrey, Tom Milone, Tim Staufer get service time.

 

If the Twins think they can do more than compete and actually win games in their division and be in the hunt, more power to them. They got one month to sort things out and become a team of expendables, or switch gears and hope they can resell us all on a team of future stars.

[Shane Wahl]

Learning MLB pitching by facing AAA pitching? No. AAA is a place on the way up or a quick trip down very early on in a career.

There is no way it helps him to do anyting but play for the Twins.  And the guy is legitimately getting better.

 

Not sure what else can be said here.

[Brandon]

My 2 cents

 

I didn't read into Plouffe going to first other than positional flexibility.

 

The rotation is between May and Millone at this point.  I think Pelfry is in the pen.

 

In the pen I see Perkins, Fien, Deunsing, Pelfry, Stauffer, with Thielbar likely and Graham, Boyer, Pressley fighting for the 7th spot

 

In CF if it isn't Hicks or Rosario starting Escobar has shown he can handle short and should get more time to start and let Santana go back and forth between CF and SS again getting more time a SS this year then last though.  This way were not sacrificing on offense so much. and Buxton is likely to be up later this year anyway so its not like this is a permanent thing for Santana and it gives more playing time to Escobar who has shown he deserves it. 

[TheLeviathan]

Learning MLB pitching by facing AAA pitching? No. AAA is a place on the way up or a quick trip down very early on in a career.

There is no way it helps him to do anyting but play for the Twins.  And the guy is legitimately getting better.

 

Not sure what else can be said here.

At this point we don't know that he can even hit AAA pitching, much less MLB.

 

Please, show me how he is getting better.

[Mike Sixel]

Maybe they are trading Mauer.....hahahahahaha.

 

It means nothing, other than positional flexibility, and potentially giving Joe a day or two off, w/o moving Vargas off DH, imo.

[ashbury]

 

So you think that Buxton will be hitting breaking balls by 2016?  I still am not sure about that...  Got to see to believe.

I seem to remember him having a slow start at one of the earlier levels, and he figured it out soon enough. He might turn the corner already by June.

[stringer bell]

Many comments to discuss. Hicks hasn't shown he is capable. Yes, I would rather go with a Schafer/Robinson platoon than expose the not-ready Hicks for the third straight year. Molitor has made it clear that Santana will be a shortstop to start the year. I think the bullpen that goes north will be old and ripe for regression. The young arms aren't far away, so this is an area where there will be transition this year. If Mauer gets injured, Plouffe could get lots of time at first, ditto if Vargas gets hurt or demoted. If Pelfrey remains effective, I could see him in the bullpen. No to Milone or May.

[jimmer]

Molitor may have made it clear Santana will be a shortstop to start the year, but Ryan makes the active roster and if the 25 man roster makes Escobar shortstop and Santana CF our best option, we could very well see that right out the gate if not soon after.

[jokin]

 

Molitor may have made it clear Santana will be a shortstop to start the year, but Ryan makes the active roster and if the 25 man roster makes Escobar shortstop and Santana CF our best option, we could very well see that right out the gate if not soon after.

 

The only way that will happen is if Hicks craps out again, and/or injuries are incurred by the remaining CF filler players.  Molitor would not have early and publicly made Santana the SS if Ryan didn't concur with that decision.      The OF defense projects to be suspect already, I can't believe they'd really want to revisit the 2014 experience again.

[jimmer]

 

The only way that will happen is if Hicks craps out again, and/or injuries are incurred by the remaining CF filler players.  Molitor would not have early and publicly made Santana the SS if Ryan didn't concur with that decision.      The OF defense projects to be suspect already, I can't believe they'd really want to revisit the 2014 experience again.

Ryan didn't concur in public on that.  Molitor said for sure, then Ryan said he wasn't sure, then Molitor backtracked.  I'm just saying, it's  not definitive.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Ryan didn't concur in public on that.  Molitor said for sure, then Ryan said he wasn't sure, then Molitor backtracked.  I'm just saying, it's  not definitive.

I think the playing time thus far makes it all but definitive.

[jimmer]

 

I think the playing time thus far makes it all but definitive.

we'll see.  I hope you're right.  let's hope that by 1 May he hasn't spend any time out in CF.

[jokin]

 

Ryan didn't concur in public on that.  Molitor said for sure, then Ryan said he wasn't sure, then Molitor backtracked.  I'm just saying, it's  not definitive.

 

Ryan didn't concur in public, but it seems rather unlikely that Molitor's first big decision didn't have tacit approval from Ryan.  This was reported just yesterday:

 

 

Santana is hitting .394. Twins manager Paul Molitor said before the game that there haven't been any thoughts of moving Santana back to the outfield, even though fallback shortstop Eduardo Escobar has been more impressive than projected center fielder Aaron Hicks. The Twins figure to keep Santana at shortstop for at least the first couple of months of the regular season before reevaluating their plans.

 

Edited March 24, 2015 by jokin