Sano won't play 3B AT ALL this year.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Options are good.  However, when you are weighing all the potential lineups you need and options you need, I just don't see the need for an option of Sano at 3B.  Obviously the coaches have looked into it and don't see it as an option they need and prefer to have Sano concentrate on RF.

 

Letting a young player concentrate on a single position isn't just about having them comfortable defensively.  Its also about them not having to think about too many things and letting those distractions affect them offensively.

Again, that argument is fairly irrelevant given the weighty (no pun intended) distraction the coaches have thrown at Sano by shifting him to RF in the first place.

[clone52]

 

Arcia might not even get an opportunity to bounce back, the way the roster is currently constructed.  Spot starts for Sano at 3B would actually be a way to get Arcia a few more opportunities early, without taking away opportunities from Park.

 

And just because you can shop Plouffe doesn't mean you will actually move him.  If the 3B market in July is basically the same as it is now, why bother?  I'd rather keep him, and just have more options for working him, Sano, and Arcia (or Kepler, if he comes up by then, or Park/Vargas if they show they belong) into the same lineup, which is made more difficult when you promise non-emergency 3B starts to Nunez.

 

I can see your point.  If Molitor had come out and said that Sano would get some spot starts at 3B I wouldn't have had a problem with it.  I guess the point I'm trying to get across is that there are reasonable arguments to both sides of this and I don't really understand blasting Molitor or the coaches for making the decision they made.  I'm going to side with the judgement of guys paid to win games rather than message board posters.

[clone52]

 

Again, that argument is fairly irrelevant given the weighty (no pun intended) distraction the coaches have thrown at Sano by shifting him to RF in the first place.

 

Thats right.  They have given him a huge distraction moving him to RF.  No need to pile more onto it especially when there isn't an obvious advantage to using Sano at 3B when Plouffe rests.

 

If you're looking at WAR, you are actually better off playing Nunez at 3B than 2014 Arcia in RF.

[mazeville]

 

I don't know if you're a WAR guy, but even in 2014, Arcia was barely above 0 WAR offensively and defensively.  Nunez has been a slightly positive WAR guy for the Twins and is already comfortable not playing every day.

 

Nunez is in his prime and has a career OPS of .698. His performance with the bat last year was 50 points higher than normal and 100 points higher than the year before. 

 

Arcia is still quite young and, though his WAR remains weak, he is a force versus lefties and still has growing to do. Do not be so fast to give up on him. 

 

In any event, the choice isn't Arcia v. Nunez. In a trade-Plouffe scenario, your 3B is Sano, not Nunez. And you put Arcia in the outfield. Nunez is there as your emergency option in case Sano doesn't pan out. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Yeah it's SSS but it's not irrelevant. In those 9 games you saw Sano lay out for a ball. Plouffe almost never gives up his body for a ball to his right.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/29387502/v316475183/sea-min-sano-makes-a-diving-stop-to-rob-gutierrez

It was a nice play but not spectacular.

 

Diving means little to me. I spent the late 90s and early 2000s living amongst Angels fans who wouldn't shut up about Jim Edmonds. Yeah, he was a good defender. He also dove for many balls that Torii Hunter caught at a jog.

 

It looks good on a highlight reel but it doesn't necessarily mean anything.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

In an ideal world, it might work to sit Plouffe on games against strong RHP, put Sano at 3B and Arcia in RF.  However, we don't really know how Arcia will perform when only playing a couple times a week.  We know exactly what we are getting with Nunez, who is used to playing that way.

We know exactly what we are getting with Nunez?  Is that the 104 OPS+ last year, or the 82 OPS+ in 2014?

 

Also, we won't know how Arcia will perform in that role if he doesn't get the opportunity.  If it's June 1st and Arcia has struggled, Kepler is going through growing pains at AAA, and Vargas is repeating his 2015 performance, and you want to shelve Sano's spot starts at 3B in favor of Nunez going forward, that's fine.  But it seems a little premature to be making that decision.

 

If anything, this team and roster might benefit from a few extra Plouffe days off, with Sano covering 3B, early in the season to sort all that out properly.

[mazeville]

 

Arcia might not even get an opportunity to bounce back, the way the roster is currently constructed.  Spot starts for Sano at 3B would actually be a way to get Arcia a few more opportunities early, without taking away opportunities from Park.

 

And just because you can shop Plouffe doesn't mean you will actually move him.  If the 3B market in July is basically the same as it is now, why bother?  I'd rather keep him, and just have more options for working him, Sano, and Arcia (or Kepler, if he comes up by then, or Park/Vargas if they show they belong) into the same lineup, which is made more difficult when you promise non-emergency 3B starts to Nunez.

 

These are good points. You can shop Plouffe without actually trading him and if the market really is as dry as it was, pull him back. 

 

 

[clone52]

 

Nunez is in his prime and has a career OPS of .698. His performance with the bat last year was 50 points higher than normal and 100 points higher than the year before. 

 

Arcia is still quite young and, though his WAR remains weak, he is a force versus lefties and still has growing to do. Do not be so fast to give up on him. 

 

In any event, the choice isn't Arcia v. Nunez. In a trade-Plouffe scenario, your 3B is Sano, not Nunez. And you put Arcia in the outfield. Nunez is there as your emergency option in case Sano doesn't pan out. 

 

 

I'm bouncing between 2 different scenarios.  If they ever trade Plouffe, I'm 100% on board with Sano to 3B.  No doubt about it.

 

If we're talking about 20-25 games at 3B when Plouffe sits, then I'm 90% on board with not putting Sano there and letting him stick with RF.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 Lets say Sano turns into an above average RF and they want to keep him there for the next few years at least.

Radcliffe said it's going to be a long time before Sano gets anywhere near league average. So why would you say that?

[clone52]

 

We know exactly what we are getting with Nunez?  Is that the 104 OPS+ last year, or the 82 OPS+ in 2014?

 

Also, we won't know how Arcia will perform in that role if he doesn't get the opportunity.  If it's June 1st and Arcia has struggled, Kepler is going through growing pains at AAA, and Vargas is repeating his 2015 performance, and you want to shelve Sano's spot starts at 3B in favor of Nunez going forward, that's fine.  But it seems a little premature to be making that decision.

 

If anything, this team and roster might benefit from a few extra Plouffe days off, with Sano covering 3B, early in the season to sort all that out properly.

 

Its the career OPS+ of 89 for Nunez.

[mazeville]

 

I'm bouncing between 2 different scenarios.  If they ever trade Plouffe, I'm 100% on board with Sano to 3B.  No doubt about it.

 

If we're talking about 20-25 games at 3B when Plouffe sits, then I'm 90% on board with not putting Sano there and letting him stick with RF.

 

I actually am OK with the Twins telling Sano to concentrate on the OF. Maybe the team could do some good by having him play some third, but he didn't do much to focus on the OF this offseason and you want to send him that sort of message. I guess.

 

That said, it would be good to have some positional flexibility -- let Sano play multiple positions. Of course, it doesn't help much if he's not good at fielding either. So that's why you put him exclusively in the OF. 

[clone52]

 

Radcliffe said it's going to be a long time before Sano gets anywhere near league average. So why would you say that?

 

I'm talking best case scenario.   Other people want to do that, so why can't I?

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I can see your point.  If Molitor had come out and said that Sano would get some spot starts at 3B I wouldn't have had a problem with it.  I guess the point I'm trying to get across is that there are reasonable arguments to both sides of this and I don't really understand blasting Molitor or the coaches for making the decision they made.  I'm going to side with the judgement of guys paid to win games rather than message board posters.

Appeal to authority arguments aren't particularly fun ones.

 

And in this case, the "authority" doesn't even have good information, they've never seen Sano play the outfield.

 

I'm less disagreeing with their conclusion, and more disagreeing with their process and timing.

[clone52]

 

We know exactly what we are getting with Nunez?  Is that the 104 OPS+ last year, or the 82 OPS+ in 2014?

 

Also, we won't know how Arcia will perform in that role if he doesn't get the opportunity.  If it's June 1st and Arcia has struggled, Kepler is going through growing pains at AAA, and Vargas is repeating his 2015 performance, and you want to shelve Sano's spot starts at 3B in favor of Nunez going forward, that's fine.  But it seems a little premature to be making that decision.

 

If anything, this team and roster might benefit from a few extra Plouffe days off, with Sano covering 3B, early in the season to sort all that out properly.

 

What the heck has Arcia done to prove he deserves a shot like that?  Play awful, awful defense in RF.  Just put on a homerun show during batting practice when coaches want him to work on his flaws? Whine and play like crap when he gets sent down to AAA?

 

There is very little evidence that Arcia is going to get it together.  I've already said that if he does get it together, your idea of Arcia in RF and Sano to 3B when Plouffe sits makes a lot of sense.  However, Arcia is going to have to prove he's matured before he's given any benefit of the doubt.

[mazeville]

 

What the heck has Arcia done to prove he deserves a shot like that?  Play awful, awful defense in RF.  Just put on a homerun show during batting practice when coaches want him to work on his flaws? Whine and play like crap when he gets sent down to AAA?

 

There is very little evidence that Arcia is going to get it together.  I've already said that if he does get it together, your idea of Arcia in RF and Sano to 3B when Plouffe sits makes a lot of sense.  However, Arcia is going to have to prove he's matured before he's given any benefit of the doubt.

 

20 homers in 400 PA in 2014. Again, do not give up on Arcia so fast. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Its the career OPS+ of 89 for Nunez.

Not bad for a utility player.  But we might have the option to reduce our utility player usage in favor of starting-caliber players.  We seem to be deciding against that option before even exploring it in spring training games, though, for an alleged marginal abstract improvement in Sano's mental health.

[clone52]

 

Appeal to authority arguments aren't particularly fun ones.

 

And in this case, the "authority" doesn't even have good information, they've never seen Sano play the outfield.

 

I'm less disagreeing with their conclusion, and more disagreeing with their process and timing.

 

 

Fair enough on the process.  I don't really have an issue with the timing.

 

Look, if you are coaching Sano this spring, there are 2 options.

 

1.  Have him concentrate on RF only and not work on 3B at all.

2.  Have him mostly work on RF, but have him also work out at 3B to keep sharp there.

 

Whatever their process was, they decided to go with Option 1.  Since they decided on that, no reason to try and keep it secret.  If Molitor had not answered the question or tried to say all the options are open, then reporters noticed that Sano wasn't taking reps at 3B, they just would have answered more questions.

[Willihammer]

I kinda wonder if this line of questioning started with something like

 

"I noticed Sano wasn't taking any grounders at 3B today. Care to comment on that?"

 

Anyone in Ft Myers see Sano do any infield work at all?

[clone52]

 

20 homers in 400 PA in 2014. Again, do not give up on Arcia so fast. 

 

And his defense gave up as much as his offense provided.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

What the heck has Arcia done to prove he deserves a shot like that?  Play awful, awful defense in RF.  Just put on a homerun show during batting practice when coaches want him to work on his flaws? Whine and play like crap when he gets sent down to AAA?

 

There is very little evidence that Arcia is going to get it together.  I've already said that if he does get it together, your idea of Arcia in RF and Sano to 3B when Plouffe sits makes a lot of sense.  However, Arcia is going to have to prove he's matured before he's given any benefit of the doubt.

Arcia is at spring training now in the best shape of his life.

 

Seriously, though, Halsey reported that he's been working out at Fort Myers all winter.  I'd say he at least deserves a chance to play in some spring training games before you close the door on ~20 or so starts for him in 2016.

 

I see no reason Molitor couldn't have said Sano's time at 3B depends on how well our other outfielders force the issue.  But he quite clearly didn't say that.

[clone52]

 

Not bad for a utility player.  But we might have the option to reduce our utility player usage in favor of starting-caliber players.  We seem to be deciding against that option before even exploring it in spring training games, though, for an alleged marginal abstract improvement in Sano's mental health.

 

Is Arcia a starting-caliber player?  His defensive WAR was as bad as his offensive WAR was good in 2014.  He was basically a replacement level player.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Look, if you are coaching Sano this spring, there are 2 options.

 

1.  Have him concentrate on RF only and not work on 3B at all.

2.  Have him mostly work on RF, but have him also work out at 3B to keep sharp there.

That's a rather binary view of it.  Pretty sure Sano could focus fully on RF in February and March, at the expense of infield work, but start up some infield drills again on April 1 to be ready for his every-other-week appearances at the position.

 

And nobody would blink an eye if that's what Molitor said was going on.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Is Arcia a starting-caliber player? His defensive WAR was as bad as his offensive WAR was good in 2014. He was basically a replacement level player.

Starting caliber? Possibly. Strong side platoon? Almost definitely. The guy was what, 23 years old in 2014?

[clone52]

 

That's a rather binary view of it.  Pretty sure Sano could focus fully on RF in February and March, at the expense of infield work, but start up some infield drills again on April 1 to be ready for his every-other-week appearances at the position.

 

And nobody would blink an eye if that's what Molitor said was going on.

 

They would blink an eye.  If he said that was the plan, they would be questioning Molitor on why they aren't having him take reps at 3B in spring training if they are planning for him to play there.

 

There is nothing stopping them now from saying in April that Sano is getting more comfortable in RF so we are having him take some reps at 3B so he can fill in as necessary.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

It was a nice play but not spectacular.

Diving means little to me. I spent the late 90s and early 2000s living amongst Angels fans who wouldn't shut up about Jim Edmonds. Yeah, he was a good defender. He also dove for many balls that Torii Hunter caught at a jog.

It looks good on a highlight reel but it doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Well I like Sano's effort as a third baseman.

[clone52]

 

Starting caliber? Possibly. Strong side platoon? Almost definitely. The guy was what, 23 years old in 2014?

 

I wouldn't have a problem with that either, if Arcia is actually maturing and putting the work in.

[mazeville]

 

And his defense gave up as much as his offense provided.

 

But you're already putting someone who is much bigger than Arcia in RF in Sano -- someone who has never played there before. So I don't know what this fuss is about Arcia's defense, especially when you have players like Rosario and Buxton and/or Kepler on your roster. 

 

I would have much rather Arcia be the DH. But the Twins went out and got Park, so that train has likely left the station. 

 

Arcia deserves a shot. He has demonstrated enough in his time up in the majors to get that shot. I get what happened last year, but the list of Twins players who stunk up and got sent down for long periods of time is a big one and includes Torii Hunter, Brian Dozier and Aaron Hicks. 

 

Arcia has no options left. If he doesn't make this team for whatever reason, he gets put on waivers and will likely be snapped up. And then a left handed right-handed hitting masher can get snapped up by a team with a short right field porch like, say, the Yankees. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Well I like Sano's effort as a third baseman.

I also liked what I saw, I simply didn't see enough of it to pass judgment.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Is Arcia a starting-caliber player?  His defensive WAR was as bad as his offensive WAR was good in 2014.  He was basically a replacement level player.

We all know about Arcia's track record.  If his track record was better, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

 

He's a potentially starting caliber player, and at least deserves spring training to win some extra playing time over Nunez.  Between him, and Kepler perhaps by midseason, and maybe even partial credit for Park or Vargas, it's quite possible a starting-caliber player will emerge from that group that could reduce our reliance on a utility player.

[clone52]

 

But you're already putting someone who is much bigger than Arcia in RF in Sano -- someone who has never played there before. So I don't know what this fuss is about Arcia's defense, especially when you have players like Rosario and Buxton and/or Kepler on your roster. 

 

I would have much rather Arcia be the DH. But the Twins went out and got Park, so that train has likely left the station. 

 

Arcia deserves a shot. He has demonstrated enough in his time up in the majors to get that shot. I get what happened last year, but the list of Twins players who stunk up and got sent down for long periods of time is a big one and includes Torii Hunter, Brian Dozier and Aaron Hicks. 

 

Arcia has no options left. If he doesn't make this team for whatever reason, he gets put on waivers and will likely be snapped up. And then a left handed right-handed hitting masher can get snapped up by a team with a short right field porch like, say, the Yankees. 

 

I would have no problem with Sano at 3B full time and Arcia or someone else in RF.  We are are talking about days off for Plouffe, so we are talking about Arcia in RF or Nunez at 3B.