Article: Twins Must Clear Infield Logjam Quickly

[Nick Nelson]

As Miguel Sano gets his rehab stint underway and prepares to return to the Twins, there is considerable focus on the imperative of getting him out of right field and back to third base.

 

However, Sano is hardly the only piece that needs to be sorted out in a crowded infield situation.It is a rare thing when fans and analysts across Twins Territory reach a consensus on any subject, but we seem to have that on the issue of Sano's defensive position. The hazardous experiment of trotting him into the outfield needs to end, and really, it needs to happen as soon as he comes off the disabled list.

 

Plouffe might miss a little time with a groin strain that he suffered on Thursday, and Byung-Ho Park may be in line for a demotion to Triple-A. These would potentially create short-term openings for Sano to escape from right field, but only that. Trading Plouffe and permanently opening the hot corner for the big young slugger should be a high priority for Terry Ryan right now.

 

Unfortunately, that is just one of several predicaments that the general manager and his staff must untangle. While calls for change are rising in volume, Ryan is still in charge and this is his chance to make some smart moves and establish a clear plan for the roster going forward. But his task is not easy.

 

Presently, it looks like Eduardo Nunez is going to be Minnesota's lone All-Star Game representative, even though he doesn't have a regular position. Nunez is already 29 and probably not a part of the long-term plan, but he should be playing regularly, if only on the basis of merit and bolstering trade value.

 

Yet, we've already discussed the clogged situation at third base, and I can't see any good argument for starting Nunez over either of the middle infielders. Eduardo Escobar has clearly established himself as a better shortstop over the past couple of seasons, and he has been on an absolute tear in June, entering Thursday's game with a .394/.417/.727 line. He should be playing every day.

 

Brian Dozier, too, has gotten it going after a slow start. Since being benched for a couple of days at the height of his slump in late May, the second baseman has rebounded tremendously, reaching base in 26 of 27 games and raising his OPS by 140 points.

 

Even though Nunez lacks a true home on the field, Paul Molitor has found ways to keep him in the lineup, so it's not a big deal. The real problem is Jorge Polanco. The heralded 22-year-old prospect has shown promising signs whenever he's gotten a chance to play in the majors, with an .861 OPS and excellent plate discipline, but those chances have been few and far between, because the Twins can't find a place for him.

 

Since his latest demotion to Triple-A, which coincided with Escobar's return from a hamstring injury, Polanco has hit .310/.372/.513. It continues to be blatantly obvious that he doesn't belong in the minors, especially when you consider that the Twins are running out of opportunities to send him there. This is Polanco's last option year, so next spring he'll either need to be carried on the MLB roster or lost to another club. The last thing this team wants is another Oswaldo Arcia situation, where they have to give up a former top prospect for basically nothing.

 

Clearing out this logjam is undoubtedly going to require trading players away. But outside of Plouffe, these guys all have value that makes it difficult to justify losing them with no significant return. So in the scope of this rebuild, Ryan needs to find good opportunities and strike.

 

Maybe Nunez will interest a contender as a versatile glove with a quality bat. Perhaps Escobar's hot streak, combined with his strong play over the past two years, will convince some team that he could be their answer at shortstop (though it's not clear that either Nunez or Polanco can play the position sufficiently). Heck, now that he has rebounded, maybe Dozier will draw some suitors, though I have my doubts about Ryan's willingness to give him up barring a huge return.

 

Adding Polanco to any package – say, with Plouffe – could spice up the return. It seems counterintuitive for a team in Minnesota's position to be unloading prospects, but Polanco's option status makes this another instance where the Twins simply cannot afford to be patient and wait for his opportunity to arise.

 

This much is certain, Ryan needs to be proactive and take action. The trade deadline is about five weeks away.

 

If you were in the GM's shoes, what would be your approach as we head into July?

 

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[Seth Stohs]

It would be not to wait until July. No need to settle for a trade now but they should be (and certainly are) out there by this point looking to make deals. 

 

I wouldn't trade Dozier unless they got a really good return. I really don't know what I'd do. I'd consider dealing Nunez, though he's a guy I wouldn't mind having around as a strong bench guy because I think he can be a strong leader as well as a contributor, and he's not going to be expensive. I'd be fine with trading Escobar, even if it means handing the job at short over to Polanco and accepting his flawed defense there for the rest of the season. Why not?  If he looks like he can maybe handle it, go with it. If not tough decision at 2B in the offseason between Dozier and Polanco. Hate to see Plouffe go, but they just have to do it, though I agree that Park may need a stint in Rochester which allows Sano to DH. 

 

Definitely not easy decisions at all. 

[nicksaviking]

My approach: screw the return.

 

Getting Polanco and Sano up to speed by 2017 is worth more than trying to leverage a B prospect instead of a C prospect.

 

Package the infielders with any or all arms, and if trying to get a shiney new toy is so damn important to this club, eat some salary. With all the youth, this team isn't going to have any payroll issues for a half decade at least.

[Kwak]

Trade Plouffe--it's so easy to say--but when the whole world knows it, then trading is difficult. Recall Livan Hernandez in '06?--that kind of difficult. Maybe he gets selected in August waivers? if not, non-tender him in the off-season.

 

Sano at 3B? For this season, sure because then we can see that his real position is DH. Park? Rochester is nice this time of year (I lived there for 3 years). Next year? OH MY--well that's someone else's problem and it can wait.

 

Nunez? He's this year's Punto, though with much more hitting than Punto ever hit! Fallback for 3B at worst. He should be around until he gets too expensive or (hope!) somebody makes a nice offer for him.

[Wizard11]

If Ryan can not get any kind of return for Plouffe then waive him. That would be yet another squandered asset but it would be unlikely and pointless to give Plouffe $10mm next year to continue to clog the roster. A half season more of Plouffe in 2016 is of zero value to the Twins. For my part, I would send Danny Santana out the door with him. DS has a great "bag of tools" but has shown no meaningful progress as a hitter. Also there is scant evidence that he possesses a major league infielders glove. That means we are dedicating a roster spot to a pinch runner and third string CF behind Buxton and Kepler. Polanco should get the roster spot and get into a middle infield rotation with Escobar and Dozier. If a quality, almost major league ready catcher can be had for Dozier or Ervin and any other combo of veterans then Ryan should jump on it.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Wizard11

[Oldgoat_MN]

It is so simple to say that we could put Polanco at SS, but he doesn't play there, even in AAA. As anxious as I am to see him get a prolonged opportunity, it will be at 2B if it ever comes with the Twins.

 

That reminds us, class, that we have two players who can play reasonably well at SS. Escobar has proven to be an above average SS. Nunez is slightly below average, but not nearly as bad as he is portrayed on these pages.

 

So you want to trade Nunez and Escobar and put Polance at SS where his arm is not considered strong enough to play SS in AAA? Plus, he would then be our only SS.

I'm optimistic about this young man, but not foolish.

 

Roster management, people! Think ahead. Who is the SS? Who is the backup?

 

P.S. This is the Rochester Red Wings roster. Do you even see anyone listed as a shortstop?

[mumoo13]

The problem is, according to Rob Antony's comments yesterday, no one is calling for any of them. But instead of DFAing someone, I think we have to wait for an opportunity to get something back for at least one of Plouffe, Escobar, Nunez, Park, and Dozier. Until then I would send down Park so that Sano, Plouffe, and Mauer can play 1B, 3B, and DH, and have Nunez start at SS. Mauer can rest more often, which would allow Escobar to get in the lineup once in a while. That way we maximize at bats for Nunez, Plouffe, and Dozier to give them a chance for increased trade value.

[AJswarley]

I find it hard to believe that not a sole is looking at this group. I think Nunez needs to go. He wants a full time job and the Molitor has been on record a few time saying he is playing well but he is not sold on the idea of him as an everyday player. This could be trouble if he starts to ride the pine in the future.

 

When we played Seattle I noticed that Cano and Nunez seemed to get along well. Could we make a move for Zunino? Maybe give them Nunez and Sazuki? Feel like it could be a win- win. Seattle is around .500 and could use both players for getting them back in the race.

 

Plouffe and the health problems would be hard to unload, I think keeping him might be for the best, if park is heading to AAA, use Mauer/Sano/Plouffe combo like last year. It could work for this year and possibly next unless Park/vargas/Walker make it clear they are ready to take over DH, but that would be a future problem.

 

As for Polonco, he was known for his glove as a prospect, and now he "can't" hold down short? I seem to remember a great throw in one of his only games at short this year, looked like he unleashed the cannon on the play. Who is it going to hurt to bring him up and rotate him in with Dozier and Escobar. If he makes some mistakes big deal, not like any of our pitching staff is up for a Cy Young Award!!

[Platoon]

I seriously doubt Rob Anthony would announce that the phone is ringing off the hook and increase the pressure on th FO. C'mon! I would move Plouffe, he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kind of like whoever was the Vikings wide receiver when Randy Moss arrived. You really have a choice between Dozier and Polanco. That's the reality. It seems Polanco is a pure hitter, Dozier certainly is not. Glove wise, might be closer than some think. I am not on the EE is an above average shortstop train. But I would keep him over Nunez because I trust his glove more. Which is why a SS exists, not for his bat. Nunez goes, sell high for a change. Park? A guy like Kang makes you think it could some day work, but so far he has actually regressed. You could flip him and ABW for a month, and see what you have in each. That's what this season should be about. But remember, while you might fleece a GM desperate for a fill in, they all know that the bats of Dozier, Plouffe, EE, and Nunez for the last month are not real. Each has enough history to go back and look at that far exceeds thirty days. And also remember this is Terry Ryan we are taking about. You'll be damn lucky to see Park go to AAA, trading Plouffe would be over the top for him!

[AJswarley]

C'mon! I would move Plouffe, he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kind of like whoever was the Vikings wide receiver when Randy Moss arrived.

 

Are you referring to Chris Carter? Because unless I was taking crazy pills, I remember both doing well!

Edited June 24, 2016 by AJswarley

[big dog]

 

C'mon! I would move Plouffe, he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kind of like whoever was the Vikings wide receiver when Randy Moss arrived.

Are you referring to Chris Carter? Because unless I was taking crazy pills, I remember both doing well!

I think Jake Reed is the answer to that puzzle.  Carter played with Moss.

[Eephus]

The Twins are many players away from being a good team, sad to say. I don't have much confidence in signing free agents to long-term contracts (whether it's Ryan or someone else signing them) to get out of this hole. So if we need about 1/2 the roster to turn over and it's not done through free agency...it's not hard for me to envision that the Twins won't be competitive until today's top 10-20 prospect have grown up and we find out who is legit among them. This is going to take time....it's so rare for any prospect to come up and set the world on fire. It's crazy to think we can have 4 or 5 prospects come up and be above average in the first 1-2 years.

 

I guess the point is....there's no emergency to open up logjams in days vs weeks. It would be crazy to see Polanco leave via waivers. I can't imagine that happening. Whether he gets starts getting regular playing time in July or August is not going to matter too much. Whether Sano starts getting regular time at 3rd in early July or late July is not going to matter too much.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Eephus

[clutterheart]

 

 

I wouldn't trade Dozier unless they got a really good return. 

 

I think fans need to change their expectations to as what a player like Dozier could return.  Dozier is probably in the range of the best 5 - 10 second basemen in the majors. 2B is not a real "value position" so I would expect the return on Dozier would be a C+ - B level AA prospect. (from the Sickels scale)

[Old Twins Cap]

They didn't like the return for Plouffe in the off-season, gave him 7M, and never really considered the possibility that his value would DECLINE.

 

Well it has because next year he's at 10M. 

 

There's nothing to be done.  He's injury prone, below average hitter, who is overpaid.

 

They played their hand poorly and are now stuck.

[bird]

 

My approach: screw the return.

Getting Polanco and Sano up to speed by 2017 is worth more than trying to leverage a B prospect instead of a C prospect.

Package the infielders with any or all arms, and if trying to get a shiney new toy is so damn important to this club, eat some salary. With all the youth, this team isn't going to have any payroll issues for a half decade at least.

 

 

I can get behind your last paragraph but not your first. If I'm the GM, I'm eating salary, or adding a piece to any trade I make to assure that the return is a low minors high-reward/high-risk prospect in every case. We don't need some other team's version of Pat Dean as a return. We should target their versions of Lewis Thorpe instead. The system is full of Jason Wheelers and DJ Baxendales and Ryan Eades and Aaron Slegers. We don't need more of them. Look for the Juan Hillmans, and stoke the fire if you have to.

[Bill Brown69]

I think Plouffe is tradeable for a nice piece but we would have to throw in a nice piece with him to get interest. Not sure what that would be but that is where the scouting department comes in. Can our scouts come up with a diamond someone is willing to give up if we package Plouffe with someone else that they want?

 

Mets, Tribe and Royals all could use a 3rd baseman and in this case I wouldn't hesitate to go within the division. I would make sure I keep Polanco just in case Sano doesn't work at 3rd he might be able to transition there. For 1 year Polanco as utility guy is not the worst thing. Nunez this year proves there are ABs to go around for a utility guy if he warrants it.

[tobi0040]

Do we know if Sano will be at 3B or RF during the rehab stint? We heard that his "future" is at 3B. One would think if Sano's first game is at 3B, Plouffe may want to get a realtor.

[alarp33]

 

Do we know if Sano will be at 3B or RF during the rehab stint? We heard that his "future" is at 3B. One would think if Sano's first game is at 3B, Plouffe may want to get a realtor.

 

Sounds like he is going to play 3B, RF, DH... we wouldn't want him focusing on his most comfortable position that he has hardly played or practiced at this year... need to keep him on his toes. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

Plouffe is tradable.  The return will be low, and I agree with everyone else that I'm perfectly fine getting a C prospect for him.  That solves the Sano problem.  At this point, I think it's a given.  Trade him.  Give him away.  I really don't care... nothing against the guy, but he's the odd one out. 

 

It doesn't solve the middle infield problem.  That situation is a bit different and oddly enough is a good one to have..

• Escobar got off to a hot start, got hurt and cooled, and seems to be heating up again.  OPS now sits at about .700, which is pretty good for a SS and even better for one that plays average to above defense.  If he keeps this up for another couple of weeks, that OPS might be sitting much higher.  Repeating what he did last year makes him a much more valuable commodity.  If so, do you keep him?  He's under control for a while yet if memory serves me right, which tells me he can be a part of the future.  He's also young enough that extending makes sense.
• Polanco is killing AAA.  Defensively, he's week at SS, but from the sounds of it, he's adequate to better at 2B.  He's blocked by Dozier and Nunez.  He has too much control to be given up on and needs to play every day.  At some point very soon, he should be doing it every day at the MLB level, with no concerns about being sent down... He just needs to play.  By the way, Polanco is one of those guys who has 4 options.  Is he out next year or did the Twins burn the fourth one this season?
• Dozier is the current 2B.  2 years and change at a very cheap contract who seems to have adjusted to what pitchers were doing.  OPS is climbing to above average levels while playing good defense.  2017 is likely not going to be a playoff year, meaning Dozier is only around for 2018, and recommitting doesn't make sense in his case given his age and that Polanco guy just mentioned.
• Nunez is a wild card.  His bat was always decent, glove not so much.  His bat has really taken a step forward this year, though to be fair, this could be somewhat luck driven.  He's also cheap, though at 29, there's a bit more risk in extending him.  But he's under control for a couple more years and could easily be the 4th guy in a 3B/SS/2B platoon and get enough plate appearances to be (for all intents and purposes) an every day player.

Reality is that you can only keep three of the four.  I've been on the fence about trading Nunez, but I think at this point he's the guy to keep.  Dozier should be traded and Polanco should get an extended shot... by extended, I mean he's playing most days at 2B for the remainder of the season.  Yeah, I think defensively we will be disappointed (I was when I saw him this spring), but at this point, who really cares.  Let him play and develop.  Dozier was defensively at first too, and I think Polanco has the chops to get there if he puts in the effort.  The real issue here is next year, as he has to stick.  If he's out of options, we may be rolling with some pretty sub-par play at 2B in 2017.  I don't see this team going from 100 losses to 90+ wins, so I'm fine with that in 2017, not so certain about 2018 though. 

 

So, after thinking it through online....

Trade Plouffe for whatever.

Trade Dozier.  I want a return for Dozier, and I'm willing to take the risk and wait a bit longer for him to make those numbers a bit more respectable, but I think I'm trading him for the best offer I can get before July 31.

Keep Nunez, Polanco, and Escobar.

[nicksaviking]

 

I can get behind your last paragraph but not your first. If I'm the GM, I'm eating salary, or adding a piece to any trade I make to assure that the return is a low minors high-reward/high-risk prospect in every case. We don't need some other team's version of Pat Dean as a return. We should target their versions of Lewis Thorpe instead. The system is full of Jason Wheelers and DJ Baxendales and Ryan Eades and Aaron Slegers. We don't need more of them. Look for the Juan Hillmans, and stoke the fire if you have to.

 

I agree, and that's the approach I'd take with any trade at this point. My only point is, getting some of these guys off of the 25-man is worth more than what ever they'd get back in return, which likely is going to be less than most of us like even under the most ideal scenario.

[Everyday Eddy]

Let's assume things are done completely wrong, which there is a decent chance of.    Plouffe is re-signed to play 3rd and be a middle of the order "slugger."    Sano is the right fielder of the future.    Dozier is second baseman of the future.    Escobar and Nunez are here next year.    Park is DH.    Polanco plays once a week.

 

This is scary but I don't think it's all that unlikely. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I think fans need to change their expectations to as what a player like Dozier could return.  Dozier is probably in the range of the best 5 - 10 second basemen in the majors. 2B is not a real "value position" so I would expect the return on Dozier would be a C+ - B level AA prospect. (from the Sickels scale)

 

A C+/B- prospect on Sickel's scale is a pretty decent prospect.  I'd be perfectly fine getting that for Dozier.  I'd probably start by asking for a top 100 (note that on Sickle's scale, the bottom part of the top 100 are B+/B guys), perhaps throwing in someone in the low minors to make that work if said top 100 guy fits a position of need (such as a near ML ready C), but after thinking it through, I'd take a lower return on Dozier and a C+/B- prospect would be just that.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Let's assume things are done completely wrong, which there is a decent chance of.    Plouffe is re-signed to play 3rd and be a middle of the order "slugger."    Sano is the right fielder of the future.    Dozier is second baseman of the future.    Escobar and Nunez are here next year.    Park is DH.    Polanco plays once a week.

 

This is scary but I don't think it's all that unlikely. 

 

Let's not assume that. I know a lot of people have no love for Ryan, but Plouffe is going to get really expensive.  I think Ryan would have extended him already if that was the long term plan, so I won't assume Plouffe will be here come next year.  I could see him being here after the trade deadline.  I don't like that at all, but Ryan doesn't typically pull off a trade without value, and I think we're all pretty much saying that he should do that in Plouffe's case. 

 

I could see Polanco playing once a week, more than anything b/c Molitor seems to have zero desire to play him.  To me, that would be the sticking point on whether Molitor is the manager of the future.  If he cannot work with the kids, we need to find someone who can.

[Ncgo4]

Sano, Escobar and Polanco as our starting infield should be the main motivation right now. This means trading Plouffe, Dozier, Nunez and Santana while they have some value. If we suffer some growing pains through the end of the year, so be it. The only impact would be to solidify our draft position.

[mazeville]

 

It would be not to wait until July. No need to settle for a trade now but they should be (and certainly are) out there by this point looking to make deals. 

 

I wouldn't trade Dozier unless they got a really good return. I really don't know what I'd do. I'd consider dealing Nunez, though he's a guy I wouldn't mind having around as a strong bench guy because I think he can be a strong leader as well as a contributor, and he's not going to be expensive. I'd be fine with trading Escobar, even if it means handing the job at short over to Polanco and accepting his flawed defense there for the rest of the season. Why not?  If he looks like he can maybe handle it, go with it. If not tough decision at 2B in the offseason between Dozier and Polanco. Hate to see Plouffe go, but they just have to do it, though I agree that Park may need a stint in Rochester which allows Sano to DH. 

 

Definitely not easy decisions at all. 

 

You should be able to get SOMETHING for Dozier. He is a former all-star, good on both sides of the ball, can hit for power and has some speed. He is demonstrating an ability to hit to the opposite field as well, which should help him. He has a contract through his arbitration years that should also make him more desirable to teams. I don't quite understand why you couldn't get a good return on that.

 

I would also remind folks that many people said the same thing about Plouffe in the offseason, and so did the Twins front office. The team instead tried to shoehorn Sano into a crowded outfield and look where we are. I'm not saying get rid of Dozier for nothing, but he is exactly the type of player the Twins need to look at trading: A good asset, who could offer a lot to a contending team for the next couple of years.

 

Polanco is in his last option year. He has conquered the minor leagues. He DESERVES a shot at the majors and can no longer be left there. He should also play every day. 

 

The Twins can control him for longer than they do Dozier, and they are not contending this year. They are not contending next year.

 

So your choices are to either trade Dozier for prospects to a contending team or trade Polanco in a prospect-for-prospect swap. 

 

Trade Dozier. It doesn't have to be now. But this team should absolutely look at trading him this offseason.

[nyazbeck]

I would trade Nunez for a prospect at a low level with good upside move dozier for a close to ready prospect and bundle plouffe with either nolasco or Santana

[Teflon]

 

Definitely not easy decisions at all. 

 

I agree that they're hard choices to make. The Twins really need to start making them, though.

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

What would I do?

 

At this point I've settled into the idea of the "Costanza Rule"  as it applies to what this front office does. Basically the right thing to do would be the opposite of whatever TR & Co. actually do.

[markos]

 

You should be able to get SOMETHING for Dozier. He is a former all-star, good on both sides of the ball, can hit for power and has some speed. He is demonstrating an ability to hit to the opposite field as well, which should help him. He has a contract through his arbitration years that should also make him more desirable to teams. I don't quite understand why you couldn't get a good return on that.

 

I would also remind folks that many people said the same thing about Plouffe in the offseason, and so did the Twins front office. The team instead tried to shoehorn Sano into a crowded outfield and look where we are. I'm not saying get rid of Dozier for nothing, but he is exactly the type of player the Twins need to look at trading: A good asset, who could offer a lot to a contending team for the next couple of years.

 

Polanco is in his last option year. He has conquered the minor leagues. He DESERVES a shot at the majors and can no longer be left there. He should also play every day. 

 

The Twins can control him for longer than they do Dozier, and they are not contending this year. They are not contending next year.

 

So your choices are to either trade Dozier for prospects to a contending team or trade Polanco in a prospect-for-prospect swap. 

 

Trade Dozier. It doesn't have to be now. But this team should absolutely look at trading him this offseason.

The problem with trading Dozier right now is finding a buyer. Almost all of the good, contending teams are getting solid production from 2B right now, so there isn't an obvious fit. The best fit is probably KC, and Dozier might be a marginal improvement for Toronto. In a vacuum, it is easy to say that Dozier is worth X. But other teams aren't buying X; they are buying the marginal improvement that X provides over their current Y. And for most teams, X-Y is pretty small and not worth paying a lot for.

 

And I don't understand than consternation that Polanco needs a starting MLB spot right now. Don't get me wrong, he's a good prospect. But he has less that 300 PAs in AAA under his belt, and had a .719 OPS in AA. Maybe his new power is real, or maybe it is a fluky spike. Given the past history of recent callups, hitting well at AAA for a couple hundred at bats should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

My vote is to trade Nunez for whatever either this deadline or during the offseason, keep Dozier a more advantageous trading scenario arrives, and have Polanco as the primary infield backup until Dozier is traded or leaves via FA. 

[wsnydes]

 

It is so simple to say that we could put Polanco at SS, but he doesn't play there, even in AAA. As anxious as I am to see him get a prolonged opportunity, it will be at 2B if it ever comes with the Twins.

 

That reminds us, class, that we have two players who can play reasonably well at SS. Escobar has proven to be an above average SS. Nunez is slightly below average, but not nearly as bad as he is portrayed on these pages.

 

So you want to trade Nunez and Escobar and put Polance at SS where his arm is not considered strong enough to play SS in AAA? Plus, he would then be our only SS.

I'm optimistic about this young man, but not foolish.

 

Roster management, people! Think ahead. Who is the SS? Who is the backup?

 

P.S. This is the Rochester Red Wings roster. Do you even see anyone listed as a shortstop?

I think you hit the nail on the head.  I don't think you can trade both Escobar and Nunez.  I see Escobar, for better or worse, the SS until Gordon gets here.  Having to go find a starting caliber SS isn't easy or cheap.  Plus, it doesn't make any sense when you have one that isn't a liability.  Could they do better?  Sure, but there isn't much of a reason to at this point.