Next year's DH?

[ppearson50]

Twins are waiting for prices to come down and I bet they sign someone on the cheap. Lots of homerun power still on the market. 

 

Mike Napoli?

 

Chris Carter?

 

Brandon Moss?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

It would be nice if said DH on the cheap could be a righty who could fake it in RF once in a while against a tough lefty.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I just don't see the point in acquiring a DH. Between Sano, Mauer, Park, and Vargas there are enough bats to cobble together a DH rotation.

 

I'd like to enter the break with more longterm roster clarity. I want to see what the Twins have in Park and Vargas so they can either be pencilled in for 2018 or off the roster entirely.

[drjim]

I'll make a hot prediction.

 

Napoli signs a 1 year deal, Vargas starts at AAA, and Park never plays another mlb game for the Twins.

[ppearson50]

Looks like Napoli and Carter both bat right handed. Moss and Chris Coglan bat lefthanded. Pagan is a switch hitter. Its hard to believe Carter is only 30 years old. Coglan is 31. Moss is 33. Pagan and Napoli are 35.  

[darin617]

This will turn out to be the second mistake the new FO makes if they sign Mike Napoli to be the DH. Sure he would bring the veteran leadership this team needs. But signing him just to try to flip him at the deadline or earlier is not a great idea.

Let a healthy Park & Vargas fight it out for the spot of DH. As for the veteran leadership that is needed on this team shouldn't it be coming from Joe Mauer?

[darin617]

 

I'll make a hot prediction.

Napoli signs a 1 year deal, Vargas starts at AAA, and Park never plays another mlb game for the Twins.

 

Sadly, I feel as you are correct with your prediction. Park looked great to start the year until his injuries took the season away from him. What I really liked about Park is that he was taking the time to study all the pitchers so he would have a better chance at the plate. I would think a 30+ hr season could be a real possibility for Park if given playing time.

[John Kelsey]

I'd like to see more from a healthy Park, personally. 

[TheLeviathan]

I assume baseball has passed a new rule allowing teams to play 3 DHs....right?

 

Otherwise I'm confused.

[Doomtints]

 

Twins are waiting for prices to come down and I bet they sign someone on the cheap. Lots of homerun power still on the market. 

 

 

I believe, and I hope the Twins agree, that the Twins already have plenty of homerun power and plenty of DHs.

[specialiststeve]

I like the idea! I have always liked Napoli and he has a way of bringing teams to the  playoffs. I am all  for that as I am sure many of us here are. I was pretty sure there was going to be a timeshare with Vargas, Napoli and Mauer  but Park is no sure thing to be  ready for the year.

 

Start Park in the minors. He can get at bats and be ready if any injuries happen. If we are playing well and it is working keep him  the rest of the year. If not surely a playoff team in the AL will give us a little something for him. Seems like a pretty sound move ..... if a one year deal.

[ppearson50]

Danny Santana is not a lock to make this team. Escobar is your backup infielder. Grosssman is your backup outfielder. Have Mauer at First, Napoli at DH. And then whoever is better in Spring Training of Vargas or Park, that person is your once or twice a week DH/pinch hitter. It limits your bench but how many at bats do we want to give to Santana this year? Rather have the bench bat. 

[Taildragger8791]

I was against the idea earlier this offseason, but now I don't think it's out of the question to sign a DH. Mauer is cooked, he shouldn't be sucking up 500 at bats from the two biggest run-producing positions in the lineup. He and Vargas are platoon candidates at best right now. Hopefully Vargas can be more and take over 1B. I'd like to think Park would fill in at first and DH too but he's far from a sure thing and might need time at AAA to start out anyways. There are plenty of at bats for a solid power and run producing bat. And a vocal locker room leader would be a good influence on this team.

 

Outside of Sano and Dozier there isn't a lot of reliable power in this lineup. Everyone else maxes out between 15-20 HRs. I could see the value in some stability and depth off the bench.

[Willihammer]

I don't think its such a crazy question either. Sure the Twins have a lot of candidates, but none of them are that inspiring. Its sorta like the rotation, about which people are clamoring for more upside. A guy like Chris Carter, IMO, would give them that. Dude just hit 41 bombs in a non-platooned role. He's healthy. He's controllable for two more years. He's not going to win MVP but he'd be at least as good as the in house options.

[jorgenswest]

It will be interesting to see the Twins priorities on the bench. The Indians carried three catchers last year in the ALDS. The Twins signed their third catcher Gimenez this off season.

 

The bench could be two catchers, a middle infielder and an outfielder.

[jimmer]

 

I like the idea! I have always liked Napoli and he has a way of bringing teams to the  playoffs. I am all  for that as I am sure many of us here are. 

How has he done that?

[Willihammer]

http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/26/robbie-grossman-gives-minnesota-twins-lineup-options/

 

 

[drjim]

Sadly, I feel as you are correct with your prediction. Park looked great to start the year until his injuries took the season away from him. What I really liked about Park is that he was taking the time to study all the pitchers so he would have a better chance at the plate. I would think a 30+ hr season could be a real possibility for Park if given playing time.

This may be true, but also possible that he started to struggle once pitchers started to figure him out.

 

The new front office has nothing invested in him.

 

My speculation/hope on Vargas is that the front office has a new hitting approach and plan for him and will want him to start in Rochester to develop it.

 

I generally agree with the thinking that having a couple of veterans is valuable for developing young players. Napoli seems like he could be a fit in that regard.

[Kwak]

Veteran presence? Pitcher makes a lot more sense to me--either SP or RP.

[Oldgoat_MN]

 

I don't think its such a crazy question either. Sure the Twins have a lot of candidates, but none of them are that inspiring. Its sorta like the rotation, about which people are clamoring for more upside. A guy like Chris Carter, IMO, would give them that. Dude just hit 41 bombs in a non-platooned role. He's healthy. He's controllable for two more years. He's not going to win MVP but he'd be at least as good as the in house options.

 

Chris Carter has been traded by everyone who has had a chance to speak to him, possibly even by teams who did not have rights to do so.

 

Houston let him walk after a pretty good 2015. The Brewers released him rather than taking him to arbitration after an excellent 2016.

 

Something is wrong.

[Willihammer]

 

Chris Carter has been traded by everyone who has had a chance to speak to him, possibly even by teams who did not have rights to do so.

 

Houston let him walk after a pretty good 2015. The Brewers released him rather than taking him to arbitration after an excellent 2016.

 

Something is wrong.

Could be. Maybe he's a terrible teammate. I doubt it but that would certainly explain it.

 

I tend to think he is a victim of the changing tide towards athletic, contact based baseball and away from strikeouts, where he is pretty prolific. But even so, his k-rate is basically the same as Vargas's or Park's. And then there is Grossman who shouldn't even be in the conversation IMO.

[Rosterman]

I'm confused here, too. Basically giving up on Vargas and/or Park. Both can go to the minors for another season. Both could also be sold to the foreign leagues.

 

But we still have an issue that it would be ncie to have a solid backup for third IS Sano needs to be the DH forever and ever.

 

The Twins are walking the tightrope, waiting to see what they exactly have in the whole host of names like Kepler, Buxton, Rosario, Sano, Polanco. That's a lot of maybees for players that are supposed to be better-than-average.

 

Who do they have pushing up from the minors. Gordon, maybe. But anyone else is still along way away.

 

Vargas and Park may not be worth much, both may be Adam Walker with some experience.

 

But you start to wonder about the mess the team has...who can they trade, who has value in the eyes of anyone.

 

Or is the rebuilding process starting with the first draft day of the new regime and bearing fruit in 3-5 years.

 

Whew!

[Physics Guy]

Mauer is cooked, he shouldn't be sucking up 500 at bats from the two biggest run-producing positions in the lineup.

I'm not sure why I continue to see comments like this. I understand the angst that Joe does not put up numbers people want to see at 1B or for a guy that makes $23 million per year. He was number 4 in OPS+ on the squad. Two of the guys above him are from other run producing spots (2B and 3B). There is very little difference between the OPS of MAuer, Carter and Napoli. The Twins already have enough guys that strike out a ton. Vargas had a higher OPS than all three of them (albeit in 177 PA). Mauer is not a problem in the lineup or in the field. Give him 500-550 PA and sit him against guys he's struggle against. Give most of the rest of the DH and 1B PAs to Vargas and some to Park. If you assume about 1300 PA between 1B and DH, IMO Mauer should get about 550, Vargas 450 and Park 300. I don't see the Twins winning the division this year, so why not exhaust internal options this year? If we find they can't hack it, then sign a veteran bat next year when they theoretically might be closer to contention.

[darin617]

 

I don't think its such a crazy question either. Sure the Twins have a lot of candidates, but none of them are that inspiring. Its sorta like the rotation, about which people are clamoring for more upside. A guy like Chris Carter, IMO, would give them that. Dude just hit 41 bombs in a non-platooned role. He's healthy. He's controllable for two more years. He's not going to win MVP but he'd be at least as good as the in house options.

 

I feel it is Napoli just for the veteran leadership and a player they hope will have value at the deadline to flip.

 

Too bad the team gets no veteran leadership out of a player who has been in the majors since 2004. Just keep telling yourself only 2 more years left and this is over.

[Taildragger8791]

I'm not sure why I continue to see comments like this. I understand the angst that Joe does not put up numbers people want to see at 1B or for a guy that makes $23 million per year. He was number 4 in OPS+ on the squad. Two of the guys above him are from other run producing spots (2B and 3B). There is very little difference between the OPS of MAuer, Carter and Napoli. The Twins already have enough guys that strike out a ton. Vargas had a higher OPS than all three of them (albeit in 177 PA). Mauer is not a problem in the lineup or in the field. Give him 500-550 PA and sit him against guys he's struggle against. Give most of the rest of the DH and 1B PAs to Vargas and some to Park. If you assume about 1300 PA between 1B and DH, IMO Mauer should get about 550, Vargas 450 and Park 300. I don't see the Twins winning the division this year, so why not exhaust internal options this year? If we find they can't hack it, then sign a veteran bat next year when they theoretically might be closer to contention.

It's not about the money or that he isn't a useful player. It's that he occupies a spot on the field that is the easiest to slot in a powerful run-producing hitter, something that we don't have on the team other than Sano and sometimes Dozier. Mauer hits like 10 homers and 65 RBI when we could have someone over there hitting 35 jacks with 110 RBI.

 

Being 4th on the team OPS+ is alright but we had a lot of struggling hitters, so comparing his averages to a bunch of rookies and role players doesn't mean a lot. He just doesn't regularly have a game changing impact anymore.

[Physics Guy]

It's not about the money or that he isn't a useful player. It's that he occupies a spot on the field that is the easiest to slot in a powerful run-producing hitter, something that we don't have on the team other than Sano and sometimes Dozier. Mauer hits like 10 homers and 65 RBI when we could have someone over there hitting 35 jacks with 110 RBI.

Being 4th on the team OPS+ is alright but we had a lot of struggling hitters, so comparing his averages to a bunch of rookies and role players doesn't mean a lot. He just doesn't regularly have a game changing impact anymore.

His OPS+ is comparable to the guys you suggest we replace him with. The team is not going to sit Joe just to replace him with a guy that won't out produce him. Somebody on this team needs to get on base in front of Dozier, Sano, Kepler, Vargas. Joe is our logical 2nd batter. We already shoe horn Dozier in lead off when he'd be better further down the lineup. We can't have all of our batters be low OBP/ high K guys.

[drjim]

It's not about the money or that he isn't a useful player. It's that he occupies a spot on the field that is the easiest to slot in a powerful run-producing hitter, something that we don't have on the team other than Sano and sometimes Dozier. Mauer hits like 10 homers and 65 RBI when we could have someone over there hitting 35 jacks with 110 RBI.

 

Being 4th on the team OPS+ is alright but we had a lot of struggling hitters, so comparing his averages to a bunch of rookies and role players doesn't mean a lot. He just doesn't regularly have a game changing impact anymore.

I understand what you're saying, but 3 guys in all of baseball hit 35 jacks with 110 rbi last year.

[mikecgrimes]

 

Chris Carter has been traded by everyone who has had a chance to speak to him, possibly even by teams who did not have rights to do so.

 

Houston let him walk after a pretty good 2015. The Brewers released him rather than taking him to arbitration after an excellent 2016.

 

Something is wrong.

Could it be that the arbitration process over values Home Runs?  Maybe he's an 8 million dollar player who would have been awarded 15 million.  It's probably more then just that, but I would imagine if the Brewers didn't fear him being overpaid by a wide margin they would be willing to put up with his negatives.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I just don't see the point in acquiring a DH. Between Sano, Mauer, Park, and Vargas there are enough bats to cobble together a DH rotation.

 

I'd like to enter the break with more longterm roster clarity. I want to see what the Twins have in Park and Vargas so they can either be pencilled in for 2018 or off the roster entirely.

 

100% this. If they don't give Park and Vargas a shot this year, someone else will next year (Vargas). Why not, I don't know, see what you have in those two (or at least one of them) and see if you already have a good player?

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

100% this. If they don't give Park and Vargas a shot this year, someone else will next year (Vargas). Why not, I don't know, see what you have in those two (or at least one of them) and see if you already have a good player?

Yeah, and that's not even bringing up Palka, who may be an interesting rookie replacement at DH if both Vargas and Park fail.