Article: Uncertainty Continues To Follow Sano

[Cody Christie]

Questions have circled Miguel Sano throughout most of the off-season. Will he be suspended following assault allegations? Will he start the year on the DL after off-season surgery on his leg? Can he be an All-Star caliber slugger like fans saw in the first half of 2018? Many of those questions remain unanswered.

 

With a less than a month until Opening Day, Sano and the Twins are still uncertain about what the future will bring.Last week, Miguel Sano spent four hours being interviewed by investigators from Major League Baseball. This comes two months after Sano was accused of unwanted advances by photographer Betsy Bissen. The incident in question allegedly occurred after an autograph signing back in 2015. Sano has denied the allegations from the beginning and there’s still little known about when MLB will make any final decision about a possible punishment for Sano.

 

Many believe Sano’s interview was the final step in the investigation process. This may indicate that the commissioner’s office is ready to make a decision in the coming days. The two-year-old policy covers domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Previous punishments under this policy have included suspension, fines and/or sensitivity training. However, police reports have usually been included in those previous cases.

 

For example, Yankees closer Arolids Chapman was suspended 30 games in 2016 after he allegedly choked his girlfriend and fired eight shots in the garage of his home. He was never prosecuted because there were conflicting accounts of the events and not enough evidence.

 

Other questions have also followed Sano this off-season. He had a roughly 18-inch titanium rod placed in his left-leg back in the middle of November. This meant there was part of the off-season where he was immobilized and this could have led him to packing on a few more pounds than the team wanted to see from their budding slugger.

 

Sano’s play on the field so far this spring has continued the trend of uncertainty. He’s started two games at third base but he has yet to record a hit. He is 0-for-8 with 3 Ks including a pair of three-pitch strikeouts on Sunday afternoon.

 

On the defensive side of the ball, there have been limited chances for Sano. In his first play at third base, he was slow to field a chopper and then missed a throw to Joe Mauer. The play was ruled an infield hit. Later in that first game, he had to charge a ball and make a barehanded play. In Sunday’s game, his only defensive opportunity came on a pop-out to third.

 

It's hard to read a lot into two spring training starts for Sano. He’s working his way back from injury and there is still a month for him to get his bat back into shape for the 2018 season.

 

With that being said, uncertainty continues to follow Sano. The organization and Sano have no idea when Commissioner Rob Manfred will make the final ruling in his assault case. Until that time, Sano is going to continue to try to figure things out on the field.

 

Are you worried about Sano’s start so far this spring? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

 

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[Seth Stohs]

I can confirm that Sano was not the last person interviewed by MLB investigators. Hopefully that scenario is over soon. 

 

As for him being 0-8 with 3 Ks, Pretty sure that means nothing. Nothing to worry about with that. 

[TwerkTwonkTwins]

Not particularly concerned with 8 ABs. The likeliest scenario is Sano having an "extended spring training opportunity" to start off the 2018 season. 

[Taildragger8791]

Way too early and too small of a sample. Hardly anyone is hitting yet. As long as he can play he'll mash a lot of taters and probably be top 5 in the league in strikeouts (or strikeout rate). That's just his game, and as ugly as it may be that's the way the league is going. That's also why I'd rather see him in the 4 hole than the 3 hole, but we probably don't have a better candidate for batting third.

[wabene]

He looks pretty good to me. Fitter than I expected. His incident will play itself out and if he is punished I doubt it it would exceed Chapman's violent and documented outburst. If he has to miss time I can see a hungry and healthy Sano returning. Nobody questions Berrios' or Buxton's commitment. Some guys who have a non-nonchalant or mellow demeanor like Sano or Mauer get questioned. Not always warranted. I'm sure Sano has learned many lessons in the last year. 

[mickeymental]

but not TOO hungry.

[Old Twins Cap]

Be interesting to see what MLB decides.

 

Allegations are three years old, no formal complaint filed.

 

But, the #me too movement has felled big fellahs and MLB will have to take a stance on complaints about player behavior for a whole bunch of very good reasons.

 

But the Sano decision will need to be fair, credible and transparent, and they can't release hardly any information about it due to privacy laws. 

 

So, tough call as to how to punish/reprimand/set a bar for the league.

 

 

 

 

[gunnarthor]

I'm not too worried about Sano's bat. It looks like the FO is willing to let him play third base for the majority of the season so they signed Morrison.

[old nurse]

Not even Robbie Grossman expects to be good in the first 10 AB and there are articles containing OMG about 8 AB on a player.

[Dantes929]

In Chip Hilton's Home Run Feud Chips teammates at University talk about how pitchers are always ahead of hitters early on but doesn't seem to take to long to for the batters to catch up.    Did that reference resonate with anyone?

[Brandon]

Im more concerned about the 6 runs in 2 innings Sanchez gave up today. While today is not a big deal....a few more appearances like that will be for him.

[Broker]

I think it's little early to be critical of anybody. They have only been in a couple of games.

[Duke Powell]

1. If the MLB’s policy just covers sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, it does not seem that the allegations comfortably fit - even if true. At most any punishment should be minor.

 

 

2. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed in seeing Sanyo reporting to camp weighing 290 lbs. Being unable to participate in off-season workouts is no excuse. His weight has been a constant irritant to the franchise since he was drafted and he has refused to address the issue.

 

 

I’m afraid is time to cut bait - dump him for the guy in Kansas City.

[jctwins]

With the passage of time the tone on dumping Sano after the alleged assault sure has softened here.

[slash129]

 

But, the #me too movement has felled big fellahs and MLB will have to take a stance on complaints about player behavior for a whole bunch of very good reasons.

 

Sure does suck that Sano's availability is affected by a passing hashtag.

[slash129]

 

With the passage of time the tone on dumping Sano after the alleged assault sure has softened here.

 

People pretend to care about the hot social justice/ crime against humanity fad. Then we go back to caring about what we really care about.

 

Yesterday, we cared about the abuse of power over women in the industries.  

 

Then we remembered that we really care more about how effective the Twins lineup will be.

 

Today, we care about assualt weapons being available to the mentally disturbed or maybe anyone for that matter.

 

Tomorrow, we'll remember that we really care about those number 4 and 5 starters and how much stock we should put in the big fat eggs that Hughes and Sanchez laid the last couple days. 

[Walter's Whites]

I'm not concerned over 8 at bats, but I do think he needs to cut down the strikeouts and get in better shape to fulfill his potential. Hope he does, because he could be MVP caliber.

[Jham]

People pretend to care about the hot social justice/ crime against humanity fad. Then we go back to caring about what we really care about.

 

Yesterday, we cared about the abuse of power over women in the industries.  

 

Then we remembered that we really care more about how effective the Twins lineup will be.

 

Today, we care about assualt weapons being available to the mentally disturbed or maybe anyone for that matter.

 

Tomorrow, we'll remember that we really care about those number 4 and 5 starters and how much stock we should put in the big fat eggs that Hughes and Sanchez laid the last couple days.

 

Victims of our own humanity... better to care for a minute or not care at all?

[OldManWinter]

Sano's punishment should be far less than Chapmans. Choking someone and firing a gun irresponsibly are two much more serious offenses. Chapman got off lightly.

 

That said, whatever Sano does get will be an important lesson for him.

 

If the Twins do not have a dietician assigned to Sano, they should. He has too much ability for him to not take advantage of it all.

 

The weight does him no good, he can already hit a ball like Those.

 

But, it has many negatives:moving slower to make playes, more susceptible to injury, and career shortening.

 

Sano is too valuable not to have an "eating counsellor" with him

[OldManWinter]

Not Those, should be Thome.

[scottz]

Jim Those was a first ballot Hall of Faser.

[diehardtwinsfan]

should note that Sano was pretty awful last spring... didn't seem to affect much once the season started, so I wouldn't worry about that. 

 

On the other side of things, even he is guilty, I don't see him getting the Chapman treatment for many of the reasons specified in this thread. 

[ThejacKmp]

People pretend to care about the hot social justice/ crime against humanity fad. Then we go back to caring about what we really care about.

 

Yesterday, we cared about the abuse of power over women in the industries.  

 

Then we remembered that we really care more about how effective the Twins lineup will be.

 

Today, we care about assualt weapons being available to the mentally disturbed or maybe anyone for that matter.

 

Tomorrow, we'll remember that we really care about those number 4 and 5 starters and how much stock we should put in the big fat eggs that Hughes and Sanchez laid the last couple days.

 

Disagree. For me, things softened because this wasn't the first of seven women to come forward. That's been the pattern in the past and when it's a serial thing, it's harder to think "well he was young" or "maybe he learned his lesson."

 

i hope the league takes it seriously and sano learns from this and apologizes (likely privately). But I'm optimistic that he was young and misread something and made a change after this. Otherwise there would have been others stepping forward.

[The Wise One]

 

Victims of our own humanity... better to care for a minute or not care at all?

Maybe practicing a few minutes of caring will lead to hours of caring.. In the bigger world I do not see that happening, but one can hope. 

[BJames]

I'm for trading Sano for an ACE. Never been a fan of the long ball hitters.

[The Wise One]

The Sano and Chapman situations are so different in so many ways they should not even be in the same paragraph. Spring sample sizes an judging season outcomes . Hector Santiago has given up only one run in eight innings. What on earth was the FO thinking about letting this talent go. 

[twinsnorth49]

i'm guessing there is always a reasonable amount of uncertainty towards any player that's had a titanium rod inserted into their leg during the  off season, although I think 8 AB's and a handful of games in March is a bit too early to be concerned about it much. 

[Thrylos]

 

 

 

the Sano decision will need to be fair, credible and transparent, and they can't release hardly any information about it due to privacy laws. 

 

 

FWIW, this is not true.  Information that the MLB uses to make employment decisions is not protected by any privacy laws, since it is not USDOJ info (privacy act of 1974) because no police report was ever filed, social security/financial info (Sarbanes Oxley), or personal health information (HIPAA.)

 

They can release everything they can, and they should, in order to be transparent.   So far it is a she says, he says information that lacks any (named or outed) witnesses (and the 2 other individuals involved - memorabilia shop owner and agent - suggested that they did not observe anything because they were not in the area at the time...)

 

[Deduno Abides]

I'm for trading Sano for an ACE. Never been a fan of the long ball hitters.

 

Yeah, after that, an ace or really any kind of bandage.