Article: Ryan LaMarre Just Might Make Twins Opening Day Roster

[ThejacKmp]

 

How many cute ST stories are sticking on the 25 man for Cleveland, New York, Boston, Seattle, and LA?

Obviously I'm not down there every day to see the adjustments he's made, and if it's legit or a fluke.

If they found a 5th OF out of no where, more power to them. As a stat geek, there's nothing in his past history that suggests he'll be a successful MLB player IMO.

 

Grossman came out of nowhere too and has been a valuable member of the Twins the past few years. I don't see someone better to keep - Granite should play every day, Vargas doesn't fit any positional need and the Twins evidently feel totally okay with just Adrianza as a backup IF so why not this guy? Odds are no one they pick is finishing out April in the role.

[ThejacKmp]

Sorry to harp on the need for a middle infielder but right now the Twins have the following options for OF:

 

Buxton
Rosario

Kepler

Grossman

Garver

Adrianza

Morrison (emergency)

 

and the following options for middle infield

 

Dozier

Escobar

Adrianza

Rosario? (emergency)

 

They are one nagging three day injury (that doesn't call for the DL) to Escobar, Adrianza, Sano or Dozier to starting a game with Rosario as the backup middle infielder. How is it not a priority to get a middle infielder? How can they even be thinking about another outfielder? What did Erick Aybar do to get cut?

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by ThejacKmp

[Dantes929]

 

How many cute ST stories are sticking on the 25 man for Cleveland, New York, Boston, Seattle, and LA?

Obviously I'm not down there every day to see the adjustments he's made, and if it's legit or a fluke.

 

I've seen variations of this many times in the past such as "No team that is a serious contender would ever have a place for a guy like Nick Punto or Drew Butera"   and then they move on and make teams that win championships.   In fact, I think  most teams do have that kind of guy or even a few of that guy.    I am not advocating for LaMarre based on the cute story.   If he is above average defense and if he is a good base runner then that potentially has value any given day in the late innings.    If you want a right handed pinch hitter for Kepler, even if it is Grossman then you still want LaMarre in as defense.   If the roster is constructed a certain way he may fit in with his skill set and he may not.    Most reserves have flaws or they wouldn't be reserves.   Granite might be a better reserve but if they want him playing every day as the insurance against a regular getting hurt then it makes sense to have someone else as a reserve with the Twins.   

I agree with you completely about questioning whether he is a fluke or legit.   I like the ideas of guys reinventing themselves and the light turning on even in the late 20's but the ST training stats themselves should be taken with a grain of salt.  I am reasonably sure he is not a true 1.307 OPS guy.   If he is sent down it will be interesting to see what he does in the minors.

[Vanimal46]

Grossman came out of nowhere too and has been a valuable member of the Twins the past few years. I don't see someone better to keep - Granite should play every day, Vargas doesn't fit any positional need and the Twins evidently feel totally okay with just Adrianza as a backup IF so why not this guy? Odds are no one they pick is finishing out April in the role.

That's fair to say. Grossman had a better minor league track record compared to LaMarre (.770 OPS vs. .714 OPS) Still, there wasn't anything to indicate he'd be an .800+ OPS player and he did just that in 2016.

 

I agree with you on seeing a need for a middle IF over a 5th OF. We'll see if there's someone intriguing enough to pick up.

[rdehring]

Ryan LaMarre's role shouldn't be making the team as their 5th outfielder.  If he can hit as well as Grossman, with a bit more power, and run and field similar to Granite, shouldn't he be their 4th outfielder?  

 

Send Granite down to play every day.  Then at some point between now and next winter, decide between Grossman and Granite who you want in the organization next year. 

[bustedstuff88]

 

This is probably going to read in a negative way....

I'm not interested in cute spring training stories. This organization should be beyond that point.

If LaMarre can make an impact better than other players, great! There's nothing in his past history that indicates he'll be better than Grossman or the other bench players.

 

Thank You. I think we all had our fill of this over the last 5 years. 

 

[USAFChief]

I've seen variations of this many times in the past such as "No team that is a serious contender would ever have a place for a guy like Nick Punto or Drew Butera" and then they move on and make teams that win championships. In fact, I think most teams do have that kind of guy or even a few of that guy. I am not advocating for LaMarre based on the cute story. If he is above average defense and if he is a good base runner then that potentially has value any given day in the late innings. If you want a right handed pinch hitter for Kepler, even if it is Grossman then you still want LaMarre in as defense. If the roster is constructed a certain way he may fit in with his skill set and he may not. Most reserves have flaws or they wouldn't be reserves. Granite might be a better reserve but if they want him playing every day as the insurance against a regular getting hurt then it makes sense to have someone else as a reserve with the Twins.

I agree with you completely about questioning whether he is a fluke or legit. I like the ideas of guys reinventing themselves and the light turning on even in the late 20's but the ST training stats themselves should be taken with a grain of salt. I am reasonably sure he is not a true 1.307 OPS guy. If he is sent down it will be interesting to see what he does in the minors.

He has 2800 PAs in the minors. We already know what he'll do.

 

I sure wish the Twins had added a RH hitting OFer over the winter, but LaMarre ain't it.

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

lots of hard cases in the comments section today - the "I have higher expectations" crowd.  If stories like this never happened I might get it, but they do - See Chris Coste.  I hope for the best for every Twin minor leaguer and see no reason to crap on anybody's dreams on the internet.

[yarnivek1972]

I don’g get the continued calls for Granite to go down because he needs to play “everyday”.

 

He’s 25. He is OLDER than Max Kepler AND Byron Buxton and barely one year younger than Eddie Rosario. The only way he will ever be a regular starter for the Twins is if one of those 3 gets hurt or traded. And it is not at all certain that he would be next in line should that happen. So, what exactly is to be gained by having him play “everyday” when that is not likely to ever be his role as a Twin?

 

I’m not advocating that he should for sure be on the 25 man roster. Really don’t have a horse in the race as far as who the reserve reserve OFer should be. Just not understanding why some think there is something to be gained by sending Granite down to play everyday.

Edited March 25, 2018 by yarnivek1972

[Dantes929]

 

I don’g get the continued calls for Granite to go down because he needs to play “everyday”.

He’s 25. He is OLDER than Max Kepler AND Byron Buxton and barely one year younger than Eddie Rosario. The only way he will ever be a regular starter for the Twins is if one of those 3 gets hurt or traded. And it is not at all certain that he would be next in line should that happen. So, what exactly is to be gained by having him play “everyday” when that is not likely to ever be his role as a Twin?

I’m not advocating that he should for sure be on the 25 man roster. Really don’t have a horse in the race as far as who the reserve reserve OFer should be. Just not understanding why some think there is something to be gained by sending Granite down to play everyday.

So he is a year older than guys that are really pretty young.    

He doesn't profile so well on some scouting sites but here is one take.

 

 

"According to KATOH, Zack Granite is the No. 6 prospect — not on the Twins, but in all of baseball. Yes, slappy, scrappy, little Zack Granite ranks ahead of famous sons Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., to drop a couple names, and 17 spots ahead of Royce Lewis, the Twins’ top prospect and the first overall pick in last year’s amateur draft. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline think there are 26 Twins prospects better than Granite; KATOH thinks there are only five superior prospects in the whole dang sport.

Here’s Mitchell’s explanation for why KATOH loves Zack Granite entering the 2018 season:

Granite’s back for his second tour of duty on the All-KATOH team, and frankly, his prospect case has only improved. He’s still a speed demon who plays elite center-field defense, which takes most of the pressure off of his bat. But more importantly, his offensive numbers took a huge step forward in 2017, as he hit a ridiculous .338/.392/.475 in Triple-A with an elite 11% strikeout rate. He’s also 6-foot-1, which some might find surprising given his style of play."

 

I truly believe he is the guy if one of our regulars goes down and I would rather him getting 20 at bats a week in the minors than 4 per week in the majors in preparation for that role.   Judgement call.  I am fine with him as the reserve outfielder also.

[ahart10]

I’ll take the upside possibilities of Lamarre and his new swing. The only thing the Twins have to lose is Grossy, and I’m not very concerned about that.

Edit: If he’s willing to start the year in Rochester than he will. Roster flexibility

Edited March 25, 2018 by ahart10

[Dantes929]

 

He has 2800 PAs in the minors. We already know what he'll do.

I sure wish the Twins had added a RH hitting OFer over the winter, but LaMarre ain't it.

I wish we had added a RH OFer as well.   I always advocated for keeping Hicks as a platoon outfielder.   if there was a right handed doppleganger for Kepler I would have been ok with a trade.  Heck, if there was a right handed doppleganger for Granite I would prefer it but if there are good proven right  handed outfielders out there they probably want more than 1 or two starts a week.    Its not like LaMarre was a bad hitter in the minors.    I'm ok whether they keep him or send him down at this point.   The problem  is that he is on a nice role right now but it hard to keep that momentum going with just an at bat or two here and there.

[dxpavelka]

Still don't understand the infatuation with Grossman.  .255 with a dozen home runs and 60 RBI would be a MONSTER year for him.  Need to find a better option if you plan to go to the next level.

[USAFChief]

I wish we had added a RH OFer as well. I always advocated for keeping Hicks as a platoon outfielder. if there was a right handed doppleganger for Kepler I would have been ok with a trade. Heck, if there was a right handed doppleganger for Granite I would prefer it but if there are good proven right handed outfielders out there they probably want more than 1 or two starts a week. Its not like LaMarre was a bad hitter in the minors. I'm ok whether they keep him or send him down at this point. The problem is that he is on a nice role right now but it hard to keep that momentum going with just an at bat or two here and there.

I don’t know what your definition of bad hitter is, but he’s got a .719 career minor league OPS and hasn’t slugged .400 at A, AA, or AAA.

 

I don’t like Granite much, but I’ll take him over LaMarre.

[USAFChief]

Still don't understand the infatuation with Grossman.  .255 with a dozen home runs and 60 RBI would be a MONSTER year for him.  Need to find a better option if you plan to go to the next level.

Logan Morrison says hi.

[jud6312]

 

I don’t know what your definition of bad hitter is, but he’s got a .719 career minor league OPS and hasn’t slugged .400 at A, AA, or AAA.

I don’t like Granite much, but I’ll take him over LaMarre.

Yeah, but new swing. New approach launch angle. Late bloomer.

 

What'd I miss 

[Otto von Ballpark]

LaMarre has a .630 BABIP in 43 PA this spring.

Edited March 25, 2018 by spycake

[jud6312]

For everyone claiming that LaMarre has "pop" in his bat, where is this "pop" manifesting itself?

 

Obviously, I know that pop doesn't always translate to HRs, but you often see guys with pop rack up doubles.

 

LaMarre's hit 10 HRs twice, and only had more than 20 doubles once.

 

So is he just savagely tearing into his singles, rocketing them everywhere, or is he just hitting line drives right at the defense? Because his "pop" certainly hasn't translated to actual success or numbers that indicate he has any "pop."

[Mr. Brooks]

LaMarre has a .630 BABIP in 42 PA this spring.

Seems sustainable.

[Shane Wahl]

Why does anyone care about freaking ST stats? Good lord.

[jud6312]

 

Molitor indicates that LaMarre has made swing changes that have lead to his spring training success. That's exactly what JD Martinez and Logan Morrison have done recently. If LaMarre is producing now, it doesn't matter what his historical stats are. What he's doing NOW is what the Twins should look at to make their decision. The guy is batting almost .500 in a healthy number of spring training at bats. That's incredible and not something easily dismissed. Sometimes a tiny adjustment or whatever just makes it click for a player.

The difference between Martinez and LaMarre is that Martinez had a track record of success in both the majors and minors before making a tweak that took him from very good to MVP level.

 

As for Morrison, I think the jury is still out as to whether his changes will result in sustained success or if it was a 1-year thing. I'm hopeful it's the former, but it could just as easily be the latter. But again, at least at times in the minors, Morrison flashed the tool that keeps him in an MLB lineup.

[clutterheart]

Comparing Lamarre to Burroughs seems weird.  Burroughs was a former #9 overall draft pick and a bit of a lottery ticket.  Lamarre is a journeyman who has had an interesting career with lots of ups and downs.  

Edited March 25, 2018 by clutterheart

[The_Phantom]

 

Why does anyone care about freaking ST stats? Good lord.

Yeah. He's making a fantastic showing in spring training. But so did Park and he ended up back in Korea after a poor year in the minors. 

 

It's nice to have optimism that he's turned the corner, but we also need to keep expectations in check, especially with that absurdly high Babip. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Sorry to harp on the need for a middle infielder but right now the Twins have the following options for OF:

 

Buxton

Rosario

Kepler

Grossman

Garver

Adrianza

Morrison (emergency)

 

and the following options for middle infield

 

Dozier

Escobar

Adrianza

Rosario? (emergency)

 

They are one nagging three day injury (that doesn't call for the DL) to Escobar, Adrianza, Sano or Dozier to starting a game with Rosario as the backup middle infielder. How is it not a priority to get a middle infielder? How can they even be thinking about another outfielder? What did Erick Aybar do to get cut?

Adrianza, Garver, and Morrison are all emergency outfielders. Grossman is almost emergency at this point. If Granite is hurt, you gotta have somebody...

 

Agreed on middle infield, they are thin there too, but at least Adrianza is a pretty good SS. Two bat only guys on the bench could bite them.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Sconnie

[Shaitan]

If he makes the roster, how many times will he pitch this year?

[Twins33]

Let me preface this by saying I don't really care who the 4th OF is because unless there's an injury their biggest job is to keep the bench warm. I lean Granite, but I'd be fine if it were Lamarre.

 

As others have mentioned, Grossman was thought of the same way Lamarre is right now and he's had two good seasons with the bat now. Did any of us expect a combined 115 wRC+ out of Grossman? Think that's an easy no. I wouldn't have even expected the 100 he put up last year, even though he was close one year with the Astros with less power and fewer walks. Maybe Lamarre can do the same, but with better defense?

 

We type posts about wanting to find the next Kluber. Why can't we want/find that for hitters too? There's never a guarantee that you'll get one but doesn't hurt to try. Some of these surprise guys have needed just one tweak and it's elevated them like someone else mentioned. Lamarre probably needs more than one, but you just never know.

 

It's hard to go by past results with Lamarre because he said he was always changing his swing to be like other players. You can't have sustained results if you're messing with your swing as much as he says he was. Lamarre may be something. He may be nothing. Rowson has done a good job with our hitters so far. Maybe he can with him too. Rosario, Buxton and Kepler are always going to get the majority of the AB's so to me it really doesn't matter who's keeping the bench warm. If it's Lamarre, great. If not, great.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I don’t know what your definition of bad hitter is, but he’s got a .719 career minor league OPS and hasn’t slugged .400 at A, AA, or AAA.

I don’t like Granite much, but I’ll take him over LaMarre.

 

I'd likely lean that way too, though I can see the logic about keeping Granite in AAA and calling him up when someone is inevitably hurt. 

 

It's probably worth noting that LaMarre was a 2nd round pick, destroyed the NCAA, and is a CF, not a corner OF. A .720 OPS out of a CF isn't all that bad. It's not stellar, but if the defense is good, that's fine. If Lamarre can play above average defense at any position, I'm quite fine with that as a 5th OF, with Granite getting the call when there's an injury. 

 

I certainly like the excitement of the hot spring, but this is firmly in SSS territory, so yeah, I think the skeptics have a right to be skeptical here, though if has reinvented himself, he's going to have the opportunity to show it. I don't mind it. I really don't think the tradeoff between Lamarre and Granite is going to amount to anything. 

[Brandon Warne]

Go get Trayce Thompson.

[Mike Sixel]

They might want Granite to be playing every day to start the season.

Why? He's a backup as long as the big three are here, and there are guys on his tail.

[Mike Sixel]

LaMarre has a .630 BABIP in 43 PA this spring.

Totally sustainable.... Not a small sample size at all compared to over seven years of earlier data....