Are the Twins Destined for an Andrelton Simmons Reunion?

[rv78]

Boils down to how serious the FO and Pohlads are about contending. If they bring him back verses an upgrade they aren't serious. Same goes for pitching. Do they use the likes of Ober, Ryan, Jax, Dobnak and another unproven arm in the rotation or do they go get a couple of... Robbie Ray, Rodon, Gausman, Stroman? Do they trade the hollow bats of Sano and Kepler and keep the third hole in the lineup... Simmons off the team? How about an upgrade on the bench as well saying goodbye to Cave and Astudillo. This off-season they need to start fixing the problems everywhere, not just at SS.

[baul0010]

If we have relegated ourselves to re-signing Simmons, the off-season didn't go as planned.  

At that point, we should shift to sell mode.  Get as close to mlb ready prospects for Buxton, Garver or Jeffers, Sano, Donaldson...

We seem to have a good young core that is close to mlb ready.  Let's use next year as our year to develop talent, and let's kick butt again in 2023 for many years to come.  

[Wax off]

Some seem to think we have multiple SS candidates in our farm system. I don't even consider Martin there except maybe backup, am I wrong? We'll be lucky if we have one prospect with starting SS potential and that's Lewis only, if even.

How many baseball players in the world are there that could be considered good MLB SSs? 15? 20? It's such a small number that to assume Lewis is just waiting in the wings is disrespectful to the craft. He has to prove himself there and has not done that yet. And Martin seems like such a longshot to land at SS I'm not even considering it for a second.

Simmons isn't one of the better because he was so poor at the plate and isn't what he used to be in the field, but he used to be one of the greatest defensive SSs of all time, so I would like him back, even if we landed one of the big FAs.

I think we should approach this as if we currently do not have a decent SS in the entire organization right now, unless Polanco moves back. I'd be OK with that because we have plenty of guys who could play 2B in 2022 and it would have the side benefit of opening up 2B for others. Polanco is the only player we have right now who could be relied upon as opening day SS.

[USAFChief]

  On 11/3/2021 at 2:41 AM, Wax off said:

Some seem to think we have multiple SS candidates in our farm system. I don't even consider Martin there except maybe backup, am I wrong? We'll be lucky if we have one prospect with starting SS potential and that's Lewis only, if even.

How many baseball players in the world are there that could be considered good MLB SSs? 15? 20? It's such a small number that to assume Lewis is just waiting in the wings is disrespectful to the craft. He has to prove himself there and has not done that yet. And Martin seems like such a longshot to land at SS I'm not even considering it for a second.

Simmons isn't one of the better because he was so poor at the plate and isn't what he used to be in the field, but he used to be possibly one of the greatest defensive SSs of all time, so I would like him back, even if we landed one of the big FAs.

I think we should approach this as if we currently do not have a decent SS in the entire organization right now, unless Polanco moves back. I'd be OK with that because we have plenty of guys who could play 2B in 2022 and it would have the side benefit of opening up 2B for others. Polanco is the only player we have right now who could be relied upon as opening day SS.

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I'd say we don't have a decent SS in the organization even IF Polanco moves back there.

[Rosterman]

I'm suddenly seeing the Twins resign (and early) ann three of the free agents. Of course, Colome is either an acceptance by him or a buyout. Pineda may be grabbed, as well as Simmons, for decent prices that the front office can't refuse. Expecially with the collective bargaining agreement out there.

 

My gripe on any of the three is evaluating their worth at this season's trade deadline. They got the Twins nothing. Na-na for legit offers. And, in a losing season, the Twins chose to give all three innings that better could've been given to players for the team's future...if nothing else for experience, and certainly evaluation.

 

$15 million for the three may be in the works. Too much? Too little? What else could you egt for $15 million to make the team better!

[Wax off]

  On 11/3/2021 at 3:17 AM, USAFChief said:

I'd say we don't have a decent SS in the organization even IF Polanco moves back there.

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I mean whole package. If he hits like he did last year he's decent even if he's the 30th place defensively.

I'd prefer we bring in a SS, but if it's Simmons, would you prefer him or Polanco to take majority of SS innings then? 

[Greglw3]

  On 11/2/2021 at 1:02 PM, mikelink45 said:

Yes, I will be disappointed.  I just do not see the great glove that the metrics claim.  I saw a player who was indifferent at times, who missed opportunities that would not show in the statistics.  I still use the eye test, and he failed my vision.

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I agree wholeheartedly. He dropped a lot of balls. He was a disaster. It would be much better to sign Iglesias and his .271 avg and good defense for $3 M which is the same as Simmons is projected at.

[Greglw3]

  On 11/2/2021 at 1:19 PM, wsnydes said:

I'd be pretty disappointed.  That said, it would make some sense if the FO thinks Martin or Lewis (or someone else) will be ready this season, just not on Opening Day.  I can understand that logic.  I won't like it in the interim, but that approach does make sense.  He's likely to be an easy DFA decision.

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Iglesias!

[Greglw3]

  On 11/2/2021 at 1:53 PM, cHawk said:

Ugh. Please no.

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Double Ugh!

[RpR]

  On 11/2/2021 at 4:53 PM, farmerguychris said:

No thanks.  I'd rather have some growing pains with one of our SS rookies over Simmons again.  A rookie will make some mistakes, but hopefully won't infect a team with anything preventable.

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Yep,  89 loses is not enough we want a full 100.

[kenneth frank]

Twins like cheap..., but it probably depends on what they decide on Buxton. 

[Whitey333]

Excellent article and comments.  I many times get the vibes that even the FO doesn't know which way they are going.  I'm guessing they keep Simmons on another one year deal assuming he wants to come back.  Should they? No! Under no circumstances should Simmons and Colome' be back next year.  But I'm guessing both will be.  As for hitting coaches; the Twins signed a minor league hitting instructor from the Dodgers system that hasn't been above AA.  How is he to help veteran hitters when he hasn't been there himself?  I think it's part of the Twins trend of going younger and inexperienced to go cheap again.

[USAFChief]

  On 11/3/2021 at 4:16 AM, Wax off said:

I mean whole package. If he hits like he did last year he's decent even if he's the 30th place defensively.

I'd prefer we bring in a SS, but if it's Simmons, would you prefer him or Polanco to take majority of SS innings then? 

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If they bring in Simmons, they're not doing it to play Polanco at SS.

And I personally don't want them to move Polanco back. That, to me, is a worse option than Simmons.

[Major League Ready]

  On 11/3/2021 at 5:38 AM, RpR said:

Yep,  89 loses is not enough we want a full 100.

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So replacing Simmons with a rookie will cost us 11 games? 

[TheLeviathan]

I would seriously consider tuning the Twins out for an entire year if Andrelton Simmons is our plan in 2021.  I want absolutely no part in that.  

If a defensive placeholder is all you want than sign Galvis.  But I prefer we swing big.  Whomever it is, even if they are an all field/no hit shortstop....it just can't be Simmons again.  I can't watch another year of disgusting at-bats.

[RpR]

  On 11/3/2021 at 9:53 PM, Major League Ready said:

So replacing Simmons with a rookie will cost us 11 games? 

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Yep.

While Polanco is far from a top 2nd Base Man, Donaldson, Simmons and Polanco are an excellent infield; sticking a rookie in there makes the infield SS just a AAA experiment.

[Major League Ready]

  On 11/3/2021 at 11:01 PM, TheLeviathan said:

I would seriously consider tuning the Twins out for an entire year if Andrelton Simmons is our plan in 2021.  I want absolutely no part in that.  

If a defensive placeholder is all you want than sign Galvis.  But I prefer we swing big.  Whomever it is, even if they are an all field/no hit shortstop....it just can't be Simmons again.  I can't watch another year of disgusting at-bats.

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I am hoping for an upgrade but I would not refuse to watch them.  His ABs are roughly 5% of the show so I am not denying myself baseball because I don't like one of the players.  However, I agree with you in that I can't stand watching his ABs.  I record the game and let it get ahead.  Then, just FF through the commercials, pitching changes, and certain ABs.  

[Wax off]

  On 11/3/2021 at 4:07 PM, USAFChief said:

If they bring in Simmons, they're not doing it to play Polanco at SS.

And I personally don't want them to move Polanco back. That, to me, is a worse option than Simmons.

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If they only pay him 3 mil, he could spell Polanco and would be a good insurance plan if Polanco were out for extended period.

I prefer we land a top SS in FA, but I would still like Simmons back if he's only a few million. He's slick with the glove and has at one point reached a level of fielding few ever have, if not only the great Ozzie Smith. I'd love to have his experience on my team and a solid backup defensive SS for cheap.