I think after the Solano signing it is very likely that Trevor Larnach starts the season in St. Paul and Nick Gordon is the opening day DH. If you would have told someone in 2020 that Nick Gordon would be the opening day DH three years later I would have told you you were crazy. Although DH will be a revolving door of players, I think Opening Day will be the A+ lineup. 

 

Barring everyone leaves Ft. Myers healthy, this is a great opening day lineup. 

Buxton CF

Polo 2B

Correa SS

Gallo LF

Miranda 3B

Kiriloff 1B

Gordon DH

Vasquez C

Kepler RF

Personally I'd slide Gallo down to 6th and move Miranda and Kiriloff up until Gallo regains some of the old form, also if we happen to see a lefty on opening day I'd be interested to see if Taylor maybe starts over Kepler and Solano or Farmer over Gordon. Not sure how hard they want to lean into the platoons, especially on opening day but will be interesting to look at as it gets closer.

Whoever. Depends on who starts for KC.

KC's top three starters are RHP so that's probably accurate. I'm guessing Kirilloff won't be 100% by opening day so that might alter the lineup. 

Along the lines of what @raindog said, I actually think it's more likely that Kirilloff is the one who doesn't make the trip to KC for opening day. Not sure exactly what that'd do to the lineup, but I think they're going to take things slow with Kirilloff and that wrist, and he's the one I'd guess gets sent to Toledo at the end of March instead of KC. As of today, that is. A lot can change over the next 5 weeks.

57 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

and he's the one I'd guess gets sent to Toledo at the end of March

I've never been a fan of DH's that can't draw walks.

2 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Along the lines of what @raindog said, I actually think it's more likely that Kirilloff is the one who doesn't make the trip to KC for opening day. Not sure exactly what that'd do to the lineup, but I think they're going to take things slow with Kirilloff and that wrist, and he's the one I'd guess gets sent to Toledo at the end of March instead of KC. As of today, that is. A lot can change over the next 5 weeks.

Five weeks is plenty of time for the field staff and the training/medical group to determine things. They'll pretty much know the status injury-wise, but also skill improvement, mental/emotional readiness, etc. My fear is that the addition of Donovan Solaris portends something we don't want to hear. It's not just some sort of handedness thing.