I think Josh Willingham should be the DH. I feel it makes the team better by hopefully upgrading the defense in the outfield and keeping Willingham healthy. Playing LF doesn't do anything for his trade value for me, although I am not an MLB GM. Josh Willingham will be 35 when the season starts. Scouts and GMs should know what kind of defense they will get out of Willingham, just like we all know what kind of defense David Ortiz would play at first base.

What I want the Twins to do and what they will do are 2 different things. I want them to sign Cruz and Drew or at least Drew. with Cruz in the fold, DH can be alternated by Arcia, Willingham, Cruz, and Kubel as there would now be 4 players for 3 spots in the line up. Willingham and Kubel are most likely the odd men out in most cases.

 

I just read that the Twins have the money for both players but are hiding behind the need for the draft picks.

People are forgetting Buxton's role in all this. There is a pretty good chance that he is ready for a post-All-Star break callup, at which point our primary (and pretty good fielding) outfield should be Hicks/Buxton/Arcia.

 

I would probably let the Hammer play left early this season and hope he plays more like 2012 than 2013. His trade in July makes room for Buxton. Pressley or Mastro serve as the 4th outfielder, with Kubel as the 5th/emergency OF.

 

By summer, the combination of Plouffe, Parmelee and Colabello will be whittled down to a single bench bat/corner IF position. Probably Plouffe. Finding room in the OF for any of these guys is silly.

I don't know, you think there is a pretty good chance a guy that has not played above A ball will be up by July? You think Hicks is a legit starter? I don't know about either of those being true. But if they are, then surely Hammer should be the DH....

I don't know, you think there is a pretty good chance a guy that has not played above A ball will be up by July? You think Hicks is a legit starter? I don't know about either of those being true. But if they are, then surely Hammer should be the DH....

 

I think Willie Mays will be up sometime after All-Star break and Hicks will be a long time member of our favorite team's core. Hammer will be traded at the deadline and we will be arguing over whether we received a big enough haul.

I really doubt that Buxton will see the majors before the rosters are expanded. The questions are whether Hicks will be able to reclaim center field in the first half of the season. Then the question would be whether Presley or Mastroianni (or Parmelee or perhaps Plouffe) would be manning the corners. I do expect Hammer to be moved, unless he Twins roll boxcars on all of their question marks and contend.

It's pointless to base a decision on who should be the #1 DH (and who is in the OF) based on a hypothetical of the promotion of a minor league player in the Summer. The season starts in April. Personally, I would be very surprised if Buxton was in a Twins uniform in 2014.

A more likely scenario is Sano being promoted, Plouffe moving to right field, Arcia to left and Willingham to a DH platoon with Kubel, or traded. In the unlikely event Buxton makes it up here, it will have no bearing on the DH position.

willingham won't be the small part of a platoon. If Sano is promoted Plouffe and Kubel would likely platoon and Willingham would move between LF and DH.