Florimon's Appendix at SS

[VandyTwinsFan]

Florimon is out about 2 weeks after an appendectomy. You can read the full story here:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10472508/pedro-florimon-minnesota-twins-expected-miss-two-weeks

 

Of actual note is the quote from Gardy:

 

"[Florimon's] our shortstop," Gardenhire said. "[Jason] Bartlett is here to try and make the club, but Florimon is our shortstop."

 

Well, so much for not just handing him the job. Is it possible that Gardy-nice is even nicer than Mauer-nice? "Oh hey, Florimon, I heard your appendix hurts. You know what, just take a couple weeks off. The starting job is yours. I don't want you to have to worry." Sorry for the rant, but I was really hoping for some spring competition.

[KirbyHawk75]

I really do not mind Florimon being our shortstop due to his defense.. However, Does anyone think Danny Santana has more potential?

[maars]

Definitely, yes. Santana reached AA a year before Florimon, has put up a higher OPS in the minors, and even made fewer errors, with a higher range factor, last year than Florimon did in his age-22 season (Which was mostly at A+). We'll have to wait and see if any of that translates, but he should be better at the plate (.650-.700 OPS) with a close-enough or equivalent glove.

[DaveW]

Santana isn't going to be ready IMO. I think they should sign Drew still... but its a pretty easy decision to give Florimon the spot over anyone else in house at this point. Barlett basically needs to light up in ST to have a chance at the opening day roster, or someone starts the season on the DL.

[VandyTwinsFan]

I really do not mind Florimon being our shortstop due to his defense.

 

I don't mind Florimon either, I was just hoping that between him, Escobar, and Bartlett that there would be a fair competition and the best player at the end of spring training would be the starter. I was trying to point out that Pedro has been quoted as saying the starting SS job was not guaranteed but it appears now that Gardy has done just that.

 

However, Does anyone think Danny Santana has more potential?

 

I can't say much about Santana's potential, as I haven't watched him and I'll let some others get into the stats. If you're curious about the many arguments for/against Florimon, there's a wonderfully active thread started by Riverbrian called simply Pedro Florimon.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Ugh. You don't hand a starting job to .600 OPS players in February. You just don't.

 

If that .600 OPS player ends up with the job because you have no better options, so be it. But you don't declare him the starter before ST even starts.

 

Just ugh.

[DaveW]

Ugh. You don't hand a starting job to .600 OPS players in February. You just don't.

 

If that .600 OPS player ends up with the job because you have no better options, so be it. But you don't declare him the starter before ST even starts.

 

Just ugh.

 

Um, have you seen who else they have "ready"? I am not a huge Florimon guy by any means, but Bartlett is nothing more then insurance in AAA, and Escobar is maybe a Util guy at best. He was still a 1.3 fWAR and 2.1 bWAR guy.

 

Still, give me Drew.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Still, bad players should have to complete for starting spots, not be handed the starting job in February.

[Willihammer]

He sure seems to have made up his mind. If I were Bartlett I'd be kinda livid after reading that.

[John Bonnes]

He sure seems to have made up his mind. If I were Bartlett I'd be kinda livid after reading that.

 

Or Escobar.

[PseudoSABR]

Well, if there was incentive for the Twins to bite on Drew, they just got it.

[oldguy10]

Over reaction on this situation I'd say. Whoever plays shortstop on a regular basis should not make a huge difference as far as the season goes. Get by with simple adequacy at the position and worry about the real problem areas in the lineup, PLEASE!

[Willihammer]

He specifically mentions Bartlett though. Maybe Bartlett was part of the question, but it wouldn't be the first time Gardy's put him in the doghouse. It might be the first time he put him there before ST even started though.

[jokin]

Over reaction on this situation I'd say. Whoever plays shortstop on a regular basis should not make a huge difference as far as the season goes. Get by with simple adequacy at the position and worry about the real problem areas in the lineup, PLEASE!

 

 

SS is one of many real problem areas in this lineup- gotta do better than .600 OPS.

 

Whomever plays SS at the most important position in the field in 2014 will make a huge difference on the level of success or failure achieved and-

 

SS is one key position where the future of who man's the positon for the Twins is still up in the air and, it remains very much in doubt if we, in fact, have a major league SS currently with the organization.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Of actual note is the quote from Gardy:

 

"[Florimon's] our shortstop," Gardenhire said. "[Jason] Bartlett is here to try and make the club, but Florimon is our shortstop."

 

Has he said who won the 5th starter spot yet? j/k

[PseudoSABR]

He specifically mentions Bartlett though. Maybe Bartlett was part of the question, but it wouldn't be the first time Gardy's put him in the doghouse. It might be the first time he put him there before ST even started though.

I think you're reading far, far too much into it. If Gardy was inclined to put Barty in the doghouse before ST, he wouldn't have accepted the invite, nor would the Twins have signed him.

[DaveW]

Or Escobar.

 

I really will never understand the Escobar love, we all complain about Florimon's bat, but Escobars has been significantly worse in the majors. And in the minors other than a fluky 34 games in AAA last year, Escobar's bat has been the exact same as Florimon.

 

Additionally, Florimon is a much better defender at SS then Escobar. In reality, neither guy should be a starter on a team that even pretends to contend. However when your options are Florimon, Escobar, and Bartlett (who hasn't done anything since 2010) I don't see how anyone but Florimon is your starter heading into 2014.

 

Why would Bartlett be kind of livid? Is there some magical other team where he actually would be competing for a starting SS job? Last time Barlett played full time in the majors was 2011, and even then his bat was Florimon esque with worse defense.

 

This is like getting upset that Correia is given the #5 job over Rich Harden and Pedro Hernandez.

[DaveW]

I think you're reading far, far too much into it. If Gardy was inclined to put Barty in the doghouse before ST, he wouldn't have accepted the invite, nor would the Twins have signed him.

I don't think people realize just how awful Bartlett has been the last 3 years either...

 

I like Bartlett a lot (Oklahoma player who made the Twins). However the odds of him sticking in the majors this year are a long shot, the odds of him sticking as a legit starting every day SS is even longer. I hope he succeeds, but let's be real. If he hadn't came up with the Twins org, he would be just another spring training invite.

[nicksaviking]

I don't think people realize just how awful Bartlett has been the last 3 years either...

 

Actually his WAR last year wasn't too bad. His 0.0 mark was better than Carroll and Parmelee anyway.

[jokin]

Actually his WAR last year wasn't too bad. His 0.0 mark was better than Carroll and Parmelee anyway.

 

Just goes to show, when it comes to finding true hidden value, Billy Beane's got nothing on TR!

[DocBauer]

Personally, not reading too much in to this. Floriman did a solid job, did what he was supposed to do at least defensively, and is the incumbent. Not sure how much of a competition Escobar and Bartlett would have/will provide coming up from AAA and a year in never-never land. Always figured Escobar was a top utility prospect and Barlett as his competition and dark horse SS candidate who would begin the year in AAA.

 

I think Gardy is just saying Floriman was his guy to begin things, and is still in the running. You know, the whole "injury doesn't make you lose your job" scenario.

 

But what if Escobar takes control? What if the rumors we hear about how good Bartlett looks early on are real? Think Gardy would start Floriman just for the hell of it? Thinking not.

 

Still think there is an open option here, with Santana as an extreme dark horse.

 

But boy would I love a Wally Pipp scenario!

[Guest USAFChief]

Unless Florimon doesn't recover physically, there is virtually zero chance he isn't the every day SS. That was always the case, and Gardy isn't saying anything new or revealing here. It's why some of us hoped for Drew.

[Riverbrian]

His first child born and his appendix being taken out happened in short order.

 

Kids used to cost an arm and a leg.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Or Escobar.

 

Mainly Escobar. Bartlett is a no-risk shot in the dark at this point.

 

But there's no reason to lock Escobar out of the starting role in February. All the Twins' SS options are bad but at least make them fight for the job in ST.

[Willihammer]

Bartlett's the one guy to have hit at the MLB level. His troubles have been related to injury, not a general decline. He says he's healthy now, and he should be given a fair shot to win the job as much as Escobar or anyone else.

[ashbury]

Kids used to cost an arm and a leg.

 

Tell Pedro to wait. This was just the down payment.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I think Gardy is just saying Floriman was his guy to begin things, and is still in the running. You know, the whole "injury doesn't make you lose your job" scenario.

 

I read it that way too. Basically, he's not losing the job because of the injury. Doesn't mean he couldn't lose it due to something else, or a confluence of factors, of which the injury might be one. Seems like an obvious thing to say, but most manager/GM media quotes are pretty obvious things to say.

 

Then again, my interpretation might be wishful thinking. As much as we might not like it, it's clearly Florimon's job to lose right now, and he doesn't lose it from a two-week injury.

[Linus]

I read it that way too. Basically, he's not losing the job because of the injury. Doesn't mean he couldn't lose it due to something else, or a confluence of factors, of which the injury might be one. Seems like an obvious thing to say, but most manager/GM media quotes are pretty obvious things to say.

 

Then again, my interpretation might be wishful thinking. As much as we might not like it, it's clearly Florimon's job to lose right now, and he doesn't lose it from a two-week injury.

 

This. Gardy just babbles so its crazy to put stock into an answer like this. Patrick Reusse once said that if he had 10 minutes with Torii Hunter he could get him to say anything. Gardy is much the same way, he just kind of affirms whatever direction the question is going. I took the whole thing to mean "Florimon isn't disqualified because of his injury".