Does Either Former Twins Slugger Have Anything Left?

I don't know if either of them has "anything left", as long as they're not trying to find out if they do, while wearing a Twins uni.

I disagree that both have plenty in the tank. Cruz had eye problems that's fixed. Cruz knows how to take care of his body. Sano is young but his problem is doesn't take of himself & his SOs.

I must respectfully disagree that Sano has always been able to "command the strike zone". To me it appeared that the strike zone commanded Sano. 

I can't vouch for where Miguel is, physically and emotionally, and his production depends in no small part on his energy, commitment, and effort.  That being said, I am a bigger fan of his than most on here.  He has carried this team for weeks-long stretches in the past, and is more than capable of doing the same again.

His periods of greatest productivity, it seems to me, came amidst a team-wide boon.  He is not someone who a team can hide well in a lineup of underproducing batsmen.  However, when placed before/after hitters in a stronger lineup, where they cannot afford to nibble at him (cue the visual of him missing a low outside curve by a solid foot), he has shown prodigious power and enough of a keen eye to be dangerous.  If you can stomach the strikeouts, he's a walking .800 OPS/30+ HR guy.

To me, in 2023, he is a potential early-season possibility.  The team needs RH power (check) and doesn't have a set DH against lefties.  IF (and only if) the team trades Kepler, thereby moving Kiriloff to full-time 1B, Larnach/Gordon to LF, and does not bring up Julien right away (which would be great if he earned it, but admittedly a long shot), we would have a bench/DH of Jeffers, Farmer, Celestino, Gordon/Larnach.  I could see Miguel in the 6-hole.  That might not last forever, especially if he struggles or is not in shape (and that ship may already have sailed), but as a bridge until Julien/Lewis/Lee is ready, it's not the worst option.

Yes, I would rather have Kepler/Buxton/Gallo in the outfield and use Farmer, Vazquez, or Larnach as a DH.  But if we get value for Kep and want to clear space for other outfielders, he is a buy-low candidate.

"Yes, I would rather have Kepler/Buxton/Gallo in the outfield"

I would have to respectfully disagree. While they may be 3 of the best defensive guys the Twins could put out there, their offensive production would probably be the worst in the majors. If you like seeing an occasional HR in-between 3 guys that have gotten every good at walking back to the dugout after recording another K then by all means enjoy it. I have grown tired of watching the all or nothing approach that very seldom results in run production.

Sano needs a new environment, I wish him the best but his best should be on another team.

Has anyone seen him???  Is he still 25 lbs overweight????    (being generous in the 25 I think too)  

He was simply too lazy to even attempt to be in shape.  Professional athletes don't show up 25 lbs overweight every spring training.  Twins shouldn't of had to watch him attempt to get in playing shape in June.

Sano was really a disappointment to many of us.  We had higher hopes, but he regressed (not just the injury) instead of progressing.  Not that I like Gallo any better except for his glove.  I do hope he finds himself and gets back into MLB, but the fact that no one has taken a chance on him so far says a lot about the leagues perspective. 

I still think Sano could get a good deal in Japan.

6 hours ago, CRF said:

I don't know if either of them has "anything left", as long as they're not trying to find out if they do, while wearing a Twins uni.

See if Sano will take a minor league deal

Respectfully, you apparently never watched Sano flail away at bat after at bat for whatever part of the season he stayed healthy. He has shown zero ability to command the strike zone since his rookie year, when he looked like he could be a version of Miguel Cabrera. He swings at anything, and his disinterest in off season conditioning is legendary. You are correct that he couldn’t catch up to major league fastballs, which is the one pitch most swing and miss sluggers like Sano feast on. He had a few moments but ultimately was a massive disappointment in Minnesota. What a waste of talent! But I wish him well as he tries to resurrect his career. 

3 hours ago, HoskenPowell said:

Has anyone seen him???  Is he still 25 lbs overweight????    (being generous in the 25 I think too)  

He was simply too lazy to even attempt to be in shape.  Professional athletes don't show up 25 lbs overweight every spring training.  Twins shouldn't of had to watch him attempt to get in playing shape in June.

What about Babe Ruth?

Most entertaining hitter to wear a Twins uniform since Killebrew.  Perfect candidate for future "We didn't need him" features.

Cruz is a true professional, a great guy, and is going to turn 43 around midseason. He wasn't good last season, wasn't good after getting dealt to TB, and any hoped for bounceback effect has to reckon with the fact that Time is undefeated. I think the deal SD offered was perfectly reasonable; they didn't have a DH locked in, Cruz is a great professional to add to the clubhouse with some young players, and at $1M it's easy enough to let him go if he stinks. 

Sano has really struggled with injuries. He's increasingly looking like a DH with that problem and his generally poor defense at 1B, and he's got a pattern of getting out of synch at the plate where he couldn't hit water if he fell out of a %$%*&# boat for lengthy periods. But he's not that old and it hasn't been that long since he's also had stretches where he smashes the hell out of the ball, and he's always had enough strike zone judgment to draw walks. I wouldn't be surprised at all if a team gave him a Cruz-like "prove it" contract.

I just don't think either is a good fit for MN any longer. I think we're wise not to have a permanent DH and to be able to cycle players through when we want their bats in the lineup but want to give them a break from the field (Buxton definitely comes to mind here). Both of these guys have red flags whether they can produce enough to be a quality DH (Cruz with age and declining skills, Sano with injuries and inconsistency). It's time to move on from both.

If I had to bet on which one has the better season...I guess if I was forced I'd pick Cruz: better track record, good professional, less injury history. Sano's younger with more upside, but plenty of red flags. I don't think either is going to be particularly good, though. If you set the OPS for either player in 2023 at .725 I would bet the under.

The average MLB career lasts 5.6 years and Sano played for 7 not including last year. He probably lasted that long due to his surgeries. Cruz is considered to be a superhero compared to the length of most MLB careers. The odds are very low that Sano will ever be a MLB player ever again  The average retirement age is about 29.5 years which means that Sano's retirement is right on schedule because he's almost 30.

https://www.listfoundation.org/the-short-length-of-the-average-mlb-career

I hope someone signs him to a cheap minor league contract and lets him see if he can make it back.  I'm fine if that's MN, but it would be better for him if it isn't.  Maybe Miami?  I've also always thought he would benefit from adopting more knee bend in his batting stance and a shorter, more compact swing; Lord knows he has enough strength to make that work. But what do I know?!

I expect Sanó will get red hot in AAA at some point for some non-Twins team and get a call-up. I don't know how he'll perform in the majors. I think the right coach could possibly still get through to him, unless he's dealing with some deeper problem that we don't know about. I wish him the best. I always thought he had his heart in the right place.

Lazy? What shows he's lazy, weight gain? A lot of people, professional athletes included, struggle with their weight. It's rarely because of laziness.

I have to believe there is someone out there who is going to offer Sano a minor league deal and ship him to AAA just to take a chance.  I don't think it will be the Twins but someone will spend a couple hundred thousand just to see if Sano still has something.