Miguel Sano's Defensive Future

While I am not going to argue with those who will soon fill this comment section with I told you so's--you did, and you were right--I will suggest this is partially driven by a desire to not screw up the one developmental thing that might actually work out well for the Twins this year:  Max Kepler as Rightfielder of the Next Decade.  Rather than do something like move him to center, left, the bench, or Rochester, it seems like ending the Miguel Sano experiment, as well as the cutting of Arcia, is a clear indication that the Twins have a 'plan' to stick with Kepler.  We saw what he did after Arcia was cut and he wasn't bumped; who knows, maybe this will really buoy his confidence.

Or, maybe I am grasping at any sign of hope in this dismal season.

Sano to third, keep Kepler in right. Sorry Plouffe, time to grab some bench and act like a professional (I am sure he will).

It's good to see that TR has acknowledged the error in his ways. Thankfully Kepler is beginning to take RF over just like I hoped, so Sano won't have to embarrass himself out there. 

I find the link to DFS on Fangraphs interesting. The individual breakdown for the Twins is here:

Max Kepler +2

Byron Buxton +1

Eddie Rosario -2

Danny Santana -3

Oswaldo Arcia -4

Robbie Grossman -7

Miguel Sano -9

I'm interested to know how they calculate this stat. What gives Buxton just a +1? And how has Grossman already accumulated a -7?

Sano in RF was a failure--though would not have been so glaring if all concerned (Sano, Plouffe, and Park) had hit to "expectations". Plouffe's 3B defense will never be confused with "Gold Glove", his lack of hitting would make him a "non-starter" on a team that fancied itself a "contender". I expect the next roll of the dice will be with Sano at 3B. Eventually, we will conclude Sano really belongs at either 1B or DH. I hope that realization is made before the end of October 2016 so "adjustments" can be made before another season is flushed.

I've said it before...but...here we go again. Sano's position is 3B.

Coming up through the minors, it was reported he worked very hard on his fielding and took pride in his defense and improvement. The only negative reports I ever ready concerning his defense was long term, being a bigger man, that he would/might move to 1B eventually. And that's OK too.

Granted, my exposure to watching Sano play 3B is a couple years of ST games, his play there last season, and his limited time there this season. Has he always been perfect? No. Has he made mistakes? Yes. But he has shown time and again he can play the position at least fairly well. And I'd expect him to get better the more he plays it.

Forget other teams and other players for a moment and just focus on 2 of the best 3B the Twins ever had, Gaetti and Koski. Gaetti had hands of stone when he first came up, and Koski, himself not a small man, was considered stiff. Both worked hard and became excellent defensive 3B as well as prime offensive players. Current Twin Plouffe also was no wizard at the spot initially.

Put him at 3B for his sake, the roster's sake, and the future Twins sake. It's the right move all the way around.

Kepler is up to stay. That kid has amazing hands and great control of the zone. I almost bet he makes an all-star team before Buxton or sano.

Terry Ryan gets no love from me for finally fixing something he caused. It just further proves his time has been up for years. A classy man would have gracefully retired years ago. Of course Sano never should be in right field. Never ever.

It is hard to get that picture of Kepler looking back at the simple fly ball he had just run past this last series. It will take some time for me to be able to look at him as a plus defensive player now.

All because of the infatuation with Trevor Plouffe. Sano is just fine at third. Long-term planning would have had Mauer at third and Sano at first.

I still think trading Plouffe and not trading Hicks would have had a domino effect this year. Before the squad starts talking about Hicks 2016 in NY, keep in mind that there is a weird L/R split there this year and that playing every day would have moved those numbers up significantly. And then they could have kept Buxton down until now-ish. They would have been able to have Sano, Mauer, Park, and Arcia in the lineup together. Rosario could have been sent down sooner. Weird lineup manipulations at the top could have been avoided.

I would have liked the team to be rolling with:

Hicks, RF

Mauer, 1B

Sano, 3B

Arcia/Park DH in a semi-platoon

Dozier, 2B

Rosario, LF

Polanco, SS

Salty/Suzuki C

Buxton, CF

with Kepler being the main guy to rotate in for three OF positions and first base.

I will settle for:

Polanco, SS

Mauer, 1B

Sano, 3B

Park, DH

Dozier, 2B

Kepler, RF

Rosario, LF

Garver, C (promote to AAA today please)

Buxton, CF

by August 1st.

Plouffe, Nunez, Escobar, Suzuki all get traded for whatever can actually be had for them.

Bench of Santana, Beresford, Grossman, and Turner

It's good to see that TR has acknowledged the error in his ways. Thankfully Kepler is beginning to take RF over just like I hoped, so Sano won't have to embarrass himself out there. 

 

I find the link to DFS on Fangraphs interesting. The individual breakdown for the Twins is here:

 

Max Kepler +2

Byron Buxton +1

Eddie Rosario -2

Danny Santana -3

Oswaldo Arcia -4

Robbie Grossman -7

Miguel Sano -9

 

I'm interested to know how they calculate this stat. What gives Buxton just a +1? And how has Grossman already accumulated a -7?

It was interesting Plouffe got to play 1st in front of the Yankees who need a 1st baseman, or six. And of course he lets one roll through his legs. Esco is on his usual hot streak after he sits, maybe a reason a lot of teams consider him a utility guy? The SP is going to be very very difficult to fix. The BP not so. And if they would get their act together, and get Rosario back and Polanco here, they would start to turn the corner. But they still are missing a middle IF and a catcher. I would still bring up our best defensive catcher and let him play. It's time to move on. The core of this team has proven they will never win.

You have four players - Mauer, Plouffe, Park, Sano - for three positions - DH, 3rd, 1st - it doesn't seem like it would be that hard to make it work. You'd always have a good bench bat and it wouldn't hurt any of them to get a day off every fourth day. Maybe they'd learn something by just sitting and watching, especially Sano and Park. Maybe a day or two of sitting on the bench would give them some motivation to work a little harder. Sano is coming off an injury, two days on and one day off for awhile wouldn't hurt. Make it work, its not rocket science.

The Twins don't do this kind of thing, and they probably shouldn't in this case.

It sounds like a good idea to play them in a rotation, except if one guy is on a hot streak he shouldn't be sitting... and if another guy is ice cold he shouldn't be bumping the others out of the lineup.

Invariably one of those players (in this case, probably Park) would get the lion's share of the bench time.

It's good to see that TR has acknowledged the error in his ways. Thankfully Kepler is beginning to take RF over just like I hoped, so Sano won't have to embarrass himself out there. 

 

I find the link to DFS on Fangraphs interesting. The individual breakdown for the Twins is here:

 

Max Kepler +2

Byron Buxton +1

Eddie Rosario -2

Danny Santana -3

Oswaldo Arcia -4

Robbie Grossman -7

Miguel Sano -9

 

I'm interested to know how they calculate this stat. What gives Buxton just a +1? And how has Grossman already accumulated a -7?

Fangraphs has Buxton at +2 DRS (I don't know what DFS is).  And Grossman looks horrible on D.  Slow, bad arm, bad routes.  To answer your question about Grossman, his poor range (-5) is the real kicker, and that's what is contributing the most to his -7.

Additionally, none of these numbers surprise me.  The numbers are relative to position.  For example, one couldn't look at a RF and a CF having the same DRS and conclude they were equals on defense. 

You jerks all seem to have forgotten how athletic Sano is. Let's just not worry about it, huh?

Sano is very athletic and no one has forgotten that except maybe Sano at times.