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  • Miguel Sano's Defensive Future

    Cody Christie

    By Cody Christie

    Miguel Sano is six-feet four-inches tall and weighs 260 pounds (or more). To the casual fan, the idea of him rumbling around the outfield seemed like a bad idea from the start. There were balls that were misplayed and routes run in the wrong direction as the young slugger tried to find himself while in a foreign defensive position.

    Twins Territory might be able to sleep a little easier tonight as it is sounding more like the Sano outfield experiment might be reaching its conclusion.

    Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson- USA Today Sports

    Twins Video

    Twins general manager Terry Ryan was a little cryptic when talking to the local media before Saturday's game. When asked about Sano returning to the outfield, Ryan said,"I'm not sure exactly how it's going to play itself out here quite yet."

    Ryan's tune had changed by Sunday morning as he was asked again about Sano coming back from injury. During a radio appearance, Ryan said that Sano won't play right field when he returns from his current hamstring injury. When asked about Sano's future, Ryan said, "No question, it's third base."

    This is a much different tune than the Twins had during the offseason. Twins manager Paul Molitor was pretty clear that Sano wasn't expected to see any time at third base this season unless Trevor Plouffe was injured and the team needed to shuffle around some players. Of course this situation did occur as Sano started his first game at third when Plouffe and Danny Santana were both on the disabled list.

    So far this season, Sano has played 38 games in right field, seven at designated hitter, and five at third base. In his limited time at third base, Sano has been worth one defensive run saved. The outfield has been a different story as his -9 defensive run saved is tied for third worst total among American League outfielders. SABR's Defensive Index, one of the databases used for selecting the Gold Glove winners, has Sano as the second worst right fielder in the American League.

    Minnesota's 2016 roster was created with Sano set to be in the outfield. Byung Ho Park has struggled as the team's regular DH. When healthy, Trevor Plouffe has played at third base even with some offensive struggles. Now Max Kepler looks like he has settled into right field nicely in the absence of Sano. Park and Plouffe seem like the likely candidates to lose playing time when Sano returns since he won't be playing in the outfield.

    Twins%2BDefensive%2BLine-Up.JPG

    Another option for the team might be trading Trevor Plouffe. There is some value in him since he is still under team control for the 2017 season but he has struggled at the plate so far this year. His OPS is down over 100 points compared to last season and he's getting on base less than 27% of the time. Minnesota won't rush into a trade but a contending team could be looking for some help at third base.

    Sano is never going to be known for his defensive prowess and there won't be any Gold Gloves in his future. He's in the Twins line-up for one reason... to hit the ball as far as he can. It doesn't matter what defensive position Sano plays as long as he finds a way to make his offensive numbers exceed what he costs the team on the defensive side of the ball.

    With a man of Sano's size, tracking down balls in the outfield was only going to lead to more injuries. By shifting back to a more natural position, the hope is to keep Sano in the line-up and off the disabled list. Twins fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Sano won't be heading back to the outfield... at least for right now.

    Cody Christie is a Twins writer and content contributor. His writing can be found exclusively at Twins Daily and his voice can be heard on radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest. Outside of the Twins, he is a father, high school teacher, and avid runner.
    Follow Cody Christie on Twitter: nodaktwinsfan

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    Featured Comments

    Pardon My Dinger

    Pardon My Dinger 5,159

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Twins are shopping Plouffe hard right now is my guess. Keep seeing bits from twins writers that intimate as much. Sano's got a week or so until he returns, twins aren't committing him to RF the way we would expect.

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    jimmer

    jimmer 9,961

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    The only possible TR defense here is that he may have felt pressure from ownership to not completely rip the team apart and start over.

    Personally though, given his tendancies over the years. The fact that he just can't help himself from the dumpster, signing vets over going young, over-valuing defense, signing #5 starters, etc. I don't think this was likely the case. If it was it played a very minor role.

    I think TR has clearly shrugged off the over-valuing defense tendency.

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    ashbury

    ashbury 48,546

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    I would rather see Park go down and collect some at-bats at AAA. Buxton at the big league level has been a roller coaster ride but the Twins need to see what he can do and not keep moving him back and forth. However, I think the Twins will be more willing to send Buxton down again.

    Also, when he's not hitting, Buxton can still beat the other team in a few ways. Park on the other hand is merely taking plate appearances away from Mauer or a DH-du-jour.

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    Richie the Rally Goat

    Richie the Rally Goat 9,100

  • Community Moderator

    • Posted

    Don't look now, but JR Murphy is swinging a hot bat in the month of June:

     

    .341/.408/.561/(.969)

     

    Pretty sure Murphy's going to get a major look by Terry, soon, and probably through September, and well ahead of either Garver or Turner getting a shot. And since Terry seems enamored with Suzuki, Zuke seems more likely to be extended to 2017 (plus a remote chance that his contract vests).

     

    Nunez? If he is the Twins ASG representative, would Ryan have the guts to trade a week or two later?

     

    I gotta think Ryan is deciding between sending down/trading Park or trading Plouffe. Since pulling off deadline deals isn't exactly his trademark MO, look perhaps for Park to be sent down, and Plouffe to alter his role to CornerInf/DH, and split time with Sano and Mauer.

     

    Escobar? Here's his line since he came off of the DL on May 23-

     

    .333/.351/.519/(.870) En Fuego!

     

    Hmmm, I wonder if there's a fringe contender or two that might make a solid/acceptable offer, especially if Escobar can stay anywhere close to his current hot streak? Plus, the acquiring team gets two more years of team control. I like the idea of giving Polanco an extended look at SS... But again, Esco seems like another one of those players the Twins seemingly can't live without, so I'm not holding my breath on a trade here, either. Log jam in the MI continues, Polanco languishes even more.

    id be ok w/ Polanco at 2nd. Dozier has been using a bit more of the field lately and may salvage a bit of trade value. Not much w/ that weird contract
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    jokin

    jokin 4,237

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted (edited)

     

    Grossman seems to be cooling off.  By the time Rosario gets called back up, I would imagine that they'd split time in LF at best.  Keep Kepler in RF.

     

    Yup... during the period of time where TR was slapping himself on the back, there were many of us that predicted that by the second half of June, Rex was likely to have turned back into Robbie- as I write, he has one hit in his last 20 ABs.

     

    Meanwhile, Rosario is on fire in Rochester, seems only a matter of time that Robbie becomes the 4th/5th/Platoon OFer.

    Edited by jokin
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    stringer bell

    stringer bell 12,723

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    It would be nice to have Grossman as a platoon guy. He's really solid as a RH hitter and holds his own as a lefthander. He could give either a Rosario or Kepler a day off versus a lefty and maybe give Buck a day vs. RH pitching (Rosario to center).

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    Rosterman

    Rosterman 3,922

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Right now, you can argue about the need of Kepler to go back to Rochester. If Sano returns to the outfield, then Kepler goes down.

     

    But first, the Twins need to send Sano on rehab to Rochester and have him play 7-10 games IN THE LEAST at third base.

     

    Is Kepler the real deal this year, before celebrating a sophomore slump in 2017? But that is alright. Have him work and fail this year. Isn't he out of options next year?

     

    Grossman has come back down to earth. Will be interesting to see what the season brings. 

     

    Buxton DOES need to go back down. We have Santana in centerfield, and possibly a resurgence of Rosario.

     

    Park is an interesting case. Send him to Rochester, and see if there is anything left to consider in Vargas? If we don't move Plouffe, put him at first abse and Mauer at DH?

     

    Polanco is also needed to be up here and rotating thru positions at some point, perhaps replacing a traded Nunez. And no matter how dazzling Dozier becomes, if an offer is made in your direction for him, give it strong consideration.

     

    I don't know what to say about the rotation or relief corps, except fast track any of those AA arms and get them some facetime in the majors THIS SEASON so they can see if they can handle it, or go back and work constructively on their stuff to make it happen.

     

    But wait, two in a row with our waiver wire greatness and a refurbished Suzuki (will anyone call for him?). 

     

    We won with a 14 run game. Too bad it was 11-10 at one point and we could've lost if Jepsen had come in to save the game!

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    Blackjack

    Blackjack 869

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

     

    There was no farm system to rebuild from 4 years ago.  That was the legacy of the Bill Smith era.  (with Gardy's help).  It has taken this long and the Twins have been forced with half measures to keep the fan base as much as they have.  It will be interesting to see how many players are moved this trading deadline and I (like most) will be disappointed if it is less than 4).

    You're really setting yourself up for disappointment if the standard is TR trading 4 players!!!

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    wsnydes

    wsnydes 12,843

  • Community Leader

    • Posted (edited)

     

    Back in 2012, our best talent (sans Arcia, Gibson, and Dozier) were pretty much all in A ball.  Calling those guys up would have been a horribly bad thing to do.  I'd bet the results would be far worse than what you have today.  The right thing to do is get those place holders and a bunch of guys who have destroyed the minors and just need a shot and give it to him while you bring the kids up.  When guys succeed, they get traded for more lottery tickets.  If one of those AAAA guys breaks through, that's a bit different of a decision based on how much service time he has, org need, etc. 

     

    Of course that means that when said rookie is ready (Arcia for instance who had nothing to prove in the minors), he's playing every day. 

    Agree completely that those guys weren't ready to be called up.  I'm not suggesting that they should have.  What you are proposing makes more sense then what they actually did.  I freely admit that the team wasn't in a great position to begin a rebuild, but they should have started anyway.  You have to start somewhere.  Unloading what they could is how to begin that, and I don't feel that they did all that they could have.  

     

    And as you pointed out, once guys were ready, they needed to play them.  They didn't do that either, and they still aren't today aside from being forced to.

    Edited by wsnydes
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    beckmt

    beckmt 2,069

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    You're really setting yourself up for disappointment if the standard is TR trading 4 players!!!

    Plouffe should be traded, Abad should be traded,  at least one other bullpen piece should be traded(Jepson is the likely candidate), and one or two of the starters will be needed elsewhere.  I would also take a decent offer for Dozier.  That should give me enough room.

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    wsnydes

    wsnydes 12,843

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

     

    Personally, I'm saving myself a lot of consternation and waiting to see what happens during Sano's rehab stint.  Plouffe's playing time at 1st seems to indicate a changing of the tide...

    I agree and hope it continues.  Good thing he didn't go Bill Buckner on the bit too!

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    diehardtwinsfan

    diehardtwinsfan 14,830

  • Community Moderator

    • Posted

     

    Has any team ever traded away 4 guys from their MLB team at deadline? Four seems like a lot.

     

    Yes, but not very often.  I would agree.  I'll be happy if Plouffe and Nolasco are gone.  I'll be even happier if they can unload Abad or someone else from the pen.   That's probably high expectations on its own.

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    ashbury

    ashbury 48,546

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    I'll be even happier if they can unload Abad or someone else from the pen.   That's probably high expectations on its own.

    It would be nice for once to be receiving some other team's Wilson Ramos, JJ Hardy, or Chih-Wei Hu, in exchange for our serviceable reliever.

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    tobi0040

    tobi0040 4,125

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted (edited)

    It would be nice for once to be receiving some other team's Wilson Ramos, JJ Hardy, or Chih-Wei Hu, in exchange for our serviceable reliever.

    We are kidding ourselves here folks. Abad is having a career year, more than a run better than his career ERA. His FIP is .60 higher than his actual ERA. It is a small sample size.

     

    This is a 2-3 year extension waiting to happen.

    Edited by tobi0040
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