Painted Into A Corner (Infield Crunch)

On the surface, the move for Park wasn't a bad one. On the surface. It's always good to add quality ballplayers to your roster. Better too many than too few. And really, coming in to the season, we weren't sure what Mauer would do. We weren't sure about Arcia. We weren't sure what to expect from Vargas. And if Park was hitting at least .250 with an OK OB and on pace to slug 30+ doubles and 20+ homers, we'd all be on his fan bandwagon. But all that being said, and despite applauding the Twins for thinking outside the box for once, it was a short-sighted move for a team with holes elsewhere.

Vargas is young and has good power and a good eye. Even if you dismiss 2014 and 2015 as cancelling one another out, go look at his milb track record. Solid numbers, high OPS, consistent advancement. He should be applauded for the hard work he's put in at the plate and at 1B. He should not be dismissed. Frankly, I'm excited about him.

With a little more time and work, and maybe losing a couple pounds, Sano has the reactions and arm to be at least decent at 3B. You can go down through the years and examine 3B after 3B and you will see struggles defensively while they settled in. (Same for SS and 2B) And let's not forget sticking him in OF, announcing he's not going to play 3B, and then putting him back there again. You MUST give him time.

I've always rooted for Plouffe, and he's a solid ballplayer when healthy. The real tragedy for the Twins was him being hurt so much this season to decrease his value. Maybe, hopefully, he can still be moved via a wire trade to someone with a need. But really, he should be done after this season with the Twins.

To me, the big crunch is 1B/DH. What if Park starts to get it together? Is there room for he, Mauer and Vargas in 2017? Two in the lineup most days, one on the bench in reserve. But that would force you to carry only one utility guy. Not sure I'm crazy about that.

I wonder if Vargas' solid walk rates give him a better chance of more success as he grows into his prime. I think he has a more promising future than Park or Plouffe.

To me, the big crunch is 1B/DH. What if Park starts to get it together? Is there room for he, Mauer and Vargas in 2017? Two in the lineup most days, one on the bench in reserve. But that would force you to carry only one utility guy. Not sure I'm crazy about that.

Well that's where the trade from your strength to fill another hole comes to play. Just feel like Boston would like to give another cast off a try if the Twins sour on Vargas. Not sure what I did there tried to use part of DocBauer's post.

The logjam at first.

Towards the future, I was actually looking as Kepler being a first baseman (he was playing there a bit in AA ball). And people talk about Sano, possibly. But see Sano moving towards DH.

In the distant minors, we have Diaz. But before that, we have Bargas, who will have to be carried on the 40-man next year and then arbitration eligible in 2018. We have Park, on the ropes until 2019 with an option. Of course, joltin' Joe is there for two more seasons and not going anywheres. At least, if we had cycled Arcia into the mix (instead of Park) we had a fourth outfielder to play the corners.

A bigger question is the capability of any of these guys coming off the bench, Thome -style, to give you the big hit. Plus getting the pitching in order so you can carry a "slugger only" on the bench.

Yes, we do have Walker, who can go up and down for the next couple of years/. We have Palka, who might be a first baseman, and can also cycle into a role come 2018 or beyond if we wish to wait that long.

Vargas they tried to send abroad (still keeping him as a Twin for another year or two, I believe). That didn't happen. They might be able to move Park back to Asia. But even with any success, I'm not sure if the market for a Park or a Vargas is any better than an overpaid Mauer...which is really the albatross (although he does get on-base.).

The new general manager has to figure out the direction to go.

Logjams are good. Right? They certainly are preferred over what we have at catcher. Vargas looks to be a major league player. Not sure about Park. He can play in minors until Vargas gets a long shot or someone wants him. In 2018 Vargas and Sano might be the DH/1B combo with Mauer declining to an A-Rod role. In 2019 both will be on their primes with power and walks in the middle of the batting order. We need one more year at 3B with Sano.

It is very important that Sano is able to play 3rd base. If that happens you could have Mauer, Park and Vargas on the same roster. Could rotate through the two spots and have a bench bat. But if Sano cannot stick at third base, and I don't think that can be determined now, there is a real roster issue. New GM will not resign Plouffe and may try and trade Park or Vargas. I would not trade either one for at least another year. I think both will move forward next year. 

A-Rod's role is now behind him.

Denial is a strange thing. No matter how many times it is pointed out that there was not a market for 3B last winter there are people who insist on Plouffe  should have been traded over the winter.  It is sort of like thinking Duensing was a valuable commodity to be added into any trade to get a player or multiple prospects back.    Gluts of  1b/3b/dh types.  No one person's play has been anywhere close to making the team look foolish for having the other players.

Sano in right as a mistake.  Schwaber is built along the same lines as Sano. Shorter, but about the same BMI.  Can't find where people thought Epstien and Maddon were idiots. The all Star Bryant does not always play 3b, he gets to play OF     Jeezo, those Cubs must sure be idiots.

If I am GM I non-tender Plouffe at the end of the year. There is no market for him and going thru arbitration will give him a raise over the 7.7 mil he is making this year. I dangle Vargas and Park in trades and if neither moves i start with Vargas in bigs and Park in AAA. Also..this is a long shot but i lobby in the new agreement to have rosters expanded to 26..which eases the crunch.

If I am GM I non-tender Plouffe at the end of the year. There is no market for him and going thru arbitration will give him a raise over the 7.7 mil he is making this year. I dangle Vargas and Park in trades and if neither moves i start with Vargas in bigs and Park in AAA. Also..this is a long shot but i lobby in the new agreement to have rosters expanded to 26..which eases the crunch.

Agree.  This all hinges on Sano being able to stick at 3B but that's something IMO that should be given time.  He is too valuable at 3B to give up on without giving him a long look.  Its time to part ways with Plouffe regardless.

If Vargas continues to hit, I fail to see how that's a problem.   Park will have to play in AAA.  If Park tears it up at AAA, that's hardly a problem either.   He is then the back-up plan to Vargas or could be traded. His contract is $3M/yr. which should help make him tradeable.   If he sits in AAA for awhile, he likely works out a deal to go back to Korea.

Sano NEEDS to play 3rd?  Really?  Granted, someone has finally gotten Sano to not pat the ball in his glove several times before throwing, but his positional prowess is based on hitting.  He should be a full-time DH, with the exception of the inter-league games on NL soil.  And, of course, time off for the "regular" 3rd-bagger.

Oh, and playing Sano in RF was a worthy effort.  We needed to see if he can be more than 3rd/DH/1st type.  He was still in the process of learning to read flyballs and running routes.  Education incomplete.  IF [like the Plouffe injury] need arises, Sano would be OK, as a short term fix.  Probably won't get to that point.

Plouffe may be back:  brace yourselves for disappointment.  But if Polanco keeps playing the way he has, Plouffe presence will not be needed. 

If Vargas continues to hit and play 1st pretty well, wouldn't he be a better trade candidate?

Park, Mauer + contracts.  Enough said.  Already.

I apparently don't  have enough imagination to picture the Twins trading Dozier.

See if you can't find a trade partner for Plouffe in August. 

The big question is still DH. I like Vargas. I still think Park has a major league bat in him. But I wonder if the Twins see if they can't find a taker for him in the offseason. I'd rather have Vargas over Park.

I also wonder if you couldn't give Mauer some time at third. People scoff at this. But you could keep Park and Vargas to give you a big bat off the bench. You could then play Mauer at third one day a week to get both Park and Vargas in the lineup at the same time. 

In any event, the new GM will have some work to do ...

For the 100th time, it wasn't about the market or what you could bring back. It was simply about opening a roster spot. The return didn't matter, it wouldn't be great because Plouffe isn't a great player. Him not being on the team (opening the door for Kepler in RF and Sano at 3B) was all that it was about

You can open up Roster space without dumping plouffe. You unnecessarily limit your options falling into that mentality. If there's no market for Trevor, why not explore a trade for...

There was one really easy way to avoid putting Sano in the OF:

 

Do not sign Byung-Ho Park.

 

Problem solved.

 

This wasn't only a Plouffe vs. Sano issue. Had other roster decisions been made in the offseason, it becomes a non-issue.

Exactly