Postseason Review: Parmelee, Nunez and Schaefer

Parmelee: Chris Parmelee had chances to claim a regular position with the Twins in 2012 and 2013. In 2012 Parmelee started at first base to start the season after a very successful September audition. Justin Morneau was coming off a severe concussion and was slated to be the DH. Parmelee was given first base. He played acceptable defense, but failed to hit. Parmelee was sent to Rochester where he crushed AAA pitching, but failed to sustain his swing when recalled by the Twins.

In 2013, Parm got the starting nod as the right fielder. He surprised many by being an acceptable right fielder, although he lacked speed. Again, his bat failed him and he was eventually sent to Rochester. In 2014, Parmelee competed again for a roster spot and lost out. Out of options, he was outrighted to Rochester when no one claimed him. In 32 games, Parmelee hit well, coming up with a .920 OPS and maintaining a batting average over .300. When the Twins suffered a rash of injuries, Chris was recalled and did not return to the minors. Parmelee split his playing time three ways, starting 14 games in left, 28 in right, 16 at first, and one in center field. Parmelee was inconsistent at the plate, at some points hitting in the middle of the order and other times slumping dramatically. His final numbers were so-so--a .691 OPS (94 OPS+).

Probably the most striking stat was Parmelee's platoon split. Despite batting left-handed, his OPS vs. left handed pitching was .859, with a .325 batting average. Chris was also the Twins top pinch hitter. He was 5-13 with 7 RBI. Parmelee didn't get much of an audition late in the season, indicating that the coaching staff pretty much knew what they had. It appears Parmelee's chances of competing for a starting spot are over with the Twins. I think that if other roster moves work out that Parmelee could be a pretty good bench player. As a hitter, he has shown he can hit against lefties and has been pretty effective as a pinch hitter. He's shown he is an acceptable corner OF, as well as a good defensive first baseman.

Nuñez: Eduardo Nuñez was once regarded as the probable successor to Derek Jeter. Bad defense and unspectacular offense lowered the expectation to that of competing for a utility spot on the Yankees. In spring training, he lost out for that job and was designated for assignment. The Twins claimed Eduardo and early in May, he was recalled. Nuñez was primarily a backup, and he got at-bats at several positions. He started 17 games at short, 12 at third, and 11 in the outfield (10 in left, one in right). Metrics indicate that Nuñez was pretty good in the outfield, decent at short, but subpar at third. He seemed uncomfortable in the outfield, surprisingly good at short and third. With the bat, Nuñez had some moments, but overall was not a great hitter. He showed very good speed on the bases and a bit of pop.

Like Parmelee, Nunez also had "reverse" platoon splits. The right-handed hitter put up solid numbers against right-handers (716 OPS), but struggled against lefties (586 OPS). The future for Nuñez is fairly cloudy, partly because he is eligible for arbitration. With no more additions, he has a good chance of claiming a utility spot on the 2015 Twins. As noted, he offers good speed, some versatility and some pop for a utility player. His defense isn't outstanding and he is 27, so it is unlikely he will get substantially better either at the plate or in the field. In short stints, he has provided a shot in the arm for the Twins.

Schafer: Jordan Schafer was once a top prospect for the Braves. However. poor performance, off-field problems and injuries combined to short circuit his trials with the Braves and the Astros. Schafer was designated for assignment at the trade deadline and the Twins claimed him and immediately used him regularly, mostly as the left fielder.

More regular play netted improved performance. Schafer eclipsed almost all of his Brave stats in a month, reaching base at a good clip, stealing bases and playing good defense in both left and center. Schafer hit .333 with an OPS of .831 in August. He tailed off in September, compounded by a non-throwing shoulder injury. He finished his two-month trial with the Twins with a .285 average, .707 OPS (100 OPS+) and 15 stolen bases in 147 plate appearances (roughly a quarter of the season).

The left-handed hitting Schafer posted severe platoon splits for both the Braves and the Twins in 2014. He had an OPS of .822 (.326 BA) against right handed pitchers, but had a near-helpless .388 OPS (.171 BA) against same-handed hurlers. Schafer displayed one outstanding skill -- he is an very good base stealer. He swiped 15 bases in his limited time with the Twins. His defense rated as good, especially in left field which is a new position for him.

Going forward, the Twins must decide what to do with the arb-eligible Schafer. Given his good performance late in 2014 and the lack of great internal options, I expect the Twins will find a way to retain him. Schafer will likely compete for a starting spot, but his probable landing spot is fourth or platoon OF. Having the skill of an accomplished base thief gives him a leg up to be a helpful bench player. His poor performance against southpaws would limit him to being a platoon player at best. At 28 years of age, the most the Twins can hope for from Schafer would be to see what they saw in August and September. Schafer could be a helpful player for an improving Twins team.

I think all three players profiled here are big-leaguers, but none of them will ever be more than part-time players. None of them are really young (Parm 26, Nuñez 27, and Schafer 28), but all seem to have skills that could help them be helpful bench guys. Nuñez plays both infield and outfield, Parmelee plays first and the outfield corners and Schafer looks like a three-position outfielder. Nuñez and Schafer have good speed and Schafer appears to be an elite base stealer. Parmelee had a good season (SSS) pinch-hitting and facing LH pitching. Ideally, bench players would provide high-quality defense, but that's not the case here. Acquisitions and DFAs will probably determine whether all three guys remain with the Twins.