Twins Cut Miguel Sano’s Winter Season Short

"playing baseball games is a poor way to condition and a poor way to develop MOST baseballskills"

THIS exactly.  If he's gonna play the OF he's got a lot of drilling ahead.

I listened to a souhan interview with Radcliff.  The guy has like 30+ years scouting experience.  Radcliff said Sano is the best foreign player he has ever seen.  Souhan asked who was the 2nd best. Radcliff responded Cabrera.  

As in Miguel

When he came back a few weeks ago, they were going to weigh him and had to go to a truck stop. Needed to get him away from Mamma's home cookin'. As massive as he is, weather it's 260 or 300, he doesn't appear to be obese as much as he just looks huge. I'd really like to hear what his body fat % is.

Sorry but this sounds a lot like when my wife tells me, "it's up to you," and then later can say she didn't tell me what to do.

Miguel Sano’s off-season plans change directions once again: According to reports from the Dominican Republic, the Minnesota Twins have informed their prized slugger that he needs to stop playing winter ball.Sano was not in the lineup for the Estrella Orientales on Tuesday and was absent again on Wednesday. When prompted, Sano told reporters that he received the news from the organization on Tuesday that they would like him to no longer participate in the league. The message was that the team wanted Sano to rest so that he could enter spring training at full strength. Sano said that he wanted to continue to play for his home country but would respect the wishes of his employer.

Sano, who had played just 15 games with the team (none of which were spent in the outfield), missed 10 games while attending a card show in Chicago. In the short stretch in the Liga de Beisbol Dominicano, he posted a .241/.344/.426 line with a 15/8 K/BB ratio while hitting two home runs including this mighty wallop:

 

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The timing for the request is odd but not without its merits. After all, Sano finished the 2015 regular season dealing with a hamstring injury that limited his play. While the early offseason hubbub revolved around Sano’s transition to the outfield, as was pointed out in early November, Sano did not expect to see any time in the outfield in winter ball, saying that he was just told to get a feel for the position during batting practice and warm-ups. The Twins later clarified that they would use the time during spring camp to teach Sano a corner outfield position. However, if injury was a concern, why let him participate in winter ball at all?

The main goal the Twins outlined for Sano’s offseason was to trim down. According to the Star Tribune’s LaVelle Neal, Sano finished the season at 270 pounds -- nearly 8 pounds heavier than his measured 262 at the beginning of camp and 40 pounds more than his weight when he checked into camp in 2013, which he then considered his “ideal weight”. An emphasis was placed on his diet and conditioning this offseason and his withdraw for winter ball may allow the organization to keep close tabs on his weight, particularly if he reports to Fort Myers.

With the Twins’ stated intentions of using him as an outfielder in 2016, ensuring that Sano does not inflict further damage to his hamstring while monitoring his conditioning does not seem unreasonable.

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Judging by that video he's an easy 20-30lbs. overweight.  I can't imagine that man lumbering around in the outfield at 270.  If he can't lose some weight he's not going to be in the outfield long term.  He makes Delmon Young look small.

Still not sure who triggered Sano's shutdown or why.  Not sure I care.

The latest from the Twins is they wanted Sano out of Winter Ball to concentrate on losing weight and learn how to play OF.

I really don't think there's any reason to believe this. It's not as if standing in RF will make Sano suddenly forget how to swing a bat. Remember, he wasn't at third base when he was playing as the DH. Some people say they feel uncomfortable if they don't play defense. I don't think it affected Sano at all.

 

There is also a contemporary, glaring comparison we could make. Miguel Cabrera has rotated positions throughout his career (3B, 1B, DH, and yes, LF). I don't know. I think he's a pretty good hitter. Thinking more broadly, I'm not quite sure what point you're trying to make regarding the affect playing outfield has on one's offensive performance. Are you speaking generally or about Sano in particular? Is it that OF isn't Sano's "native" position? Because there are some pretty good hitters who have played OF. Trout. Bonds. Griffey Jr. Mays. Ruth. Etc.

My point is that if he is comfortable at 3B I would do nothing that could even remotely make him uncomfortable.  Think there's no chance that if he goes to a position he's never played  and struggles that it might affect him at the plate.  There are many guys who have suffered such a fate.  See Cuddyer, Michael in the first half of his Twins career.

I think the issue is the weight and his age.  270 at 22 doesn't typically age well.

Yes, at age 22 and already 270lbs.?  Yes, he's in trouble.  I'm 6'-5" and 215.  I didn't hit 200+ consistenly until I was around 30.  I also played 3 sports (Football, soccer and tennis).   If he can't control his weight at that age he's going to balloon to well over 300 by the time he's 30, if he's lucky. Now that would be okay if he was an offensive lineman possibly a tight end,  but outfielder.....no way.  I can tell right now that he isn't all muscle judging by the video.  He's carrying around quite a bit of junk in the trunk and has a bit of a flat tire going.

Twins need to sit him down and have a talk before this gets out of control.  

Judging by that video he's an easy 20-30lbs. overweight.  I can't imagine that man lumbering around in the outfield at 270.  If he can't lose some weight he's not going to be in the outfield long term.  He makes Delmon Young look small.

Again, that video is a 4x3 aspect ratio video stretch to fit a 16x9. It is not at all representative of reality. Chris Sale would look heavy in it. 

No matter what position he plays he is going to be in good physical condition. I think people need to worry about body fat percentage not weight. Muscle is heavier than fat and he has plenty of muscle.

Never start an article with "Twins Cut Miguel Sano" again. Nearly gave me a heart attack. 

I agree... and if he can get down to 250-255 by spring training, that might be good. I saw a picture of Sano from yesterday... He looks like he's got about 10% body fat. So, even if he's at about 265 still, oh well. 

10% body fat?!?  Really?  No way!

No disrespect and all but he's like 20-25% maybe more.

There is no way he's 10% body fat.  He'd have a well defined six pack at 10% and wouldn't be carrying around extra junk in the trunk (butt & thighs).

In terms of 'uncomfortable', doesn't anyone remember that Sano had never ostensibly DH'ed before?

 

I also think we have heard from several people how hard it is to DH, and I equate 'hard' with uncomfortable.

 

Not only that, but how many 22 yo prospects have come up straight from AA and been asked to DH? And Sano still managed an OPS+ of 146 (and was better as a DH than as a 3B). I am not worried (much) about the affect playing OF will have on Sano. And after seeing a 5'8", 225 lb Kirby Puckett play CF and RF, I am not too worried about Sano's size in the OF. He may indeed get hurt, but he could also get hurt at 3B (insofar as running into things, remember how Corey Koskie's career ended).

The difference is that a young player that struggles playing a foreign defensive position could very easily let those struggles get into his head and take that with him to the plate.  Not many players struggle with the defensive aspect of being a DH.