Twins Future Position Analysis: First Base

Sano is our present & near future 1B. We have an over abundance of players through out the system plus Donaldson & Garver also discussed of those who   can play there. Whenever Sano moves on from 1B, my bet is on Sabato if                    he         doesn't               get traded 

I think Weiss is out of the organization...Phillips is out too

Not too worried about organizational depth at 1B; it's another position where it's fairly easy for a player to move down the defensive chart to fill in, and as we've seen with guys like CJ Cron, there are usually affordable guys on the FA market if you need a transition year or two before a minor league candidate is ready to step in.

Sano will be fine there, especially once he gets more game experience to know when he should attack a ball and when to let one go. I think he's got the glove skills to be solid at digging balls out of the dirt and there's no question he's a big target over there. Defensively he can get up to average if he keeps working at it, but his hit tool is more than good enough for it to not matter. Yes, he racks up tons of Ks but he also gets plenty of walks and HRs. I don't want an entire lineup of boom/bust guys like Sano but I'm happy to have Sano.

Kirilloff or Rooker both look to have the capacity to fill in there, Garver has the ability to play there...we're in fine shape at 1B in the short-to-medium term. Long term...who knows. That just depends on whether guys that aren't even drafted yet pan out.

I am still curious to see what the team saw in Sabato.  The minor league backups are really weak right now, but 1B is just too easy for position switches and in addition to Kiriloff and Rooker there is Larnach.

1st base shouldn't be a problem with or without Sano. Garver and I think Kepler even played a little there. With Kirilloff and Rooker that makes 2 more options. I wonder if Arraez would fit there with a Sano move to DH, a Polanco move to 2B, and a new shortstop or Lewis promotion? 

Really need to discuss 1B, DH and LF together as two of their about ready top prospects (Kirilloff and Rooker) can fit into each of those slots. Sano also could play a lot of 1B and DH. That's the main reason the Twins may be sticking to a one-year offer for Cruz.

I feared that Sano would be terrible defensively. He was better than feared and can probably be average after getting more experience. But his bat was the big concern last year as the strikeouts went from a problem to a major liability for the Twins. I for one am willing to give him, and all hitters, a mulligan for last year. But if his K's don't go down in 2021, assuming it is more of a regular year, the Twins may need to be looking to move on. Fortunately, with Kirilloff, Larnach and Rooker, the Twins may have players to fill those three positions without going outside the organization.

Obviously 1B is the least of the Twins concerns ..

There is nothing wrong with having a productive and even powerful bat at 1B. Duh! And there is also nothing wrong with having a quality glove at 1B as well. And if you look at 1B defensively over 30+ years, the Twins have generally had a quality 1B defensively.

Sano has work to do defensively at 1B from footwork to just not beating up his own teammates chasing a pop-up. And at times, he forgot he was no longer a 3B and tried to get to balls he needed to let go and just play his bag. These are things he will learn. For the most part, he played an adequate 1B and handled scoops the way you would hope a former SS, former 3B would handle them. He just needs to learn and understand the nuances of the position.

His bat plays at an All Star level if he just plays within himself, despite some streaky-ness. And like a lot of players, Twins and across all of baseball, I'm willing to let a lot of 2020 slide.

Let's all just admit it was a weird season with a lot of weird results. I think a clean slate for 2021 is warranted for everyone.

Depth-wise, of course, there are a multitude of options. Barring trades, there is absolutely the possibility of Sano moving to primary DH with Khirilloff playing 1B. Rooker can also fill in. And Donaldson could also fit in at 1B as part of a transition.

But there is also NO REASON why any sort of transition needs to take place NOW.

Other than roster and lineup flexibility, Sano is the 1B. AK plays the OF but can play 1B. Donaldson is the primary 3B, but can DH here and there and might transition to some 1B.

Really, nothing to see here. No issues. No problems.

Not going to lie, however, I DID NOT see Sabato as our pick in the last draft. In fact, I actually liked the potential of every other pick besides him based on projectability. And I'm not trying to demean the young man. I just didn't see him as a 1st round choice despite his bat and questionable position ability.

But, I'm reminded of Jeffers. He was a bat with questions about his ability to be a catcher. I think any questions there have already been laid to rest.

I'm trusting the FO on this one.

I'd like to see a lot more of Garver at 1B.  If Donaldson cannot be the everyday 3B due to calf problems, Sano should be the #1 option and Garver should get AB as a 1B.  All these guys (except Donaldson) are young and they could provide the Twins with fantastic flexibility for the future.