Twins with One Spot Left

I have been thinking there may be a third man in the mix for the last two spots, Taylor Rogers.  Although he was somewhat better today, he wasn't as sharp as Moya.  Should Moya pitch an inning or two of lights out ball tomorrow, they just might decide to keep him as their second leftie and send Rogers down.  

As others have commented, they seem to be holding a chair open in case an infielder hits the waiver wire in the next few days.  Is Profar a possibility?

It seems like every other time I refresh MLBTR, someone is releasing an infielder.  Most have very little intrigue, although Ryan Flaherty at least made me dig into his numbers.

I expect this to keep happening over the next few days, so I would guess the Twins will still keep their eyes open for a fit.

As much as I like Granite, I think he still has to be in pencil until all the teams are cut down.

I wonder if Granite wouldn't be better served by getting regular playing time in AAA early in the season. LaMarre could handle the 4th outfielder role. I'd also rather have two extra infielders the way this team is shaping up. Adrianza could serve as an extra outfielder if you suddenly needed one; you're not going to throw an outfielder (other than Rosario, perhaps) into the middle infield if there's an in-game injury. 

I don't disagree. The "one spot" was in relation to the pen. It's Moya or Kinley's to grab.

 

I do think there's some steam to Minnesota plucking someone off of waivers yet. Grossman could also be the odd man out in that scenario.

I agree with you, Kinley is going to get his shot.

On the other hand, it seems weird to me that Granite would be the beneficiary of the Polanco suspension.  With options, and needed development, why have Granite sit on the bench with the big club 3 out of every 4 games (at the least)...not needed for late-inning defense, not pinch-hitting?

But sending Granite down and replacing him with an infielder, messes with the 40-man.  Sometimes it's just better to defer that as long as possible.  But there will be one person on the bench that can play 2B/SS/3B.  That hand might get forced sooner rather than later.

because he's older and never really been good in the minors. A few spring training ABs don't really mean all that much.

Remember when Park was crushing Spring Training last year at this time? Then he didn't make the team... but it turned out to be the right decision. It's fun to see LaMarre crushing Spring Training pitchers but the Twins should keep him in AAA for now.

Astudillo played third base today...surprise 25th man?  I can see him pitching as well.  Imagine him throwing strikes to home plate while looking  at the third baseman.

I prefer Moyà.

LeMarre would appear to be a better fit than Granite. He’s been good all spring FWIW, but they’d have to make a space for him on the 40-man roster. I assume he’s a more capable outfielder than Grossman.

I'd definitely lean Granite, but Lamarre is a RH bat who can play all three OF spots. So the handedness gives him a leg up in that regard.

With Lamarre it's hard to tell his true talent because he said he would change his swing constantly. He's not doing that anymore supposedly. Would it really matter if it's him or Granite? 40 man spot open. RH bat, which is needed. The only real worry is Rosario's arm. Otherwise it probably doesn't make a difference which one is keeping the bench warm, Lamarre or Granite.

LaMarre bats right handed but he has had better splits the last two years against right handed pitching.

Last year he was 7/40 against left handed pitching with no extra base hits, 4 walks and 14 strikeouts. Most of the at bats were in the hitter friendly PCL. He played more in 2016 and his OPS against right handed pitching was better 851 vs 752.

Granite also hits better against right handed pitching but his 822/781 differential is relatively neutral.

I don’t see how LaMarre’s batting right handed helps here. It should matter more how well he hits left handed pitching.

Still believe there is a chance both Moya and Kinley make the team.  In that case. Taylor Rogers could be on his way to Rochester.

As for Granite needing to play every day, not certain.  He may be close to what he will ever be...and that is a fourth or fifth outfielder.  Maybe LaMarre should have the spot, or maybe someone else who isn't yet in the organization.

Still believe there is a chance both Moya and Kinley make the team. In that case. Taylor Rogers could be on his way to Rochester.

 

As for Granite needing to play every day, not certain. He may be close to what he will ever be...and that is a fourth or fifth outfielder. Maybe LaMarre should have the spot, or maybe someone else who isn't yet in the organization.

It would be pretty unusual for a veteran (and Rogers would actually be the longest consecutively tenured member of the pen) to lose his job in spring training. The Twins know who he faced this spring. I would guess he faced a lot of right handed hitters. He likely won’t face many with the game on the line in games that matter. Spring training numbers mean even less for relievers than for other players. They are just getting their work in. No regard is given to who they are brought in to face in ST. That isn’t the case in regular season. When Rogers comes into a close game it will almost always be with a lefty coming up next.

LaMarre’s problem isn’t splits, it’s that he’s not a good hitter against ANY pitching. He has over 2800 MiLB PAs with a .719 OPS.

On a side note, I also mistrust almost any “reverse platoon split.” There are small sample size examples, but the number of hitters who actually hit same handed pitching better over time is minuscule.

The lack of platoon split is much more common for hitters like Granite and LaMarre that rely on speed and contact rather than driving the ball. Neither would make a good platoon on a corner or bench bat to hit against a left handed pitcher. I am hoping that Garver can be an effective late inning pinch hitter against a lefty reliever.