Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, October 30, 2015 Dozier among finalists for Gold Glove Award. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 1 Twins' Walker mashes in Fall League performance. MLB.com (Rosenbaum) p. 1 Twins offseason to-do list. FOX Sports North (Beaton) p. 2 Trevor Plouffe, Miguel Sano, and the Twins future at third base. Minnesota Post (Gleeman) p. 3 Where do the Minnesota Twins go from here? SB Nation (Freemyer) p. 5 Minnesota Twins Should Replicate Royals Mid-Market Model. Fansided (Cameron) p. 6 Dozier among finalists for Gold Glove Award Rhett Bollinger MLB.com October 29, 2015 After being named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2015, Brian Dozier has the chance to add another accolade to his collection, as the Twins second baseman was named a Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalist on Thursday. Dozier joins Houston's Jose Altuve and Detroit's Ian Kinsler as the three finalists for the Gold Glove at second base in the American League. The winners will be announced on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Dozier, who moved to second base from shortstop before the 2013 season, made eight errors in 767 chances while playing in a career-high 157 games. He helped turn 111 double plays, which led the AL. He also led the AL in games played at second base, while his 303 putouts ranked third in the AL and his 456 assists led the AL for a third straight year. His.990 fielding percentage also ranked fourth among AL second basemen. Among advanced defensive statistics, Dozier led AL second baseman with a 4.83 Range Factor, according to baseball-reference.com. He also ranked 10th among MLB second basemen with an Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) of 1.3, per Fangraphs.com. Major League managers and coaches, who vote only within their league and are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams, account for 75 percent of the selection process. The other 25 percent comes from the SABR Defensive Index, which measures the number of runs saved by a player in a season. It looks at several factors, including range, arm strength and accuracy, sure-handedness as a well as the ability to turn double plays. Dozier is looking for his first Gold Glove, and the last Twins player to win one was Joe Mauer in The only Minnesota second baseman to win the award was Chuck Knoblauch in Twins' Walker mashes in Fall League performance Mike Rosenbaum MLB.com October 28, 2015 Adam Brett Walker II is a strong man. The Twins' No. 10 prospect hit his second home run of the week and third of the Fall League on Wednesday as Scottsdale defeated Glendale, 5-

2 4, at Scottsdale Stadium. He finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs. Walker's multihit performance improved his AFL batting average and OPS to.355 and 1.136, respectively, and he now has eight RBIs in eight games for the Scorpions. "I'm feeling pretty good," said Walker after the game. "I haven't been missing my pitches too much and getting in positive counts, and when I've gotten my pitch, I've been able to get the barrel on it." Selected by Minnesota in the third round of the 2012 Draft out of Jacksonville University, Walker spent the entire 2015 season at Double-A Chattanooga, batting.239/.309/.498 in 133 games. The 24-year-old outfielder paced the Southern League with 31 home runs -- the thirdhighest total in the Minor Leagues RBIs and 250 total bases. "I did a better job as far as making sure I didn't miss my pitches," said Walker, reflecting on his 2014 campaign. "I had some ups and downs this year, but overall I feel like I got a little bit better. I was pretty happy with the way it ended up, but obviously there's room to improve and I want to keep improving." Although Walker posted big power numbers this past season at Chattanooga, he also led all Minor League hitters with 195 strikeouts during the regular season, fanning in 34.8 percent of his plate appearances. Unsurprisingly, he's working on cutting down on some of those whiffs in the Fall League. "I'm working on my plate discipline and trying to get pitches to hit up in the zone," he said. "Sometimes I have a tendency to chase stuff in the dirt, so I'm looking for more pitches up in the zone and making sure I don't miss them. "I'm trying to stay short and not get too big," he added, "and making sure I'm getting the barrel to the ball and sticking to my approach." Glendale jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning as Phillies No. 16 prospect Andrew Knapp and Astros No. 8 prospect Derek Fisher each plated a run on a walk. The heart of the Desert Dogs' lineup added to the lead with two more runs in the top of third inning. Dodgers outfielder Jacob Scavuzzo got things started with a one-out double and then came around to score when Pirates No. 6 prospect Reese McGuire laced a triple to wall in the right-center field. Knapp followed with a line-drive single to center field to tally his second RBI of the game. However, the Scorpions would bounce back in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring four runs on five hits to tie the game. Walker started the scoring with a two-run double into the left-field corner, and DH Stuart Turner, also a product of the Twins' farm system, followed with a runscoring double of his own. Following a mound visit, Indians catcher Jeremy Lucas knotted the game at 4-4 with an RBI single into shallow right field. Walker and his dangerous bat struck again in the bottom of the sixth inning with a tape-measure solo home run. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound outfielder teed off on a 2-0 fastball from Scott Barlow, sending it well over the burm in the left field. The monstrous blast turned out to be the deciding hit for Scottsdale, as right-hander Jake Reed nailed down the save in the ninth inning to secure the win. Glendale starter Jharel Cotton, the Dodgers' No. 15 prospect, pitched well in his third Fall League start, allowing two hits and a walk in three scoreless innings. He's now logged six straight scoreless frames between his last two outings. Meanwhile, McGuire finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and his first triple of the Fall League, and Knapp tallied three RBIs as part of a 1-for-1 performance that included three walks. Twins offseason to-do list Kelly Beaton FOX Sports North October 29, 2015 The Twins vaulted back to widespread relevance in 2015, which, after the lean years of , was a legitimate accomplishment. After four straight seasons of 92 or more losses, Minnesota produced an mark this season, inspiring hope for 2016 and beyond. But nothing comes easily in the major leagues, and the second-place Twins must attempt to close a significant gap between themselves and the AL Central's currrent gold-standard outfit in Kansas City. Thus, Twins general manager Terry Ryan must deftly and sensibly attack the upcoming offseason. After all, as Ryan has learned before, it's easy 2

3 to get burnt by Hot Stove League maneuvering (Exhibit A: the signing of Ricky Nolasco to a four-year, nearly $50 million contract two years ago). How should the Twins attack the offseason? Here's our thoughts: TAKE A LONG LOOK AT FREE AGENTS Now that veteran outfielder Torii Hunter has retired after making $10.5 million last season, the Twins have a bit more money to throw around, in theory. Top-of-the-line free agents like hurler Zack Greinke ($25 million total salary in 2015) are almost assuredly out of the question for the budget-conscious Twins. A more cost-effective starter, like Mike Leake or Scott Kazmir, might make sense for the Twins, however. Leake seems like the most logical option, all-around; the 27-year-old went with a 3.70 ERA last season, earning a total salary of nearly $3.6 million. Leake ended the year with San Francisco. SETTLE ON A SHORTSTOP Eduardo Escobar appears to be the top in-house candidate to be the Twins' main shortstop in 2016, after a season in which the 26-year-old exhibited confidence in hitting.262 with 31 doubles and 58 RBI. Escobar's arm is a mild liability, though. Youngsters Danny Santana and Jorge Polanco are also options, though they have areas of their game they still need to refine. Veteran Eduardo Nunez (.282, 20 RBI in 188 at-bats) probably serves the team best in a utility role. One free-agent shortstop that could be a decent fit for the Twins: Asdrubal Cabrera, who made $7.5 million for the Rays last season and hit.265 with 15 homers and 58 RBI. SETTLE ON SANO'S POSITION Phenom Miguel Sano logged just nine total starts at his natural position, third base (he also appeared at first base twice, for a total of five innings) last season, with the rest of his starts coming at DH. In 80 total big-league games, the 22-year-old native of the Dominican Republic hit.269 with 17 doubles, 18 home runs and 52 RBI in 279 at-bats. The Twins are wary of the 6-foot-3, 262-pound slugger seeing time strictly at DH, and he has a plus arm when healthy. Fortunately, Hunter's recent retirement gives Minnesota a bit more flexibility in 2016, as it rotates players like Sano, Joe Mauer and perhaps Trevor Plouffe, Kennys Vargas or Oswaldo Arcia though the DH spot. Sano, more than any Twins player, inspired fans to pass through the turnstiles last season, providing even further impetus for the team to find the young star a defensive home. Will a veteran need to be traded to accomodate Sano? WHAT TO DO WITH PLOUFFE? Speaking of Sano, his presence could impact third baseman Plouffe's future. Plouffe offered the Twins solid run production in 2015, as he hit 22 homers to go along with a career-high 86 RBI, to offset a.244 batting average. Minnesota would appear fairly eager to clear the runway for Sano, and if ever there were an opportunity to sell high on the 29-year-old Plouffe it's right now. Plouffe is a career.245 hitter, and GM Terry Ryan recently noted that it's unlikely we'll see the veteran move to the outfield in Thus, a trade would seem to make sense. In fact, a trade of Plouffe could possibly cure the Twins' pitching deficiencies, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. FIND ANOTHER VETERAN LEADER? The Twins jumped from 70 wins in 2014 to 83 last season, and the energetic Hunter seemed to be one major reason why, as he kept the clubhouse loose, even while Minnesota was playing with a razor-thin margin for error in the season's final few weeks. But the ink's about to dry on Hunter's retirement papers, so the Twins must move on. So who assumes the role as the Twins' clubhouse leader in 2016? Perhaps it'll be an in-house option like Brian Dozier -- a 28-year-old All-Star -- or 32-year-old catcher Kurt Suzuki (who's signed through 2017). One free-agent option: the soon-to-be 37-year-old Jimmy Rollins, who, despite his wretched 2016 campaign (.224, 41 RBI) still might hold some value as a shortstop. Rollins would likely need to take a paycut, though, after making $11 million with the Dodgers this season. Trevor Plouffe, Miguel Sano, and the Twins future at third base Aaron Gleeman Minnesota Post October 29, 2015 Trevor Plouffe was a high school shortstop from California when the Twins drafted him with the 20th overall pick in At the time some teams preferred Plouffe's upside as a pitcher, but the Twins viewed him as a shortstop and that's where he played year after year in the minors. In all Plouffe logged 5,400 innings and played 680 games as a minor-league shortstop, including 250 at Triple-A. And then the Twins called him up and it looked like he'd never played the position. 3

4 Plouffe played 54 total games at shortstop for the Twins in 2010 and 2011 exactly one third of a full season and committed 12 errors. Most of them were of the throwing variety, including several routine plays air-mailed into the seats behind first base. In those 54 games Ultimate Zone Rating said he was 10 runs below average and Defensive Runs Saved said he was 15 runs below average. Perhaps at some point he would've improved, but Plouffe simply wasn't a big-league shortstop. And there's no shame in that. Playing shortstop in the big leagues is incredibly difficult and most shortstop prospects end up shifting to less demanding positions before even reaching the majors. Plouffe's situation stood out only because he'd played so much shortstop in the minors and at the time of his call-up the idea of him playing shortstop for the Twins wasn't viewed as far-fetched. It was, though, and by mid-2011 he was being tried at other positions. First he got some action at second base, which is where shortstops who lack arm strength often wind up. Brian Dozier is an example of the shortstop-to-second base shift working out well, but Plouffe didn't lack arm strength and was too big/not quick enough to make the transition. Next he got some action in right field and left field, which is where shortstops who out-grow the position often wind up. Plouffe looked fine there, but his bat seemed light for a corner outfielder. In fact, at the time his bat seemed light in general. In addition to playing shortstop in the minors Plouffe also hit like a shortstop in the minors, which is to say not well. Overall as a minor leaguer he batted.258 with a.405 slugging percentage, failing to crack a.750 OPS in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, or Everything changed for Plouffe offensively at Triple-A in 2011, as he broke out with a monster 51-game stretch in which he hit.313/.384/.635 with 15 homers. Plouffe shedding his light-hitting shortstop label offensively right around the time he shed his shortstop label defensively was likely tied together as part of his physical maturation and was definitely good timing, as it allowed the Twins to give him a long look at third base in It wasn't a smooth transition, as he struggled to make routine plays and graded out poorly overall, but Plouffe's arm strength, vast shortstop experience, and hard work eventually paid off. By mid-2013 he no longer looked like a fish out of water at third base and the sudden power he'd shown at Triple-A in 2012 stuck around for good. After a decade as a light-hitting shortstop with shaky defensive chops Plouffe was a strong-armed, power-hitting third baseman. He produced 21 homers per 150 games from and his defensive stats improved from bad to mediocre to good, making him a solidly above average all-around third baseman. And that's where Plouffe sits now, at age 30 and with his Twins future in question. To make the transition from light-hitting, poor-fielding shortstop to power-hitting, good-fielding third baseman is remarkable in itself, as evidenced by Plouffe being one of the Twins' best players for the past four seasons. However, his subsequent inability to take the next step offensively by adding other skills to his 20-homer power has caused Plouffe to stagnate. YEAR AVG OBP SLG OPS He hit.244/.307/.435 this season, which is nearly identical to his combined.249/.314/.422 line from His walk and strikeout rates have remained remarkably stable and the biggest change in his performance since 2012 was grounding into a league-high 28 double plays this year. Plouffe is established a.250 hitter with 20-homer power, sub par plate discipline, and poor speed, which adds up to a OPS at a position where the MLB average was a.755 OPS in Stagnating as an above-average player is far from the worst thing, but there are other factors at play. For one thing, Plouffe's salary is rising. He made $4.8 million this season and is in line for $8 million or so in 2016 via arbitration. Beyond that, the Twins control him for just two more years. After making, say, $8 million in 2016 and $11 million in 2017, he'll be able to hit the open market as a free agent and potentially leave for nothing. And then there's Miguel Sano. Sano was a shortstop when he signed with the Twins as a 16-year-old in 2009 and played a few hundred rookie-ball innings there around the time Plouffe was showing he couldn't play shortstop in the majors. Sano quickly shifted to third base, where his massive size led to constant doubts about his ability to remain there long term. Missing all of 2014 following elbow surgery cast even more doubt, but the Twins have consistently insisted that Sano can play third base. Sano made his long-awaited MLB debut in July and was a revelation, hitting.269/.385/.530 with 18 homers, 17 doubles, and 53 walks in 80 4

5 games. He transformed the Twins lineup in one of the best rookie seasons in team history, but he also did so as a designated hitter because of Plouffe's presence at third base. Sano played nine games and logged 77 innings at third base and looked decent, but the sample size is far too small to be worth evaluating. It seems safe to assume Sano will never be a standout defensive third baseman and based on his size and level of athleticism at age 22 it also seems safe to assume he won't be playing third base, period, by the time he's 30. However, what position he's playing at age 30 is a question for 2020 rather than 2016 and if Sano can play a reasonably competent third base in the short term trading Plouffe becomes a viable option for the Twins. By trading Plouffe the Twins would accomplish several things. Trade interest is always difficult to gauge, but presumably several teams would pursue Plouffe as a multi-year answer at third base and would be willing to surrender something of short- and/or long-term value. Parting with him would also create $8 million in spending money for 2016 and another $10-12 million for 2017, which could certainly come in handy in the Twins' never-ending search for pitching help. Going from Plouffe to Sano at third base would hurt defensively, but Plouffe isn't exactly Brooks Robinson and it could also lead to an upgrade offensively. Not only is Sano a better hitter than Plouffe, moving him to third base would open up the DH spot for another big bat. Plouffe's usual OPS is solid for a third baseman, but for lineup purposes the Twins would essentially be replacing him with a DH and finding a DH capable of topping a.750 OPS shouldn't be difficult. In fact, the Twins currently have a logjam of young first basemen, designated hitters, and corner outfielders. Sano falls into that category or perhaps more accurately that category has the honor of including Sano, which is why his being able to play third base could create opportunities that wouldn't otherwise exist for log-jammed hitters like Oswaldo Arcia, Kennys Vargas, Josmil Pinto, Max Kepler, and Adam Walker. To frame a potential Plouffe trade as the Twins getting rid of him would be misleading, because if there are no appealing offers on the table they should absolutely keep him and feel just fine about doing so. But thanks to Plouffe's growing salary and nearing free agency, Sano's (large) presence, and the abundance of young bats in need of opportunities in Minnesota or elsewhere a trade is a very viable option. It's exactly the type of move a smart team should explore. Where do the Minnesota Twins go from here? Jordan Freemyer SB Nation October 29, 2015 An season was not enough to get the Minnesota Twins to the postseason this year, but does provide a solid baseline for the rebuilding club to build from. The Twins were in the thick of the race for most of the season, but came up three games short of grabbing the second Wild Card spot in the American League. After taking a step forward in 2015, here is a look at what is in store for Minnesota as 2016 approaches: Where they stand: 2016 Twins payroll obligations Most of the Twins' major payroll commitments are to veterans in their starting rotation. They owe $13.5 million to Ervin Santana and $12 million to Ricky Nolasco in addition to the $9.2 million they will be paying Phil Hughes. However, Minnesota's largest payroll obligation in the $23 million they will be paying first baseman and Minnesota native Joe Mauer who hit.265/.338/.380 with 10 home runs in Additionally, they owe $6 million to catcher Kurt Suzuki and $3 million to second baseman Brian Dozier. Pending free agents The most notable free agent leaving the Twins is outfielder Torii Hunter, who announced his retirement earlier this week. In addition to Hunter, starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey will be hitting the free agent market, as will relievers Neal Cotts, Brian Duensing and Blaine Boyer. Aside from that group, the Twins will likely remain intact going into Prospect depth The Twins graduated three key prospects this season in third baseman Miguel Sano, outfielder Eddie Rosario and pitcher Trevor May. Even 5

6 losing those three, Minnesota has six prospects in MLB Pipeline's latest top 100 list, including outfielder Byron Buxton, who sits at No. 1. The 21- year-old made his big league debut this season, hitting.209/.250/.326 in 129 plate appearances, coming up just short of losing his rookie eligibility. He should be a major contributor for the Twins in Where do the Twins go from here? The Twins will likely return mostly intact for 2016 with the addition of Buxton into the every day lineup. If their veteran pitchers are consistent, they could make a rise in 2016 akin to what the Astros and Cubs pulled off in 2015 and threaten the Royals in the AL Central. Minnesota Twins Should Replicate Royals Mid-Market Model Jamie Cameron Fansided October 29, 2015 Even the most optimistic Twins fan would have struggled to predict the turnaround first year manager Paul Molitor facilitated in 2015, after four seasons of abject misery. A number of key players in Minnesota s vaunted farm system made their big league debuts, with varying degrees of success. Miguel Sano was spectacular, and Eddie Rosario was excellent. Others has less success: Byron Buxton came up, struggled and was injured (a worryingly repetitive pattern), Alex Meyer was obliterated; while Kennys Vargas and Danny Santana did little to allay fears they could be one-year wonders. The Twins find themselves in an eerily similar position to the 2013 Kansas City Royals, who finished the season at After several consecutive drafts with top 5 picks, 2013 was the year the Royals began to perform in a manner which was indicative of the potential of their young group. The Royals drafted Mike Moustakas in 2007 and Eric Hosmer in 2008, both of whom were entering their second full season of contributions in 2013, along with Lorenzo Cain. This triad has come to be the identity of this fundamentally sound Royals franchise, not to mention the heart of their batting lineup. For the Twins part, they have their own batch of hitting prospects following a similar five year trajectory to big league success. Miguel Sano was signed as an international free agent in 2009 for a then record $3.75 million dollars. Eddie Rosario was drafted out of Puerto Rico in the 4th round of the 2010 draft, and Byron Buxton was taken a pick after Astros rookie sensation Carlos Correa in In addition to making up the core of the Twins young lineup, Rosario and Buxton will significantly improve the Twins defense, another calling card of the Royals since their turnaround. Most Twins fans would be quick to laud Paul Molitor as a major factor in their 2015 turnaround. Kansas City has certainly benefited from the Dayton Moore, Ned Yost, Dave Eiland combination, in spite of questionable decisions, such as Yost keeping in Ryan Madson to face the heart of the Blue Jays lineup in game 6 of the ALCS. While Molitor is renowned for his baseball acumen and a more progressive line of thinking than Ron Gardenhire, another enormous factor in the Twins improvement is pitching coach Neil Allen. Terry Ryan deserves to be commended for this move, Allen s track record helping pitchers like David Price, Alex Cobb and Chris Archer through the Rays system speaks for itself. The Twins starting pitching was actually better than the Royals in 2015, ranking 16th in the league (as opposed to 22nd for KC). The real disparity between the team lay in their respective bullpens. The Twins bullpen was pretty bad in 2015, ranking 21st of the 30 major league clubs and looked even worse to the eye test. Looking at the teams that made the playoffs yields a few noteworthy areas of commonality, great bullpens. Of the teams that made the playoffs, all but two had a top twelve bullpen. Pittsburgh (1st), Kansas City (2nd), St. Louis (3rd), Houston (6th), Chicago (8th) all made the top ten. Only two clubs, the Dodgers and the Rangers (whose bullpen had a remarkable second half after an equally dreadful first) were outside the top 12. 6