The Twins on Monday traded Danny Santana to the Atlanta Braves for left-handed reliever Kevin Chapman.
Chapman has pitched 55 major league innings the past four seasons, all with Houston, but he wasn't on the Braves 40-man roster and had a pretty ugly ERA with their Triple A club (7.71 in 11.2 innings). He's minor league depth right now, but the Twins have been pretty active even with the new regime with bringing guys off minor league contracts to the majors.
Santana, meanwhile, goes on the Braves' major league roster, presumably in the same kind of play-everywhere role he had with the Twins. They have a similar kind of guy already in Emilio Bonifacio; Santana, I suspect, is better than him.
Showing posts with label Danny Santana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Danny Santana. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Roster moves and Mauer in the ninth
You probably have heard that Joe Mauer hit a walk-off homer Friday night, his first such four-bagger in his illustrious career.
I checked his career splits on Baseball Reference. It was his 14th ninth-inning homer. He sported coming into the game a .290/.377/.447 slash line in the ninth (a total of 520 plate appearances) with an OPS in the innings slightly below his career figure.
It hasn't been a particuarly productive season so far for Mauer, although, as Mike Bernardino noted earlier in the week in an exhaustive examination, luck ran against him in April. He's hit a pair of homers this week; maybe things are turning around for him.
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The Twins made some roster moves earlier Friday.
Replacing Kyle Gibson on the pitching staff is Drew Rucinski, a right-hander who has 14.1 major league innings on his resume, all with the Angels The Twins signed him as a minor-league free agent after he spent 2016 getting pounded with the Cubs' Triple A affiliate (5.92 ERA). He's been pitching most relief in Rochester. I don't expect much.
They also activated Ehire Adrianza off the disabled list. And they DFA'd Danny Santana, a move that both opened a 40-man roster spot for Rucinski and an active roster spot for Adrianza.
Santana's departure comes immediately after one of his better games; he homered and had a bunt single on Thursday. "What have you done for me lately?" apparently wasn't prominent in the front office's decision making.
Adrianza played a handful of games in the outfield in Rochester, which was a sign the Twins were eyeing Santana's roster spot and limited role for him. Adrianza is by reputation a superior gloveman in the infield but a light hitter -- not that Santana, despite Thursday's long ball, is a particularly good batsman.
Meanwhile, Bryon Buxton sat Friday with headaches after three collisions with the outfield fence drove him from the game on Thursday. The Twins report that he has otherwise cleared the concussion protocol, but we should remember that Buxton had a signficant concussion a few years ago in the minors. I suspect a trip to the concussion DL is in his future.
And Brian Dozier twisted an ankle Friday. He stayed in the game but was pinch-hit for just before Mauer's homer. Upshot: there may be more roster moves ahead.
I checked his career splits on Baseball Reference. It was his 14th ninth-inning homer. He sported coming into the game a .290/.377/.447 slash line in the ninth (a total of 520 plate appearances) with an OPS in the innings slightly below his career figure.
It hasn't been a particuarly productive season so far for Mauer, although, as Mike Bernardino noted earlier in the week in an exhaustive examination, luck ran against him in April. He's hit a pair of homers this week; maybe things are turning around for him.
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The Twins made some roster moves earlier Friday.
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| Drew Rucinski had an impressive K/9 rate for Rochester before his callup. |
They also activated Ehire Adrianza off the disabled list. And they DFA'd Danny Santana, a move that both opened a 40-man roster spot for Rucinski and an active roster spot for Adrianza.
Santana's departure comes immediately after one of his better games; he homered and had a bunt single on Thursday. "What have you done for me lately?" apparently wasn't prominent in the front office's decision making.
Adrianza played a handful of games in the outfield in Rochester, which was a sign the Twins were eyeing Santana's roster spot and limited role for him. Adrianza is by reputation a superior gloveman in the infield but a light hitter -- not that Santana, despite Thursday's long ball, is a particularly good batsman.
Meanwhile, Bryon Buxton sat Friday with headaches after three collisions with the outfield fence drove him from the game on Thursday. The Twins report that he has otherwise cleared the concussion protocol, but we should remember that Buxton had a signficant concussion a few years ago in the minors. I suspect a trip to the concussion DL is in his future.
And Brian Dozier twisted an ankle Friday. He stayed in the game but was pinch-hit for just before Mauer's homer. Upshot: there may be more roster moves ahead.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Three thoughts
Three thoughts from Wednesday's Twins loss:
* Same Old Gibby. I may turn this into a standard acronym, SOG.
Kyle Gibson was really impressive during spring training, and I started to have hope that his revised mechanics would unlock finally make him a pitcher worthy of the 14th overall pick.
He was excellent for three innings Wednesday. In the fourth his command just vanished, and it was only a matter of time. SOG. Five runs allowed in the fourth, and he didn't come out for the fifth.
* It was Byron Buxton's turn to sit Wednesday -- Paul Molitor has used eight different batting orders in eight games -- and it was noteworthy that Eddie Rosario played center field, with Danny Santana in left.
In previous seasons, Santana would have been in center. This suggests that Molitor has concluded (or realized) that Santana is a lesser defensive outfielder than Rosario,
* In a somewhat related note, Robbie Grossman has yet to play even an inning in the field.
* Same Old Gibby. I may turn this into a standard acronym, SOG.
Kyle Gibson was really impressive during spring training, and I started to have hope that his revised mechanics would unlock finally make him a pitcher worthy of the 14th overall pick.
He was excellent for three innings Wednesday. In the fourth his command just vanished, and it was only a matter of time. SOG. Five runs allowed in the fourth, and he didn't come out for the fifth.
* It was Byron Buxton's turn to sit Wednesday -- Paul Molitor has used eight different batting orders in eight games -- and it was noteworthy that Eddie Rosario played center field, with Danny Santana in left.
In previous seasons, Santana would have been in center. This suggests that Molitor has concluded (or realized) that Santana is a lesser defensive outfielder than Rosario,
* In a somewhat related note, Robbie Grossman has yet to play even an inning in the field.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Park banged
13 pitchers and what do you get?
Not, to the apparent surprise and consternation of those around Twins training camp, ByungHo Park:
A few thoughts from one who would have kept Park:
* If the Twins are opening with a 13-man pitching staff, they're almost certain to maintain a 13-man pitching staff all season.
* We probably should have seen a 13-man staff coming. On Wednesday Ervin Santana, the obvious opening day starter, couldn't get through five innings. Hector Santiago, who starts today against the Triple A squad, has all of 13 Grapefruit League innings. The post-surgical Phil Hughes has struggled more than impressed this month. And the Twins have few off-days in their early April schedule.
Bottom line: The Twins right now can't expect that their starters are going to eat innings.
* That said, there was an obvious alternative to sending Park to Triple A: dumping Danny Santana.
Park may be a one-tool player, but that tool -- power -- plays. Santana does nothing well enough to put him in the game to do it.
Park isn't on the 40-man roster, and Santana is out of options, so doing it this way keeps both in the organization. But I don't see a lot of value in keeping Santana around. He's third-string everywhere.
* A co-worker was jeering Thursday evening at the notion of Robbie Grossman as the base DH. It's not as ridiculous as Grossman's play in left field as 2016 wound down, and it's what I expected to emerge when spring training opened.
Grossman lacks Park's power, but he does get on base, and that was a significant failing in the Twins lineup last season.
* This does leave the lineup vulnerable to left-handed pitching, with no significant right-handed alternative to Joe Mauer, Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler, each of whom struggled against southpaws last season. Two of them were going to play against lefties even with Park around; now all three will. And if Paul Molitor is as reluctant to platoon Jason Castro as I suspect he will be, that will make four exploitable lineup spots for lefties.
Not, to the apparent surprise and consternation of those around Twins training camp, ByungHo Park:
Crazy stuff. Twins reassign Shuck. Option Murphy and reassign PARK.— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) March 30, 2017
A few thoughts from one who would have kept Park:
* If the Twins are opening with a 13-man pitching staff, they're almost certain to maintain a 13-man pitching staff all season.
* We probably should have seen a 13-man staff coming. On Wednesday Ervin Santana, the obvious opening day starter, couldn't get through five innings. Hector Santiago, who starts today against the Triple A squad, has all of 13 Grapefruit League innings. The post-surgical Phil Hughes has struggled more than impressed this month. And the Twins have few off-days in their early April schedule.
Bottom line: The Twins right now can't expect that their starters are going to eat innings.
* That said, there was an obvious alternative to sending Park to Triple A: dumping Danny Santana.
Park may be a one-tool player, but that tool -- power -- plays. Santana does nothing well enough to put him in the game to do it.
Park isn't on the 40-man roster, and Santana is out of options, so doing it this way keeps both in the organization. But I don't see a lot of value in keeping Santana around. He's third-string everywhere.
* A co-worker was jeering Thursday evening at the notion of Robbie Grossman as the base DH. It's not as ridiculous as Grossman's play in left field as 2016 wound down, and it's what I expected to emerge when spring training opened.
Grossman lacks Park's power, but he does get on base, and that was a significant failing in the Twins lineup last season.
* This does leave the lineup vulnerable to left-handed pitching, with no significant right-handed alternative to Joe Mauer, Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler, each of whom struggled against southpaws last season. Two of them were going to play against lefties even with Park around; now all three will. And if Paul Molitor is as reluctant to platoon Jason Castro as I suspect he will be, that will make four exploitable lineup spots for lefties.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Contemplating Danny Santana
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| Danny Santana played just 43 innings in the infield for the Twins last season. |
Earlier this spring Patrick Reusse opined that Santana was the Twins best option for the shortstop job, a conclusion I consider(ed) ridiculous. Santana gave a pretty good demonstration of why that's so Wednesday night, first by shying away from a foul pop, then with a two-base throwing error.
To be sure, Jorge Polanco didn't throw well either; Joe Mauer dug out a couple of his throws. But Polanco at least offers a better bat than Santana does.
Santana's hot 2014, when he hit .319 in 430 plate appearances, continues to delude some into believing he's a usable hitter. Since then he's hit .227 (and worse, OBP'd .259) in 535 PA, and I suspect there's more where that came from.
The Twins do not have an optimal shortstop candidate on hand. But they certainly have better ones than Santana.
Monday, August 29, 2016
It's gonna get worse
Man, that series in Toronto was was ugly. But it's been ugly for a while for the Twins.
The Monday print column is about the shoddy defense, with an emphasis on the errors this team has piled up. I wrote the thing Sunday morning. A few hours later, the Twins starting outfield consisted of Robbie Grossman (leads the American League in errors by a left fielder), Danny Santana (a shortstop) and Max Kepler (leads the American League in errors by a right fielder). And on the first play of the game, Grossman and Santana collided on the warning track, with Santana spraining his left shoulder.
The Twins after the game put Santana on the disabled list and called up the legendary Logan Schafer, who they plucked out of an independent league in June. Not Byron Buxton, who can at least make some plays in the outfield and just had a four-game home run streak at Rochester. Nor Adam Brett Walker or Daniel Palka, who've had impressive power numbers (admittedly, neither is a center fielder).
Seth Stohs:
I don't think the loss of 35 August at-bats matters a whit in terms of development. I think the Red Wings still have a chance of making the International League playoffs, and Twins are loathe to take a big piece of their lineup out to sit on the big league bench.
Which is, perhaps, part of why they still have their valued affiliation with Rochester. It sure does nothing to make the big league club more watchable or interesting.
In the last 18 games, the Twins are 3-15 with a -61 run differential.— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 29, 2016
The Monday print column is about the shoddy defense, with an emphasis on the errors this team has piled up. I wrote the thing Sunday morning. A few hours later, the Twins starting outfield consisted of Robbie Grossman (leads the American League in errors by a left fielder), Danny Santana (a shortstop) and Max Kepler (leads the American League in errors by a right fielder). And on the first play of the game, Grossman and Santana collided on the warning track, with Santana spraining his left shoulder.
The Twins after the game put Santana on the disabled list and called up the legendary Logan Schafer, who they plucked out of an independent league in June. Not Byron Buxton, who can at least make some plays in the outfield and just had a four-game home run streak at Rochester. Nor Adam Brett Walker or Daniel Palka, who've had impressive power numbers (admittedly, neither is a center fielder).
Seth Stohs:
Between today and the end of the AAA season, Walker/Palka will each get 30-35 plate appearances. With Twins, they'd get 8 maybe.— Seth Stohs (@SethTweets) August 29, 2016
Calling up Logan Schafer is not exciting in any way, but I'm OK with him getting 2 games in 8 days while Walker/Palka keep playing daily.— Seth Stohs (@SethTweets) August 29, 2016
I don't think the loss of 35 August at-bats matters a whit in terms of development. I think the Red Wings still have a chance of making the International League playoffs, and Twins are loathe to take a big piece of their lineup out to sit on the big league bench.
Which is, perhaps, part of why they still have their valued affiliation with Rochester. It sure does nothing to make the big league club more watchable or interesting.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Perkins, Arcia and D. Santana
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| Oswaldo Arcia struck out 46 times in 114 plate appearances this year. |
Arcia was the first to run out of chances. He was designated for assignment Thursday night to make room on the roster for Santana, who is ready to be reactivated from the disabled list after his second hamstring injury of the season.
I saw this coming last winter and said so repeatedly. Arcia is just 25, and he has genuine power. That is the sum and total of his positives. On the other side of the ledger, he's an awful defensive outfielder, his strike zone issues are significant, he hasn't hit lefties much and he's not much of a base runner. And he wasn't getting better at any of those things.
Santana is a flawed player also. But he has a wider set of tools. He can run. He can throw. He switch hits. He can play infield and outfield. There are, in short, more things the manager can put him in the lineup to do than there is with Arcia.
That makes him a better bench piece than Arcia. And neither could be projected as a regular at this point. Arcia does not deserve playing time over the likes of Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, Robbie Grossman or Eddie Rosario.
Neither, for that matter, does Santana.
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I surmised earlier that Glen Perkins' pending visit to noted orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache suggested that the three-time All-Star wasn't likely to pitch again this season, and so it is. ElAttrache is to attempt to repair Perkins' frayed labrum in the next seven to 10 days.
The hope is that Perkins will be back next year. But shoulder surgeries are tricky; as a general thing, shoulders are to be maintained and elbows repaired. It was, you may recall, a frayed labrum that drove Brad Radke into retirement at age 33. Perkins happens to be 33 now himself.
It would be unwise to count on Perkins as a key bullpen piece in the future. If it happens, great. But the Twins shouldn't plan on it.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
The roster shuffle
As expected, the Twins made several moves Monday, but not all the moves they intended.
Pitcher Alex Meyer was recalled to add some depth to the bullpen, which was hard-used in Sunday's 16-inning affair. (And on Monday night, even though Tommy Milone didn't get through the fifth inning, Paul Molitor was unwilling to use Meyer. He instead ran through Trevor May, Fernando Abad, Ryan Pressly and Kevin Jepsen.)
Utility man Danny Santana was brought off the disabled list; he started in center field, hit ninth, went 1-for-3 and had no misadventures in the field.
Demoted were the two best center fielders on the roster, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. The outfielding chores will presumably be split up among Miguel Sano, Santana, Oswaldo Arcia and Eddie Rosario, with Santana and Rosario being the center field options.
This is probably the best offensive group of four outfielders the Twins can concoct out of their 40-man roster, and pretty close to the weakest defensively (Adam Brett Walker is on the 40). Any outfield with Sano and Arcia in the corners does the pitching staff no favors. Buxton has been overmatched in a majority of his at-bats, and Kepler has barely played since spring training, so there is a good argument for their demotions; I still prefer having one of them in center on a regular basis.
But at least David Murphy partially spared the Twins from themselves. The day after the Twins lost catcher John Hicks on waivers -- a move Terry Ryan said Monday was made to clear a roster spot for Murphy -- the veteran decided he would rather go home to his family, and the Twins released him Monday.
I wouldn't trade a 26-year-old optionable catcher for Murphy, but the Twins handed Hicks over to the Tigers in order to activate him. Now they have neither Hicks nor Murphy.
At least the roster isn't cluttered with a 34-year-old fading corner outfielder. If the Twins aren't going to give at-bats to Buxton and Kepler, they should at least give them to Arcia and Rosario; they might amount to something.
More moves should be expected soon. The Twins have 14 pitchers active and just 11 position players. Monday's bench was Rosario and John Ryan Murphy. That's not a sustainable situation.
But ... they can't send down Tyler Duffey (bruised right shoulder) until he's cleared to pitch, and they don't want to put him on the DL. They don't want to put Ervin Santana on the DL either. And apparently they don't want to waive Michael Tonkin (out of options), even though he has a much better chance to clear waivers than Hicks did, and they are loathe to punish Ryan O'Rourke for his impressive outing Sunday by kicking him to Rochester. They have individual reasons not to make a move with any of those four, and an overall reason why they must with at least one of them.
Pitcher Alex Meyer was recalled to add some depth to the bullpen, which was hard-used in Sunday's 16-inning affair. (And on Monday night, even though Tommy Milone didn't get through the fifth inning, Paul Molitor was unwilling to use Meyer. He instead ran through Trevor May, Fernando Abad, Ryan Pressly and Kevin Jepsen.)
Utility man Danny Santana was brought off the disabled list; he started in center field, hit ninth, went 1-for-3 and had no misadventures in the field.
Demoted were the two best center fielders on the roster, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. The outfielding chores will presumably be split up among Miguel Sano, Santana, Oswaldo Arcia and Eddie Rosario, with Santana and Rosario being the center field options.
This is probably the best offensive group of four outfielders the Twins can concoct out of their 40-man roster, and pretty close to the weakest defensively (Adam Brett Walker is on the 40). Any outfield with Sano and Arcia in the corners does the pitching staff no favors. Buxton has been overmatched in a majority of his at-bats, and Kepler has barely played since spring training, so there is a good argument for their demotions; I still prefer having one of them in center on a regular basis.
But at least David Murphy partially spared the Twins from themselves. The day after the Twins lost catcher John Hicks on waivers -- a move Terry Ryan said Monday was made to clear a roster spot for Murphy -- the veteran decided he would rather go home to his family, and the Twins released him Monday.
I wouldn't trade a 26-year-old optionable catcher for Murphy, but the Twins handed Hicks over to the Tigers in order to activate him. Now they have neither Hicks nor Murphy.
At least the roster isn't cluttered with a 34-year-old fading corner outfielder. If the Twins aren't going to give at-bats to Buxton and Kepler, they should at least give them to Arcia and Rosario; they might amount to something.
More moves should be expected soon. The Twins have 14 pitchers active and just 11 position players. Monday's bench was Rosario and John Ryan Murphy. That's not a sustainable situation.
But ... they can't send down Tyler Duffey (bruised right shoulder) until he's cleared to pitch, and they don't want to put him on the DL. They don't want to put Ervin Santana on the DL either. And apparently they don't want to waive Michael Tonkin (out of options), even though he has a much better chance to clear waivers than Hicks did, and they are loathe to punish Ryan O'Rourke for his impressive outing Sunday by kicking him to Rochester. They have individual reasons not to make a move with any of those four, and an overall reason why they must with at least one of them.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Going to the Max
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| Max Kepler gets a brief call-up for Danny Santana's injury. |
In many ways, the selection of Kepler to take Santana's role is inappropriate. Santana is supposed to be the Swiss Army knife -- three infield positions, three outfield positions. Kepler can handle the outfield spots at least as well as Santana, but he's no infielder (other than first base, which is pretty well stocked). Kepler is talented but raw; he's a future regular, if not a future star, and nurturing that future requires regular playing time, not sitting on the bench in the majors.
But ... he's on the 40-man roster. Darin Mastroianni and James Beresford, who are better suited to a bench role, are not. And the Twins are wise not to make a 40-man move to accommodate a temporary 25-man move. Santana is expected to be back when the two-week period is over;
No, the debateable part of the call-up is this: Do you want an outfielder or an infielder to fill in for Santana? If an infielder, the obvious choice (again, because he's on the 40) is Jorge Polanco.
The Twins went with the outfielder, from which we can surmise that the most important role Santana plays on this roster is that of speedy outfielder. Santana is (was) the defensive sub for Miguel Sano in right and the alternative to Byron Buxton in center. These are things Oswaldo Arcia, also on the active roster, cannot do adequately. Kepler can, even if using him for those roles isn't the ideal way to use him.
Friday, April 8, 2016
A momentary lineup shuffle
Paul Molitor made his first lineup changes of the season for the third game, and they were interesting both because of the potential matchup advantages and because of what happened in the previous game.
On Wednesday Miguel Sano had some adventures in right field; on Thursday Sano was the designated hitter and Danny Santana was in right. On Wednesday Byung Ho Park struck out three times in three official at-bats (he also walked); on Thursday he sat.
One of the questions regarding Park's transition to American baseball was how well he would handle velocity. Ubaldo Jiminez, the Baltimore starter on Thursday, has a notable fastball. So Molitor picked a matchup with Jiminez to get somebody else in the lineup.
And the Twins starter on Thursday, Phil Hughes, is a rather extreme flyball pitcher. So Santana, the third best defensive outfielder on the active roster (behind Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario) got the start ahead of Oswaldo Arcia.
These are hardly permanent changes. But it's likely that Sano's outfield breaks will come heavily on days that Hughes starts. And maybe Thursday suggests that Molitor is looking to "protect" Park more than he suggested late in spring training.
On Wednesday Miguel Sano had some adventures in right field; on Thursday Sano was the designated hitter and Danny Santana was in right. On Wednesday Byung Ho Park struck out three times in three official at-bats (he also walked); on Thursday he sat.
One of the questions regarding Park's transition to American baseball was how well he would handle velocity. Ubaldo Jiminez, the Baltimore starter on Thursday, has a notable fastball. So Molitor picked a matchup with Jiminez to get somebody else in the lineup.
And the Twins starter on Thursday, Phil Hughes, is a rather extreme flyball pitcher. So Santana, the third best defensive outfielder on the active roster (behind Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario) got the start ahead of Oswaldo Arcia.
These are hardly permanent changes. But it's likely that Sano's outfield breaks will come heavily on days that Hughes starts. And maybe Thursday suggests that Molitor is looking to "protect" Park more than he suggested late in spring training.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
A trip to Fort Myers: Beach day
The Twins hit the road Friday (playing to a 2-2 tie with the Pirates), and the wife and I had our usual day on Sanibel Island. It was a baseball-free day.
More or less. I did eye the Twins lineup for the game in Bradenton, and noted that Danny Santana was slated to start at third base.
Friday was the third spring game for the Twins, and the third game in which Santana appeared -- and at four different positions. He took over center field when Byron Buxton left the first game and was the sub for Miguel Sano in right in the second game (in which Santana homered). And on Friday he started at third and moved to second later in the game, playing all nine innings.
Quite a difference from last spring, when the Twins pretended that there was a shortstop competition between Santana and Eduardo Escobar. The competition was, in truth, merely lip service; Santana was never used in spring training other than at shortstop. As things turned out, Santana neither hit nor fielded competently during the regular season. This spring, Escobar is ensconced as the shortstop, and Santana -- who is out of options -- has to make the team as a utility guy.
Oh, he may be Plan B for center field. Or maybe Max Kepler is. But Byron Buxton is Plan A, and one aspect of the Twins bench this year figures to be the need for a fourth outfielder who can be used not only as a backup in center field but as a defensive substitute for Miguel Sano in right.
Figure that the Twins will open the season with 12 pitchers. That leaves room on the roster for 13 position players, nine of them regulars (including the DH) and four as reserves. One of the four, obviously, will be the second catcher. If Santana is capable of being both the backup middle infielder and the glove-oriented fourth outfielder, it would open up a lot of other possibilities.
More or less. I did eye the Twins lineup for the game in Bradenton, and noted that Danny Santana was slated to start at third base.
Friday was the third spring game for the Twins, and the third game in which Santana appeared -- and at four different positions. He took over center field when Byron Buxton left the first game and was the sub for Miguel Sano in right in the second game (in which Santana homered). And on Friday he started at third and moved to second later in the game, playing all nine innings.
Quite a difference from last spring, when the Twins pretended that there was a shortstop competition between Santana and Eduardo Escobar. The competition was, in truth, merely lip service; Santana was never used in spring training other than at shortstop. As things turned out, Santana neither hit nor fielded competently during the regular season. This spring, Escobar is ensconced as the shortstop, and Santana -- who is out of options -- has to make the team as a utility guy.
Oh, he may be Plan B for center field. Or maybe Max Kepler is. But Byron Buxton is Plan A, and one aspect of the Twins bench this year figures to be the need for a fourth outfielder who can be used not only as a backup in center field but as a defensive substitute for Miguel Sano in right.
Figure that the Twins will open the season with 12 pitchers. That leaves room on the roster for 13 position players, nine of them regulars (including the DH) and four as reserves. One of the four, obviously, will be the second catcher. If Santana is capable of being both the backup middle infielder and the glove-oriented fourth outfielder, it would open up a lot of other possibilities.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Outfield options: Danny Santana
Whatever outfield work Miguel Sano is getting this winter in the Dominican is apparently limited to pregame activities. Not so with Danny Santana:
Last night, Danny Santana started at 2B for the 7th straight time. He's now started 8 games at 2B, 7 in CF and 1 each at SS, RF and DH.
— Seth Stohs (@SethTweets) December 7, 2015
That kind of versatility figures to be vital for Santana. Like Oswaldo Arcia, Santana is out of options. His best shot for a major league career at this point appears to be as a utility player. Unlike Arcia, he has the multiple tools to apply to such a role. He can run, throw and switch hit, although I don't think he can hit enough to be a Ben Zobrist-type of utility regular.
For what it's worth, Terry Ryan indicated on Monday (the first day of the winter meetings) that acquiring a fourth outfielder is on his agenda, if not at prominently as adding to the bullpen. Ryan and Company love their proven veterans, but considering how stubborn they've been about Santana's talent eventually emerging, I would think Santana would be more prominent in their thinking about that bench spot.
For what it's worth, Terry Ryan indicated on Monday (the first day of the winter meetings) that acquiring a fourth outfielder is on his agenda, if not at prominently as adding to the bullpen. Ryan and Company love their proven veterans, but considering how stubborn they've been about Santana's talent eventually emerging, I would think Santana would be more prominent in their thinking about that bench spot.
It's even possible that the Twins might open 2016 with Santana in their outfield on a regular basis. That would probably mean sending Byron Buxton to Rochester and deciding that they can't afford to have both Arcia and Sano in the corners. But even if that's the route they go in April, it won't last long.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Santana pinch-hitting for Buxton
On Tuesday, against a right-handed starter, Torii Hunter was the outfielder out. In this case, with extreme fly-ball pitcher Phil Hughes working for the Twins, the decision may have been based less on who figured to hit than on catching the ball. Eddie Rosario- Byron Buxton- Aaron Hicks is simply a superior defensive alignment to any involving the 40-year-old Hunter.
Buxton, who has often appeared overmatched at the plate, bunted for a single and chopped a double past the third baseman (a single for just about anybody else). And in the ninth inning, down two runs and facing the high-velocity Bruce Rondon, Paul Molitor opted to pinch-hit for Buxton to open the inning.
With Danny Santana, not Torii Hunter. It was a move not particularly well-received.
I view Molitor's decision as something of a Strat-O-Matic move -- more obviously logical in the simulation game than in real life. Buxton's on-base percentage is .242; Santana's is even worse, .238. And the switch-hitting Santana's OPB as a left-handed hitter this year is .214.
But the pitcher's splits argue strongly for getting a left-handed hitter up. Rondon's OBP allowed to lefties is .404. against righties .333. In Strat terms, Molitor was hoping to get the roll on the pitcher's card.
Molitor knows full well he's not playing Strat, of course, He simply figured a poor-hitting lefty had a better chance of doing something against Rondon than any righty (which is why Hunter was bypassed). As it turned out, Rondon retired two of the three lefties he faced (Mauer doubled) and one of the two right-handed hitters.
The quotes from Molitor about the decision had a bit of the traditional managerial defensiveness to them, something that's been fairly rare from him:
Well, yeah. We've seen more than 260 Danny Santana plate appearances this year. It's been tough for him to get hits too. That is really the point of contention.
Buxton, who has often appeared overmatched at the plate, bunted for a single and chopped a double past the third baseman (a single for just about anybody else). And in the ninth inning, down two runs and facing the high-velocity Bruce Rondon, Paul Molitor opted to pinch-hit for Buxton to open the inning.
With Danny Santana, not Torii Hunter. It was a move not particularly well-received.
Paul Molitor pinch-hit a backup shortstop with .534 OPS and 67/5 K/BB ratio for Byron Buxton. He grounded out. Hate the move on every level.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) September 16, 2015
I know he only gets on base at like a .240 clip, but I wouldn't pinch hit for Buxton in the bottom of the 9th. Because if he gets on...
— Phil Mackey (@PhilMackey) September 16, 2015
Yeah, that was a weird decision. I could see Hunter in that spot, but I didn't get Santana. https://t.co/lKoBRq9FSc
— Phil Mackey (@PhilMackey) September 16, 2015
I view Molitor's decision as something of a Strat-O-Matic move -- more obviously logical in the simulation game than in real life. Buxton's on-base percentage is .242; Santana's is even worse, .238. And the switch-hitting Santana's OPB as a left-handed hitter this year is .214.
But the pitcher's splits argue strongly for getting a left-handed hitter up. Rondon's OBP allowed to lefties is .404. against righties .333. In Strat terms, Molitor was hoping to get the roll on the pitcher's card.
Molitor knows full well he's not playing Strat, of course, He simply figured a poor-hitting lefty had a better chance of doing something against Rondon than any righty (which is why Hunter was bypassed). As it turned out, Rondon retired two of the three lefties he faced (Mauer doubled) and one of the two right-handed hitters.
The quotes from Molitor about the decision had a bit of the traditional managerial defensiveness to them, something that's been fairly rare from him:
"Have you been watching the games? I mean, Byron's been battling but it's been hard for him to get hits. His speed has gotten him a few and he's really trying to do the most that he can."
Well, yeah. We've seen more than 260 Danny Santana plate appearances this year. It's been tough for him to get hits too. That is really the point of contention.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
No Berrios, at least for now
The first wave of September callups were notified Monday in Rochester after the Red Wings' game, and they are guys we've seen before. Kenny Vargas. Danny Santana. Michael Tonkin, A.J. Achter. Eric Fryer.
Not included was Jose Berrios, who started Monday for the Wings. This spurred some consternation on my Twitter feed Monday night, but I can't see any reason to be riled up about it.
Realistically, they aren't calling up a 21-year-old who is already well above his previous high in innings to displace a (healthy) veteran in the rotation in a playoff push. It doesn't make sense in developing Berrios, and the risk outweighs the rewards. (Tyler Duffey is not a veteran, but the Twins obviously think he's ahead of Berrios.) Nor is there a immediate need for Berrios in the bullpen. The late inning guys are doing well, and there's little immediate payoff in long relief.
And even if the Twins do have a role for Berrios, hes not going to pitch for at least four days anyway.
Two other Rochester players whose absence is notable but not surprising: Oswaldo Arcia and Alex Meyer. Neither earned it.
As for the guys who did get the callup, none (my opinions) should be major pieces in the stretch run. Santana put up good numbers for Rochester as a hitter, but he was also charged with a pair of errors Monday. The Twins were pretty consistent in Santana's previous stints with the big club this year -- if he was here, he was the No. 1 shortstop. I hope they stick with Eduardo Escobar now, but I won't guarantee it.
Vargas and Fryer will make it easier to pinch hit for a catcher. Vargas to pinch hit, Fryer for catching depth. Tonkin and Achter will eat meaningless innings.
The Twins do have a move yet to make, because Fryer is not on the 40-man roster and the roster is full. So somebody has to come off. I wouldn't be surprised if they move J.R. Graham to the 60-day DL and end his season
Not included was Jose Berrios, who started Monday for the Wings. This spurred some consternation on my Twitter feed Monday night, but I can't see any reason to be riled up about it.
Realistically, they aren't calling up a 21-year-old who is already well above his previous high in innings to displace a (healthy) veteran in the rotation in a playoff push. It doesn't make sense in developing Berrios, and the risk outweighs the rewards. (Tyler Duffey is not a veteran, but the Twins obviously think he's ahead of Berrios.) Nor is there a immediate need for Berrios in the bullpen. The late inning guys are doing well, and there's little immediate payoff in long relief.
And even if the Twins do have a role for Berrios, hes not going to pitch for at least four days anyway.
Two other Rochester players whose absence is notable but not surprising: Oswaldo Arcia and Alex Meyer. Neither earned it.
As for the guys who did get the callup, none (my opinions) should be major pieces in the stretch run. Santana put up good numbers for Rochester as a hitter, but he was also charged with a pair of errors Monday. The Twins were pretty consistent in Santana's previous stints with the big club this year -- if he was here, he was the No. 1 shortstop. I hope they stick with Eduardo Escobar now, but I won't guarantee it.
Vargas and Fryer will make it easier to pinch hit for a catcher. Vargas to pinch hit, Fryer for catching depth. Tonkin and Achter will eat meaningless innings.
The Twins do have a move yet to make, because Fryer is not on the 40-man roster and the roster is full. So somebody has to come off. I wouldn't be surprised if they move J.R. Graham to the 60-day DL and end his season
Saturday, August 29, 2015
The really young shortstops
On Friday I examined Eduardo Escobar's grasp on the shortstop job and, in passing, mentioned the shortstops in the lower levels of the minors.
These guys aren't threats to Escobar -- yet. But they do make it a lot easier to imagine the Twins doing something with the shortstops above them in the system in the coming offseason.
With the minor league seasons winding down, here's who's where:
Danny Santana is hitting .289 for Triple A Rochester. I don't know how likely he is to come up when the rosters expand.
Jorge Polanco was moved back to Double A so he and Santana could both play short on a regular basis. He continues to have difficulty in the field, and Doug Mientkiewicz had him playing second base Friday night. I think second base is his best position, and that probably makes him trade bait during the offseason, since Brian Dozier has a lock on that position, Polanco's bat will play in the middle infield; I don't think his arm will play at short.
Those are the guys who might challenge for the big league job next spring. Now for the up-and-comers ...
Engelb Vielma is the shortstop at high A Fort Myers. His slash line there is unimpressive: .267/.315/.306, slightly worse than at Low A Cedar Rapids in 2014. In truth, Fort Myers is a much more difficult hitting environment, so essentially maintaining his production is a good sign for him.
Vielma is a 21-year-old out of Venezuela and something of a mirror image of Polanco. Observers rave about his fielding, and his bat is questionable. He definitely needs to get stronger if he's to be a major league regular, but that's pretty common among A ball prospects. There are few big league bodies at that level. Expect Vielma to move up to Double A next year.
I devoted a Monday print column earlier this month to Nick Gordon , the shortstop at low A Cedar Rapids. The Twins invested the fifth overall pick in Gordon in 2014, and I liked what I saw from him in a four-game glomming of the Kernels. He's the only one of these lower level shortstop I've actually seen play (Vielma was injured when I saw CR last summer), but it's my guess that he's the most likely of the bunch to wind up a big league regular.
Jermaine Palacios is the shortstop at Elizabethton. The latest issue of Baseball America has a short piece on him (written by the Star Tribune's Phil Miller). A 19-year-old Venezulean, Palacios is said to be a hitter, and his minor league numbers to date back that up, although one should be cautious about rookie ball stats.
Then there's Wander Javier, a 16-year-old Dominican the Twins signed this summer. They invested $4 million in him, so they clearly expect big things from him, but those big things are far down the road. Javier has yet to play in organized ball.
I've commented many a time on the sorry record the Twins have at developing their own shortstops. This crop has the potential to reverse that record. But it won't come immediately.
These guys aren't threats to Escobar -- yet. But they do make it a lot easier to imagine the Twins doing something with the shortstops above them in the system in the coming offseason.
With the minor league seasons winding down, here's who's where:
Danny Santana is hitting .289 for Triple A Rochester. I don't know how likely he is to come up when the rosters expand.
Jorge Polanco was moved back to Double A so he and Santana could both play short on a regular basis. He continues to have difficulty in the field, and Doug Mientkiewicz had him playing second base Friday night. I think second base is his best position, and that probably makes him trade bait during the offseason, since Brian Dozier has a lock on that position, Polanco's bat will play in the middle infield; I don't think his arm will play at short.
Those are the guys who might challenge for the big league job next spring. Now for the up-and-comers ...
Engelb Vielma is the shortstop at high A Fort Myers. His slash line there is unimpressive: .267/.315/.306, slightly worse than at Low A Cedar Rapids in 2014. In truth, Fort Myers is a much more difficult hitting environment, so essentially maintaining his production is a good sign for him.
Vielma is a 21-year-old out of Venezuela and something of a mirror image of Polanco. Observers rave about his fielding, and his bat is questionable. He definitely needs to get stronger if he's to be a major league regular, but that's pretty common among A ball prospects. There are few big league bodies at that level. Expect Vielma to move up to Double A next year.
I devoted a Monday print column earlier this month to Nick Gordon , the shortstop at low A Cedar Rapids. The Twins invested the fifth overall pick in Gordon in 2014, and I liked what I saw from him in a four-game glomming of the Kernels. He's the only one of these lower level shortstop I've actually seen play (Vielma was injured when I saw CR last summer), but it's my guess that he's the most likely of the bunch to wind up a big league regular.
Jermaine Palacios is the shortstop at Elizabethton. The latest issue of Baseball America has a short piece on him (written by the Star Tribune's Phil Miller). A 19-year-old Venezulean, Palacios is said to be a hitter, and his minor league numbers to date back that up, although one should be cautious about rookie ball stats.
Then there's Wander Javier, a 16-year-old Dominican the Twins signed this summer. They invested $4 million in him, so they clearly expect big things from him, but those big things are far down the road. Javier has yet to play in organized ball.
I've commented many a time on the sorry record the Twins have at developing their own shortstops. This crop has the potential to reverse that record. But it won't come immediately.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Contemplating the shortstop situation
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| Danny Santana turns a double play in Kansas City. Despite the Twins' issues at shortstop, they are among the American League leaders at turning two. |
Paul Molitor has started four different shortstops so far, which by itself doesn't signify much. He's started five different third basemen (Trevor Plouffe, Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez, Doug Bernier and Miguel Sano), but there's no question that Plouffe is the regular. (The other four have a total of eight starts.)
Short is another matter. Danny Santana made his 56th start there on Friday, but he's also had a brief demotion to Triple A. Escobar, the more-or-less regular last season, got a brief run there (17 starts); of late Nunez has been Molitor's choice if Santana isn't in the lineup. (The fourth shortstop, Jorge Polanco, was a one-day callup.)
Molitor and his bosses seem determined to find a regular shortstop in Santana, and Santana's not really cooperating with the effort. His slash line (.213/.235/.287 entering Friday's game) was second-worst in the AL among players with at least 100 plate appearances, and his 13 errors are the third most in the league at the position.
I don't really understand the reluctance to give Escobar a sustained run there again. He led the league's regular shortstops in OPS last season, and was by all measurements at least a league-average glove at the position. He may not have the athletic gifts of Santana, but he isn't an embarrassment at the position. (I will note, however, that in his limited playing time this year the double plays have been less frequently turned.)
Molitor seems more interested in using Escobar as a multi-position semi-regular, the sort of superutility guy that Ron Gardenhire talked a lot about but never really embraced in practice. As I've said before, that kind of player has to have a decent bat. While Escobar isn't hitting as well this season as last, he does have a better slugging percentage than six of the Twins' nine "regulars" as listed by Baseball Reference.
Nunez has hit impressively this year -- Molitor has picked his spots well, with a focus on pitting Nunez against pitchers with velocity -- but his defensive reputation is exceedingly poor. I can't see him getting everyday duty, particularly at a defense-first position.
As for Polanco: The prospect has moved up to Triple A, and was charged with six errors in his first six games at that level. I think second base is his destination; even if he does have a major league future at short, that does nothing for the Twins present.
Polanco's presence in Rochester may signal a determination to keep Santana in the majors. Putting both of them at Triple A would mean playing one of them at second base, and the Twins probably want to see both of them playing shortstop, partly for developmental reasons and partly because they aren't in need of a second baseman.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Santana, Vargas and draft day
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| Danny Santana has a batting average of .218 at the plate and 12 errors in the field. |
The Twins demoted Danny Santana after Sunday's game and recalled Kennys Vargas.
I suspected from the get-go that Santana wasn't going to retain the shortstop job. He displayed this season the flaws his minor league stats and reputation indicated: Erratic in the field, lacking in strike-zone judgment at the plate.
So Eduardo Escobar gets the everyday job at short, at least for now. He hasn't hit as well this year as he did last season, and it's entirely possible that in a month or so Jorge Polanco will get a trial. Or they may try again with Santana.
Recalling Vargas doesn't do much for me. Vargas as DH means Torii Hunter in right field, with either Eddie Rosario or Shane Robinson in left (supplanting Escobar there.) Hunter's been doing a lot of DHing lately, including four times in the past five games (with a misplayed fly ball in the one game he was in the field).
Ultimately, and obviously, Vargas has to hit. My opinion remains: the Twins are better off using the DH spot to hide Hunter and deploy a superior defensive outfield.
---
Today begins the annual draft. Baseball America has consistently projected the Twins to take a high school outfielder with the No. 6 overall pick, but which one (Dez Cameron or Kyle Tucker) has fluctuated.
A lot depends on who goes ahead of the Twins, of course, and this is regarded as a particularly difficult draft to handicap. There's no real consensus about who should go first, so the teams at the top are believed to be trying to pre-negotiate below-slot deals with possible candidates. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press:
Asked at midday Sunday if he knew yet who the Twins would pick, general manager Terry Ryan shook his head.
“Not yet,” he said. “Somebody is going to fall.”
Saturday, April 18, 2015
An early view of Santana at shortstop
.jpg) |
| Danny Santana has struggled in the field in the early going. |
He made another poor throw Friday night on an attempted 3-6-1 double play, His return throw was a least a yard behind pitcher Mike Pelfrey. (Bert Blyleven tried to blame the missed connection on Pelfrey, a bit of commentary sufficiently inane that I suspect he's been ordered not to be critical of Santana defensively.) There was no error charged -- the batter-runner didn't advance, and the scoring rules say you can't presume the double play -- but it was a poor throw.
As it is, Santana has already been charged with more errors (3) this season than he was in his 34 sporadic major league games at short last season (2). Errors are, of course, a very blunt statistical tool with which to try to dissect defense, but such a high error rate indicates a problem, especially since official scorers tend to be sparing with the "E"s. There have been other misplays that have gone as fielder's choices or hits.
Again: It's early, far too early to start citing the metrics on Santana's defense. Perhaps he'll settle in and start playing more consistently, Or perhaps his attention will fade and the mistakes will increase. I don't know where this is going. I do believe he's living down to his reputation as a sloppy defensive shortstop in the minors.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
The shortstop non-competition
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| Eduardo Escobar led regular AL shortstops in OPS last year. |
Considering how well Santana hit in his major league time last year -- an OPS of .824 -- there was never much doubt that Santana will be in the lineup. It was just a question of where. And the question of where seems answered: Shortstop.
Santana hasn't played any outfield this spring that I'm aware of. The center field competition, which opened with Aaron Hicks, Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson, has expanded, but to include Eddie Rosario, not Santana.
I remain a skeptic on Santana. There's no reason to expect a guy with a .708 minor league OPS to continue to post a major league .824 OPS, and I don't expect him to be a defensive upgrade over Escobar. But this will play itself out. Santana will open the season at short, but I won't be surprised if he plays himself out of the job by the All-Star break.
If that happens, the Twins still might not restore Escobar to the job. Jorge Polanco might get the call. I sense that the Twins see Escobar as a low-ceiling shortstop, and they'd rather try some high ceiling guys first. I can't really argue with that proposition, other than to wish that they apply that same philosophy to the starting rotation,
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
The Twins by position: Shortstop, part two
As I see it, the Twins this spring have a choice between a adequate but unspectacular shortstop (Eduardo Escobar) and a slightly younger one with a higher ceiling and a lower floor (Danny Santana.)
I also see signs that other teams see Escobar as better suited to a reserve role than as a regular.
During the winter meetings, both Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan described Escobar as having hit 40 doubles. Which he didn't. He hit 37. (Had he been the regular shortstop all year he probably would have gotten to 40, but he sat behind the punchless Pedro Florimon in April.)
The inference I drew from this modest puffery of a player they are inclined to bench: They were trying to drum up a trade market. Historically, a bona fide regular shortstop is worth a starting pitcher, and that was a likely goal.
But nobody bit, and with spring training just a bit more than two weeks away, it appears the Twins will have both Escobar and Santana.
If Santana is to be the regular shortstop in 2015, this winter was probably the peak of Escobar's trade value. Instead, he's likely to serve as an insurance policy for Santana.
And given the genuine questions about Santana's defense at a defense-first position, that might sound like the wisest course -- except that the Twins also have Jorge Polanco climbing the ladder rather rapidly. Polanco might be better suited for second base, but he was named the best defensive shortstop in the high A Florida State League in Baseball America's annual poll of league managers.
I beleive in Escobar more than I do in Santana. But I do see a logic in giving the superior athlete a clear shot at the job -- this is, after all, a building project, not a team likely to lose the pennant by screwing up the shortstop position. If Santana fails, there's not only Polanco but Escobar to turn to.
I also see signs that other teams see Escobar as better suited to a reserve role than as a regular.
During the winter meetings, both Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan described Escobar as having hit 40 doubles. Which he didn't. He hit 37. (Had he been the regular shortstop all year he probably would have gotten to 40, but he sat behind the punchless Pedro Florimon in April.)
The inference I drew from this modest puffery of a player they are inclined to bench: They were trying to drum up a trade market. Historically, a bona fide regular shortstop is worth a starting pitcher, and that was a likely goal.
But nobody bit, and with spring training just a bit more than two weeks away, it appears the Twins will have both Escobar and Santana.
If Santana is to be the regular shortstop in 2015, this winter was probably the peak of Escobar's trade value. Instead, he's likely to serve as an insurance policy for Santana.
And given the genuine questions about Santana's defense at a defense-first position, that might sound like the wisest course -- except that the Twins also have Jorge Polanco climbing the ladder rather rapidly. Polanco might be better suited for second base, but he was named the best defensive shortstop in the high A Florida State League in Baseball America's annual poll of league managers.
I beleive in Escobar more than I do in Santana. But I do see a logic in giving the superior athlete a clear shot at the job -- this is, after all, a building project, not a team likely to lose the pennant by screwing up the shortstop position. If Santana fails, there's not only Polanco but Escobar to turn to.
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