This is part two of a three-part series, detailing and previewing the Minnesota Twins’ 2018 roster. The three segments will be broken into outfield, infield, and pitching.
This offseason has involved suspensions, near-suspensions, and added depth for the infield.
The team has a solid core in Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano, and Joe Mauer. This infield preview will also include catchers, as they are very much a part of the infield duties. The Twins will begin 2018 with Sano, Dozier, Mauer, Jason Castro behind the plate, Mitch Garver backing Castro up, Eduardo Escobar, Ehire Adrianza, and newcomer Logan Morrison. There will also be some notes on the suspended Jorge Polanco. Here is a peek at each player mentioned.
Third Base: Miguel Sano
A dark cloud above Sano’s head was worrisome earlier this offseason when he was accused of sexual assault by photographer Betsy Bissen during the 2015 season. Many believed and were prepared for a suspension of some sorts. However, after a thorough investigation by Major League Baseball, the third-baseman will not be suspended due to ‘conflicting accounts.’ When addressing his need on the field, this is great news for the Twins, as they will still have one of their best players in the lineup for Opening Day. Just to be clear, I am not saying this was necessarily the right outcome. Whether he did it or not, that is for someone else to determine. I am only writing about the players’ value to the baseball diamond, and will not be discussing their off-the-field personas.
The 2017 All-Star will be turning 25 in May and is surely a cornerstone in the Twins’ come-up. In 2017, Sano hit 28 home runs, drove in 77 runs and led the team in on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS), at .859. He also struck out 173 times, leading the team. He did all of that in only 114 games, as he was lost to the disabled list late in the Twins’ playoff run. In just three seasons, Sano has struck out 470 times in 1,313 plate appearances. The strikeouts may never be solved, but rather the bad coming with the good. Sano is also yet to play at least 120 games in a season, and 2018 could be the year Sano stays healthy. Until then, he could be seen as an injury-prone player so far. His bat is a threat when he is in the lineup; it’s just a matter of staying healthy.
The 6-foot, 4-inch, 260-pound Sano can play his position good enough to remain at third base. In the future, many believe Sano could move to the other side of the diamond at first base. Until then, the Twins would be happier keeping him where he is at.
Shortstop: Formerly Jorge Polanco, Now Eduardo Escobar (Ehire Adrianza, Too)
A lot of optimism included the potential of Polanco, who now finds himself on the 80-day suspension list for taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs. The same drug found in teammate Ervin Santana’s system before the 2015 season, Polanco now throws a wrench into the plans for Minnesota. Last season, the 24-year-old struggled to begin the season but was one of the key players down the playoff stretch. He hit 13 home runs and drove in 73 runs in 133 games. Going into this season, Polanco was one of the more interesting Twins heading into 2018. His upside could be undetermined because of his splits in performance last year, and now he will be missing half the season to prove his worth. He also will return out with no minor league options remaining, meaning the Twins either will have to stick with him if he struggles or place him on waivers.
Eduardo Escobar will be the starting shortstop to begin the season, and that isn’t a bad situation at all. Escobar showed some pop in the absence of Sano last year, hitting 21 home runs in 129 games. In his previous 540 games, Escobar hit 27 homers. His defense is a reliable asset, and it might be his best. If his offense can continue to roll through 2018, the Twins will be just fine without Polanco for the meantime.
Ehire Adrianza will be backing up Escobar and provides another slick glove in the infield on defense. The 28-year-old has been in the Majors since 2013 but has never seen a starting spot between San Francisco (2013-2016) and Minnesota (2017). In 186 plate appearances with the Twins, Adrianza recorded a .265/.324/.383 line, driving in 24 runs and scoring 30. His bat does enough to hit the starting lineup here and there, but it’s his defense that remains valuable off the bench. The Twins also worked him into some outfield duties in Spring Training, but with the Polanco suspension, his duties could be limited to the infield, backing up Dozier, Sano, and Escobar.
Second Base: Brian Dozier
Someone who is certainly the highlight of this ballclub, Brian Dozier returns for what could be his final season with the Twins. The second baseman and his agent could not come to an agreement with the Twins’ front office on a contract extension in Spring Training. He is due to be a free agent at season’s end, and it will be interesting to see what Minnesota’s approach going forward will be. Dozier turns 31 in May, and he is easily regarded as one of the top second basemen in the game, with Houston’s Jose Altuve undoubtedly taking the top spot after his 2017 MVP season.
Even with his contract and status with the Twins in doubt, his effect on a game is opposite of that. The 2015 All-Star hit .271/.359/.498 while powering 34 home runs and 93 RBI. He finished 5th in the American League in runs scored (106) and remains one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball. He is a threat to go deep just about every time at the top of the lineup. Last year he once again got off to a slow start, but many Twins fans realize he turns it on after the All-Star break. 2017 was no different. During the first half of the season, Dozier hit .242/.328/.417 with 13 home runs, and in the second half, .304/.394/.591 with 21 home runs.
His defense was finally highlighted by the MLB last season, as he received the first Gold Glove Award of his career. Dozier’s ability to cover the right side of the infield has been proven to be exceptional, however, his defensive metrics from last season suggested otherwise. His play-making on defense has proven to be inconsistent, but his offense more than makes up for it.
First Base: Joe Mauer (Logan Morrison Back-Up/Designated-Hitter)
The longest-tenured Twin on the current roster made history Thursday, setting a franchise record in consecutive starts on Opening Day (14). He passed Harmon Killebrew and leads a list of names like Tony Oliva, Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek, and Kirby Puckett. Mauer, like Dozier, is entering the final season of his contract that was signed before the 2010 season, a year removed from his 2009 MVP year. It could be likely the team brings him back in 2019 if he maintains his level of play.
Mauer last season brought his batting average back to the .300’s and finished 5th in the American League with a .384 on-base percentage, trailing only Eric Hosmer, Altuve, Aaron Judge and Mike Trout. Mauer recorded a .318/.385/.417-line last season, with 36 doubles and 71 RBI in 141 games. It marked the first time Mauer hitting over .300 since the 2013 season. When the St. Paul-native is on the top of his game, he is one of the better hitters in the MLB. His value is tremendous still, especially with the younger faces surrounding him. With his injury-filled seasons hopefully behind him, Mauer can still swing it with confidence and remains an on-base machine. In 2017, he had a WAR rating of 3.4—his best since the 2013 season.
As for the defense, many feel Mauer was robbed of a Gold Glove Award last season. Ever since he took over the position in 2014, his abilities are so natural given his athletic size and durability. Next to Dozier, the right side of the infield is in good hands with those two.
The new face in the clubhouse regarding the infield is Logan Morrison, who the Twins signed for a valuable 1 year/$6.5 million during the offseason. He will have the opportunity to be the full-time designated-hitter, as he popped 38 home runs in 2017 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He will also serve as Mauer’s back up at first base.
There is a reason for optimism for the lefty, as well as some pessimism. Morrison had career highs in nearly every category in 2017. His 38 home runs were surely a surprise to many, as he hadn’t hit over 20 since 2011, and combined to hit for 41 between 2014-2016. He also struck out 149 times, when previously in the other seven years he never reached 100. Even with the doubt he may not repeat that power over a full season, Morrison is still signed for reasonably cheap. Kennys Vargas is back in AAA Rochester after the Cincinnati Reds placed him on waivers. If anything, the designated hitter spot has depth, with guys like Mauer, Grossman, and others that could fill in from time to time. But it’s Morrison’s spot to lose.
Catcher: Jason Castro (Mitch Garver Back-Up)
What once was a solidified position for Minnesota is now headlined by a defensive-minded player. Castro played 110 games for the Twins in 2017, recording a .242/.333/.388 line. Not too flashy on the offensive side of the diamond, Castro was ideally brought in for his veteran presence and framing skills behind the plate. Even with his offensive stats being average, it was one of his most productive since 2013.
According to Baseball Prospectus’ catching defensive metrics, his Framing Runs Above Average was at an 8.7, which ranked 12th in the league. In his previous three seasons, however, Castro recorded a 9.2, 9.6, and 15.6, respectively. Even with the dip in that, he is still regarded as one of the better defensive catchers.
Mitch Garver will finally get a spot with the team after an impressive AAA season in 2017. Garver hit .291/.387/.541 with 29 doubles and 17 home runs in 372 plate appearances. He earned a call-up to the Twins in mid-August but struggled (.196/.288/.348). He was rated as a good framer in the Minor Leagues, and the hope is the 27-year-old could perhaps be the future for the Twins. With Castro having one year left on his contract, Garver should be given an ample amount of opportunities to prove himself to the club.
Stay tuned for the third part of this series, when the pitchers are put under a microscope.
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