Minnesota Twins Enter Spring with Few Sure Bets
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
I’m not a big gambler. When I do and lose, it seems I don’t typically pay. I still owe my grandpa seven bucks from the 2002 American League Championship Series. I was quite certain that the Twins were going to the World Series that year… that didn’t happen.
Ever since then I’ve only taken fliers on things that are a sure bet, something I know with my whole body and soul that they will happen. As I look ahead to Spring Training, I realize that the Twins do not have many sure bets.
At the moment, it looks like the Twins only have THREE positions that are set in stone come Opening Day: Joe Mauer at first base, Brian Dozier at second base and Kurt Suzuki behind the plate.
Now others are pretty much guaranteed a spot on the roster, but where they start is still up in the air.
It looks like Pedro Florimon will be the Opening Day shortstop for the Twins, but I don’t believe that he has a complete stranglehold on the job. If Eduardo Escobar or maybe even Jason Bartlett play insane baseball in spring, it would not surprise me at all if Ron Gardenhire gave the job to either one of them.
Trevor Plouffe looks to be the man at third base again. I still hold out faith that the Twins might give Miguel Sano a shot right away or at least they will sign someone to give Plouffe a reason to show up.
The outfield is crowded and Gardenhire has about a million different combinations he could go with.
Center field will come down between two men now that Darin Mastroianni was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester. Alex Presley, the main piece of the Justin Morneau trade, and Aaron Hicks, last year’s Opening Day starter, will fight it out for the center field post.
The corner outfield spots are a total cluster. Chris Parmelee, Chris Colabello, Chris Herrmann, Oswaldo Arcia, Josh Willingham and Jason Kubel are all possibilities for an Openind Day gig in either of the corners.
Josh Willingham will have a spot in the Opening Day lineup, but where it will be is the question. I want him at the designated hitter spot, but something tells me he and his horrid defense will get stuck out in left field once again.
That DH spot really comes down between Willigham and Kubel, which I have illustrated before on this website.
Not a whole lot is for certain in sports. We, the fans, can never even come to a consensus on a many of things, but that’s what makes sports entertaining. Sports are the truest reality TV program there is.
Welcome to The Bachelor: Minnesota Twins Starting Lineup edition.