The Twins Revolving Door: Shortstop
In baseball, it is very arguable that two of the most athletic players on the field play shortstop and centerfield. Both positions operate as leaders of their respective portions of the field. For the Twins, even despite the recent futility, stability at the shortstop (and really center field for that matter) has been non-existent for quite some time.
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The last time the Twins had a shortstop start at the position for more than two successive seasons in a row, his name was Cristian Guzman. Guzman was an All Star for the Twins, and he compiled a respectable .271 career average. He played a solid defensive short, and he was a key cog in many Twins teams at the top of the AL Central.
Guzman was sent to the Washington Nationals in 2005, and the Twins have never fully replaced him since. In what was once a position of stability filled by players like Guzman, Pat Meares, and Greg Gagne, Minnesota has since turned into a revolving door.
Looking at how we got to where we are now in 2015, things appear to be a breath of fresh air. Starting from 2004 and Cristian Guzman’s last season with the Twins, take a look.
Credit: StarTribune.com
2004: Cristian Guzman
.274/.309/.384, 4 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 10 SB
Mar 28, 2014; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) forces out Minnesota Twins player Jason Bartlett (11) at second base during their game at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
2005: Jason Bartlett
.241/.316/.335, 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 4 SB
Mar 28, 2014; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins batter Jason Bartlett (11) connects for a base hit against the Boston Red Sox during their game at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
2007: Jason Bartlett
.265/.339/.361, 7 3B, 5 HR, 43 RBI, 23 SB
Jul 1, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Jamey Carroll (8) throws the ball to first base in the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
2012: Jamey Carroll
.268/.343/.317, 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 9 SB
Jun 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Pedro Florimon (25) throws to first base during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
2013/2014: Pedro Florimon
.200/.265/.299, 3B, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 21 SB
Sep 21, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Danny Santana (39) throws to first in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
2015:
Enter this season, the Twins are looking at one of two players to start for them at shortstop this season. While Danny Santana appears to have some competition in Eduardo Escobar, it should be presumed that Santana will end up with the role. Last season for the Twins, Santana showed flexibility in playing centerfield as well, but it is shortstop where he makes the most sense.
At any rate, Santana hit .319/.353/.472 in his first season in the majors. He tripled seven times and homered seven times as well. Santana drove in 40 runs while swiping 20 bases. He was easily an asset on the offensive side of the game. Each of those numbers ranks amongst the highest in comparison to where the Twins have found their starting shortstops at recently.
Heading into 2015, there has to be some excitement about the position. Santana could prove to be the future answer until the emergence of top draft pick, Nick Gordon, a few years down the road. While his average will regress some, he is still light years ahead of the teams past shortstops when it comes to offense.
Looking back through the list, only J.J. Hardy has been a true major league caliber shortstop on both sides of the ball throughout his career. If the Twins didn’t deal him for a bucket of balls known as Jim Hoey, we may not be looking that this revolving door. At any rate, they did, and Danny Santana looks to be the stopper that halts the door from spinning.
Next: Does Danny Santana Really Have Competition?