Fun Twins Lineup Hypothetical

[Coach1310]

Just because it would be cool and something the Twins would NEVER do.... I put together a hypothetical lineup for the Twins if they made ONE trade and one position switch...

It is tough to watch the lack of productivity at SS year after year after year and it is hard for me to watch Suzuki, even though I love the guy who is a pros, pro, when we have a better option on the roster.  

What if the Twins traded for Tulowitzki.  Indications are the Rockies are ready to deal him.  The second part of my dream is to have Mauer catch at least half the time....

 

Dozier       2B

Mauer       C

Tulowitzki  SS

Sano         DH

Hunter       RF

Plouffe      3B

Vargas      DH

Rosario     LF

Buxton/Hicks CF

How the outfield would shakeout would be interesting, but having Suzuki as a second catcher or 1/2 time catcher, Escobar as a utility along with Nunez, plus Hicks or Buxton on the bench.... seems to me to be a really solid lineup compared to have Suzuki and Santana in there every night...

Odds are less than zero that it happens, but it sure would be fun!

[nofishfisherman]

Moving Mauer back to catcher and putting Vargas at first doesn't really gain you much.  You essentially trade Suzuki for Vargas (who is currently in Double A)

Suzuki is hitting .227 but Vargas is only marginally better at .245.  Vargas also has a lower on base percentage and strikes out 3x more often than Suzuki. The other problem with Mauer at catcher is that he'll need to miss more games which takes Mauers better albeit still meager.278 average out of the game at least once a week.  That leaves you with the two lesser options in Suzuki and Vargas playing in games together too often.  I think in the long run that is a net loss for the team.  They are better off keeping Mauer at 1st and playing everyday.

 

[rundrave]

It is tough to watch the lack of productivity at SS year after year after year

That Hardy deal looks worse and worse by the day for the twins. Should have never got rid of him.

[nofishfisherman]

Agreed on Hardy.  The Twins gave him one injury filled season and then dumped him.  A little patience with him would have paid off huge.

[Cicada]

Five of Hardy's first seven seasons have him playing less than 130 games.  The season with the Twins was season six.  Joe Mauer had two season of less than 130 games in his first seven seasons and I think most guys here were very vocal about him not being in the lineup.  Hardy is a career .258 hitter averaging about 15 home runs per year.  Home runs being pumped by hitting in Baltimore, a more friendly home run park.   I'm ok with the Twins losing him.

Edited September 3, 2015 by Cicada

[rundrave]

Lets not forget that multiple players over the years, have complained about how the Twins training staff either misdiagnosed, mistreated or downplayed injuries. Hardy claimed the Twins didn't properly identify or treat his wrist injury when he was here, and it wasn't until he went to Baltimore, that the issue was resolved. 

[Cicada]

As we spar, he rests comfortably on the 15 day disabled list...just sayin'

 

[Cicada]

"Lets not forget that multiple players over the years, have complained about how the Twins training staff either misdiagnosed, mistreated or downplayed injuries. Hardy claimed the Twins didn't properly identify or treat his wrist injury when he was here, and it wasn't until he went to Baltimore, that the issue was resolved. "

Care to list these multiple players?  Living outstate, I probably miss the gossip type reporting, but this is the first I've heard such an accusation.

For some reason, and I could be totally wrong, I thought he may have come to the Twins with the wrist problems.