Acquiring another bat that could fill in at DH

by bl4ckduck on Dec 27, 2011 11:19 AM EST

Have you looked at our lineup lately? We need another bat, badly. Our team cannot absorb losses of a Professional Hitter™ and Cuddler® as easily as getting Willingham and hoping Morneau returns to beast mode. The folks over at MLBTradeRumors have done the heavy lifting here by assembling a list of free agents who can still hit a ball around with some degree of proficiency.

So unless you are comfortable with

1. Span - CF

2. Carroll - SS

3. Sweet Baby Jes Mauer - C

4. Morneau - 1B

5. Willingham - RF (maybe 4th)

6. Doumit/Plouffe/Parmelee - DH (oh lawd, no wonder he's writing this post)

7. Danny V - 3B

8. Casilla - 2B

9. Revere/Platoon Partner - LF

as your opening day lineup, let us pray that the FO reads this post. Pedestrian analysis after the jump.

The formula used for ISO is ISO = (2B + (3B*2) + (HR*3)) / AB, essentially how many extra bases per at-bat are generated by a hitter’s power. You can get the same result via SLG – AVG, which is what I usually do. For the statistically-inclined I learned that PECOTA counts triples and doubles equally since triples are more a function of luck and speed than extra giddy-up on a double. Commence pedestrian analysis!

Player – ISO

Pros

Cons

Snap Judgment

Prince Fielder - .267 ISO

He would do better in the AL, especially as he ages

We are still paying Morneau money and cannot begin to afford whatever Boras wants

Not happening. Dream on.

Andruw Jones - .247

Affordable. The last 3 years he’s signed contracts of 500k, 500k, and 1.5 MM for the Rangers, White Sox and Jerks. During this time he’s averaged a dinger every 15 at-bats and has been a capable 4th outfield option who, unlike Revere, can hit a ball.

Old. Also represented by Boras (abject hate on my part).

He’s averaged 0.9 WAR in 89 games in the last three years and could easily replicate this. He would be a good option until Benson and Hicks are ready.

Carlos Pena - .237

Stupid power and he can take a walk

He’s already 33 and costs a lot and also a Boras client

Unless he wants to sign a cheapo 1-year deal to re-establish value, I wouldn’t even consider him

Jason Varitek - .203

Can catch. The Twins apparently drafted him in ’93 but did not sign.

Past his prime. He hit .223 last year, couldn’t throw out runners and isn’t getting any younger.

The last 4 seasons he has totaled 0.9 WAR. Pass.

Jonny Gomes - .180

Right-handed

None

Pass.

Derrek Lee - .179

Right-handed power bat who put up a respectable triple slash of .267/.325/.446 last year

Hasn’t put up good numbers since 2009 and is now 36.

He cost $7.25 M last year…how low would he go this year?

Pat Burrell - .175

Pat the Bat had some great years

Gets hurt too much

He should retire gracefully and keep working with the Giants

Raul Ibanez - .174

Had an 8-year stretch of 2-WAR play from 2002-2009. He could excel in a part-time role

Price tag

Needs to take a big discount for us to afford him

Wilson Betemit - .169

If you can’t say something nice…

Can a guy who’s never hit more than 18 HR in a season even be considered a “power hitter”?

Maybe if he played for free.

Cody Ross - .165

I always thought 20-HR power from a corner outfield spot was a given

Is considered very comparable to Craig Monroe (bad memories)

Not worth it.

Jorge Posada - .163

Mystical beat-the-Yankees X-Factor?

Old, can’t really catch, eats up a bench spot.

Jesse made a case for him, and it has already fallen on deaf ears

Johnny Damon - .156

Very likable and still relevant – holy crap, he has over 50 WAR over his career!

Only broke 20 HR once at Fenway and twice at the Launchpad (Yankee Stadium) – good player, but not a power bat

I’d keep him on the radar

So I would posit that our only real options are Jones, Pena, Lee, Ibanez or Damon, but somehow I don't see the FO springing for anyone on this list, although both in terms of upside and price Jones would be my "most likely" choice. Thoughts?

Poll

So, who ya got?

Fielder

9 votes

Jones

28 votes

Pena

8 votes

Varitek

1 votes

Gomes

6 votes

Lee

22 votes

Burrell

0 votes

Ibanez

7 votes

Betemit

1 votes

Ross

2 votes

Posada

3 votes

Damon

17 votes

I'm already resigned to what Ryan has assembled

30 votes

Other (explain in comments)

6 votes

140 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 1 recs |

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Comments

I'm not opposed to dumpster diving with Derrek Lee

…so long as he is affordable. Has won gold dloves at first base and is another RH bat. But he also gets hurt a lot. Which can be a turn-off for a team of lepers.

Otherwise I would take Posada.

Damon is someone who refuses to age, but honestly, I think another outfielder is unlikely.

by Flip27 on Dec 27, 2011 12:06 PM EST reply actions

I second this.

Those were my two picks, mostly to DH and as backups for our backups at either C or 1B (depending which guy we sign). Would much rather have Posada as a DH/third catcher than see Butera again.

by spanspanspan on Dec 27, 2011 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

Don't see them adding another bat

"I learned something yesterday. No use in having rules if there's no punishment for breaking them. You'll be fine if you bite down on the trigger. Enjoy your breakfast."

by John_Locke on Dec 27, 2011 2:20 PM EST reply actions

I did

But walking through that list really makes me change my mind. There isn’t a single guy there that seems like a good idea.

Well, I’d love Fielder, but there is no way they are shelling out that kind of money. Everyone else probably can’t be cheap enough to be worthwhile.

by amiller92 on Jan 3, 2012 12:41 PM EST up reply actions

We never should have given up Thome

"Oh I'm so happy he has a shot at getting a WS ring with the Indians now. THE DAMN INDIANS!? C’MON!!!

We shouldn’t given up Cuddy or Kubes for that matter either!

GET OFF MY LAWN!!!

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Tell Gardy there's nobody around to protect him now." Ozzie Guillen

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Dec 27, 2011 2:21 PM EST reply actions

JI

JIM!

by spanspanspan on Dec 27, 2011 2:27 PM EST up reply actions

I went other

Im not resigned to the current DH spot I think it is where it needs to be. They have a lot of guys they are going to need to rotate through that spot Morneau might even need to be there full time. Even if its not full time he and Mauer will see time there to get some rest, Doumit will see time there to get his bat in the lineup, and Willingham and Plouffe can get some reps there as well. Spend any remaining money on pitching!

first-worst-first?

by holymackerel on Dec 27, 2011 2:29 PM EST reply actions

Gotta have faith in the farm.

I think Parmelee becomes the guy.

@JayKlinkhammer
jayklinkhammer.tumblr.com

by y2jayjk on Dec 27, 2011 3:05 PM EST reply actions

Interesting most of these guys are Boras clients

At a certain point, he has his clients competing against each other for limited opportunities. Sweet irony!

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Dec 27, 2011 3:15 PM EST reply actions

On that list..

Jones is the guy who’d you get the most bang for your buck.

That said I’m much more concerned with our bullpen situation, and think we need to add another pitcher (Wuertz maybe? 3.71 career ERA, 1.32 WHIP)

"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona." ~George F. Will

by SooFoo Fan on Dec 27, 2011 3:53 PM EST reply actions

Bullpen

I am confident that the lineup will score runs if Mauer & Morneau are healthy. I am also quite certain that they won’t score runs if those two aren’t healthy, regardless of the has-been run producers that would be added from the list above.
The bullpen remains the area of need that 2 million dollars can probably do the most about. I don’t have any confidence in the right handed relievers we currently have on the roster. If the front office isn’t going to spend much more money, at least do it in a way that can change the complexion of the team. In my opinion that means strengthening the bullpen.

by scosch on Dec 27, 2011 5:02 PM EST up reply actions

Or Rotation

I’m still hopeful that the Twins will sign another starter. That too could change this team more than a has-been bat.

by scosch on Dec 27, 2011 5:07 PM EST up reply actions

wrong...

That would be Pena. He can play solid first, hit some dingers, and draw walks now that Cuddy left(our clubhouse leader after Torii left). I would bat him middle of the order against right handed pitchers and slide Valencia up against lefties. Morneau is far from healthy. Look at sid the kid, touch him and he gets concussed. Concussions are sometimes Serious! I am seriously scared for Justin. A stand up guy. He doesn’t deserve this!

by chatter on Jan 4, 2012 9:59 AM EST up reply actions

I don't think we sign any more bats...

…but I would vote for Pena of the price was right. That is, of course, a big “if” since he is a Boras client; but he would add the best pop in the line-up.

Maybe I’m just tired of small ball, I mean seriously…it’s been like 20 years since I sat on the edge of my seat thinking multiple guys could homer in a game. What I would give for a time machine back to 1987.

Zubaz pants and a homer hanky.

I will not be PONDERing anything, ever again....I'm so tired of this pun. Maybe we could use antonyms to be different, like: "FORGET about last season, as we COGITATE about winning in 2011!"...Whatever, SKOL VIKES!!!

by J.RO on Dec 27, 2011 6:53 PM EST reply actions

2006 had Morneau and Hunter both with 30+ homers and Cuddyer was up there too

But yeah… even that was five years ago now.

Man, that was their season. Freaking Oakland.

by ColossusOfRhode on Dec 27, 2011 7:28 PM EST up reply actions

DH is the furthest thing the Twins need

If you’ll remember back to some of the teams in the earlier 2000’s or before Kubel and Jim there is nothing to gripe about for our current dh situation, we have a switch hitter and a RH bat w some power and possibly a LH bat w some power. If you wanna bring something up let’s talk about pitching…

by SpanFan on Dec 27, 2011 11:45 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

If we were to sign any of these players,

First option would be Andruw. Damon is a close second, but Andruw is still the top choice of the two. I’m fine with the current lineup if they choose to sign neither anyway.

Follow me on Twitter at @twincitiesbball

by jacobglanz on Dec 28, 2011 12:41 AM EST reply actions