The Twins entered the 2012 with multiple questions. Would a rotation based around the inconsistent Francisco Liriano, aging Carl Pavano and Jason Marquis and unproven Liam Hendriks be enough to keep the team competitive? (Short answer: no) Would Matt Capps recover from a bad 2011 to provide the Twins with a reliable closing option? (short answer: first yes, then no). Who would step up to be the next Twins shortstop, second baseman and third baseman? (Short answer: Plouffe at 3B and…um… good question?)
In fact, the Twins middle infield is still the biggest question mark facing this team as they wrap up 2012 and look forward to 2013. (I’d argue that the pitching staff isn’t a question mark – it’s a known issue.)
The Twins are not lacking for options in the middle infield, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the team is well prepared to answer the question either. As 2012 winds down and the Twins move to the offseason, let’s look at the candidates for the Twins starting short stop and second base spots in 2013.
Brian Dozier:
Dozier was called up in early May thanks to a strong spring showing and a decent string of success in AAA Rochester. Initially, it looked like Dozier was the answer at short for the Twins. He hit well in the first month at the big leagues, pushing across 2 HRs and 16 RBI while batting at or around .270.
As the months warmed up, Dozier cooled down. He began to have absolutely horrid at bats, frequently striking out swinging at pitches in the dirt. Dozier’s defense started to decline with his batting average. Dozier’s 53 strikeouts in 354 PA showed his lack of patience at the plate and the Twins front office felt that these struggles were carrying over to the field. By the time Dozier was demoted to AAA in late August his defense had yielded 15 errors in 83 games and his batting average had fallen to a pedestrian .234.
Dozier was thought to be a sure September call up for the Twins, but was left in the minors when the Twins made their announcements. Dozier is slated to play winter ball for the Twins and will likely have to show better plate discipline and greatly improved defense in order to make a return to the majors in 2013.
Jamey Carroll
Carroll was signed to a 2 year $6.75 million contract in the offseason with the Twins intending to use him between 2B and SS as a utility infielder. A lack of better options thrust Carroll into a starting role and made him an everyday player. He’s made appearances at 3B, 2B and SS in 124 games for the Twins this season.
While Carroll’s offense is never going to lead the league, his defense has proven to be valuable for the once anemic Twins infield. He’s not flashy and doesn’t have the best defensive range, but he does make the routine plays and avoids costly errors.
Carroll is 38 years old, however, and likely cannot be counted on to be an everyday player for the 2013 campaign. He’ll make the team out of spring training, but look for the Twins to platoon him at 2B and SS with another option to reduce the wear on Carroll throughout the season.
Pedro Florimon
The Twins claimed Florimon off of waivers from the Orioles during the 2011 offseason. The move went mostly unnoticed at the time as Florimon looked to be a utility infielder at best.
Florimon started 2012 in AAA Rochester and performed well, hitting .251 in 83 games while showing great defensive prowess at short stop. Upon Brian Dozier’s demotion in August, Florimon was pulled up to Minnesota
Florimon has performed well during this brief stretch. He’s hitting .267 with 5 doubles and 2 triples in 23 games. His speed on the bases makes him a nice addition to an already speedy team (Revere
Florimon has shown great defensive range at short as well, making diving stops and catches that have eluded other Twins short stops over the past two seasons. His defense isn’t flawless, however, and Florimon has prevented himself from being declared the defacto starter in 2013 due to his errors (5 in 23 games). The Twins coaches have indicated that they feel Florimon’s errors are due more to his adjusting to the speed of the big league game – rather than his inability to play the position.
Eduardo Escobar
Escobar came to the Twins from the White Sox in the Francisco Liriano trade. Escobar is a 23 year old toolsy infielder who has the ability to play 2B, SS and 3B. He has good defensive range and above average speed.
Escobar’s bat, however, is slightly below average. That being said, he can be a serviceable option at any of the infield positions for the Twins in 2013.
Alexi Casilla
Casilla was trumpeted as the Twins future middle infield star when he made his Twins debut in 2006. Unfortunately, Casilla’s bat has never lived up to expectations for the Twins and his defense has bounced between excellent and below average.
Casilla has struggled at SS and doesn’t hit well enough to be given a full time shot at 3B – forcing him to act as a full time 2B for much of 2012.
Casilla has felt largely forgotten this season, appearing in only 93 games and making 299 plate appearances. His demotion is due in large part to declining offensive numbers. Casilla is hitting .219 (his second lowest BA) and has stuck out 52 times (his highest total). It’s telling that in a season where almost anyone with a pulse was given a shot to be the full time answer at SS, Casilla was relegated to bench duty.
Casilla is arbitration eligible this offseason and is expected to earn close to $3 million. Look for the Twins to non-tender Casilla and let the veteran walk away in free agency.
Minor League Options:
Eddie Rosario
The Twins have other minor league infield options (Levi Michael, Niko Goodrum) but they are both multiple years away from any sort of major league promotion.
Free Agent Options:
Yuniesky Bentancourt, Stephen Drew, Cesar Izturis, Jeff Baker, Ryan Theriot, Jose Lopez
The minor league middle infield market is thin and filled with aging options better suited for a team closer to contention. The Twins could take a flyer on a player like Bentancourt and see if they catch lightning in a bottle – but I’d imagine their free agent funds are going towards pitching this offseason.
How it shakes out:
It’s obviously too early to call a winner for the 2013 SS and 2B jobs, but they way the Twins are handling the end of 2012 does give us some clear indicators.
Right now, it looks like the starting short stop job is Pedro Florimon’s to lose. So long as he continues to hit in the .250-.270 ballpark and has dangerous speed on the base path he’ll be the best offensive option for the Twins. His defensive range gives him the clear lead – he simply makes plays that Dozier and Carroll cannot make. Outside of a terrible spring, I believe Florimon will be starting for the Twins at SS in 2013.
Jamey Carroll is under team control for 2013 and has looked most comfortable at 2B this season. His solid defense and average bat will allow him to see a decent level of playing time in 2013 – and he’ll likely be the opening day starter at 2B.
Brain Dozier has been slated as a more natural second baseman rather than a short stop. As such, the Twins could choose to platoon him with Carroll at 2B in 2013. I don’t believe they will, however. The Twins sent Dozier down to AAA so he could work on his offense and defense – something that didn’t happen in the final month of the AAA season. Dozier will not benefit from sitting on the bench and playing every third day – so I’d wager the Twins will send Dozier to AAA to start the season and call him up if Florimon or Carroll go down with an injury.
As I mentioned above, I believe the Twins will let Alexi Casilla walk away this winter. Eduardo Escobar can do everything Casilla can do and will do it at a cheaper price. With his ability to fill in at SS and 2B, I think Escobar starts the 2013 season as the Twins utility infielder.
There is no shortage of options for the Twins’ middle infield situation coming into 2013. Unfortunately, that is due more to a lack of a frontrunner rather than too much talent. The bright side of this situation is that the Twins can honestly say they are better off coming into 2013 than they were coming into 2012. With 4 decent options at 2 positions, the team has something they haven’t had in years – infield depth.
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