| 15 January 2010
It's common news in Minnesota that the Twins have an infield need. Besides Justin Morneau and JJ Hardy, the Minnesota infield is up for grabs. Nick Punto will most likely play somewhere, but a starter is needed at either second or third base. Before last night, most Twins fans didn't care which position was addressed, just as long as Brendan Harris and Matt Tolbert weren't awarded any full-time duties.
(Though I will say that I wouldn't mind a platoon of Harris and Tolbert at third until Danny Valencia is deemed ready to take the reigns. That wouldn't upset me at all.)
With the news last night that Kevin Kouzmanoff had been traded by the San Diego Padres to the Oakland Athletics, many Twins fans were disappointed. They (or, rather, we) felt that Kouzmanoff was an attainable and realistic goal for the Twins. If Minnesota was really in the market for a third baseman, Kouzmanoff was probably the best option.
Judging from what Oakland gave up, though, I'm very happy the Twins abstained. The center-part of the package the Athletics shipped to San Diego was Aaron Cunningham, who consistently hit over .300 in the minor leagues while reaching double-digits in both home runs and stolen bases. He is listed at just 5'11'', but was one of the best prospects in the Oakland organization. As Seth Stohs said on Fanatic Jack's podcast last night, Cunningham could be comparable to Ben Revere.
So, with Kouzmanoff most probably out of our price range and most certainly no longer available, the Twins need to turn their attention towards second base.
Click here to read a Tale of Two Second Basemen!
The two favorite names thrown around in regard to the Twins are Felipe Lopez and Orlando Hudson. On the surface, these two second basemen are switch-hitters who are around 30 years of age (Lopez, 29; Hudson, 31) that will most likely receive $6 or $7 million on a per annum basis. Both players were draft picks of the Toronto Blue Jays (Hudson in the 43rd round, Lopez in the 1st)When digging a little deeper, the similarities don't stop.
Both Lopez and Hudson should be able to provide an on-base percentage very near the .350 mark for the 2010 season. This will be well above the league average, and perfectly acceptable in the No. 2 slot of the batting order. Both Lopez and Hudson are projected to hit right around 10 home runs next season, and both second basemen have a walk rate of 10 percent. Lopez posted a strikeout rate of 16 percent last season, and Hudson was right behind him with 18 percent.
Lopez and Hudson were both slightly below average on the base-paths over the course of the season (-3.3 EqBRR for Lopez; 0.4 for Hudson).
In addition to the statistical similarities, though, both Lopez and Hudson enjoyed a relatively healthy season last year. Lopez missed six games due to injury or illness in 2009, most of which was due to a sore hamstring. Hudson missed five games in 2009, with a sore left wrist (which he had surgery on in 2008) the culprit for three missed games on separate occasions.
Some separation is made between the two when comparing defensive abilities. Hudson posted a -3.3 UZR last year at second base, and has been consistently below-average for the last few years. Lopez, on the other hand, sported an impressive 7.8 UZR at second base last year, but that figure has fluctuated quite severely. In 2007 Lopez's UZR at second was 2.4; in 2008, -5.3.
One thing that Hudson has on his resume that Lopez does not is a track record of success in the American League, which may or may not be important. Hudson spent the first four years of his major-league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he compiled a triple-slash line of .270/.328/.418. His on-base percentage rocketed up when he was traded to the Diamondbacks before the 2006 season. Lopez also spent the first few years of his major-league career with the Blue Jays, where his on-base percentage was just .293.
Again, I don't claim to know the significance of having American League success on your resume as a hitter, but it is worth mentioning. And I'd much rather sign someone with this success than someone without.
For what it's worth, I'd rather the Twins sign Hudson than Lopez, but I would be very comfortable with either at this point. What I know for sure, though, is that the Twins need to plug a hole in the infield and find a No. 2 hitter.
Why not kill two birds with stone?
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