A Look at Twins Shortstops From a UZR Perspective

JJ Hardy was deemed expendable after the 2010 season because the Twins were looking for more speed. Many fans felt he lacked range in addition to having an average arm. I disagree with both of those arguments, but to each his own. Let's see where Hardy ranks defensively by looking at Minnesota Twins shortstops since Ultimate Zone Rating began as a defensive metric in 2002. I'm going to use a minimum of 500 innings played at shortstop to be included on this list. After going through the list of those that played shortstop for the Twins since 2002, seven seasons stood out.

Number 7: 2004 Cristian Guzman UZR 6.5 in 1,304 innings.

Number 6: 2008 Nick Punto UZR 8.1 in 530 innings.

Number 5: 2010 JJ Hardy UZR 8.1 in 858 innngs, gets nod over 2008 Punto because of more innings played.

Number 4 : 2007 Jason Barlett UZR 8.5 in 1,194 innings.

Number 3: 2006 Jason Bartlett UZR 11.6 in 879 innings.

Number 2: 2005 Jason Bartlett UZR 12.6 in 585 innings.

Number 1: 2005 Juan Castro (believe it or not) UZR 13.2 in 568 innings.

OK, so JJ Hardy wasn't the best shortstop to come through Minnesota. He wasn't too bad though. He was a better fielder than anyone else that's played shortstop for the Twins since 2002 not named Jason Bartlett...I guess Juan Castro too. Oh well, I hope 2011 goes well for JJ Hardy, he gets to be managed by Buck Showalter and play with Vladimir Guerrero. I still feel he deserved another season playing in the Twin Cities.

New Twins HOF Member: Jim Perry

9, 6, 12, 11, 8, 8, 20, 24, 17, 13 This isn't the lottery. Those are the number of games Jim Perry won each year he played in a Twins uniform from 1963 through 1972. In ten seasons with he Twins Perry was 128-90 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 113 ERA+ and had 17 shutouts. His pinnacle was winning the Cy Young Award in 1970 with a stellar 24-14 record with a 3.04 ERA accomplished by starting a league high 40 games. He was a key cog in the starting rotation for the Twins as the team won the Western Division in both 1969 and 1970 and now he's been elected to Twins Hall of Fame. It's an individual accomplishment I'm sure Jim Perry will savior since he's often overshadowed by his Hall of Fame and spitballing younger brother Gaylord Perry. Together they won 529 games in the major leagues, which is the second most wins by two brothers. Only the Niekro brothers have more with 539 wins. Congratulations to Jim Perry, another forgotten Twin now gets the recognition he deserves. Now let's do the same for Camilo Pascual.

Nick Punto: Best Twins Utility Player Ever

Nick Punto is finally gone. No longer will a prolonged Twins rally be snuffed out by Punto walking into the batters box. Yes, there will be moments when he's missed, usually when the Twins are in the field, but for everything that's been said about Nick Punto this is never mentioned: he's the best utility player the Twins have ever had. So who was he up against to gain such a lofty title? When the dust settles there are only two that can be considered in Punto's league: Cesar Tovar and Al Newman. Tovar played everywhere, stole bases and even struck out Reggie Jackson once, Al Newman was the utility infielder for two World Championship Twins teams. A few old time fans may say Tovar is better, but Pat Reusse told me via Twitter Punto beats out Tovar by a tick and since I never saw Tovar play I'll take his word for it. Now some may equate being the Twins best utility player to finishing 4th in the Olympic Trials, but there's more value in it than that. The value is he'll be remembered.

Let Alexi Casilla Be Himself

So Alexi Casilla is going to start at either second base or shortstop when the Twins open the 2011 season. I guess I can live with that, even though I feel JJ Hardy was a better option with a better bat, better glove, better arm... OK, Alexi Casilla can be successful, but he has to be allowed to play everyday. Ron Gardenhire has a tendency with Casilla to push the abort button far too quickly. He can't do that this year. Nick Punto is gone and Matt Tolbert can't be justified as being better than Casilla in anyway. Gardenhire needs to let Casilla become piranha-like: annoying and quick. He has to bunt, chop at the ball and become an aggressive base stealer. Casilla's been successful in 35 of 39 stolen base attempts in the majors (90% success rate). In the minors he stole 164 bases in 220 attempts (75% success rate, hey, he was still learning). Let him run, let him steal 40+ bases, let him irritate teams this year. I seem to remember Twins executives and the manager explaining how they wanted more speed on the team. Casilla can be that speed guy as long as he's allowed to play and even make some mistakes. Alexi Casilla deserves this full time opportunity, let's hope the plug doesn't get pulled on him too soon.

Einstein and the 2011 Twins

The 2011 Twins and Albert Einstein, an odd combination, yet they're connected. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This is exactly what the Twins front office has done going into the 2011 season. The team has the same rotation, same key players, but probably took a step back in terms of the bullpen, second base and shortstop. It seems the Twins are hoping for a different result than what has happened over and over again, a quick playoff exit. A team can never turn over an entire team, but it's the rotation that worries me most. We shall see. There are 21 days until pitchers and catchers report, but really it seems the end result has already been determined. This year I say it's about 86 victories and third place in the division. Is that insane?

Give Lastings Milledge a Chance

It's very simple. Jason Kubel can't hit left handed pitching (.233/.312/.351 last three years). The Minnesota Twins could improve their 4th outfielder situation. Sorry Jason Repko. Lastings Milledge can hit lefthanded pitching (.292/.357/.434 last three years), play all the outfield positions well and has some speed. OK, more speed than Kubel. He's not a Twins kind of player, he's been said to have an attitude problem and has an anger issue at times. So be it. Sign Milledge, he'd be happy to join a contender after spending the past four years with the Pirates and Nationals and he would be cheap, probably less than $500,000.

Carl Pavano's Future

Carl Pavano is a free agent. He'll be looking for a 2 year contract. I don't think the Twins should give him it. One year I'd be fine with, but I feel his gas tank is low. Something tells me getting another year like he had this year would be a tall order. The second half this year had him getting hard more often than fans would like to see. The signs are there. Although, at 34 years of age he's not ancient and his ERA+ this year was 111, his highest since 2004. The Twins still need to be careful here, a two year contract may be seen as a given by most fans, but I'd allocate those dollars elsewhere. That second year could have the Twins paying on a commodity they get little value from.

Thankless Job: Middle Relief

I've watched baseball since 1984 and something that should've been obvious has finally dawned on me. Pitching effectively in middle relief is the most thankless and difficult job in baseball. Last night Jim Thome finished off the most dramatic game played so far at Target Field with a towering game winning home run. It was possible because of failed starting pitching by Scott Baker and ineffective middle relief work. How many great middle relievers can you name? Off the top of my head in the American League it's Matt Thornton, Grant Balfour, Jesse Crain (the last few months), Daniel Bard, Joaquin Benoit and Darren O'Day. That's a short list. Great closers make the job of pitching look easy. Middle relievers at times make the job of pitching look precariously similar to mine deactivation. Not many are effective consistently and rarely are they recognized for being good at what they do. Yes, Rauch struggled again last night, but all in all the Twins core of middle relievers are among the best in baseball and will be the key to making it to the playoffs and deep into the postseason.

The Apocalypse Doesn't Include Drew Butera

Some very knowledgeable Minnesota Twins fans spent 7 hours on Twitter yesterday debating the merits of Wilson Ramos and Drew Butera for the backup catching duties to start this season. This topic deserved seven hours of back and forth typing on the computer? While that fact alone may be a sign of the Apocalypse, Drew Butera being named the Twins backup catcher is not. Remember he isn't going to be the backup the entire season. Switch hitting Jose Morales will be back. Don't worry. It may take 8 weeks for Morales to heal, but he will return, I promise. Drew Butera may get 10 at bats in a week if he's lucky. This may go down as 10 weekly at bats his .214/.296/.317 career minor league line says he doesn't deserve, but it's not the end of the world. You won't get any argument from me, he probably doesn't deserve those 10 at bats, but you also won't get any argument from me if Wilson Ramos had made the team either. Ramos is a superb defensive catcher and can hit around .290, but he's only 21 years old. In addition, he has played only 65 games above single A. Some refining and gaining experience are most likely in order. In a perfect world the Twins would like Drew Butera to at least hit his weight, which is 205. If he doesn't then what? More back and forth typing on this rather dull topic? I'll pass. Don't forget, many clubs have their own Drew Buteras. We should be lucky our Drew Butera is only staying temporarily.

Twins' Mount Rushmore Has an Addition: Joe Mauer

As expected Joe Mauer has signed for the Minnesota Twins. He will be paid $23 million a year for the next 8 years. His $184 contract is the 4th largest in baseball history. While everyone is pleased that Mauer is now under contract the deal will eventually be questioned if the Twins don't surround him with an adequate supporting cast. The hope is that his contract doesn't keep the team from pursuing top shelf players. Only time will tell on that one. Short of 1987 and 1991 has there ever been a better time to be a Minnesota Twins fan? Fans have a new stadium, the team has finally gone out and signed players to fill spots who are not leftovers from the free agency market and Joe Mauer is under contract until he is 35. The only rain cloud is Joe Nathan's injury and that is a sizeable rain cloud, but let's not dwell on the negative. By signing with the Twins, Mauer has put himself forever in the top tier of Minnesota sports legends. You now have Killebrew, Puckett and Mauer occupying a very small space atop the Minnesota sports mountain. It's difficult to name any sports individual who has played in this town that would bump any of those three down a notch. Fran Tarkenton, Kent Hrbek, Alan Page, Kevin Garnett, Neal Broten and even George Miken can't do it. The Minnesota Twins have their own Mount Rushmore and Joe Mauer is the newest addition.

This Pain is Good for Twins Fans

This morning Joe Nathan played catch with pitching coach Rick Anderson. The session was short lived as Nathan felt pain in his elbow. It was determined he will have Tommy John surgery and his baseball career for the next 12-18 months is now in flux. In an odd way his feeling pain this morning is a good thing. Imagine if he had felt nothing as he threw and then went back into a somewhat regular pitching routine. He would have done more damage and likely prolonged his recovery time. Now the team has a concrete plan and timetable in place to treat the injury. Next for them is solving who will close this year and next year. I'm against the Twins trading prospects Wilson Ramos or Ben Revere for San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell. Bell has had only one year as closer. His 42 saves last season showed he may be made for the job, but I don't like that weight has been an on going issue for him. I feel the Twins should go in-house for their closer solution. I'm not opposed to having a young arm eventually get the job this year or most likely next year. Arms such as Anthony Slama, Rob Delaney or Alex Burnett should be the focus of any future closer talk for the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins' Catch 22%

I hope fifth grade math doesn't trip up the Minnesota Twins. If their payroll is near $100 million and they pay Joe Mauer roughly $22 million that's 22% of the team's salary going to one player. It's not difficult math, but a little mind numbing at the same time. The Twins are stuck in the proverbial Catch-22. Not signing Mauer destroys their image in the minds of fans and players around the league, trading him would get nowhere near equal value in return and signing him financially hamstrings the team possibly for 10 years, but they must sign him. Baseball is a business, but a business where emotions still play a part in decision making. Minnesota sports fans are born with fragile emotions. Losing Mauer to the Yankees would be the baseball equivalent of an atomic bomb directed at the fanbase. If he wants 10 years then Twins have to sign him for 10 years. No one is excited to pay a catcher $20+ million when he's 34 years old, but the hand the Twins have been dealt is drafting and developing one of the best catchers ever. Is 22% of a payroll too much to pay just one player out of 25? Yes, but after losing Torii Hunter and Johan Santana the Minnesota Twins have no choice.

Mike Maroth's Final Call

Like many baseball careers Mike Maroth is not in control of when the end comes. It usually arrives like the suddenness of a 2:00 AM phone call. Maroth is a a left handed starting pitcher the Minnesota Twins have invited to spring training with a history of arm and knee injuries. He wants to avoid that final call that ends a career, but when you are a 33 year old finesse pitcher with a career ERA of 5.05 and a record of 50-67 the end is knocking. A coaching position at the lower levels of the sport beckons. Maroth's only notable resume item doesn't help matters, which is being the last pitcher to lose 20 games (21 games exactly) as he did on the 2003 Detroit Tigers. There's no doubt Mike Maroth came to Twins came looking to impress and hope his softly tossed arsenal of pitches could land him the final spot in the bullpen. Praying his left arm could last a few weeks longer and act as if it is ten years younger than it is was his goal. The body seldom cooperates in such matters and the brain soon follows which leads us to the 6th inning of the first spring training game against the Boston Red Sox. The Twins are leading 1-0 in what is a meaning less game for most players in uniform. For Mike Maroth this game is anything but meaningless, his career and future rest on the first impression he gives the Twins' coaching staff during this brief one inning of work. That first impression may also be the last impression he makes. Maroth yielded in succession a double, a walk then an RBI single to tie the game. A double play bailed him out of further damage. Double plays save innings, but not careers. Mike Maroth may end up pitching for the Twins AAA Rochester Red Wings, but his final pitch is nearly here. Spring training is suppose to be a time for optimism, but for aging pitchers like Mike Maroth it's a reality check they'd rather not face.

The Mysterious Fifth Outfielder

As a fan when the largest debate on your favorite baseball team is who will be the fifth outfielder good things are in store for you. That is where the Minnesota Twins are. Fans are concerned, writers have something to write about, but really it's not as large a problem as many make it seem. Yesterday Ron Gardenhire announced Michael Cuddyer would be the primary backup when Span needs a rest. The Twitter boards lit up saying he's bad enough in right field why give him more ground to cover? I was even involved in a short debate with people who felt Delmon Young was a better outfielder than Cuddyer. You can throw all the numbers at me that support that argument and I will never believe it. Delmon Young is an outfielder who is diametrically opposed to anything that resembles a straight line, especially when that straight line is towards a fly ball. Cuddyer is the better outfielder and it's not close. Alexi Casilla in yesterday's game already alligator armed a fly ball by the warning track so his future will most likely remain in the infield. Matt Tolbert was once a centerfielder so there remains hope he can play that position competently. As John Madden would say Nick Punto is Nick Punto. He can do no wrong, especially with a glove so Gardy will not hesitate to put him out there if need be. Jacque Jones was the early frontrunner for the backup backup outfielder, but his inability with the lumber the last two years hurts him, but he does have the former Twin badge which will take him to at least the last cut in spring training. So what do we have?

Alexi Casilla: Out of the running and maybe not on the Twins opening day roster.

Delmon Young: Unable to patrol left field, never considered.

Michael Cuddyer: Playing centerfield won't create the defensive quadmire many believe.

Matt Tolbert: Dark horse, hustles in Punto-like fashion and knows his ability to play any position will keep him the majors. He may win by a nose from the outside.

Nick Punto: I think his task will be mainly infield related this season. Punto is like Gardy's blanky, he needs him close by. Outfield is too far away.

Jacque Jones: Twins nice in play here, if he hits and shows some range he can win the spot. Past two years show this may be unlikely.

The Winner: Just like Tic Tac Toe there is no winner here, but that fifth outfield spot will be Cuddyer's and Tolbert's. They are more than capable of handling this opportunity and hopefully will not wake up the echoes of Rich Becker patrolling centerfield.

Brad Radke vs. Camilo Pascual

While listening and writing into the entertaining Fanatic Jack's podcast on Wednesday night the topic of Brad Radke's greatness was brought up. While Radke was a fine pitcher I felt there had to be pitchers of the same or better caliber than him that played for the Twins. I threw the name of Camilo Pascual into the discussion and created a short debate on the merits of each pitcher. Neither person running the podcast had much background on Pascual. How unfortunate. The Minnesota Twins are 50 years into their existence. Fans cannot lose track of those players that played decades ago. They were very talented and represented the team well. Camilo Pascual is an excellent example of that. Even though Camilo may object, let's put him under the microscope briefly.

Let's start a comparison with ERA+. Radke had a career of ERA+ of 112, while Pascual had a 103 for his career. Now let's look at Camilo's years with the Twins only. His Twins only ERA+ averages out to 114. He spent 7 years as a Senator and another 6 with the Twins. Some of his most dominant years were in Minnesota.

• For 3 years from 1961-1963 Pascual led the AL in strikeouts with: 221, 206 and 202
• From 1961-1964 he won 15, 18, 18 and 14 games.
• In 1961 he had 8 shutouts and followed that up with 5 in 1962.
• His ERA+ numbers from 1961 through 1966: 123, 123, 149, 109, 106 and 74 (yikes!).

Brad Radke had pinpoint control as we all know. He led the league with 1 walk per 9 innings in 2001 and over the course of his career posted an outstanding 1.6 walks per 9 innings. Pascual cannot compare here. He averaged 3.3 walks per nine innings and never averaged below 2.4 walks per 9 innings during his career. I could analyze Brad Radke further, but why? Radke just doesn't have the league leading numbers that Camilo did in some areas for even a short amount of time. Breaking down Brad Radke's numbers show him to be a slightly above average pitcher as his ERA+ of 112 shows. He was 12% above league average over the course of his career while Pascual was 14% better than league average while in a Twins uniform. I will take Camilo Pascual because of his league leading strikeout numbers for that 3 year stretch from 1961 through 1963. I admit it's close and Radke was part of an important Twins group that resurrected life back in to the franchise, but Camilo Pascual was better. His dominance was greater despite it being short lived.

Cardboard Insights

Every February for the past 26 years I look forward to a simple tradition. The opening of a new Topps baseball card pack. What will the new design look like? How good will the photography be? It's simply fun and for me the opening of that pack is the opening of the baseball season. This year as I opened my first pack I came upon Randy Johnson's card. It's a beautiful card of him lunging and throwing in one motion to first base after what I'm assuming is a bunt attempt. A difficult maneuver for a 6'11 person at age 45. Then I realized this is the last regular baseball card Randy Johnson will ever have. I flip to the back and in small print is a career that began in 1988. The numerous statistics in red indicate he led the league in that category and there are amazingly 28 of them. Anybody can go to the internet and look up a player's career statistics, but in this age of technology and instant communication a baseball card still holds tremendous insight into the quality of a player's career. To hold 20 some odd years of work in your hand crystallizes a career. As I looked at the card I realized Randy Johnson was a rarity. A player of enormous talent who dominated hitters for prolonged stretches in overpowering ways. Of course I knew he was a great pitcher, a Hall of Fame pitcher in fact, but seeing his entire career as the numbers bounce off each other on the back of that baseball card I realized I may never see a pitcher like him again. Did I realize he was a once in a lifetime player as I watched him? Not really. It's odd how players you grow up with or players you watch currently often seem very good, but it isn't until they retire and you reflect on their historical standing in the game does their true greatness come out. A baseball card helps this process happen. Randy Johnson is the greatest left handed pitcher ever. Did I comprehend that until I looked at that one final card of his? Surprisingly I didn't. A baseball card while small, fragile and for the young, is still enormously insightful and entertaining. I guess I was luckier to get that Randy Johnson card than I originally thought.

Alexi Casilla Has His Own Favre

Alexi Casilla needs to become what Tarvaris Jackson was on the Minnesota Vikings this past season, a young player willing to sit and learn as a veteran plays his position for a season. No Brett Favre isn't going to play second base, but Orlando Hudson will. Casilla has had 903 plate appearances in a Twins uniform for a .244/.301/.314 line. His career OPS+ of 66 puts him 34% below where an average hitter would be. Defending him especially after batting .202 last year is difficult. Even his fielding is hard to justify. Surprisingly he has been -9.2 runs below average over the course of his short career. Some fielding metrics even have him as the worst fielding second baseman in the American League. Unfortunately, it can be said the Minnesota Twins spent all of last year trying to overcome the hole his poor performance left at second base. Just an average year by Casilla would have avoided putting the Twins in a Game 163 situation. They would have likely won the division outright by 2 games, but instead he batted .202. Needless to say, our friend Alexi is on the hot seat. Despite all this I feel the Twins would be wrong to cut or trade him. He's only 24...yes, just 24 and he won't turn 25 until July! He has above average speed, has had big moments in a Twins uniform and more importantly his minor league record indicates he's much better than what we've seen. In 1,809 minor league plate appearances Casilla had a line of .298/.371/.375. If those numbers regress 10% in the majors he becomes a .269/.334/.338. player. Yes, those are very average numbers and the slugging is frightening, but some potential shows. The 2010 season should be Alexi Casilla watching how Orlando Hudson plays professionally at second base, runs the bases, and approaches each at bat. Let Hudson play the same role Brett Favre played this year for his backup quarterbacks. Alexi Casilla needs the tutelage of a veteran player. 2010 is the final year for him to be a student.

Nick Punto Can't Stop Fate

Nick Punto has lived a charmed life, but it's just starting. His life is the life any of us would take if given the opportunity. Professional baseball player, father, husband and multi millionaire, but his destiny is more than that. There is something about Punto that makes one think he is more than just a player on the Minnesota Twins. His cosmic importance is more than we can comprehend. He is like a character on the TV show Lost. His importance is clear to those behind the scenes, but the rest of us try each day to figure what his value is in the grand scheme of the Minnesota Twins. Each game is a new episode for us. We either question his relevance or our eyes are opened to the skills he's capable of bringing to a winning ball club. He can be the good guy when he's throwing a runner out at home in the late innings of game 163 or the bad guy who runs through a stop sign at third base in the playoffs and is easily thrown out trying get back. Nick Punto is like many other people around us: Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? Fans are left with that question nightly with his up and down play. Nick Punto's role with the Minnesota Twins is far from over. In the future once his playing days are over he will move into management and work his way up through the organization making his mark at every level. His destiny lies as manager of the Twins. Who will be there when Joe Mauer's number is retired? Manager Punto. Who will be there when the Twins win the 2025 World Series? Manager Punto. Nick Punto can't stop fate, he will always be a Minnesota Twin. Fans can try and disrupt his timeline, but everyone's fate is irreversibly cast. Nick Punto will be a part of our lives for a very long time to come.

Best Twins Team of My Lifetime

The above title may not be an overstatement. We have watched a front office go from settling for free agents that had glaring imperfections to one that is putting nearly a $100 million payroll on the field for the 2010 season. I was born in 1973, began following the Minnesota Twins in 1984 and this is the best Twins team I have seen going into the season. Of course there was the championship teams of 1987 and 1991, but going into spring training expectations were tempered for those clubs. The 2010 version of the Minnesota Twins looks like a team that should capture the division, win a playoff series and maybe even do more. Expectations are high and they should be. When a batting order of Span, Hudson, Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, Cuddyer, Young, Hardy and Punto are ready to go most nights along with having Jim Thome able to pinch hit or start when needed you are looking at a team that should win 4 to 5 games a week. The rotation isn't top heavy with talent, but full of pitchers who will win 12-15 games and Liriano is lurking, teasing fans with reports of a return of his 2006 form. So it's easy to see why optimism is so high for fans and players of the team. As long as the injury bug stays away and multiple players don't choose to have down years the Minnesota Twins will win 93-95 games and hit 190-210 home runs. In addition, they will win the division, win the ALDS in five games and represent the American League in the World Series. Will they win the World Series? Luck needs to be on one's side for that to happen and luck is unpredictable. Let's just say the Minnesota Twins will go to the World Series and open Target Field in style with the best team they've put together since I've followed the team. Nothing more can be expected at this point.

No More Adventures In Leftfielding?

I was listening to AM 1500's broadcast of Twinsfest on Saturday and was struck by an interview that took place with Twins leftfielder Delmon Young. When the topic of if Young would miss the Metrodome was asked he was very clear that he never could see the ball against the roof and especially during day games. Young didn't just say one sentence, but was empathic in his dislike for the roof and how it caused him problems seeing the ball. Could moving outdoors transform Delmon Young from a very poor leftfielder to just a poor leftfielder? Was the Metrodome roof Delmon Young's kryptonite? All kidding aside the days of seeing him as an unwatchable force with a glove may be over. Look at these statistics regarding Delmon Young's fielding.

• In 2006 Young played 30 games/252 innings in right field. This is a small sample size, but his UZR/150 was 17.9. This is the runs above average he was rated per 150 games played. Delmon is seen as an above average outfielder in his first season.
• In 2007 Young played 133 games/1,134 innings in right field. With an appropriate sample size his defensive issues were shown, but only to a tune of 3.0 for his UZR/150. Delmon is rated a slightly above average outfielder here. Young also played 29 games/242.2 innings in centerfield. He must have been a disaster because he had a (shield the children's eyes)UZR/150 of -44.7! I'm assuming he was moved to right field after this and then traded to the Twins in the offseason.
• In 2008 the Twins moved Young to left field under the teflon sky of the Metrodome. He played 151 games/1,324 innings there. His UZR/150 plummeted to -14.9. Delmon can no longer be considered an average fielder, he's letting an additional 15 runs to score a year.
• In 2009 Young continues to play left field where he logs 98 games/806.2 innings. A severe cut in playing time, but the UZR/150 continues to go the wrong direction stopping at an eye averting -25.6! Unbelievably he let 25 runs score that shouldn't have.

It may be hard to conceive, but young Delmon has gone from a +3 runs above average outfielder to a -25.6 runs below average statue. Is it possible he can take baby steps and become a UZR/150 -10.0 outfielder by just moving outside to Target Field? I think he can, but if he can't it may be time to put his glove wherever the White Sox put Frank Thomas' glove years ago.