Entering the offseason Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were
tasked with finding infield help. They needed to replace the retired Joe Mauer,
and the flipped Brian Dozier. Internal options put pretty much any infield
position as an acquirable target, but in the end, second base and first base
were the routes traveled. Now with Jonathan Schoop joining C.J. Cron, Minnesota
has filled both needs, but there’s plenty to question here.
Schoop was acquired by the Brewers during the 2018 season.
The intention in Milwaukee was to keep the 2017 All-Star around for the 2019
season. With a year of team control left, his arbitration contract was almost
certain to be tendered. Unfortunately for Schoop, he owned just a .577 OPS in
46 games with the Crew and find himself out on the free agent market.
After making $8.5 million in 2018, the Twins getting a
bounce-back candidate in his age-27 season at a paltry figure of $7.5 million,
it’s hard to be disappointed. When viewing Schoop through a vacuum we can see a
power hitting middle infielder that’s just a year removed from an .841 slugging
percentage. He plays better defense than the Twins have employed at the
position in some time, and the market itself wasn’t rich with ideal options.
It’s when you look at the fit with the Twins specifically
that Schoop becomes a bit more of an odd fit.
Gone from the 2018 team are the likes of Dozier, Mauer, and
Robbie Grossman. That trio was a mainstay in Paul Molitor’s lineup, and even
with the down year from Dozier, the group provided an ability to get on base.
Looking at the projected starters for Rocco Baldelli, the best OBP mark over
the past two seasons comes from Eddie Rosario (.326). Given that the front
office wound up with both Cron (.316 OBP 2017/18) and Schoop (.307 OBP) it’s
worth considering that there may be a shift for power as opposed to plate
discipline and on-base skills.
There’s an argument to be made that slugging percentage can
begin tipping the scales away from OBP, but you’d like to have some sort of
marriage throughout the lineup. Being too heavy on one side of the spectrum
seemingly would lead to a feast or famine type of offensive output. Certainly,
a rebounding Miguel Sano (.352 OBP in 2017, .385 OBP in 2015) would help
matters. A designated hitter that can marry on-base skills and slugging prowess
could also be an avenue of opportunity.
At the end of the days, Minnesota got one of the better
second basemen on the market. Schoop has plenty more to like than players like
Daniel Murphy or Jed Lowrie when considering all factors. At his best though,
he’s a downgrade from even 2017 Brian Dozier (who wasn’t and shouldn’t have
been considered by Minnesota), and the skillset that the Mississippi native
used display in Twins Territory. If this is going to work swimmingly, Schoop
needs to make 2018 a mirage and see the rest of the lineup help to hide his
deficiency.
I’d bet the Twins are done with offensive additions unless a
designated hitter falls into their lap, and now it will be up to the ability of
the front office to raise the water level of the rotation and bullpen. Cleveland
willingly taking steps backwards for 2019 helps this organization, and although
the club doesn’t appear to be kicking the door in, beginning to pry it open
would be a nice sign of things to come.
