Position battles highlight Twins camp
Starting jobs and rotation spots up for grabs as Minnesota begins Spring Training
MINNEAPOLIS -- One of the more intriguing facets of every Spring Training is the competition for roster spots, and it'll be no different for the Twins this spring.
The main positional battles for the Twins will be at shortstop, center field and backup catcher, while there will also be competition for the fifth starter in the rotation and for spots in the bullpen.
Notably, Danny Santana and Eduardo Escobar will compete for the starting shortstop job, while Aaron Hicks and Jordan Schafer are set to battle for the starting center-fielder role. The Twins also have several options for their final spot in their rotation, including Tommy Milone, Mike Pelfrey, Alex Meyer, Trevor May and Tim Stauffer.
So while plenty still has to sort itself out this spring, here's a look at Minnesota's projected lineup, rotation and bullpen in the fifth part of MLB.com's Spring Training preview for the Twins:
2014 record
70-92, fifth in the American League Central
Projected batting order
1. SS Danny Santana:
.319 BA, .353 OBP, .472 SLG, 7 HR, 40 RBIs, 20 SBs in 2014
2. 2B Brian Dozier :
.242 BA, .345 OBP, .416 SLG, 23 HR, 55 RBIs, 23 SBs in 2014
3. 1B Joe Mauer :
.277 BA, .361 OBP, .371 SLG, 4 HR, 55 RBIs in 2014
4. DH Kennys Vargas :
.274 BA, .316 OBP, .456 SLG, 9 HR, 38 RBIs in 2014
5. RF Torii Hunter :
.286 BA, .319 OBP, .446 SLG, 17 HR, 83 RBIs in 2014
6. LF Oswaldo Arcia :
.231 BA, .300 OBP, .452 SLG, 20 HR, 57 RBIs in 2014
7. 3B Trevor Plouffe :
.258 BA, .328 OBP, .423 SLG, 14 HR, 80 RBIs in 2014
8. C Kurt Suzuki :
.288 BA, .345 OBP, .383 SLG, 3 HR, 61 RBIs in 2014
9. CF Aaron Hicks:
.216 BA, .341 OBP, .274 SLG, 1 HR, 18 RBIs in 2014
Projected rotation
1. Phil Hughes , 16-10, 3.52 ERA in 2014
2. Ervin Santana , 14-10, 3.95 ERA in 2014
3. Kyle Gibson , 13-12, 4.47 ERA in 2014
4. Ricky Nolasco , 6-12, 5.38 ERA in 2014
5. Tommy Milone, 6-4, 4.19 ERA in 2014
Projected bullpen
Closer: Glen Perkins , 34/41 saves, 3.65 ERA in 2014
RH setup man: Casey Fien , 3.98 ERA in 2014
LH setup man: Brian Duensing , 3.31 ERA in 2014