Detroit Tigers: Is Jose Iglesias a good fit for the Twins?

The Twins current depth chart

Jorge Polanco sat atop the Twins depth chart at shortstop before his suspension. However, the Twins have a collection of internal options to replace him. Chief among them is veteran utility infielder Eduardo Escobar.

Escobar, 29, has seen over 350 at-bats in each of the last four seasons as Minnesota’s go to utility player. He has primarily played shortstop and third base, although he does have experience at second base and in the outfield as well.

Presently, Escobar is expected to step into Polanco’s role. That leaves the Twins without their top utility man. The team will likely have either veteran Ehire Adrianza or Erick Aybar fill that role, with each having experience at multiple infield positions.

Iggy’s Fit

However, adding Iglesias would allow the team to keep Escobar in his super-utility role, while giving the team a superior defensive shortstop. Polanco is a below average defender, and while Escobar is solid, he provides more value as a utility player.

The Twins could theoretically trade for Iglesias and plop him into the starting shortstop position for the first half of the year. That keeps Escobar in his super utility role, with Adrianza either in the minor leagues or in another bench role. When Polanco is eligible to return, the Twins could flip Iglesias at the trade deadline, and potentially recoup some of the prospect capital that they lost from acquiring Iggy in the first place.

It’s a win-win for a team that is trying to contend in the highly competitive American League. While Iggy is certainly not an elite shortstop option, he would be an upgrade over Escobar and should keep the Twins afloat for a half season while they wait for Polanco’s return.