Ryan Doumit signed a one year contract for $3 million with the Minnesota Twins yesterday. This gives Joe Mauer a fairly expensive back up for the 2012 season.
Mauer, who will be 29 this year, is coming off another injury plagued season in which he played in only 82 games. He hit .287 with 3 homers and 30 runs batted in.
The one problem is that while Doumit can hit well, he really has no position. He is iffy at catcher and first base and is best suited to DH full time. Plus Doumit has spent plenty of time on the disabled list himself.
He has played many positions during his major league career: the outfield, first base and catcher. He really isn’t that good at any of them. I do not see how this is a good signing for the Twins as his defense will likely cost them more runs than he drives in.
Offensively, it provides the Twins with another bat, he is a career .271 hitter in 611 games, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He really only has two full seasons with over 100 games and 400 plate appearance, in his seven year career. He’s clubbed 67 homers, with 15 being his career high in 2008.
Doumit was the second round pick of the Pirates in the 1999 draft out of Moses Lake high school in Washington.