Six different Twins players have started a game batting in the No. 4 spot this season. One of them was a minor league free agent (Jason Kubel). Four of them have spent time in the minors this season (Chris Parmelee, Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Colabello and Josh Willingham ... though Willingham's was a rehab stint). The other was a free agent pickup (Kurt Suzuki) who ideally would hit second, sixth or seventh.
Collectively, they are batting .191 with a .568 OPS in that cleanup spot.
That's the worst mark of any spot in the Twins' order, and that's just sad.
Even when the Twins have faltered in recent years, they've had decent work in the No. 4 spot. Justin Morneau was at least decent in that role last year. Willingham locked it down in 2012. Michael Cuddyer was effective in that spot for a lot of 2011.
Nobody has laid claim to that spot for the long haul this year, though. Who among the ones the Twins have already tried -- or among anyone on the roster, for that matter -- would you imagine has a chance to emerge as a reliable cleanup hitter?
