Twins vs Red Sox, 08-05-2012, 12:35pm

[notoriousgod71]

Nishioka. Well, this should be interesting.

Valencia= bad trade for this alone.

[SpiritofVodkaDave]

Gardy?

Blackburn was from Oklahoma as well.

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Nishioka. Well, this should be interesting.

I had a feeling he was going to get the call. His numbers have been pretty abysmal at AAA this year, but I guess the Twins should try to get some kind of return on their $15 million investment. Looks like Carroll is at third until Plouffe gets back.

[USAFChief]

How to tell, if you're Danny Valencia, that your former employer really, really didn't want you around any more: They'd prefer to play a light hitting 38 yr old at 3b, giving yet another opportunity to Alexi Casilla (who couldn't keep his second base job over said 38 yr old), and they'd prefer Nishioka on the 25 man.

[USAFChief]

Hell of a catch, Revere-zee.

[greengoblinrulz]

Ben can play some gold glove CF........but he's not allowed to because it'll 'devastate' the current CF

[stringer bell]

Somehow I don't think Denard catches that one. Hey, Ben got it to second on one hop!

[jokin]

I had a feeling he was going to get the call. His numbers have been pretty abysmal at AAA this year, but I guess the Twins should try to get some kind of return on their $15 million investment. Looks like Carroll is at third until Plouffe gets back.

I had the opposite feeling. My son asked me to guess who just got called up and Nishi was the last possible name I could come up with, and even then I was aghast when told it had happened. Nishi's sunk cost is entirely unsalvageable unless they can get a buyout deal/coupled with a return to Japan.

[stringer bell]

How to tell, if you're Danny Valencia, that your former employer really, really didn't want you around any more: They'd prefer to play a light hitting 38 yr old at 3b, giving yet another opportunity to Alexi Casilla (who couldn't keep his second base job over said 38 yr old), and they'd prefer Nishioka on the 25 man.

Well, I don't know if they really prefer Nishi on the roster to Danny V, but they got some return for him, so there's that. It will be interesting to see what happens when Plouffe comes off the DL. They could send Nishi back, they could DFA Casilla, they could send a pitcher to Rochester. In the big picture, it doesn't matter much, but the Twins have to decide who to cut ties with, who to showcase, and who to give chances to. Of course, there could be more waiver deals to clear more 40-man space.

[stringer bell]

Ben can play some gold glove CF........but he's not allowed to because it'll 'devastate' the current CF

It certainly isn't imminent, but I've said for awhile that the Twins should move Span. Putting Revere in center is one reason, getting an extra base bat in a corner OF position is another, and the fact that their best prospects in the high minors are OFs all figure to be reasons to move Denard, probably in the offseason.

[J-Dog Dungan]

Honestly, I don't have a problem with the Valencia deal. He hasn't been performing for the Twins, and any chance to get rid of a headcase like him I will take, especially if we can get a return like we did. Yes, the guy is a 21-year old OF in a league that usually only holds 18-20 year olds, but he was signed late in 2011 and has been raking so far in the GCL. Now, we will see if his stuff translates to the higher minors. By the way, unless his bat comes along with him, his ceiling appears to be a Mastro-type player.

The problem I have right now is that the Twins aren't scoring any runs today, and they are giving up too many. Blackie should be taken out of the rotation, but I don't think the Twins have anyone to replace him.

[stringer bell]

It took roughly a week for Valencia to play himself out of the lineup again.

It took roughly a week for Valencia to play himself out of the organization.

[stringer bell]

It's really apparent that teams don't respect Mauer behind the plate anymore.

I would attribute almost all of the stolen bases to the pitchers. However, I don't see the snap on Mauer's throws that I saw through 2010 (he hardly caught last year).

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

I had the opposite feeling. My son asked me to guess who just got called up and Nishi was the last possible name I could come up with, and even then I was aghast when told it had happened. Nishi's sunk cost is entirely unsalvageable unless they can get a buyout deal/coupled with a return to Japan.

Yeah, it's not the move I would've made....I just figured the Twins were probably going to try to get him back up here at some point. I agree with you about trying to buy out his contract though....the Twins need to do everything they can to make that happen.

[Scheherezade]

Ben's limp noodle arm gunned a doubled play from the warning track. 19 game hitting streak. Soon to be near the top of the AL batting title.

Where are your tears now?

[JB_Iowa]

Yeah, it's not the move I would've made....I just figured the Twins were probably going to try to get him back up here at some point. I agree with you about trying to buy out his contract though....the Twins need to do everything they can to make that happen.

Didn't Nishioka have a bit of a "hot streak" at some point recently? I seem to recall some tweets and Dick/Bert talking about some good hitting games. May have just been very temporary.

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Didn't Nishioka have a bit of a "hot streak" at some point recently? I seem to recall some tweets and Dick/Bert talking about some good hitting games. May have just been very temporary.

I think it was more of a lukewarm streak.

[stringer bell]

Well, that put a little fear in the Sox. The two runs allowed by the end of the bullpen guys ended up deciding the game. Also, the Twins had a runner on second with zero outs three times and once with one out (the Mastro pickoff) and only got him home once.

[SpiritofVodkaDave]

Ben's limp noodle arm gunned a doubled play from the warning track. 19 game hitting streak. Soon to be near the top of the AL batting title.

Where are your tears now?

He still has an awful arm. I like the rest of his game though.

[ashburyjohn]

By the way, unless his bat comes along with him, his ceiling appears to be a Mastro-type player.

The problem with such a ceiling is such players are readily available on the waiver wire or as minimum wage free-agents in the offseason. Outfielders lacking power, infielders with a glove but no stick, pitchers possessing only one above-average pitch - unless something else about them stands out, a trade for them is kind of pointless. I hope the Twins see a higher ceiling in Pineda than that.