Brandon Inge

[nicksaviking]

If Inge comes at the expense of Burroughs, who cares? Neither brings much to the plate but Inge can back up 2B as well as let the second catcher come into a late game situation to pinch hit. There is never any reason for the 3rd catcher ever to play unless an unlikely injury happens to starting catcher and the 2nd is the DH or already pinch hit. The scenario is so unlikely it should make a 3rd catcher irrelevant anyway put Inge can at least give some peace of mind.

 

Like I said swap him in for Burroughs, sure, both are has-beens who likely have nothing to contribute what's the big deal? I wouldn't send Valencia down to do it though. If everyone is tired of him, just wait until his bat heats up a little and start shopping him. Young controlable thirdbaseman always have some value. He wont be cold forever, it's baseball, guys get streaky.

 

A platoon of Burroughs and Inge would be asinine though. If taking Valencia out of the equation is the master plan, why not move Carroll over to 3B and call up Dozier? We're rebuilding, not restocking with decrepit vets, no organization needs Burroughs and Inge, let alone a young one.

[Mike Sixel]

MILLIONS of dollars that could be spent on something else, or inge, who doesn't help them make the playoffs? I don't understand, can anyone explain this to me?

[LimestoneBaggy]

MILLIONS of dollars

There's been a couple of posts about paying him millions? Unless I'm missing something (and I certainly could be), Detroit would be on the hook for his salary, and unless we agreed to more, we could pay him major league minimum or a minor league contract (if he would accept it) and bolster the Wings. If we can pay him minimum, I take him. Otherwise, it's a pass.

[Mike Sixel]

I thought if you claimed a guy, you took his contract.....or did he pass through waivers? In which case, I could care less if it is him or Burrhoughs....If I'm all messed up on this, I apologize...

[TwinVike61]

MILLIONS of dollars that could be spent on something else, or inge, who doesn't help them make the playoffs? I don't understand, can anyone explain this to me?

I thought I read that Detroit will still be on the hook for his $5M salary this year but I'm not sure.

[StormJH1]

This is a pretty funny thread. Inge is not a back-up option at Catcher. He hasn't been behind the plate since 2008, and probably lost his job with the Tigers in part because he wasn't able to be an option there. They had been trying him at 2B, and while his defense is above average (pretty good, actually), his bat is not. I think Dave Dombroski is trolling the Twins. Inge is much worse statistically compared to the existing 3B options on the Twins' Roster. As much as people want to hate on Valencia, Inge is not an improvement. At this point in his career, he's a light hitting Adam Everett.

 

EDITED to add - of course, as soon as I say all that, I read that a "Twins' Source is saying that pursuit of Inge will begin in earnest today."

Thank you. Inge is a catcher the same way Doumit is a catcher, except that Doumit has played more in the last few years. This argument that we need 5 different bench guys who are emergency catchers is kind of like saying the Vikings should make sure their next free agent WR was also a quarterback in high school (Willingham has 15 MLB games as a catcher, btw!).

 

Inge is basically Drew Butera-bad at the plate right now. Yes, his 3B defense is good, but he's 35 years old. You don't solve the Valencia problem with more washed up utility players...I'd even rather see Burroughs every day than this.

 

The Comerica Park dumpster diving comment above was funny, but it actually has gone both ways. They got Delmon, Jacque Jones (indirectly) and Adam Everett from us, and we've had Craig Monroe, Oliveros, maybe Inge, and probably countless others I'm forgetting.

 

Even as he sucked in Detroit, he still had his following:

 

[video=youtube;HSJhqugGprU]http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSJhqugGprU

[spideyo]

I thought I read that Detroit will still be on the hook for his $5M salary this year but I'm not sure.

Whoever Inge signed with would only be responsible for a pro-rated portion of the Major League Minimum ($414,000). How big that portion is would depend on exactly when they signed him. All the other guaranteed money in his contract would be Detroit's responsibility.

 

So let's recap a few of our options:

Inge replaces Valencia - stupid, bad idea.

 

Inge replaces Burroughs - More position flexibility, offensively it's incredibly hard to predict at this point but probably about an even swap

 

Inge takes the spot Hughes had - He basically would fill the same role Hughes had, backing up multiple positions and adding a right handed bat to the bench, just a decade older and wiser. This would probably mean we send either Revere or Plouffe down to AAA to refine their game. Probably not worth it.

 

Inge agrees to go to Rochester - Incredibly unlikely, but if we could pull it off would be a pretty damn good deal. He may be in an inevitable free-fall to retirement, but he has had a pretty good career, and could be a very good mentor for some of our young guys, especially guys like Plouffe who are asked to switch positions. It also would definitely put pressure on Valencia and Burroughs if they knew Inge was just below them in AAA waiting for another shot at the bigs.

[powrwrap]

Inge or Valencia?

Valencia or Inge?

Inge or Valencia?

Valencia or Inge?

Inge or Valencia?

Valencia or Inge?

 

[brain goes into recurrent loop contemplating the choice, self destructs...]

[woolhouse]

If we sign Inge, can we get him a size-bigger-than-he-wears-now jersey so he can improv his .OPS with some timely HBPs?

[Boom Boom]

Inge is a pretty good fielder with a terrible bat. Gardy's favorite kind of player.

[ltwedt]

Inge = better than Valencia in so many ways -- better hitter, better defensively, better in the clubhouse, better tats, better, better, better - pull the trigger on this now and get Danny-boy outa here!

[StormJH1]

Inge = better than Valencia in so many ways -- better hitter, better defensively, better in the clubhouse, better tats, better, better, better - pull the trigger on this now and get Danny-boy outa here!

Respectfully disagree. Especially on the hitting part. I'm not sure if you have a specific version of Inge in mind from year's past, but you realize that Inge was so bad last year, that he didn't crack the Mendoza line in half a season? That he couldn't beat out guys like Ryan Raburn and a number of other dudes who weren't even real 3rd basemen? That they traded for Wilson Betemit (then dumped him after the season) specifically so they wouldn't HAVE to give Inge time at 3B? Inge has had a little bit of power, at times. He's never been able to hit for any acceptable level of contact. He's kind of like a nightmare version of J.J. Hardy's game, for those unfamiliar.

 

Fans here don't like Valencia because he's different, and probably sort of an ass, plain and simple. So what? For all the problems with WAR (Wins Above Replacement) as a statistic, at least it doesn't try to figure in "clubhouse presence" into how many wins a player is worth.

[PopRiveter]

Spideyo nailed it. Personally, the thought of Inge taking starts from anyone one the current roster makes me throw up in my mouth a little. His career line .234/.304/.387 is bad enough, but it has been in decline.

In 2011, it was .197/.265/.283.

By comparison, Valencia's line was .246/.294/.383

If Valencia is on the bubble after his 2011 and poor 2012 start, Inge clearly isn't an MLB caliber player anymore.

[powrwrap]

Inge = better than Valencia in so many ways -- better hitter, better defensively,

Not sure about better hitter. Inge's career line: .234/.304/.387; Valencia's is .265/.308/.400. Inge's strikeout rate is 26%; Valencia is about 18%. It would seem that Valencia sees the ball better.

 

I'm not sure how you would prove he's a better fielder. They look pretty similar.

[Thrylos]

Just heard Gardenhire on the radio saying that "he always liked Inge", "he wants him on the team", "he is a gamer", "he can hit, he can catch"...

 

God Save the Queen

[Riverbrian]

Inge could only be signed for backup duty. Burroughs would be shown the door. That is the only way it makes sense.

 

Inge as a starter, everyday type. No Way...

 

As a backup his multi positional value is what makes him interesting... Emergency Catcher... to help calm "the Fear" 3B, 2B and 1B. As a Backup... More value then Burroughs.

[scottz]

Just kick me in the balls already and scrape me off the ground when the season is over. What a farce to, boy oh boy, get Brandon Freaking Inge on the squad. Boy that'll learn that Valencia to be so smug, won't it?

 

For anyone who doesn't understand people, when you try to motivate someone like Valencia (if we can agree he is flamboyant and at least a little arrogant) by showing them someone not clearly better and saying "that guy is going to take your job", you will get no improvement. A guy like Valencia will see the lesser player (currently Burroughs, now perhaps Inge), and know that if you actually go ahead and replace him, you are shooting yourself in the foot, and he'll shake his head at how stupid you are for doing it. He certainly isn't going to bear down.

 

Anyway, once we sign Inge, just track me down and tell me it is time, then make it a good square shot to the boys as hard as you can. I'll be the guy in the fetal position.

[powrwrap]

Just kick me in the balls already and scrape me off the ground when the season is over. What a farce to, boy oh boy, get Brandon Freaking Inge on the squad. Boy that'll learn that Valencia to be so smug, won't it?

 

Anyway, once we sign Inge, just track me down and tell me it is time, then make it a good square shot to the boys as hard as you can. I'll be the guy in the fetal position.

I hear ya. If the Twins sign Inge it will be as if they planted a giant flag in the ground marked "Yes, We've Sunk This Low."

[Mike Sixel]

Inge is terrible. I don't get how this helps, this year, or the future. Gardy's quotes remind me of why I don't believe in him and the FO right now. I hope I'm wrong. I can't wait to read Seth or Bonnes' take on this....

[woolhouse]

It makes perfect sense, mathematically. The team you're trying to catch in the standings drops players for underperforming. If you pick them up and have them start, you're going to be at their level in no-time.

[woolhouse]

Wait... I think my calculator is broken...

[Riverbrian]

Wait... I think my calculator is broken...

Nice Post... Made me Laugh...

[Seth Stohs]

It has now been confirmed that Inge will be signed by the A's. Great news for the Twins. Inge served zero purpose here. Bad news (in all likelihood) for Luke Hughes.

[darin617]

It has now been confirmed that Inge will be signed by the A's. Great news for the Twins. Inge served zero purpose here. Bad news (in all likelihood) for Luke Hughes.

Any chance when Hughes is placed on waivers the Twins reclaim him and try to send him to Rochester?

[glunn]

Valencia had a good game today -- 3 for 4 and 2 RBI. Maybe he can build on that.

[ashbury]

Any chance when Hughes is placed on waivers the Twins reclaim him and try to send him to Rochester?

Can Oakland claim him when he's sent down?

[spideyo]

If you claim someone on waivers, don't you have to immediately put them on the 25 man?

[Seth Stohs]

If you claim someone on waivers, don't you have to immediately put them on the 25 man?

Or immediately put him on waivers.

[twinsnorth49]

Valencia had a good game today -- 3 for 4 and 2 RBI. Maybe he can build on that.

Has been solid in the field of late as well, which is very encouraging, other than that slightly goofy throw to 1st he played well, nice around the horn 5-4-3 double play he started. I'm reservedly excited.

[Riverbrian]

Has been solid in the field of late as well, which is very encouraging, other than that slightly goofy throw to 1st he played well, nice around the horn 5-4-3 double play he started. I'm reservedly excited.

No complaints from me. He's been taking his focusing meds.