Roster Moves coming...

[Jeremy Nygaard]

I think before the weekend it looked like an easy choice to send Florimon and Polanco down when Nunez and Plouffe were ready to return.

 

But now that it's Monday and those guys are eligible to return, there still hasn't been any moves announced. It sounds like Polanco and Florimon both took the flight with the team to the Cities.

 

So what happens today?

 

My guess: Florimon is optioned pre-game and Plouffe is activated. After tonight's game, Pino is optioned and Nunez is activated. That's going to leave a rotation spot for Saturday, and I'm taking Darnell to make that start, with Polanco going to New Britain after Friday's game.

 

What's your take?

[Gernzy]

Florimon is gone no matter what, but I know Gardy had wanted to drop a pitcher for awhile now. Maybe Burton?

[rikker49]

Kris Johnson deserves a start....Florimon needs to be released. Burton might be the odd man out of a 13 man pitching staff

[Squirrel]

I think before the weekend it looked like an easy choice to send Florimon and Polanco down when Nunez and Plouffe were ready to return.

 

But now that it's Monday and those guys are eligible to return, there still hasn't been any moves announced. It sounds like Polanco and Florimon both took the flight with the team to the Cities.

 

So what happens today?

 

My guess: Florimon is optioned pre-game and Plouffe is activated. After tonight's game, Pino is optioned and Nunez is activated. That's going to leave a rotation spot for Saturday, and I'm taking Darnell to make that start, with Polanco going to New Britain after Friday's game.

 

What's your take?

 

I like your guess. I've been making comments about keeping Polanco just a bit longer, and this accomplishes that very well. This is what I want to have happen. Whether or not it will ...

[Mike Sixel]

Big fan of your plan, Jeremy.

[Steven Buhr]

So what happens today?

 

My guess: Florimon is optioned pre-game and Plouffe is activated. After tonight's game, Pino is optioned and Nunez is activated. That's going to leave a rotation spot for Saturday, and I'm taking Darnell to make that start, with Polanco going to New Britain after Friday's game.

 

What's your take?

 

Makes sense and would give Polanco at least one more start at SS. By the end of the week, he'll probably have shown himself in need of a bit more seasoning in the minors. But it would sure be cool if, instead, he kept taking advantage of his opportunity and made that decision even more difficult for the FO.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

What does it say about the organizations' Middle Infield depth that keeping a player from Single A in the majors is an enticing option?

I think Polanco has been great in this tiny sample, but he probably isn't ready to be on the Major league roster for an extended look.

 

Florimon is a great defensive guy, no one will argue that, but his hitting is detrimental to the big league club. It doesn't seem likely that he will ever be a competent hitter at the ML level, the Twins would be better off having someone else take his place on the 25 Man (and probably the 40 Man as well).

 

Plenty of deserving starting pitching candidates to choose from in AAA if tonight is Pino's last start.

I think the original post scenario makes sense: to play the healthier of Plouffe/Nuñez tonight, sending Florimon down, and then making the decision on Pino/Polanco after the game. Having Plouffe/Nuñez is better than Florimon/Polanco, I think that ultimately has to be the trade off.

 

It would be interesting if Polanco gets a promotion to AA out of this, but my guess is that he'll be heading back to Ft. Myers to work with same coaches he's been working with so far this year.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Who said Polanco stays to play SS?

 

According to a fly on the wall, this is happening in Minneapolis right now:

 

Gardy: Can the kid play center?

All: No, he's never played center.

Gardy. Ok, but can he?

All: No, Gardy. He can't.

<Gardy grabs lineup card. Polanco batting leadoff and playing CF.>

[iTwins]

...Polanco going to New Britain after Friday's game.

 

 

I've speculated about this part. Polanco had been playing well enough to warrant a promotion prior to making the jump to the big league club - I wonder if the Twins will use the option as a way to "promote" Polanco to the next level? He's a bit rough around the edges (as to be expected) but the kid has proven he has talent.

[Steven Buhr]

I don't think it says all that much about the organization's middle infield depth. Depth isn't the problem there.

 

Beresford, Farris and Bernier all would be perfectly capable short term middle infield depth for the Twins and, in a perfect world, any of them would have been called upon to fill in for a week rather than calling up Polanco from Class A.

 

But those three guys aren't on the 40-man roster and Polanco is.

 

It's also not a matter of the Twins not having enough MIs on their 40-man. They have 7 of them, so it wasn't unreasonable to assume they could get by with 6 and not have to call on Polanco. But when 2 go on the DL (Nunez and Santana) the same time one of their 3Bs does (Plouffe), things got dicey.

 

Then, of course, the real kicker is that Florimon has been SO bad with the bat that he's essentially unplayable.

 

Again, I don't think it's depth that's the problem. It's just ill-timed injuries and one guy having a reallllllly bad year.

 

The problem is that Florimon has been SO bad with the bat.

[kdrupp09]

I think until it shows clearly that Polanco needs to go back down, keep him up. This experience is absolutely huge for him! Let him continue to gain experience until it is absolutely clear he needs to go back down. If nothing else, he provides a nice spark for late in the game.

[JB_Iowa]

Well, Pino's wife and daughters are apparently going to be in the TC for tonight's start.

 

But Polanco's mom didn't make it to TX so keeping him up a few more days might allow for her to be in MSP.

 

So I say go for Jeremy's plan. But what if Pino is light's out tonight???

[Steven Buhr]

Who said Polanco stays to play SS?

 

According to a fly on the wall, this is happening in Minneapolis right now:

 

Gardy: Can the kid play center?

All: No, he's never played center.

Gardy. Ok, but can he?

All: No, Gardy. He can't.

<Gardy grabs lineup card. Polanco batting leadoff and playing CF.>

 

If the alternative is Parms in CF, I might come down on Gardy's side in this debate.

 

As for where Polanco is assigned, did anyone replace Nate Hanson in NB when he moved up to Rochester?

 

Seems like maybe Polanco's assignment may be driven by what they do with Florimon. If he's sent down, Polanco probably returns to FtM. If Florimon is cut loose and Hanson stays in Rochester, maybe there's a spot for Polanco in NB?

[kdrupp09]

If the alternative is Parms in CF, I might come down on Gardy's side in this debate.

 

As for where Polanco is assigned, did anyone replace Nate Hanson in NB when he moved up to Rochester?

 

Seems like maybe Polanco's assignment may be driven by what they do with Florimon. If he's sent down, Polanco probably returns to FtM. If Florimon is cut loose and Hanson stays in Rochester, maybe there's a spot for Polanco in NB?

 

Hopefully they do cut Florimon loose, then when it is time send Polanco to NB. Does this debut potentially earn Polanco a September call-up now too?

[jokin]

Who said Polanco stays to play SS?

 

According to a fly on the wall, this is happening in Minneapolis right now:

 

Gardy: Can the kid play center?

All: No, he's never played center.

Gardy. Ok, but can he?

All: No, Gardy. He can't.

<Gardy grabs lineup card. Polanco batting leadoff and playing CF.>

 

If the alternative is Parms in CF, I might come down on Gardy's side in this debate.

 

 

Heh-heh. Closer to the truth than we all think. Polanco actually played OF in 2011 in GCL Rookie Ball (one game in CF- that qualifies as "Experienced OF" on a Twins resume these days ). He is up here for Santana, who is out until at least July 10, so if he's staying past tonight, he'd have to be able to play some in CF. (That is unless Gardy is serious about his statement yesterday about his other "experienced" CF, Parmelee, possibly getting more time in CF).

[Kwak]

Random outbursts: Middle infield depth? 19 pitchers on the 40-man roster hugely impacts "depth issues" for the position-players. Assembling a 40-man roster laden with "veterans" in the minor leagues is a burden. It sounds as if the Pino "promotion" was never to be anything more than temporary. I hope the FO sends him a card about "Minnesota Nice" (knowing you). True, Polanco was in Class A, but his previous years performances warranted a higher level of play. Same for Santana--he should have either started the season with the Twins or have been promoted shortly after the start--but... .

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I think what it does say, ultimately, is that Polanco is good enough to be playing above single A. If the minor league scouts and coaches didn't think he could handle it, they would not have advised Terry Ryan to call him up - instead Ryan would have been encouraged to make a 40-man move of some kind (which he really didn't want to do).

I agree that the injuries and the circumstances of the 40-man made Polanco a more likely choice than any of the AAA guys.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

There's not a SS on New Britain's roster, so Polanco could play there. I don't think Florimon is released. Didn't TR just say something along the lines of not giving up on both Florimon and Hicks?

[Mike Sixel]

I agree, it is a huge issue to fill a bad team with old, bad players, out of options. It isn't depth if you are afraid to use it.

[kdrupp09]

There's not a SS on New Britain's roster, so Polanco could play there. I don't think Florimon is released. Didn't TR just say something along the lines of not giving up on both Florimon and Hicks?

 

Then I think that the Twins should give up on Florimon, Hicks at least has the potential to be successful in the MLB, Florimon has failed to demonstrate he can even be a useful utility guy.

[Mike Sixel]

If they would just DFA Floriman, and add another MI to the 40 man, they'd have the ability to send that player up and down.....I'd think. Right now, they seem paralyzed with fear of losing one of the worst players in MLB (which I find funny, in an odd way). When people say it doesn't matter who is on the 40 man.....this is the kind of thing that makes it matter, roster flexibility. They don't have that enough right now. Too many guys w/o a real future on the 40 man, and too many RP and MI without options available to be sent up and down. I hope that this problem begins to fix itself soon, once they realize they are out of it this year and start dealing/cutting guys in the last year of their deals. (not holding my breath on that.....)

[beckmt]

I believe Florimon is gone. Hope Polanco gets sent to New Britian as he deserves this promotion. You handle the rest internally, do not worry about organizational filler.

[kdrupp09]

Polanco clearly showed that he deserves the promotion when he goes back down he should be in NB. Has Rosario been playing 2nd base? If so it would be good to get him and Polanco playing together to develop as a double play combo.

[stringer bell]

Polanco has been promising but proven nothing IMHO. His full body of work is more telling than a handful of major league at-bats.

[DuluthFan]

Didn't Polanco NOT cover 2nd base on a routine play? Doesn't that show he needs to work on the basics of shortstop defense? He needs more instruction and time in the minors. The major league roster is NOT the place for learning basic defense. He may certainly have a future with the major league club, but the future is not now.

[Riverbrian]

I'm not sure about the order but Florimon needs to go down for performance reasons and Polanco needs to go down for development reasons.

 

When Plouffe comes off... Whoever stays up until Nunez is back... will be insurance and not starting. So it doesn't matter to me who goes down first. We are talking about a short stay.

 

CF continues to be a problem area. If Polanco could play there in a pinch... I think today we should send down Mr. Florimon first.

 

But eventually they should both go down. Polanco in NB makes sense to me.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Big fan of your plan, Jeremy.

Me too, there are relief pitchers Id like to see gone more, but it's not realistic to think the Twins will DFA anyone. Frankly, the just don't do it. Pino has been a fine stop gap, but hasn't made the case that he's a better alternative to Darnell. Maybe Polanco makes case this week to be the starting short stop... Wouldn't that be a great problem to have?

[tobi0040]

Kris Johnson deserves a start....Florimon needs to be released. Burton might be the odd man out of a 13 man pitching staff

 

I was hoping for a little context to the Johnson piece. Are you factoring age or wait into that? Outside of ERA, the k's, FIP, BB, and WHIP favor May.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I'm not sure about the order but Florimon needs to go down for performance reasons and Polanco needs to go down for development reasons.

 

When Plouffe comes off... Whoever stays up until Nunez is back... will be insurance and not starting. So it doesn't matter to me who goes down first. We are talking about a short stay.

 

CF continues to be a problem area. If Polanco could play there in a pinch... I think today we should send down Mr. Florimon first.

 

But eventually they should both go down. Polanco in NB makes sense to me.

If Polanco is going to sit the bench, then agreed, he needs to play and a promo to AA seems in order.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I was hoping for a little context to the Johnson piece. Are you factoring age or wait into that? Outside of ERA, the k's, FIP, BB, and WHIP favor May.

May is on the DL