Article: Salt River Rafters Claim AFL Title Behind Bat of Eddie Rosario

[stringer bell]

Two STs in a row, Aaron Hicks was All-World against  ST pitching, and we know how quickly he was exposed... and the Twins fell for that ST mirage, twice.  Rosario hasn't come close to accomplishing at AA what Hicks did three seasons ago.

I agree that it is a long shot for Rosario to make the team and further, it is probably best to go with veterans or at least have veterans available to play. I want to make the point that Rosario isn't Aaron Hicks. I also would point out that in 2014, Rob Antony said (paraphrasing) that Hicks hadn't done anything to win a spot with about two weeks before they broke camp. I would dispute the "All-World" description to both 2013 and especially 2014. The Twins thought they saw a foundation and maturity that wasn't there when the games started counting. Just because Hicks failed and then disappointed in two chances to claim a job doesn't mean that Rosario will follow the same script. As I said before, the Twins may have learned it is prudent to have a decent Plan B for a 23 year old rookie who hasn't played above AA. Hicks also had the legacy of Kirby, Torii and Denard weighing on him, as well as being the only African American on the team (I don't know if that effected him or not).

 

The last thing I want to see is having a position handed to Rosario or Hicks. I think that Hicks absolutely has to go to AAA and master that level. I would be less averse to giving Rosario a chance on the team despite his poor season last year because he hasn't failed twice at the highest level.

[kab21]

Regardless of his nice AFL it would be a mistake for the Twins to enter the season with Rosario as plan A anywhere.  There are basically no good stopgap CF options (Rasmus is going to get paid) and I hope the Twins find a solid LF'er.  That leaves CF (stop gap), Arcia struggling or injuries as paths to Rosario being a starter if he deserves it.  He won't be blocked for long and if he is blocked by good players then things are looking up for the Twins.

 

But they better not enter the season with no plan B in LF, a shaky CF'er and a boom or bust Arcia in RF.  Things can get really ugly quickly with this plan.

[Mike Sixel]

thoughts from Fangraphs' scouts on Rosario:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/standout-prospects-from-the-afl-title-game/

 

Not glowing....but not bad....

[ashbury]

Excessively Noisy Hands for someone not going well = Timing Mechanism when the hits are coming.

 

But a pretty unflattering scouting report for someone in the top ten of your system.

[Mike Sixel]

Here is what KLAW said about him today:

 

JG (MN)

Any rise in Eddie Rosario's stock after the AFL? Better chance he plays in MN or gets traded?
Klaw  (1:21 PM)

No rise - hard for a player to really change his stock in the AFL unless he was hurt beforehand (e.g., Tyrell Jenkins, who looked as good as ever and is clearly healthy again). I think he gets traded because of their CF logjam. Can really hit and run.

[jokin]

Here is what KLAW said about him today:

 

JG (MN)

Any rise in Eddie Rosario's stock after the AFL? Better chance he plays in MN or gets traded?

Klaw  (1:21 PM)

No rise - hard for a player to really change his stock in the AFL unless he was hurt beforehand (e.g., Tyrell Jenkins, who looked as good as ever and is clearly healthy again).                             

 

I think he gets traded because of their CF logjam. Can really hit and run.

 

Wait, what?  I must have missed when that "CF logjam" gummed up the works around here- didn't we just set a modern record for most games played by non-CF in CF in a single season?

Edited November 20, 2014 by jokin

[Mike Sixel]

I was a bit surprised by that......but if he thinks Eddie is a year away, and Byron is a year away, then there is a logjam (just not at the MLB level, unfortunately).

[Steve Lein]

Yeah, I think he'd be talking about Buxton as the "logjam" at this point. 

 

But, don't be fooled, Rosario could handle CF, but I wouldn't want him there every day on an MLB team as the fangraph's scouting report echoes.  If he and Hicks are on the roster, it's Hicks in CF without a doubt.

 

I don't think they're giving him enough credit with his bat, though.  Even if they're citing examples of what they see as flaws.