Vargas shut down as PR Winter League final series begins... Bigger plans for him in Minnesota?

[jokin]

 http://cache3.asset-cache.net/gc/467058927-kenny-vargas-of-puerto-ricos-indios-de-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QcXS4bqA%2FHUk7XPj4GojC3bWGg%2B8a46qq300tPB%2FiRGb

 

 

Kennys Vargas drove in the dramatic game-tying run in the bottom of the 9th inning on Saturday- a do-or-die game for Mayaguez, which was ultimately won by Vargas's Mayaguez team in extra innings.  Mayazguez is the defending Puerto Rican champion- and also a finalist in the Caribbean World Series in 2013- a team for whom Vargas was also a member.  As the final series opened tonight, it became public that Vargas' last game in Winter Ball was the one-game playoff on Sunday (which Mayaguez also won).

 

Another entertaining Google translation, apparently "lanky" means something completely different in Spanish than English- that's definitely not the first word I think of when describing Kennys.

 

Also, unlike the mini-controversy with former Mayaguez manager, Carlos Baerga, there's no doubt that Kennys knows who the boss is, and apparently Vargas has turned the page and is now shooting for more than the Mayaguez Tribe "scepter."  For Twins fans, his new goal is to be a "key piece of equipment" as the DH and part-time 1B.

 

 

Mixed Feelings for Kennys Vargas Grandesligas

 

Mayagüez. Last Sunday was the last time Kennys Vargas had the opportunity to wear the uniform of the Indios de Mayagüez on the current winter season and the match ended in pure celebration for the tribe.
The Indians had just achieved his move to the end of the winter league . But from tonight, they will begin to defend the championship without a key piece of equipment: first baseman Kennys Vargas , who said goodbye to the team on Sunday after Mayagüez beat the Giants Carolina in the decider Pass to the final.
"It's super exciting , more end. The boys are focused and know that they will achieve . From United States I 'll be supporting the team and giving good vibes,"  Vargas told Primera Hora during the celebration of the Indians.
The lanky slugger may not be with the Indians in the end as the Minnesota Twins asked her to return to America to start preparing for what will be his second season in the majors. In its debut in 2014, Vargas, 6'5 ", he participated in 53 games playing as a DH or first base. He batted .274 with 59 hits, 38 RBIs and nine homers .
Minnesota just gave him permission to complete the phase of " all against all" . Their absence in the end is something you eat inside not having the opportunity to be on the pitch in defending the scepter of the tribe against the Santurce Crabbers .
"Always try for hits, but you have to work . There they meet a few things. I want to stay , but the Twins are counting on me for this season. Follow orders." said Vargas.

[ashbury]

Maybe they were thinking of the singular of Kennys; half of our guy might be lanky.  In the plural, he's burly.

[Seth Stohs]

In other words, be at Twins Fest and get your award at the Diamond Awards!

[glunn]

 http://cache3.asset-cache.net/gc/467058927-kenny-vargas-of-puerto-ricos-indios-de-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QcXS4bqA%2FHUk7XPj4GojC3bWGg%2B8a46qq300tPB%2FiRGb

 

 

Kennys Vargas drove in the dramatic game-tying run in the bottom of the 9th inning on Saturday- a do-or-die game for Mayaguez, which was ultimately won by Vargas's Mayaguez team in extra innings.  Mayazguez is the defending Puerto Rican champion- and also a finalist in the Caribbean World Series in 2013- a team for whom Vargas was also a member.  As the final series opened tonight, it became public that Vargas' last game in Winter Ball was the one-game playoff on Sunday (which Mayaguez also won).

 

Another entertaining Google translation, apparently "lanky" means something completely different in Spanish than English- that's definitely not the first word I think of when describing Kennys.

 

Also, unlike the mini-controversy with former Mayaguez manager, Carlos Baerga, there's no doubt that Kennys knows who the boss is, and apparently Vargas has turned the page and is now shooting for more than the Mayaguez Tribe "scepter."  For Twins fans, his new goal is to be a "key piece of equipment" as the DH and part-time 1B.

 

These google translations are both funny and interesting.  Thanks for posting this.

[jokin]

Halsey doesn't miss a trick down in Ft Myers.  It turns out that Kennys was telling the truth about getting to the States and immediately putting in some work in the batting cages.

 

 

Wow, expensive!  $40 for Sano and Buxton, but drops 5.00 with Oliva.  Carew looks like the best buy at $35. 

 

Save your money and just come down to spring training and get the autographs in the warm weather for free. 

 

Vargas was here today. BTW.

 

[Linus]

Thanks for doing the translations.  It will be interesting to see how Kennys does this year - its tempting to think about a Vargas / Sano / Arcia one, two, three punch if they all fulfilled potential.

 

BTW - I think the name Santurce Crabbers is one of my all time favorite team names.  Come to think of it, the chattanooga Lookouts might be my second....These names were cool before everyone started making names up just to be cool.

[Thrylos]

El espigado toletero AKA the "lanky" slugger.   Espigado means the equivalent of "the one who was shoot up like a weed".  I see why "lanky" was auto-translated, but I suspect that the person who wrote that really meant something more closer to "giant"...

[nicksaviking]

Well I have high expectations for her this season.

[Vance_Christianson]

I'm assuming that Vargas has been getting some reps in at 1b this winter for PR?!

[ashbury]

El espigado toletero AKA the "lanky" slugger.   Espigado means the equivalent of "the one who was shoot up like a weed".  I see why "lanky" was auto-translated, but I suspect that the person who wrote that really meant something more closer to "giant"...

Good eye for idiom, I think.

[Halsey Hall]

Vargas didn't practice today, as he is sick.  Hope he's well enough to travel north for Twins fest.  Roserio did practice today, and looks sharp.

[JB_Iowa]

Vargas didn't practice today, as he is sick.  Hope he's well enough to travel north for Twins fest.  Roserio did practice today, and looks sharp.

 

Love your eyewitness reports,  Keep 'em coming.

[jokin]

I'm assuming that Vargas has been getting some reps in at 1b this winter for PR?!

 

For the Twins and Vargas, it was "Mission Accomplished!"

 

Vargas missed only one game in PR.  In 38 regular season games, plus counting the All Star game to make it 39 all-told, Vargas played 1B in 35 games, DH 2 games, PH 1 game.  

 

In the round robin playoff in January, Vargas played all 13 games and played 1B in all but the now-infamous game that cost Carlos Baerga, the Mayaguez manager, his job, the January 4th game where Vargas was a Pinch Hitter.

 

He continued to show strong plate discipline, as well, getting 38 walks vs. 37 strikeouts over the entire season, and leading the league in the regular season with a .430 OBP.

[Platoon]

I've always thought that some of the things TD members , myself included, post read like they are translated from a foreign language. This makes us look virtually eloquent! Never has the term "I think something was lost in the translation" been more appropo!

[jokin]

I've always thought that some of the things TD members , myself included, post read like they are translated from a foreign language. This makes us look virtually eloquent! Never has the term "I think something was lost in the translation" been more appropo!

 

All of the silliness aside, the main thing I got out of all of this was that, as of right now anyway, the Twins see him as a likable and marketable commodity for the fan-base, a must-attend at TwinsFest, and that they have some big expectations for him at the major league level in 2015- and most importantly, that Vargas knows it, and has been putting the work in to make it happen.

[Parker Hageman]

Vargas got a bit of an extension at the end of December to play with the team through the playoffs but was due back to the Twins before the Caribbean Series started.

 

http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/rocking-the-boat-r3292

[jokin]

Vargas got a bit of an extension at the end of December to play with the team through the playoffs but was due back to the Twins before the Caribbean Series started.

 

http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/rocking-the-boat-r3292

 

Yep.  Gotta give the kid credit for politicking with the Twins to get the extension and being more than willing to putting in the extra time with his team.  Until I looked it up, I had no idea that he had played in all but one game in his time down there. And good to see it was almost entirely at 1st.  It just seems like he's doing all the right things to insure that he's going to end up being a real fan and teammate favorite very soon.

[nicksaviking]

Yep.  Gotta give the kid credit for politicking with the Twins to get the extension and being more than willing to putting in the extra time with his team.  Until I looked it up, I had no idea that he had played in all but one game in his time down there. And good to see it was almost entirely at 1st.  It just seems like he's doing all the right things to insure that he's going to end up being a real fan and teammate favorite very soon.

 

Are you suggesting that we should be happy about the fact that Vargas just wants to play baseball and hone his craft even at the expense of glad-handing sponsors and posing for photo ops?  That stuff wouldn't fly in New York; geez, the yeoman attitudes we put up with around here!

[Willihammer]

Vargas in 114 ABs

 

2nd in HR's (6)

1st in walks (33)

1st in OBP (.430)

3rd in OPS (.913)

 

No wonder he doesn't want to leave.

[jokin]

Vargas in 114 ABs

 

2nd in HR's (6)

1st in walks (33)

1st in OBP (.430)

3rd in OPS (.913)

 

No wonder he doesn't want to leave.

 

Gotta love that BB/K ratio being positive.

[jokin]

Are you suggesting that we should be happy about the fact that Vargas just wants to play baseball and hone his craft even at the expense of glad-handing sponsors and posing for photo ops?  That stuff wouldn't fly in New York; geez, the yeoman attitudes we put up with around here!

 

LOL 

One always has to be careful about projecting one's fan-like hopes for someone over who and what they actually are and are capable of accomplishing (and I plead guilty on this front), but this kid has been doing and saying all the right things ever since the drug suspension. His continued improvements in plate discipline has defied the image of the typical Latin free-swinging slugger.   He was even better at 1st base than I thought might be the case, heck, the kid even volunteered to spend time learning to play in the OF (shudder!).  

 

Talking about what Madison Avenue could do with him... With that larger-than-life, but still aw-shucks, persona- with any kind of success on the field, he has the chance to become the PR department's Marketing Moby Dick.

[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

 For Twins fans, his new goal is to be a "key piece of equipment" as the DH and part-time 1B.

 

"Equipo" means both "equipment" and "team" in Spanish...

[jokin]

"Equipo" means both "equipment" and "team" in Spanish...

 

Thanks for the clarification.... Hmm... "Key piece of team" definitely doesn't directly translate, but I'd say, it translates in any language, that Vargas is definitely well-equipped to help the team.

[jokin]

Berardino tweets at the Diamond Awards dinner, some unequivocal support from upper management:

 

 

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino  23m23 minutes ago
Brad Steil on Vargas:                                                                                                                                                        "We expect he'll be a fixture in the middle of our lineup for many years to come." #MNTwins

[jokin]

Preseason offensive ranking of Top 50 First Baseman

 

Fantasy Leaguers publication, The Dynasty Guru, isn't buying the usual ZiPS projection for an extreme drop-off in rookie sophomore years, it turns out that they're really bullish on Kennys Vargas when he's plugged into fantasy teams as a 1B-man in 2015.  He's ranked ahead of Tex, Napoli, Butler, Howard, Kendrys Morales, Loney, Swisher.   And at #21, he's only 3-4 spots behind Mauer and Morneau. (Former/current Twins in bold). Commentary enclosed for Vargas below.

 

 

 

1) Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks (Age: 27, Previous Rank: 1)

 

2) Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (Age: 31, Previous Rank: 1 – 3B)

 

3) Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 15)

 

4) Anthony Rizzo (Age: 25, Previous Rank: 12)

 

5) Edwin Encarnacion (Age: 32, Previous Rank: 5)

 

6) Freddie Freeman (Age: 25, Previous Rank: 7)

 

7) Joey Votto (Age: 31, Previous Rank: 3)

 

8)  Adrian Gonzalez (Age: 32, Previous Rank: 10)

 

9) Albert Pujols (Age: 35, Previous Rank: 8)

 

10) Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers (Age: 30, Previous Rank: 4)

 

11) Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers (Age: 36, Previous Rank: 23)

 

12) David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (Age: 39, Previous Rank: 11)

 

13) Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals (Age: 25, Previous Rank: 6)

 

14) Lucas Duda, New York Mets (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 40)

 

15) Matt Adams, St. Louis Cardinals (Age: 26, Previous Rank: 18)

 

16) Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants (Age: 26, Previous Rank: 16)

 

17) Justin Morneau, Colorado Rockies (Age: 33, Previous Rank: 27)

 

18) Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins (Age: 31, Previous Rank: 4, C)

 

19) Adam LaRoche, Chicago White Sox (Age: 35, Previous Rank: 33)

 

20) Chris Carter, Houston Astros (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 25)

 

We’ll continue our first base list with a big time breakout candidate:

21) Kennys Vargas, Minnesota Twins (Age: 24, Previous Rank: NR)

Vargas got the call to Minnesota in August and held his own despite skipping AAA, putting up a .274/.316/.456 line that included nine bombs in 53 games.  The 27 percent strikeout rate will be problematic if it holds, but he showed consistent improvement in that area while advancing through the minors.  Vargas has the raw power to threaten the 30 homer plateau with a full season of at-bats and some refinement of his approach.  If you’re in need of power upside, drop the extra dollar on the big fella.

 

22) Mike Napoli, Boston Red Sox (Age: 33, Previous Rank:17)

 

23) Adam Lind, Milwaukee Brewers (Age; 31, Previous Rank: 30)

 

24) Billy Butler, Oakland Athletics (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 14)

 

25) Jon Singleton, Houston Astros (Age: 23, Previous Rank: 20)

 

26) Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees (Age: 34, Previous Rank: 22)

 

27) Dan Vogelbach, Chicago Cubs (Age: 22, Previous Rank: 26)

 

28) James Loney, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 30, Previous  Rank: 36)

 

29) Greg Bird, New York Yankees ( Age: 22, Previous Rank: 44)

 

30) C.J. Cron, Los Angeles Angels (Age: 24, Previous Rank: 39)

 

31) Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics (Age: 20, Previous Rank: NR)

 

32) Yonder Alonso, San Diego Padres (Age 27, Previous Rank:28)

 

33) Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals (Age 31, Previous Rank: 21)

 

34) Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (Age: 35. Previous Rank: 32)

 

35) Ike Davis, Oakland Athletics (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 24)

 

36) Logan Morrison, Seattle Mariners (Age 27, Previous Rank: 34)

 

37) Dom Smith, New York Mets (Age: 19, Previous Rank: 38)

 

 

38) Nick Swisher, Cleveland Indians (Age: 34, Previous Rank: 29)

 

39) A.J. Reed, Houston Astros (Age: 21, Previous Rank: NR)

 

40) Christian Walker, Baltimore Orioles (Age: 24, Previous Rank: NR)

 

41) Garrett Jones, New York Yankees (Age: 33, Previous Rank: 45)

 

42) Mitch Moreland, Texas Rangers (Age: 29, Previous Rank: 35)

 

43) Bobby Bradley, Cleveland Indians (Age: 18, Previous Rank: NR)

 

44) Casey Gillaspie, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 22, Previous Rank: NR)

 

45) Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics (Age: 30, Previous Rank: NR)

 

46) Justin Smoak, Toronto Blue Jays (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 41)

 

47) Ronald Guzman, Texas Rangers (Age: 20, Previous Rank: 43)

 

48) Darin Ruf, Philadelphia Phillies (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 42)

 

49) Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners (Age: 25, Previous Rank: 29 C)

 

50) Corey Hart, Pittsburgh Pirates (Age: 33, Previous Rank: 31)

Commentary by Greg Wellemeyer, Kazuto Yamazaki, and Nick Doran