Mason: Q&A with Terry Ryan

[Seth Stohs]

FSN's Tyler Mason got to Ft. Myers this week and he was able to get a one-on-one interview with Twins GM Terry Ryan.

 

They discuss openings in the starting rotation, the backup catcher, centerfield and competition at shortstop. He discusses his health as well as the health of Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. It's a very thorough, solid interview. Well worth the read. 

 

Which parts stand out to you?

[TheLeviathan]

Not a whole lot to see there.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Yeah it's a beaten path. But Ryan said all the right things and does seem open to "seeing what happens." The best news is that Ryan is even there at all, considering last year.

[Steven Buhr]

Not that you read a lot in to it, but I was at least pleased to read that Ryan, himself, confirmed that he would like to see Sano and Buxton in Minnesota this season.

[nytwinsfan]

The thing that driove me crazy from that Q& A is this:

 

FSN: What does Josmil Pinto have to do to take that next step at catcher?

TR: "The reason he didn't stay in the big leagues last year wasn't so much his catching and throwing and pitch calling and so forth. He didn't hit. That's what he was there to do. That's why he made the club. So he's going to have to do a little bit of everything to make this team. When we did send him back, I don't think there's any question his receiving improved. His framing improved. His shifting, blocking, hands, all that stuff, play calling, leadership, that improved down at Rochester. I think he's going to hit eventually. He'll have to carry some of that offense, certainly. We're not looking to carry a backup catcher and not be able to swing the bat some. That's kind of what he is going to have to do."

 

 

I realize Ryan was saying that his ability to hit was his strength, and that's what he needs to really do to make it worthwhile to keep him as a catcher, but . . . Pinto has a career .784 OPS, which is fantastic for a catcher. Granted, his OPS was only .705 last year (still above average for a catcher) but that was in under 200 ABs, often being put into the lineup here and there without a chance to get comfortable or play many days in a row. Now maybe they saw something that was going on with his hitting that they thought could benefit from some time in Rochester working on it. Fair enough. But then Ryan could have acknowledged that. Because the stats alone just don't support it.

[nytwinsfan]

On the other hand, it would be great news if the Twins think Pinto's defense is good enough to be a catcher. I guess I should be thrilled about that instead of upset about the inexplicable criticism of Pinto's hitting.

[USAFChief]

I would actually concur that Pinto was underwhelming with the bat last year.

[Hugh Morris]

Yeah. I get where you're coming from but citing Pinto's career OPS is a bit like doing the same for Parmelee midway through 2012. Some guys _{especially, it seems of late, fastball mashers} tend to do very well in September callups. Even better when you're unheralded or have skipped AA. You've got talent with the bat and you're going against somewhat weaker opposition than you'd face in April _{pitchers are getting callups too!}. On top of that, there very likely isn't a book on you yet-and few people know enough to care. Pinto put himself on the map with a very strong September... and then fell off the map in April. It's possible that it's mere coincidence that was after there was more time to scout and prepare for him-but my vote goes the other way. It's one of the reasons I'm nervous about Vargas.

 

Everyone has different philosophies, of course. But for me? I put only a bit more stock in the performance of September callups than I do in Spring Training for players-on-the-cusp. 

[nytwinsfan]

Yeah. I get where you're coming from but citing Pinto's career OPS is a bit like doing the same for Parmelee midway through 2012. Some guys _{especially, it seems of late, fastball mashers} tend to do very well in September callups. Even better when you're unheralded or have skipped AA. You've got talent with the bat and you're going against somewhat weaker opposition than you'd face in April _{pitchers are getting callups too!}. On top of that, there very likely isn't a book on you yet-and few people know enough to care. Pinto put himself on the map with a very strong September... and then fell off the map in April. It's possible that it's mere coincidence that was after there was more time to scout and prepare for him-but my vote goes the other way. It's one of the reasons I'm nervous about Vargas.

 

Everyone has different philosophies, of course. But for me? I put only a bit more stock in the performance of September callups than I do in Spring Training for players-on-the-cusp. 

I get the Sept. call-up thing, but Pinto did fine as a rookie catcher playing every third day in 2014. I don't think it is comparable to Parmalee because Pinto is a Catcher, Parmalee was a 1B (his outfield defense was horrible). The threshold for Pinto being a valuable hitter is significantly lower.

[Seth Stohs]

I would actually concur that Pinto was underwhelming with the bat last year.

 

I agree. He had a nice stretch when he was DHing most every day, but he fell pretty flat after that. Took him a while to get going in Rochester.

 

We know his Defense isn't going to be great, so he needs to hit very well.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Part of that was consistent play I think. But Pinto definitely didn't run with it when he the opportunity. I think the Pinto comment was the most surprising. I expected him to say more about defense, given that this what we heard about last year. I expect Pinto to be the backup catcher and hope they give him some games at DH and maybe even first occasionally to keep his bat in the lineup. I think he can be .800 OPS guys pretty consistently.

[Blackjack]

"But sometimes that's a thing that you can grow from and how to keep yourself healthy and when to do certain things and when not to. There is a knack of keeping yourself healthy. Sano couldn't do much about Tommy John. I don't want to pretend that that just was a fluke. Buxton's were flukes."

 

I thought the comments about Buxton and Sano staying healthy were interesting. First he's saying they need to learn when to do things and NOT do things to keep themselves healthy (as in diving for balls) and then hes saying the injuries were flukes - which is it??

[Willihammer]

And Fryer, Herrmann, etc. did?

[Willihammer]

Fyer 1/16 CS last year. What was he up for?

 

I get the feeling this club just doesn't like Pinto.

[Willihammer]

Well the answer is obvious. If Pinto wants to catch he needs tank at the plate completely. .550 OPS max. Because all catchers who hit that badly are automatically defensive wizards.

[nater79a]

 

I thought the comments about Buxton and Sano staying healthy were interesting. First he's saying they need to learn when to do things and NOT do things to keep themselves healthy (as in diving for balls) and then hes saying the injuries were flukes - which is it??

 

Could be both. I guess I consider it a fluky injury when you're diving for a ball in a 9-1 ballgame in the 8th inning.  Not saying that's what caused Buxton's injuries last year, because it didn't. But he's very agressive and I could see that happening to him if his mind doesn't overrule his instincts based on the game situation.  Sometimes you just need to pull up in the OF and let the ball drop.

[nater79a]

It's inevitable that young guys like Pinto and Vargas will be scouted and then struggle a bit. Happens to all the young players(even happened to Mike Trout when he first came up). The key is to make your own adjustments to the pitchers' adjustments. 

[Shane Wahl]

Pinto was hitting just fine early in the season. The OPS was .730 when he was sent down, and that was after a simple slump. Yeah . . . his *batting average* was low. Maybe that is what TR is referring to here. And . . . you know, good god.

[Otto von Ballpark]

When Pinto was sent down in May 2014, he had a .730 OPS for the season.

 

Suzuki finished the season at .727, and it was almost certainly the best offensive season of his entire career to date.

[jimmer]

When Pinto was sent down in May 2014, he had a .730 OPS for the season.

 

Suzuki finished the season at .727, and it was almost certainly the best offensive season of his entire career to date.

but one is a 'veteran' who 'makes pitchers better' and the other is just a young man who may have a future with the team, one day.  It's not like the Twins have a youth movement going on  :-)

 

Besides Suzuki figured it out at the plate with his new approach and has most certainly turned the corner and will continue to have the same kind of results he had last year. :-)

[jimmer]

Pinto was hitting just fine early in the season. The OPS was .730 when he was sent down, and that was after a simple slump. Yeah . . . his *batting average* was low. Maybe that is what TR is referring to here. And . . . you know, good god.

wait, there's something more important than batting average? :-)

[USAFChief]

Pinto, May 2014: .208/.241/.358 3 bb 15 k.

 

Pinto was underwhelming at the plate, as RYan said.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Pinto was hitting just fine early in the season. The OPS was .730 when he was sent down, and that was after a simple slump. Yeah . . . his *batting average* was low. Maybe that is what TR is referring to here. And . . . you know, good god.

To be fair, there were a few more worrisome parts of his batting line:

 

- The strikeouts were high.  He's got a 16% K rate in AA/AAA, and a 26% in MLB so far.

 

- The walks were disappearing.  April, 20.5% BB rate.  May/June, 4%.  (AA/AAA mark: 13%)

 

- The power was disappearing.  April .246, May/June .129.  (AA/AAA mark: .175)

 

Maybe it was just an extended slump, and I was inclined to keep him in MLB and give him more everyday at-bats, but those were bad trends.  Kind of like in July 2013 when Arcia and Parmelee started striking out 3 times every game, something wasn't quite right and maybe the AAA option isn't so bad.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Pinto, May 2014: .208/.241/.358 3 bb 15 k.

 

Pinto was underwhelming at the plate, as RYan said.

I agree there were some bad trends, but to be fair, Pinto's numbers took a nosedive across the board (including K rate) pretty much when they started giving him more days off.  Not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg, but it probably would have been fair to at least give him a stretch of consecutive starts to see.  After May 3rd, he didn't start 3 games in a row again for a month, after which he was promptly sent down.

 

And as bad as that May line was for Pinto, he was 2 singles from Mauer's May OPS, in half the PA.  And 3 singles shy of Suzuki's August/September OPS in about 1/3 of the PA.  Guys have slumps, perhaps especially guys whose roles change suddenly?