Which Move Happens First?

[brvama]

If there is no trade (say to StL or whoever) and no further DL-injuries, then don't make changes. Play the people you have and force them to work through their problems. This constant advocating of rotating players based on short term results (especially by those would play a team of every prospect ever touted) is nonsense.  Baseball is a long season, there will be ups and downs, accept and work through them. 2015 wasn't projected as anything other than "a building season" anyway--so let's use 2015 to develop players.

Kwak I agree, with one caveat, Vargas is should be on a short lease. If his ABs don't improve in a week I'd send him to AAA and bring up Pinto. But it is important to let them try to adjust and correct their problems. For guys like Vargas, it's the long term that's important and they should be managed accordingly.

[Seth Stohs]

 

I just hope that they will do something that will jumpstart this team. Look, I saw the Oakland A's in the end of May, 2012 when they won 94 games, and they were horrible, but they still won the division, and the Rangers were of to a great start, we have hope.

 

Just of note: The Twins are 7-4 in their last 11 games... 

[Seth Stohs]

 

I thought Oliveras was given a raw deal coming out of ST. I know he was sick or whatnot early on, but he has velocity, decent stuff and SO ability. Something very few of our current bullpen members can say. And he pitched well last season at Rochester. And after a bad first appearance or two in September, pitched OK down the stretch. IF you were going to cut him this spring, he should have been around long enough to be one of the very last demotions you made. You could bring him up right now, and while I respect and like Fien, I'm not so sure he wouldn't be the best RHRP in the pen from day one.

 

I don't know. I like Oliveros a lot, but he was DFAd and no one picked him up. Right now, Perkins, Fien and Thompson have been good. Boyer's been pretty good the last 7-10 days. Graham is now in the role of being hidden, which is where he should be. 

[COtwin]

 

Hicks vs RHP: .257/.308/.371 (39 PAs)

vs. LHP: .350/.480/.650 (25 PAs)

 

 

This.  Hicks will be brought up and he will fail to hit right handed pitching AGAIN.

 

You are pointing to that split as evidence that Hicks can't hit right handed pitching?  

I think most people would call that a perfectly acceptable split.  Joe Mauer wishes that was his split right now.  Most batters have a weaker split, and those that don't have some pretty nice careers going.

 

I for one would take Hicks hitting .250 from the right every day of the week, and twice on Sundays.  Hicks has a nice little 8 game hit streak going, with most of those hits agains RHP.  

 

Call Pinto up. Hicks should stay down for a couple more weeks, to prove to himself he can sustain what he is doing.  He is going to need to be confident in himself, when he comes up and faces all of the doubters who will be ready to pounce as soon as he goes 0-5.

[jorgenswest]

On Boyer's last week..

 

It is true that he hasn't given up his own runners. The relievers that followed him did a good job of keeping them from scoring. He has allowed all 3 of his 3 inherited runners to score over his last 4 games. That is a pretty low bar for pretty good.

[SweetOne69]

Certainly before the Twins platoon Hicks, they have to explore the RHB vs. RHP angle, no?

Hicks already tried this. Since he has been a switch hitter all his life, He can't see the pitches from the right side against righties.

[Willihammer]

 

Hicks already tried this. Since he has been a switch hitter all his life, He can't see the pitches from the right side against righties.

He hasn't been a switch hitter all his life. He started in high school, and by Hicks own admission he never developed the same confidence batting lefty.

 

“I play golf right-handed. I do everything right-handed,” Hicks told Alan Maimon and Chuck Myron in their book Hits and Misses in the Baseball Draft before the start of the 2012 season. “I think one of the main reasons I’m good at hitting baseball right-handed is because of the eye-hand coordination I developed playing golf. I never felt the same confidence hitting left-handed. And neither did my coaches. In high school, they’d say, ‘Hey, we’ve got the bases loaded. Can Aaron please hit right-handed, so we can win this game?’ [before the 2012 season], I fooled around with playing left-handed golf. I think it helped my left-handed baseball swing come along.”

 

IMO the Twins overvalue switch hitting. Only a tiny portion of switch-hitters won't have a dominant side, and Hicks' is clearly his right side. Why not let him give righty-righty a real shot instead of trying to jam this failed approach down his throat and wind up platooning him on the wrong side of a platoon? He wants to bat righty-righty, let him try it out in the minor leagues and see if he can't improve on his paltry production against RHPs.

[stringer bell]

Yes, he did try briefly last year and decided (himself) to go back to switch-hitting.  Keep Hicks in the minors.  Pinto needs to be recalled.  It looks like Vargas needs some AAA time.

[Rosterman]

I had a hard time the other night with Trevor May's short start. This is where you need a long man in the bullpen, and thought Stauffer was that guy (3-4 innings at least, especially with a lead) and then you can also call on Graham. Instead the Twins burned thru six pitchers. Thank goodness for the full start by Hughes.

 

The Twins do need to address the bullpen. But Stauffer is there because of salary and Boyer because of...well, I don't really know why. Graham is the butt's end of the grouo and you always have room for one of those guys...but multiples, nah?

 

Regarding DH. You bring up Pinto, you can play either him of Herrmann more, if you wish. You bring up Hicks, you can DH Arcia, who i don't see them sending down. You bring up Hicks, maybe you put him in leftfield and leave Robinson in center.

 

Right now, Vargas needs a go back to be humbled and to work work work. Schafer  is doing nothing, he's being outplayed by Robinson. The only reason to not DFA Schafer is the million bucks you are paying him. No one will claim him, he'll go to Rochester or be a free agent. Probably be a free agent (and it is debatable he'll find a job except in indy ball, but who knows).

 

None of us want to see Nunez at short, or in the outfield, or doing anything but maybe bat, and that is a delight today, but tomorrow> Escobar, will he shine if thrown in at short, and does Santana need to get his glove back on by spending some time in Rochester? Maybe to both. But we don't have any 40-man roster spots unless we start deep-sixing pitchers.

 

If we get rid of pitchers, do we bring up Tonkin and Achter and Darnell, or re-add Oliveros to the 40-man, of maybe just sign some other castaway (welcome back Grant Balfour!). 

 

I see some changes, but see guys getting a hundred at bats. Thank goodness the rotation has had a week of goodness and kept the low-hitting Twins in the game. I'm scared when we go to anyone in the bullpen, even Perk. But, hey, I'm watching baseball and getting feelings, emotions, the love back!

[kellyvance]

Vargas is 10 - 20 pounds overweight and his bat is slow. He can't reach the low pitches (and shouldn't be trying to) because of his spare tire. It makes for a slow, lumbering swing

[chopper0080]

I would rather see Vargas sent down and Hunter get more DH days than bring up someone to DH.  I would bring Hicks up to play OF and if he is not better than Robinson or Shafer, that tells you all you need to know about him.  I would leave Santana alone other than moving him down in the batting order.  Let him learn to be a SS unless you don't believe he has the chops to do so.  If that is the case, put him in the outfield and commit to him there.

 

In the end, I will settle for the Twins to at least act like they have a developmental plan and stick with it.

[Physics Guy]

Pinto up for Vargas, catches 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 and is primary RH DH. Arcia can get some AB's as LH DH. Give Hicks until May15. If he's still close to his current numbers, time to bring him up.

[howeda7]

Vargas for Pinto should happen ASAP. I hope Vargas can be back sooner than later.

 

Santana should also be sent down. Not sure who takes his spot (Beresford?)

 

Finally, Boyer for Pressly or Tonkin. (this should have happened weeks ago.)