Eduardo Nunez to DL, Doug Bernier recalled

[Danchat]

For the third straight season, Doug Bernier will be coming north. This time, it's much earlier than the past years.

His 40 man roster spot was open because Ervin Santana's spot is inactive due to his suspension.

I would have liked to see a much younger guy like James Beresford (who's batting .345 in AAA). However, it's likely Bernier's stay will be a short one that will be as long as Nunez's injury.

Any thoughts?

 

 

Source: http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Twins_put_Eduardo_Nunez_on_DL_replace_him_with_Doug_Bernier050515

[stringer bell]

As much as I was in favor of the 23-year old Eddie Rosario being promoted, I am disappointed in hearing that Bernier was added to the 40-man roster and promoted.  Eduardo Nuñez has an oblique issue and it wasn't improving so he went to the DL.  This moves adds a light-hitting guy with almost no power and little speed to the bench.  He's 34, a baseball lifer, who has gotten a few at-bats for the Twins plus a cup of coffee with the Rockies.  Don't know if it is ish or ick, but either way I don't like it. 

[Squirrel]

Don't know if it is ish or ick

 

It's a 'Meh, why???'

[Rosterman]

Not that Nunez has been getting at bats, but...

 

The Twins are playing a shortstop in left field, but won't play a shortstop in centerfield.

 

They do have OTHER players to backup infielders. But, hey, let's just burn a spot for Bernier. Why not. He's a good guy. He's replacing someone we burned a spot for anyways who can't field in the least. And our backup infielder needs to play anywhere but the infield, or so it seems (isn't Escobar also the third catcher). 

 

Heck, I would've brought up Pinto.

 

Wait, Drew Butera is also available!?!

[howieramone2]

I have no idea why it matters. Would you bring up Polanco for a couple of days? We replaced our 25th man with another 25th man. Our chances to finish close to .500 have not diminished, nor our desire to contend in 2016.

[jokin]

 

As much as I was in favor of the 23-year old Eddie Rosario being promoted, I am disappointed in hearing that Bernier was added to the 40-man roster and promoted.  Eduardo Nuñez has an oblique issue and it wasn't improving so he went to the DL.  This moves adds a light-hitting guy with almost no power and little speed to the bench.  He's 34, a baseball lifer, who has gotten a few at-bats for the Twins plus a cup of coffee with the Rockies.  Don't know if it is ish or ick, but either way I don't like it. 

 

Business as usual, rewarding a loyal soldier.  And he will not be claimed when he's soon sent back down.  They are holding that roster spot for Santana, after all.

[Kwak]

Did he hurt his hip too?

[Seth Stohs]

Interesting... if they wanted a non-roster infield/utility option:

 

 

Doug Bernier - .239/.280/.310 (.590)
James Beresford - .345/.381/.379 (.760)

 

 

[Platoon]

Interesting... if they wanted a non-roster infield/utility option:

 

 

Doug Bernier - .239/.280/.310 (.590)

James Beresford - .345/.381/.379 (.760)

This just continues a long line of head scratchers. LNP must not have answered his cell phone? I wonder who was more surprised by this? Bernier, or me? Please tell me they have a Master Plan in place.

[Minniman]

 

Interesting... if they wanted a non-roster infield/utility option:

 

 

Doug Bernier - .239/.280/.310 (.590)
James Beresford - .345/.381/.379 (.760)

 

Beresford has done everything the Twins asked him to do. Here was an opportunity to give him his shot without having to send another player through waivers.

 

[Seth Stohs]

Business as usual, rewarding a loyal soldier.  And he will not be claimed when he's soon sent back down.  They are holding that roster spot for Santana, after all.

"Loyal soldier?" Beresford has been in the organization since he signed... in 2005.

[gbg]

How much of these is about defense, I wonder? Given Santana's struggles, is Bernier an option to be a late inning sub defensively?

 

Regardless of who was called up, I don't see him getting too many at bats. Nunez wasn't even getting at bats when he was healthy.

[Seth Stohs]

Berliner is very good defensively, 3 infield positions a d 2-3 outfield positions he's ok.

 

Beresford came up as middle infielder but has played almost exclusively as 2B the last few years.

[Linus]

I wonder if it isn't related to 40 man issues.  Perhaps Bernier will be outrighted when Nunez returns and the Twins didn't want to risk that with Beresford because they view him as a potential utility guy next year?

[Platoon]

This is not a impactful decision one way or the other, but it does make me think that a return to competitiveness will be a long slow tortuous project. Things move glacially at Twins Way!

[spinowner]

 

Regardless of who was called up, I don't see him getting too many at bats. Nunez wasn't even getting at bats when he was healthy.

Probably better to have Beresford playing every day in AAA and Bernier hardly at all in the majors than the other way around.

[USAFChief]

I have no idea why it matters. Would you bring up Polanco for a couple of days? We replaced our 25th man with another 25th man. Our chances to finish close to .500 have not diminished, nor our desire to contend in 2016.

It's not the 25th man, it's the 13th man. And I think that guy matters, as do most people, or nobody would complain about 13 man pitching staffs.

 

Lastly, some of us still care about 2015. This doesn't do much for me in terms of helping 2015, but if we must talk about the future for season after season, how does this help 2016?

[jorgenswest]

Those stats in this sample in AAA are not going to have any meaning in projecting who will perform better between Beresford and Bernier. They must have assessed that if someone had to step in for a game or two in the next two weeks, Bernier would be the most likely to have success. Later this year Bernier will be removed from the 40.

[John Bonnes]

I think the Twins missed an opportunity here. Why add a 3rd shortstop? As I look at this roster, I think they need a right-handed bat off the bench AND a 3rd catcher more than a 3rd shortstop, and they happen to have Pinto sitting in Rochester right now.

 

I can hear the Beresford argument, too, but it seems like from a roster management standpoint, adding another shortstop is a waste of a roster spot, regardless of who it is.

[GM64]

I don't understand the dismay.   If the Twins were looking for a permanent replacement for Nunez and were committed to restructuring playing time (taking PAs from Vargas and Suzuki, as those are the only people Pinto can replace), fine, bring up Pinto.  But that's a whole different question from who should replace Nunez for two weeks.  Beresford might be a fine choice, but only if he were fully capable at 2b, ss, and 3b, but I don't think he is.  Bernier can come up for 15 days, play even less than Nunez, but provide one-game coverage for just about any injury. And Nunez's few PAs go largely to someone else . . . maybe Rosario (through a chain reaction of Escobar subbing in the infield).  Concerns about roster construction certainly are fair; I've got them too, but right now, do you want Pinto to get Vargas's PAs?  If so, then demote Vargas.  Playing young hitters two days a week seems almost a sure-fire way to turn them into players useful only in that capacity.    

 

[Craig Arko]

I like both of the above comments, because they collectively show how cut-and-dried this isn't.

[SirLoin]

Doesn't this pretty much come down to the likelihood that Bernier can pass through waivers when they send him back down, whereas someone like Beresford would likely get claimed?

 

Although, I'd argue for DFA'ing Nunez, but that's a different conversation....

[DJL44]

Bernier is being brought up to sit on the bench for 10 days. Pinto needs to come up and play.

[stringer bell]

Who gets more at-bats, Bernier or Rosario.  If it is Bernier, then something is really wrong.

[Mike Sixel]

Wow, giving away the last spot on the bench, so many years in a row. Will they ever change?

[Mike Sixel]

If you are worried about losing Beresford.....why not just call him up and cut Nunez? They are redundant, aren't they? Why would you need both, if you will never call up Beresford for fear of losing him?

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Doesn't this pretty much come down to the likelihood that Bernier can pass through waivers when they send him back down, whereas someone like Beresford would likely get claimed?

Beresford has been a 6-year minor league free agent each of the past two winters.  If someone wanted to give him a 40-man roster spot, he probably would have signed with such a team.

 

As Seth alluded to, Beresford probably deserves an "organizational soldier" award as much or more than Bernier, who has already received two previous call-ups by the Twins.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Correction: Beresford has been a minor league free agent each of the last THREE winters (after 2012, 2013, and 2014).  He has re-signed with the Twins each time.

 

He would not get claimed on waivers.

[ashbury]

Interesting... if they wanted a non-roster infield/utility option:

 

 

Doug Bernier - .239/.280/.310 (.590)

James Beresford - .345/.381/.379 (.760)

They have played together in Rochester 2013-2014. Without digging deeply, Doug has out-OPSed James both years, and James is no longer in the part of his minor league career where much further growth can be expected. We're going to throw that out and go with 21 and 18 games this year, respectively?

[Minniman]

 

I think the Twins missed an opportunity here. Why add a 3rd shortstop? As I look at this roster, I think they need a right-handed bat off the bench AND a 3rd catcher more than a 3rd shortstop, and they happen to have Pinto sitting in Rochester right now.

 

 

Time in grade?