Eddie Rosario--Here to Stay?

[stringer bell]

A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog about Danny Santana. He's was called up in a roster emergency and stayed with the club and thrived for the entire season. Things haven't gone nearly as well this year and Danny was optioned to Rochester a week ago with no time frame for his return. The crux of that blog was that temporary call-ups are long shots to stick around, but sometimes lightning strikes.

 

Eddie Rosario has been compared to Santana because he was called up after not dominating his league in a scenario where it would be expected that he would be returned to Rochester when guys got healthy. Rosario came out of the chute hitting, struggled soon after that, but has stabilized with a +.700 OPS and a batting average above .270. Rosario has driven in a decent number of runs and hit three homers in just over 100 plate appearances.

 

Detractors point to Rosario's lack of patience (he's only walked four times) and high number of strikeouts. I see more and more good at-bats. Eddie is aggressive and won't walk much, but my eyes see a player who is becoming less likely to chase and who makes good contact a lot. Rosario's defense in left and right field is a marked improvement for the guys who started the season in those spots. I think that gives Eddie a bit more slack when he does encounter a slump.

 

I think Eddie Rosario was recalled at exactly the right time and is blossoming as the season progresses. Further, I think he is in the majors to stay. This squeezes other young outfielders like Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks and prospects Max Kepler and Adam Brett Walker II. It looks like a good problem to have, with so much talent competing for playing time.

[Gene Larkin]

I listened to Gleeman @ Geek show today and Bonnes was once again talking negatively about Rosario even though he is raking, hits in the clutch and plays excellent defense. At the same time Bonnes was more than willing to give Hicks yet another chance and put him in a corner OF spot even though he doesn't even hit well enough as a MLB CF.

[beckmt]

I feel Rosario should be given the chance to stick.  Shaffer and Robinson are not long for here, so it is time to play the rookies this year and see who needs to be part of the future and which rookies will likely not be here in 2 years.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I think it would be a shame if Rosario were sent down. His play on the field has earned him a long tether.

 

Arcia, when he's ready, should take the place of Robinson - giving the Twins mostly young outfielders and Torii Hunter.  

 

Depending on how long Hicks is on the DL, the Twins might have time enough to decide if Buxton should stay up or go back down. I think he may need to beat the odds to stay up - the Twins are talking about Buxton the way they have been taking about Polanco, with the exception of also mentioning Buxton's top prospect status. Personally, I'd want all the young guys that have been called up to stay up.

 

I think Rosario should definitely stay, even if he gets into a slump.

[mikecgrimes]

Until Vargas starts hitting or they decide Joe mauer is a bench player they should keep all 3 with torii at dh most days. We haven't had outfield defense in so long that we forgot how important it is.

[drivlikejehu]

Nothing has changed with Rosario - he doesn't have MLB-caliber plate discipline at this point. That's going to kill his numbers sooner or later.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Detractors point to Rosario's lack of patience (he's only walked four times) and high number of strikeouts. I see more and more good at-bats. Eddie is aggressive and won't walk much, but my eyes see a player who is becoming less likely to chase and who makes good contact a lot. 

What you see is correct. Rosario is swinging at less pitches out of the zone (44% now, down from 56% last time I checked).

 

His discipline is still a problem but as long as he continues to post a decent OPS and makes gradual improvement, he should remain in Minnesota.

[Willihammer]

The Twins desperately need someone in the bottom half of the lineup who can work a count (other than Hicks). It would be great if Rosario could turn into one of those guys and Vargas could get back to drawing the occasional walk like he did in the minors. Rosario's plate coverage is so good, I think he should not be afraid to let a count go to at least strike one before taking the bat off his shoulder.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

What you see is correct. Rosario is swinging at less pitches out of the zone (44% now, down from 56% last time I checked).

Yup, the strikeouts have indeed declined.

 

K%

Season - 25.7%

Last 28 days - 20.0%

Last 14 days - 18.2%

Last 7 days - 11.8%

 

Now, if it turns for the worse like Danny Santana, Rosario can certainly go back down.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Yeah, Santana looked completely lost since Opening Day - I think sending him to AAA was the right decision. The Twins have other young players that can play SS at the major league level while Santana figures things out.

 

With Rosario, keeping him in the lineup and in the outfield keeps Schafer/Robinson from playing everyday. That's a good thing for the Twins and for the development of Rosario.

 

I suppose if Rosario started flailing away like Danny was, an argument could be made to move him down again. Danny got almost two months to try to sort it out up here, I hope the same treatment would be extended to Eddie R., were he to start slumping. 

[Zachary]

 

Until...or they decide Joe mauer is a bench player....

 

So... 6-7 years from now? Joe Mauer is the Minnesota version of Derek Jeter. He'll be in the lineup despite his numbers until he retires.

[Linus]

I hate to say it but I see Rosario as very similar to Santana and won't be surprised if he still has some struggles ahead of him like what Santana has gone through this year.

 

Doesn't mean that you don't let him ride it out and hope the other shoe doesn't drop.  I also think they both will make it eventually but may need another stint in AAA before that happens.

[mikecgrimes]

 

So... 6-7 years from now? Joe Mauer is the Minnesota version of Derek Jeter. He'll be in the lineup despite his numbers until he retires.

 

Derek Jeter as lacking as he might have been at the end played a defensive position that didn't produce a lot of 90+ RBI alternatives.  We just need one extra hitter to produce and Joe is done as an everyday player unless of course he turns it around at least a little.  I can't imagine Joe getting 50% of his healthy starts 2 years from now if the production doesn't change.  I'm hopeful that would come sooner, but don't see Vargas proving himself to be the better option anytime soon.  

 

Joe Mauer as a 1st basemen has been Gene Larkin.

[Mike Sixel]

Look, another Mauer thread!

 

No reason to send Rosario down at this point, or even any time soon unless there is a total nose dive. Just let him have some time here to see how he does, or does not, adjust. There are not a lot of better alternatives, unless they move Sano to RF or decide Kepler or ABW3 are ready (which they are not).

[Zachary]

Yeah I apologize for almost turning this into a He-who-must-not-be-named thread. To keep it on track.. I like having Rosario up. He has shown/done more than some other guys that get to stay in the lineup. Whether it's 50 at bats or 500 until his BA drops from .280 to .208 and he doesn't get an XBH in a month and a half and makes a ton of rookie mistakes than leave him in. Keep him up unless it becomes obvious he doesn't belong here at all

[ScottyB]

He certainly stays over Schafer and in my opinion over Robinson.  OF should be Rosario, Buxton, Hunter and Hicks.  And when we go to a 12 man pitching staff, Arcia (when healthy and hitting) as a fifth OF'er.