Max Kepler Promoted, Danny Santana to DL

[Danchat]

 

#MNTwins are calling up OF Max Kepler to replace Danny Santana who's headed to the DL, per @RhettBollinger

from Dan Cook's Twitter

 

 

I'm excited to see Kepler again. Hopefully he can hit his way onto the starting lineup. Maybe he'll play like 2015 Rosario... that's what I'm hoping for.

[OrangeKicks]

This would be so much more exciting if we didn't have to deal with the Sanó experiment. Rosario in left. Buxton in center. Kepler in right.

[howeda7]

Maybe we can trade Plouffe for someone's bullpen...

This would be so much more exciting if we didn't have to deal with the Sanó experiment. Rosario in left. Buxton in center. Kepler in right.

 

[TheLeviathan]

I'm really excited to see Kepler. I hope he stays up.

[twinssouth]

That didn't take long, great news

[howeda7]

Glad to see the Twins do the logical thing for once instead of the 'safe' thing.

[SwainZag]

 

Maybe we can trade Plouffe for someone's bullpen...

 

Well good call man!  I obviously stated in the game thread I thought there about zero chance of it happening and here comes Kepler.

[OrangeKicks]

 

Glad to see the Twins do the logical thing for once instead of the 'safe' thing.

Let's not jump to conclusions. They still have to put the kid in the lineup for this to be considered logical.

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

 

It's a crapfest right now, Max. Good luck.

[howeda7]

That parts on Mollie. I have far more faith in his common sense than the General Manager.

Let's not jump to conclusions. They still have to put the kid in the lineup for this to be considered logical.

 

[SwainZag]

 

Let's not jump to conclusions. They still have to put the kid in the lineup for this to be considered logical.

 

Who do you expect them to bench?  Rosario, Sano, Mauer or Park?  

[howeda7]

 

Who do you expect them to bench?  Rosario, Sano, Mauer or Park?  

Yes. Rosario especially doesn't need to play every day, especially against lefties.

[OrangeKicks]

 

Who do you expect them to bench?  Rosario, Sano, Mauer or Park?  

If it were up to me: Rosario in left. Buxton in center. Kepler in right. Park/Mauer/Sanó play some combination of 1b/DH.

[Brock Beauchamp]

WOW. I did not see this coming.

 

It appears the front office is also displeased with the 0-5 start.

[alskntwnsfn]

Who do you expect them to bench? Rosario, Sano, Mauer or Park?

One of them will probably be "due" for a breather tomorrow. My guess is we see him in the lineup tomorrow.

[alarp33]

That parts on Mollie. I have far more faith in his common sense than the General Manager.

The guy who batted Danny Santana 2nd the last 3 nights is the one we have faith in... I hope this is rock bottom

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

Knowing Molitor's apparent obsession with Santana, I gotta imagine he's broken up pretty bad right now.

 

Any chance we might actually see Escobar slide up to the 2-hole given his start?

 

Or freakin' Mauer back in his most natural slot? (I don't know if there's ever been a more prototypical #2 hitter than Mauer. If this team is built on HRs and Ks, then get your best only OBP guy as close to the top of the order as possible.

[SwainZag]

 

Knowing Molitor's apparent obsession with Santana, I gotta imagine he's broken up pretty bad right now.

 

Any chance we might actually see Escobar slide up to the 2-hole given his start?

 

Or freakin' Mauer back in his most natural slot? (I don't know if there's ever been a more prototypical #2 hitter than Mauer. If this team is built on HRs and Ks, then get your best only OBP guy as close to the top of the order as possible.

 

YES.  Why not hit Mauer 2 and Escobar 3?

[bluechipper]

I'm looking forward to seeing Kepler play. Hopefully he's in the lineup more often than not during his stay.

 

It seems a little funny now how some were wondering where Kepler would get his opportunity this year with all of the OF options the Twins have.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

It seems a little funny now how some were wondering where Kepler would get his opportunity this year with all of the OF options the Twins have.

On March 1st of every year since 1901, people magically forget the baseball season lasts 150+ games.

 

THE STARTING LINEUP ON OPENING DAY DICTATES HOW THE SEASON WILL END

[DaveW]

 

WOW. I did not see this coming.

 

It appears the front office is also displeased with the 0-5 start.

Hopefully they feel the "hot seat" for the first time in their careers. It certainly helped the Wild make big changes when needed.

 

Kepler for Santana is a win win no matter what because at worst this means Santana won't be randomly hitting 2nd 3 games in a row or so. Excited to see what Kepler can/will do, not sure where he will play exactly though, he shouldn't be taking playing time from Sano, and I'm a bit worried about a Kepler-Buxton-Sano OF. (Though to be fair, I may be underestimating his defensive potential)

 

But good to see the kid get a shot regardless.

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Hopefully they feel the "hot seat" for the first time in their careers. It certainly helped the Wild make big changes when needed.

 

Kepler for Santana is a win win no matter what because at worst this means Santana won't be randomly hitting 2nd 3 games in a row or so. Excited to see what Kepler can/will do, not sure where he will play exactly though, he shouldn't be taking playing time from Sano, and I'm a bit worried about a Kepler-Buxton-Sano OF. (Though to be fair, I may be underestimating his defensive potential)

 

But good to see the kid get a shot regardless.

Santana in the two slot makes no sense under any circumstances.

 

And from all reports, Kepler is a Wil Myers-type. A "minor league centerfielder" but not MLB centerfield material.

 

Which theoretically means he won't embarrass himself in a corner spot.

[DaveW]

 

Santana in the two slot makes no sense under any circumstances.

 

And from all reports, Kepler is a Wil Myers-type. A "minor league centerfielder" but not MLB centerfield material.

 

Which theoretically means he won't embarrass himself in a corner spot.

That sounds good then.

 

I just hope they are able to play him 3-4 times a week minimum on the major league team, I frankly don't think he should be taking ANY at bats from Sano,  he is a lefty as is Rosario so I don't see how they "match", I guess maybe he takes Rosarios start a couple times a week in the meantime?

 

Maybe a start for Buxton once a week as well? (You shift Rosario over to CF)

 

I wouldn't be taking Park or Mauer out of the lineup much either to be honest.

With all that said, is it a Kepler/Buxton/Rosario rotation for the two outfield spots for now?

[USAFChief]

Odd. Nunez now the only spare infielder. No reason to have Kepler up to sit on the bench, and you're not sitting Sano, Buxton or Mauer.

 

So...

 

Grab some bench, Rosario. Might as well send him to AAA and call up someone who can sit on the bench and play SS and 2b.

[DaveW]

 

Odd. Nunez now the only spare infielder. No reason to have Kepler up to sit on the bench, and you're not sitting Sano, Buxton or Mauer.

So...

Grab some bench, Rosario. Might as well send him to AAA and call up someone who can sit on the bench and play SS and 2b.

The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that maybe Buxton is the one who is "most" in danger of being sent down.

 

If Kepler can handle ML pitching, then I think you see Rosario goto CF for the time being, Buxton maybe going to AAA to get his confidence and bat back, then you go from there, ideally Buxton spends 2-4 weeks in AAA, mashes, comes back up to the majors and never looks back.

 

Don't get me wrong, Rosario doesn't look great at the plate, but he is/will/will continue to be kind of a free swinging kind of guy anyways. Buxton is one of the two most important parts of this teams future moving forward, so they need to make sure he can be an elite talent, if that means sending him to AAA for a bit, then I am all for it.

[howeda7]

Two

 

Knowing Molitor's apparent obsession with Santana, I gotta imagine he's broken up pretty bad right now.

 

Any chance we might actually see Escobar slide up to the 2-hole given his start?

 

Or freakin' Mauer back in his most natural slot? (I don't know if there's ever been a more prototypical #2 hitter than Mauer. If this team is built on HRs and Ks, then get your best only OBP guy as close to the top of the order as possible.

Two games is an obsession? Come on folks, this isn't Gardy and Nick Punto yet.

[beckmt]

I would like to give Kepler 2 weeks and about 12 games to see how he does.  If he does well, by all means send one of Rosario or Buxton down for a while.  If not it was only temporary.  We need to know how some of these players do.

[jimmer]

 

Two

 

Two games is an obsession? Come on folks, this isn't Gardy and Nick Punto yet.

Did you not watch last year?  How long did it take for Santana to lose the shortstop job (which he never should have gotten).  Answer: Way too long.

[jokin]

 

The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that maybe Buxton is the one who is "most" in danger of being sent down.

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong, Rosario doesn't look great at the plate, but he is/will/will continue to be kind of a free swinging kind of guy anyways. Buxton is one of the two most important parts of this teams future moving forward, so they need to make sure he can be an elite talent, if that means sending him to AAA for a bit, then I am all for it.

 

Spot on, I'm already there..

 

Buck's K% is now sitting at 67%. He must be the all-time leader in 0-2 pitch count percentage. He's probably got 15 days to figure things out or time to figure things out in a Red Wings uni for a spell. 

 

In the meantime, this is the opportunity of a lifetime for Kepler, and puts Arcia on notice and with a sense of urgency that now's the time to put up or shut up (and Rosario as well).

 

Gotta give the Twins some credit here, in the recent past they just as easily might have activated a Mastroianni, Schafer or Beresford to take D-San's spot in this situation. Polanco's actually on the roster, and has been called up previously on just such occasions- Nunez becoming the extra outfielder, not this time.

[Ncgo4]

Santana is a much better athlete than Sano. For one thing he's about 100 lbs lighter. When he went down you know that Mollies first reaction was, "Oh, no, poor Santana." You can just bet your bottom dollar his second thought was about the reaction if it had been the potentially best hitter on the team that gone down, instead, because he was playing him in a position he had absolutely no business being.

 

Now the question is what to do with The new roster? They have to play Max every day or they would never have taken him out of Rochester. In my opinion they must use this as the moment to get Sano out of the outfield. With Park, Mauer and Sano parked at 1b and DH what do you do? Sending Buck or Rosario down and keeping Sano in right is the absolutely worst solution.

 

Good luck, Mollie. Now you earn your salary.

 

Didn't the Angels or someone just lose their 3rd baseman? Could they now trade Plouffe and find out once and for all if Sano can play the hot corner?