James Beresford - 2016

[Steven Buhr]

I've "adopted" James each season since TD has been doing this, so I'll stick with him. He's off to another very good start and I'll post something soon updating his stats.

[Guest]

You would think that some MLB team could make use of a guy who can play all 4 infield positions and has proven he can hit AAA pitching at a .300+ clip over the course of the last 4 seasons, but Beresford is already owned by arguably the most consistently bad big league team of the past half-decade, so I'm no longer convinced he'll ever get a shot to play Major League baseball.

 

After his 4-5 night last night, Beresford is hitting .457 in his last 10 games, raising his season-long slash line to .331/.417/.419 and an .836 OPS.

 

He doesn't hit home runs, but he has 7 doubles and a pair of triples.

 

When his career is over, he may have to settle for being in Rochester's Hall of Fame, despite somehow never being deemed worthy of playing big league ball for the worst team to wear MLB uniforms during the span of his career. That would be a shame.

[Shane Wahl]

 

You would think that some MLB team could make use of a guy who can play all 4 infield positions and has proven he can hit AAA pitching at a .300+ clip over the course of the last 4 seasons, but Beresford is already owned by arguably the most consistently bad big league team of the past half-decade, so I'm no longer convinced he'll ever get a shot to play Major League baseball.

 

After his 4-5 night last night, Beresford is hitting .457 in his last 10 games, raising his season-long slash line to .331/.417/.419 and an .836 OPS.

 

He doesn't hit home runs, but he has 7 doubles and a pair of triples.

 

When his career is over, he may have to settle for being in Rochester's Hall of Fame, despite somehow never being deemed worthy of playing big league ball for the worst team to wear MLB uniforms during the span of his career. That would be a shame.

 

Yes, namely the Twins. A: if this manager could use a bullpen properly, maybe only 7 relievers would be needed. B: failing that, Beresford is going to look better and better after this Nunez collapse. And I STILL believe that Beresford is a legitimate SS. I see no reason to believe otherwise, esp. when compared to Nunez and even Escobar.

But there is something wildly significant that you didn't mention, SD. He already has 19 freaking walks. What in the flying hell is going on here? THAT ability, if he has now developed a solid eye, is a major improvement. He is a career .287 minor league hitter. Now a career .55 ISO D is ok. But this year it is .86. A .260 BA is reasonable for Beresford in the majors. The difference between an OBP of .315 and .346 in the majors for a guy like Beresford is massive.

If I were in charge, I would try to trade off both Plouffe and Nunez right now. Beresford would be the assurance that defensively things would be covered more than adequately as a UTIL player.

[Vanimal46]

Beresford may just be a AAAA player for all we know. But I agree with you guys, he deserves a shot to play MLB baseball. Especially this season while he's hot, and the Twins are not. Maybe he could be a better utility guy than DSantana given the chance... 

[Guest]

You're right, Shane, I didn't mention his much-improved K/BB rate. I don't know if he's developed a better eye, but let's face it, after facing AAA pitchers for 4 years (something not a lot of guys stay at that level long enough to do), it's possible that he's developed a much better eye at the plate.

 

And, yes, Vanimal, it could very well be that Beresford is a AAAA guy, but as you alluded to (I think), that's a lable that should be reserved for guys who perform well at AAA and, despite getting multiple opportunities, never get it figured out in the big leagues. It's not appropriate to apply that label to guys who perform well at AAA and, for whatever reasons, never even get a chance to perform in the Majors.

 

I may never figure out the whole Twins/Beresford dynamic. I don't know why they don't see him as capable at SS. Like Shane, I've seen him play shortstop enough to believe he's perfectly capable there (and better than a number of guys the Twins have tried to trot out there). And, given the Twins obvious lack of enthusiasm for him, I'm not sure why Beresford has continued to re-sign with them every year. Maybe nobody else has shown any interest, but that just seems unlikely to me, especially in the past year or two.

 

I guess a guy can make an honest living as an annual MiLB free agent and playing AAA ball every year and maybe he's trying to demonstrate the loyalty necessary to get a coaching job when he's done playing, but it just seems like someone could use him as at least a utility guy at the big league level by now.

[Pitz]

 

Yes, namely the Twins. A: if this manager could use a bullpen properly, maybe only 7 relievers would be needed. B: failing that, Beresford is going to look better and better after this Nunez collapse. And I STILL believe that Beresford is a legitimate SS. I see no reason to believe otherwise, esp. when compared to Nunez and even Escobar.

But there is something wildly significant that you didn't mention, SD. He already has 19 freaking walks. What in the flying hell is going on here? THAT ability, if he has now developed a solid eye, is a major improvement. He is a career .287 minor league hitter. Now a career .55 ISO D is ok. But this year it is .86. A .260 BA is reasonable for Beresford in the majors. The difference between an OBP of .315 and .346 in the majors for a guy like Beresford is massive.

If I were in charge, I would try to trade off both Plouffe and Nunez right now. Beresford would be the assurance that defensively things would be covered more than adequately as a UTIL player.

 

Agree with you.The Twins should be looking to sell Nunez. I don't think his value could ever be higher (not that I have expectations of a great return). 

 

This seems like a situation where there is always a guy with a 'higher ceiling' that should get a chance. Beresford's ceiling may not be that high, but he deserves a shot at the big league level, and I think he could prove to be a quality big leaguer. 

 

I mean the Twins gave opportunities to Matt Tolbert...

[Vanimal46]

 

You're right, Shane, I didn't mention his much-improved K/BB rate. I don't know if he's developed a better eye, but let's face it, after facing AAA pitchers for 4 years (something not a lot of guys stay at that level long enough to do), it's possible that he's developed a much better eye at the plate.

 

And, yes, Vanimal, it could very well be that Beresford is a AAAA guy, but as you alluded to (I think), that's a lable that should be reserved for guys who perform well at AAA and, despite getting multiple opportunities, never get it figured out in the big leagues. It's not appropriate to apply that label to guys who perform well at AAA and, for whatever reasons, never even get a chance to perform in the Majors.

 

I may never figure out the whole Twins/Beresford dynamic. I don't know why they don't see him as capable at SS. Like Shane, I've seen him play shortstop enough to believe he's perfectly capable there (and better than a number of guys the Twins have tried to trot out there). And, given the Twins obvious lack of enthusiasm for him, I'm not sure why Beresford has continued to re-sign with them every year. Maybe nobody else has shown any interest, but that just seems unlikely to me, especially in the past year or two.

 

I guess a guy can make an honest living as an annual MiLB free agent and playing AAA ball every year and maybe he's trying to demonstrate the loyalty necessary to get a coaching job when he's done playing, but it just seems like someone could use him as at least a utility guy at the big league level by now.

Sorry I wasn't clear before. But you got what I was trying to say. You're right, that AAAA label should be reserved for people who have had their opportunity at the MLB and just didn't succeed. It seems like the Twins have already put the cart before the horse and assume that he won't succeed up at the MLB... Or something. 

I don't understand the Beresford/Twins dynamic either. Last year they trotted out D Santana and his .532 OPS for 65 starts at SS... This year he could have been called up over Polanco/Kepler and the likes to sit on the bench and play 1-2 times a week. 

[Shane Wahl]

 

Sorry I wasn't clear before. But you got what I was trying to say. You're right, that AAAA label should be reserved for people who have had their opportunity at the MLB and just didn't succeed. It seems like the Twins have already put the cart before the horse and assume that he won't succeed up at the MLB... Or something. 

I don't understand the Beresford/Twins dynamic either. Last year they trotted out D Santana and his .532 OPS for 65 starts at SS... This year he could have been called up over Polanco/Kepler and the likes to sit on the bench and play 1-2 times a week. 

Fundamental 40-man roster mismanagement. I don't want to further than that here, but you know what I mean.

 

 

[DocBauer]

 

Beresford may just be a AAAA player for all we know. But I agree with you guys, he deserves a shot to play MLB baseball. Especially this season while he's hot, and the Twins are not. Maybe he could be a better utility guy than DSantana given the chance... 

And it should have happened to close out the 2015 season!

 

He had a quality year last year, is solid, but never had a chance to show what he could do. And after all, isn't this an organization that tries to take care of "good guys" and organizational guys?

 

He's overdo for his shot!

[Guest]

Ho hum. I would probably update this more often if there was something new to say.

 

Beresford is hitting .304 on the season and .302 over his past 10 games. Pretty consistent.

 

[jimbo92107]

James Beresford's dilemma is a combination of misfortunes.

1. Eduardo Nunez, for the first time with the Twins is playing really good baseball, and hitting better than anybody else on the team. Bench Nunez to play Beresford? No way. 

2. Plouffe is playing solid 3rd and hitting solid. When he was injured, Nunez.

3. Molitor is loathe to bench Dozier for long, and Nunez is first up as his sub. 

4. Escobar has been playing solid SS and hitting well. Again, when injured, Nunez. 

5. Danny Santana fills in for Nunez when he can't go. 

6. Robbie Grossman fill in for Santana in the OF. 

 

Beresford's only chance is if Nunez goes down for an extended time, or if the Twins trade Nunez, Plouffe, or Escobar. With Nunez hitting and fielding like the Yankees hoped he would several years ago, Beresford has zero chance of getting on the 25. 

 

One good note for baseball fans is that we may finally be seeing the blossoming of Eduardo Nunez. With little pressure to be great, on a completely irrelevant team, Nunez is getting plenty of relaxed repetitions at various spots in the field and at the plate. This is much better than getting reps in AAA. 

 

In an odd way, this already blown season could be very productive in developing players on the verge of being good. Danny Santana, Eduardo Nunez, Sano, Park, Arcia, even Grossman all are in a position to get lots of reps under very little pressure. These opportunities may help them hone their games in a way that will pay off next year. Meanwhile, future possible stars like Buxton, Kepler, Walker, etc. are in AAA working on more basic aspects of pro baseball, and the Twins can be patient, then consider calling them up when it's best for their development, with no illusions of a playoff chase. 

 

[Guest]

Just saw Seth's Tweet alerting us that James appeared in his 1,000th minor league game on Friday night. Certainly worthy of our congratulations.

 

He has had a remarkably consistent minor league career and I hope he gets an opportunity in the big leagues that rewards that kind of persistence.

[Guest]

James has hit .268 over his past 10 games to drop his season-long BA to .287. But the highlight to share at this time is the video available at the following link. A pop fly looks like it bounces off of Miguel Sano's head and Beresford makes a diving catch on the rebound.

 

http://www.startribune.com/must-see-miguel-sano-takes-a-pop-up-off-his-head-in-rochester/384933381/

[Guest]

Beresford has hit .300 over his past 10 games and is at .280 on the year.

 

Don't know if his prospects for finally making his MLB debut this year will be affected by the front office changes being made by the Twins or by any possible roster moves the team might make, but it's interesting to note that James has over 1,000 minor league hits (1,088) and that 449 of them have come at the AAA level.

[goulik]

Beresford has hit 284/340/331 (671) Career slash in the minors over 10 seasons. He hasn't stole 10+ bases since 2013, he takes 31 walks per season, 1-2 triples per year and 4 total home runs. He has a solid Batting average, doesn't strike out a ton and reportedly has solid defense. He has a 991 fpct at second (where he spends most of his time and is behind Polanco And Dozier) but hasn't spent significant time at SS since 2012. I have been an advocate in the past for him to get his cup of coffee but I just have to admit to myself that he seems to be Bernier 2.0 and not much more.

[Guest]

I've been waiting a long time to make this post!

 

James Beresford has been promoted to the Twins!

 

James hit .269 in 122 games this season, his fourth with the Red Wings.

 

His defense caught my eye when he visited CR as a member of the Beloit Snappers years ago and I've been a fan ever since. I've also "adopted" him every season that TD has been doing "Adopt a Prospect."

 

Who knows what the future holds for this Aussie infielder, but right now he's a big league ballplayer and nobody can ever take that away from him.

 

Congrats, James!

[Rosterman]

He might become the next Brian Dinkelman, or even like fellow Australian Glenn Williams!

[Mike Sixel]

Yay for him! Excited.

[goulik]

I'm very happy to hear he's been given this opportunity! Congratulations Mr. Beresford!

[Guest]

The Twins are now undereated with James in the starting lineup. Just sayin.

[ashbury]

The Twins are now undereated with James in the starting lineup. Just sayin.

Small sample size. I want to see another game before jumping on the bandwagon.