Gonsalves, Bard promoted

[SwainZag]

Good for both of them, well deserved promotions and a step closer to being in the big leagues.  I will concur with most of you that it seemed to happen too late, but let's hope for similar results in Rochester.

[nicksaviking]

 

Sure, but almost any pitcher does that, it's the reason the marginal guys the Twins have called up can dominate AAA but get ripped by big leaguers.. The difference is he doesn't have nearly the stuff Berrios has.

 

Clearly he doesn't, which is going to make it even more imperative for him to learn that he has to work in the zone. If he doesn't have the same stuff he'll get no one to chase; major leagurers are going to take, take, take his stuff and he's going to fall behind everyone.

 

Like many young guys, he's likely going to have to learn that lesson the hard way. I'd prefer it be this year instead of next and just like Berrios, it's likely not a lesson that can be learned at AAA.

[DocBauer]

IMO, this has nothing to do with September. At least not directly. Gibson was brought up, Santiago will be up pretty soon in some capacity, and Turley could, and should, be tried in the pen where his stuff...with just a little more control even...could play up.

 

This is more about, IMO, getting a jump start on the 2018 season by AAA experience. My question is why not 2 or 3 weeks ago for additional AAA Time? Same could be said for Romero and Jorge.

[Ben Noble]

Behind Curtiss, Bard has been the (non-injured) reliever that I've been most hoping to see with the Twins this season. Former first round supplemental draft pick, been injured pretty much ever since then, but has put up great K numbers in his second full season back.

 

He's 26 and needs to be protected this year, I want to see how he looks against MLB hitters before that decision has to be made.

[KirbyDome89]

 

I wouldn't think it matters a whole lot, I don't expect much from him if he pitches this year. But he is going to have more success this year the less exposure he has and the lighter the lineups in September, and if he can be pulled earlier from games with larger bullpens.

Fair enough. I guess I see no downside to 2-3 extra starts with the Twins as opposed to Rochester. 

[KirbyDome89]

 

This will be a good challenge for both. 

 

Bard's been terrific this year too. The strikeout rate is phenomenal. Control has already been his thing, so the AAA hitters will test him. 

 

Same as Gonsalves. This will be a good test for him as well. Because he's behind on innings (due to missing 6ish weeks, they could still consider calling him up in 3 weeks and making starts in September. Frankly, they need to use these next three weeks to figure out a plan for Colon and Santiago and Gibson. Is it conceivable they could get a low-level prospect for any of them? Could Gibson continue to be a 5th starter candidate for 2018. That's all for the front office to decide.

 

But Gonsalves can go help the Red Wings try to get to the playoffs. He can learn how to pitch against some older, very experienced hitters. 

 

And in September, he can still become a roster add. Though the front office might try to give September tryouts to some guys that they just want to evaluate briefly in the big leagues and have to make decisions on. They know that Gonsalves is part of the long-term future. 

If they're insistent on bringing up more fringe players before giving innings to Gonsalves or Bard then why not call them up now so the September innings can actually be used on players that have a good chance to stick with the Twins? Why waste more time and innings on Gibson/Santiago/Colon? Everybody knows exactly what that trio is at this point. 

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

If they're insistent on bringing up more fringe players before giving innings to Gonsalves or Bard then why not call them up now so the September innings can actually be used on players that have a good chance to stick with the Twins? Why waste more time and innings on Gibson/Santiago/Colon? Everybody knows exactly what that trio is at this point. 

I want to see Gonsalves as much as anyone but is he going to be significantly better than Enns? I don't know the answer to that question.

 

And the Twins are now holding down a postseason spot. Colon needs to be on the roster if he's pitching like vintage Colon. Gibson is expendable but I don't see much of a reason to jettison him, either. He'll get three more starts before rosters expand (and he could be replaced by Mejia before that point). Or he could be replaced by Santiago, who needs to be DFAed or added to the roster before they expand.

 

Given the recent run, I understand the desire to keep everybody as-is for now until some guys get healthy.

[KirbyDome89]

 

I want to see Gonsalves as much as anyone but is he going to be significantly better than Enns? I don't know the answer to that question.

 

And the Twins are now holding down a postseason spot. Colon needs to be on the roster if he's pitching like vintage Colon. Gibson is expendable but I don't see much of a reason to jettison him, either. He'll get three more starts before rosters expand (and he could be replaced by Mejia before that point). Or he could be replaced by Santiago, who needs to be DFAed or added to the roster before they expand.

 

Given the recent run, I understand the desire to keep everybody as-is for now until some guys get healthy.

In fairness that post was a week ago before they swept Milwaukee. That said, I've been staunch all year about not putting too much stock in a handful of games whether they're good or bad. 

 

Pat on the back for ol' Bartolo for the complete game and following with another decent start, but he has been much more lackluster than vintage this season so I'm still having a hard time getting excited about him starting games for the Twins. 

 

No, nobody can say for certain that Gonsalves will be better than a guy like Enns, but taking into account his minor league track record as well as the horrific numbers some of the waiver/non-prospect arms have piled up do they really have anything to lose by giving him a shot? That was the point of the post. 

[Monkeypaws]

I guess this means Gonsalves  has definitively left Stewart in his dust.

[DuluthFan]

The waiver trade deadline runs through August. IF a trade is made, those spots given to those minor league non-40 man roster players may be needed. While other moves could be made, it would simplify things if you didn't have to contend with working around moves that didn't have to be made or decided yet. Additionally, if you promote them to the major league team and then acquire a player before the waiver trade deadline, you would then have to option that player back to the minors, using an option year. If you waited until September you could keep the player on the team without wasting an option.

[Mr. Brooks]

The waiver trade deadline runs through August. IF a trade is made, those spots given to those minor league non-40 man roster players may be needed. While other moves could be made, it would simplify things if you didn't have to contend with working around moves that didn't have to be made or decided yet. Additionally, if you promote them to the major league team and then acquire a player before the waiver trade deadline, you would then have to option that player back to the minors, using an option year. If you waited until September you could keep the player on the team without wasting an option.

It only uses an option if they are down 20 days or longer.

September is only 15 days away, so there is no longer a risk of burning an option.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

In fairness that post was a week ago before they swept Milwaukee. That said, I've been staunch all year about not putting too much stock in a handful of games whether they're good or bad.

Fair enough. I don't put too much stock into a few games either but I also feel rolling with the wave is appropriate. You don't make radical decisions but you do make smaller decisions based on recent play.

[KirbyDome89]

 

You don't make radical decisions but you do make smaller decisions based on recent play.

Agreed. Maybe I see the moves from one week being contenders and trading for Jaime Garcia, to the next week selling Kintzler and Garcia, to the next few weeks refusing to bring up younger pitchers because they're "still in the hunt," as more radical. I too want an organization that is able to roll with the wave, not one that moves perpendicular to the wave, and right now it's hard to tell which is the case.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Agreed. Maybe I see the moves from one week being contenders and trading for Jaime Garcia, to the next week selling Kintzler and Garcia, to the next few weeks refusing to bring up younger pitchers because they're "still in the hunt," as more radical. I too want an organization that is able to roll with the wave, not one that moves perpendicular to the wave, and right now it's hard to tell which is the case.  

It depends how you view the moves, I suppose. I viewed them as smaller moves to bolster the team in coming seasons when it appeared the team was fading away. Had they moved either Dozier or Santana, I would have considered those more radical moves intended to tank the season and try again next year.

[KirbyDome89]

 

It depends how you view the moves, I suppose. I viewed them as smaller moves to bolster the team in coming seasons when it appeared the team was fading away. Had they moved either Dozier or Santana, I would have considered those more radical moves intended to tank the season and try again next year.

Certainly larger moves, but they also have a definitive direction. I think the decision of whether or not a team is/isn't a contender is fairly large. To me, the more radical move is changing that stance 3 times in a period or roughly 4 weeks.