Article: Joe Benson claimed off waivers by Rangers

[Shane Wahl]

With respect, these are both opinions, not facts.

 

So Joe Benson needed to be the guy waived, out of all of the people on the 40-man roster?

 

And there is actual evidence, somewhere, that Drew Butera is currently a premium defensive catcher?

[cmathewson]

Did the Twins state that the issue was the breaking ball? I hope they did somewhere, so it would make me feel better about the Twins org.

 

Anyway, the outburst since joining Frisco is nothing to just scoff at. If one wants to track down what pitches he was hitting out of the yard and hitting for a double and a triple, that'd be cool.

 

Again, there was no reason to throw a CF away, especially one who as recently as this March was in the top 10-20 of essentially every Twins prospect list out there.

 

Apparently numbers just lie about Butera's defense?

 

As far as "trade interest" and Benson vs. waiver claim. There is a big difference between a waiver claim in May and being a part of some kind of trade with a major leaguer as the main part of the package at the deadline or even in the offseason. People really blow early in the season waiver claim stuff out of proportion at TD, as though it means something essential and unchangeable about a player's value for the entire season.

 

Putting a guy on waivers is a last resort. Ergo, they tried to trade him and got no offers. They did have offers on Butera in spring training. Whatever you think of him as a player, he has some value on the open market. Benson has none.

[TheLeviathan]

Putting a guy on waivers is a last resort. Ergo, they tried to trade him and got no offers. They did have offers on Butera in spring training. Whatever you think of him as a player, he has some value on the open market. Benson has none.

 

That depends on what you ask for in return. I think you are framing most of your responses here too simplistically.

[IdahoPilgrim]

So Joe Benson needed to be the guy waived, out of all of the people on the 40-man roster?

 

And there is actual evidence, somewhere, that Drew Butera is currently a premium defensive catcher?

 

It was not the point of my post to prove that your opinions were wrong and mine were right, although I still think this move doesn't deserve the level of scorn you have given it, whether or not it would have been my choice.

 

It was to point out that opinions are opinions, and facts are facts, and just because you hold a particular opinion very, very strongly doesn't mean that it is a fact and that everybody else is wrong if they don't see it as such, which seemed to be what your post implied.

 

If I misinterpreted your post, I apologize.

[jokin]

So Joe Benson needed to be the guy waived, out of all of the people on the 40-man roster?

 

And there is actual evidence, somewhere, that Drew Butera is currently a premium defensive catcher?

 

The opposing point of view still hasn't presented it.

 

They have dismissed the actual defensive data available as "not meaningful" and admitted that it is impossible to quantify what a "premium defensive catcher" would be- and then contradictorily stated that the Twins FO values Butera as such- classically, and apparently unknowingly, invoking Nichols' Law of Catcher Defense...... so we must learn to like it.

[Shane Wahl]

The opposing point of view still hasn't presented it.

 

They have dismissed the actual defensive data available as "not meaningful" and admitted that it is impossible to quantify what a "premium defensive catcher" would be- and then contradictorily stated that the Twins FO values Butera as such- classically, and apparently unknowingly, invoking Nichols' Law of Catcher Defense...... so we must learn to like it.

 

Well Jokin, there is apparently NOTHING between opinions and facts. No such things as justified beliefs, just facts like "a bachelor is an unmarried male" or opinions like "bud light sucks."

 

I would say that when one side presents very little support for its claims, then the truth is less likely to be on its side. But I guess that this is just like my opinion, man.

[launchingthrees]

I would love to see what Butera would fetch on the trade market. I think they could probably fill the pop machine, and maybe if they find a sucker thow in pizza party for the locker room.

[DaveW]

The twins are 7-1 since releasing Joe Benson

[Craig Arko]

The twins are 7-1 since releasing Joe Benson

 

And that's a fact. Irrelevant to the thread, but a fact nonetheless.

[MichiganTwins]

Came across this article on Benson from the Rochester writer. Why Joe Had To Go | Extra Bases | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

[Thrylos]

Came across this article on Benson from the Rochester writer. Why Joe Had To Go | Extra Bases | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

 

The particular writer does not follow the Twins nor cares about the Twins. He (like the town he represents) cares only about their AAA team, no matter the affiliate. He was one of the leading voices in the Anti-Twins campaigns in Rochester the past few seasons... Thus, his opinion about what is good for the Twins (vs. Rochester) should be taken with a grain of salt the size of the Dead Sea.

[gil4]

Ouch! THAT...is going to leave a mark...

 

I wish you were right.

[big dog]

Benson 1-for-1 so far tonight. And YES, I am going to keep doing this for while.

 

Any idea why Benson has missed the last 3 games?

[twinsnorth49]

I get the feeling some people here will be following Benson's career morely closely than when he was a Twin.

 

I'm really going to enjoy the quarterley Benson updates for the next 3-5 years.

 

It was a questionable move to be sure, but 284 posts worth......seriously?!

[John Bonnes]

It was a questionable move to be sure, but 284 posts worth......seriously?!

 

It has definitely aroused more passion than I would have expected. But that's baseball. And I think it's a good thing.

[MichiganTwins]

The particular writer does not follow the Twins nor cares about the Twins. He (like the town he represents) cares only about their AAA team, no matter the affiliate. He was one of the leading voices in the Anti-Twins campaigns in Rochester the past few seasons... Thus, his opinion about what is good for the Twins (vs. Rochester) should be taken with a grain of salt the size of the Dead Sea.

Good to know about the writer, but I also think that it is interesting that he thinks Rochester is better without Benson. Most likely the writer is simply looking at the stats, but Benson just seems like a guy who would bring team morale down.

[big dog]

I'm just killing time until the draft. I often follow players who leave the Twins organization, just for interest rather than for any agenda involving my prior beliefs. Minor leaguers who get dropped seldom come back to haunt anyone, though I'm sure it happens to every team once in a while. I don't fault the organization for this, I don't have any axe to grind, but that doesn't mean someone has to quit existing because they've been waived.

[Shane Wahl]

I am not going to dig around the minor league news for the Rangers to see why he is injured. It would be easy if there were a "Rangers Daily" but I am not so sure any other team has a site like this one. I will keep checking to see if he is the lineup.

[Shane Wahl]

While trying to find stuff, however, I saw that poor Yangervis Solarte is posting a .789 OPS in AAA for the Rangers affiliate as a utility guy (mainly infield). TALK ABOUT BLOCKED.

[big dog]

I am not going to dig around the minor league news for the Rangers to see why he is injured. It would be easy if there were a "Rangers Daily" but I am not so sure any other team has a site like this one. I will keep checking to see if he is the lineup.

 

Thanks, I've actually spent a fair amount of time looking for news and couldn't find anything. Just thought you might have a better source.

[Seth Stohs]

He's got a pulled muscle... likely out a day or two more.

[Shane Wahl]

He's got a pulled muscle... likely out a day or two more.

 

Thanks! You are an encyclopedia. It's uncanny.

 

Now I wish the Twins would have worked out a trade to bring Solarte back. Even going back to an old team has to be better than being an infielder in THAT system.

[Squirrel]

It has definitely aroused more passion than I would have expected. But that's baseball. And I think it's a good thing.

 

Passion is a good thing. And discussion is a great thing. But now it seems to have turned into a singular ... mission ... of one or two ... time to move on, imho.

[Shane Wahl]

Passion is a good thing. And discussion is a great thing. But now it seems to have turned into a singular ... mission ... of one or two ... time to move on, imho.

 

"singular mission"?--Do you see how many posts on various topics that some of us have made . . . daily?

 

What I am mainly tired of with the Twins and some of the reactions to minor mistakes (like this one) is that these minor mistakes add up to a problem.

[StormJH1]

Gleeman's negative reaction to how they handled this (shared by many on this thread) is a valid complaint. They obviously lost a young "asset" when they could have exposed a number of replacement-level veterans instead.

 

But let's keep this in context. Benson has been very hurt and very terrible for about 2 years. He's not THAT young. He had no trade value at the present time. So the entire potential "harm" to the Twins never comes to fruition unless Benson rehabilitates himself for some time in the minors, finds a spot in the majors, and is something better than Clete Thomas once he arrives. That's a lot of "ifs". Not to mention that this organization actually has quite a bit of top level depth in the minors at corner OF, plus Buxton in center, and that's assuming Hicks doesn't hold onto the job.

[nicksaviking]

Thanks! You are an encyclopedia. It's uncanny.

 

Now I wish the Twins would have worked out a trade to bring Solarte back. Even going back to an old team has to be better than being an infielder in THAT system.

 

The Twins are loaded with tons of quality middle infielders as it is.

[nicksaviking]

I am not going to dig around the minor league news for the Rangers to see why he is injured. It would be easy if there were a "Rangers Daily" but I am not so sure any other team has a site like this one. I will keep checking to see if he is the lineup.

 

The first drop down menu on top of this site has some decent fan pages. Though I don't know that any are as organized or informative as this site. I typed in "Joe Benson" into the search field on the Rangers site and no results popluated. If the Twins would have picked up a similarly previously hyped prospect from another team there would have been many results on this site I'm sure.

 

The Rangers site seems to have one thread for the draft and it has 23 replies.

[howieramone1406390264]

"singular mission"?--Do you see how many posts on various topics that some of us have made . . . daily?

 

What I am mainly tired of with the Twins and some of the reactions to minor mistakes (like this one) is that these minor mistakes add up to a problem.

True. We're still feeling the shock waves from letting Wally the Beerman go.

[Shane Wahl]

Gleeman's negative reaction to how they handled this (shared by many on this thread) is a valid complaint. They obviously lost a young "asset" when they could have exposed a number of replacement-level veterans instead.

 

But let's keep this in context. Benson has been very hurt and very terrible for about 2 years. He's not THAT young. He had no trade value at the present time. So the entire potential "harm" to the Twins never comes to fruition unless Benson rehabilitates himself for some time in the minors, finds a spot in the majors, and is something better than Clete Thomas once he arrives. That's a lot of "ifs". Not to mention that this organization actually has quite a bit of top level depth in the minors at corner OF, plus Buxton in center, and that's assuming Hicks doesn't hold onto the job.

 

Two years? This nonsense was already destroyed in this tread. It is much less than a year of playing time. Two years? Where do get this nonsense and who bothers to "like" this nonsense?

 

AGAIN, a top 10-20 prospect on all Twins prospects lists gets LET GO FOR NOTHING instead of the 6-8 marginal no-upside players on the 40-man?

 

That's cool with you? You make up a story about 2 years of poor play and that might fit your narrative, but it isn't the truth at all. The comparison to Clete is hilarious. Clete Thomas has more value than Joe Benson? No other team would have bothered with Clete at all before this season. Benson went crazy in AA immediately after leaving this organization that clearly doesn't care about treating prospects appropriately.

[Shane Wahl]

True. We're still feeling the shock waves from letting Wally the Beerman go.

 

Trading Hardy away for nothing, not batting Mauer second for years, signing Correia, trading Ramos for Capps, wasting Garrett Jones, paying Punto for multiple millions for bad performance, etc. etc. These are not worthy of flippant remarks.