Calling up Stevenson … wut?

[Mike Sixel]

So, they are calling up Stevenson....but he can't be on the playoff roster? Why would you do this? Why not yesterday? Unless I'm not understanding, this seems really, really, really, odd.

[LewFordLives]

Agreed. It's odd to say the least. I assume one of the two expansion slots will be a pitcher, plus they have to presumably add Kirilloff, Buxton, and Castro.  Also, Stevenson is left handed.

[Mike Sixel]

He's also a LH hitting OF....which I thought they had too many of? Like, I really don't get this at all....

[CRF]

Baffling. 

[nicksaviking]

I have no words for this.

Yet I typed them anyway I guess.

[Dman]

14 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

So, they are calling up Stevenson....but he can't be on the playoff roster? Why would you do this? Why not yesterday? Unless I'm not understanding, this seems really, really, really, odd.

Yeah not sure I understand that either.  I assume he is there to use his speed as a weapon,  He has stolen 44 bases at AAA and I can't tell you how many times players have rushed throws to 1st that ended in him getting on base via an error.  I assume they are picking him because he is expendable? If they lose him it would be easy come easy go.

He puts the ball in play if they do play him with only a 20% K rate. His walk rate could be better but in general he is an aggressive batter.  Has some power too with a .500 slugging percentage.  Not a great arm but can run down anything in the air.  It seems like a solid move to me but if he performs well why not give him a chance to be on the playoff roster?

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, Dman said:

Yeah not sure I understand that either.  I assume he is there to use his speed as a weapon,  He has stolen 44 bases at AAA and I can't tell you how many times players have rushed throws to 1st that ended in him getting on base via an error.  I assume they are picking him because he is expendable? If they lose him it would be easy come easy go.

He puts the ball in play if they do play him with only a 20% K rate. His walk rate could be better but in general he is an aggressive batter.  Has some power too with a .500 slugging percentage.  Not a great arm but can run down anything in the air.  It seems like a solid move to me but if he performs well why not give him a chance to be on the playoff roster?

I'd take a chance on him over Gallo all day, every day at this point. But clearly they disagree. 

[Dman]

3 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'd take a chance on him over Gallo all day, every day at this point. But clearly they disagree. 

I was wondering if he is sort of a MAT replacement if that hamstring really is an issue?  If that is the case Martin seems like the better choice but I guess I have no idea what they are thinking with this move.

[FlyingFinn]

If Castro is injured for the playoffs, then Stevenson is our speed guy off the bench.... and not Martin. Interesting. Or is it already too late to be on the playoff roster (unless the Twins did it in time last night and word is just coming out now??).

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, Dman said:

I was wondering if he is sort of a MAT replacement if that hamstring really is an issue?  If that is the case Martin seems like the better choice but I guess I have no idea what they are thinking with this move.

If they need MAT insurance, he really should have been up yesterday......

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, FlyingFinn said:

If Castro is injured for the playoffs, then Stevenson is our speed guy off the bench.... and not Martin. Interesting. Or is it already too late to be on the playoff roster (unless the Twins did it in time last night and word is just coming out now??).

too late! That's the point of my original post.....

[Dman]

2 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

If they need MAT insurance, he really should have been up yesterday......

My thinking was they use Stevenson to give MAT some time off to heal this month but will be taking MAT on the post season roster not Stevenson.

[LewFordLives]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/09/twins-to-select-andrew-stevenson.html

 

More details from MLB Trade Rumors.  Brent Headrick takes the other expansion slot and Miranda moves to 60-day IL to accommodate Stevenson on the 40 man.  The only thing I can think of is maybe this is only temporary until Buxton/Kirilloff/Castro are ready, and they don't mind running Stevenson through waivers after a couple days.

[Mike Sixel]

10 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/09/twins-to-select-andrew-stevenson.html

 

More details from MLB Trade Rumors.  Brent Headrick takes the other expansion slot and Miranda moves to 60-day IL to accommodate Stevenson on the 40 man.  The only thing I can think of is maybe this is only temporary until Buxton/Kirilloff/Castro are ready, and they don't mind running Stevenson through waivers after a couple days.

But now they have 39 guys on the 40 man for the playoffs......that's my point. They could have done this yesterday and kept him in AAA until today. If they waive Stevenson w/o a fully healthy Buxton and MAT, that would be odd, imo. 

[Mike Sixel]

16 minutes ago, Dman said:

My thinking was they use Stevenson to give MAT some time off to heal this month but will be taking MAT on the post season roster not Stevenson.

If he's healthy...but why not IL Miranda yesterday and put Stevenson on the 40 man?

[Dman]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

If he's healthy...but why not IL Miranda yesterday and put Stevenson on the 40 man?

No idea and I agree with you about replacing Gallo with Stevenson.  I think Stevenson would have more value to the team with more offensive flexibility as he can steal bases and play elite defense. He also doesn't K as much so can at least put the ball in play and is really hard to double up. Why not add him a day earlier?

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, Dman said:

No idea and I agree with you about replacing Gallo with Stevenson.  I think Stevenson would have more value to the team with more offensive flexibility as he can steal bases and play elite defense. He also doesn't K as much so can at least put the ball in play and is really hard to double up. Why not add him a day earlier?

As far as I can tell, they now have a 39 man team for the playoffs, not 40. 

[jorgenswest]

I think the playoff will be not be an issue. Anyone in the organization on August 31 can get added due to injury and there are always injuries. Isn’t that how they added Kirilloff? Stevenson helps because Rocco doesn’t trust Gallo  and pinch hits right handed batters for him when facing a right handed pitcher. Stevenson was needed Wednesday when Lillie pinch hit for Gallo against a right handed pitcher. I hope he shows enough to stay on the team so the front office is willing to drop Gallo when Kirilloff is ready.

[nicksaviking]

8 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

As far as I can tell, they now have a 39 man team for the playoffs, not 40. 

If there aren't three guys, who are already on the 40-man, whom they expect to come back within the week, this makes no sense.

If they do plan on bringing back say Buxton, Krilloff and Paddock, then I guess chopping Stevenson in a few days adds up.

But what doesn't add up is why they don't call up the righthanded AAA talent like Martin, Prato or Williams, and then chop Floro, Moran, Henriquez or Celestino later. All of those guys are expendable from my point of view. No point in carrying them when they won't/shouldn't be carried once the season is over.

[LA Vikes Fan]

I looked up the rules and it says "A player who doesn't meet said criteria for postseason eligibility [on 40 man as of 8/31] can still be added to a team's roster in the postseason via petition to the Commissioner's Office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation. (For example, a player on the 10-day injured list who has been on it for at least 10 days, or a player who has been on the 60-day injured list for at least 60 days.) Players who are acquired in September or after are ineligible.

I read that as saying the Twins could petition to put Stevenson on the eligible 40 man if they need to assuming the other criteria are met.  

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I looked up the rules and it says "A player who doesn't meet said criteria for postseason eligibility [on 40 man as of 8/31] can still be added to a team's roster in the postseason via petition to the Commissioner's Office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation. (For example, a player on the 10-day injured list who has been on it for at least 10 days, or a player who has been on the 60-day injured list for at least 60 days.) Players who are acquired in September or after are ineligible.

I read that as saying the Twins could petition to put Stevenson on the eligible 40 man if they need to assuming the other criteria are met.  

Why not just put him there yesterday? 

[SwainZag]

4 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Why not just put him there yesterday? 

He couldn't be added to the active roster yesterday.   If he can replace Mirandaon the playoff roster,  does it matter?

Also.... he's played good enough for a shot, good for him.  Hopefully he can add something to the club. 

[Mike Sixel]

9 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

If there aren't three guys, who are already on the 40-man, whom they expect to come back within the week, this makes no sense.

If they do plan on bringing back say Buxton, Krilloff and Paddock, then I guess chopping Stevenson in a few days adds up.

But what doesn't add up is why they don't call up the righthanded AAA talent like Martin, Prato or Williams, and then chop Floro, Moran, Henriquez or Celestino later. All of those guys are expendable from my point of view. No point in carrying them when they won't/shouldn't be carried once the season is over.

100% they expect AK, Castro, and Buxton up in the next week or two....in the meantime, Luplow keeps playing.

IF Buxton can't play CF, and IF MAT's hammy is still an issue, I'd like there to be another CF option than Gallo on the 40 man....

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, SwainZag said:

He couldn't be added to the active roster yesterday.   If he can replace Mirandaon the playoff roster,  does it matter?

Also.... he's played good enough for a shot, good for him.  Hopefully he can add something to the club. 

He could have been put on the 40 man easily....he can't replace Miranda on the playoff roster unless they win their petition. I agree, I'm glad he's on the roster....

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, SwainZag said:

He couldn't be added to the active roster yesterday.   If he can replace Mirandaon the playoff roster,  does it matter?

Also.... he's played good enough for a shot, good for him.  Hopefully he can add something to the club. 

Sure he could have, just option a pitcher (or Farmer) for 10 days, but I'm not sure they had to get him on the 26 man, just the 40. The pitcher could be replaced by Varland for those 10 days, for example, today, when the rosters expanded.

[SwainZag]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

He could have been put on the 40 man easily....he can't replace Miranda on the playoff roster unless they win their petition. I agree, I'm glad he's on the roster....

If they lose said petition, it would be a real head scratcher.  Gotta assume they know the scenerio and it should be fine.   If not...I have no words. 

[SwainZag]

3 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Sure he could have, just option a pitcher (or Farmer) for 10 days, but I'm not sure they had to get him on the 26 man, just the 40. The pitcher could be replaced by Varland for those 10 days, for example, today, when the rosters expanded.

As far as I understand it, a player would just need to be on the 40 man.   Optioning a player would have no barring that I'm aware of. 

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, SwainZag said:

As far as I understand it, a player would just need to be on the 40 man.   Optioning a player would have no barring that I'm aware of. 

right....so easy to get him on the 40 man yesterday. My guess is they are assuming MAT and Buxton will be healthy for the playoffs.....and it won't matter.....I don't agree. I see no upside to NOT making him available, just in case. 

[SwainZag]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

right....so easy to get him on the 40 man yesterday. My guess is they are assuming MAT and Buxton will be healthy for the playoffs.....and it won't matter.....I don't agree. I see no upside to NOT making him available, just in case. 

If they assume or know the corresponding move with Miranda will make him available, does it matter?  Obviously I don't know this, but would be pretty insanely weird if it wasn't the case. 

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, SwainZag said:

If they assume or know the corresponding move with Miranda will make him available, does it matter?  Obviously I don't know this, but would be pretty insanely weird if it wasn't the case. 

it does not matter.....if they know they'll win their petition.