Twins Claim Speedy Outfielder Bubba Thompson Off Waivers

[Otaknam]

Ho hum! Back to acquiring scrap heap players on the cheap for a team allegedly built to win now. Meanwhile significant players are signing elsewhere as the front office strives for mediocrity. 

[miracleb]

11 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Kiersey, Castro, and probably Martin are fast. Bubba and Buxton up until his knee injuries are another level. Just having speed like Terrance Gore or Herb Washington isn't enough to be a real contributor (niche is a good word for it), but if Bubba can develop enough of his game around that elite speed, he can help. Yes, it is a long shot, but he's only 25 and stranger things have happened.

Give me DaShawn Robert Keirsey Jr.......over Thompson.

[DJL44]

14 minutes ago, miracleb said:

Give me DaShawn Robert Keirsey Jr.......over Thompson.

Kiersey is older and has had less success in AAA

[rv78]

43 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

These type of moves on the edges happen every single year with every single team. 

Yet... People still seemed to get worked up over them. 

There is nothing wrong with a signing like this for depth IF you are improving the team with OTHER signings that make the team better. My point was..... they aren't doing that and the better players ARE available, you implied otherwise. 

[jorgenswest]

27 minutes ago, miracleb said:

Give me DaShawn Robert Keirsey Jr.......over Thompson.

Why not have them both providing depth in AAA?

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

14 hours ago, Danchat said:

I think the issue here is that Castro is back and would be the pinch runner in these scenarios, not Thompson. Castro also at least had a history of being able to be a good enough utility defender around the infield at the major league level, while Thompson is just another outfielder. We have a guy just like him in the minors - DaShawn Keirsey - who is a very similar player. 

The only fit I see for Thompson is being stashed at AAA and used if injuries hit the likes of Castro / Martin / Keirsey. Basically a Billy Hamilton / 2020 Aaron Whitefield scenario.

I think he has a little more value than that.  Lets be clear Castro had always been an utility infielder prior to last year,  we just had much more need in the outfield.  So more opportunity opens for him if a Polanco and/or Farmer are traded.  We still have a glut of infielders so who knows.   

I honestly don't think he will do anything he has now bounced around 5 teams in less than a year.  Ranger, Royals, Reds, Yankees and now Twins.  whether being a AAAA type player like Cave, he most likely won't ever figure out major league pitching to be effective.  The difference with Castro is he had flashed before in small sample sizes.  Inevitable there will be an injury and hole to fill and we are just likely adding another player to the mix to pick from. 

He does however have firstly,  supreme athleticism, and if he can ever increase contact on the ball and/or his OBP he can be a terror on the base paths.     

[mickster]

28 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Kiersey is older and has had less success in AAA

I would rather have Thompson than Gordon if that is what it comes down too.

[wavedog]

He has one skill set the Twins covet - swing and miss ability .  Just kidding - I am OK with the signing - we have lost some AAA outfield depth and Bubba can fill that need.  Maybe he can find his stroke with us and speed is always a good to have.     

[Riverbrian]

56 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Would it be fair to characterize the moves for Castro and Stewart as being "around the edges"?  I seem to remember similar sentiment towards Castro.  While I don't remember the reaction to Stewart I would bet we could find reference to him as  "dumpster diving".

Castro wasn't supposed to break camp with the club. He made the team out of spring training because of injury. I would classify Castro as one of those around the edges signings that all clubs make. 

Brock Stewart was probably a little beyond the edges. He was signed to a two year minor league deal in the summer of 2022. Most of us probably didn't even notice that the Twins added him. 

These type of moves are necessary and every once in awhile with opportunity... They work out. 

[DJL44]

40 minutes ago, jorgenswest said:

Why not have them both providing depth in AAA?

Eventually you run out of playing time in AAA. Right now the AAA outfield looks like Martin, Larnach and Thompson with Kiersey on the bench.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, rv78 said:

There is nothing wrong with a signing like this for depth IF you are improving the team with OTHER signings that make the team better. My point was..... they aren't doing that and the better players ARE available, you implied otherwise. 

"Little bit better" is an implication by me? 

Is your point that Bellinger is better and available?

Or is your point that Oscar Gonzales is better and available? 

If your point is Bellinger or Duvall... It doesn't belong in a Bubba Thompson signing discussion. 

If it's Oscar Gonzalez. 

OK... Carry on. 

[sun]

If he can bunt & play small ball then I'll take 3 Bubba's & it will be bases loaded. Guys like him are the future because other players will soon be on their way out. They're too old, too slow, too expensive or injury prone.. I'd rather have Bubba than Joe Gallo. Some returning players could be regressing or become too demanding.. At least the Twins are looking down the road when current contracts expire. Standing pat is like losing ground & going backwards. Taylor never hit as many HR's until he played for the Twins. I like bunters & if he can bunt then I'll like him. Plus he was a #1 draft pick & a right handed hitter, The hand writing is on the wall, within a year other players will be on their way out & guys like Bubba are going to be our future. All he needs to do is to learn how to bunt. I'll take 3 of him instead of Taylor or Gallo. If Buck would have bunted more he could have batted .350. It's not always about what a player did in the past, it's about what a player can do in the future. The FO is planning for the future & I like that.  New City Connect uniforms, some new players & a new scheme. I like it.

[chpettit19]

2 hours ago, miracleb said:

I like DaShawn Robert Keirsey Jr. career path ahead of Thompson's....... if one of them had to play for the Twins in 2024!

Eh, as of today I wouldn't want either of them playing for the Twins in 2024, but it's mostly six of one a half dozen of the other to me. Bubba is faster and right handed. Keirsey has shown a little more with the bat at AAA, but is a year older. Neither is a guy I want to rely on at this point. But I'm glad to have both in the system as I think you can never have too many athletes.

[Ruven]

Why not? Hoping for the best. And the best would be a Lou Brock-like aged 25 career takeoff with a move to a team that needs his speed and gives him a chance and who knows?
 

Realistically, Bubba T is a low-cost insurance plan for Buxton with future production probably more Jarvis Brown-like than the great Lou Brock. But it’s Brock until proven otherwise. 
 

go Bubba!

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, miracleb said:

Give me DaShawn Robert Keirsey Jr.......over Thompson.

 

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Kiersey is older and has had less success in AAA

DaShawn is safely available if needed.  I think the two are roughly equivalent as MLB-ready prospects, but they offer contrasting skill sets and I'm content with letting events sort themselves out, since both are profiling as 27th man types anyway.

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, mickster said:

I would rather have Thompson than Gordon if that is what it comes down too.

Gordon has been more successful, and can play more positions. I'm curious why?

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, sun said:

The hand writing is on the wall, within a year other players will be on their way out & guys like Bubba are going to be our future. All he needs to do is to learn how to bunt. 

I can guarantee that MLB is not going to turn into a bunt-and-run deadball league within a year. Dingers sell tickets.

[jorgenswest]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

Gordon has been more successful, and can play more positions. I'm curious why?

To add…

ZIPs projects Gordon to have an OPS+ of 100. He had a 0 RAA in centerfield in 2022-2023 and a career 0 RAA at 2B and SS. I did cherry pick the CF and ignored his 2021 RAA when he was thrown out in CF without having played there previously.

You would want a better bat from your starting LF and he would be exposed playing every day and facing left handed pitching but so many things near an average level has real value. 

[Mike Sixel]

3 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I can guarantee that MLB is not going to turn into a bunt-and-run deadball league within a year. Dingers sell tickets.

Dingers win games when pitchers are this good. It's so hard to string hits together now. 

[DJL44]

10 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Dingers win games when pitchers are this good. It's so hard to string hits together now. 

A team that hits .200 with power beats the hell out of one hitting .220 with no power.

[jmlease1]

3 hours ago, mickster said:

I would rather have Thompson than Gordon if that is what it comes down too.

I'm not exactly going to go out on a limb for Nick Gordon, but Gordon has at least shown success in MLB. Last season was a disaster, but it was a small sample with a major (and fluky) injury. Thompson hasn't had a lot of opportunity in MLB but he also hasn't done anything with his chances (yet).

Gordon certainly ranks over Thompson right now for me.

[Trov]

From what I have read up on him is if he can make contact he can be decent, but strikes out way too much for a guy who has almost no power as well.  Sounds a bit like Billy Hamilton. 

[mickster]

51 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Gordon has been more successful, and can play more positions. I'm curious why?

Gordon had a moment of success.   Thompson is controllable and can play a different role.  Gordon is a short timer as etiher being DFA'd or traded.   

[sun]

It's about Bubba's base running talent, not his inability to hit dingers. That means a BB can end up with him on 3rd base. Or he can steal home on a wild pitch. He could even swing at a wild pitch 3rd strike & end up at first base, then 2nd & 3rd. It doesn't take much imagination to see how speed can help manufacture runs. A big complaint was how the Twins are always swinging for the fences. Well maybe he can tag up & advance on more fly balls. Just appreciate the guy's speed. Maybe Rocco can figure out how to use him. 

[Mike Sixel]

11 minutes ago, sun said:

It's about Bubba's base running talent, not his inability to hit dingers. That means a BB can end up with him on 3rd base. Or he can steal home on a wild pitch. He could even swing at a wild pitch 3rd strike & end up at first base, then 2nd & 3rd. It doesn't take much imagination to see how speed can help manufacture runs. A big complaint was how the Twins are always swinging for the fences. Well maybe he can tag up & advance on more fly balls. Just appreciate the guy's speed. Maybe Rocco can figure out how to use him. 

He doesn't walk either......

I'm indifferent to this move, as long as he doesn't block some AA player from moving to AAA. Or some AAA player from playing the OF when he should be.

[nicksaviking]

19 hours ago, ashbury said:

But on the positive side: like Castro, Bubba's not that old, and he likewise has minor league options remaining, so the choice won't be simply to either bring him north with the club or DFA him, if the FO still sort of likes him after seeing him in March and wants him in reserve at St Paul.  Those old scouting reports thought he had potential to develop power (which has yet to happen) and liked his speed in the outfield (of course). 

He won't be ideal in CF because his arm appears to be so-so, but.... I can see it.  I think I'm adopting Leslie Arnold Thompson as a rooting interest.  i mean, c'mon, he's Bubba!

Sorry, but I'm ONLY rostering Castro because he can play every position. If he was a sub .700 career OPS guy that had a .750 OPS outlier season who ONLY played in the infield or ONLY played in the outfield, I'd have no interest; I'd be looking to sell high on him ASAP. 

His value lies in being both the 4th OF and the 5th IF, thus freeing up another roster spot. Thompson can only play the OF, and possibly not even CF. 

I mean the Twins don't have a roster crunch at this time so this is more of an eye-roll situation instead of a pitchfork situation, but Thompson should never make the 26-man roster unless he's a completely different player in St. Paul than he has in every other stop of his career. Not as a defensive replacement, not as a base running specialist. No spot; they can always do better.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

Thompson should never make the 26-man roster

C'mon, he's Bubba!  

Clete Thomas got his moment in the Minnesota sun, Bubba deserves no less.

[stringer bell]

Two thoughts on Bubba: 1) Nobody is saying that he currently makes maximum use of his 100th percentile speed. For him to be an asset, he certainly has to make better use of that speed in chasing down fly balls and base running., as well as getting on base via bunting or base on balls. 2) Bubba is 25 years old. A lot of 25 year-olds get a lot better at 26--Jeffers and Castro last year--so I wouldn't pigeonhole Thompson as exactly the hitter he has been up to now. 

In order to be a good major league player Thompson has to more completely use his great speed and develop as a hitter. If it would be easy to do either, he already would have made those improvements. Like guys with 100 mph fastballs or 80/80 power, teams will continue to take chances on guys with potential game-changing speed.

[nicksaviking]

1 minute ago, ashbury said:

C'mon, he's Bubba!  

Clete Thomas got his moment in the Minnesota sun, Bubba deserves no less.

I do like his name, but it lends itself better to a power hitting 1B. Calling himself Bubba almost feels like false advertising.

[Major League Ready]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

Sorry, but I'm ONLY rostering Castro because he can play every position. If he was a sub .700 career OPS guy that had a .750 OPS outlier season who ONLY played in the infield or ONLY played in the outfield, I'd have no interest; I'd be looking to sell high on him ASAP. 

His value lies in being both the 4th OF and the 5th IF, thus freeing up another roster spot. Thompson can only play the OF, and possibly not even CF. 

I mean the Twins don't have a roster crunch at this time so this is more of an eye-roll situation instead of a pitchfork situation, but Thompson should never make the 26-man roster unless he's a completely different player in St. Paul than he has in every other stop of his career. Not as a defensive replacement, not as a base running specialist. No spot; they can always do better.

Really good point regarding Castro’s value in covering some many positions.  In terms of him needing to be a completely different player at STP, I am not so sure.  He was pretty respectable in AA and AAA when he was with Texas.  His AA OPS was .808 and his AAA OPS was .829.  In comparison, Brooks Lee had an OPS of .750 his first year of AA and .841 his 2nd year and .731 in AAA.  I think there is a decent chance they keep him on the 40 man and hope to get a Castro like improvement.  He only has 241 ABs at the big league level.  Nice low risk play with a guy that still has upside.