Promotional Problem: Matt Wallner, Alan Roden, and Walker Jenkins Nearing Target Field

[weitz41]

I don't see any promotion issues here at all. Jenkins needs a lot more time in AAA before he needs a promotion. To that, it may be best to keep him off the 40-man roster until there is an actual 2027 season.

Most of us went through the Joey Gallo seasons. Wallner is him without the defense or 1b option. No need for a promotion there.

Roden's numbers are great, but he needs (idk) 20-30 more games at AAA before we get to concerned about how to fit him on the 26-man roster. 2nd or 3rd week of July and still crushing AAA ok...Something or someone has to go. Within a week or two of the trade deadline. Hmm...

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, Saxophone Joe said:

MLB isn't for the sentimental, but I'll still feel bad for the kid if he gets sent down before getting his first hit. He's gotten so close a couple times! 

Fedko gets the start in RF tonight. Please don't ask Shohei for his autograph til the games over!

 

[jmlease1]

Wallner still needs to show he can catch up to not just fastballs but the faster ball. He's punishing mistakes, and hitting lower velocity fastballs, but hasn't shown that he can catch up to stuff in the upper 90's which is where he will get hunted in MLB. 

Martin isn't hitting but has started getting on base again over the last couple of weeks in his reduced role; he might have earned more time. Fedko has played so little since coming up it's hard to say what he deserves or doesn't, but his RH bat helps balance the squad a bit. He's the most likely candidate to get dropped again, but replacing him with Roden does raise some issues of lineup balance and vulnerability to LHP.

Not sure there's that much urgency yet; the offense was humming until the Dodgers shut things down. For, you know, one game.

[Linus]

I have no heartburn at all at sending Martin down. He’s regressed back to a hitter that just doesn’t offer much. He’s gotten better in the outfield but he isn’t special out there. He makes good catches coming in on balls but when he gets to the fence he looks like an infielder. Plus he’s not a “heads up” ball player. He has some speed but doesn’t run the bases that well. And for some reason he throws to the wrong base far too often. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Great posts and great discussions of the options here. Thanks to everyone who posted.

[tony&rodney]

For those curious to watch, the Saints are facing Hunter Greene tonight (game in bottom of 1st inning). Jenkins hit a triple in his first at bat back in AAA. 

[mnfireman]

41 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

For those curious to watch, the Saints are facing Hunter Greene tonight (game in bottom of 1st inning). Jenkins hit a triple in his first at bat back in AAA. 

Looked a bit overmatched in his second AB. He was late on a FB that he fouled off, and was then called out on strikes on a 99.1 MPH FB. 

[IndianaTwin]

I don’t have a preference on them. I’m just enjoying the irony of TD folks arguing that the Twins could use another LH hitting outfielder. 

I don’t have a precise count, but over the past year, it seems there’s been at least several articles or comments arguing, “The Twins have too }#%^*+ many LH OFs. They need to trade one.” 

 

(And by “several,” I mean “several per week.”)

 

[Andy MacPhail]

3 hours ago, weitz41 said:

I don't see any promotion issues here at all. Jenkins needs a lot more time in AAA before he needs a promotion. To that, it may be best to keep him off the 40-man roster until there is an actual 2027 season.

Most of us went through the Joey Gallo seasons. Wallner is him without the defense or 1b option. No need for a promotion there.

Roden's numbers are great, but he needs (idk) 20-30 more games at AAA before we get to concerned about how to fit him on the 26-man roster. 2nd or 3rd week of July and still crushing AAA ok...Something or someone has to go. Within a week or two of the trade deadline. Hmm...

Agree, There is no doubt that Wallner can hit AAA. I'm afraid he'll be stewing there longer until he gets really angry & start to be a MLBer or he'll get frustrated & lose it. I hope for the prior.

Being an INFer converted to OFer, Martin has gone through a lot with MN, from at the plate & in the field yet he keeps bouncing back. He has character, is a good hitter with a good eye & athletic. I don't get fans so quick to give up on him. He probably won't be a star but his character, bat & glove could always be an asset. He'll adjust; just be patient.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

6 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Exactly. Send Fedko back to AAA. Move Kody Clemens back to a utility role.

I’d DFA Bell promote Wallner for reasons laid out earlier, demote Fedko, he’s not trusted to play, promote Roden for RF. Move Clemens to 2B (cap tip to @ashbury) and Keaschall would be on the bench with Martin.

[Linus]

43 minutes ago, Andy MacPhail said:

Agree, There is no doubt that Wallner can hit AAA. I'm afraid he'll be stewing there longer until he gets really angry & start to be a MLBer or he'll get frustrated & lose it. I hope for the prior.

Being an INFer converted to OFer, Martin has gone through a lot with MN, from at the plate & in the field yet he keeps bouncing back. He has character, is a good hitter with a good eye & athletic. I don't get fans so quick to give up on him. He probably won't be a star but his character, bat & glove could always be an asset. He'll adjust; just be patient.

He’s not a good hitter - look at his stats. As far as his “character” we have no idea. He’s gotten more chances than many and he’s 27 so no, we don’t need to be patient we need to find corner outfielders that OPS more than 660 

[weitz41]

1 hour ago, Andy MacPhail said:

Agree, There is no doubt that Wallner can hit AAA. I'm afraid he'll be stewing there longer until he gets really angry & start to be a MLBer or he'll get frustrated & lose it. I hope for the prior.

Being an INFer converted to OFer, Martin has gone through a lot with MN, from at the plate & in the field yet he keeps bouncing back. He has character, is a good hitter with a good eye & athletic. I don't get fans so quick to give up on him. He probably won't be a star but his character, bat & glove could always be an asset. He'll adjust; just be patient.

Agree as well, Wallner IMO is a change of scenery guy. With Buxton, Larnach and Bell needing DH spots there's just no room for Wallner. Trade 1-2 of those 3 then ok bring him up. Martin is definitely struggling. Sometimes you got to let them (Martin) work through it. To soon IMO to look for a change there.

[ziggy]

The problem as I see it is none of the outfielders in the minors have seperated themselves from the rest of them. If there was no doubt, no debate as to who needs to be called up first and they don't get the call, then there's a problem. None are forcing the Twins' hand.

The guys in the minors and the majors are too similar. With the exception of Buxton they are interchangeable.

[TheLeviathan]

We may just need to ride it out a month.  Larnach, Bell, possibly Clemens, and maybe even Caratini could (read: should) move at the deadline and that should free up two months to let these kids show us what they've got.

[tony&rodney]

39 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

We may just need to ride it out a month.  Larnach, Bell, possibly Clemens, and maybe even Caratini could (read: should) move at the deadline and that should free up two months to let these kids show us what they've got.

Hope you aren't surprised or disappointed if all of them are still with the club after the trade deadline.

[TheLeviathan]

1 minute ago, tony&rodney said:

Hope you aren't surprised or disappointed if all of them are still with the club after the trade deadline.

I will be more than disappointed.  I'm really tired of the team pretending to be something it is not.

[DJL44]

5 hours ago, weitz41 said:

Roden's numbers are great, but he needs (idk) 20-30 more games at AAA before we get to concerned about how to fit him on the 26-man roster. 2nd or 3rd week of July and still crushing AAA ok...Something or someone has to go. Within a week or two of the trade deadline. Hmm...

This is Roden’s third season in AAA. He has a 950 OPS in 126 games. He doesn’t need any more games in AAA.