It's Time for the Twins to Promote Alan Roden

[LA Vikes Fan]

Well, the wait is over! Buxton was just placed on the IL and Roden was called up to replace him. Fedko is slated to start tonight in CF, probably because the Guardians are starting a LH.  They're starting RHs the next 2 days, so I think there's a good chance that Roden will be in CF both days. Here we go!

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

If I can believe the TD prospect readings and all of the things that have been written on the various websites he should be coming up if those are just hype and lies then you can have it your way

Top 50 prospects since 2011 for the Twins include a few familiar mega-hyped MVP candidates like.

Absolute flops: Kohl Stewart (peaked #36), Alex Meyer (peaked #29), Nick Gordon (peaked #33), Alex Kirilloff (peaked #9), Austin Martin (peaked #22),

Future: Emmanuel Rodriguez (peaked #37), Walker Jenkins (peaked #3), Kaelen Culpepper (peaked #32), Eduardo Tait (peaked #39)

Jury is out, but looking thin/bust: Royce Lewis (peaked #5), Brooks Lee (peaked #18)

Thin careers, but not total busts: Aaron Hicks (peaked #39), Miguel Sano (peaked #4)

Major success stories: Kyle Gibson (peaked #40),  Byron Buxton (peaked #1), Jose Berrios (peaked #19), Max Kepler (peaked #44)

[HarmonK03]

8 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

This is the basic problem with the Bell signing in the first place: it really reduces the roster spot availability for the bats that are the most ready in AAA. Without Bell, Larnach DH's much more and there's playing time available in the OF for Roden (or Mendez, or GG, or Jenkins, or E-Rod, etc). It was the biggest issue against keeping Larnach (which I was against; clearly I was wrong) or signing Bell (I was ok with...but I also wanted Larnach gone, so in my formulation the roster spot would have been available. Probably wrong on that one as well).

Going into the season the Twins clearly favored keeping/adding veterans over turning over more roles to inexperienced players. It's mostly worked out...for now. But there's little chance Larnach is with the Twins in 2027; he'll be in line for a bump to $8M+ in arbitration I would think and how is this team going to pay that for a platoon-ish corner OF/DH who is merely ok defensively and adds little else? Bell won't be back either, especially with Royce fitting in at 1B. But Larnach is hitting very well and they need that production, and Bell is on one of his hot streaks and mashing away. If we were 10 games back of the division/WC they'd be easy sell candidates...and might even bring things back of real value, not just A-ball lottery tickets. But selling to open things up for an unproven Roden is a lot harder when the team is only 4 games back of the division (which isn't much) and 1.5 in the WC with only other 1 team ahead of them (a team the Twins just took 2 of 3 from on the road).

I think you still move Roden up, but unless Buck goes on the IL it'll be hard to find a lot of ABs for him, which isn't great. But I'd much rather have Roden in CF than Kreidler, who I would prefer take all the SS innings and sit Gray down until Culpepper is ready.

There's a lot of CW in what I'm saying, and little of it new. So what's holding up the Twins front office? What don't we know?

The whole problem is Bell wasn't signed to be the DH, he was signed to play 1B.  Falvey said this after the signing, so how they couldn't see he was unplayable there I don't know.  I think that is why Larnach was kept, to be the DH.  But because of the known flaw of Bell's defense by everybody but the Twins front office, this has created a real mess in roster construction and usage.

[TopGunn#22]

It's well past time to get Alan Roden up and in the lineup.  Put him at the top and when healthy, slide Buxton to #3.  I'm as anxious as anyone to see Walker Jenkins up, but I think Roden has earned this promotion and a solid chance to show what he can do.

Come the trade deadline we could see Larnach, Martin, Wallner and a host of other OF that don't factor into the long range plan.  I think if the Twins can acquire some promising BP arms and maybe a SP candidate by moving position players, then replacing those position players with the next wave of incoming talent:  Jenkins, Roden, Culpepper etc...they could have an even stronger team to compete in the 2nd half of the season.  

[Ruven]

Great work. Now do E Rod. Then Walker Jenkins. 

Carry on.