Can anyone explain why Tristan Gray is still on the roster?

[Steve J]

After a healthy start, his WAR now sits at a dismal -0.8.  His hitting has been poor and defense grades out even worse than Brooks Lee's, but he's still seeing a lot of time at shortstop.  Unless the service time rules have changed, we should have cleared the expected super-two cut-off.   We have 23 year old Kaelen Culpepper is doing well at AAA as the logical replacement.

I'm just wondering what I'm missing here...
 

[Mike Sixel]

No.

[stringer bell]

Culpepper was injured twice in the last month and isn't playing yet. He has missed a bunch of time and might not be sharp when he returns. I believe that is what is keeping Gray in the major leagues.

According to the beat writers and Twins announcers, the Twins liked what was under the hood for his hitting--bat speed, hard hit rate etc.--and for a minute it looked like they had uncovered a diamond in the rough. Not lately.

Defensively, Gray looks okay at second and third, but he's stretched as a shortstop so his increased playing time there has yielded predicable results. Gray has an option remaining and even though the Twins have a full 40-man roster, they have several guys who could move to the 60-day IL. I think that when Culpepper is ready, he will be recalled and that Gray is the most likely demotion.

[PseudoSABR]

Yup, a placeholder for Culpepper, obviously. 

[stringer bell]

I would add that it kind of made sense for Gray to head north with the team after Spring Training because he would be a platoon backup to Keaschall and Lewis at his two best defensive positions, with Lee being a switch hitter. That's all changed now--Lee is the third baseman and Clemens is playing second. If the primary position for the utility infielder was going to be shortstop, Gray may well have started the season in AAA. 

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

I think they really like Gray as a person. He is being paid 800k no matter what and between him and Kreidler they are trying to cobble through the year to save a year of service time for Culpepper.   It’s not going for it or going big, but that’s what I take out of it.  

[wesnewy]

Because he hit a grand slam in the home opener lol

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

I think they really like Gray as a person. He is being paid 800k no matter what and between him and Kreidler they are trying to cobble through the year to save a year of service time for Culpepper.   It’s not going for it or going big, but that’s what I take out of it.  

Sure, but call up Roden for CF backup, and put Kriedler at SS....this isn't rocket science. Gray is awful.

[stringer bell]

5 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Sure, but call up Roden for CF backup, and put Kriedler at SS....this isn't rocket science. Gray is awful.

Is Roden really a center fielder? It would seem he hasn't been preferred there over Rodriguez or Jenkins. I suspect, like Clemens, Martin and Repko he "can play center". He's also 5-38 in his last two weeks plus. 

[Mike Sixel]

5 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Is Roden really a center fielder? It would seem he hasn't been preferred there over Rodriguez or Jenkins. I suspect, like Clemens, Martin and Repko he "can play center". He's also 5-38 in his last two weeks plus. 

We know Gray is bad..... I'd advocate for Jenkins, but this team isn't promoting him this year. I'm not sure how keeping a guy we know is bag is a good idea, other than fear. 

[amjgt]

21 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

No.

You beat me to it

[Parfigliano]

21 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

No.

Stole my response

[ashbury]

21 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

No.

Ninja'd.

[amjgt]

17 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Culpepper was injured twice in the last month and isn't playing yet. He has missed a bunch of time and might not be sharp when he returns. I believe that is what is keeping Gray in the major leagues.

 

I wonder how many players this year have been less than a week away from getting called up to the majors, only to get hurt.

Culpepper
Rodriguez
Roden
Jenkins (probably not)

Only the front office could truly answer that, but it does seem to have become a thing this year.
 

[Steve J]

Since no one else seemed to be talking about this, I thought I might be crazy.  

[DocBauer]

21 hours ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

I think they really like Gray as a person. He is being paid 800k no matter what and between him and Kreidler they are trying to cobble through the year to save a year of service time for Culpepper.   It’s not going for it or going big, but that’s what I take out of it.  

At this point, the only reason to not bring K-Pepper up is if he plays enough to reach Super 2 status in regard to arbitration. With 2 recent, minor, injuries, that remote possibility is just about out the window.

The actual 1 year extra control window is over and done after about 5-6 weeks in the season. Obviously, we are WAY past that. And honestly, I can't recall the last prospect, or any prospect, that has been held back only for that reason. And the Super 2 does really affect years of control so much, it just allows arbitration earlier. Again, we're about ready to cross that line soon.

I think we were days, or even a day, from his promotion before he "twinged" his hip running in for a grounder. And then he came back for 2 games and got hit on the hand with a pitch. Early reports, from what I've heard, are not serious. Just a bruise that will set him back a few days to a week. Then he will need to play again for a few days at least to get ready.

We will see him late July or 1st week of August. Yes, it should have been sooner.

As to Gray, good guy, good story, good early season. He's stretched at SS for more than a day or two here and there. Not so bad at 3B or 2B. But he hasn't hit worth a darn for a good month and a half. As to why Shelton is so enamored with him is perplexing. The INF defense is just so much better with Kreidler there. I would have just put Fedko in CF to see what he can do and kept Kreidler at SS.

But Gray will be gone in 2-3 weeks, replaced by KC. He still has an option so he will be sent to St Paul for depth.

The biggest question is, what do they do with Jeffers? He's about ready to come back. If they DFA Jackson...who has no options...it's very doubtful he passes through waivers. So Fedko goes down, and they keep 3 catchers until Jeffers is traded.

OR, I think unlikely, do they just keep Jeffers and A] run out the string and see him walk for nothing, B] offer him a QO, which I doubt, C] still work out a last minute extension?

I think a trade is likely. And you can probably keep 3 catchers for a couple of weeks. But then again, Buxton is only on the IL for 10 days. So you send Roden back down before the deadline? There's a lot of interesting roster moves coming that are beyond just Gray.

[lecroy24fan]

Gray is still here because Culpepper can't stay healthy.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

1 hour ago, DocBauer said:

At this point, the only reason to not bring K-Pepper up is if he plays enough to reach Super 2 status in regard to arbitration. With 2 recent, minor, injuries, that remote possibility is just about out the window.

The actual 1 year extra control window is over and done after about 5-6 weeks in the season. Obviously, we are WAY past that. And honestly, I can't recall the last prospect, or any prospect, that has been held back only for that reason. And the Super 2 does really affect years of control so much, it just allows arbitration earlier. Again, we're about ready to cross that line soon.

I think we were days, or even a day, from his promotion before he "twinged" his hip running in for a grounder. And then he came back for 2 games and got hit on the hand with a pitch. Early reports, from what I've heard, are not serious. Just a bruise that will set him back a few days to a week. Then he will need to play again for a few days at least to get ready.

We will see him late July or 1st week of August. Yes, it should have been sooner.

As to Gray, good guy, good story, good early season. He's stretched at SS for more than a day or two here and there. Not so bad at 3B or 2B. But he hasn't hit worth a darn for a good month and a half. As to why Shelton is so enamored with him is perplexing. The INF defense is just so much better with Kreidler there. I would have just put Fedko in CF to see what he can do and kept Kreidler at SS.

But Gray will be gone in 2-3 weeks, replaced by KC. He still has an option so he will be sent to St Paul for depth.

The biggest question is, what do they do with Jeffers? He's about ready to come back. If they DFA Jackson...who has no options...it's very doubtful he passes through waivers. So Fedko goes down, and they keep 3 catchers until Jeffers is traded.

OR, I think unlikely, do they just keep Jeffers and A] run out the string and see him walk for nothing, B] offer him a QO, which I doubt, C] still work out a last minute extension?

I think a trade is likely. And you can probably keep 3 catchers for a couple of weeks. But then again, Buxton is only on the IL for 10 days. So you send Roden back down before the deadline? There's a lot of interesting roster moves coming that are beyond just Gray.

I think the question would be rookie of the year considerations for top 100 prospects and the 6 years of control. 

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

I think the question would be rookie of the year considerations for top 100 prospects and the 6 years of control. 

This.