Article: Twins Minor League Report (8/11): Diamond Deals

[Seth Stohs]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2217-Twins-Minor-League-Report-(8-11)-Diamond-Deals

[clutterheart]

Zach Larson is having an interesting 2013. I never heard of him until the short season started. He strikes out too much but he is 19 years old so I can forgive that. Already promoted to E-Town and he is keeping on hitting. He seems to have good power and Google tells me he was quite the athlete in High School.

If he can refine his pitch selection he will become a prospect to keep an eye on.

[Otwins]

What is keeping Walker in Cedar Rapids? I went to one game there and he DH'd. He appears to be athletic. Is he poor defensively?

[AllhopeisgoneMNTWINS]

What is keeping Walker in Cedar Rapids? I went to one game there and he DH'd. He appears to be athletic. Is he poor defensively?

 

No one knows. I tried asking this the other day. It makes no sense he is being blocked by 24-25 year old outfielders at Fort Myers.

[Pitz]

I'm purely speculating and not saying that I necessarily agree with it, but perhaps the Twins are keeping Walker in Cedar Rapids to help carry that offense in their playoffs.

I would like to see Walker pushed up to the next challenge, but I do think they have some concern about keeping a strong team in Cedar Rapids. There aren't really strong options to replace Walker in Cedar Rapids which may be part of the reason for delaying his promotion.

 

At this point, it may not be a big deal if Walker sees a few weeks at FtM or stays in Cedar Rapids, so they might as well keep the Kernels team as strong as possible for their playoffs.

Hopefully he can start strong in FtM next year and spend the second half in AA.

[Rick Niedermann]

Question: Will Deibinson Romero get a Septmeber call up with the struggles of Trevor Plouffe?

[Seth Stohs]

No one knows. I tried asking this the other day. It makes no sense he is being blocked by 24-25 year old outfielders at Fort Myers.

 

 

It's a question that's been asked pretty much every day for the last 6 weeks. No one knows for sure. The only thing is his BB:K rate is pretty terrible. Other than that, he's been tremendous in every category. And, his Defense is pretty solid too.

[stringer bell]

Question: Will Deibinson Romero get a Septmeber call up with the struggles of Trevor Plouffe?

Robinson is not on the 40-man roster, so I suspect that unless someone else is moved, that the Twins won't make a 40-man move just to give him a September call-up. I would speculate that one of Wilken Ramirez or Clete Thomas may get the gate clearing a spot or that the Twins can shed some salary with an August move, but I doubt they promote Robinson given his only OK numbers at Rochester.

[SpitefulRabbit617]

GOOD JOB SCOTTY D, Keep up the faith man! Keep throwing those CGSHO!!!!! Remember, its all mental:)

[DJL44]

Question: Will Deibinson Romero get a Septmeber call up with the struggles of Trevor Plouffe?

 

He's not on the 40 man roster so it is not likely.

[hansob]

Nothing on Buxton? I don't care if he sat with a hang nail. I NEEDS MY BUXTON NEWS! Doing a Twins minor league report without anything on Buxton is like publishing an early 2000's teen magazine without mentioning Justin Timberlake.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Nothing on Buxton? I don't care if he sat with a hang nail. I NEEDS MY BUXTON NEWS! Doing a Twins minor league report without anything on Buxton is like publishing an early 2000's teen magazine without mentioning Justin Timberlake.

 

 

Haha. You spelled 'Morneau' wrong.

[Jim H]

No one knows. I tried asking this the other day. It makes no sense he is being blocked by 24-25 year old outfielders at Fort Myers.

 

I believe that this is factually incorrect. The 3 outfielders getting the bulk of the playing time at Fort Myers are Buxton, J. D. Williams and Kvasnicka. Buxton isn't 24 or 25 and neither is Williams. Kvasnicka is perhaps a special case. He was a high rated prospect whose professional career has been wrecked by injuries. The Twins obtained him this spring with the idea that maybe he could regain his status as solid prospect. The other players perhaps blocking Walker are Vargas and Hicks who share DH and 1B.

 

Interestingly, Buxton, Williams and Hicks all started the year at Cedar Rapids and were promoted ahead of Walker. That doesn't necessarily mean they are better prospects(well Buxton certainly is) but that they were deemed more ready for the next level. The best way to create an opening for Walker would be to promote either Kvasnicka or Vargas. I would suppose that hasn't happened because either they aren't deemed ready for the next level or the Twins don't want to release someone at the next level.

 

I doubt if the non-promotion is a big deal. There isn't much season left, the difference from between Low A and High A isn't that profound, and it is probably more important to have playing time for your best prospects than it is to have them exactly at the right level.