Max Kepler on 40 man...

[Resoman]

I notice that Max Kepler is on the 40 man roster. I like Max and enjoyed watching him at Cedar Rapids last year but I'm surprised he's on the 40 man roster at this point in his career. I'm sure there's a reason - can someone enlighten me?

Gary

[cmathewson]

He was signed four years prior to a certain date. If he was not placed on the 40-man, he would be subject to being taken in the Rule 5 draft. It's a testament to how highly they think of him that they would not take that risk. Jorge Polanco, who played with Max last year, was also added to the 40-Man for the same reason. Interestingly, Sano didn't need to be added because he signed after the date (in the same year as Kepler and Polanco), so he gets an extra year.

[beckmt]

It shows what the Twins think of Kepler. However it also starts the clock ticking. I doubt anyone would have taken him, and would be a problem stashing him for a year, but the Twins did not like the risk(plus they should have some 40 roster spots available at the end of spring training.(I am hoping several). So it was probably a decent move, but a surprising one for a player who has not played above A ball.

[Seth Stohs]

It was a pretty easy choice to add Kepler and Polanco, I'm pretty sure. They're both high-upside players, and they'll likely get that fourth year option as well.

 

There's a reason that guys like them don't get selected in the Rule 5 draft... because teams protect those types of players.

 

Kepler and Polanco signed in early July of 2009... Sano signed in early October, a month after the minor league season ended. That's the difference.

[Oxtung]

 

There's a reason that guys like them don't get selected in the Rule 5 draft... because teams protect those types .

 

I've seen this posted a couple of times. Nobody has been able to back that statement up with any evidence. You may well be right but personally I'd like to see some statistics in the matter.

 

There definitely are guys who are left unprotected because they are drafted. In the last decade though only one as low as A-ball has stuck with the drafting team. He was a SS that could be used at multiple positions and had speed enough to be a pinch runner on an NL team.

 

I cant see a way Kepler would have been taken and certainly not how he would have stuck.

[nicksaviking]

Johan Santana is the obvious name to scare teams, but Wei-Chung Wang just got picked out of Rookie League this year.

 

I don't think this was as large of a problem in the past, but there seems to be a sizable gap between the contenders and the pretenders at the moment and the pretenders are now more open to acknowledging that they are rebuilding. I would think that mindset would make them more willing to sit on a young top prospect.

 

The player may not stick, but you're still taking a chance that they will because a deadbeat team like the Astros, Marlins (or Twins) may hang on to the guy due to a nothing to lose attitude.

[Steve Lein]

I asked Baseball America awhile back on how and/or why the Twins would add Max Kepler this year, and they took the time to answer. They may not answer your specific question (and they left some of my questions out), but I thought they gave an insightful answer into players in his situation.

 

You can check it out here:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/ask-ba-2/

[Oxtung]

Johan Santana is the obvious name to scare teams, but Wei-Chung Wang just got picked out of Rookie League this year.

 

I don't think this was as large of a problem in the past, but there seems to be a sizable gap between the contenders and the pretenders at the moment and the pretenders are now more open to acknowledging that they are rebuilding. I would think that mindset would make them more willing to sit on a young top prospect.

 

The player may not stick, but you're still taking a chance that they will because a deadbeat team like the Astros, Marlins (or Twins) may hang on to the guy due to a nothing to lose attitude.

 

It is a lot harder to hide an everyday player that will have to get a few hundred at bats and play several hundred innings in the field. There is a reason it has only happened one time in the last decade from single A.