Twins Transactions: Buxton Activated, Optioned to AAA

Well, John,

Did you intend to stir up this hornet's nest when you wrote this post?  I for one both agree with you and feel for you.  Have a great day!

What has Shane Robinson done right this year? (Knuckleballs in blowouts don't count)

He's a back up.  He's played decently if unspectacularly in sporadic playing time.  I understand your roster frustrations.  I too think we  have better options.  But I don't get knocking a guy who hasn't really been part of the problem  If anything, he maybe overachieved, especially the month where we won games.

<1> The fact that he was called up, did a fine job in CF, and was learning on the job how to hit MLB breaking balls- his one and only impediment to MLB stardom.

 

<2> Last time he dominated in the minors...?  Gee, how about the month just before July?

 

<3> And I don't think anyone has argued that he's going to be better than Hunter right off the bat.  That's a "Look! Squirrel!" argument.

 

<4> The rehab has evidently gone fine, he's 5-12, stolen a base, played CF flawlessly... OH! and the Twins FO has determined he's plenty healthy enough to remove him from his rehab assignment.

I think you and I just evaluate players differently.  I loved the tools I saw when Bux was up.  But was not overly impressed with his routes and body control in the field or on the base paths.  His plate discipline was seriously lacking.  His reckless style of play lead to strike outs, dropped balls, and outs on the bases (and triples, outfield assists, and catches) and of course another injury.  Has he dominated for a month?  He's played well.  Has he dominated like the best player not in the Major Leagues?  Not for a couple years.  

Torii Hunter is not a red herring.  Posters are hard-core bashing the guy who has as much responsibility for the teams relative success as anyone.  IF you think that the season is over and it's time to focus on player development, fine.  But you don't have to slam Hunter in order to do so.  Some have taken this tact, others have chosen to take cheap shots at guys like Hunter, Nunez, and Robinson who have actually played up to expectations unlike many other guys on the team, some of which the same posters (myself included re: Arcia) are asking to be called up.  

I've been comparing him to Eric Davis since the first few times I saw him play.  Through the roof talent on both sides of the ball, always getting hurt.

Willie McGee of St. Louis is another, although I don't really remember him getting hurt that often. 

Davis, McGee and Lyman Bostock are all that Buxton could become.  Just not Davis' power.  Maybe, but just can't envision that right now.  Buxton's immediate future should be a high protein diet and pumping some iron

This is exactly what I picture. Arcia and Buxton come up on Sept. 1. Hunter (and Robinson) see a drastic reduction in playing time while the youngsters participate in fall training. And Hunter (and Robinson) should not be offered a contract to play next season.

I think Arcia is done in MN.  Maybe he comes up after 9/1 to audition for other teams.  But I think Molitor finds his defense unacceptable and I think they view Sano as the DH moving forward (which means we keep Plouffe).  If they felt like Arcia was a potential answer at DH long term, I think they would have let Robinson go and invested more in his development.

Willie McGee of St. Louis is another, although I don't really remember him getting hurt that often. 

 

Davis, McGee and Lyman Bostock are all that Buxton could become.  Just not Davis' power.  Maybe, but just can't envision that right now.  Buxton's immediate future should be a high protein diet and pumping some iron

I think we are jumping the gun a tad here.   He is 21 and has basically had three injuries the last two years after playing as many games as he could in 2012 and 2013.

One involved him being beaned in the wrist.  He is not the first person to hurt his wrist sliding or colliding in the OF.  I would like the Twins to be cautious with him and him be more careful, but I am not going to draw parallels like this yet.

Per Cot's:

 

If a player’s optional assignment(s) to the minors total less than 20 days in one season, an option is not used.

 

I Think we'll see Buxton again in 19 days or so, after he's done paying for Perkins and Dozier's all-star bonuses.

Buxton got millions a few years ago and will be making millions again in a few more.  I don't think paying him minor-league money for 10 days is something to be upset about, personally.  I know at least 3 people with bigger financial problems, along with almost every other player in the minor leagues throughout baseball.

Willie McGee of St. Louis is another, although I don't really remember him getting hurt that often. 

 

Davis, McGee and Lyman Bostock are all that Buxton could become.  Just not Davis' power.  Maybe, but just can't envision that right now.  Buxton's immediate future should be a high protein diet and pumping some iron 

I don't use McGee because he had no power to speak of. An average of 6 HR for every 162 games played. I think Buxton will have much more power.  But it's another interesting comparison.

1. Playing in AAA has no less wear on his injury than in the majors. Saying that somehow he is less likely to get hurt here, or you can swing softer or something.....bunk.

That is bunk.  Playing in AAA will have more wear on his injury as he will be making more contact with the ball than he would with the Twins. 

Perhaps it was pointed out on here already, I didn't read all 5 pages worth of comments.  But if Buxton is recalled after 10 days but before 20 days does that not count as an option and give back another option year (hopefully not needed) Also, that pretty much makes him eligible for a September Callup while reducing service time and avoiding an option year.  If this is correct, it's the smartest move the FO has made all year.

1. Playing in AAA has no less wear on his injury than in the majors. Saying that somehow he is less likely to get hurt here, or you can swing softer or something.....bunk.

 

2. Hunter is 39 or 40. He's not good. Since May, he's been AWFUL. There is no reason to argue Hunter is better than Buxton, now, or next year.

 

3. If your argument is that Buxton won't contribute right away, and that he needs time to adjust.....and you want him to be good next year, he should be doing his adjusting this year, imo.

 

4. September games are a bad judge of progress...since 1/3 to 1/2 are against AAA players.

 

5. It is super easy to get Buxton in the game 80% of the time. This is also not a valid reason fro him not to be up.

 

Seem to be a lot of people here think somehow it is stupid, or something, to think this is a bad idea. I'm happy to have that discussion, because I think it is obvious that he should be up now.

 

Also, judging him on 11 games? Ugh.

I would like to just point out that September play is different now than in the past.  It started changing when they adding playoff spots and now that they have another, more teams are keeping competitive teams playing deeper into the month.  I agree with almost all of your post, but I think there are much fewer teams throwing in the towel in September.

Good point......I'd have to look at the schedule, but good point.

 

OTOH, people are saying the Twins should call up x players for September.......so it is some teams.

I imagine most all teams will expand their rosters in September.  How much playing time some of these guys who get called up for a looksie will see will be dependent on how close they are for a playoff spot and/or whether or not they are better than the options on the roster before September 1 (but the team didn't want to call them up for whatever reason, usually service year reasons).

I hate the expanded roster rule myself.  They always talk about how the games are more important in September (not true, all games are equally important throughout the year) and yet September is when they decided to let teams field inferior clubs as teams are jockeying for a playoff run.

 

ML service time is not credited during any period or periods of optional assignment totaling 20 days or more during a single season.

They might want to make sure he spends 20 days on assignment. 

Here are the considerations.

• Use an option this year and lose that possibility in 2018 by going 20 days
• Reduce service time by 20 days and the possibility of super 2 status goes from small to 0.

The likelihood of needing an option in 2018 and super 2 status are both small. Small enough that he should be called up immediately if Rosario or Hicks are injured, Meanwhile the Twins were wise to stop the service time clock while he comes back from injury and avoid any possibility of super 2.

Buxton was recalled on June 14.  From there, through the end of the season on Oct. 4, is 113 days.  The Super 2 cutoff has never been below 122 days.  This year's projected cutoff was 140 days.  There was already basically zero percent chance of Buxton qualifying for Super 2.

 

Correa was called up 6 days before Buxton.  Lindor was called up the same day.  Pretty sure those teams weren't accepting of a "small" chance their players would be Super 2 eligible.

Isn't the 2.140 date related to the group that will earn it following this year? For example, Arcia was 1.132 at the start of the season and was likely to miss the cutoff bu projection. I don't think they would have near enough data to make a projection on this year's group. 

There has only been a handful of years since the super 2 group size increased. There will be years where that number is below 122. 

Mr. Conservative (Terry Ryan) does something conservative and people are surprised?

People wouldn't be as sensitive to issues like this if the norm was to move these players along through the system in a slightly more aggressive manner with a focus on players with high ceiling potential. There seems at times to be a willingness to stand by whatever "gem" has been pulled off the scrap pile via rule 5 or free agency or throw-in's as part of a trade, often times an older player. To me this is very annoying and when a guy like Buxton is sent down I feel like, "here we go again." It has to be frustrating for guys trying to make the leap to the bigs. Or, guys that get sent to the pen in favor of a veteran guy etc.... I am bored with the current MO.