What's Next For Kennys Vargas?

I think that it is still too early to tell who will claim the last two bench spots.  The way I see it (alphabetically) Adrianza, Aybar, Granite, Grossman, and Vargas, as of now, are after 2 spots.  Each of them brings a different thing on the table.

 

If the Twins bring in someone like (just throwing names here) Neil Walker or Jose Bautista on a minor league contract, this whole equation might change.

 

Lots of Spring left still, we just got into March

I'd lean toward this, although I think Adrianza is probably the safest of this bunch.

There are still too many variables this early.  Falvey may have alluded to this group being the ones they choose from, but there is still a lot of talent available. Prices and minor league contract willingness may still change.

I can only see Vargas sticking if Mauer or Morrison get hurt, but there is still a month of ST left.

The Twins don't need late inning defensive replacements in the outfield or a LH bat, so I think Granite goes to AAA, if ST was over today.  You could argue that guys need days off, but there are a lot of off days early in the season.  If someone gets hurt, you throw Adrianza or Escobar out there to finish the game and then call Granite or Wade (requires 40-man move) up afterwards.

I'm still scratching my head on Aybar.  A scenario where he makes the team means multiple injuries, IMO.  I still think there are better options out there.  You mention Neil Walker. If his price point and willingness to be a role-player get to a certain point, he's obviously an upgrade. He is yet another bat who is better over his career from the left side.

I think Grossman's spot is going to depend a lot on how the staff think Kepler has progressed hitting LHP.  Grossman can at least draw a walk against lefties and poorly pass in the outfield.  If you're really looking for a right-handed bat (I know Grossman is switch), there are better options out there. Danny Valencia (136 career wRC+ vs. LHP) is one that keeps coming to my mind. He's played some outfield, so it would be a decision on if you think he can play at least as well as Grossman.

The only way Vargas sticks is if the Twins trade Grossman, which could happen but I doubt it will. And then all Vargas would do is pinch hit for the catcher and in select matchups. 

I suspect he'll be a final day cut from the roster, then he'll spend the season bouncing through the waiver wire with more time between teams than on the field, much like Arcia did.

He's a AAAA player.

Vargas has had plenty of time to learn how to field. If he couldn't make it here when the team was going bad it would be unlikely he is going to do so elsewhere. Position flexibilty is the new oeder. Grossman will also get the same if he does not field better.

Trade Vargas to Boston, so he can hit 500 home runs for them and make the FO look like idiots...again.

 

Kidding. Sort of. 

This is what I'm worried about. I mean, the Twins really have no choice at this point with Vargas, they're going to have to either outright him or deal him. I feel I'm in the minority on this board, but I've always thought Kennys had a lot of potential. If he were to be traded/claimed by a team that could get him 500 ABs, I think he could hit 34 HRs. People say that Kennys "had his chance" here, but I can't really recall him ever getting a full workload and regular playing time for a significant amount of any season. I think the logjam in the Twins system is what's stopped him from breaking out, not his lack of talent. 

He almost certainly is gone barring a long-term injury to Morrison or Mauer in the near future. Vargas is only capable of hitting for power. He really cannot do anything else. Give him 500-600 PA, and he certainly may hit 25 bombs. However, his inability to get on base (.311 career OBP) and below average defense eliminates the possibility for additional value. Rooker is waiting in the wings and could be here in just a couple of years. Vargas may hit somewhere else, but I think it's pretty clear that that somewhere isn't here.

I'd lean toward this, although I think Adrianza is probably the safest of this bunch.

 

There are still too many variables this early.  Falvey may have alluded to this group being the ones they choose from, but there is still a lot of talent available. Prices and minor league contract willingness may still change.

 

I can only see Vargas sticking if Mauer or Morrison get hurt, but there is still a month of ST left.

 

The Twins don't need late inning defensive replacements in the outfield or a LH bat, so I think Granite goes to AAA, if ST was over today.  You could argue that guys need days off, but there are a lot of off days early in the season.  If someone gets hurt, you throw Adrianza or Escobar out there to finish the game and then call Granite or Wade (requires 40-man move) up afterwards.

 

I'm still scratching my head on Aybar.  A scenario where he makes the team means multiple injuries, IMO.  I still think there are better options out there.  You mention Neil Walker. If his price point and willingness to be a role-player get to a certain point, he's obviously an upgrade. He is yet another bat who is better over his career from the left side.

 

I think Grossman's spot is going to depend a lot on how the staff think Kepler has progressed hitting LHP.  Grossman can at least draw a walk against lefties and poorly pass in the outfield.  If you're really looking for a right-handed bat (I know Grossman is switch), there are better options out there. Danny Valencia (136 career wRC+ vs. LHP) is one that keeps coming to my mind. He's played some outfield, so it would be a decision on if you think he can play at least as well as Grossman.

Don't want Danny Bull.  He is a clubhouse cancer with a bad attitude. 

Money-wise, Vargas' best bet would be foreign ball to establish his credentials a bit more.

If someone wants him, they will start to swing a deal now. But they would need that 40-man roster space open and be prepared to keep him on their own roster.

Grossman is another story. Do you want him or Granite? Do you want the bench bat, or the runner/defender?

Of course, Aybar is purely around because of the possible need of a temporary Sano replacement. That's not to say that Escobar won't start at third.

Like Sanchez...he's here until Santana returns, or Hughes implodes, if he doesn't implode first. And we still would have Mejia and Slegers as backup (or maybe Duffey).

But Vargas....again, salary wise he would look good to find a job in the Far East!

Several mentions of keeping him in case Mauer or Morrison get hurt during ST.  More likely, one of the other 29 teams have a bat get hurt.  Then, maybe they can get something for him.

Valencia has burned many bridges with the Twins.  There is no way I see him coming back. 

 

John Swol over at Twinstrivia.com posted a great set of podcasts interviewing Wayne Hattaway, that are a must listen.   Hattaway mentions a few things about Valencia there...

I'll check it out. Thanks! 

Twins don't need 3 first basemen/DH types, so Vargas is gone. If they put him on waivers now, he could maybe catch on somewhere.  Keeping him is just injury insurance. Grossman gets on base but can't field much. Still, he is the first bat off the bench in a clutch situation. That has value.  I think they keep him over Granite. 

I believe there are two ways to handle the Vargas situation:

1)  Hang onto him through ST for as long as possible, using him as an injury-insurance policy in the event anyone ahead of him goes down.  "Don't make a decision before you have to..."

  Release him / trade him to a rebuilding team that doesn't really believe it will contend for post-season play this year.   Sooner the better, if they are doing Vargas a solid so he has as much time as possible to catch on with another club.  Vargas turns 28 on August 1.  He could be the kinda guy that a rebuilding team would take a flyer on, but not someone a contending team would feel comfortable plugging into their lineup.

According to Kenny it will take him and Kepler to get Archer.

Kinda feel like this was a player development issue.  Not to push the blame away from Vargas, but when you have a crappy team (2014-2016..2015 was the surprise) and aren't going to compete, you need to let a guy like him work thru 500 at bats to see what kind of player he is going to be.  He has always shown flashes of being a player, but can't even get 250 at bats in a season?!?!  

 

Hopefully he gets a chance at some consistent at bats his next stop

But whose at-bats would Vargas's additional at-bats have come from?  Those were his 23, 24, and 25 age seasons.  There would have been rioting in the streets if those at-bats would have come from Mauer's at first.  And as far as DH goes, you really don't want to stunt a young players defensive development that early by making him a full-time DH (and it's not like he was raking)...not to mention the fact that you were already violating that axiom by giving a lot of DH at-bats to Sano during those years.

IMO, you can call it a failure of roster management, but it wasn't a failure of neglectful development, unless the argument is that they should have simply given him more AAA at-bats (which is what they ended up doing last year).

I hope they trade/cut him as soon as possible for his sake.  I'd be pretty surprised if it were a trade.

With Vargas, his chest and upper body is so muscular, so much girth there, that his swing does not have the same fluidity of a Kepler or even an Ortiz.

 

You can tie him up inside or even with a high fastball. That's a weakness.

If he has a weakness, it's low stuff ... and even that's pretty nitpicky.

We could trade Vargas to the Mariners, since Ryon Healy is out for 4-6 weeks. Really don't think Seattle wants to run Dan Vogelbach as their starting 1st basemen on opening day, and since all their starting pitchers are injury prone the Twins could also move a healthy Phil Hughes as well. 

While a B level prospect would be fine, the Twins could try to acquire depth in lefty starter Ariel Miranda, who at 29 was somewhat of a late bloomer in 2017. And because last year he fell victim to a 2nd half slump (very homer prone) and now it seems that Seattle will send him to the bullpen despite their lack of (healthy) starters (they don't trust him) (lets buy low).

Vargas seems to be the odd man out as long as nobody gets hurt.

 

He still has a chance to be good if he can get some AB. The best bet for Kennys is probably Korea. Maybe he will get signed by the White Sox. They have room at DH. He'd be a big upgrade over Matt Davidson.  

And come back to haunt us 19 times a season...

Agreed. Bad teams should play high variable players.

I am guessing Japan or Rochester for Vargas.

For your sanity, y'all might want to take a deep breath on Rooker. I like him, but he's not a sure thing imo.

Don't need a reminder on MiLB prospects.  I was watching the Twins through the Eddie Bane and Willie Banks years....