jokin

This guy has shot up even more impressively than Berrios, from 98 to 35- If there is a deadline deal to be made with the Jays, I'd like to see the Twins bang the table on him, he was the one guy that outpitched Berrios in the FSL, before his promotion to AA, plus he's a a sorely-needed lefty.

Sickels, from the article:

I definitely don't see the Twins ponying up for a multi-year deal @ 8 figures$$$/year. But I imagine the Twins like the idea of a veteran Latino mentoring all the young Spanish-first players here and on the way, acting sort of as an additional coach. I could maybe see them offering Kendrys the freed-up Willingham money, but would Boras accept that?, seems doubful.

They could also start May on Thursday with the Wings with limited innings- with Pino as the first in to relieve him- thus setting both up for the possible Tuesday start in Minnesota. Regading Nolasco, don't the Twins usually send starters to rehab for a start or two before they are put back in the rotation?

The 2 year age difference in development is partly on account of his limited PAs due to suspension and injury. There is encouragement in comparing Ortiz to Vargas's plate discipline and high contact rate: Vargas AA: K%- 15.6% BB%- 10.1% Ortiz AA: K%- 26.7% BB%- 14.0% I don't think it's fair to expect Vargas to be a future Hall of Fame bat like Ortiz or in turn, to brand him so soon to the likes of a mediocre Ward career, but his AA numbers are pretty close to Kendrys Morales, with double the BB% of Morales, and unlike Ward or Ortiz, Vargas switch hits, with nearly an identical split against both RHP and LHP. I think it's worth letting it ride awhile with Vargas and see how he adjusts to the low and outside stuff at the upper levels of the minors- he's acquitted himself quite well to this point, and all indications are he's a plus in the clubhouse The Twins must see something in him, as they felt confident enough to give him a 40-man spot.

The RF, I believe, was Hunter Renfroe, 1st round pick of the Padres, who is said to be able to play CF as well, but by one account is major league ready in RF. Rated with a 60/60 or 80/80 arm by the services I looked up.

Scathing? Sounds more like vindictive. Vargas hit a rope off the wall and actually looked good while running the bases, and aggressive in going for 2 and challenging a tremendous RFer in Hunter Renfro with a cannon 80/80-rated arm. My respect for Klaw just dropped a bit- why not just review what happened, instead of trying to prove something you said previously?

Not quite yet....Fuld continued, no actually upped, his ridiculously good July hitting and OBP hot streak over three games in Colorado. His improved July slash over 13 games now reads: .450/.540/.550/1.090 wOBA .473 Pitchers pitching around Fuld? Yes, under NL rules in the last 3 games when he bats in the 8-spot...but overall- His BB rate in July now sits at 18%. Slash since he came off of the DL on June 13: .306/.408/.388/.796 with a BB rate of 15.5%. Slash as a MN Twin: .285/.367/.380/.747 with a BB rate of 11.9%. Clearly, someone or more than just one someone, deserves some credit for the huge improvement in Fuld's discriminating eye at the plate. His career BB% before joining the Twins is just 9.9%. It seems like there's a tiny bit more than just the element of pure statistical noise and luck going on here- the biggest differences I see is he's willing to take more first pitches and he's at a career high in P/PA, which seems indicative of Bruno's influence. While Fuld's high BABIP is clearly not sustainable, perhaps his improved plate discipline is.

As Tom Kelly told his US team players, "you're all entertainers, now go put on a show." And just like all entertainers, for the Futures Game, the idea for pitchers is to always leave the audience wanting more. As for Meyer, he also was part of the "entertainment", he announced before the game that he was only going to throw the heater. I think it's pretty hard to leave with any impression of Meyer, as a "pitcher" anyways, after only 4 pitches, all of which he tipped to the World team plenty in advance of what was coming. As for Vargas, I thought he legged out his double far beyond my expectations, he doesn't look nearly as overweight as one might suspect a 275 pounder would look. And he was matching Gallo and Bryant in batting practice for Home Run prodigiousness.

It looks like the Twins are taking a verrrry slow and cautious approach to Buxton's return- and probably with good reason, that was quite a bit of time off for that wrist, and I'm sure they don't wish further complications or the chance for surgery to arise. He hasn't played all 9 innings in a game yet, and he's sat a few games. Plus, it looks like it will take a while to get his timing back, so he's probably going to be at Ft Myers for a while. Presumably, if all goes well for Santana's knee, he'll be out of there after Thursday, so Santana should have little effect on Buxton, except maybe to get him juiced to get it in gear when he sees Santana heading to Minny:jump:.

Based on the pregame discussion with management, it sounds like Johnson is sticking around in the rotation for the time being, and the healthy Big 3 were announced as the starters for the weekend series, so the earliest May would be called up is Tuesday vs. Cleveland. I would guess that it will be Pino, instead though.

Hmmm...I wonder who's on hand in Denver to clarify the real dope from Gardy's previous quote to the reporter? Whatever the case, it looks like Santana will resume a similar role since before the injury.

While it was previously reported on mlb.com that Danny Santana was working out with the GCL Twins, nothing official was stated by Rob Antony as to when he would begin getting into games: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140710&content_id=84105402&notebook_id=84105404&vkey=notebook_mlb&c_id=mlb Today in the pregame interview sessions, Mike Berardino ( ) is quoting Ron Gardenhire noting that Santana will play 3 or 4 innings with Ft Myers in the FSL tomorrow, Monday, with an ASG day off on Tuesday, and working towards a goal of playing all 9 innings with the Miracle on Thursday. That of course sets up the possibility that he would be ready for a major league recall on Friday, but the Twins have the option of extending his rehab stint for up to 20 days beyond the end of his DL stint of 15 days. Also of interest, but apparently either not asked, or not answered, was what position Santana might be playing during his rehab stint, and what the plans were for Santana upon his assumed return to the Twins.

Vargas came back from paternity leave and played one game on Thursday, when he hit a HR.

Right. The Twins would have been better off if these guys were getting playing time before they actually had established themselves in the upper minors! That the Twins try to obtain value from devalued older players is somehow a fault to be used against them. My comment was in response to this statement about being "extreme": It would be a nice courtesy on your part to acknowledge that I made a direct refutation of what you had said previously. And I've never suggested that anyone should be considered for promotion before demonstrating AA and/or AAA competencies. The question of contention (and I seek to continue the discussion in a much friendlier fashion going forward) that we have then, is boiled down to how the Twins would best be "better off"- if we both acknowledge (and assuming that the Twins surreptitiously acknowledge) that the club is in the 3rd year of a rebuilding plan (that seems destined yet again for 90+ losses)- then Yes, in all close calls (in this case, May/Meyer vs. the rest), they should be leaning towards taking their lumps with younger players that legitimately project to be part of the future, rather than continual forever-repeating-salvage-mode to get back a few nickels here and there by trotting out soon-gone veterans like Morneau, Doumit and Carroll last year (see Red Sox, Boston waiving AJ and Grady...ie, some of the questions on Parmelee and Escobar, plus valuable developmental time, would have been answered a year earlier by giving them more extended looks), and a succession of journeyman AAAA guys (though an inability, not an age, issue, throw Florimon in that latter group, as well), both this year and last year. Again, tying this in with Berrios, based only on what we can currently surmise, in 2016, the Twins will have Nolasco, Hughes (expiring contract), May and Meyer established in the rotation, with the 5th spot being taken by one of the current AAA crew (+ Pino), or, a veteran FA acquisition. If Berrios maintains his current track record in A+ ball, and continues to be one of the top pitchers in AA and AAA, when does he come up, and in what capacity? He would turn 22 in late May of 2016. Should that youthful fact hold him back (especially for an obviously lesser, but more experienced pitcher with no upside), if he continues to demonstrate the same type of mastery, only now at the AAA level? I would defer to the Cardinals on this one, who would likely find a bullpen spot for him, possibly right after the Super 2 date.

Because we're staying on the thread topic here...the title of the thread is Berrios and his "welcome" to AA. This has led to the discussion of promotions in general and age-readiness, as well as if a top prospect can gain more from being challenged at the next level, regardless of age. I then went on record as saying the Twins did this promotion exactly right in terms of balancing all of those variables. And if you go back and check my post, in regards to Berrios, I clearly stated with regards to this date in 2016 as to his potential major league readiness- if he continues his current level of dominance- that's TWO years from now, not one. I'm not sure how that point is in any way "extreme."

N/M

I'm not suggesting that Berrios get promoted faster than he deserves based on how he demonstrates mastery at each successive level. Different clubs promote their best talents differently. Berrios, even if he produces similar numbers in New Britain, as he produced in Ft Myers, still should start out next year in New Britain. But if he continues on this level of production going into 2016 and has had no call-up by this date in July, then the point will remain the same. Now regarding beyond peak year promotions....Bernier, Pino, Colabello, Johnson?

Actually, the Twins didn't follow my view with Hicks or Santana. I urged them in March to let Santana come up to start the season to see if Florimon could get it together in the minors. I also predicted that Hicks was likely to fail initially and bounce back up and down a few times- as it happens to most major league players- and criticized the Twins contemporaneously when they started out 2013 with no Plan B in place (I urged them all off-season to sign one of the veteran CF cheap FAs). As I stated, May and Meyer are the top prospects in the upper level of the Twins system, most other organizations in similar situations get their top pitching prospects to the majors to maximize their peak production years. And I'm actually on Gardy's side regarding Meyer, who publicly stated if he were the one in the decision-making role, he would have started out the season with Meyer in his bullepn.

Arcia is batting .149 with a .458 OPS against LHP- guys have been run out of town who have posted better numbers than that. As bad as Cola is in the OF, it seems like you have to consider putting him out in RF last night and today. But yeah, Curt, "no part of the future" is probably right, and Gardy has been instructed, as such, on when and how much to play Cola.

Another maddening lineup decision. Both for 2013 and this season, as well, Colabello rates the Twin highest by far in HR/FB rate. Why, why indeed, would he be sitting last night and today in the HR/FB capital park of the whole league? And all he's been doing since his recall is hitting big flies for HRs and doubles. Are there instructions from "on-high" to play certain other players, instead?

Now I know why he got the nod over the others...."Consistency".

And that's the reality of the situation if Gardy is still making out the daily lineup card over the life of Suzuki's possible extension, Suzuki would play as much as possible, no matter the numbers, look no further than Gardy purposely finding as many PAs as possible for Doumit last year.

But Bombo, anyone looking to acquire Suzuki is only doing so on the basis of a 2.5 month rental, not based on his current age. It's better to analyze his trading value based on what he's worth as an experienced player at a position of need in that time frame alone. I don't know what comps are out there, but I would think he would have more perceived value to a team with a huge need at catcher coupled with a GM, field manager or coach who has past ties with Suzuki- (or the Dodgers, who apparently love overpaying for catchers ).

That's the point- and there's nothing extreme about it, at all. The organization is on record stating that there's a world of difference between AAA and the majors. When your top prospects are demonstrating that they are among the top performers at a given level and project as major leaguers as potential impact players, the only way to know for certain if they are ready for the jump, is to have them jump. (Witness Santana.) If they have to make a return trip to AAA, so be it- teams do this with top prospects all the time- it's part of the maturation process, there is absolutely nothing extreme about this notion (the mistake with Hicks was when he demonstrated he wasn't ready- and should have been sent down by the end of April,2013, the Twins had no other options available, and Hicks' unreadiness eventually crushed his spirit).