jokin

Based on my explanation before, his age relative to the Eastern League is the least compelling argument for keeping him down. As I stated, physically, he's already in the fully-developed body he's going to have for the rest of his career. But more importantly, his approach at the plate is mature beyond his years, and beyond his relative lack of minor league PAs. Check the Eastern League stats, he ranks at 7th overall in wOBA for the season....and since he flipped the switch on April 20, he's 2nd in the EL to Orioles prospect, Christian Walker, with a 1.067 OPS and .470 wOBA. As Nick Nelson stated in his most recent article, Jason Kubel may very well be on the way out, as early as today. That would make the Twins down a slugging left-handed bat, and they are already down a right-handed bat- Vargas fills both bills! It wouldn't hurt having Vargas one step closer to the majors, especially if Colabello can't get it together at the plate, and/or if Mauer goes down again with his chronic back problem.

Except that's not how it would have played out. Presley would have started the season as the 4th outfielder. Eventually, Hicks' sub-Mendoza BA and OPSing in the .500s still would have led to him being called out by Ron Gardenhire and Rob Antony for poor production and lazy work habits (http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/259382511.html), only with the Presley and Mastro options- it would have happened much sooner. And then Hicks would have been sent down to work on the things he needs to do to be successful- like knowing who the next opposing starting pitcher is, for starters. Meanwhile, Presley's current Astro .250 BA/.629 OPS-ness, coupled with whatever translated to the majors from Mastro's very nice AAA slash of .291/.375/.418/.793 as a backup, would have made the wait for Hicks to get it together to proceed with CF competence and plate mediocrity, to be sure, without much incident or gnashing of teeth- in particular, no Infielders playing Keystone Kops. At least that's how most major league teams would have proceeded.

I think the three day threshold isn't like the 100 pitch threshold for starting pitchers. I have the sneaking suspicion that there was more expert professional medical analysis and study involved in concussion diagnoses and the resumption of physical activity.

To be frank, and for the Twins sake, I'm more frightened by the second injury....but it pays to be cautious with both.

Let's round up the usual suspects.....

I only wish that were so- come on Ol N, do you really believe the Twins are in on this hunt? But...perhaps you're on to something here, though....maybe the Twins see the "solution to the problem" coming from whomever ultimately signs Daniel Carbonell, as that team then likely releases a bargain bin reject for the Twins to scoop up and make their very own.

We've finally got most everyone on the same page, even Antony and Gardy, as they both now agree with their critics, that it's pretty clear that Hicks needs to go to AAA to learn and prepare how to play MLB better, particularly now as he's unilaterally announced that he's a right-hand only batter. The only thing currently stopping them from executing that plan is their own shortsightedness- leading to their extreme shorthandedness in CF.

Is there one Twins fan in the entire world pining for the days of Clete Thomas?

Per Jeff Wilson Ft Worth Star Telegram http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/05/27/5851212/yu-darvish-to-miss-tuesday-start.html While the Rangers are reported to be optimistic about Darvish's quick recovery, I suddenly became more optimistic that the Twins now won't be swept by the Rangers. It will be interesting to see what Big Spot Scott has left in the tank.

D/P

Reasonable take, but really, think back to April 2013....that should have been all the Twins brass needed to know that an extended stay in AAA was mandatory. Sticking him out there day after day would have been spirit-crushing to anybody, accountability-wise, or not. Clearly at that point in time, an extended run or two in AAA was mandatory. And he probably should have stayed down for the 2013 duration, as his minor league career to that point had suggested he should. Unfortunately, Mastro was a 4th OFer, and injury or not, had never demonstrated that he could sustain a major league level of performance over a full season....and we all are trying to forget the Era of Clete. Hicks' current lack of accountability for his actions began when he refused to play winter ball to continue to address his deficiencies. And yes, he was probably mentally fatigued from what went down last year, but still no excuse....practicing bunting with Rod Carew just wasn't going to be sufficent at getting himself where he needed to be, April 1, 2014. This refusal to follow the Twins advice should have been a warning signal to immediately shore up the CF position, beginning October 1, 2013. Still plenty of blame all around.

Incredulous? Do you need actual examples from other teams? I can supply a bushelful. Vargas will be 24 in just 2 months. Is it wrong to have a guy going full-bore in his major league career at ages 25, 26, 27, 28 (ie, his physical peak years) when he's demonstrating minor league competence, other smart teams have the apprenticeship years of many of their top prospects practically completed by age 25. I fear that Vargas won't get serious consideration for even sticking on the roster full-time and just beginning his "apprenticeship" until some time in 2016, just short of his 26th birthday. He's already years behind where Ortiz was called up, I'd like to see him become a stud reminiscent to Ortiz before his 30th birthday, not after (that would put his career track to studliness to around the year 2020). And utmost, I prefer that the Twins pursue all means to avoid their version of the fan-suffering involved in "The Long March" of the prospects, reminiscent to the early 80s and late 90s. Let's increase the pace of the rebuild, severely cut back on the over-30 veteran signings, and turn this thing over to the future team leaders, whomever they turn out to be.

The difference with Arcia versus some of the other young players in recent times (do we really need to say the actual names?) is that, in calling on him to "step up", he appears to be a guy who relishes the "call out"....and more importantly, won't have his spirit crushed if he falls short. If he can get fully healthy with the wrist....as you stated, I think this is the key component- if he has another setback, he may require surgery..... I believe the K% issue will fade away (his minor league numbers were pretty good, considering). And if/when the Twins finally get 3 good defenders out of 4 OFers on the roster, Arcia's defensive deficiencies can be mitigated, and he will be that guy the team looks to to step up, for years to come.

I disagree with you here. Other organizations get their best players in a position to help the team as soon as possible- challenging them at times and pulling them back when it's obvious that pulling back on the reins is warranted, but all along with the intent on maximizing their peak years for the major league team, as is humanly possible. Vargas isn't going to change anymore, physically, his approach at the plate in AA has proven to be very successful, mature to the point of almost being uniquely good. The Twins should have him in a position to take a spot on the big team as the Willinghams, Kubels, Colabellos and Parmelees potentially fall by the wayside, due to whatever circumstance (trade, DFA, retirement or ineffectiveness) makes the move necessary. There is a load of dead weight in Rochester, that wouldn't be missed when Vargas is promoted.

For the record in 2014, Hicks has a slightly higher K-rate batting right-handed, with a much higher BB-rate (7th overall in baseball, @ 16.9%), which has yielded him a .408 OBP batting right handed. These results seem unsustainable if he maintains his current hitting philosophy, especially with the likely steady diet of curveballs that start out right at his head. Hicks is the 2nd most passive player in baseball, with a 34.8% swing rate, even though he's receiving pitches in the zone at around only 1% less than league average (47.8%). Somewhat surprisingly, Hicks is number 2 in change-up percentage received (18.7%), double league average. And this has been a pitch he has had the most success against. One would think that the book will improve on him, resulting in a heavier diet of curves, sliders and down in the zone inside fastballs right in on his fists. Pitch Values Projections | Minor Leagues | Regular Season [TABLE=class: rgMasterTable, width: 978] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray]Season[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray]Team[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wFB[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wSL[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wCT[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wCB[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wCH[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wSF[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wKN[/TH] [TH=class: grid_line_breakh rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wFB/C[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wSL/C[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wCT/C[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wCB/C[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wCH/C[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wSF/C[/TH] [TH=class: rgHeader, bgcolor: gray, align: right]wKN/C[/TH] [TR=class: rgAltRow] [TD=class: grid_line_regular]2013[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular]Twins[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-4.1[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-3.5[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.4[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.9[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]3.3[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]0.1[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]0.5[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_break, align: right]-0.55[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-2.49[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-3.01[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.21[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]1.97[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]0.97[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]10.12[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: rgAltRow] [TD=class: grid_line_regular]2014[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular]Twins[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-4.2[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-0.5[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-0.6[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.1[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]1.9[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]1.5[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-0.4[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_break, align: right]-1.41[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.23[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.98[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.55[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]1.79[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]22.06[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-6.67[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: rgRow grid_total, bgcolor: #E7E7E7] [TD=class: grid_line_regular]Total[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular]- - -[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-8.3[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-4.0[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-2.1[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-3.0[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]5.1[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]1.7[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]0.1[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_break, align: right]-0.80[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-2.20[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-2.60[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]-1.31[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]1.90[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]8.35[/TD] [TD=class: grid_line_regular, align: right]0.96[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

I care, in the context that it kicks out one more rung of support from under the Twins go-slow approach. What are the Twins afraid of? Presumably, they put Vargas on the 40-man roster in the offseason for good reasons.

I would think that Vargas' agent would have a bone to pick with you on this one. And the only way to know "for sure" is to find out, particularly when the player has reached physical maturity, and that mastery has been demonstrated at the current level.

The excuse factory's latest effort (courtesy of Mackey's article): That's what Antony has said regarding the situation recently, I'd say the guy's in over his head, but that might be considered an insult to this guy, who had more Big League experience: http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/auction/images_items/Item_2368_1.jpg

The skies are opening up in the press, the veil has lifted, the Star Trek invisibility cloak is being neutralized. Apparently, The Emperor's New Clothes are now under investigation for fashion fraud. The mass media (or at least Reusse's closest cohorts:roll:) is finding out how much "there" is really "there" at One Twins Way: http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Mackey_The_Twins_are_making_some_bizarre_roster_decisions_this_year052614 http://www.thescore.com/news/508885 Rhett Bollinger ✔ @RhettBollinger Follow Hicks came into Gardenhire's office and said he has no confidence hitting left-handed so he's going to drop switch-hitting. 10:57 AM - 26 May 2014 No follow-up yet on if the inmates are still in charge of the asylum.

Reusse is a master pot-stirrer, he's the journalistic equivalent to Billy Bob Thornton's character, Lorne Malvo, on the wonderful new spinoff of the Coen movie, Fargo . When I heard his unmistakeably cranky and gravelly voice aggresively going after Gardy after Sunday's game, I knew something was in the works. And this time he has "obvious right" on his side, besides. The rotten egg is even on the face of the President of the Club, who had the temerity to question his customers about the importance of the 25th man on the active roster. I hope all of this ends up in some serious soul-searching by ownership and the powers-that-be, there are multiple top-100 prospects in the pipeline who need an active developmental game plan- together with a viable Plan B. This means changes must be implemented, and soon!, be they personnel, philosophical, or both.

...to second-guess with later. (Just kidding;)). Cmon RB. You know it, I know it, this is just simply another aspect to how spectacularly badly this whole thing has been bungled from Day 1 in 2013. That this Hicks decision totally came out of Left...er...Center Field, just this morning- from a guy clearly desperate, and hasn't been actively contemplated and tried out in the minors on the part of the Twins before this, is solely on the Twins organization.

Patrick Reusse started stirring things up about the Twins OF situation this weekend in San Francisco, it's now becoming clear that Patrick is employing his cats paws, first LEN3 in the post-game summary, and now Chip Scoggins, to continue to stir things up, Twins-related in print at the Strib: *Yeah Gardy, no kidding. Scoggins looked to balance out the story with a ray of hope- uncluttering his mind seems plausibly encouraging from Bruno , but ultimately Scoggins left the reader with little confidence, an example from Little League? Really?: http://m.startribune.com/sports/?id=260711051&c=y

That there are multiple players on the 40 man who are not ready to play upper-level minor league ball, let alone major league ball, is a whole different problem with the Twins roster construction.

Vargas is older than Arcia and he's a grown man. And he's been adjusting and staying well ahead of EL pitchers since April 20. His K%=BB% since that date- both very, very good numbers at 12.4%, and his splits have remained consistently solid, as well. And he's doing it without support in the NB lineup. AA is supposed to be a potential launching pad to the major leagues for some prospects. He's ready to move up to AAA.

I don't think that is in any way what the commenter said.