Ted Schwerzler

You get it, and that's a great thing. Too many people see it as Hicks is a deterrent to Buxton. Instead, if Hicks works out, the Twins have yet another quality option to go ALONG WITH Buxton. I believe that yes Hicks is out of options after this season, and he would then need to clear waivers. Regardless, there's no doubt this is a prove it or move on situation. It's his last chance. I think there's reason to believe he figures it out, but we shall see soon.

Last night former first round draft pick, Aaron Hicks, got the call from the Minnesota Twins. While it isn't his first rodeo in the big leagues, there's no doubt this time signifies what might be the most important. After playing 27 games at the Triple-A level and batting .336/.415/.561, Minnesota saw fit to improve their outfield by bringing Hicks back into the fold. With more weighing on Hicks this time around, there's also plenty of reason to believe things click. Although he was the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft, Hicks took a more accelerated route to the big leagues than would have been expected. Despite playing five seasons in the minors, his best season at the plate saw him hit .318/.409/.491 in Rookie ball immediately after being drafted. A strong 2013 spring training, combined with the Twins dealing both Denard Span and Ben Revere, had Hicks being promoted directly from Double-A. After 150 games of struggle at the big league level, it was apparent a new approach was needed with Hicks. Last season, the Twins demoted Hicks from the major leagues to Double-A. Playing in 43 games for Double-A New Britain in 2014, Hicks batted .297/.404/.466 and once again looked the part of an exciting prospect. Hicks was promoted to Triple-A Rochester, and for the first time in his career, played through Double and Triple-A in succession. Expected to come into the 2015 season with the starting centerfield job his to lose once again, the Twins opted to go a different direction. With returns in spring training not being where the club wanted, Paul Molitor brought both Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson north. A confusing decision at the time, there's no doubt that Hicks made the most of his time in Triple-A. Abusing opposing pitchers while being the offensive catalyst for the Red Wings in 2015, Hicks no doubt earned his most recent promotion back to the big leagues. Now in line for the starting centerfield role for the forseeable future, the Twins are hopeful they can begin to watch their outfield unfold. Hicks will immediately bring not only an offensive boost, but also defensive help, to a lackluster outfield. He presents opportunity for a Twins team in a good spot, to reach even new heights. The Twins hope is that Hicks will play his way into their future plans. There's little doubt that Byron Buxton is eventually going to take over the centerfield role for the Twins. He's the number one prospect in all of baseball, and he's looked the part at every level. Buxton and Hicks are mutually exclusive however, in that the success of each of them would be huge for the Twins. Casting aside Hicks' previous struggles (remember, he's in uncharted territory now having excelled at each level of the farm system in order), a solid start for Hicks makes him an ideal corner fit for the Twins. Hicks has a plus arm, and could profile nicely in right field down the line. Minnesota is no doubt enjoying the success that the 2015 season has brought them in the early going, but this team is built to contend for years to come. The hope would no doubt be that an outfield of Oswaldo Arcia, Byron Buxton, and Aaron Hicks would be the configuration for many years to come. Adding in Eddie Rosario as a 4th option would only further the talent that the Twins could employ out of the gate next season. The Minnesota Twins, Aaron Hicks, and most everyone sees this as a last shot for the former first round pick, but smart money may be on the player. Hicks has shown plenty of reason to believe in him, and for the sake of an improved outfield going forward, the hope would be that it all comes full circle. For more from Off the Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

You bring up a lot of solid points, and I think the answers are more than just straightforward. There's no doubt some turnover should be happening right now. In spite of poor play from guys like Jordan Schafer and Chris Herrmann, the team is winning. To me, bringing up both Hicks and Pinto on an off day like today would make so much sense. Bolstering a lineup producing outside of its means before it starts to regress is something that should be considered. Working in Rosario shouldn't be a concern. While there's been glimpses, he's now hitting around .250 and looks every bit overmatched as his Triple-A numbers would have indicated. As far as short, it's less a mess than one single stat can dictate. Santana leads the league in errors, but unlike Ian Desmond, Santana has been extremely valuable range wise. Twins ground ball pitchers (Gibson and Pelfrey) have benefited because of how good the infield has been at getting to balls. Escobar and Satana need a better approach at the plate, but Santana's errors aren't really a glaring issue right now. The winning can continue as is, but it has a much better chance of sustainability if roster moves are made BEFORE things trend south.

Santana has never been a prototypical leadoff guy because he doesn't take walks. Last year, everything was inflated due to the .400+ BABIP. That said, him in the nine hole has been perfect, and is a spot he should continue to thrive. I'm not a huge fan of Dozier as the leadoff hitter, but right now it might be the best case scenario. He's a solid OBP guy, but his power should be with at least a guy or two in front of him. Until Molitor decides he's ok with speed not being the biggest leadoff demand and puts Mauer there, or Buxton is promoted, Dozier makes sense. No matter what, it has been nice to see Paul shuffle things around to get this team going.

With the Minnesota Twins getting their first off day since April 23, the team is no doubt in a good spot. Owners of an 18-14 record, and finding themselves just 2.5 games back in the AL Central, the break provides a perfect opportunity to set things up going forward. With some key games upcoming, and the club looking to stay on the right side of the win column, there's a few key areas of focus for the team as the season goes on. Coming off of a 2014 season in which the Twins offense produced a top 10 number in the runs scored category, there was little reason to worry about how this team would score. Although regression was bound to set in for players such as Kurt Suzuki and Danny Santana (and it has), there has been a handful of key contributors that have picked up the slack. However, going forward, there's no doubt the Twins will need to combat continued regression with timely additions. In the outfield, it's become way past time for Minnesota to make the call for Aaron Hicks. Regardless of his previous major league track record, he's more than earned his way back. Slashing .330/.412/.553 at Triple-A Rochester, and bringing strong defense to the outfield, he's an asset the Twins currently don't have. Shane Robinson and Jordan Schafer currently own a combined .603 OPS for the Twins, while Hicks has a stout .965 number. Even in past struggles, Hicks has always gotten on base, and he could provide some added firepower to the back of the Twins lineup. With the off day prior to kicking off a series with the Tigers, there's no better time than now for the move to be made. Much like Hicks, Josmil Pinto has all but proven himself at the Triple-A level as well. Assumed by many that he was left off of the Opening Day roster due to a late spring injury, the stay in Triple-A has been longer than expected. Now the owner of an impressive .303/.398/.438 line complete with three home runs and 14 runs batted in, Minnesota's lineup would only benefit from his inclusion. Despite his deficiencies behind the plate, Pinto would be a vast offensive upgrade over the Twins current options. Chris Herrmann owns a .179 average across 11 games, and Kurt Suzuki has started off the season batting just .233 in 26 contests. The Twins making an addition from within would no doubt be beneficial to them. Looking past offensive upgrades, there's no doubt that the Twins need to continue to refine their pitching outlook. Over the course of their last 13 games, the Twins starters own just a 4.74 K/9 combined with a 2.31 BB/9. Considering the defensive liabilities, Twins pitchers are still making their defense work incredibly too hard. Although Phil Hughes has actually started 2015 off on a better foot than he did 2014, he's gone back to being home run prone. After giving up just 16 home runs in 32 starts a season ago, he has already surrendered 9 long balls in just seven starts this season. As would be expected, the Twins have struggled to win games in which their pitchers have given up home runs. Knowing that the rotation will be afforded the opportunity to insert Ervin Santana in July, there's plenty of reason to hope the current construction can hold until then. Mike Pelfrey has been the clubs best starter despite owning a 4.64 FIP (fielding independent pitching) against a 2.62 ERA. Where it stands currently, Pelfrey finds himself owning the 10th best ERA in the American League. With his FIP suggesting regression is coming, the Twins need someone else to step up. Conversely, Ricky Nolasco owns a 3.69 FIP and a 9.00 ERA across his first three starts. The FIP mark checks in as the fourth lowest across his 10 year major league career. Assuming he continues to pitch as he has, better days should lie ahead for Nolasco, and he could become an asset in the current rotation. Although Minnesota has started out hot, they have just one series win against a team with a record over .500 (Kansas City). Getting ready for a three game set against the Detroit Tigers in which they miss David Price, there's no doubt a series victory would be a big boost to the club's future prospectus. Following up the Tigers series with winnable contests against the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota finds themselves in a position to continue the narrative of beating the teams that they should. Looking ahead, there's little reason to suggest that this team should be viewed in the same context of those in recent memory. While losing 90 games last year, the Twins found themselves competitive early. The difference this time around is that the hammer shouldn't be expected to fall. With plenty of internal options at hand to supplement what is already an improved major league squad, this team should remain relevant and competitive going forward. Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan must continue to stack the deck in their favor, and key roster decisions and moves will pave the way for that to take place. For more from Off The Baggy click here. Follow @tlschwerz

70-92, 66-96, 66-96, 63-99, those are the records of the Minnesota Twins over the past four seasons. At the end of 2014, Terry Ryan fired longtime manager Ron Gardenhire, and the Twins appeared determined to make a turnaround. While just a month into 2015, comments suggesting the Twins are lackluster and bad continue to be tossed around by the uninformed fan.It's time to realize the suggestion sounds clueless, and this club is proving you couldn't be more wrong. As things stand, the Minnesota Twins are currently 13-12 on the year. They are sitting in third place in the AL Central and are just 3.5 games out of first place in the division. After experiencing a -20 run differential and starting the season off on a 1-6 note, the club battled through a divisional-tilted schedule in April, and is ready to make some waves. Despite having an atrocious pitching staff, and less than ideal outfield defense in 2014, the Twins were amongst the best in major leagues when it came to scoring runs. Thanks to uncharacteristic performances from Kurt Suzuki and Danny Santana, Minnesota was buoyed by less than predictable contributors. In 2015, the outfield defense remains a work in progress, the pitching isn't yet top-tier, and the offense has clicked. While the formula sounds the same, the result is trending in a completely opposite direction. Twins teams of recent years haven't watched their records race towards 90 losses until the heat of the summer begins. As the season progresseg, the Twins generally dealt with declining play and injuries that have forced them into the doldrums of the AL Central. This time around, the 2015 version isn't waiting for the bottom to drop out, but instead, for it -- their season--to rise to the top. Regression was to be expected on offense this season with a handful of players. As noted, Suzuki and Santana were key contributors a year ago, and likely would not repeat their performances. Santana struggled early and has since rebounded to a certain extent, while Suzuki continues to scuffle at the plate. Despite their less than ideal contributions, the Twins have seen positives from a handful of other players. Joe Mauer looks himself once again, Trevor Plouffe is off to a blazing start, and the lineup as a whole has held its own. Outside of what is happening at the major league level, the Twins have some significant positives when it comes to depth. Top prospect Byron Buxton has bounced back from a slow start and has been absolutely on fire of late. While he still isn't likely an option until late summer at the earliest, Aaron Hicks has looked great for Triple-A Rochester. Missing out on the Opening Day roster, Josmil Pinto has positioned himself well in Rochester as well, and has turned his bat into a real asset. On the mound, Alex Meyer has struggled more often than not, but the Twins have plenty of options. Tommy Milone is a quality arm now on the farm, and he's joined by a lights out Taylor Rogers. Jose Berrios has continued to impress in the early going as well. No matter which way you cut it, the Twins depth from within this season is in a great place. Previous losing seasons have been book-ended by periods of competence and an unavoidable bottom falling out. This season, the Twins have the security blankets to make sure their current level of play remains at a consistent level throughout the season. Adding prospects along the way, as well as the eventual addition of Ervin Santana, Minnesota will continue to turn heads. It has become time to put the past four season of futility in the past and stop referring to this current club as a band of misfits. They've played their way into relevance, and the future prospectus is trending in an upward direction. Understand that this team isn't cut from the same cloth, and be better for it. Click here to view the article

At the end of the 2014 Major League Baseball season, and consequently the Twins fourth consecutive with 90 losses, the organization decided to relieve skipper Ron Gardenhire of his duties. After being the head of the clubhouse in Minnesota for 13 seasons, it was decided that Terry Ryan would be going a new direction. After interviewing everyone from Chip Hale to Doug Mientkiewicz, the Twins found their heir apparent in Paul Molitor. Now with his first month under his belt, it appears a new era has been ushered in. While it might be nice to immediately point to the fact that Molitor helped the Twins reached a record of three games over .500 for the first time since 2010, it's far to early to start suggesting what will be made of the 2015 season. Knowing that the club has played a handful of AL Central opponents and has remained competitive is a good start, but there's far more factors at play when looking at Molitor's influence. For the Twins, there's no doubt that the continuing trend this season will be that process should drive results. In baseball, managers have a significantly lesser effect on the game than say a head coach in football, there's little denying that. However, knowing that the effect is seen only in short bursts, it is up to the manager to make the right decisions, at the right times, to put their respective ball club in the best position to succeed. With Gardy at the helm for 13 years, the Twins rarely reinvented themselves, and the style of the man in charge became widely apparent. Because of that, it is in Molitor's early actions that evidence of new thought processes have already grown prevalent. Through the first month of the season, Molitor has shown little regard to keeping things certain. One of the most glaring areas of example may be the batting order. Having shuffled it on nearly a bi-nightly basis, Molitor has pushed his team from a -20 run differential through their first seven games, to a +13 mark as of May 8. Deciding to move on from the strikeout prone Danny Santana as the leadoff guy, pushing Trevor Plouffe into the cleanup hole, and jump-starting Kennys Vargas after a short benching have all been positive situations. Turning attention to the pitching mound, Gardenhire and Rick Anderson became frustratingly stubborn late in their tenure with the Twins. For all the positives they had both given the organization over the years, they were seemingly set against better judgement the past few seasons. A struggling pitcher was left in too long, bullpen usage became questionable, and runs against totals went through the roof. With Molitor at the helm, the change has already been more than apparent. Forget the fact that Glen Perkins has been used for four-out saves (which makes so much sense!), but there's also the examples of Molitor realizing his starters end. While the bullpen is a pieced together hodgepodge in its current state, there's no doubt Molitor has navigated it wonderfully. Making sure to go get starters before they do themselves in, and working to put relievers in consistently workable situations, the Twins have actually benefited from their own decision making far more often than not. For Minnesota to fully feel the addition of Paul Molitor as their manager, a full season worth of information is going to need to be gathered. In the early going however, there's no doubt that Molitor has made strides with a team not currently at its peak, void of some superior options, and looking to squeeze out every advantage it can. Prior to his hiring, Molitor was described as an elite baseball mind, and it's hard to argue otherwise at this point. For more from Off the Baggy click here. Follow @tlschwerz

A lot has been made about FIP and quality of opponents early on. Both are solid talking points, and both can be viewed as a double sided situation. Regarding pitchers and FIP, ground ball guys are benefiting early and that shouldn't change. Conversely, fly ball pitchers are getting burnt early, and that may actually change. The outfield defense was expected to be bad, but it's hard to see Aaron Hicks and eventually Byron Buxton not making a significant impact. As far as beating lesser opponents, it's best to remember baseball is a grind. With a 162 game schedule, there's nothing more important than beating the teams that you absolutely should beat. The Twins in recent years have failed to do this, and the problem only compounds as you lose to teams that are a bit better. Continuing to beat those you should, and stealing games from those you shouldn't, is a good recipe for success.

While that is something to be considered, a significant part of being a respectable team in the major leagues is beating the teams you should. That's something the Twins have failed to do in recent seasons.

Now into the second month of the 2015 major league baseball season, the Minnesota Twins have just under 30 games under their belt. Looking at the landscape of the season that is to come, they've completed roughly one-fifth of their slate, and played through the month of April against foes coming largely from the AL Central. At 15-13 as of May 6, and just 2.5 games out of first in the Central Division, things are in a good place. Now the question is, should we take this Twins team seriously?After starting 1-6 through on the season, and seeing plenty of misguided "the sky is falling" type comments, the Twins have turned it around big time. Winners of 11 of 16 games at home, they currently own the best home record in the America League. After being -20 early in the season in the run differential category, Minnesota is now +12 in that department (trailing only the Royals, Yankees and Astros). With plenty of time left until the heat of the summer, Minnesota has plenty of time to continue to shape their 2015 narrative. Taking a look at previous opening day Twins rosters (check them out here at Twinkie Town, Jesse does a great job with these), there had been a looming cloud for the past four seasons. With plenty of areas for concern, and few alternative options, the question was always when would the bottom fall out. Last season, the Twins hung around longer than expected, and even made the move to add Kendrys Morales to the lineup. The eventual result in recent seasons has always been a late summer slide that has turned into uninspired September baseball. With Paul Molitor in his first season, this club looks poised to turn the corner. Arguably one of the worst lineups the Twins have put on the field during 2015, Molitor went with Eduardo Escobar, Chris Herrmann, and Shane Robinson as his 5-7 hitters against the Athletics last night. While Herrmann went hitless, Escobar paced the lineup, and the team hung a 13 spot on Oakland. Although that's obviously an isolated example, the fact of the matter is that this team has battled in the early going, and has found ways to get it done. When the summer months roll around, and this team is looking for an added jolt, there doesn't seem to be a point where the bottom should drop out. Guys like Herrmann, Eduardo Nunez, Jordan Schafer, and Shane Robinson are all replaceable from within the organization, and their eventual removal should be a net positive. Getting a hot-hitting Josmil Pinto, Aaron Hicks, or even Byron Buxton into the lineup should only give the Twins a better chance on a nightly basis. With the lineup producing where it is, it might be best to remember that everything begins and ends with pitching. Sure, the Twins haven't lit the world on fire, but Trevor May, Mike Pelfrey and Kyle Gibson have all been nice surprises in the early going. If this club can continue to pitch at a respectable level, they should expect to be in games on a night basis. There's no doubt the AL Central will continue to be one of the toughest divisions throughout the remainder of the season. I find it hard to believe that the White Sox and Indians will continue to be as bad as they have been, as well as believing the Royals and Tigers won't be as good as they have started. If Minnesota can continue to stay even-keeled, there's no doubt they'll be in a position to make some waves come September. It's early, but it's time to stop comparing this team to the poor teams that have come before it. This roster is cut from a different cloth, and the performance has warranted a new tide of optimism. There's no doubt this Twins team is capable of continuing to make believers out of people. Click here to view the article

4yrs $49 million.... :/

I think you're on par with the expectation that they continue to hover around the .500 mark. They have pieces, and there's guys that aren't currently where they should be. Adding Hicks, Pinto, Meyer, etc along the way should only help to improve this team. As far as pitching against Detroit, I'm still not a believer in that rotation. Price is solid, and then it drops off. With that bullpen, they are definitely beatable. This club would be hoping for a wild card run at the end of the season at best though.

You're probably selling yourself somewhere in between what has been, and what is uncertain for what's to come. The Twins have not been good at all on the mound, but this team is not far from average. Combining that with an offense that should be right around where it is, they are in a position to continue to play at a competitive clip for a while.

Bored, that's subjective, but there's no doubt a challenge can seem menial when there's no end. I'd rather not call him up to the pen until he flames out as a starter. I think you almost have to give him the next look though.

Now into the second month of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins have just under 30 games under their belt. Looking at the landscape of the season that is to come, they've completed roughly one-fifth of their slate, and played through the month of April against foes coming largely from the AL Central. At 15-13 as of May 6, and just 2.5 games out of first in the Central Division, things are in a good place. Now the question is, should we take this Twins team seriously? After starting 1-6 through on the season, and seeing plenty of misguided "the sky is falling" type comments, the Twins have turned it around big time. Winners of 11 out of 16 games at home, they currently own the best home record in the America League. After being -20 early in the season in the run differential category, Minnesota is now +12 in that department (trailing only the Royals, Yankees, and Astros). With plenty of time left until the heat of the summer, Minnesota has plenty of time to continue to shape their 2015 narrative. Taking a look at previous Opening Day Twins rosters (check them out here at Twinkie Town, Jesse does a great job with these), there's been a looming cloud for the past four seasons. With plenty of areas for concern, and few alternative options, the question was always when would the bottom fall out. Last season, the Twins hung around longer than expected, and even made a move to add Kendrys Morales into the lineup. The eventual result in recent seasons has always been a late summer slide that has turned into uninspired September baseball. With Paul Molitor in his first season, this club looks poised to turn the corner. Arguably one of the worst lineups the Twins have put on the field during 2015, Molitor went with Eduardo Escobar, Chris Herrmann, and Shane Robinson as his 5-7 hitters against the Athletics last night. While Herrmann went hitless, Escobar paced the lineup, and the team hung a 13 spot on Oakland. Although that's obviously an isolated example, the fact of the matter is that this team has battled in the early going, and has found ways to get it done. When the summer months roll around, and this team is looking for an added jolt, there doesn't seem to be a point where the bottom should drop out. Guys like Herrmann, Eduardo Nunez, Jordan Schafer, and Shane Robinson are all replaceable from within the organization, and their eventual removal should be a net positive. Getting a hot hitting Josmil Pinto, Aaron Hicks, or even Byron Buxton into the lineup should only give the Twins a better chance on a nightly basis. With the lineup producing where it is, it might be best to remember that everything begins and ends with pitching. Sure, the Twins haven't lit the world on fire, by Trevor May, Mike Pelfrey, and Kyle Gibson have all been nice surprises in the early going. If this club can continue to pitch at a respectable level, they should expect to be in games on a night basis. There's no doubt the AL Central will continue to be one of the toughest divisions throughout the remainder of the season. I find it hard to believe that the White Sox and Indians will continue to be as bad as they have been, as well as believing the Royals and Tigers won't be as good as they have started. If Minnesota can continue to stay even keel, there's no doubt they'll be in a position to make some waves come September. It's early, but it's time to stop comparing this team to the futility that has come before it. This roster is cut from a different cloth, and the performance has warranted a new line of optimism. There's no doubt this Twins team is capable of continuing to make believers out of people.

Before the 2013 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins dealt talented outfielders Denard Span and Ben Revere to new organizations. In sending Revere to the Philadelphia Phillies, Ruben Amaro gave the Twins two pitchers in return. One was a former rookie phenom in TrevVance Worley, but the bigger chip was perceived to be prospect Trevor May. With Span being dealt for Alex Meyer from the Washington Nationals organization that same summer, the two prospects would forever be linked. The book has already been written in regards to what the Twins would eventually get out of Worley. Having been a key piece of their immediate rotation, and then going on to be a complete bust, he has since resumed his career in Pittsburgh with the Pirates. The two prospects however were always thought to be the prize. Meyer was regarded as a front of the rotation arm that could really bring it, and May was seen as a solid middle of the rotation contributor. Now a few years later, it's May who has spent time in the big leagues with Meyer still on the farm. It might be fair to ask whether or not May is laying out the blueprint for the Twins and Meyer though. May was a 4th round draft pick out of high school, and played in parts of seven minor league seasons. He made his major league debut with the Twins down the stretch in 2014 and he struggled mightily. Over the course of his minor league career however, he owned 4.4 BB/9 and 10.5 K/9 ratios. His 3.90 minor league ERA wasn't going to set the world on fire, and a 1.341 WHIP left something to be desired. After looking strong for the majority of the 2014 season however, the Twins gave him his chance. In 2014, May started nine games for the Twins and owned a 7.88 ERA, far from where you'd like a pitcher to sit at. He competed in spring training before the 2015 season, and ultimately lost out on the 5th starter role. Injuries then vaulted him into the starting rotation in April, and since, he has been a completely different pitcher. A 4.15 ERA is a significant change, but the 3.05 ERA following his first start, has really gotten him in his groove. Owning a 2.65 FIP (fielding independent pitching) mark, as well as 6.9 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 ratios, seems to look like he's almost reinvented himself. There's little reason to believe that Meyer is knocking on the door of the major leagues, he's been up and down in most of his starts for Triple-A Rochester in 2015. However, outside of a hot streak in 2014, May allowed the jury to be mostly out on him as well. Looking at how May has transformed and transitioned to the big league game, Meyer could potentially fit the same mold. A first round draft pick out of Kentucky, Meyer is 25 and has pitched in four professional seasons. He's compiled a 3.32 ERA with a 1.285 WHIP and owns 10.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 ratios. While indicative of a better track record than May, it's Meyer's recent output that has burned him. In 2015, Meyer has thrown to a 5.61 ERA, 1.792 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, and 6.3 BB/9. Hard to categorize as anything less than a debacle, it might be time that Meyer is actually getting bored with his current level. Sure, it's a brazen thing to suggest, but there's no doubt that at a point, development and advancement intersect. Meyer has struggled with his command over the course of his professional career, but has also shown periods of dominance. Having posted three seasons of ERA's under 3.52, it may be worth seeing if Meyer can make the same strides as May. While potentially unconventional, working through some struggles at the major league level may make some sense. After all, May owned what was considered far from pinpoint accuracy on the farm, and is now posting the best numbers of his career. There's no doubt that Alex Meyer is waiting for his opportunity, and the Twins are hoping he claims it. For an organization that has made more than questionable roster decisions due to tenure or scholarship senses previously, they may have reached a territory where a 6'9" sized gamble makes sense. For more from Off The Baggy click here. Follow @tlschwerz

I'd argue that struggling is what he has done at Triple-A. So if you assume that his sub .300 OBP on the farm is the ceiling at the MLB level, somewhere around a .250 OBP would be nothing short of a train wreck. There's not much to gain for a young player to go up and be completely overmatched. If he competes, sure, he could take something from it. Right now though, that would appear to be a relatively big if.

While that's fair and an understandable sentiment in theory, it's also best to remember as a first year manager, there's going to be some puzzling decisions as well. In all actuality, roster moves aren't going to be solely his discretion anyways.

I'm not sure that's necessarily a logical train of thinking.

Yesterday the Minnesota Twins found themselves in need of another body as they were set to put Oswaldo Arcia on the disabled list. While Arcia sounds hopeful that he will just miss two weeks, the Twins needed a replacement for the immediate future. Despite Arcia being an outfielder, Paul Molitor noted that the Twins considered names such as Aaron Hicks, Eddie Rosario, and Josmil Pinto. When the dust settled, it was Rosario called up to make his big league debut. Now we have to ask, are the Twins in a spot to do more harm than good? Positionally, Arcia is a corner outfielder. He plays left field for the Twins, and occasionally is forced to deal with the overhang and difficult wall in right field. While Hicks is a centerfielder by trade, it's pretty obvious that Byron Buxton will force whomever to his corners at some point. Rosario has played all over the outfield, but typically calls left his home. Looking at that information, it would appear that Rosario is in fact the only one not making a change in positioning. In bringing Rosario up though, the Twins have a few questions to answer. Playing at Triple-A for the first time in his career, Rosario has just 23 games under his belt above the Double-A level. The 23 year or has never been an uber-prospect, but did find himself ranked 60th by Baseball Prospectus on the 2014 prospect rankings. After a 50-game drug-related suspension last year, Rosario has worked to get his career back on track. That work however is what leads us to the biggest question marks in regards to the Twins latest roster decision. Returning from his suspension in 2014, Rosario went on to hit just .243/.286/.387. As a career .291/.340/.480 hitter across six professional seasons, those numbers are down significantly. Adding in the fact that 2015 has seen him hit just .242/.280/.379, there has to be some reason for concern. Cold Omaha's Brandon Warne went as far as noting that those outside the organization fear Rosario's current approach won't handle big league pitching, and it's apparent he's scuffling at Triple-A. Warne said, "I have been told by non-Twins people he isn't ready. He won't handle heat due to the load in his swing." So if Rosario with Rosario being called up, it has to mean that Hicks is in a similar boat correct? Well, Hicks has actually performed extremely well for Triple-A Rochester this season. He's currently slashing .289/.375/.494 and has hit well since his demotion in 2014. His defense would immediately slot in as the best of the Twins outfield options, and he has plus speed as well. Despite being a centerfielder, either Jordan Schafer or Shane Robinson could slide over to left field to fill Arcia's shoes. With that much going for Hicks, what's the thinking here? At this point, I have to think the Twins see Arcia's injury as a very temporary issue. While that is somewhat of a gamble, it looks to be the operating thought process. If Minnesota does in fact believe that Arcia will just miss two weeks, that gives them time to see Rosario at the big league level and send him back down. There's no doubt that Hicks has struggled at the major league level, and despite the indicators suggesting he should be a different player this time around, I doubt the Twins want to call him up without the intention of him staying for good. The troubling part in this equation is that while Rosario may get a fun two week audition in, what could it potentially do to him as a player? As it stands, there's very few indicators suggesting that Rosario can handle the big leagues. Sure, he was good this past fall in the Arizona Fall League, but he's struggled at both Double and Triple-A since returning from suspension. He's not an on base guy, and his defense projects somewhere around Schafer's (so mediocre at best). If Rosario comes up for a two week stint, and the Twins plan on playing him (as they should if he's here), being overmatched could be a significant detriment to his confidence going forward. It would appear he has plenty to work on down on the farm, and throwing him against even worse odds isn't going to do any wonders for his development. I'm not ready to suggest that the Twins have given up on Hicks, I would hope they haven't made that mistake. I'm also not so certain that even this small sampling of what could be an exciting player is the right move. It's been apparent over the past few years that while slow playing certain levels, an immediate jump hurt Twins prospects to a certain extent (ask Hicks or the now struggling Kennys Vargas). Bringing Rosario up for a two week period to see what you have before he's ready could end up doing more damage than good. He's yet to enter the lineup, but that should change soon, and let's hope things don't go downhill. For more from Off the Baggy click here. Follow @tlschwerz

I'd definitely be in agreement with this as well. I think Vargas could immediately benefit from going down, but the Twins seem reluctant to shake his confidence. Vargas collecting hits over the past couple of games only complicates things. I'd agree however that Herrmann hitting in a small sample size shouldn't allow him to stick on a roster he wasn't expected to make in the first place.

Sorry, definitely a typo there. Meant to say he was caught stealing twice on the season. Agreed however that he brings very little value to this club. With Hicks looking like an ideal CF option at Triple-A, the Twins should be considering their 4th OF options. With Robinson hitting and defensively sound, he is much more of an asset than anything Schafer has brought to the table.