Article: Eddie Rosario Promoted To Twins; Arcia Placed On DL

[dougd]

Rosario also had a terrible winter league performance after his suspension. He was frequently cited in the Who's not hot winter league reports from BP. He then reported very late to spring training, with permission, and I had the impression it was not just due to the 50 game suspension. Something was going on that we don't know about. Maybe it was all his own doing, maybe it was family or other issues that anyone would have difficulty dealing with.  Hopefully the FO is justified in believing he is now ready.

[TheLeviathan]

Love it!  I hope he's in the lineup tomorrow, will give me another reason to tune in and see how the kid does.

[Madre Dos]

Good Luck Eddie! Another of my 2011 kids makes it to the Big Show! Now I just have to wait on Miguel.

[Shane Wahl]

 

cant it start with 12 and go from there? I guess I would give a little more weight to 12 games in May than 12 games in March. And besides Hicks and Rosario aren't the same. One may react differently than the other. For all we know some extended time in AAA could help Hicks right his ship and still become a very valuable every day CF or 4th OF, and Rosario could take over every day CF duties from day one.

 

All I am actually saying is that he hasn't even done well at all beyond A+ ball besides a good AFL showing in the fall. It would be hard to imagine a scenario where he does all that well in MLB given the struggles in AA and AAA over the past 10 months.

[JB_Iowa]

http://m.1500espn.com/pages/sportswire.php?sID=13742

 

Fascinating read from Derek Wetmore on the decision. I thought the part about why the slight delay discussed at the end of the article was really interesting and very sensitive to these young kids.

[Shane Wahl]

 

http://m.1500espn.com/pages/sportswire.php?sID=13742

Fascinating read from Derek Wetmore on the decision. I thought the part about why the slight delay discussed at the end of the article was really interesting and very sensitive to these young kids.

 

Great article. It is pretty clear that this is a two-week thing, but also that Molitor's history with Rosario means something. 

[Danchat]

I think this is a good move. Arcia's injury isn't a major one and he'll probably be ready after 2-3 weeks. So why not give Eddie Rosario a cup of coffee and see how he does in the majors? He'll probably end up getting shipped back down to AAA when Arcia's ready, but that's fine. Rosario could turn out like Santana and Vargas and force his way onto the roster - and that'd be fine, too.

 

I guess for Hicks, when he comes up, it's time he stays up. I see him replacing either Robinson or Schafer, and if one of them are DFA'd, they may not make it through waivers and we'd lose a little depth, meaning that Hicks would need to play well enough to stay on the major league roster.

[bird]

 

Now that the team got above .500, I guess it's time to "right the ship" and promote the MiLers.

 

 

Is this a complaint? If so, of what?

[Hrbowski]

With Hunter, Schafer, and Robinson getting hot the Twins will have some hard decisions to make if he hits the ground running like Santana and Vargas did.

[bird]

 

Well, what about the sizable sample size from Eddie Rosario over the last year, aside from moderate success in the AFL!?

Anyway, I have said here or elsewhere that I understand the move instead of Hicks. 

 

We have to keep in mind that these decisions are not made strictly on the basis of the box scores. The field staff at Rochester weighed in certainly, as did Ryan and perhaps others in the front office. Molitor likely voiced an opinion as well.

 

Edit: Ah, Wetmore's interview sheds real light, doesn't it? It's so nice to get some solid journalism on a more frequent basis from some of our newer mainstream guys.

[stringer bell]

 

Great article. It is pretty clear that this is a two-week thing, but also that Molitor's history with Rosario means something. 

Very interesting piece.  A catcher  call-up would have meant an expanded role for Herrmann.  I'd rather see Rosario.  Hope he gets three hits tomorrow.

[h2oface]

Great entry by Gleeman on this. It really reinforced my opinion on the matter and that it is a real head-scratcher.

 

http://aarongleeman.com/2015/05/05/twins-bypass-aaron-hicks-for-eddie-rosario-to-replace-oswaldo-arcia/

 

 

[USAFChief]

Baffling.

[USAFChief]

We have to keep in mind that these decisions are not made strictly on the basis of the box scores. The field staff at Rochester weighed in certainly, as did Ryan and perhaps others in the front office. Molitor likely voiced an opinion as well.

 

Edit: Ah, Wetmore's interview sheds real light, doesn't it? It's so nice to get some solid journalism on a more frequent basis from some of our newer mainstream guys.

Sometimes, though, they seem to make these decisions strictly NOT on the basis of box scores.

 

I doubt there's another organization that does the same thing here.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

http://m.1500espn.com/pages/sportswire.php?sID=13742

Fascinating read from Derek Wetmore on the decision. I thought the part about why the slight delay discussed at the end of the article was really interesting and very sensitive to these young kids.

Fantastic. Any Twins fan that isn't reassured by that article has an irrational dislike of the front office. That was a well-reasoned, rational way to approach the situation and a good reminder that MiLB box scores don't tell us everything about a player.

 

We need more articles like that when the Twins make a move that isn't completely logical on paper; real insight into their methodology and thinking. In this particular case, it's hard to argue that this wasn't the right move.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Sometimes, though, they seem to make these decisions strictly NOT on the basis of box scores.

I doubt there's another organization that does the same thing here.

Oh boy, I can't disagree with that last statement enough. As the article implies, I think this move was equally about Hicks building confidence and Rosario's daily work ethic and the thinking behind this move is sound reasoning.

 

This front office has horribly mismanaged Hicks for two years. We should applaud them for doing the right thing by the kid and letting him get his feet under him before exposing him to MLB pitching again. The kid was so completely lost that he gave up switch-hitting and didn't tell his coach. Give him more than 2-3 weeks to build up some confidence before throwing him to the wolves again. The Twins should have been playing the long game with Hicks in 2013 after his first failure. Instead, they continued to jerk him around and he failed everywhere he went. The best thing for his long-term development is being in a place where he can get his head right and once he does that, maybe he has a shot at becoming a productive MLB player.

[USAFChief]

. In this particular case, it's hard to argue that this wasn't the right move.

oh boy, I can't disagree with this statement enough.

[drivlikejehu]

I'm not super persuaded by the argument that, seeing as the Twins have incompetently handled Hicks' development for 2+ years, they now are obviously correct to keep him in AAA despite the fact he's playing well. Maybe the better explanation is that they still are incompetently handling his career.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

oh boy, I can't disagree with this statement enough.

What makes you think Hicks has corrected himself enough to face MLB pitching again? ~60 ABs against RHP in Rochester? Given his spectacular, continued failure at every level since 2012, don't you think the prudent move is letting the kid prove himself a bit more before exposing him again?

 

Think about that for a moment and how long that is in prospect years... Aaron Hicks has not had success at any level since August of 2012. That's 32 months ago.

[Mike Sixel]

I find it baffling I am on the defend the FO side......I find the move very sensible.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'm not super persuaded by the argument that, seeing as the Twins have incompetently handled Hicks' development for 2+ years, they now are obviously correct to keep him in AAA despite the fact he's playing well.

Aaron Hicks had multiple months in 2013 where he OPSed over .700. Was he playing well then?

 

Let's not fall over ourselves just because a prospect has a good month, particularly when his name is Aaron Hicks.

 

I just can't wrap my head around why some of you are advocating that the guy get a call-up after so many spectacular failures, time after time after time. What's the rush? What harm is there in letting the kid see success at a level for more than three weeks before promoting him?

 

Hell, right now I'd consider calling up Buxton before I'd call up Hicks if the 40 man wasn't an issue. I'd do everything in my power to let Hicks flourish for a prolonged stretch of time so he has the best possible chance of sticking on the 25 man roster permanently when he does get the call. It doesn't need to be months or even half a season... Just 6-8 weeks of solid play could do wonders for the poor kid's head.

[Mike Sixel]

Reading that article. .....makes you wonder why Meyer was not treated that way last year. THIS is what a rebuilding team should be doing.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Reading that article. .....makes you wonder why Meyer was not treated that way last year. THIS is what a rebuilding team should be doing.

I think there's something outside the box score that bothers the Twins. I would *love* to see an article of that kind that asks the right questions and doesn't accept trite answers. At this point, the front office needs to explain their thinking about Meyer if only to sate the fanbase a bit.

[JB_Iowa]

 

I think there's something outside the box score that bothers the Twins. I would *love* to see an article of that kind that asks the right questions and doesn't accept trite answers. At this point, the front office needs to explain their thinking about Meyer if only to sate the fanbase a bit.

 

 At some point we may get a little better insight.  It appears to me that Molitor is more willing to explain his thinking than we've seen from Gardenhire or Ryan in recent years.

 

But we need to gain that insight before Molitor gets too cautious with the media. 

[eLee612]

All of our guys, OUR Twins, genuinely just want to be better as baseball players and human beings than they were the day before. I can guarantee that no one in Twins Daily has the magic equation for that continued trajectory of success, or understands the contributing factors to these decisions better than the guys who work woth the players on a daily basis.

 

Double fist bumps to Mr. Rosario for getting the call, and to Hicks for sticking with the long grind. You've BOTH got lots of people who support you and want to see you succeed. Pa delante!!

[HitInAPinch]

If you read the different articles on this move, the picture becomes a little more clear.

 

I'm leaving out the Gleeman article.  To me, it seems like he has a axe to grind:  i.e.  the Twins didn't pick the guy he wanted, Aaron Hicks.

 

From the Strib:  “Aaron’s doing fine, I’m hearing some really good things about him,” Molitor said. “It’s important for him to know that he needs to continue to do that over a little bit longer period of time. His day could come soon as well.”

 

From the Wetmore article:  Rosario got a boost for his versatility, Ryan said.

Despite his struggles in the minor leagues, the Twins want to see how Rosario will perform against the best competition in the world. The Twins did something similar last season with Danny Santana, whose minor league numbers didn't suggest he was prepared to thrive, but who nonetheless took the league by storm with a great rookie season.

"This will be an opportunity for him to get his feet wet up here and see what it's all about and see how he responds and see what we've got," Ryan said.

 

"We talked a lot about Eddie in his development and his ability to stay focused day in and day out," Molitor said. "From all the reports he's been doing that very well. He's going to get a chance to play here in the short-term. Excited for him to get this opportunity."

 

This all spells out the simple facts:  Hicks, while hitting better now, its still about the "mental mistakes" and "needs to be engaged" issue from Spring Training, per Molitor.  And not to put words into their mouths, but I believe Molitor and Ryan are saying this:  Rosario seems plays up to the level of competition he faces.  Hicks does not.

[stringer bell]

Every prospect is not like every other prospect. I think the handling of Hicks is trying to undo what has been done. Is it the right move? I think so, but I don't know for sure.

 

I like what Rosario brings to the table and think that he will hit and field well enough to be a regular corner outfielder. I don't believe Hicks will ever hit that well. Because of those opinions, I think this is the right move, especially given that it is likely that if Rosario struggles, he will be back in Rochester before Memorial Day.

 

Hicks is getting squeezed, no doubt. The Twins have their top prospect who plays the same position raking behind him, while in front of him a utility guy is handling platoon duty in center quite well. Even the left handed half of the platoon is showing some signs of life.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

So, I haven't seen this mentioned before... what are people's thoughts on Rosario staying on after Arcia returns and taking Eduardo Nuñez's spot on the 25-Man Roster? Rosario could play middle infield and outfield, right?

 

I would be ok with that move assuming that Rosario is not completely lost at the plate up here and assuming that he would play more often than Eduardo Nuñez has played so far. 

[drivlikejehu]

 

Aaron Hicks had multiple months in 2013 where he OPSed over .700. Was he playing well then?

 

Let's not fall over ourselves just because a prospect has a good month, particularly when his name is Aaron Hicks.

 

I just can't wrap my head around why some of you are advocating that the guy get a call-up after so many spectacular failures, time after time after time. What's the rush? What harm is there in letting the kid see success at a level for more than three weeks before promoting him?

 

Hell, right now I'd consider calling up Buxton before I'd call up Hicks if the 40 man wasn't an issue. I'd do everything in my power to let Hicks flourish for a prolonged stretch of time so he has the best possible chance of sticking on the 25 man roster permanently when he does get the call. It doesn't need to be months or even half a season... Just 6-8 weeks of solid play could do wonders for the poor kid's head.

 

Hicks had a RC+ of 84 last year, Rosario's was 83; Hicks did it in the Majors, Rosario in AA. The latter is a far more spectacular failure.

 

For whatever reason, Hicks has been a favored whipping boy for the Twins organization and many fans. Other players make "mental mistakes" all the time but catch little or no heat for it. Rosario himself has had issues beyond his lackluster performance.

 

For a temporary call up, I can see the argument against promoting Hicks, but the quoted post is hyperbolic in its criticism of Hicks and far removed from reality. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Hicks had a RC+ of 84 last year, Rosario's was 83; Hicks did it in the Majors, Rosario in AA. The latter is a far more spectacular failure.

 

For whatever reason, Hicks has been a favored whipping boy for the Twins organization and many fans. Other players make "mental mistakes" all the time but catch little or no heat for it. Rosario himself has had issues beyond his lackluster performance.

 

For a temporary call up, I can see the argument against promoting Hicks, but the quoted post is hyperbolic in its criticism of Hicks and far removed from reality. 

Rosario didn't perform well last year. I never said otherwise.

 

But Rosario didn't fail to the point that he considered giving up switch-hitting permanently and didn't even tell his coach about it. That should raise enormous red flags about the mental state of Aaron Hicks as recently as last season. The kid looked and acted completely lost, a guy who was beat before he even stepped into the box. He wouldn't even take the bat off his shoulder, for crying out loud. Even the coaches were confused by his actions.

 

That's not the type of guy you call up until you're sure he has sorted his problems and the Twins' explanation is rational. I'd be disappointed if they hadn't learned from their previous, repeated mistakes with Hicks by now.

 

There's a lot more to a baseball player than a box score. Hicks' numbers were not only bad, he behaved like someone who had lost all confidence in his ability. If you want that person to be a longterm fixture in your organization, you treat him with kid gloves until he gets his head right and then you probably give him a few more weeks to make sure his head is right. Throwing him into the deep end again after he failed multiple times is a good way to waste what could be a valuable asset going forward.

 

Again, my biggest complaint is that the Twins didn't take this approach with Hicks in 2013 or 2014. I'm certainly not going to blast them for finally trying to do right by the kid.