Article: Twins Minor League Report (5/11): LeBlanc, Albers, Jay Dominate

[Dman]

 

I'd never say that top prospects should be blocked. I'd also say that keeping a top prospect at the right level isn't always a bad thing either. 

 

I've said many times that I think Gonsalves is ready to move up. I think a case could be made for Stewart. Those two are top prospects. When they deem them ready, they'll make room for those guys. Jay needs to be more consistent. Jorge just needs another 5-6 starts at the level to see how it goes. Pushing guys can be good, or it can be completely detrimental, and I certainly won't pretend to know when the perfect time to promote a pitcher (or hitter, for that matter) is. 

 

LeBlanc and Clay likely move up when Gonsalves and Stewart move up. I'm comfortable with that. But Andrew Albers isn't keeping anyone from pitching at Rochester. Slegers has had mixed success in about 8-10 AA starts. There's no need for him to jump to AAA right now. Giving up on Eades at this point would be silly. Maybe he becomes a long reliever. Maybe he flames out in AA. Maybe he becomes a solid #3 starter, and if Berardino's reports of him hitting 97 this spring was accurate, and he does have 4-pitches, it may click for him in July, or next May... or not at all, but to say at this point he'll never make it isn't right... Pushing him to a level that doesn't put him in a good position to succeed doesn't make sense. 

 

I just think it's silly to say that there is no value in having some organizational filler in the upper levels allowing the organization to be more patient with prospects that they believe in.

 

I agree that none of us know the exact right time to promote players and the Twins Coaches have a much better feel for that than than the box score fans.  However, you start looking at what those guys are doing are high A and you start to wonder what more do they have to learn at that level?  It just doesn't even seem challenging for Gonsalves, Stewart and Jorge there.

 

Sure promoting to soon can be detrimental and the jump for pitchers from High A to double A is a tough one but life is full of challenges and risk.  In many ways you either sink or swim as you move up.  There is a lot of support for players and a lot of these guys have tough mental makeups they aren't really made of glass.

 

Promoting too slow has it's own risks.  It can create a sense of over confidence and can stunt growth as the player is no longer challenged.  It also wastes the Orgs potential use of that player over time if they make it to the MLB.  So there is risk either way.

 

Can't argue on Eides it is just my opinion based on box scores.  He has a good game and then a bad game and he gives up a lot of hits.  Just seems better suited to the pen to me.  Something could click but he seems to have been the same pitcher all the way up so I personally don;t see him changing.

[Seth Stohs]

 

All fair, Seth. They have been aggressive with Berrios, why not the others? And, no, given their "success" lately, I don't fully trust them on this stuff.

 

Hopefully they promote Gonsalves and Wade and Chargois (I don't think he's in AAA) soon. Then Stewart shortly after that. 

 

This is an area you and I have (politely) disagreed about on line for some time.....and I'm cool with that disagreement. 

 

Chargois moved up to AAA on Saturday (sometime over the weekend)... Agree on Gonsalves... They can't just be cookie cutter though. Best thing they did for Kohl Stewart was letting him stay in Ft. Myers to start this season. Maybe the best thing for LeBlanc was to let him start in CR. Berrios should be the exception, not the rule... He's really good. Just too many variables.

 

Wade... sure...

 

But a week ago, many said Palka should move up and he's struggled the last 10 days... Doesn't hurt for them to prove their first month at a new level to be fact rather than mirage, ya know?

[Mike Sixel]

Ah, thanks, with the move out of MN today, my brain is not fully functional....I forgot the Chargois news.

 

Heh, I was never on the Palka promotion train, but I know others were. 

 

I had no issue starting Stewart at FTM, and I'd be ok with another start or two for him there. But, Gonsalves was good there last year, and is good there this year. It's just time.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Ah, thanks, with the move out of MN today, my brain is not fully functional....I forgot the Chargois news.

 

Heh, I was never on the Palka promotion train, but I know others were. 

 

I had no issue starting Stewart at FTM, and I'd be ok with another start or two for him there. But, Gonsalves was good there last year, and is good there this year. It's just time.

 

Agree on Gonsalves... maybe they want him to put up some crazy numbers to improve his odds of pitching in the Futures Game in his hometown of San Diego. That would be awesome if he got to do that. When did Berrios move up a couple of years ago? He moved up and made 1-2 starts for New Britain before the Futures Game. 

 

But, aside from Gonsalves and maybe Wade, we aren't talking about a lot of guys. It's not some catastrophic situation. 

[FormerMinnasotan]

Great game for Jay!! I think though he will spend more time in Fort Meyer's simply because this is his first year starting and I feel that the Twins want to see Jay become more consistent as a starter. Also if it wasn't for the fact Jay will likely see an innings limit this year (for obvious reason) Jay might be sent to Chattanooga. Oh well he'll be there at the start of next season.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Great game for Jay!! I think though he will spend more time in Fort Meyer's simply because this is his first year starting and I feel that the Twins want to see Jay become more consistent as a starter. Also if it wasn't for the fact Jay will likely see an innings limit this year (for obvious reason) Jay might be sent to Chattanooga. Oh well he'll be there at the start of next season.

 

My thought on this is this:

 

Start in Ft. Myers until July 1 or 15 or so, and the move to the bullpen. At that point, he could move up to Chattanooga to pitch out of the bullpen. 

 

Next year, start the season in Chattanooga, as a starter. See how he does. Maybe it's August 1st when he moves to the bullpen, or maybe he's strong throughout and they can still limit innings. Who knows, he could come up by the end of 2017 depending on need and role. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

Why should Jay be on an innings limit?  A full season starting at high-A should only be about 130 innings. He threw 85 last year between college and the pros.  Tyler Duffey went from 70 to 120 a few years ago.  Berrios (103) and Stewart (87) wound up with lower innings counts in their first full seasons, but they were both 19 year old high school draftees who each missed a handful of starts those years.

 

If he's pitching well, there should be no reason to mess with Jay to limit his innings.  The shorter season and 6 man rotation are already enough to do that.