Why is Arcia on this roster still?/Arcia dfa'd

[Mike Sixel]

They clearly have no interest in him playing, do they? I mean, two of their three "starting" OF are on the DL, and he still never plays.

 

Why do they fear losing him, if they refuse to play him at all? 

 

My theory is they will send Buxton and Kepler down again this year, so they are keeping him around for that timeframe. But then, why not just send Kepler down now, and let Arcia play?

 

is there a clear plan to get VALUE out of Arcia?

 

 

[jorgenswest]

Calling him up at age 22 with less than 500 plate appearances at AA and AAA guaranteed his struggle.

 

It may be too late to make a difference or he might be a guy that needs closer to 2000 ML PAs to right the struggle. I would send out Kepler and play him regularly. Kepler will benefit from the time at AAA. My guess is they release him and risk the careers of both players.

[HitInAPinch]

A not good fielding Arcia is acceptable.  A not good fielding AND not hitting Arcia is not. 

It's a mystery to me why he's still on the roster.

 

Edit:  change last line to "why is he not in the MiLB honing his craft"

[wsnydes]

 

They clearly have no interest in him playing, do they? I mean, two of their three "starting" OF are on the DL, and he still never plays.

 

Why do they fear losing him, if they refuse to play him at all? 

 

My theory is they will send Buxton and Kepler down again this year, so they are keeping him around for that timeframe. But then, why not just send Kepler down now, and let Arcia play?

 

is there a clear plan to get VALUE out of Arcia?

There isn't a clear plan for anything in this organization, so I doubt there's one here.  I don't really get it either.  Park isn't playing well enough to dominate the DH discussion, so there's really no reason Arcia can't be rotated in a couple of times a week.

[High heat]

Well you can't send him down without losing him on waivers. He is a guy that will have a little value at the trade deadline to a team that thinks they might have a chance or a team that loses a corner outfielder. He probably isn't on the team past August 1. The guy can't figure out how to hit a fastball up in the zone and can't lay off a breaking ball in the dirt and the league figured that out.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I think Arcia is a placeholder, at this point.  An interesting option to use in case of emergency, which would be another outfielder getting hurt, a DH getting hurt, or perhaps Sano moving back to the infield when healthy.

 

Once we are closer to full health, I wouldn't be surprised to see him cut.

[Vanimal46]

There's no reason why he remains on the roster. Other than he once hit 20 HRs on a team that possessed less talent than this current team. It's coming up on 1.5 years since he showed that promising season, and these last 1.5 years he's been bad in the field and at the plate.

 

I won't lose any sleep letting him go.

[Loosey]

I could see them letting him go.  He is almost guaranteed not to be any good with the Twins.  If he leaves and becomes a solid everyday player I wouldn't be upset either.  A change of scenery often times helps a guy out.  Maybe he gets a hitting coach that can get something out of him that no one on the Twins staff can.

 

That is my feeling with Ortiz as well.  I don't think he would have become the player he is if he stayed here.  He was coached in a different way in Boston and was put in a position to succeed hitting between some pretty good players when he really developed in mid 2000's.  He would not have received that same scenario here in Minnesota.  Would have have become good, most likely, but I don't think he would have received what he needed to become what he is today if he stayed here.

 

So let Arcia go and let's move on.

[SF Twins Fan]

 

I could see them letting him go.  He is almost guaranteed not to be any good with the Twins.  If he leaves and becomes a solid everyday player I wouldn't be upset either.  A change of scenery often times helps a guy out.  Maybe he gets a hitting coach that can get something out of him that no one on the Twins staff can.

 

That is my feeling with Ortiz as well.  I don't think he would have become the player he is if he stayed here.  He was coached in a different way in Boston and was put in a position to succeed hitting between some pretty good players when he really developed in mid 2000's.  He would not have received that same scenario here in Minnesota.  Would have have become good, most likely, but I don't think he would have received what he needed to become what he is today if he stayed here.

 

So let Arcia go and let's move on.

I agree with this completely. I think Ortiz also benefited greatly from being able to play half of his games in Fenway and being able to hit double after double off the green monster. His career BA at home is .305 and his career BA away is .266. Those numbers include his time with the Twins, but I still feel it's pretty glaring and if he didn't go to Boston he probably wouldn't have put up the numbers he has. 

[Kelly Vance]

They are obviously hoping Arcia gets hot and hits a cluster of HRS, then h may have value.  Never send Park down. Isn't he leading the Twns in HRs?

[Mike Sixel]

 

They are obviously hoping Arcia gets hot and hits a cluster of HRS, then h may have value.  Never send Park down. Isn't he leading the Twns in HRs?

 

He NEVER plays.....how can he get hot?

 

That's the question.....

 

They don't want to play him.

They have not released him.

They can't send him to the minors (probably someone would claim him, I would).

 

I'm trying to discern the clear plan for him at this point. The only thing I can come up with is contingency if Buxton and Kepler aren't ready to stay up here, so they are basically playing with a 24 man roster (just like last year).

[Taildragger8791]

Do a lot of other teams regularly have struggles with players like this? It seems like we've had a handful of talented hitters, especially power guys, that show reasonably well in the minors and turn into one-dimensional-hitting strikeout-machines in the majors. They appear to have no idea or plan of how to utilize and improve him but they are aware he's much too talented to toss away, further validating that they don't know how to develop guys like him. At this point I agree we may as well cut him because you aren't getting any use out of him, and he has the feeling of a player that will go somewhere else and succeed in a system that plays up his strengths. Maybe he's a bit of a knucklehead with taking instruction, but he seems like an overall good guy in the clubhouse and deserves a chance to prove himself elsewhere.

[Vanimal46]

It could be a system/teaching/philosophy thing for power hitters struggling on the MLB team. In the case of Arcia, I just don't think he's that good. Some other team could probably use him as the RH platoon at DH or RF I suppose. That would be playing to his strengths. I can't see him hitting more than 25-30 HRs in a platoon role. 

[wsnydes]

 

They are obviously hoping Arcia gets hot and hits a cluster of HRS, then h may have value.  Never send Park down. Isn't he leading the Twns in HRs?

Arcia phenomenon v2.0.  He hits HR's occasionally, so it obscures the fact that he's hitting .210, strikes out a ton, and otherwise performs poorly at the plate.  It's feast or famine, nothing in between.  This isn't a recipe for success.  I'm not suggesting that Park be given up on already, far from it, but this mentality is part of why the team is in this predicament to begin with.

[Taildragger8791]

 

It could be a system/teaching/philosophy thing for power hitters struggling on the MLB team. In the case of Arcia, I just don't think he's that good. Some other team could probably use him as the RH platoon at DH or RF I suppose. That would be playing to his strengths. I can't see him hitting more than 25-30 HRs in a platoon role. 

 

25-30 HRs in a platoon role would be a fantastic addition to a team. Why can't we make that work here?

[Twinfan & Dad]

Waiting for the next waiver wire OF pickup. TR is becoming a master at desperation moves.

[wsnydes]

 

It could be a system/teaching/philosophy thing for power hitters struggling on the MLB team. In the case of Arcia, I just don't think he's that good. Some other team could probably use him as the RH platoon at DH or RF I suppose. That would be playing to his strengths. I can't see him hitting more than 25-30 HRs in a platoon role. 

Does that even sound reasonable?  25-30 HRs sounds like a lot for a platoon guy.  Especially one that strikes out 40% of his ABs.

[wsnydes]

 

Waiting for the next waiver wire OF pickup. TR is becoming a master at desperation moves.

TR has the league right where he wants them - below the Twins on the waiver wire claim order.

[Thrylos]

 

Calling him up at age 22 with less than 500 plate appearances at AA and AAA guaranteed his struggle.

 

Struggle?
 

OPS+ :

 

2013: 100 > Dozier, Plouffe, Willingham, Hicks, Doumit
2014: 108 > Mauer, Hicks
2015: 97 = Mauer > Suzuki, Hunter, Hicks, Santana, Robinson

[alarp33]

I would still love to see a Plouffe/ Arcia platoon at DH once Sano returns from the DL (until Plouffe is traded)... you could even let Plouffe play 3B on the days a lefty is on the mound, and let Sano DH those games.  With Park going to AAA

[Rosterman]

He is ALMOST Ortiz all over again. There is the fear that if you let him totally walk, he will light up and have a long career slugging home runs.

 

But, like Ortiz, if you have no current (or future) roster spot for the guy...then move on. If you want something in value, than partner him with another prospect or veteran, but a team still needs to want THAT player and Arcia.

 

Yes, most teams are salivating that the Twins will send him thru waivers and they can grab him and maybe play him and keep him or flip him or just let him move on.

 

And, yes, if you want to see what you MIGHT still have in Arcia, you play him. Fold your hands and go to Park and say you want to send him to Rochester to play first base everyday and face AAAA pitchers and work on a couple of things...and elt Arcia be the DH. You can continue to have Park be Park at the major league level, but what IS the system doing.

 

There has to be a plan brewing. Yes, have to get thru 2016 with reasonable results (on the field and in the attendance). But all thoughts need to look at 2017. Who do we want to try and push to succeed. Who IS NOT in the plans and what can be done with those folks.

 

Even if you as a team part ways with Dozier, Plouffe, Arcia, Nolasco, Santana, Perkins, Gibson...everyone making more than a million bucks...at the level most of those are playing right now you should be able to replace them or even trade prospects for a player that will give you better results than those guys are giving you this year, maybe last year, and looking forwards. 

 

The problem is how much are you willing to lose (in attendance and salary write-off) compared to gain (creating a plan with a workable system to get the futrue here as soon as possible and excited about the game).

 

You have a team full of players that NO ONE is dying to add to their own roster. You can replace almost everyone of them with a waiver claim that will get you thru this year (sadly) and maybe even next year (big frown here). But that CAN'T be the ultimate plan,c an it? Will your current guys improve, shine, be big names again (doubtful, really doubtful...and Arcia would be my bet for being a bigtime homer in five years compared to any of the other mentioned).

 

 

[Vanimal46]

 

25-30 HRs in a platoon role would be a fantastic addition to a team. Why can't we make that work here?

I don't know, that's beyond my pay grade as a fan. But there's certainly a trend dating back to the Ortiz days of power hitters not really putting things together here. Lone exception I can think of is Morneau. 

[Vanimal46]

 

Does that even sound reasonable?  25-30 HRs sounds like a lot for a platoon guy.  Especially one that strikes out 40% of his ABs.

I'm assuming 25-30 HRs is Arcia's peak, given he has 400-500 ABs in a season. 

Some team will have him during a hot season where he does nothing but mash RH pitching. I just don't know how many bad seasons it will take to reap the rewards of 1 hot season. And I certainly don't want the Twins waiting around for that hot season. 

[wsnydes]

 

I'm assuming 25-30 HRs is Arcia's peak, given he has 400-500 ABs in a season. 

Some team will have him during a hot season where he does nothing but mash RH pitching. I just don't know how many bad seasons it will take to reap the rewards of 1 hot season. And I certainly don't want the Twins waiting around for that hot season. 

That makes more sense.  I was envisioning more of a 300-350 AB season as a platoon guy.  25-30 HRs seems more reasonable if you're thinking 400-500 ABs.  I certainly don't want the Twins waiting around for that hot season either.  Sometimes it's just time to move on.  That's probably the case for both parties in this scenario.

[alarp33]

 

Does that even sound reasonable?  25-30 HRs sounds like a lot for a platoon guy.  Especially one that strikes out 40% of his ABs.

 

Well he just turned 25, and has 34 career home runs in 594 at bats vs RHP, so I would say 25-30 would absolutely be possible if he got ~400-450 at bats in a platoon

[wsnydes]

 

Well he just turned 25, and has 34 career home runs in 594 at bats vs RHP, so I would say 25-30 would absolutely be possible if he got ~400-450 at bats in a platoon

Yeah, I just didn't figure he'd get that many ABs.

[Everyday Eddy]

He will go to an organization where he is wanted and he will hit .250 with 20-30 home runs annually and carve out a nice career for himself.    Twins have made it clear that they want no part of him for whatever reason and I'm sure for Arcia the feeling is mutual.

[TheLeviathan]

What I don't understand is that they value him enough not to let him go, but not enough to let him play.  That feels too familiar with other mistakes.

[Pius Jefferson]

Is there anything besides home run power and no defense that makes people think Arcia is another David Ortiz? 

[alarp33]

 

Is there anything besides home run power and no defense that makes people think Arcia is another David Ortiz? 

 

The fact that he just turned 25 and they have seemingly given up on him would be another big one.  How many examples do you need, those seem like pretty good ones?

 

Btw, I don't think anyone has declared "Arcia is for sure going to go on to hit 500 home runs and win multiple World Series titles in a probable HOF career".  It's the fact that he does have a very good skill (hitting home runs, and in general hitting RH pitchers) and it's odd the Twins don't want to use it