http://www.twincities.com/2017/02/17/minnesota-twins-ryan-vogelsong-overcame-gruesome-beaning/

 

Mike Berardino talked to new Twins RHP Ryan Vogelsong today. While with Pittsburgh, he was hit in the eye with a fastball. There were a lot of concerns, but he has come back strong.

 

Now, he (obviously) hopes to make the Twins team and contribute. He's a big Rocky fan. He's had Tommy John. He's played for several organizations...

 

Can he (and should he?) make the Twins team?

He doesn't make my team yet. he's got a lot to prove in ST, before he gets a roster spot, IMO. Good idea to sign him to a minor league deal

I like to think I'm not a total dummy. Having said that, I feel compelled to predict that Ryan Vogelsong will be a solid contributor in the twins rotation. I don't know when he'll make his first start, but he's been written off before. He's a ball player, and I think he can't do anything but impress.

That's a good article.  Mike B. got a detail wrong, Vogelsong grew up in Atglen, PA (a town of about 1,500 or so close to Lancaster and the DE border) and went to school in Kutztown by my neck of the woods.   Mike McCardell, Twins' 6th round pick in 2007 who made it up to New Britain went to the same school.

 

Anyways.  I got a gut feeling that he will make the team.  Matter of fact I have him fighting with Haley for the 5th spot in the rotation, ahead of Santiago whom I see as the long man out of the pen.  

 

He is a guy who has pitched better than his stuff, which is something that the younger Twins' pitchers are sorely in lesson for.  Plus the AL hitters have not seen him much.

Really to form an opinion, I have to see him pitch...

I have mentioned elsewhere, but Vogelsong hasn't gone to AAA on anything but rehab assignments in ~6 years. I know he's not a lock to make the MLB team, but he must think he has a pretty good chance here. At the very least, he will get a lot of opportunities in spring training before his opt out date.

His numbers in spring won't mean anything. We can go by the expert eyes of those who see him several times in camp, but those eyes will be Twins staff and I am not sure they will be forthcoming in their reports. It will be a very difficult debate to support on this site with no useful data other than his last 2-3 seasons in the NL. We already have that data and it isn't encouraging.