The Return of Nishi

[John Bonnes]

Heeeee's Baaaa-aaack.

 

Can someone who has been paying more attention than I to Rochester tell me about this "hot streak" he's been on for the last month?

 

I have to assume he's coming up as a utility infielder, right? Carroll goes to 3B full time and Casilla to 2B?

[DaveW]

When is Plouffe due back? I imagine Nishi won't be in the majors for long and at least he provides MI depth (something Valencia did not). He can't possibly do as poor as the first time right?

 

Looks like he hit ..295 with a .695 OPS in July, not exactly a "hot" streak to get real hot and bothered about.

[greengoblinrulz]

The scholarship program is BACK baby......Nishi, Blackburn, Butera!!!!!!!!

[jokin]

When is Plouffe due back? I imagine Nishi won't be in the majors for long and at least he provides MI depth (something Valencia did not). He can't possibly do as poor as the first time right?

 

Looks like he hit ..295 with a .695 OPS in July, not exactly a "hot" streak to get real hot and bothered about.

Yesterday, Rob Antony said Plouffe would still be out at least a week- but would most likely the first player back off the DL.

[jokin]

The scholarship program is BACK baby......Nishi, Blackburn, Butera!!!!!!!!

This must be a business decision. Why not just call up Escobar now?

[stringer bell]

Certainly not excited about Nishioka, but he's on the 40-man and Plouffe should be back within a week. However, Plouffe has been a week away or less since he got jammed two weeks ago. Valencia's trade seems to make it a certainty that Plouffe will be manning third the rest of this year and to start next season.

[DaveW]

The most depressing thing about this is that the Twins had no one else who warranted a recall in the system. (INF edition)

[greengoblinrulz]

assume Escobar moves from 3B to SS & Florimon from SS to 2B with Sean Burroughs playing 3B.

[John Bonnes]

I don't have a problem with this move. It's not like anyone else is banging down the door. I might rather see Florimon, but it's six of one, half dozen of the other. I'm not sure this means that Nishi is ranked higher in the Twins mind. If he's coming to sit on the bench it might mean they would rather have Escobar and Florimon playing every day.

[DaveW]

I don't have a problem with this move. It's not like anyone else is banging down the door. I might rather see Florimon, but it's six of one, half dozen of the other. I'm not sure this means that Nishi is ranked higher in the Twins mind. If he's coming to sit on the bench it might mean they would rather have Escobar and Florimon playing every day.

I forgot about Escobar, but I think you are right, they want to see him playing every day.

I have zero faith in Florimon, so if he contributes anything someday in the majors I will be pleasantly suprsied.

[John Bonnes]

assume Escobar moves from 3B to SS & Florimon from SS to 2B with Sean Burroughs playing 3B.

Boy, I hadn't thought of that. Maybe this move was made to free up space in Rochester - to get Escobar to SS.

 

So how has Nishi been doing for the last couple months. Anyone know?

[Guest USAFChief]

//repost from game thread//

 

How to tell, if you're Danny Valencia, that your former employer really, really didn't want you around any more: They'd prefer to play a light hitting 38 yr old at 3b, giving yet another opportunity to Alexi Casilla (who couldn't keep his second base job over said 38 yr old), and epic fail Tsuyoshi Nishioka on the 25 man.

[DaveW]

Boy, I hadn't thought of that. Maybe this move was made to free up space in Rochester - to get Escobar to SS.

 

So how has Nishi been doing for the last couple months. Anyone know?

http://i45.tinypic.com/2s1rozn.png

[J-Dog Dungan]

I heard that the Twins want to give Escobar some playing time at AAA, because he didn't get much when he was with the Sox. So Nishi was really the only guy they had available.

[greengoblinrulz]

Leaves ROC with 23 players....wonder if there is a promotion or 2 in the works???

[jokin]

I heard that the Twins want to give Escobar some playing time at AAA, because he didn't get much when he was with the Sox. So Nishi was really the only guy they had available.

So, their best move was helping the minor league team out and adding a $3M benchwarmer to the MLB roster. In this lost season, what would have been wrong with rotating 3-4 guys in the IF that you actually might want to evaluate at the big league level for consideration on next year's team. They have to figure out a way to rescind the Nishi scholarship this year.

[jokin]

Leaves ROC with 23 players....wonder if there is a promotion or 2 in the works???

I knew there was a silver lining in here somewhere.

[greengoblinrulz]

When is Plouffe due back? I imagine Nishi won't be in the majors for long and at least he provides MI depth (something Valencia did not). He can't possibly do as poor as the first time right?

 

Looks like he hit ..295 with a .695 OPS in July, not exactly a "hot" streak to get real hot and bothered about.

Plouffe could be the player back when they drop from 13-12 pitchers.....tho it sounded like Gardy wanted it done sooner than later (another wk for Trev??)

[greengoblinrulz]

I knew there was a silver lining in here somewhere.

With the Twins.....they will probably just activate Mike Hollimon or something like that

 

Burroughs hasnt played for a wk....not sure if there is an injury

[jokin]

With the Twins.....they will probably just activate Mike Hollimon or something like that

 

Burroughs hasnt played for a wk....not sure if there is an injury

Killjoy:D

[jffrsnclrk]

I can understand this trade for these reasons:

1). They are not really all that worried about winning games right now (which is probably so obvious it doesn't even need to be said). So, the sudden lack of depth at 3b doesn't really matter. Plouffe will be coming back soon and even if his rookie season is just a Plouffe fluke the FO can probably try to turn Sano into a 3rd baseman.

2). Nishi is one very rich minor leaguer, and if they can get anything out of him, in a season where they can afford to loose a few games, they gotta do it. Does he help this club win? Mostly likely not, but if you can at least make him seem like a credible major league baseball player, instead of a payroll cap killer, you gotta do it.

3.) Valencia is probably not as bad as his .198 average this year would indicate, but he is also probably not going to reduplicate his break-out season - his learning curve just seems slightly underveloped.

4.) The fact remains that Plouffe has really figured out his postion over in the hot corner - the fact (and I am sure this point is arguable) that Plouffe already plays better defense than Valencia, and is apparently also well-liked by Gardy, (not so much, Danny) and at least seems to have figured out how to hit, all this makes Valencia expendable. I think he (Valencia) adds depth to this club right now, and if we were in contention I don't think we could afford to loose that type of depth, but, thank God, we are nowhere near contending for anything except the number one draft pick.

5.) So, even if all we get out of Pineda is a decent pinch runner and a credible defenisive subsitution, we still are not risking that much in trading Valencia.

[Dilligaf69]

I don't have a problem with this move. It's not like anyone else is banging down the door. I might rather see Florimon, but it's six of one, half dozen of the other. I'm not sure this means that Nishi is ranked higher in the Twins mind. If he's coming to sit on the bench it might mean they would rather have Escobar and Florimon playing every day.

 

I think that basically sums it up....it speaks more to the lack of 3B depth then anything. Valencia is already 28 so he does'nt have much of a future here.. I know nothing about the guy we received from Bosox but at least we got something for him. And although Pineda is still at GCL at the ripe old age of 21:D that's still pretty young and OG depth is the one problem we do NOT have in the minors I have no problem with this...hey it's something to talk about at least right??

[Jeremy Nygaard]

I don't believe this... but I thought someone would at least point it out.

 

The Twins brought up Nishi because they were already paying him. If they would have brought up anyone else (even at the minimum) for the last 1/3 of the season, the Twins would have been forced to pay that player (a minimum of) $160,000. By bringing up Nishi, they saved every penny of it.

 

I wouldn't be shocked if this isn't the last movement of in the middle infield. I'm sure Carroll and Casilla will be hitting waivers soon, if they haven't already.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

that's still pretty young and OG depth is the one problem we do NOT have in the minors.

I would say the minors are pretty much void of original gangsters. Rosario has a little bit of that swag to him, but other than that...

[Rosterman]

Hey, bring him up and play him everyday and see if he suddenly increases his value, and then run him thru waivers.......

[greengoblinrulz]

I don't believe this... but I thought someone would at least point it out.

 

The Twins brought up Nishi because they were already paying him. If they would have brought up anyone else (even at the minimum) for the last 1/3 of the season, the Twins would have been forced to pay that player (a minimum of) $160,000. By bringing up Nishi, they saved every penny of it.

 

I wouldn't be shocked if this isn't the last movement of in the middle infield. I'm sure Carroll and Casilla will be hitting waivers soon, if they haven't already.

didnt bring it up cause it was so obvious (already paying him), but its definately the ONLY reason.

Part of the scholarship comment I made. He didnt earn it, just already being payed.

[old nurse]

didnt bring it up cause it was so obvious (already paying him), but its definately the ONLY reason.

Part of the scholarship comment I made. He didnt earn it, just already being payed.

If instead of scholarship you said allowance to undeseriving children or welfare program people might have got the clever joke.

[roger]

John, Before leaving for vacation, I watched nearly half of Rochester's games the past couple weeks. A couple games before Valencia was called up, he allowed two balls to go right under his glove about a step to his left. The first night, the official scorer changed it to an error after initially calling it a hit. A day later, the exact same play they again called a hit. He also grounded into two double plays that day, running about 2/3 speed to first base. I suspect his comments when talking to Jim Mandelaro didn't help with Twins management, when he was quoted as saying "he was playing for 29 other teams than the Twins."

 

As for Nishi, he no longer looks out of his element as he did with the Twins last year and to a lesser extent early this year in Rochester. He has been hitting for more power of late, including several key extra base hits in big rbi situations at important points of the games. I recall two specifically in the past ten days or so, including a bases clearing double into the right-center gap. Is he someone you want to pencil in as your starter, probably not. But I think you will see a player who no longer looks like he doesn't belong.

[Jim H]

I suspect part of the reason for the Valencia trade at this time, was to free up room on the 40 man roster. There are (I think) 2 guys on the 60 day DL who will have to be added back to the 40 man roster when the Twins bring them back to the majors. I believe the 40 man is full with Deduno and Fien being added. Since both of them could be lost if removed from the 40 man roster and both are pitching well, I suspect Ryan was looking for ways to open room on the roster.

 

Valencia probably didn't figure in the long range plans. Get something for him. Especially something that doesn't have to be added to the roster.

[Ndsubison21]

I rather have anyone else on the AAA or AA roster over Nishioka. Who cares that he is making 3 million and who cares he had one decent month in July. He sucks and is without a doubt the worst player in the majors right now. Even Butera is better because he can call a very good game. If the Twins Front Office asked fans to raise 3 mil so they release him I'm pretty sure that money would be raised quite easily.