I think his value/ceiling is as a good 4th outfielder. And I think he'll be valuable as such, at least through his cheap years.

Now the job is to find a replacement to start in LF.

I'm hoping Wade can be in that mix next spring.

 

I think one of the aspects of the game that the Twins have improved is taking walks.  This also gives players better pitches to hit and is a reflection of being able to take quality at bats.  Of the regular players only Rosario and Mauer have a decrease in BB%.  The BB% data is from fangraphs.

 

                 2016   2017

Sano           10.9    17.1

Buxton          6.9    10.4

Kepler           9.4    11.4

Rosario         3.4      2.9

Dozier           8.8    11.3

Polanco         6.3     8.3

Grossman      14.1   19.1

Mauer            13.7   9.1

 

It looks like either Rosario has not gotten the message about improve this aspect of the game or is not capable of making the adjustments.  Last year there was a lot a criticism directed at Sano.  He is taking much better at bats and the results have improved substantially.  I suspect that unless Rosario's results improve he will sent down.  A trade seems unlikely because his value is low at this time.

Very solid comment.  

 

smokes too much reefer

 

 

You can never have too much....never mind, that's pitching.

The approach has been pretty consistent. The results have not been. Pretty much same story with Dozier really, albeit on a higher plane.

Rosario has been extremely consistent. Consistently swinging at every pitch.

 

He's got fast enough hands that if he were to have some idea of the zone, he might do well. He's just never shown it.

 

To be fair, I didn't check for games started, only games played. But I doubt the difference is large either direction.

 

 

It isn't.  Rosario has started 37, Kepler 35.  Not including today, according to BR.

 

If/when it does, I suspect all it will accomplish is get Rosario back to what he's been the past two years...remarkably consistent and not really very good.

2015: .267/.289/.459
2016: .269/.295/.421
2017: 254/.273/.388

Add 30 pts of babip to his 2017 line and you have Eddie, 2015 and 2016

After 2 months, the numbers go up and to the right so I am pleased.  He is at .273/.321/.457.  This is great to see him improve.  I still worry that he is a guy who will overthrow the cut-off man and get caught in a base-running error but nonetheless, this improvement is really good.  

Per my comment on 7.21, yesterday the absent-minded stuff showed up from Rosario.

 

1. He missed a cut-off man.

2. He loafed on a fly ball to very short LF. The sun was hard and Adrianza lost sight of it. Meanwhile, Eddie is slowly jogging in from his position. I feel like he should have recognized the situation, taken control and made a play on the ball. The ball belongs to the IF until the OF calls him off.

3. There was a missed sign while he was on the first. I don't know if he missed it or if Adrianza missed it but it was missed. The result was Eddie loafing into second with no slide and giving away an out.

 

I keep harping on this because championship teams don't make silly fundamental errors.

 

He is hitting way better but not enough to offset not keeping his head in the game. At this point I feel like Granite should take LF when Buxton returns.

Edited July 31, 20179 yr by Steve Penz

It seems like he has a tendency to slow down as soon as he thinks he can on plays. There's something a little "too cool for school" about it (and knuckleheadish). The play at home where he slowed up because he thought there wouldn't be a play at home was a classic example. Sounds like the missed sign/failed stolen base situation was similiar. Also, I've seen it in the outfield with balls that he thinks are obvious doubles. Once he thinks there won't be a play, he jogs to the ball and lobs it in. Sooner or later this approach backfires. 

A good manager would sit him for a few games and ask him if he wants to be in the major leagues.  He's a talented guy, but the mental mistakes are just ridiculous.

A good manager would sit him for a few games and ask him if he wants to be in the major leagues. He's a talented guy, but the mental mistakes are just ridiculous.

A manager trying to keep his job probably wouldn't.

 

It will be interesting to see if Molitor changes his ways now that the FO has thrown up the white flag. Will he sacrifice player development in order to try to squeeze out an extra win? Those are the kinds of things the FO will notice as well.

 

A manager trying to keep his job probably wouldn't.

It will be interesting to see if Molitor changes his ways now that the FO has thrown up the white flag. Will he sacrifice player development in order to try to squeeze out an extra win? Those are the kinds of things the FO will notice as well.

 

I don't agree. If I was this FO, and he came to me with a plan to motivate Eddie to mature as a player (not person, I don't know him from you), that included sitting him, my evaluation of Molitor would improve....

Maybe having Grossman play left while Eddie dh's might be demeaning enough to open his eyes.

 

Rosario will be fine.

Just want to remind the doubters.  Eddie has something. Does he occasionally do stupid things - yes. But as he matures we are seeing less of that. He is a ballplayer.  

Just want to remind the doubters. Eddie has something. Does he occasionally do stupid things - yes. But as he matures we are seeing less of that. He is a ballplayer.

Eddie has improved big time at the plate this year.

But the other part I can't agree with. I've actually seen him do more stupid stuff this year than previous years.

When it comes to mental awareness on the bases and on defense, he actually seems to me to be getting worse, not better.

 

 

Just want to remind the doubters.  Eddie has something. Does he occasionally do stupid things - yes. But as he matures we are seeing less of that. He is a ballplayer.

 

Lesson learned! 

 

 

Cough.

 

Edited August 12, 20179 yr by Doomtints

 

Eddie has improved big time at the plate this year.
But the other part I can't agree with. I've actually seen him do more stupid stuff this year than previous years.
When it comes to mental awareness on the bases and on defense, he actually seems to me to be getting worse, not better.

I

 

Lesson learned! 

 

 

Cough.

 

I think there have been fewer mental errors as the season has played out.Eddie is definitely high strung. I really believe that once he settles down he is going a hell of a ballplayer.  

 

With his hitting ability, I can easily see future Rosario being in some AL top ten list in hitting average. He has been the Twins top average hitter since July of 2016 with an OPS over 800 during that time. Probably never see him among OBP leaders. But just as he faked the pitcher into a balk leading to the winning run the other day, I think he is still trying to figure out wht he can do in this game. Moliter is also not so fast to bench him for a couple games after a brain fart. I am not sure if hat is good or bad.

Molitor likes aggressive play so he does give  Rosario a longer leash

Rosario will be in LF next year - count on it.  Too much anxiety and new metircs angst.  He will be fine and he will start there next year. 

If you want a laugh, go look at Rosario's career numbers and then filter Torii Hunter's numbers through his age 25 season.

 

Players sometimes improve as they age through their 20s, strangely enough. Who knew?

Barring injury, it's going to be very difficult to find three better guys than Rosario, Buxton and Kepler in the outfield. Of the three, Rosario has the strongest arm, the most dangerous bat, and is the only one to harry a major league pitcher into a run-scoring balk. 

 

Meanwhile, there isn't a team in the league that wouldn't want Eddie Rosario in their lineup. That includes the Dodgers. There may have been a "leash" early in the season, but no more. Rosario is riding a wave of confidence right now. He's playing some of the best ball in the league.

As of the last few months, Eddie has been the best hitter on the team, period. I've always liked him. All through the minors he posted good and sometimes great numbers and all we heard was about Buxton and Sano. Rosario seldom got his due, IMHO. His improvement at the plate this year has been significant in almost every way.

 

An occasional brain fart? Sure, but mostly because he's being aggressive.

Can hardly believe there is an entire Eddie Rosario thread here I haven't weighed in on.

 

Slash lines by month:

April ..... .268/..294/.366 (.660)

May ...... .269/.310/.500 (.810)

June...... .291/.341/.519 (.860)

July ...... .321/.370/.488 (.858)

August.. .356/.388/.756 (1.143) (49 PA so far this month)

 

There is no team in baseball that would not have Eddie starting in their OF if they had the chance. Career year? Possibly. But the slow and steady improvement he has shown this year has really been inspiring.

 

I'll take him as our starting left fielder. Absolutely.

Edited August 14, 20179 yr by Oldgoat_MN

 

Can hardly believe there is an entire Eddie Rosario thread here I haven't weighed in on.

 

Slash lines by month:

April ..... .268/..294/.366 (.660)

May ...... .269/.310/.500 (.810)

June...... .291/.341/.519 (.860)

July ...... .321/.370/.488 (.858)

August.. .356/.388/.756 (1.143) (49 PA so far this month)

 

There is no team in baseball that would not have Eddie starting in their OF if they had the chance. Career year? Possibly. But the slow and steady improvement he has shown this year has really been inspiring.

 

I'll take him as our starting left fielder. Absolutely.

 

Given his age, I think it's a bit too soon to assume career year. As was noted at the beginning of the season, his peripherals are trending in the right direction. I think we're seeing the results. He certainly won't be a 1.000 OPS hitter, but to think he couldn't maintain an OPS over .800 with consistency would be selling him short.

It's great to see Rosario figuring it out at the plate.

The problem is, this year anyways, he's giving almost all of it back in the outfield, and on the bases(5/11 in sb attempts, yikes!).

Despite his offensive accomplishments this year, he's still accumulated less than 1 bWAR on the season.

Im not going to look at every teams corner OF, but I'm still going to have to respectfully disagree that there aren't teams that can do better than 1 bWAR at each corner OF spot, and probably several, I'd imagine.

Rosario is hitting a lot better than I expected, but is nothing special for a DH.

 

It's great to see Rosario figuring it out at the plate.
The problem is, this year anyways, he's giving almost all of it back in the outfield, and on the bases(5/11 in sb attempts, yikes!).
Despite his offensive accomplishments this year, he's still accumulated less than 1 bWAR on the season.
Im not going to look at every teams corner OF, but I'm still going to have to respectfully disagree that there aren't teams that can do better than 1 bWAR at each corner OF spot, and probably several, I'd imagine.

 

This is what most have failed to realize. The improvements at the plate are great but he's taken most of it away with his bad defense and poor decision making. 

Eddie Rosario does not have a 'green light'.

Those times he was caught stealing are because his manager thinks everyone who can run faster than Jim Thome should be able to steal bases at will.

It doesn't really work that way.

Eddie Rosario does not have a 'green light'.

Those times he was caught stealing are because his manager thinks everyone who can run faster than Jim Thome should be able to steal bases at will.

It doesn't really work that way.

He only has 11 attempts all year. That doesn't sound like a case of a manager sending him Willy nilly at every chance he gets.

I would be surprised if any position players other than Dozier and Mauer have green lights to do anything at their discretion, ever.

Edited August 14, 20179 yr by Doomtints