Article: What's Next For Kennys Vargas?

[Mike Sixel]

Dang, maybe I should not have tossed it when we moved!

[bird]

 

In a market where SP are moving as cheaply as Odorizzi and Garcia, and other names are still available, I don't think anyone is touching Hughes at 2/26 for now.

 

Yeah, I think the prime opportunity for a return for Hughes, Santana, Odorizzi types is when a contender is assessing which starter delivers the most second half wins for them when they deadline shop.

 

Back to Vargas. If they shop him, give me a prospect comp in out system. Benninghoff?

[Otto von Ballpark]

Worth remembering, the Twins promoted Vargas straight out of AA in 2014, despite some fairly pedestrian minor league numbers.

 

After an uninspiring few months in 2015, he was replaced at DH by Sano on a contending team.

 

2016 we rolled the dice on Park to open the season, and then picked up Grossman who proceeded to show at least as much promise as Vargas ever had.

 

2017, another contending season, he split time at DH with the aforementioned Grossman getting the lion's share.

 

So it wasn't like Vargas was getting passed over for guys like Ryan Doumit or end-of-the-line Kubel.

 

And even through all of this, Vargas wasn't getting banished to AAA or the bench completely -- he had at least 177 PA in the majors each of the last 4 seasons, and 480-630 PA total each year between MLB and AAA. The only months where he really didn't play semi-regularly somewhere were September 2015 and September 2017, both where the minor league season had ended and the Twins were in a pennant race with an equal or better option at DH after Vargas failed to distinguish himself.

Edited March 3, 2018 by spycake

[USAFChief]

Dang, maybe I should not have tossed it when we moved!

If you tossed your Willie Banks autographed baseball, I bet somebody drilled it for a ringing double off the right center fence.

 

Back to Vargas...he has never demonstrated enough to get too worried about.

[Riverbrian]

Based on his numbers.. In my opinion... Vargas hasn't lost a job and he hasn't earned a job. I'm not sure that he has ever been seriously been considered for the job though.

 

Don't get me wrong... I believe he got some chances last year and I do believe that Vargas didn't grab it with both hands so that is on Kennys... but let's not come to the conclusion that his numbers were brutal and let's not come to the conclusion that 241 AB's is serious due diligence either. 

 

I keep going back to July 2016 and I'm still pissed about it. Kennys was called up July 4th as Trevor Plouffe was placed on the DL. During July with an every day job (65 AB's). Kennys was on fire with an  OPS of 1.056. August 2nd he lost his starting job and was eventually sent down in favor of Trevor Plouffe. The Twins benched him when he was as hot during a lost season. That will cool a guy off. That was a big mis-treatment of a guy trying to make it. 

 

I like Vargas and I like the Morrison signing because we picked up a guy who hit 38 dingers last year and it didn't cost a lot. 

 

But... Let's be clear... Morrison broke out last year at age 29. Take last year out of his career stats and look at what Morrison was... it can be successfully argued that Vargas has better stats. 

 

Hey... A break out can be a continued break out and I'm excited about that possibility... it doesn't have to be a one year blip. I'm happy we signed Morrison but I'm uncomfortable that it could cost us Vargas. Who I still think is 40 Home Run Plus Capable. 

 

I'd like Molitor to also use Morrison in the OF from time to time so Vargas can sensibly stay on the Roster. Although... I really doubt that would happen so it is what it is. 

 

We got a guy who can hit it out and a guy who the Twins will without a doubt play.

 

Playing time is the for sure upgrade of Morrison from Vargas. The rest is kind of a wash. 

 

 

 

[ewen21]

 

Worth remembering, the Twins promoted Vargas straight out of AA in 2014, despite some fairly pedestrian minor league numbers.

After an uninspiring few months in 2015, he was replaced at DH by Sano on a contending team.

2016 we rolled the dice on Park to open the season, and then picked up Grossman who proceeded to show at least as much promise as Vargas ever had.
 

 

Getting Park and keeping Plouffe were two costly roster moves that had a very negative domino effect.

 

I remember at about this time two years ago some of the boys invited Park over to watch the Bachelor as some kind of team bonding thing,  They didn't take him fishing or bowling or for beer.....Nope.  They had to show everyone they watched the Bachelor together.  Hughes and Plouffe were very integral in that.  Even Dozier was mixed up in it and he was AWFUL out of the gate that year

 

I don't think Vargas would have been down to watch Bachelor.  And, thus, according to Terry Ryan, was not very good of "chemistry".  Too bad we lost Jason Bartlett's number.  He was great for team chemistry