I agree with you completely. There is a difference between guys being allowed to work through a slump and guys being allowed to play day after day and not producing and nobody else getting a shot.

Personally, I don't think this move falls in to that category. In fact, while the season is very young, I think Baldelli has used his entire roster rather well thus far. The obvious exception being Austin. What this says to me is they liked Austin enough to keep him around, since roster size allowed it, and see what happens. Unfortunately, what happened is the need for another arm sooner than wanted.

Understand I rather like Austin despite the high K and low BB numbers. I still think there is some potential there, and I hope against probable reality he will go unclaimed and report to Rochester. I'm sure the FO is hoping for that as well. I don't really know if Austin had much of a future with the Twins, who like and are committed to Cron for at least this season, and have other options at 1B and some really solid guys in Kirilloff, Rooker and Raley arriving soon...hopefully.

I agree sending Garver down, breifely, would make sense. And maybe it is a mistake they didn't do so. Playing devil's advocate, this may be more about their belief in Garver and Astudillo and less of a belief in the future of Castro. Just tossing that out there.

If you're a-tossin' that, I'm a-catchin' it.

I concur. I would not be at all surprised if Castro is the first one to move out of that 3-headed C-monster.

 

*sidebar* 

I'm sad to see Austin go. But the numbers game in Minny is not in his favor, in the present nor the near future, with those boppers we have coming through the minors.

Edited April 8, 20197 yr by David HK

The Twins might still get something for Austin, but I’d be curious to know how much the FO was shopping him, particularly after Cron signed. If they were not, that is blatant incompetence.

 

The Twins might still get something for Austin, but I’d be curious to know how much the FO was shopping him, particularly after Cron signed. If they were not, that is blatant incompetence.

In terms of actual "shopping", there are limits to how much of that you can do with a fringe, out-of-options player.

 

That said, I don't think there's any evidence to suggest the Twins haven't "shopped" Austin -- or at least, nothing to suggest they haven't been 100% open to inquiries about moving him (and teams didn't need the Twins calling to suggest that he could be available). I just don't think anyone has been in a rush to acquire him.

 

At least the DFA deadline should prompt some interest, if there is any.

4 years in, 400 AB +/-  .232 avg.

Less than replacement WAR.

Seems more of an AAAA player, if that.

Never really did anything to set himself apart with the chances given.

We've seen this before. Need to have the bar a little higher.

"Giants Acquire Tyler Austin"

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/04/twins-trade-tyler-austin-giants.html

 

We get back minor league outfielder Malique Ziegler -- he's still young, but doesn't look like much of a prospect at this point:

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ziegle000mal

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa918507&position=OF

The Twins have acquired OF Malique Ziegler from the Giants for Austin.

Not sure I would call a guy who will be 23 at the end of the season and has 8 PA above low A “young”.

 

23 with a full season at AA and knocking on the door of MLB wouldn’t even be considered young anymore.

Fan graphs on Ziegler.

Ziegler is a lithe, athletic outfielder who was a late pick out of an Iowa Juco in 2016. He makes explosive use of his lower half during his swing but his barrel control and raw strength are questionable.

Seen at mlbtraderumors

I like this part of the story:

 

first baseman/outfielder Austin.......

 

I have no issues with this as the return for Austin. He was not going to be here long, once Cron and Cruz were here and healthy.

Edited April 8, 20197 yr by Mike Sixel

 

Not sure I would call a guy who will be 23 at the end of the season and has 8 PA above low A “young”.

23 with a full season at AA and knocking on the door of MLB wouldn’t even be considered young anymore.

I was trying to be charitable!

 

To be fair, despite being drafted in 2016 (2.5 seasons ago), Ziegler's only played the equivalent of about 1 full season above rookie league ball -- the Giants started him late in 2017, and he missed about half of 2018 due to injury. And while he hasn't excelled yet, he's held his own where he's played so far -- he's posted a wRC+ of 101 and 104 in his two stops above the rookie leagues.

 

Last year's position player ages among guys who only played at high-A in the Twins org: 23, 24, 23, 24, 25, 21, 22, 23, 22, 21

 

Ziegler wouldn't be consider old among that group, playing there in his age-22 season. (Although yes, he does turn 23 in September.)

 

Still, the total combination isn't much of a prospect.

 

I have no issues with this as the return for Austin. He was not going to be here long, once Cron and Cruz were here and healthy.

I wonder if the signing of Marwin and continued emergence of Astudillo played a role too -- there didn't even seem to be any bench at-bats for Austin here either.

 

I wonder if the signing of Marwin and continued emergence of Astudillo played a role too -- there didn't even seem to be any bench at-bats for Austin here either.

 

Agreed on all that, in the context of this roster and the AAA and AA and even A+ teams, there just wasn't room for Austin here.

 

Lots of players get dealt or released or whatever, based on the context of the other players in a team's system, that doesn't mean they are bad players, or have no value.......

Doesn't look like much of a prospect, but getting nothing for him was an option too. I was hoping for some fringey pitcher as I'd be more likely to put stock in Wes Johnson maximizing a new arm than I am that the team has some magic tricks to fix the hitters.

 

Good luck to Austin, overcoming unsightly strikeout numbers appears to be among the hardest, if not the hardest thing to do in this game, but I hope he does. 

 

The bench still isn't safe, now I wonder who's on the chopping block once Sano comes back (assuming everyone stays healthy). With the addition of a third baseman, I could see an argument for removing any of Adrianza, Cave, Castro, Garver or Astudillo. I definitely have a couple of preferred options but should be a legit debate all around.

 

The bench still isn't safe, now I wonder who's on the chopping block once Sano comes back (assuming everyone stays healthy). With the addition of a third baseman, I could see an argument for removing any of Adrianza, Cave, Castro, Garver or Astudillo.

...or Sano. (He's got an option year left.)