Garlick DFA'd

[Riverbrian]

19 hours ago, stringer bell said:

I thought the team should have non-tendered him and essentially this is the result. If someone wants to give the Twins something for him, that is great. If not, thanks for your efforts Kyle. 

This makes it more certain that Celestino will be on the Opening Day roster unless they bring in someone new. I hope the Twins can find someone who has a better chance to hit than Celestino and perhaps someone who could serve as a pinch runner and actually take an extra base or swipe a bag. If Martin can hit like he did in the AFL, I think he is a better fit than Celestino. 

If this gives Celestino an opening day 26 man spot.

I'd almost rather keep Garlick and give Correa back to the Mets. I said... Almost ?

Celestino was nowhere near MLB ready last year.

He's 23 years old with options with potential development in front of him.

Rostering him to replace Garlick on the short side of a platoon will kill his career. 

Rostering him to be a defensive specialist who doesn't play much will kill his career.  

If he has no current value and no future shelf life. He doesn't need to be on the 40 man at all. 

Rostering him just to roster him will waste any potential development with that roster spot. 

Start him in AAA and give him a chance to get better. Let him show that he is ready, that he deserves a call up when an injury occurs. 

 

[Coach Wheels]

23 hours ago, mnfireman said:

Casualty of the Carlos Correa signing.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/01/twins-designate-kyle-garlick-for-assignment.html

With Gallo on the roster, we didn't need 5 OF, even though he's RH. 

[jorgenswest]

On 1/12/2023 at 5:06 AM, Riverbrian said:

Kyle can hit. We all saw it... He can hit. 

Unfortunately he was never allowed to hit against right handers. 

Garlick will never be allowed to be a contender for playing time because he has been made a specialist and hardened in that role over the course of 4 years. 

It isn't his fault that he was turned into a specialist but he has been so therefore... very little value to us and others. 

He is the obvious choice. 

 

 

Garlick had more at bats against right handed pitching than left handed pitching last year though plate appearance was slightly more against lefties(82-80). 46% of his major league plate appearances have been against right handed pitching. In spite of this near even split his career OPS against right handed pitching sits at .582.

[USAFChief]

On 1/12/2023 at 6:06 AM, Riverbrian said:

Kyle can hit. We all saw it... He can hit. 

Unfortunately he was never allowed to hit against right handers. 

Garlick "wasn't allowed to hit against righties" because he can't hit righties. 

 

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, jorgenswest said:

Garlick had more at bats against right handed pitching than left handed pitching last year though plate appearance was slightly more against lefties(82-80). 46% of his major league plate appearances have been against right handed pitching. In spite of this near even split his career OPS against right handed pitching sits at .582.

You are correct. You are always well researched and I really appreciate that about your posts. 

His 80 PA's last year against right-handers is exactly one more than his total number of PA's (79) vs RH's in his 3 years in the majors prior to that. 

72% of innings thrown are from Right Handers so anything close to 50-50 is going to suggest long stretches between appearances vs. Right Handers especially when you consider the sample sizes of 20-15-44-80 over those 4 years. 

When it comes to Garlick... I have these thoughts. 

1. I'm not making a declarative statement that he would have hit RH pitching in the Majors if given the opportunity. I have no way of knowing that. I am saying I don't know and I don't believe the front offices know either. I am saying that he wasn't going to be given the opportunity and I am saying that I don't believe he will ever get the opportunity. 

2. Turns out in 2023... Due to injuries... All of a sudden we needed him to hit right handed pitching during a pennant chase. I believe it is possible that injuries will also occur in 2024 and I'd rather not get stuck in that situation again. Needing a guy who you repeatedly demonstrate a lack of trust in. 

3. I don't believe we had decent enough left handed equivalents last year for platoon justification. 

 

[Riverbrian]

32 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Garlick "wasn't allowed to hit against righties" because he can't hit righties. 

 

It is quite possible that you are right. It's a bunch of small sample sizes but after 4 years of not getting AB's against right handers... you will create that monster.     

But... Yet... Lo and Behold... Come September... during a pennant chase... Surprise... We needed him to all of sudden hit righties.  

That has always been my point with Garlick and it remains my point with Garlick. 

I understand the benefits of a platoon.

Garlick is the obvious choice to remove from the 40 to make room for Correa.  

 

 

 

[stringer bell]

17 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

 

2. Turns out in 2023... Due to injuries... All of a sudden we needed him to hit right handed pitching during a pennant chase. I believe it is possible that injuries will also occur in 2024 and I'd rather not get stuck in that situation again. Needing a guy who you repeatedly demonstrate a lack of trust in. 

 

 

Wow, you can see into the future! The Twins are going to experience another year of outfield injuries and Garlick again will be asked to help vs. RH pitching.

Seriously, it looks like you have advanced the numbers by a year, usually we go the other way. Playing Garlick in meaningful games against right handed pitching is much like starting Celestino in center field for those games and having the likes of Tim Beckham, Caleb Hamilton and Mark Contreras on the active roster. There are two chances--small chance and no chance--to compete. 

Getting Correa back and adding Kyle Farmer mitigates the need for a "lefty killer". I don't think Garlick is needed in such a limited role.

[stringer bell]

9 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

It is quite possible that you are right. It's a bunch of small sample sizes but after 4 years of not getting AB's against right handers... you will create that monster.     

But... Yet... Lo and Behold... Come September... during a pennant chase... Surprise... We needed him to all of sudden hit righties.  

That has always been my point with Garlick and it remains my point with Garlick. 

I understand the benefits of a platoon.

Garlick is the obvious choice to remove from the 40 to make room for Correa.  

 

 

 

My memory was that Garlick was injured for the key early September games in 2022. I was wrong. He was available, but flat out ineffective. For September he put up a .270 OPS with no homers and was shut down on the 15th. As far as I'm concerned, the Twins can roll with too many left handed bats in the corner outfield and if we get to September 2023, the likes of Royce Lewis or Austin Martin can get the RH plate appearances that Garlick had in 2022. Maybe, just maybe, a first round draft choice (Gordon, Larnach, or Kirilloff) will be such a presence that another right handed bat is really not needed. BTW, having Ryan Jeffers hit against left handed pitching is probably a good idea. (.909 OPS in 2022).

[Riverbrian]

3 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Wow, you can see into the future! The Twins are going to experience another year of outfield injuries and Garlick again will be asked to help vs. RH pitching.

Seriously, it looks like you have advanced the numbers by a year, usually we go the other way. Playing Garlick in meaningful games against right handed pitching is much like starting Celestino in center field for those games and having the likes of Tim Beckham, Caleb Hamilton and Mark Contreras on the active roster. There are two chances--small chance and no chance--to compete. 

Getting Correa back and adding Kyle Farmer mitigates the need for a "lefty killer". I don't think Garlick is needed in such a limited role.

I can see into the future. I'm willing to bet that the sun will rise tomorrow and I'm willing to bet that the disabled list will be utilized again in 2023. 

Unfortunately... my prognostication ability has severe limitations. 

I'm not able to predict who specifically gets hurt, how many get hurt and for how long they will be hurt. In addition, I also don't have the prognostication ability to predict who is going to struggle or who will be a pleasant surprise.

However... I am willing to predict right now... right here at this moment that whoever is on the 26 man roster will be called upon to perform due to injuries or poor performance from others.  So... you might as well staff the team up and down and prep them for when they are needed because they will be needed. 

The injuries that occurred to Twins players in 2022 were off the charts. I don't assume that of any of the 30 front offices or 30 managers could have withstood that level of injury landslide. 

However... While I remain supportive of the front office... I have some constructive criticisms:

Injuries also occur in August and September. At the trade deadline on July 31st. We had with the continued risk of future injuries to the healthy. 

Gordon: .712 OPS - No Complaints but not earth shattering. 

Buxton: According to Rocco Baldelli barely able to walk without pain. season long rest managed in order to keep him on the field on occasion. 

Kepler: .666 OPS - I have complaints

Kirilloff: .651 OPS - Pain in his wrist since spring training, receiving cortisone shots, season ending surgery 7 days later. 

Celestino: .653 OPS - I have complaints

Garlick: .822 OPS - Short Side specialist only useful 28 percent of the time. 

Contreras: .211 OPS 

Beckham - .500 OPS

Larnach and Lewis on the disabled list.  

At the trade deadline... the OF was held together by band-aids. If you are not going to make an acquisition at the deadline... you are going to need a guy who hasn't hit right handers to hit right handers once Buxton and Kirilloff can't go any longer and you have done nothing to help him prepare for that moment. 

Fast forward to 2023... We have:

Buxton - Always an injury concern

Gallo and Kepler - Hoping for a rebound from a 2 year slump

Gordon - We hope can do it again but sophomores often don't. 

Kirilloff, Larnach, Wallner, Celestino who have never hit as slightly above average as Gordon did last year. 

If you are going to place a RH short side specialist with that group of "Hopefully" players. You are just asking for a repeat of needing a guy to do something you don't allow him to do at some point of the season. 

Garlick has to go while Gallo and Kepler need to out perform Gordon, Kirilloff, Larnach and Wallner to keep their jobs while Gordon, Kirilloff, Larnach and Wallner need to be allowed to out perform Gallo and Kepler if those two are not. 

It has to be open competition between the 6 of them. Garlick will never be given the chance to compete. So Adios. It's the obvious move. 

 

[Riverbrian]

8 hours ago, stringer bell said:

My memory was that Garlick was injured for the key early September games in 2022. I was wrong. He was available, but flat out ineffective. For September he put up a .270 OPS with no homers and was shut down on the 15th. As far as I'm concerned, the Twins can roll with too many left handed bats in the corner outfield and if we get to September 2023, the likes of Royce Lewis or Austin Martin can get the RH plate appearances that Garlick had in 2022. Maybe, just maybe, a first round draft choice (Gordon, Larnach, or Kirilloff) will be such a presence that another right handed bat is really not needed. BTW, having Ryan Jeffers hit against left handed pitching is probably a good idea. (.909 OPS in 2022).

I think your memory was mostly correct. I think he was trying to play through an injury when being pressed into duty to do something he hadn't been asked to do and couldn't so he was eventually shut down. 

Constructive Criticism #2 from me.

Waited too long to call up Wallner. 

[solomon1930]

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

I think your memory was mostly correct. I think he was trying to play through an injury when being pressed into duty to do something you hasn't been asked to do and couldn't so he was eventually shut down. 

Constructive Criticism #2 from me.

Waited too long to call up Wallner. 

Think he had a toe injury, and he was 0 fer 30 or something at one point. 

It was painful to watch him struggle. 

[Musk21]

According to today's MLBTR Chat, Garlick cleared waivers:

2:11

In addition to Lewin Diaz clearing waivers with the O's today, the Twins just announced Kyle Garlick and Oliver Ortega cleared and will be in camp as non-roster players. I thought Garlick had a decent chance of being claimed somewhere, given the power against LHP.

[Brandon]

15 minutes ago, Musk21 said:

According to today's MLBTR Chat, Garlick cleared waivers:

2:11

In addition to Lewin Diaz clearing waivers with the O's today, the Twins just announced Kyle Garlick and Oliver Ortega cleared and will be in camp as non-roster players. I thought Garlick had a decent chance of being claimed somewhere, given the power against LHP.

I like this extra depth.

 

[stringer bell]

The Twins have not had great luck keeping their DFAs. Good to see they managed to get both Garlick and Ortega through the process. 

[Rosterman]

I just hope the Twins, next August, aren't feidling and outfield of Garlick, Contreras, and Ryan LaMarre.

 

[stringer bell]

Garlick will be coming to Spring Training off the major league roster, but he probably has a decent chance to make the team since the Twins will have two or three vacancies available on the 40-man roster by Opening Day (Paddack and Lewis on the 60-day. They could also add Canterino, but then he would get service time for his TJ rehab).