Article: Twins Minor League Report (5/27): Vantastic

[Jeremy Nygaard]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1788-Twins-Minor-League-Report-(5-27)-Vantastic

[Shane Wahl]

The Rohlfing move is very curious. I guess he is Herrmann like in that he can also play OF. Koch should move up to NB anyway. But does this mean something weird involving Herrmann?

[Jeremy Nygaard]

A million dollar question...

 

Or Butera?

[jokin]

A million dollar question...

 

Or Butera?

 

Well, Gardy reinstalled the battling 2nd Baseman with the .197 BA and .500 OPS back in the lineup in the 2-hole today.. Apparently, the .867 OPS in that spot was the main cause of the losing streak. Now, if Gardy can just get his "real" 3rd catcher back off the DL and onto the 25-man so that Doumit can play more RF, all will be well in Gardy-World.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

I really don't like the Rohfling move. I was hoping Pinto would be boosted to AAA this year, but as the only New Britain catcher and with a surplus in AAA already, it looks bleak. The Twins continually go about not rewarding performance. Vanimal's smile is adorable.

[clutterheart]

Bruce Pugh is becoming a big bummer. I thought he would put together a good year this year and I was optimistic he would find himself in the Big League Bullpen.

Just shows that Relief pitchers do not grow on trees

[clutterheart]

Pinto

They rewarded him by being on the 40 man roster. Wait a bit.

Its only a few months of the season. And lets face it, why would any young kid want to be at Rochester.

That is a bad team with a bad roster and likely a pissed off fan base. Better to stay in NB and try to turn around the season.

[jokin]

Rochester is, and always has been a disaster. Any chance that Las Vegas is still available, possibly for purchase, and they could move the franchise to Sioux Falls, or especially, St Paul?

[Ncgo4]

Most of the statistics gurus that I have read contend that OBP is THE single most important statistic in baseball and the most over looked. A guy that hits 275 and has enough walks to bring that number up to 400 is more valuable than a 325 hitter that strikes out 25% of the time. He mentioned Richardson's 425 OBP, last year he was over 400 for the entire year. These are Buxton-like numbers. Who is this guy, I've never heard of him?

[Mike Sixel]

One pitcher in the entire system that looks ready for next year.....one. What is Ryan going to do to fix this?

[Seth Stohs]

I really don't like the Rohfling move. I was hoping Pinto would be boosted to AAA this year, but as the only New Britain catcher and with a surplus in AAA already, it looks bleak. The Twins continually go about not rewarding performance. Vanimal's smile is adorable.

 

 

Pinto is a prospect. he's got to play every day, not split time with 2 other people.

[Mike Sixel]

Pinto is a prospect. he's got to play every day, not split time with 2 other people.

 

The argument that Arcia and Hicks need to spend time in AAA, by you and others, belies the argument that it is ok to keep guys in AA, they can always be promoted from there, doesn't it?

 

And if the other guys aren't prospects, demote them, and move up the guys that are legit.

[jay]

Well, Gardy reinstalled the battling 2nd Baseman with the .197 BA and .500 OPS back in the lineup in the 2-hole today.. Apparently, the .867 OPS in that spot was the main cause of the losing streak. Now, if Gardy can just get his "real" 3rd catcher back off the DL and onto the 25-man so that Doumit can play more RF, all will be well in Gardy-World.

 

I just threw up in my mouth a little. So true...

[Shane Wahl]

Well, Gardy reinstalled the battling 2nd Baseman with the .197 BA and .500 OPS back in the lineup in the 2-hole today.. Apparently, the .867 OPS in that spot was the main cause of the losing streak. Now, if Gardy can just get his "real" 3rd catcher back off the DL and onto the 25-man so that Doumit can play more RF, all will be well in Gardy-World.

 

Just about every response in this thread so far is worthy of a response, so I will start with this one. I was dismayed to see Dozier there--trying that out with Florimon is ONE thing (I wouldn't like that anyway, but I could see Gardy going that route), but a .230 OBP in the two-hole is disgusting. Let's just hope he doesn't do that again tonight.

[Shane Wahl]

I really don't like the Rohfling move. I was hoping Pinto would be boosted to AAA this year, but as the only New Britain catcher and with a surplus in AAA already, it looks bleak. The Twins continually go about not rewarding performance. Vanimal's smile is adorable.

 

Well it is hard to say what the hell is going on here. Rohlfing is someone who can just be moved around levels and play multiple positions including catcher. Let's not forget that the Twins just threw away Benson for nothing. With Herrmann's few day recall, Rochester was down an OF and a catcher.

 

I would say that after the draft and short season starts, moves can be made from bottom to top at the C spot. Release Fryer, make Butera and Lehmann coaches (haha!), and just have real players like Herrmann, Pinto, and Rohlfing at AAA. That won't happen, of course, but one can dream.

[Shane Wahl]

Bruce Pugh is becoming a big bummer. I thought he would put together a good year this year and I was optimistic he would find himself in the Big League Bullpen.

Just shows that Relief pitchers do not grow on trees

 

Yeah, I looked for Pugh and Watts to step up and compete for the big league 'pen. I don't trust Roenicke or Swarzak, and Fien is really on the edge right now (in fact, I wonder if the Twins are returning to 12 pitchers and Fien will be sent down instead of Herrmann when Plouffe comes back???).

[Shane Wahl]

Rochester is, and always has been a disaster. Any chance that Las Vegas is still available, possibly for purchase, and they could move the franchise to Sioux Falls, or especially, St Paul?

 

It is almost completely filler. "Veterans" as they are called by some. Yeah, veterans of the minor leagues with no chance of making it (or making it again). Some say that Rochester "wants to compete" and so the best way to do that is to put oldsters there instead of prospects. That isn't working for EITHER Rochester's W-L record OR Twins prospects, is it?

 

I view Rochester as a place for actual real part-time fill-ins for the Twins or as the last stop for prospects. Not . . . just some dudes. I will put Richardson in the former camp because he could fill-in adequately for the Twins in Hicks' time of need. Herrmann and Colabello are with the Twins, they decided to throw away Benson, so what is left? I will let Romero still be at the margins right now. Eric Farris, Clete Thomas (mastered AAA pitching, don't let it fool you), Jeff Clement (disappointment), Brian Dinkelman, Ray Olmedo, Doug Bernier, Eric Fryer, etc.

 

Good god.

[Shane Wahl]

The argument that Arcia and Hicks need to spend time in AAA, by you and others, belies the argument that it is ok to keep guys in AA, they can always be promoted from there, doesn't it?

 

And if the other guys aren't prospects, demote them, and move up the guys that are legit.

 

I see two guys in the entire system who could jump from AA to MLB, with Arcia being the borderline third case. I don't want to get in that "value of AAA vs. AA" argument again, though the evidence seems pretty clear.

 

What I really don't like seeing is promotion to MLB from AA, then a struggle there, and a demotion to AAA (where the player has either never been or barely been) to "work on things" when they don't even have proper AAA experience in the first damn place.

[bird]

Not sure what the complaint is about how the Twins "use" AAA. It's no different than anyone else-Toledo (Detroit), Charlotte (Chicago), Columbus (Cleveland) for example. Every team occasionally promotes a real talent from AA. Every team occasionally demotes the same to AAA if he struggles. Every team "uses" AAA to shuttle AAAA players up as temporary replacements. Every team makes decisions about who stays in AA, who goes to AAA, etc. that seem arbitrary or misguided to fans like us. It's probably not arbitrary or misguided though. Could be we just aren't privy to what variables were considered.

[Mike Sixel]

The one thing I don't like about how they use AAA......they don't shuttle RP up and down enough in an attempt to limit the innings by the bad starters.....other than that, not sure it matters to me.

[Shane Wahl]

I wouldn't be surprised if Herrmann is up for the duration of Wilkin's DL stint and a relief pitcher (Fien) goes down when Plouffe comes back.

[Shane Wahl]

Not sure what the complaint is about how the Twins "use" AAA. It's no different than anyone else-Toledo (Detroit), Charlotte (Chicago), Columbus (Cleveland) for example. Every team occasionally promotes a real talent from AA. Every team occasionally demotes the same to AAA if he struggles. Every team "uses" AAA to shuttle AAAA players up as temporary replacements. Every team makes decisions about who stays in AA, who goes to AAA, etc. that seem arbitrary or misguided to fans like us. It's probably not arbitrary or misguided though. Could be we just aren't privy to what variables were considered.

 

And how has that been working for the Twins and Chris Parmelee, Aaron Hicks, Trevor Plouffe, Ben Revere, Joe Benson, etc.?