Article: What's the Plan: Josmil Pinto

[Nick Nelson]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2255-What-s-the-Plan-Josmil-Pinto

[clutterheart]

I'm suprised that Pinto isn't on the team now

I expected him to get the call when Mauer went down

[Seth Stohs]

I think it all depends on what they do this offseason with Ryan Doumit. I could definitely see him traded.

 

In that scenario, I'd work all three catchers onto the big league roster. I'd have Joe Mauer catch 60-75 games (dependent upon his return from the DL). I'd have Pinto catch 60-75. I'd have Herrmann catch 25-30. I'd have Mauer play a lot of 1B and DH some too. I'd have Pinto DH as appropriate to get up to 120-130 games total. I don't agree with a 3rd catcher, but I like the idea of Herrmann being the backup catcher most days while also providing good defense in the corner outfield spots and a guy who takes quality plate appearances most of the time. He'd be a utility guy who can legitimately catch.

 

If Doumit's around, Pinto gets another half-season in Rochester, which wouldn't hurt him at all.

[ScottyB]

I understand that Herrmann has taken some balls at 3B as an emergency backup. I'd love to see him play some winter ball taking more reps there and maybe even some 1B. That versatility certainly makes having a third string catcher much more palatable. In the day and age of a 3 man bench, you need all the versatility you can get.

[troyhobbs]

At whatever point they get rid of Doumit it makes sense to bring him up. I'd definately bring him up in September since he's on the 40 man and it doesn't pay to put Mauer behind the plate much more this year.

[Mike Sixel]

Cut Doumit.....he is not good. He should be up now, getting a taste while mauer is out.

[SeanS7921]

I hate we still act like it was World ending that we traded Ramos. Capps added 1 win to a good 2010 team. That was the trade - Bullpen help to win that year. Mission accomplished he improved the team. He was an above average relief pitcher in 2011 for the entire year (close to 1WAR). For example great relievers barely get to 2 WAR a year. OBVIOUSLY trading Ramos for Capps was a mistake. They should have been able to get him for less. But it cost the Twins nothing at all on the field. Wilson Ramos career: Injured, Abducted unable to stay on the field. 46 games so far this year, 25 games last year and in his only productive season (his apparently Godlike performance) if you believe the bloggers he was 2WAR and played 113 games or so. Whoopie he isn't an average major league starter cause he can't stay healthy. If in 2011, 2012 or 2013 we were contenders then in his pathetically limited playing time he could have helped out about as much as Capps did.

[TheLeviathan]

I want to see him get AAA reps next year, at least until June.

[Han Joelo]

Cut Doumit.....he is not good. He should be up now, getting a taste while mauer is out.

Just saying.

[StormJH1]

The Doumit re-signing was popular and I never understood why. People really thought he would play a lot of 1B to spell Mauer when he was first acquired, and it turns out that's his worst position. Though he plays RF now and then, I really can't remember a time when it was necessary to have Doumit as an OF option, especially now with guys like Colabello and Parmelee hanging around. My point is: he's a bad catcher and overrated as a "plus bat" pretty much anywhere he plays. He got extra-credit as a super-utility player, when that's really not the case. We would've been better off spending the money on a traditional backup catcher, or developing an internal option like Hermmann.

 

All that in mind, if Pinto is still considered a project, we don't need to see him now. I suppose if the minor league season ends early, then calling him up to the MLB club is better than not playing at all, but it's not a priority yet.

 

Kind of sad that fans had finally come to peace with Mauer as a slightly-more-than-part-time catcher (with good defense this year)...and now this concussion stuff may actually force our hand in moving him. It's just funny that with some players (Biggio), they get moved away from catcher VERY early in their careers, but now at Age 30, that decision may be made with Mauer...and Mauer was about as good a hitting prospect as anyone.

[troyhobbs]

OBVIOUSLY trading Ramos for Capps was a mistake.

 

Exactly.

[beyondclarity]

I think the Pinto situation is the simplest of the players who've been featured in this series...

 

You leave him in Rochester until they finish up in the playoffs (assuming they make it.)

Then you bring him here to see the lights of the majors while getting him every at bat you can for those 2+ weeks in September.

Next year he starts in Rochester and when needed can come up and catch/DH.

 

Also, can we stop talking about Ramos? That was done years ago, lets move on already!

[Siehbiscuit]

The excitement with Doumit was he was a backup catcher that had pop and was hitting .300 at the time. His liabilities (playing catcher) were ok because his bat was playable elsewhere (DH and OF). This year his bat is terrible and he still sucks everywhere in the field.

 

Similar to Willingham. If the bats not there, there isn't much value.

[twinsfanohio]

I worry that we're missing the point. While the bat is unproven against good (read MLB-ready) pitching, it is his defense, game-calling, and handling of pitchers that is most important.

 

We will have a relatively inexperienced staff (some combo of Gibson, Hendricks, Albers + Deduno - 37 GS, Diamond - 57 GS, Walters - 35 GS, Worely - 56 GS), only Corriea will have a significant number of GS at the MLB level. Without experience and without knockout stuff, they will be relying on the game-calling and settling influence of good catching. The real question, to me, is how does Pinto do with that? I suspect those issues will add / subtract much more value than his bat at this point.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I seem to remember reading that Pinto was considered an above average defender... Maybe I was wrong there.

 

That said, I think Pinto gets the call after Rochester's season is over and will get a reaonable amount of PT in September. He starts in AAA and if he continues to do what he's done, will provide impetus to trade Doumit at the deadline... Hopefully, Doumit is having a good season through July of next year so that teams might actually be interested. Pinto comes up and takes on that role after this.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I'd just like to see a plan. Anything.

 

We've been "wingin it" for too long with the 9 dimensional chess game of Doumit behind the plate tomorrow because Herrmann can play right if Mauer needs a day off at first base...

 

Here would be one plan: Mauer catches the pitcher he works best with (once every 5 days) , another guy who works well with pitchers (Butera? Herrmann?) catches the rest of the time, with the third guy as utility/emergency.

[Rosterman]

The joy is he's on the 30-man and Butera ain't blocking him.

 

Doumit was signed as a DH who could also catch. The Twins got a good one-year deal out of him, and he managed to switch it to a solid 3-year deal, which, if he is hitting, most of us can live with. No other alternative at DH at the moment, unless you consider Morneau...he's here in 2014. His trade value is zero as he is mainly a DH. Another American League team would need to find value in him.

 

But, like Brian Harper of yore, he does work his butt off behind the plate and is trying to keep his skill-set improving. That is a value to him, to be a guy with a bat who can also spell a catcher.

 

We aren't sure yet how Hermann will fit into the Twins. he is a guy who can catch, and possibly play am multitude of positions. But if you are going to cvatch, you do have to catch, not jsut be that #3 emergency guy.

 

Both Doumit and Herrmann will be bench bats next year. Pinto will play winter ball and start at Rochester.

 

Again, the clog comes with a decision on what to do with Morneau. Sign him to play msotly first and hopefully get a new firstbaseman in 2015 (prospects anyone). Have him be a 1B/DH role and still run thru the usual suspects (Collabello, Parmelee, Mauer, Dotmit, maybe Plouffe in a rotation with DH). Or just deep-six Morneaa and continue to think about new guys who can make 2014 more inetresting than any of the last three seasons and 2015 a return to being competitive (or at least .50) baseball.

[Danchat]

I say... bring him up in September. Watch him bat.

Let Doumit start 2014 as the backup and let Pinto dethrone him by hitting in AAA. Trade Doumit for whatever we can get in July and call Pinto up. That'd be my plan.

[Pescadero1]

I like the idea of Herrmann being the backup catcher most days while also providing good defense in the corner outfield spots and a guy who takes quality plate appearances most of the time. He'd be a utility guy who can legitimately catch.

 

Hermann strikes me as an intriguing athlete, but not necessarily a big league player. Do you think he'd be in the majors on a different team, especially one in the playoffs?

[stringer bell]

I'm certainly in favor of seeing Pinto play some for the Twins in September. He should have and likely will need more time in Rochester. Depending on the Mauer decision, he could be an alternate or the de facto regular by sometime next year.

[Thegrin]

Ramos = An injury waiting for a time to happen.

[Shane Wahl]

I would start 2014 with Doumit gone and Pinto and Herrmann on the roster.

[Mike Sixel]

I would start 2014 with Doumit gone and Pinto and Herrmann on the roster.

 

100% agree, even if you just cut Doumit.

[Brandon]

Pinto should come up after the playoffs in AAA for the last few weeks of this season and get a few at Bats ans a few innings behind the plate.

 

Next season he should start in AAA unless or until Doumit is traded or next September he should get the call up and this time if he is still performing it should be permanent.

[VATwinsFan]

Let's just hope the Twins don't bring him up with someone named Flounder.

[Thrylos]

I have this feeling that Mauer will replace Morneau at first base next season. Then Pinto and Herrmann will be the 2 primary catchers with Herrmann playing occasionally other positions.

[CGNikolic]

Josmil Pinto = young Ryan Doumit. So... you trade or cut Doumit whenever Pinto is ready. Boom.

[messier]

I have this feeling that Mauer will replace Morneau at first base next season. Then Pinto and Herrmann will be the 2 primary catchers with Herrmann playing occasionally other positions.

So you believe this is the end of Doumit in a Twins uni?

[diehardtwinsfan]

So you believe this is the end of Doumit in a Twins uni?

 

Next year is the end regardless. He won't get cut though. He either gets traded or finishes out his contract and becomes a FA.