A trip to Cedar Rapids: An Amaurys Minier jersey

The Kernels wore these jerseys Friday
to honor the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
I'm a University of Minnesota grad.
What am I doing?

For the second year in a row, I wound up winning a jersey of a player for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

It's quite possible that for the second year in a row, that player will get dropped by the organization before next season opens.

Last year it was Michael Cedaroth, a third-round draft pick (2014) who was released during spring training this year. This year, Amaurys Minier.

Minier is (supposedly) a first baseman and switch-hitting power bat. The Twins signed him in 2012 as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican for a bonus of $1.4 million. He's hit .220/.314/.403 in five seasons in the Twins system, .142/.276/.292 this season for Cedar Rapids. Right now he's on the disabled list.

Healthy or not, a 568 OPS in low A ball doesn't cut it.

The new regime has no personal investment in Minier. They have no particular need to make that $1.4 million pay off. It's dead money, somebody else's mistake.

Minier is only 21. Certainly he could turn it around. But my guess is that if he does, it won't be with the Twins organization.