tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7195084204316698108.post1397605903627475880..comments2024-02-19T07:12:32.248-06:00Comments on Baseball Outsider: A spring-training one-hitterEdward Thomahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10769979703606661737noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7195084204316698108.post-72496611874245316742012-03-19T08:29:17.442-05:002012-03-19T08:29:17.442-05:00FORT MYERS, FLA. -- The Twins optioned infielder T...FORT MYERS, FLA. -- The Twins optioned infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Class AAA Rochester this morning. Nishioka, who is on the second year of a three-year contract, was believed to be fighting for a utility infield spot on the Opening Day roster.<br /><br />Nishioka, 27, batted .240 (6-for-25) in nine Grapefruit League games this spring. He had several defensive miscues early in camp.<br /><br />"It's definitely tough to swallow, but it's not like I'm getting baseball taken away from me," Nishioka said, through translator Ryo Shinkawa.<br /><br />Asked what General Manager Terry Ryan and Manager Ron Gardenhire told Nishioka to work on in Rochester, the infielder said, "To slow the game down and to be able to be back to my old self, how I was playing in Japan."<br /><br />Besides Nishioka, the Twins also optioned reliever Carlos Gutierrez and outfielder Rene Tosoni to Rochester. The team re-assigned nine others to minor-league camp: pitchers Jason Bulger, Luis Perdomo, Daryl Thompson, Esmerling Vasquez and P.J. Walters; catchers Chris Herrmann and Dan Rohlfing; infielder Aaron Bates and outfielder Wilkin Ramirez.<br /><br />The Twins now have 45 players on their spring training roster.bob gorinskinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7195084204316698108.post-89841834482237548312012-03-19T07:35:36.289-05:002012-03-19T07:35:36.289-05:00Obviously the order relievers are used tells you s...Obviously the order relievers are used tells you something. But what? <br /><br />Right now, the coaches are making decisions about who won't be on the roster. They don't need to decide who will for at least another week. <br /><br />As you point out, deciding Gray is not on the roster means exposing him to waivers. Its plausible he pitched early because the coaches wanted to see him one more time against better competition before deciding to eliminate him from consideration.TThttp://grannybaseball.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com