Showing posts with label Jonathan Sanchez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonathan Sanchez. Show all posts

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Notes, quotes and comment

To remain part of the Twins system.
I took note a while back of the number of minor league affiliates whose arrangements with the Twins were expiring after this season. One of them has apparently been settled; John Shipley of the Pioneer Press tweeted Wednesday that the New Britain (Conn.) RockCats and Twins have extended their "working agreement" through 2014.

New Britain is the Double A affiliate in the Eastern League, and there was, at the time of the original post, speculation that the new owners of the franchise were interested in hooking up with the Mets.

Rochester (Triple A) and Beloit (Low A) are also expiring affiliations.

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As far as I know, Brian Dinkelman is the only Twins farmhand involved in this bracket. I don't think he's got a chance.

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Jonathan Sanchez was designated for assignment Tuesday by Kansas City -- a status that means We don't know what we're going to do with him, but he's not playing for us anymore. They have nine more days in which to dispose of him.

If there's any team in need of power arms for the starting rotation, it's the Twins. Of course, if there's another, it's Kansas City, and they've seen quite enough of Sanchez. Still, Sanchez' record with San Francisco was solid enough to start some Twitter chatter about whether the Twins should pursue him.

I don't know why his walk rate, never good, has ballooned, or (probably more important) why his strikeout rate has cratered. And without answers to those questions, I'd pass on him. Certainly the Twins ought not pick up the remains of his $5.6 million contract.

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Trevor Plouffe hasn't homered in two weeks, but he hasn't had a hitless game this month and has only struck out eight times. He hasn't had a lot of multi-hit games  during the16-game hitting streak (Wednesday's was the fourth), and he's drawn only three walks, so the on-base percentage hasn't budged, the slugging percentage has actually dropped, and the batting average is only creeping up.

Still, the consistency is encouraging.