The Twins waived Kennys Vargas when they picked up outfield Jake Cave and needed a spot on the 40-man roster. The Cincinnati Reds claimed Vargas and promptly waived him themselves in hopes that he would clear and they could outright him to Triple A as first-base insurance.
But in the middle of all that Jorge Polanco was suspended and went on the restricted list, which opened another spot on the Twins 40-man roster. So the Twins claimed Vargas. Who is almost certainly on waivers again, because the Twins aren't going to carry three first basemen on the active roster.
This defines, for better or worse, Vargas as a player: A Four-A guy, not quite good enough to secure a place in the majors but good enough to want him hanging around. The Twins arent't eager to put him in the lineup, but if something happens to take Joe Mauer or Logan Morrison out of action, Vargas can be useful.
He's not really a 35-man decision. The Twins do have a couple of them: Zack Granite or Ryan LaMarre for a bench spot, Phil Hughes, Gabriel Moya or Tyler Kinley for two pitching berths.
My guesses: Hughes, who reported an oblique issue after his most recent spring training outing, goes on the DL until the Twins need a fifth starter. And Granite stays. He's the better player, even if LaMarre is probably a better fit for the roster role.
Showing posts with label Kennys Vargas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kennys Vargas. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2018
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Goodbye, Vargas
The Twins on Friday traded a rookie-league level pitcher named Luis Gil to the Yankees for outfielder Jake Cave, who goes on the 40-man roster. To make room for Cave, they designated Kennys Vargas for assignment.
Cave theoretically could be another contender for the fourth outfielder job. He hit well in 2017, splitting the season between Double A and Triple A, has played center field and clearly has more power than Zack Granite. But he's another left-handed hitter, so he too is an imperfect fit on the Twins roster.
As for Vargas, who knows? The Twins will try to find a trade partner, but there's not a lot of demand for first base/DH types these days. He may well wind up clearing waivers and remaining in the organization. For his sake, I hope somebody decides they have a major-league job for him. His best chances at one with the Twins are in the past.
Cave theoretically could be another contender for the fourth outfielder job. He hit well in 2017, splitting the season between Double A and Triple A, has played center field and clearly has more power than Zack Granite. But he's another left-handed hitter, so he too is an imperfect fit on the Twins roster.
As for Vargas, who knows? The Twins will try to find a trade partner, but there's not a lot of demand for first base/DH types these days. He may well wind up clearing waivers and remaining in the organization. For his sake, I hope somebody decides they have a major-league job for him. His best chances at one with the Twins are in the past.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Contemplating Kennys Vargas
It's fairly obvious that the addition of Logan Morrison, once it becomes official, makes Kennys Vargas expendable.
Between Joe Mauer, Morrison and Vargas, the Twins have three guys limited to first base in the field. There's no way to fit three such players on the 25-man roster in the era of 12-man pitching staffs, and no practical benefit even if you did. And Vargas is out of options. (I really have no idea how the Twins milked an extra option year for him last season.)
The thing is, if you ignore Morrison's 2017 power surge, there isn't a lot of reason to favor him over Vargas as a hitter. Vargas enters 2018 with a career slash line of of .252/.311/.437, with 35 homers in 859 plate appearances (one HR per 24.5 PA). Morrison entered 2017 with a slash line of .245/.325/.416, with 84 homers in 2,753 PA (one homer per 33.8 PA). Morrison deserves some credit as a more agile defender, Vargas some for being a bit younger and cheaper. You could flip a coin.
But Morrison's 2017 counts. His newfound ability to lift pitches jolted his power numbers. Vargas has 35 career homers in more than a full season's worth of at-bats; Morrison hit 38 last year. Morrison is what you might hope Vargas to become.
So the question isn't if Vargas is leaving the Twins. (Heck, they even took his No. 19 away and gave it to Anibal Sanchez.) The question is when, where and how. He'd probably prefer that it be sooner, but he has no leverage.
I don't imagine that there'll be much of a trade market for him. Look at how little interest there was for Morrison as a free agent. Defense-limited power bats are not in demand. Ultimately he'll be waived, and I don't know who will claim him.
The chatter out of Fort Myers about Vargas's weight loss and new contact lens for the left eye is nice but probably meaningless. If those things can save his career, he probably needed them a year ago. It's possible that he can make the Twins regret going for Morrison over him. Possible, but not likely.
Between Joe Mauer, Morrison and Vargas, the Twins have three guys limited to first base in the field. There's no way to fit three such players on the 25-man roster in the era of 12-man pitching staffs, and no practical benefit even if you did. And Vargas is out of options. (I really have no idea how the Twins milked an extra option year for him last season.)
The thing is, if you ignore Morrison's 2017 power surge, there isn't a lot of reason to favor him over Vargas as a hitter. Vargas enters 2018 with a career slash line of of .252/.311/.437, with 35 homers in 859 plate appearances (one HR per 24.5 PA). Morrison entered 2017 with a slash line of .245/.325/.416, with 84 homers in 2,753 PA (one homer per 33.8 PA). Morrison deserves some credit as a more agile defender, Vargas some for being a bit younger and cheaper. You could flip a coin.
But Morrison's 2017 counts. His newfound ability to lift pitches jolted his power numbers. Vargas has 35 career homers in more than a full season's worth of at-bats; Morrison hit 38 last year. Morrison is what you might hope Vargas to become.
So the question isn't if Vargas is leaving the Twins. (Heck, they even took his No. 19 away and gave it to Anibal Sanchez.) The question is when, where and how. He'd probably prefer that it be sooner, but he has no leverage.
I don't imagine that there'll be much of a trade market for him. Look at how little interest there was for Morrison as a free agent. Defense-limited power bats are not in demand. Ultimately he'll be waived, and I don't know who will claim him.
The chatter out of Fort Myers about Vargas's weight loss and new contact lens for the left eye is nice but probably meaningless. If those things can save his career, he probably needed them a year ago. It's possible that he can make the Twins regret going for Morrison over him. Possible, but not likely.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
First base with and without Mauer
A year ago I figured that Joe Mauer would retire at the expiration of his contract after the 2018 season. His 2017 resurgence may change that equation, but he'll be 35, his daughters will be about ready to start school, he'll have collected more than $200 million in salary over the course of his career -- yeah, he might well decide to hang 'em up.
Then what for the Twins at first base? For that matter, who's behind Mauer for 2018?
Mauer played more than 72 percent of the team's innings at first base. Kennys Vargas picked the majority of the rest. But Vargas
Byungho Park might be seriously contemplating a return to his native Korea. He slugged a mere .415 in Triple A, and if Park ain't hitting for power, he ain't doing much. His walk to strikeout ratio with Rochester (28 bases on balls, 130 strikeouts) was ugly. He has one more year on his Twins contract, he's not on the 40-man roster and this front office has no investment in him.
In my opinion, it's likely that neither Vargas nor Park is with the Twins next year.
Many assume that Miguel Sano is destined for first base once that position is vacated (he played 65 inning there this year). My guess is that if he's too big to stay healthy at third base, he's not real likely to stay healthy at first either. The Twins have long ought to avoid a full-time DH, but that is, in my view, his more likely destination if third base doesn't work for him.
Sano is right-right -- bats right, throws right. John Manuel, for this week still the editor of Baseball America and after that a member of the Twins pro scouting department, had a recent piece about the scouting bias against right-right first basemen. (Byungho Park certainly isn't a data point to discredit the bias.)
The hitter in the system who most interests me as a post-Mauer first base candidate is also right-right: Brent Rooker, who raked at two levels in the farm system after the Twins plucked him with a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds.
He's right-right, he's probably not athletic enough for the outfield and as a college senior draft he was older than his competition at both Rookie and High A ball. These are significant drawbacks. He also hit 11 homers in 40 games in the Florida State League with Hammond Stadium as his home park, and that doesn't happen very often.
Presumably Rooker will advance to Double-A in the spring. Then we might get a better read on his future.
Then what for the Twins at first base? For that matter, who's behind Mauer for 2018?
Mauer played more than 72 percent of the team's innings at first base. Kennys Vargas picked the majority of the rest. But Vargas
- hasn't been very productive as a major league hitter
- is finally out of options
- isn't a lock to remain on the 40-man roster this winter and
- is seriously contemplating playing in Japan or Korea
Byungho Park might be seriously contemplating a return to his native Korea. He slugged a mere .415 in Triple A, and if Park ain't hitting for power, he ain't doing much. His walk to strikeout ratio with Rochester (28 bases on balls, 130 strikeouts) was ugly. He has one more year on his Twins contract, he's not on the 40-man roster and this front office has no investment in him.
In my opinion, it's likely that neither Vargas nor Park is with the Twins next year.
Many assume that Miguel Sano is destined for first base once that position is vacated (he played 65 inning there this year). My guess is that if he's too big to stay healthy at third base, he's not real likely to stay healthy at first either. The Twins have long ought to avoid a full-time DH, but that is, in my view, his more likely destination if third base doesn't work for him.
Sano is right-right -- bats right, throws right. John Manuel, for this week still the editor of Baseball America and after that a member of the Twins pro scouting department, had a recent piece about the scouting bias against right-right first basemen. (Byungho Park certainly isn't a data point to discredit the bias.)
The hitter in the system who most interests me as a post-Mauer first base candidate is also right-right: Brent Rooker, who raked at two levels in the farm system after the Twins plucked him with a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds.
He's right-right, he's probably not athletic enough for the outfield and as a college senior draft he was older than his competition at both Rookie and High A ball. These are significant drawbacks. He also hit 11 homers in 40 games in the Florida State League with Hammond Stadium as his home park, and that doesn't happen very often.
Presumably Rooker will advance to Double-A in the spring. Then we might get a better read on his future.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Gee, Colon? Part Two (plus Vargas)
Monday morning's post questioned the logic of giving tonight's start to Bartolo Colon over Dillon Gee.
The Twins doubled down on that decision, right or wrong, after Monday's game:
Cutting Gee fits the timing of his opt-out. The Twins clearly decided he wasn't a solution. Presumably the opt-out forced this resolution to his status.
That gets Colon on the 40-man roster. To get him on the 25-man active roster required another move:
This is the second time in two weeks they've optioned Vargas out. The first try ended early when Joe Mauer went on the DL. But Mauer returned Friday, and on Sunday Vargas's defensive frailities -- or at least one of them -- showed when the Astros twice ran on him.
Normally the quality of a first baseman's arm is immaterial. Steve Garvey, to name one prominent example, couldn't throw and wouldn't throw if he could possibly avoid it, but he was an outstanding defensive first baseman. I don't know that I've ever seen a first baseman's arm disregarded so throughly as was Vargas' on Sunday.
The interesting thing is that Vargas shows up pretty well in the publicly available defensive metrics. Both versions of runs saved shown on Baseball Reference have him, on a per-inning basis, as outperforming Joe Mauer.
Small sample size, to be sure. Vargas is NOT better with the glove than Mauer. And that Paul Molitor chose to pinch-hit Eduardo Escobar for him Monday night should say something about how his bat is playing.
The Twins doubled down on that decision, right or wrong, after Monday's game:
Source w/direct knowledge confirms Dillon Gee was placed on outright waivers to make room for Colon on 40-man roster.— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) July 18, 2017
Cutting Gee fits the timing of his opt-out. The Twins clearly decided he wasn't a solution. Presumably the opt-out forced this resolution to his status.
That gets Colon on the 40-man roster. To get him on the 25-man active roster required another move:
Twins option 1B Kennys Vargas to AAA Rochester to make room for RHP Bartolo Colon. Oldest starter in Twins history faces Yankees Tuesday.— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) July 18, 2017
This is the second time in two weeks they've optioned Vargas out. The first try ended early when Joe Mauer went on the DL. But Mauer returned Friday, and on Sunday Vargas's defensive frailities -- or at least one of them -- showed when the Astros twice ran on him.
Normally the quality of a first baseman's arm is immaterial. Steve Garvey, to name one prominent example, couldn't throw and wouldn't throw if he could possibly avoid it, but he was an outstanding defensive first baseman. I don't know that I've ever seen a first baseman's arm disregarded so throughly as was Vargas' on Sunday.
The interesting thing is that Vargas shows up pretty well in the publicly available defensive metrics. Both versions of runs saved shown on Baseball Reference have him, on a per-inning basis, as outperforming Joe Mauer.
Small sample size, to be sure. Vargas is NOT better with the glove than Mauer. And that Paul Molitor chose to pinch-hit Eduardo Escobar for him Monday night should say something about how his bat is playing.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Notes, quotes and comment
Friday was quite the busy day in Twinsdom. Let's get chronologic:
* Joe Mauer went on the disabled list with Kennys Vargas recalled. The Twins demoted Vargas on Monday to reactivate Ehire Adrianza. Mauer injured his back on Tuesday, and the Twins dawdled a couple of days before pulling the trigger, presumably (as I noted Thursday) because Vargas hasn't given them a lot of reason to get excited about playing him.
So naturally Vargas went 3-for-4 with a double and a couple RBIs.
*Brandon Kintzler was one of a handful of replacement All-Stars named Friday, and good for him. That gives the Twins three members of the AL squad: Miguel Sano, Ervin Santana and Kintzler.
Kintzler currently leads the American League in saves, which
* The Twins signed Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal.
Colon became an unlikely cult hero in his three years with the Mets; he's old (44), fat (listed at 285 pounds) and amusingly inept at the plate. But the Braves released him after he put up an 8.18 ERA in 13 starts.
I'm not optimistic about Colon. But I'm not optimistic about the rotation "fixes" on hand either. Derek Falvey told the press corps during the game that Colon thinks he can correct himself and pitch beyond this season, and noted (accurately) that Colon has reinvented himself as a pitcher a few times. So we'll see; the Twins have a minimal investment in "Big Sexy," so all they have to lose are a couple of games.
* Felix Jorge started, got shelled, got demoted (that last, as least, as predicted here).
Roy Smalley drew a Johan Santana comp to Jorge early in the game on FSN, which is ridiculous. Santana is left-handed and threw harder than Jorge. A more realistic comp, at least in terms of what kind of pitcher Jorge might become, is Brad Radke -- a fastball that sits around 90, a good change-up, top-notch command of both pitches.
And, hey, if Jorge becomes Radke, that's marvelous. He's not there yet. He has no chance of becoming Santana. And the signing of Colon, plus the presence in Rochester of Dillon Gee (opt-out date July 15), plus Friday's failed outing -- that all adds up to he's not getting another shot at the majors anytime soon. Jorge is returning to Chattanooga, and I would expect to see him back in September but not before.
* Outfielder Zack Granite was recalled. He's hitting .360 in Rochester, which is good. He's drawn about as many walks in Rochester as Eddie Rosario has in Minnesota, which is less good, and has far less power.
The gaudy batting average not withstanding, Granite is a fringe prospect, a protoypical fourth outfielder -- left-handed contact hitter, fast enough to play center, not enough pop to be a regular. And as a lefty bat, he's not a particularly good fit as a backup in an outfield with Rosario and Max Kepler among the regulars.
Granite is, at best, Ben Revere with a better arm.
My prediction: He won't be up long.
*Byron Buxton scored from first base on a single to center. Wowzers.
Anybody who thinks Granite should get Buck's playing time is deluded. Baseball Reference, at this writing, has Buxton as the third-most valuable player on the 2017 Twins with 1.8 WAR, behind Ervin Santana and Kepler and fractionally ahead of Sano.
* Joe Mauer went on the disabled list with Kennys Vargas recalled. The Twins demoted Vargas on Monday to reactivate Ehire Adrianza. Mauer injured his back on Tuesday, and the Twins dawdled a couple of days before pulling the trigger, presumably (as I noted Thursday) because Vargas hasn't given them a lot of reason to get excited about playing him.
So naturally Vargas went 3-for-4 with a double and a couple RBIs.
*Brandon Kintzler was one of a handful of replacement All-Stars named Friday, and good for him. That gives the Twins three members of the AL squad: Miguel Sano, Ervin Santana and Kintzler.
Kintzler currently leads the American League in saves, which
- is meaningless as an evaluative stat and
- made his selection almost inevitable.
* The Twins signed Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal.
Colon became an unlikely cult hero in his three years with the Mets; he's old (44), fat (listed at 285 pounds) and amusingly inept at the plate. But the Braves released him after he put up an 8.18 ERA in 13 starts.
colon will start at triple-a rochester with twins. but plan is to get him up asap— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 8, 2017
I'm not optimistic about Colon. But I'm not optimistic about the rotation "fixes" on hand either. Derek Falvey told the press corps during the game that Colon thinks he can correct himself and pitch beyond this season, and noted (accurately) that Colon has reinvented himself as a pitcher a few times. So we'll see; the Twins have a minimal investment in "Big Sexy," so all they have to lose are a couple of games.
* Felix Jorge started, got shelled, got demoted (that last, as least, as predicted here).
Roy Smalley drew a Johan Santana comp to Jorge early in the game on FSN, which is ridiculous. Santana is left-handed and threw harder than Jorge. A more realistic comp, at least in terms of what kind of pitcher Jorge might become, is Brad Radke -- a fastball that sits around 90, a good change-up, top-notch command of both pitches.
And, hey, if Jorge becomes Radke, that's marvelous. He's not there yet. He has no chance of becoming Santana. And the signing of Colon, plus the presence in Rochester of Dillon Gee (opt-out date July 15), plus Friday's failed outing -- that all adds up to he's not getting another shot at the majors anytime soon. Jorge is returning to Chattanooga, and I would expect to see him back in September but not before.
* Outfielder Zack Granite was recalled. He's hitting .360 in Rochester, which is good. He's drawn about as many walks in Rochester as Eddie Rosario has in Minnesota, which is less good, and has far less power.
The gaudy batting average not withstanding, Granite is a fringe prospect, a protoypical fourth outfielder -- left-handed contact hitter, fast enough to play center, not enough pop to be a regular. And as a lefty bat, he's not a particularly good fit as a backup in an outfield with Rosario and Max Kepler among the regulars.
Granite is, at best, Ben Revere with a better arm.
My prediction: He won't be up long.
*Byron Buxton scored from first base on a single to center. Wowzers.
Anybody who thinks Granite should get Buck's playing time is deluded. Baseball Reference, at this writing, has Buxton as the third-most valuable player on the 2017 Twins with 1.8 WAR, behind Ervin Santana and Kepler and fractionally ahead of Sano.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Notes, quotes and comment
 |
| Sir Rodney, back in Minnesota with his new heart |
So presumably he'll make it to Cooperstown for the Hall of Fame induction weekend later this month, and presumably the beloved bat magician will have a few more trips to Minnesota in the future.
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The Twins optioned out Kennys Vargas after the game and reactivated infielder Ehire Adrianza. They didn't want to send out a pitcher, considering all the short starts of late (Adalberto Mejia's seven-inning start Monday not withstanding), and Brian Dozier's back is apparently acting up, so another infielder might be needed.
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Baseball America's current issue names its high school player of the year (No. 3 overall pick Mackenzie Gore) and its All-American high school team. A notable omission in my eyes: Royce Lewis, the California prep infielder the Twins took first overall. He's not only absent from the first team, but the second and third as well, meaning BA found at least six high school middle infielders it deemed to have had better seasons.
This hardly means the Twins laid an egg last month by tabbing Lewis 1/1. (For what it's worth, the kid is putting on a laser show with the bat in a few dozen Gulf Coast League at-bats.) I just expected to see the first overall pick to be on the team.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
The four Twins on Puerto Rico
Paul Molitor was making noises of impatience earlier in the week about getting the four Twins on Team Puerto Rico back into camp. And now that the tournament is over, the Minnesota manager will get his wish.
How did their absence from spring training affect the four? There are, no surprise, four answers.
For Eddie Rosario, the World Baseball Classic had to be a net plus. He played regularly in right field and he impressed with big hits and big throws. He left Fort Myers the presumptive left fielder; he returns the same, only having raised the question in the minds of many: Why is he the left fielder with an arm like that?
For Hector Santiago, it was neither a detriment nor a springboard. He pitched, oddly, exclusively out of the bullpen and fared well, although he did walk a few hitters -- which is Santiago's M.O. It's possible that the Twins would have liked him adding to his pitch count, but he left camp with a rotation berth and he returns with a rotation berth.
For Jose Berrios, it was possibly a minor impediment to his ambitions of making the opening rotation. He pitched twice -- a start against Italy in the first round and a relief outing in the championship game Wednesday night that showed both his impressive talent and his flaws.
That wasn't enough work to help his cause -- but his cause was probably doomed from the start. I doubt that the Twins ever wanted Berrios to open 2017 on the big club. Giving themselves means of filling the rotation without him was part of bringing the now-released Ryan Vogelsong to camp.
For Kennys Vargas, the WBC was unquestionably a problem. He was glued to the P.R. bench, and without playing time and at-bats not only could not make strides toward winning a job with the Twins but couldn't give scouts a chance to see him. Byungho Park is now the front-runner for the DH job, and Vargas is almost certainly destined for Triple A once again.
For the Twins as a whole, their absences were probably beneficial. Other pitchers got a chance to show their stuff with the starts and innings vacated by Santiago, Berrios and Ervin Santana. The men competing for a reserve outfield job got more at-bats with Rosario gone.
And nobody got hurt, at least as far as we know. Overall, more good than bad for the Twins out of this.
How did their absence from spring training affect the four? There are, no surprise, four answers.
For Eddie Rosario, the World Baseball Classic had to be a net plus. He played regularly in right field and he impressed with big hits and big throws. He left Fort Myers the presumptive left fielder; he returns the same, only having raised the question in the minds of many: Why is he the left fielder with an arm like that?
For Hector Santiago, it was neither a detriment nor a springboard. He pitched, oddly, exclusively out of the bullpen and fared well, although he did walk a few hitters -- which is Santiago's M.O. It's possible that the Twins would have liked him adding to his pitch count, but he left camp with a rotation berth and he returns with a rotation berth.
For Jose Berrios, it was possibly a minor impediment to his ambitions of making the opening rotation. He pitched twice -- a start against Italy in the first round and a relief outing in the championship game Wednesday night that showed both his impressive talent and his flaws.
That wasn't enough work to help his cause -- but his cause was probably doomed from the start. I doubt that the Twins ever wanted Berrios to open 2017 on the big club. Giving themselves means of filling the rotation without him was part of bringing the now-released Ryan Vogelsong to camp.
For Kennys Vargas, the WBC was unquestionably a problem. He was glued to the P.R. bench, and without playing time and at-bats not only could not make strides toward winning a job with the Twins but couldn't give scouts a chance to see him. Byungho Park is now the front-runner for the DH job, and Vargas is almost certainly destined for Triple A once again.
For the Twins as a whole, their absences were probably beneficial. Other pitchers got a chance to show their stuff with the starts and innings vacated by Santiago, Berrios and Ervin Santana. The men competing for a reserve outfield job got more at-bats with Rosario gone.
And nobody got hurt, at least as far as we know. Overall, more good than bad for the Twins out of this.
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Perfect timing
Less than a hour after the snow started on Friday, the annual giant spring training schedule postcard arrived from the Twins.
Given what is forecast in these parts this weekend, nothing could sound nicer.
The exhibition games start sooner than usual (Feb. 24), I assume because of the World Baseball Classic, which returns this year. The Twins have two games on their exhibition schedule against WBC teams -- March 8 against Team USA and March 9 against Team Colombia, both in Fort Myers. Team USA should look like an all-star squad; Colombia, not so much, although they have a couple pretty solid pitchers.
Three years ago, during the last WBC, Eddie Rosario and Jose Berrios were reserves on the Puerto Rican squad. This time around, Berrios is expected to be one of Puerto Rico's starters, and I'd expect Rosario to be an outfield fixture. Indeed, with Hector Santiago and Kennys Vargas, the Twins might provide a sizable portion of the island's roster.
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Let the record of this blog show that Rod Carew's actual transplant surgeries began shortly after midnight Friday -- Thursday was the prep work. The surgeries took some 13 hours and were deemed successful. May it be so.
Given what is forecast in these parts this weekend, nothing could sound nicer.
The exhibition games start sooner than usual (Feb. 24), I assume because of the World Baseball Classic, which returns this year. The Twins have two games on their exhibition schedule against WBC teams -- March 8 against Team USA and March 9 against Team Colombia, both in Fort Myers. Team USA should look like an all-star squad; Colombia, not so much, although they have a couple pretty solid pitchers.
Three years ago, during the last WBC, Eddie Rosario and Jose Berrios were reserves on the Puerto Rican squad. This time around, Berrios is expected to be one of Puerto Rico's starters, and I'd expect Rosario to be an outfield fixture. Indeed, with Hector Santiago and Kennys Vargas, the Twins might provide a sizable portion of the island's roster.
---
Let the record of this blog show that Rod Carew's actual transplant surgeries began shortly after midnight Friday -- Thursday was the prep work. The surgeries took some 13 hours and were deemed successful. May it be so.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Park banged
 |
| Byung Ho Park turned 30 last month. |
His numbers, majors and minors, weren't good. How much of his struggles can be laid at his hand and wrist issues and how much at his ability/approach is uncertain. It's difficult to hit with a bad hand or wrist. Park, through his translator, downplays the injury factor in the linked story, but that may simply be a "no excuses" approach.
Excuse or reason, the injury (injuries?) make Park's 2016 deceptively difficult to evaluate. When he made contact, the ball went a long way. But he didn't make contact very often.
Park is signed through 2019, maybe 2020 (team option). Joe Mauer is signed through 2018. That's two for first base and designated hitter. Miguel Sano may not be any more a third baseman than he was a right fielder, so he may be a third for that mix. Then there's Kennys Vargas, who slugged .576 in his limited major league time. Four.
Meanwhile, Trevor Plouffe has seemingly been locked into both first base and the cleanup slot. There may be a universe in which that is optimal, but I don't think I'm inhabiting it.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
The roster shuffle
No holiday in Twins transactions this past weekend.
I commented Monday on the Jepsen move. Let's sort through the rest ...
All told, the Twins have cut down from 13 pitchers to 12 on the active roster. That might suggest that they've grown comfortable with the starters' ability to go six-plus innings, but I suspect that this has at least as much to do with the All Start break coming in less than a week.
May: I suggested in the Monday print column that the Twins might be well advised to return May to the starting rotation. Right now they have every slot filled, and Jose Berrios is probably ahead of May if a rotation spot opens. May rehabbed for relief work, and that's the plan.
Supposedly May has shortened his stride during his delivery to reduce the strain on his back and hips. We'll see how well that works.
Plouffe: Out, they say, for three to four weeks with a cracked rib. In the short term, it opens third base for Miguel Sano, but it also probably keeps Plouffe from being traded this month. Which means that, when Plouffe is healthy again (or at least sound enough to play) there will be two third basemen on the roster.
At least this will give his wonky groin a chance to heal.
Mastroianni: It was easy to forget that Mastro was officially on the active roster, but he was hitless in nine official at-bats. He has the right to opt out of his contract, but he's expected to forgo that and remain in the organization.
Rosario: Optioned out because pitchers were exploiting his inability to gauge the strike zone, he hit .319 and slugged .538 in Triple A. He also drew just seven walks, which suggests that Triple A pitchers aren't good enough to exploit his free-swinging ways -- which further suggests that he's going to have to learn at the major league level.
Question: Where do his at-bats come from? He played left field on Sunday and Monday. Robbie Grossman was the DH in one game and sat the other. Presuming Byron Buxton and Max Kepler are to be in the lineup (and they should), Rosario and Grossman will be dueling for left field time.
Vargas: The big switch-hitter was, according to the radio guys Sunday, leading the International League in RBIs when called up. Statistical luddite Dan Gladden finds that significant. Those of us with a better understanding of how to interpret the stat line don't.
This might be Vargas' last chance with the Twins. They have plenty of DH alternatives, and I have to believe Byung Ho Park still ranks ahead of Vargas in their long-range thinking. And the DH slot offers a chance to feed at-bats to one of the young outfielders, so his opportunities may be limited.
Boshers: Never thought I'd be irritated to see him sent down, but he has a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings with 14 strikeouts. His demotion flies in the face of the Greg McMichael Rule (If you get outs, they'll find a role for you.) He got outs, and he's going back to Rochester.
For now. He'll be back before August, whether to fill a gap created by a trade, an injury or because they need to go back to 13 pitchers. Boshers lost the job not because he failed, but because he was a spot with roster flexibility.
- DFA'd: Kevin Jepsen.
- Put on the disabled list: Trevor Plouffe
- Reactivated from the disabled list but outrighted to Triple A: Darin Mastroianni.
- Optioned to the minors: Buddy Boshers
- Recalled from the minors: Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas
- Reactivated from the disabled list: Trevor May
I commented Monday on the Jepsen move. Let's sort through the rest ...
All told, the Twins have cut down from 13 pitchers to 12 on the active roster. That might suggest that they've grown comfortable with the starters' ability to go six-plus innings, but I suspect that this has at least as much to do with the All Start break coming in less than a week.
May: I suggested in the Monday print column that the Twins might be well advised to return May to the starting rotation. Right now they have every slot filled, and Jose Berrios is probably ahead of May if a rotation spot opens. May rehabbed for relief work, and that's the plan.
Supposedly May has shortened his stride during his delivery to reduce the strain on his back and hips. We'll see how well that works.
Plouffe: Out, they say, for three to four weeks with a cracked rib. In the short term, it opens third base for Miguel Sano, but it also probably keeps Plouffe from being traded this month. Which means that, when Plouffe is healthy again (or at least sound enough to play) there will be two third basemen on the roster.
At least this will give his wonky groin a chance to heal.
Mastroianni: It was easy to forget that Mastro was officially on the active roster, but he was hitless in nine official at-bats. He has the right to opt out of his contract, but he's expected to forgo that and remain in the organization.
Rosario: Optioned out because pitchers were exploiting his inability to gauge the strike zone, he hit .319 and slugged .538 in Triple A. He also drew just seven walks, which suggests that Triple A pitchers aren't good enough to exploit his free-swinging ways -- which further suggests that he's going to have to learn at the major league level.
Question: Where do his at-bats come from? He played left field on Sunday and Monday. Robbie Grossman was the DH in one game and sat the other. Presuming Byron Buxton and Max Kepler are to be in the lineup (and they should), Rosario and Grossman will be dueling for left field time.
Vargas: The big switch-hitter was, according to the radio guys Sunday, leading the International League in RBIs when called up. Statistical luddite Dan Gladden finds that significant. Those of us with a better understanding of how to interpret the stat line don't.
This might be Vargas' last chance with the Twins. They have plenty of DH alternatives, and I have to believe Byung Ho Park still ranks ahead of Vargas in their long-range thinking. And the DH slot offers a chance to feed at-bats to one of the young outfielders, so his opportunities may be limited.
Boshers: Never thought I'd be irritated to see him sent down, but he has a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings with 14 strikeouts. His demotion flies in the face of the Greg McMichael Rule (If you get outs, they'll find a role for you.) He got outs, and he's going back to Rochester.
For now. He'll be back before August, whether to fill a gap created by a trade, an injury or because they need to go back to 13 pitchers. Boshers lost the job not because he failed, but because he was a spot with roster flexibility.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Notes, quotes and comment
Neal Cotts, who finished 2015 in the Twins bullpen, signed a minor league deal Friday with Houston.
I'm fine with that, of course; I've said here repeatedly I'd rather the Twins give a serious opportunity to a prospect than recycle a veteran.
---
Today marks the first day of full-squad workouts in Twins camp. Kennys Vargas was one of the last arrivals to camp and is said to be 14 pounds lighter this spring.
That's probably good for him, but if his bulk was a problem last year, opportunity figures to be a problem going forward. He entered 2015 with a job essentially handed to him, and he gave it back. Now there are others ahead of him, and he is more organizational depth than a building block,
---
Dexter Fowler turned down the Cubs qualifying offer (one year, $15.8 million). The big multiyer deals he apparently anticipated didn't roll in, and he wound up re-upping with the Cubs for one year, $13 million.
Nice thinking, dude.
Fowler complains about the system. He doesn't, apparently, recognize that the market for a 30-year-old center fielder with a slightly above average bat and a history built in hitters parts ought to be limited.
I don't spend much of my sympathy on marginal QO types who turn the offer down and struggle to find a job. Fowler and/or his agent misread the market. That's on them.
— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) February 26, 2016
I'm fine with that, of course; I've said here repeatedly I'd rather the Twins give a serious opportunity to a prospect than recycle a veteran.
---
Today marks the first day of full-squad workouts in Twins camp. Kennys Vargas was one of the last arrivals to camp and is said to be 14 pounds lighter this spring.
That's probably good for him, but if his bulk was a problem last year, opportunity figures to be a problem going forward. He entered 2015 with a job essentially handed to him, and he gave it back. Now there are others ahead of him, and he is more organizational depth than a building block,
---
Dexter Fowler turned down the Cubs qualifying offer (one year, $15.8 million). The big multiyer deals he apparently anticipated didn't roll in, and he wound up re-upping with the Cubs for one year, $13 million.
Nice thinking, dude.
Fowler complains about the system. He doesn't, apparently, recognize that the market for a 30-year-old center fielder with a slightly above average bat and a history built in hitters parts ought to be limited.
I don't spend much of my sympathy on marginal QO types who turn the offer down and struggle to find a job. Fowler and/or his agent misread the market. That's on them.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
No Berrios, at least for now
The first wave of September callups were notified Monday in Rochester after the Red Wings' game, and they are guys we've seen before. Kenny Vargas. Danny Santana. Michael Tonkin, A.J. Achter. Eric Fryer.
Not included was Jose Berrios, who started Monday for the Wings. This spurred some consternation on my Twitter feed Monday night, but I can't see any reason to be riled up about it.
Realistically, they aren't calling up a 21-year-old who is already well above his previous high in innings to displace a (healthy) veteran in the rotation in a playoff push. It doesn't make sense in developing Berrios, and the risk outweighs the rewards. (Tyler Duffey is not a veteran, but the Twins obviously think he's ahead of Berrios.) Nor is there a immediate need for Berrios in the bullpen. The late inning guys are doing well, and there's little immediate payoff in long relief.
And even if the Twins do have a role for Berrios, hes not going to pitch for at least four days anyway.
Two other Rochester players whose absence is notable but not surprising: Oswaldo Arcia and Alex Meyer. Neither earned it.
As for the guys who did get the callup, none (my opinions) should be major pieces in the stretch run. Santana put up good numbers for Rochester as a hitter, but he was also charged with a pair of errors Monday. The Twins were pretty consistent in Santana's previous stints with the big club this year -- if he was here, he was the No. 1 shortstop. I hope they stick with Eduardo Escobar now, but I won't guarantee it.
Vargas and Fryer will make it easier to pinch hit for a catcher. Vargas to pinch hit, Fryer for catching depth. Tonkin and Achter will eat meaningless innings.
The Twins do have a move yet to make, because Fryer is not on the 40-man roster and the roster is full. So somebody has to come off. I wouldn't be surprised if they move J.R. Graham to the 60-day DL and end his season
Not included was Jose Berrios, who started Monday for the Wings. This spurred some consternation on my Twitter feed Monday night, but I can't see any reason to be riled up about it.
Realistically, they aren't calling up a 21-year-old who is already well above his previous high in innings to displace a (healthy) veteran in the rotation in a playoff push. It doesn't make sense in developing Berrios, and the risk outweighs the rewards. (Tyler Duffey is not a veteran, but the Twins obviously think he's ahead of Berrios.) Nor is there a immediate need for Berrios in the bullpen. The late inning guys are doing well, and there's little immediate payoff in long relief.
And even if the Twins do have a role for Berrios, hes not going to pitch for at least four days anyway.
Two other Rochester players whose absence is notable but not surprising: Oswaldo Arcia and Alex Meyer. Neither earned it.
As for the guys who did get the callup, none (my opinions) should be major pieces in the stretch run. Santana put up good numbers for Rochester as a hitter, but he was also charged with a pair of errors Monday. The Twins were pretty consistent in Santana's previous stints with the big club this year -- if he was here, he was the No. 1 shortstop. I hope they stick with Eduardo Escobar now, but I won't guarantee it.
Vargas and Fryer will make it easier to pinch hit for a catcher. Vargas to pinch hit, Fryer for catching depth. Tonkin and Achter will eat meaningless innings.
The Twins do have a move yet to make, because Fryer is not on the 40-man roster and the roster is full. So somebody has to come off. I wouldn't be surprised if they move J.R. Graham to the 60-day DL and end his season
Monday, June 8, 2015
Santana, Vargas and draft day
 |
| Danny Santana has a batting average of .218 at the plate and 12 errors in the field. |
The Twins demoted Danny Santana after Sunday's game and recalled Kennys Vargas.
I suspected from the get-go that Santana wasn't going to retain the shortstop job. He displayed this season the flaws his minor league stats and reputation indicated: Erratic in the field, lacking in strike-zone judgment at the plate.
So Eduardo Escobar gets the everyday job at short, at least for now. He hasn't hit as well this year as he did last season, and it's entirely possible that in a month or so Jorge Polanco will get a trial. Or they may try again with Santana.
Recalling Vargas doesn't do much for me. Vargas as DH means Torii Hunter in right field, with either Eddie Rosario or Shane Robinson in left (supplanting Escobar there.) Hunter's been doing a lot of DHing lately, including four times in the past five games (with a misplayed fly ball in the one game he was in the field).
Ultimately, and obviously, Vargas has to hit. My opinion remains: the Twins are better off using the DH spot to hide Hunter and deploy a superior defensive outfield.
---
Today begins the annual draft. Baseball America has consistently projected the Twins to take a high school outfielder with the No. 6 overall pick, but which one (Dez Cameron or Kyle Tucker) has fluctuated.
A lot depends on who goes ahead of the Twins, of course, and this is regarded as a particularly difficult draft to handicap. There's no real consensus about who should go first, so the teams at the top are believed to be trying to pre-negotiate below-slot deals with possible candidates. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press:
Asked at midday Sunday if he knew yet who the Twins would pick, general manager Terry Ryan shook his head.
“Not yet,” he said. “Somebody is going to fall.”
Monday, May 18, 2015
Demoting Kennys Vargas
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| Kennys Vargas smacks an RBI single in Cleveland on May 9 against Bruce Chen. |
Not sure I understand the rationale for that. True, the Twins will be going four days without a DH -- offday today, two days in a National League Park, offday Thursday -- but they will probably need some pinch hitters in Pittsburgh, and Vargas fits that bill more than, let us say, Doug Bernier, And, barring another DL trip for somebody, Vargas will be gone for at least six DH games after the interleague matchup.
Over past 13 games, Vargas had lifted his batting average by 89 points, his OBP by 67 points and his SLUG by 133 points.
Rochester-bound.
— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) May 17, 2015
So it's not as if Vargas isn't hitting.
KVargas is Twins' 2nd-best hitter in May, .366 to Hunter's .367. He's not impressed. “A couple hits, but that’s not what we’re looking for.”
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) May 18, 2015
Vargas, after being sent down: “We’re looking for [me to] produce. Produce means runs & RBIs. You don’t want me to hit a lot of [singles]."
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) May 18, 2015
Runs and RBIs result from getting on base and hitting for power. He's been doing that this month.
Paul Molitor on Kennys Vargas' mentality before demotion to AAA: "Right now, it’s cluttered." Says its patient one at-bat, aggressive next.
— Andy Greder (@andygreder) May 17, 2015
I would think there's a fine line between confused and unpredictable. I'll have to defer to Molitor on this, because he's infinitely closer to the situation, but this has to make it more difficult for pitchers to decide how to attack him. Is it patient Vargas or hack-away Vargas?
But here's something to consider: Torii Hunter has been the DH six times this month, more than a third of the time -- this after not appearing as the designated hitter at all in April. The less he plays in right field, the better for the pitching staff (per Baseball Reference, the Runs Saved defensive metric estimates that Hunter has cost the Twins six runs in the field compared to an average right fielder). Vargas, meanwhile, has had just 10 starts this month. He's hitting better than in April but playing less.
I don't know how close Oswaldo Arcia is to coming off the DL, but it's certainly plausible that Molitor and Terry Ryan are thinking that rotating two poor defensive outfielders through the DH slot is preferable to a full-time DH with Hunter and Arcia giving away runs in the corners. Of course, Arcia isn't back yet.
Anyway: Assuming that the outfielders in Pittsburgh will be Eduardo Escobar in left, Aaron Hicks in center and Hunter in right, the Twins bench figures to be Chris Herrmann, Nunez, Bernier, Shane Robinson and Eddie Rosario. Not much pop there.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
The roster moves to come
The Twins optioned out left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar on Wednesday, which appears to settle the 12-man pitching staff.
Today we can expect the official addition of outfielder Shane Robinson to the 40-man roster. This has been an apparent move for a few days, and I assume the Twins have put it off to his opt-out date for two reasons:
Beyond that, what? Two other non-roster invitees remain in camp, catcher Eric Fryer and infielder Doug Bernier; I don't see either making the Opening Day roster. Two of the trio of (alphabetically) Chris Herrmann, Eduardo Nunez and Josmil Pinto figure to be on the active roster. Pinto's health status after his concussion plays a role in that decision, as does the comfort level Paul Molitor has in Eduardo Escobar as an outfield reserve.
I see more possibilities for the future with Herrmann and Pinto than with Nunez, but given the Twins' habitual preference for mediocre veterans, I suspect Nunez will stick.
One other very slight possibility to mention. USA Today this week ran their version of the "David Ortiz sees himself in Kennys Vargas" story, and in the process mentioned something I hadn't seen from the beat writers. (Maybe I missed it.) Supposedly Vargas reported at 290 pounds, and the Twins want him at 275 max. He was, according to the story, told he had to get down to 275 or be sent out.
That would be a "tough love" move, but one I wouldn't criticize. It would actually put the long run first, which has been a rarity of late. Vargas needs to develop the self-discipline to stay in shape if he's to have a career, even if it's simply as a DH type. (There was an odd-sounding quote from Molitor recently about Vargas not being in sufficient condition to play nine innings of first base, which is, frankly, an appalling concept for a 24-year-old professional athlete.)
But I expect Vargas to be on the roster and in the lineup. A regular DH and a 12-man pitching staff leaves a four-man bench that would presumably begin with Escobar and include whichever center fielder isn't in the lineup (Robinson or Schafer) and two of the Herrmann-Nunez-Pinto trio. If Vargas gets optioned out, all three make the roster, and presumably Pinto would get the bulk of the DH time, although Molitor might use the DH slot to manufacture playing time for Escobar.
Today we can expect the official addition of outfielder Shane Robinson to the 40-man roster. This has been an apparent move for a few days, and I assume the Twins have put it off to his opt-out date for two reasons:
- to cover themselves in case of injury (an injured Robinson not on the 40 wouldn't go on the major league disabled list);
- just in case some other team making roster cuts exposes a right-handed hitting outfielder the Twins like more than "Sugar Shane."
Beyond that, what? Two other non-roster invitees remain in camp, catcher Eric Fryer and infielder Doug Bernier; I don't see either making the Opening Day roster. Two of the trio of (alphabetically) Chris Herrmann, Eduardo Nunez and Josmil Pinto figure to be on the active roster. Pinto's health status after his concussion plays a role in that decision, as does the comfort level Paul Molitor has in Eduardo Escobar as an outfield reserve.
I see more possibilities for the future with Herrmann and Pinto than with Nunez, but given the Twins' habitual preference for mediocre veterans, I suspect Nunez will stick.
One other very slight possibility to mention. USA Today this week ran their version of the "David Ortiz sees himself in Kennys Vargas" story, and in the process mentioned something I hadn't seen from the beat writers. (Maybe I missed it.) Supposedly Vargas reported at 290 pounds, and the Twins want him at 275 max. He was, according to the story, told he had to get down to 275 or be sent out.
That would be a "tough love" move, but one I wouldn't criticize. It would actually put the long run first, which has been a rarity of late. Vargas needs to develop the self-discipline to stay in shape if he's to have a career, even if it's simply as a DH type. (There was an odd-sounding quote from Molitor recently about Vargas not being in sufficient condition to play nine innings of first base, which is, frankly, an appalling concept for a 24-year-old professional athlete.)
But I expect Vargas to be on the roster and in the lineup. A regular DH and a 12-man pitching staff leaves a four-man bench that would presumably begin with Escobar and include whichever center fielder isn't in the lineup (Robinson or Schafer) and two of the Herrmann-Nunez-Pinto trio. If Vargas gets optioned out, all three make the roster, and presumably Pinto would get the bulk of the DH time, although Molitor might use the DH slot to manufacture playing time for Escobar.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Twins by position: Designated hitter
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| Josmil Pinto: A DH trying to be a catcher. |
The rotation system was particularly useful when Joe Mauer was the regular catcher. Catcher is a brutal position, and few last long catching 140 games and up a year. Having a rotation system at DH allowed Ron Gardenhire to give Mauer a weekly break behind the plate while keeping his bat in the lineup.
Last year, with Mauer now a first baseman, the Twins dabbled in a full-time DH for the first time since they dumped David Ortiz -- first with Kendrys Morales, and after dumping the veteran on Seattle, with Kennys Vargas.
Vargas enters camp as the presumptive favorite for the job. But he faded rather sharply in September -- August batting average .308, September-October batting average .228 -- as he displayed a rather surprising lack of command of his strike zone.
That was a point of emphasis for him in winter ball, and we'll see if his focus on patience carries over this spring.
If Vargas fails -- and there are those in the scouting community who doubt he can hit enough for the job -- the Twins have another option in Josmil Pinto, a "catcher" whose defensive chops are a genuine handicap. Vargas had, in his two months with the Twins, an OPS+ of 115 in 234 plate appearances; Pinto's OPS+ in 280 major league PAs over two seasons is 118.
Pinto may indeed be a better hitter than Vargas. But the lure of a good-hitting catcher is strong, and the Twins are less likely to let Pinto simply slot into a bat-only slot simply on that basis. Vargas will get the first crack at the job. But if he looks like the Vargas of September, the Twins shouldn't be reluctant to try Pinto in the DH role. They certainly don't seem inclined to trust him behind the plate.
And if they both fail, there's also Oswaldo Arcia, who seems better suited to DH than the outfield.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Kennys Vargas and the base on balls
MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports that Kennys Vargas had a goal while playing winter ball in his native Puerto Rico: Be more patient at the plate.
So he drew 33 walks (with 30 strikeouts) in 37 games. Which is nothing like his MLB ratio last season: 12 walks and 63 strikeouts in 53 games (234 at-bats).
Obviously, there is a big difference between the pitching in the American League and the pitching in the Puerto Rican winter league. But just as obviously, he did take a more patient approach.
I hardly expect him to have more walks than strikeouts. But I do think he should be expected to draw more walks. He certainly did in the minors. Last year in Double A before his call up, he was averaging about a walk for every 10 official at-bats (43 BB, 405 AB); in 2013, in high A, 50 walks, 520 at-bats. But after his call-up it was closer to one walk for every 20 at-bats, and that's just not sustainable.
Better strike-zone judgment is an imperative for the big guy. His minor league record suggests he has it. His winter league emphasis suggests he gets it.
So he drew 33 walks (with 30 strikeouts) in 37 games. Which is nothing like his MLB ratio last season: 12 walks and 63 strikeouts in 53 games (234 at-bats).
Obviously, there is a big difference between the pitching in the American League and the pitching in the Puerto Rican winter league. But just as obviously, he did take a more patient approach.
I hardly expect him to have more walks than strikeouts. But I do think he should be expected to draw more walks. He certainly did in the minors. Last year in Double A before his call up, he was averaging about a walk for every 10 official at-bats (43 BB, 405 AB); in 2013, in high A, 50 walks, 520 at-bats. But after his call-up it was closer to one walk for every 20 at-bats, and that's just not sustainable.
Better strike-zone judgment is an imperative for the big guy. His minor league record suggests he has it. His winter league emphasis suggests he gets it.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Kennys Vargas, switch hitter
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| Joe Mauer greets Kennys Vargas at home plate Wednesday after Vargas mashed his first career right-handed home run. |
Kennys Vargas made his major league debut Aug. 1. He had a double and two RBIs that day, and hasn't stopped hitting since.
Wednesday night he homered -- right-handed. It was the switch-hitter's sixth homer in the majors, but his first off a left-hander.
For what it's worth -- and that's very little, as Vargas hasn't had even close to 100 plate appearances from either side of the plate -- he entered Wednesday's game hitting .351/.373/.597 against right-handers, .264/.286/.340 versus lefties. He didn't have the reputation in the minors (as Aaron Hicks did) of struggling from one side of the plate, and I know of no reason to believe that that differential will persist as the sample size increases.
I am more concerned about the warped walk-strikeout rate he's displayed: 37 strikeouts in his first 139 plate appearances with just four walks. It's exceedingly difficult for a hitter to sustain success with a BB/K ratio that out of balance. But his BB/K ratios in the minors weren't that out-of-whack, and, again, we're not talking about a lot of at-bats.
August was a very good month for the big guy. September's first few days have been even better. We can find red flags in the production, but it's better to enjoy it.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Oswaldo Arcia and Kennys Vargas
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| Oswaldo Arcia cracks his 11th homer of the season on Sunday. |
And Vargas has responded by going the other way a few times for base hits, including an RBI single in the first inning Sunday that gave the Twins a short-lived lead against the Royals.
That approach to dealing with the shift apparently hasn't sat well with teammate Oswaldo Arcia, who advised Vargas: "Don’t try to get a hit. We don’t pay you for hits. We pay you for RBIs and home runs.”
I don't know if there's a position player on the roster less qualified to serve as a hitting coach than the talented but overly-strikeout prone Arcia, whose production this year has not only been limited but often unimportant in game results:
Four of Oswaldo Arcia's last five HRs have come with Twins winning or losing by six runs or more.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) August 17, 2014
That trend may be a fluke. Or it may indicate that Arcia is fattening his stats against pitchers who are merely mopping up, as was the case with his home run Sunday that inspired that tweet.
Vargas has the more mature approach -- and the one more likely to adjust to given situations and pitchers. And if he continues to get a couple singles to the opposite field each week, it will cut down on the infield shifts -- and provide some of those RBIs.
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