Matt Carson vs. Chris Parmelee

Matt Carson hit
.277/.339/.447 for
the Red Wings.

The Twins on Wednesday returned pitchers Jeff Manship and Luis Perdomo to Triple A Rochester. Manship's spot (long relief) will be filled by Anthony Swarzak, returning from a disabled list stint. Perdomo is to be replaced by outfielder Matt Carson, who is not yet on the 40-man roster, so another move is pending.

Bypassed was Chris Parmelee, who has been demolishing International League pitching in between stints rotting on the major league bench. And skipping him right now is the right thing to do.

Carson is the better fit for a bench role. As I see it, the Twins should only recall Parmelee if they intend to play him. If he's going to start once every five games or so, he -- and the organization -- will be much better served leaving him in Rochester.

It's better for Parmelee because he'll continue to get daily playing time.

It's better for the organization because the Twins really want to retain their affiliation with Rochester; because the Rochester ownership has made it obvious that the biggest issue they've had with the Twins is the quality of teams they've been putting on the field; and because the Red Wings are playing by far their best baseball in three seasons and are in the hunt for a playoff berth.

They've got a better chance to make the International League postseason if Parmelee is playing there than if he's sitting in Seattle this weekend. And Rochester is more likely to re-up with the Twins if the Red Wings make the postseason.

For that matter, this may be an overlooked benefit to returning Brian Dozier to Rochester.