The Sano demotion

Eleven months ago Miguel Sano was an All Star. Today's he's not only back in the minors but in A ball.

Sending the slugger to Fort Myers rather than Triple-A Rochester tells us that this is more than a "break the slump" demotion. This is intended to be a reboot of the slugger's career. We may not see the big man back in Minnesota for months, perhaps even until 2019.

Quoting Derek Falvey (via the Pioneer Press' Brian Murphy):

“We’re not going to follow the traditional view, just go get at-bats at Triple-A. We wanted to take a step back and blank-canvas this a bit and say, ‘What do we think the best next steps are for him?’ It’s a holistic plan. We felt like that was the most supportive environment for what we’re trying to achieve.”

I interpert that as Sano can't be a star if he's not in the lineup, and he can't stay in the lineup if he's 290 pounds.

And the solution is not as simple as "DH him" or "move him to first." Dmitri Young years ago was a first-rate hitter who ate his way out of the league and into a health crisis. I have no clue as to Sano's off-field habits, but it seems likely that the Twins want to drastically rework his entire approach to his career. They want him to be great, and he's not on that trajectory today.

Sano, at least for public consumption, appears to be embracing this: 

"I'm not mad. I'm happy because I'm struggling. You know, this is an opportunity they gave me. I know they love me here and everything. … Everybody here trying to help me. It's a chance to go there and work, and I'll come back soon."

Say this for Falvey and the Twins: This is not a half-measure. This is a drastic move that undercuts Sano's trade value. Falvine are committed to making Sano the best he can be. Now we'll see how committed Sano is to the same project.