Punto returns from DL; Macri to Rochester
Posted on June 22nd, 2008 – 4:25 PMBy Joe Christensen
As expected, the Twins made a roster move after today’s 5-3 victory over Arizona, activating Nick Punto from the disabled list and optioning Matt Macri to Class AAA Rochester.
Macri batted .367 with one home run and four RBI in 14 games with the Twins.
“He’s done a very good job here,” Manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Not an easy time to have to send a guy down.”
Punto will join the Twins on Tuesday, when they begin a three-game series at San Diego.
Punto will challenge Brendan Harris for playing time at shortstop.
“We’ll mix and match and see what happens,” Gardenhire said. “See how [Punto’s] feeling out there. [Harris is] doing OK out there, been playing pretty good, been swinging OK. Punto brings a little more versatility in the middle, a little more range, but Harry’s been doing pretty good.
“[Punto’s] not coming into an everyday job unless he earns it by going to play.”
91 Responses to "Punto returns from DL; Macri to Rochester"
This makes sense. Buscher’s done a good job with the play time he’s been given.
Lamb is struggling, but they can’t move him to AAA. This’ll likely be something like Rincon, except they’ll probably be able to get something for him (he’s got a two year contract and isn’t exactly terrible)
This will get Macri back up by the end of the year.
Predictable, but disappointing.
The only way this makes sense is looking at the economics. Macri and Buscher have been productive and performed defensively. They deserve to platoon 3rd. Harris is starting to hit and has settled in a lot at SS. Love his arm out there.
Lamb should be traded for a PTBNL. When Tolbert comes back, though not for some time, he can replace Punto.
Cut the deadwood and let the kids play.
JP,
You are right, but it takes two teams to make a trade.
Lamb is not dead wood. I would think that he would fetch something in trade. Doubtful it would be a majorleague ready player, but maybe something along the lines of the Ortiz trade last year.
He is a serviceable 3rd. baseman, nothing special, but serviceable.
His salary is not that bad for a person with his service time, and like everyone says, it is a 2 year contract.
BTW, for everyone out there that blasted me for comparing Livians value to the Twins, compared to Santana’s value to the Mets, Livian just knotched a win against one of the reasons that was stated in defense of Santana.
Yep, Brandon Webb lost the game against Livian. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Fire.
BTW, BC Beneke/Fire, what happened to you, you were awefully vocal early in the game, and then, poof, you were gone.
Twins in Livian stats, 12-5, knocking on the door of Twins wins in Santana starts last year, and we aren’t even to the allstar break yet.
A win, is a win, is a win.
Me Too,
You are assuming another team wants to pay a player that we don’t want to pay.
Not the normal circumstances.
Absolutely no team will take Lamb’s contract this year. Maybe, halfway through the season next year, if he’s doing really well. I am 100% certain of this. I only say I am 100% certain, when I am 100% certain.
So now that Punto’s back, does that mean we’re going to get to wade through the “OMG PUNTO!!!11!!” posts when he starts in one or two games over the next week or so?
BTW, don’t know why, but my spell checker keeps changing Livan to Livian. I am not purposely doing that.
BTW, I am sure that there is going to be some team down the stretch that is going to want a hitter for the bench.
Not saying that there is going to be many takers, but all it takes is one.
Thanks sane for the lesson, I now know that it does take two teams to trade. PTBNL and we might have to pay a part of the salary. If we can get any other team to pay even a portion of Lamb’s contract and free up a roster spot for a deserving player (Macri) then its worth it IMO. I would be suprised if there wasn’t a team in contention looking for a player like Lamb.
Well, I think Macri knows that he will be back soon enough in the Bigs. He’s done a nice job.
It will be interesting to see what Bill Smith and the front office do about Lamb and Everett (and Punto, although I think he is sticking around).
One nice thing about this winning streak is that the spark seems to come from someone different every game, not just M & M in the middle. And the team has done it with Gómez and Casilla coming back down to earth.
T
Unless a player needs a rest or is injured, then I will absoluetly berate Gardy for multiple starts by Punto. The Twins are playing well, you don’t mess with success and disrupt a young team that is potentially coming together.
Its just disapointing, you take a young bat who has played well and send him down for an underachiving injury prone guy….
Gardy will start working Punto into the everyday SS role with Harris moving over to 3B.
What makes everyone so sure that they want to dump him anyway? When has it been stated that they want to subtract him from the roster? If anything, that is something in the minds of blog commenter’s. I don’t know why everyone is in such a hurry to dump him. His average is below his norm, so are his power totals, but he is still a bat, and that is what it seems everyone wants to have coming off the bench in a pinch hit role.
Some were in the back of my mind, I have this feeling that he is going to be sitting on the bench, and playing a pivotal role in pinch-hitting situations.
I would imagine that is an option that Gardy would like to have, blog commenter’s wishes be damned.
Late inning pinch hitter, backup 3rd baseman, backup first baseman, and Emergency catcher. The guy has a definite spot on the roster, it is just people playing the armchair, that seem to think that he has absolutely no value to this team, or to any other.
So now that Punto’s back, does that mean we’re going to get to wade through the “OMG PUNTO!!!11!!” posts when he starts in one or two games over the next week or so?
One or two games? Did the Twins get a new manager that I didn’t hear about?
“Late inning pinch hitter, backup 3rd baseman, backup first baseman, and Emergency catcher. The guy has a definite spot on the roster….”
Me Too, is correct in that respect. It’s just no other team will want his contract. It’s way too high, for an old player, in that role. Maybe halfway through the end of next season, IF he’s doing really well. He will only be owed about 1.6 mil, at that point.
Lamb will turn 33 in about a month. In the pre-steroid era, many players would take a huge fade, at about that age. He has to prove he can still handle a part-time bench job. He might simply be washed up. That’s what most GM’s would be thinking.
Punto has played well this year, I have no problem with him coming in and competing for the SS job. If Harris hit a little more I could stand his defense, but his bat just doesn’t do enough to forget his defense up the middle. I wouldn’t mind seeing Harris platoon with Buscher if Buscher struggles against LHP.
“Its just disapointing, you take a young bat who has played well and send him down for an underachiving injury prone guy….”
More accurately: “A young bat that still has options available vs. a player with no options and a guaranteed contract”
It’ll be fun to watch people blame this for any future losses, however frequently or infrequently they may be.
Me Too,
“he is going to be sitting on the bench, and playing a pivotal role in pinch-hitting situations….blog commenter’s wishes be damned.”
As one of the damned, I agree with you. Lamb is likely going nowhere.
IMO a Buscher-Macri 3B platoon would be better for the team, but I had little hope that it would happen.
It will be fun to watch you defend these decisions regardless if they are or are not directly responsible for any future losses.
All ready defending posts that haven’t even happened. taking it to a whole new level aren’t you T?
That platoon can just as easily be Harris/Buscher, especially when Tolbert comes back.
that should say:
defending against posts that haven’t happened.
you are correct sane. the Macri/buscher platoon would be in the best baseball interest of the twins.
Still, choosing from Casilla, Buscher, Harris, Punto, Lamb, Tolbert and Everett beats hell out choosing between Casilla2007, Buscher2007, Punto2007, Luis Rodriguez and Castillo2007.
Omission:
Still, choosing from MACRI, Casilla, Buscher, Harris, Punto, Lamb, Tolbert and Everett beats hell out choosing between Casilla2007, Buscher2007, Punto2007, Luis Rodriguez and Castillo2007.
If Harris shows Gardy he can handle the glove at 3B, the position should be his. Buscher can then return to AAA, in exchange for a more versatile player. Possibly, Alejandro Machado.
Buscher has been acceptable, filling in and providing depth at 3B. He’s an okay player to have on hand, down on the farm. He’s hit fine, in 30 AB.
“All ready defending posts that haven’t even happened. taking it to a whole new level aren’t you T?”
T’s anticipation is renowned. This allows him to make the necessary preemptive strike.
Heck, didn’t they were even able to trade Luis Rodriguez for a bag of balls last year. Man, that says something about teams looking for that bat off the bench.
That was one sad infield last year. Luckly, at least first base wasn’t an issue.
There were a few times when T, posted a counter to my post, before I even sent it.
Luis Rodriguez can do everything Lamb can do, only better. He’s a better hitter, better fielder, better base-runner, better fundamental player, and he’s more versatile, able to play the middle infield, in a pinch. Going from Luis Orlando Rodriguez, to Mike Lamb, was a big step backwards. Oh, one other thing, he was WAAAAAAAAAAY cheaper.
Craig,
Luis Rodriguez a better HITTER than Mike Lamb?
That will NEVER sell.
If you can sell it, Luis Rodriguez desperately needs for you to become his agent.
Hell, I would hire you as my agent, although I have no marketable skills that I am aware of.
Pretty much the same as Luis Rodriguez.
I think that the reason Macri went down instead of Buscher was because Macri was hurt. I still don’t get the reason that Gardy has buried Lamb in the doghouse for so long. Actually, cannot remember a ‘regular’ that was buried that badly during Gardy’s regime as a manager. Lamb does have trade value (he still leads the MLB in SF frequency) and some contending NL club can pick him up as a pinch hitter. But, I think that since the Twins are in the full of it (3 games off, 6 game winning streak) they should keep him and take advantage of his bat later on.
Rodriguez was definitely not a better base runner, at least his last year as a Twin. He publicly said he was planning on retiring after the season, and played like he already was.
He couldn’t seem to get himself up to play the game anymore.
He was basically riding the bench, taking a spot from another player last year. Gardy didn’t want to use him as a pinch hitter, didn’t use him as a pinch runner, and, well, he thought so much of him, he ran Punto out there, day after day, even though Punto was flirting with .200 for much of the season.
Yep, Rodriguez was such a good hitter, runner, defensive player, that he couldn’t even unseat the ever-popular Punto for even a spot-start.
haha funny post on T, craig.
I appreciate the posts. It will be interesting to see how the Twins move forward. Sane is correct, they have many more options than last year. When Tolbert is healthy, the picture will be even more cloudy. my preference is to see:
gomez CF, Young LF, Cuddy RF, Buscher 3rd, Harris SS, Cassila 2nd, M & M boys, Kubel DH. with a bench of tolbert, macri, redmond, span. that will give Gardy enough defensive choices, players that are versatile and can hit. no longer on the team: punto, monroe, lamb, everett. no chance this happens but it will be interesting to see the approach they take.
a bench of tolbert, macri, redmond, span
Bases empty, bottom of 9, two outs. Who of these can hit a game tying home run?
MLB Career Totals
Luis Rodriguez .243 BA 6 HR 38 RBI
Mike Lamb .278 BA 69 HR 337 RBI
“a bench of tolbert, macri, redmond, span
Bases empty, bottom of 9, two outs. Who of these can hit a game tying home run?”
Nobody, the same as the starters without Morneau.
Span doubles, scores on a Tolbert or Macri single.
Hey, don’t forget about Koobs 
thrylos98
out of the players i would like to see cut, who is the big pinch hit homerun threat? lamb? not this year. not with his bat speed. punto and his 9 HR in 1600 career AB? everett? HAHA. if you want Monroe on the bench instead of span, i have no problem with that.
“Harry.” A Gardenhire classic. Gotta be one of the worst nicknames around.
I’d rather have Monroe over Span and Lamb over Tolbert. Punto and Tolbert are redundant and I think that Tolbert is better, but he has options, unlike Punto.
What frustrates me is that:
a. the bats are doing ok.
b. the team is on a 6 game roll, beating on Randy Johnson, Webb and Owings among others
c. There has been a settled lineup, other than the unfortunate experiment of Redmond in the 5th spot
Why mess with it?
This team can and should contend. Starting pitching has been a problem and the most serious problem in this team. Having discussions about whether one of Punto/Tolbert/Macri/Harris should play, is somewhat atopic, because either way the way the team has been performing this year, it would not make a difference. Looking at the bench vs. starting pitching is like looking at someone with a heart failure, and trying to give him/her a pedicure before resuscitating him/her… (extreme hyperbole, but I’m trying to make a point… That’s why I think that Gardy messing around with the line up is like an old lady at the checkout counter arguing whether she was shorted 3 cents, while someone is pickpocketing her purse…)
Looking at the bench vs. starting pitching is like looking at someone with a heart failure, and trying to give him/her a pedicure before resuscitating him/her… (extreme hyperbole, but I’m trying to make a point… That’s why I think that Gardy messing around with the line up is like an old lady at the checkout counter arguing whether she was shorted 3 cents, while someone is pickpocketing her purse…)
The all analogy hour starts with a bang!!! I like it!!!
We knew the starting pitching was going to be an issue. why else would they sign livan? what changes should be made? I like all the young guys and they are going to have moments, good and bad. livan is here till we can trade him or someone else in AAA forces him out. what else is there to discuss?
so to your analogy. the patient had serious heart conditions before the heart attack, and the heart damage was permanent leaving no other medical options that you might as well start on the pedicure and getting the person ready for the viewing.
i do agree with Gardy not messing with the lineup. see my post at 5:10. thats part of my issue with macri going down. in a baseball sense i wanted to see him and buscher platoon at 3rd. wishful thinking.
Figured with the teachings of Vavra and the poor management decisions of Gardy, we would be getting blessed with a visit from our good friends BC Benke and their outspoken opinions on how Gardy is out-managed by even the worst of the NL managers. Wait, what did you say? The Twins just swept 2 series for the NL?
Wait, they are also ranked third for runs scored in the AL?
Maybe that is why our friends BC Benke/Fire are not seen around these parts lately. Kinda hard to complain about things when they are going good.
What is the opposite of a bandwagon fan anyway?
For a few minutes earlier in the game today, BC showed up, but for some reason, he stopped posting.
I was hoping Buscher would stay as well as Macri. but I understand the reason why. Now, just make sure that come Sept. that Macri will be here again. As for Lamb he will have to stay and make what contributions he can when given a chance. I like the way the Twins are playing right now so I hope Gardinhire will leave this lineup alone at least for now….
“All ready defending posts that haven’t even happened. taking it to a whole new level aren’t you T?”
You’ve been around here long enough to know that seeing Punto’s name in the lineup is enough to get the average commenter frothing.
Punto could be in the lineup, go 3-4 with a couple of RBI, and people would still blame his presence in the lineup for the loss.
this is a joke, leave harris alone. he needs to PLAY.
No matter what else happens, Everett cannot be activated again. Punto will help the defense but, if he returns to his helpless ways of 2007 at the plate, he should be the next to go. Lamb is a nice guy but has been given a good chance this year with poor results and is at an age that he will not get better.
Let the Punto hate begin.
I realize in the Internet Age, Long-term memory is reduced to a week max.
For ALL who see Punto as a regular in the line-up soon, maybe, yet if memory serves, It was several weeks or even a month into THIS season before Punto started. That was a result of injuries.
I realize reality DOES NOT fit into the template of most, yet Facts are…
Regards,
Dragon,
here is a(n amazing) quotation from Gardy regarding Punto from AP tonight:
“He’s not coming into an everyday job unless he earns it.”
The infield I’d like to see would be morneau, casilla, tolbert, and punto - call me crazy, but I still like punto’s defense, and tolbert and casilla are above-average offensively and defensively (when healthy). I’m not a big fan of defensive liabilities when you have pitchers that pitch to contact like Livan and Blackburn. When these guys pitch, I’d want the best gloves around the infield. Thoughts?
T, I have been aroung long enough. I think most of those posters tend to be biased and unchanging. A bad combination. You’ve also seen enough of my posts to see I have:
Ripped on Gardy. Defended Gardy.
Ripped on Punto (the starter). Defended (Punto the utility man)
Defended Vavra while asking for improvement from the young hitters and said Vavra would have to be accountable. (side note the fact Casilla credited Vavra goes miles in my opinion of vavra. anyone who saw Casilla this year vs last know how much improvement he’s shown. he takes very professional at bats now).
I’m a Twins fan first and foremost. I have my favorite players but I call it as I see it. Admit when I’m wrong while never ceasing to root for all of the players, coaches, and FO. I just get irritated by extremists sitting on both far ends. Gardy is always right. Gardy is always wrong.
Thoughts?
Nope. Just numbers:
fielding % (this year)
3B
Lamb .970
Buscher .958
Macri .941
Tolbert .895
SS
Harris .985
Punto .976
Tolbert .975
Everett .969
2B
ACasilla .981
MTolbert .971
Harris .969
According to your argument, the best infield would be:
2B Casilla
SS Harris
3B Lamb
I’d buy that 
“yet if memory serves, It was several weeks or even a month into THIS season before Punto started. That was a result of injuries.”
Dragon. You are not correct. Punto started at 3rd base in game number 3. And the last time Punto was activated he started the very next opportunity.
Steve. You are crazy. The notion that Punto is an exceptional defensively is not supported by all of his fielding stats. The all trend to the fact that he is an average defensive player. He does make a lot of ESPN highlights and maybe that is where the misconception was created. His career .247 average, .315 OBP, and .639 OPS show what an offensive liability he is. I will defend him as a player in 2007. And I think he has great value as a utility and late inning defensive player. I will disagree with anyone who thinks he should be a starting player for the Twins. But that is just MHO.
Punto is exceptional defensively is not supported by ANY of his fielding stats. THEY all trend to the fact that he is a versatile average defensive player.
All Gardy needs to do to bring this team back to the sub-.500 level is to put Punto back in the starting lineup. Twins have 6 game wining streak without him Plus because Harris is so good at field and bat.Unless this is a blackmail situation, Punto should never see the first 8 innings.
Gardy loves Punto. I think getting Punto back doesn’t help anything. Macri was doing fine. Now, we have an old hack back.
Knowing Gardy’s relation with Punto and knowing that Punto is from SoCal, it would not surprise me if he starts all games against the Padres next week. Right? Nope. Consequential? Nope. Methinks that today’s game is above and beyond Gardy’s abilities, but that’s a different story…
Cubs 5-0. Go Cubs.
No comment on Punto, but I will say that they three games were remarkable. How they could get shut down inning after inning, and then explode in one is a tad odd. Glad they won them all…
“Bill Fort Myers says:
June 22nd, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Gardy loves Punto. ”
Why bring that up again when gay marriages are taking place n California?
Eventually Gardy will want his best fielder at SS, and that means Punto, at least until Everett returns. Punto also adds some speed to the lineup.
When I stated Luis Rodriguez was better than Mike Lamb, I was referring to the 33 year old Lamb of today. I wasn’t referring to the Lamb statistics of yesteryear. Figured you guys understood that. I always give too much credit.
Here is the lineup I like…..
3B Macri/Buscher
SS-Tolbert
2B-Casilla
1B-Morneau
Harris is the utility guy…. Thats a really good lineup there…. Punto just has no future with the Twins, and he doesn’t bring much, he goes 0-4 for 3 strait starts then goes 3-4 just to keep his average around .200…. He has no power, Tolbert and Casilla bring the intensity so you can’t say that is why you need him?
What the opinion out there about how good a option Buscher is,at least against a right-handed pitcher?
The infield I’d like to see would be morneau, casilla, tolbert, and punto - call me crazy, but I still like punto’s defense, and tolbert and casilla are above-average offensively and defensively (when healthy).
Are you trying to assemble the lightest hitting infield in the league?
What about Tolbert suggests that he could be above-average offensively? Especially at third base, where your infield alignment would have him playing.
Sorry if my comment has been covered already, but I was only reading the early comments about opinons to trade or get rid of Lamb. What’s wrong with him on the bench?
In today’s game, had a pinch hitter been needed late, that would have been Monroe or Lamb.
That is a WAY better option than last year with Ford/Tyner or White!!!
Not everyone can play everyday and I personally would prefer experience in Lamb/Monroe in a close game late over Macri when a bit pinch hit is needed.
Plus Macri is young, he should be playing, not sitting on the bench. If that is in AAA, so be it.
First things first, for all of you talking about when Tolbert and/or Everett return, we are looking at about the first week in August. That is still almost six weeks. Six weeks ago, who had even heard of Macri and who though Buscher was better than Lamb? Six weeks ago, I’m sure, the projection from posters was that Casilla was up only until some of the disabled guys got healthy. None of the new guys is a proven everyday player yet. None of the guys currently on the outs is a certain failure, even Lamb and Everett. Remember that Rondell White was a productive hitter down the stretch in ‘06 after being putrid and injured before (and also after), so it can happen. Also, if Everett returns at full strength, he is still the best defensive option for the Twins at short. I have my doubts about both Lamb and Everett, but stranger things have happened.
I am with most of the posters on who should be playing. I think a Buscher/Macri platoon would be acceptable at third. I want Livan Hernandez and his 300+ hits allowed moved and to have him replaced by the rehabbed Francisco Liriano. I want Span in the majors in place of a pitcher, if possible and most likely in place of Monroe, although I would like to see Monroe hit against a couple more lefties to see if his homer vs. the Unit was a fluke. On merit, it might be fair to exchange Span for Young. Perhaps it would be best to send Delmon down for a month to work on his defense and pitch recongnition and let Span be the left fielder. There would be some speed with Span, perhaps Punto, Gomez and Casilla hitting 8-9-1-2 in the order.
Well, 1.5 back, Twin charging hard, Sox spiraling. Things are looking up in Twinkie Land. Guess that day off helped them, hopefully this one won’t cool them off too bad.
Delmon Young is an awful player, who appears to be getting worse, as he gets older and gains experience.
Carl Crawford and BJ Upton, make an indirect reference to Brendan Harris.
From mlb.com:
…………what Bartlett and Iwamura have done for the Rays’ defense is much more conclusive.
“Just totally different,” B.J. Upton said of the revamped middle infield. The Rays center fielder noted that Bartlett gets to a number of balls that Upton would have had to field in years past.
“Most definitely, [Bartlett’s] been an improvement from what we’ve had,” Carl Crawford said. “Not to say [anything] bad about the guys that we had. But he’s been catching a lot of balls up the middle, making a lot of plays, so he’s been helpful for us, definitely an upgrade.”
“[Bartlett] and Aki, they’ve been working good together,” he added.
In their first year working together, both infielders have made seamless adjustments for the Rays.
Bartlett came to Tampa Bay in an offseason trade with Minnesota, while Iwamura made the switch from third base to second base this spring, in anticipation of rookie Evan Longoria’s arrival.
Their chemistry was apparent immediately in Spring Training, and the results are a large part of the Rays’ success so far this season.
Entering Wednesday night’s contest, Bartlett has committed just four errors in his last 49 games, while Iwamura is one of only two Major league second basemen who are errorless on the season.
Iwamura’s 50 double plays ties him for second in the Major Leagues at his position, and a big part of that success has been Bartlett’s swift glove.
“They turn double plays that probably shouldn’t be double plays,” Upton said
by reading these posts, it seems as if we have almost too many good infielders. Not a bad problem to have. You all know as well as I do, that one or more will be going down with injuries. Personally ,I like Punto, he can bring a lot of life and excitement to games. Go Twins!!!!
The last player in the the, Garza and Bartlett in exchange for nothing trade, is Jason Pridie.
Pridie at Rochester: .238 AVG, .274 OBP, .368 SLG. He has struck out an absurd, 81 times in 307 AB.
Craig,
When I stated Luis Rodriguez was better than Mike Lamb, I was referring to the 33 year old Lamb of today. I wasn’t referring to the Lamb statistics of yesteryear.”
How about Lamb statistics of last year, which is the last year that Luis Rodriguez played in MLB.
2007
Rodriguez .219 2-22
Lamb .289 11-40
2008
Lamb .228 1-24
As miserable as Lamb’s slump-ridden current season is, it is still better than Luis’ 2007 which may have been his last in MLB.
I really wonder about the severity of Macri’s injury from the other night. From Gardy’s comments prior to that game, it seemed that he wanted to keep him around. If Macri’s leg is going to hurt him and keep him out of a game, I would like him to rehab (while carefully playing) at AAA. Plus, it does throw Rochester a bone on this one. God knows they deserve one after all the players they have lost recently.
craig, interesting story on bartlett.
“I just get irritated by extremists sitting on both far ends.”
Hopefully I don’t come off as one of those people.
I think the reason I get pegged as “That Guy” is because I get bored of seeing the same tired arguments from the same people day in day out, even when the game being played shows signs that they may be wrong.
Or the second guessing…my LORD the second guessing…
But what tends to happen is people forget that I do have problems with what’s happening. The difference is that a day or two down the road I’m not dwelling on it, or repeating myself multiple times in a game.
For example, my theme for the year is “Youth first”. Meaning if the Twins have two guys that are contributing, the bulk of play time should be with the younger players who are more likely to be around in a few years.
So seeing Kubel and Buscher getting play time over Monroe and Lamb doesn’t bother me. Because I want them to get their “now or never” chance with everyday playtime before it’s too late for the Twins to make corrections.
It’s also why I love to see that Casilla has turned it around. Because it’s all the more evidence that Punto’s time with the club is drawing to a close.
The Twins should take the lineup they’ve used for the past few series:
Gomez
Casilla
Mauer
Morneau
Cuddyer
Kubel
Young
Buscher
Harris
…and look at that as their “starting 9″ for the rest of the year. From there, they can begin to assess their bench (Redmond, Monroe, Lamb, Punto) and decide what moves can/should be made from there.
With all of the MIF injuries and the slow “digression” of Monroe and Lamb (along with the apparent *wink nudge* DL trip by Evertt), this is the first time that Gardy’s had some consistent time to put a lineup together.
If Gomez’s slump continues, maybe he does move Gomez 9th (to keep Gomez/Casilla together) and slide everybody up one.
But the tough part now is what change to the lineup could be made without disturbing too much. Gomez/Casilla is working well 1/2. And Morneau has credited hitting behind Mauer as part of his success.
So any changes would likely involve the back 5 of the lineup. Cuddy…Kubel? Young is untouchable (they JUST got him and he’s in a sophomore slump, let’s not bail yet) Harris? Could they get anything? Buscher or Casilla? Not now that they’re finally doing what you’ve asked of them.
It’ll be interetsing, especially with July just around the corner.
If Span can stay healthy, he should be called up and given that now or never chance also this year. I never thought I’d type those words, but he’s earned it this year. Young and Cuddy and Gomez and Kubel can all sit one time a week. They aren’t winning it all this year, and they should really see if Span has turned a corner.
Young was nothing special in AAA, and he was ok last year in his first year. While I don’t think he will be this bad during his career, I’m not convinced he’s going to be great either (more words I never thought I’d type - his A and AA numbers made me think this guy was a superstar in the making). Given that, it would be nice to know if Span is legit. Then they can decide which one to trade, or use as a PH or use as the “give the other guys a rest” guy next year.
The New and Improved Craig says:
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:06 pm
“The last player in the the, Garza and Bartlett in exchange for nothing trade, is Jason Pridie.”
lol good one Craig
I’m a “win it now” proponent - but only if you realistically have a chance. I think the the Twins are a bit of a longshot - but I think they have a chance. Make moves NOW that will (at least on paper) help NOW. If the new acquisitions most talked about don’t start helping very, very soon - move them out and bring up the young guys who were doing the job in their stints in the bigs.
Lets see who could we add that would help this team win there last 6 games? Oh wait they didn’t need anyone else. I wish someone would show Livan some love for back to back quality starts instead everyone wants to trade him.
Carlos G says:
June 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Thanks Joe C. I have been waiting for this blog for a while, in order to reel the White Sox back in. (Based on this year’s trend for opposites of blogger predictions to happen.)
I posted the above in reference to the Joe C. blog that the White Sox “are showing no signs of letting up”.
Thanks again Joe C. Good to know we’ve got a reliable tool this year.
What we don’t know is how many bullets you, LaVelle, and Howard have though. So, please use them carefully and this season could be quite surprising after all.
Hey, BC, I showed Livan some love, only to get ridiculed. Well, some people would rather whine than to give a player kudo’s.
At this point, he is knocking on the door of the same number of team wins that Santana put up last year, and heck, he is closing in on Santana’s actual win total as well.
Well, Livan’s value to this team, right now, far exceeds Santana’s value to the Mets, and for far less dinero. Go ahead, people, throw your insults back at me again, just remember, Livan beat Webb, and part of the defense of Santana was that he has to face players, with Webb mentioned. Guess what, Livan has beaten Webb, and Santana has yet to face him.
Yep, Livan, more value to the Twins than Santana to the Mets at this point of the season.
After reading these posts, I have come to the conclusion JP is the smartest Twins fan in the room. Craig is an idiot. T is somewhere near the bottom. And I am one step above T. Punto is a disaster.
I agree with some of you that Spahn should be brought up. I feel he has earned it. He can give Young And Gomez some time off. However, if he comes up then who is going down? Next Saturday’s game against the Brewers will be the 81 st game of the season. Wth July and the allstar break to follow but even more importantly is the July 31st trade deadline. Does anybody have any thoughts about getting help for this club……
Me Too-You say that Livan has good value for less dinero than Johan. BC knows what dinero means,but i’m not sure some of his negative buddies have a glue!
opps clue
Livan has been fooling people for years now.He should be very hittable,but some how he gets people out.Plenty of teams have given him the ball in important playoff game and WS games!
Ya, send down a guy who has been tearing the cover off the ball as of late for this piece of s*it. Great move!
