Twins cut Buscher from 40-man roster
Posted on November 3rd, 2009 – 11:57 AMBy Joe Christensen
The Twins have cut infielder Brian Buscher from their 40-man roster, outrighting him to Class AAA Rochester. He can become a minor-league free agent 16 days after the World Series.
Buscher, 28, batted .235 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 61 games for the Twins this season, posting a .360 on-base percentage and a .316 slugging percentage.
The Twins did not have Buscher on their original 25-man playoff roster, though he did replace Matt Tolbert after Tolbert suffered a strained oblique muscle.
98 Responses to "Twins cut Buscher from 40-man roster"
GOOD!
If the Twins don’t sign anyone from here on out, a space for Danny Valencia has been made on the 25 man roster.
About damn time. This organization needs to trim some fat with similar no-hit infield types at the top of the organization. We basically still have 6 middle infield utility players on the 40-man roster right now in Casilla/Punto/Tolbert/Harris/Hughes/Tolleson. Only Romero/Valencia/Plouffe really have a shot to be solid starters. And cut Huber as well.
Also, we have FIVE catchers on the 40-man. I’d bet money that no other team has that. There’s no need for Butera with Ramos and Morales on the 40-man, even after Redmond is cleared from it.
Good. Now lets get rid of some more average to below average players to make room for all the great players we will pick up soon…..At least I hope that’s the case.
Nooo! Who’s going to play those Sunday day games now?
Watch Bush become the next Ortiz.
I said it first.
I don’t think he’ll be the second coming of David Ortiz but he might be another Garrett Jones. .293/21HR/44RBI for Pittsburgh in only 82 games last year. Remember, Buscher was our minor league player of the year a couple years back. He never got a real chance to win the job at third base. I suspect under the tuteledge of a real hitting coach he’s going to shine brightly somewhere else.
Morneau’s going to want to leave now.
Seems like a nice enough guy. I do hope he finds success with another team… preferably in the NL and certainly not with someone else in the AL Central.
@ Dustin
Red Sox have 5 catchers on 40-man: http://j.mp/oZ3go
I’m sure some further digging could find other teams that have just as many.
Jones and Buscher are both 28 and both terrible defensively.
But Jones has 181 career home runs between the minors and majors… Buscher has 48.
Busch worked hard to become a better 3B. Would have liked to seen him get more at-bats at some point, but likely not really needed moving forward. Good luck Busch!
I wasn’t saying he was going to hit HR for someone else, but he can hit .300 pretty easily once he get’s his confidence back and plays regularly. BTW, last years player of the year for Rochester Randy Ruiz did pretty well for Toronto last year too. I wonder why we don’t like DH’s who hit for power. We just release Ruiz for nothing.
At least the message the front office is sending is that they will get another thirdbaseman (or use Punto, Tolbert or Harris — noooooo not that).
Valencia isn’t ready yet and didn’t even warrant a September callup in 2009. Might have been a 40 man roster problem but that’s what happened so I imagine the opinion is he wouldn’t have helped.
Regarding Butera, though he faded severely down the stretch last season, he is likely a defensively gifted catcher which has backup catcher written all over him. Morales isn’t as bad as Matt LeCroy but he’s no gem back there either so Butera will get serious consideration to backup Mauer. Morales will have to figure out why he disappeared when it counted at the end of last year or he won’t replace Redmond as Joe’s backup even if he can hit .300. The ideal is to have Ramos ready to back up Mauer but that’s probably at least a year away as he was injured most of last year.
Is this just housecleaning, or is it a move that is needed as pre-req. to another move?
bufftwins
as Sane and I had talked about many moons ago, you can sure try hard to get better (suffice it to say, not sure how you proved whether or not he did try hard in comparison to his teammates), but it does not mean you actually are better.
I liked him, but he just doesn’t add anything to the team at this point.
Twins free up a roster spot… Rays close to dealing Iwamura… he’s the type of guy the Twins like…
That’s a shame Busch couldn’t get more done here. Wish him well in the future.
my guess harris will be next and then butera, huber and pridie.
with free agents leaving, mahay, pavano, red, cabrera and crede that gets them down to 30 on the 40 man. there are a bunch of guys that have some upside that will need to be added starting with valencia.
if seth is around maybe he could tell us who he thinks will have to be added or lost.
RJTWIN,
They needed to make room on the 40-man roster for Valencia. Who better to remove than Buscher.
gobbledygookguy,
They’re not going to just dump Harris. He does have some trade value.
@ Jeremy,
I thought Iwamura planned on going back to Japan to play, actual i thought he had already signed with someone overseas.
Union,
Kenji Johjima is who you’re thinking of.
The Iwamura connection could make some sense. Any word on this one Joe C?
Here’s an update from the winter leagues.
VWL
Wilson Ramos .412/.468/.759, 5 HR, 21 RBI
Dustin Martin .311/.419/.525, 3 HR, 16 RBI
Frank Mata 2-1, 2.77 ERA, 1.69 WHIP
DWL
Jose Lugo 2-1, 3.86 ERA, 0.86 WHIP.
ES16 we will see!
awaiting moderation
hey it worked
anyway, Ramos is a good trade chip, seen him play, Buscher got better in the Twins org than Giants, he will get a job and this:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/11/rays-close-to-dealing-iwamura.html
have the twins ever had a player from japan?
I wish Buscher well. The move was probably a necessary one for the Twins to make.
The club could do a lot worse than Iwamura at 2B. In fact, they did doa lot worse in ‘09.
Iwamura could play 2b or 3b. Thats nice to have the flexability.
Yes however Iwamura is a much better defender at 2b, and he has no power what so ever. He could backup 3b, but no way he becomes the starter with beltre, crede, etc on the FA market, and Valencia in the wings.
Oh and tons of reports ive seen have said Garret Atkins, a 3b the Twins used to be hot on, might be non tendered by the Rockies.
Careful what you say. He is a relative of someone out there. Maybe even me. I guess you could see the writing on the wall the way it ended. He’s not dead weight and worthless. He’s a fine human being and a good baseball player. He doesn’t fit in the Twins organization, that’s for sure. You guys won’t have to worry about him taking up space in the Twins organization as you say….He wil move on to another club or even out of baseball……..
He struggled with irregular at-bats and limited play.
Lets part ways on the upward…..He gave 100% to the Twins organization. All are moving on…….
Good luck but wish him luck as well as many of you have done. Thanks for being so kind.
Atkins might be worth a look if he is free
People are honestly thinking we’ll regret cutting Buscher? Seriously?
He is NOT good. He will NEVER be good. Good riddance. This is exactly the kind of mentality that has this club with way too many futility infielders on its 40-man roster.
As for the catchers, yes, the Red Sox are the only team in the majors with 5 besides us. But you have to figure that 2-3 of those will be gone in the next week or two with their moves.
And we have more infielders on our 40-man (NOT a good thing) than any organization except the Giants.
Oh, and Iwamura would be a good get, but we can NOT stop there if it happens. We still need a SS and either a 2b or a 3b, depending on Iwamura.
Or at least a SS. If we get a solid SS (like Hardy) then IF Valencia comes through you can just slide Iwamura over to 2b from 3b.
Yeah, it is, Shawn. But I’d prefer a 3B with a little more pop. Still, Iwamura would be a good fit at 3B as well, and does provide flexibility.
Speaking of flexibility, Cuddyer provides a lot of flexibility. Since he did so well offensively (and was decent defensively) at 1B when Morneau went down, I wonder if it makes sense to try him at 3B again. If he can hit at 1B, why can’t he hit at 3B? I know he was abyssmal there in ‘05, but a lot of time has passed he’s a different player now.
I’m not necessarily advocating for this move, but it could potentially solve the problem at 3B, solves the logjam in the outfield without having to move anybody, and doesn’t cost anything extra in 2010, which could potentially allow the club to go out and get a pitcher.
Alright cold hearted Dustin…did you not just read what JC Smith wrote. He is a person with a family and feelings…not just some pawn in the game of baseball. If he was not good he would have never made it to the bigs. He is a very talented player that was never given a real chance to settle in as an everyday player. He was jerked around and messed with. And yes one day you too will wish he was still a Twin.
Jerked around?
His career OPS is .699 as a 3b. And he’s well below average defensively.
He has NOT been jerked around. He’s been given more of a chance than he should be given.
I feel for him and his situation, but as a Twins FAN, I’m more than happy he’s off the 40-man.
Buscher maybe one of the top 100 players in the Twins sytem but obviously not in the top 40. I can see him playing somewhere next year as a utility guy just not with the Twins. Bring on Danny V!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes jerked around…as soon as he got to the Twins they didn’t believe in his defense and would openly say so. How would you do at your job if your boss had zero confidence in you? Yet he was the Eastern League Definsive player of the year and was know for his defense with the Giants. They never let him get consistent at bats. He was in one day out the next. Name one time that he played more than say 7 games in a row. It is amazing what you can do with consistent at bats…Just look at Garrett Jones. He was treated the same way and now look at him.
Jones has to be good for more than 82 games before you can legitimately say, “Look at that guy.” Jones could simply be ’09’s Chris Shelton. He’s still a long way from being Big Papi.
Yep. Jones probably won’t do much longterm either. But Buscher has never been even in the same stratosphere as Jones in terms of overall talent.
I’m not saying that Jones is the next Ortiz i’m just saying you can’t judge a player including Buscher when you don’t get consistent playing time. Even Morneau wouldn’t hit well if he was a bench player.
But there’s nothing in his entire track record to indicate that he can play even average at the major league level. His OPS in the minors was .746 from 3b. Not too many of those guys ever do anything on the big stage.
according to mlbtraderumors.com, iwamura is about to be traded from the rays, and it’s not the cubs or dodgers to acquire him…twins perhaps???
Can’t believe we’re shedding tears for Buscher.
http://www.bradenton.com/sports/baseball/tampa-bay-rays/story/1827934.html
Iwamura’s being traded to the National League.
Say what you will but his ave with RISP in 2008 was great. He came into the spring in great shape and did very well then didn’t play much to start the regular season. Hitters don’t stay hot through occassional batting practice. His range wasn’t great but nothing wrong with his arm or glove in 09.
Good OBP. I think he is a good professional player but am not sorry to see him off this logjam of infielders. Good luck. He helped us contend in 08 and that was a pretty fun season.
boneyard, i like the idea of at least considering cuddyer back at 3rd base..
The one thing i’m wondering about this move is why did they do it now? Maybe they are making room for a traded player.
Well said Criminilities…it will probably work to his advantage to be with a team that doesn’t have some many infielders anyway. Goodluck to you Buschman
Iwamura’s stats aren’t much different than Punto’s 06 and 08 years. If Punto keeps his swing level and guards the plate like in September than he is the guy you are all looking for. I don’t know if he will but he seems to have an every other year thing going. He seems to have a good year and then thinks he can add power. I don’t know why he thinks that. I hope he has learned by now that he simply needs to get on base. I have never had a problem with his talent but rather his brains or lack thereof.
It’s all fun to talk about. How about in 2 years we have.
Span RF
Casilla SS
Mauer 3B
Cuddyer 2B
Morneau 1B
Young LF
Kubel DH
Ramos C
Gomez CF
Runs haven’t been the issue really anyway and the guys that had down years in 09 will pick up for the guys that had great years and will probably come back to the herd a little bit. A lot still seems to be riding on Liriano and Slowey coming back strong.
“I don’t know why he thinks that.”
The same reason they all think they need to hit for power $$$$$$$$$
Buscher was a Minor League Rule V pick a few years ago which translates loosely as “minor league roster filler with 1% chance of making the majors”.
I would say he exceeded the Twins expectations when they picked him up a few years ago.
Until he would improve on defense, Buscher has no future in MLB. He’s only a DH.
And you tell me what team wants him for a DH.
“Yet he was the Eastern League Definsive player of the year …”
Knobloch was pretty good on defense for a while too.
Completely regressed over the last two seasons. It’s too bad, but when you have Valencia waiting in the background, it’s best for both parties to split. Watch, you’ll see him as the Nationals, Pirates or Marlins backup infielder.
“His range wasn’t great but nothing wrong with his arm or glove in 09.”
I remember quite a few throws that weren’t too keen.
Matt,
Buscher played 164 games for the Twins, that’s a whole season’s worth of chances. He proved quickly he wasn’t good at 3B. He had his chance and he proved he couldn’t cut it.
The Twins called Jones up in 2007 and he was horrible. He hit .208 and struck out 20 times in 77 AB. He wasn’t much better at Rochester in 2008, so they cut him loose. I’m guessing next season his number might not be as impressive.
“boneyard, i like the idea of at least considering cuddyer back at 3rd base..”
Cuddy isn’t as speedy in RF as he once was. I doubt he’d have good range at 3B.
“Completely regressed over the last two seasons.”
I’ll give Buscher his due at the plate. He was underused — not much room for him on this squad — and yet he had a decent OBP this season. He has some offensive potential.
But that’s IT.
Per JoeC tweet: Iwamura to the Pirates.
Let it be Dustin. OR I will personally kick your ass………..
The Twins will roll in to Target Field with an infield of Harris, Tolbert, and Punto.
I’ve been saying it for over a year. Cuddy should be spending the off season taking ground balls at 3rd. Late in games, when ahead, replace him with “better” glove. Keep his offense at 3rd base. IF we had power producing 3B, we can more easily emphasize defensive 2B & SS. A power hitting 3B will be harder to find/afford than an “upgrade” at SS &/or 2B. Our power hitting 3B has been playing RF & 1B…. CUDDY!
Really JC?
You’re threatening me somehow (and ya, I’m real frightened) on a Strib blog? Really?
That’s pretty weak.
Don’t worry Dustin, JC’s already kicked his d-o-g till he died…….and now he doesn’t know what to do.
Just some more of his fantacizing.
It’s called fantasticide.
If the Twins are going to go after a guy that is not a power hitter. Chone Figgans has to be that guy. He would be our 2nd baseman, and a safety net in case Valencia isn’t ready at 3rd. He would be the ideal number 2 hitter for this lineup, with speed, and a switch hitter.
Sign Figgans
Trade for Hardy or Clint Barmes from the Rockies
Take a couple of chances with pitchers… like
Ben Sheets, Mark Mulder… maybe Tim Hudson?
Look at a guy like Rich Harden, but don’t go after the Angels guy. He is going to be the top free agent pitcher this year and by default will cost more than he’s worth.
I would also like to see them give both Delaney and Slama extended looks in the bullpen for next year.
Nathan, Neshak, Guerrier, Rauch, Mijares, Delaney, Slama, and Crain
Having Crain as the inning eater might give him enough work to have one of his pitches become effective?
I do feel bad for Buscher - he never got consistant playing time to improve his numbers. But given that, you still need to perform with what you are given. His .360 OBP with definitely attract another team to sign him for a minor league deal.
Tim Hudson recently signed a 3yr deal with the Braves, cross him off that list.
Rich Harden actually got hit decently hard in the NL last yr, id rather take a pass at Erik Bedard, being as he would be cheaper and has a higher upside.
Taking a chance, id say if Garret Atkins is non tendered, sign him to a 1 yr deal. Then you would have the money to go after a Hardy and sign him to a long term deal.
Buscher was a Rule V guy. He was never viewed as someone with a high ceiling by the Twins, and he served us well. Thankfully, we have better options now. We’re ready for the next step: let’s get an everyday, two-way shortstop, like Hardy, a serviceable 2B, like Polanco, then sign Crede to the same contract if the doctors say he’s a “go”, trade Harris, keep Punto and Tolbert as subs for 2010, and bring in Valencia at the All-Star break to take over 3B.
Romer:
The same goes for you too. I’ll kick it. Jackass.
Im disappointed that the Twins couldnt make a solid offer to the Rays for Iwamura. Polanco will be solid however, word still hasnt hit if hes going to be offered arb. If he is i believe he is a type A FA.
yawn
Well the Buscher move wasnt to pick up Ikamura from the Rays….the Pirates traded for him??? What?? Yes, the Pirates. They trade a way an allstar on Sanchez, only to make this move?? Whats management doing there?!?!?
Headlines tomorrow - Thrylos Crushed - kidding 98.
JC Smith isn’t worthy of a response — or to be allowed on this blog.
I like Polanco at the plate. But I remember being highly “underwhelmed” with his glove late in the season. not sure that fits the Twins’ MO.
With Neshek, Bonser, and Slowey all needing to return to the 40-man roster, the Twins have to make room. That was why they let Buscher go. First casualty.
Bring it on Romer boy. And Thrylos, too!
Has USAFChief done his end of the season POD special yet?
B-Good…USAFChief has been too busy referring the pi$$ing contest between romer and JC Smith. It’s a tough job, but I am pulling for romer.
I’m not looking for Bill Smith to make any significant deals over the winter. Why should he start now? I DO hope that he and Gardy give Tolleson, Slama, Delaney and Valencia long looks in Spring Training. I also agree with the poster who said Harris will now be jettisoned and if Gardy has his way, so will Casilla. We are stuck with Punto, no one would offer a box of balls and a couple of bats for him.
DrDon, looks like we’re left with JC Smith’s caveman rants and ignorant bitching about Punto.
Me? Think I’ll have crockpot roast beef.
GO PHILS!!!!!!
I like Punto, its dicks like DrDon & others that are a bore and just plain stupid about the Twins and Life…..
Stick that in your crawl, ya’ll.
go Yankees. Twins killers……
short of something unforeseen, looks like the yankees are phillies killers, angels killers and everybody else killers …
I guess a little less than a quarter of a billion dollars DOES buy you a World Series.
Actually, a quarter billion a year for 9 years bought them one world championship. I don’t mind the money they spend. I just wish that in lieue of a salary cap there would at least be a limit on how many free agents a team can add in a year. Adding 2 aces and a guy like Texeira to an already stacked teams just seems like overkill.
There should be some kind of limits. Even at a quarter billion their net receipts from all sources is over a billion a year so they are only spending half as much as the Twins in relation of salary to revenue. In other words if they had the same budget philosophy of the Twins, they would be spending half a billion a year. Don’t tell me they are committed to winning. Their revenue makes their payroll almost insignificant to them.
And FOX Sports immediately reminds us all why we wanted anybody BUT the Yankees to win…
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10324636
That’s right, Hideki Matsui is better than Reggie Jackson.
Let the hyperbole begin.
How is JC Smith not banned yet?
T, I do not disagree with the Jackson comparison as much as I do the statement in that article that says Jeter is the rightfull regular season MVP.
at the on-field trophy ceremony the yank-mees were fawned upon like the harlem globetrotters compared to the washington generals treatment of the losers. did anybody even mention the … um, please remind me, who was it that the yank-mees played?
