Tag: Rochester Red Wings

Twins option Dozier and call up Florimon

Pedro Florimon & Brian Dozier

The Twins announced after today’s 8-4 loss to the Tigers at Target Field that they have optioned shortstop Brian Dozier to Rochester and called up Pedro Florimon. Surprised? I am, I know that Dozier is struggling but the team is going nowhere so what do the Twins have to lose by allowing Dozier to learn the game in the big leagues versus in AAA Rochester. Manager Gardenhire sat Dozier for the second straight game after a questionable fielding play the other day when he threw to first instead of throwing home for a force play or trying for a double play and the mistake allowed what amounted to the winning run scoring in a game against the Tampa Rays. I also thought that Dozier made a mistake there but sitting him for 2 days and then sending him down does not seem like the right message to me. I know that Terry Ryan is sending Dozier a message here but with the Twins playing like they are and it is mid-August, why bother? The Twins are going to call Dozier back up on September 1st anyway. It just seems to me that the Twins are “rubbing Dozier’s nose in it” and I don’t like it.

The Twins picked the switch-hitting Pedro Florimon off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles in December of 2011. The 25 year-old Florimon is known for his slick fielding but his hitting has always been his Achilles heel. Florimon was 1 for 8 in 4 games for the Orioles in 2011. This season Florimon started in New Britain where he played just 30 games before being bumped up to Rochester. In Rochester, Florimon is hitting .251 in 341 plate appearances with 16 doubles, 2 triples and 3 home runs with 21 RBI’s and 6 stolen bases in 13 attempts. I know the Twins want to see what Florimon can do in the big leagues but why do it now versus waiting a couple of weeks for September 1 to come along?

Twins minor league player of the week

 

Esmerling Vasquez

Rochester right-handed pitcher Esmerling Vasquez is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In 11.2 innings Vasquez went 2-0, with a 0.00 ERA, allowed four hits, five walks and 10 strikeouts in two relief appearances. Vasquez pitched 4.0 scoreless innings of relief, August 4 at Toledo, then 7.2 scoreless innings of relief, August 9 vs. Scranton-Wilkes/Barre. Vasquez, 28, joined the Twins organization after being claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 27, 2011.

Primarily used as a reliever, Vasquez has started 5 games this season. Vasquez has appeared in 28 games for Rochester putting up a 7-5 mark with a 3.10 ERA. In 81.1 innings he has allowed 61 hits and struck out 50 but he has walked 25 batters. Vasquez has previous big league experience appearing in 141 games for Arizona in 2009-2011.

Twins minor league player of the week

outfielder Matt Carson

Rochester outfielder Matt Carson is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week for July 29-August 3. Carson played six games for Triple-A Rochester, batting .367 (11-for-30) with two doubles, seven RBI’s and scored five runs. Carson, 31, who was signed by the Twins as a free agent prior to the season was originally selected by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2002 First-Year Player draft out of BYU. Carson has also spent time in the Oakland and Tampa organizations after leaving the Yankee organization as a fee agent after the 2008 season.

Carson spent some time on the Oakland A’s big league roster in 2009-2010 playing in 46 games while hitting .200 in 100 big league at bats with 5 home runs, 14 RBI’s and stealing 4 bases. At the age of 31 the right-handed hittiong Carson is not really a prospect and is more or less filling out the roster in Rochester.

 

Swarzak to the DL and Luis Perdomo called up

 

Luis Perdomo

The Twins are sending reliever Anthony Swarzak to the DL due to a strained rotor cuff and calling up reliever Luis Perdomo from Rochester. The 28-year-old Perdomo was promoted from New Britain to Rochester earlier this season and since his promotion Perdomo is 2-1 with 7 saves and an ERA 0.92 in 19+ innings. During his stay in Rochester, Perdomo has struck out 18 and walked 2.

Perdomo was the Twins Minor League Player of the week earlier this month. The 28-year old Perdomo was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland Indians in 2003 but since then has been with the Cardinals, Giants, and Padres before signing as a FA with Minnesota this past November. Luis has been in the minors for 7 seasons posting a 21-30 record with a 3.41 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and strikes out about 8.6 batters per 9 innings. Perdomo has pitched in the big leagues with the Padres in 2009 appearing in 35 games and in 2010 but that season he pitched in just one game. When Perdomo pitches in a Twins game, he will be the 23rd pitcher Minnesota has used this season (not counting Drew Butera).

Welcome to Minnesota Luis Perdomo.

Parmelee to Rochester and Samuel Deduno called up

The Twins announced after todays loss at Detroit that that they have optioned 1B Chris Parmelee to Rochester and called up RHP Samuel Deduno and plan to start him on Saturday against the leagues top team, the Texas Rangers. I like Parmelee a lot but he is being short changed with the Twins and he needs to play. On the other hand, I understand that Gardy has no position for him right now and with the All-Star break coming up, why not send him to Rochester and give him a chance to get some game action. Who knows, in a couple of weeks with the trading deadline coming up, there might be some opens spots on the Twins roster.

Samuel Deduno

The 29 year old Deduno is being called up and will see his first big league action of 2012 after seeing 4 games (2.2 innings) with the Rockies in 2010 and 2 games (3 innings) with the Padres last season. Deduno was originally signed by the Rockies in March of 2003 as an amateur free agent but was signed off waivers by the San Diego Padres in January of 2011. He became a free agent in November 2011 and almost immediaetly signed with Minnesota. In his 8 seasons in the minors Deduno has a 45-45 record with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. In Rochester this season Deduno has started 9 games and has a 1-2 record with nice 2.14 ERA and a WHIP of only 1.17 . Having said that, Deduno has only pitched 42 innings which comes out to less than 5 innings a start and that is being caused primarily by his 4.7 bases on balls per 9 innings so control is an issue for Sam but on the plus side, he has only given up 27 hits in those 42 innings. So if the Texas Rangers are swinging, Deduno has a chance. Welcome to the Twins Sam! When Deduno appears in a Twins game, he will be the 40th different player the Twins have used this season and we haven’t gotten to the All-Star game yet.

I have no issue with the Twins organization giving these guys a shot, who knows when you might catch lightning in a bottle.

Matt Capps to DL and Tyler Robertson called up

Tyler Robertson

Various reports have the Minnesota Twins putting closer Matt Capps on the DL and calling up lefty reliever Tyler Robertson from Rochester. This will be the first call to the big leagues for the 24-year Robertson who was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 2006 Amateur draft out of Bella Vista High School in Fair Oaks, California.

In his seventh season in the Twins minor league system, the 6’5″ Robertson has pitched for Rochester this season appearing in relief in 33 games, with a 2-2 record with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. In his 28.2 innings Robertson has given up 26 hits, struck out 33 and walked 13. Robertson was originally a starter but has pitched exclusively in relief in 2011-2012. Welcome to Minnesota Tyler!

Rochester Red Wings’ Sean Burroughs turns life around

There is a very interesting story written yesterday by Jim Mandelaro of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle about former Twin 3B and now Rochester Red Wing player Sean Burroughs. I urge you take a few minutes and read the article that you can find right here. Burroughs has led an interesting life to be sure.