Bon Voyage, Resto

The Strib reports that Michael Restovich has been claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay.

I wish this were an April Fool's joke.

Michael Restovich had been rated amongst the Top 40 prospects in baseball according to Baseball America even as late as Spring 2003, and when called up to Minnesota that season I saw a young player, 24 years old, with a big frame and a good eye at the plate, willing to wait for pitches he could hit and use the opposite field as he learned his craft at the major league level. He looked coachable. He looked like a kid trying to break into the league the right way. Studied, patient, taking the game as it comes in graduated steps. He was the model of TK's kind of rookie, and he was even a local boy. After a month, he was hitting .310/.442/.476. Now dig that. Isn't that about the ideal of what a club hopes to see when calling up a prospect in midsummer?

Gardy couldn't get his gaze past those broad shoulders, and perhaps with visions of Tom Brunansky dancing in his head, he complained that his prospect wasn't bashing any balls over the baggy. The kid was too passive. He needed to be hacking. He was going to be sent back to AAA to think about things, and the next time the boss saw the kid he wanted to see him "lettin' it fly." So Resto went back to the minors, predictably screwed himself into the ground, and he's been buried in the organization ever since.

It's not a proud episode in recent Twins history, and the way club management handled Michael Restovich up to today is nothing but an object lesson in a waste of good resources, proof that even a good management staff can go wrong. Whether or not he goes on to put up big numbers for the Rays or some other team, the Twins blew what they had here. How a club can have a blue chip prospect with his makeup, who hits at every level and performs respectably well in his introductions to the big leagues, and yet let him walk away for nothing today after he's never even been given a real chance to win a job is simply incredible. How they let him walk while the club gives preference to Luis Rivas, Nick Punto, Juan Castro, or even Corky Miller... jesufu---ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ME?!???

G'AAAHHH!

Sigh.

Anyway.

Yesterday, while speculating which other clubs might have an opening for Resto, I wrote this about the Devil Rays:

Tampa Bay - The Rays signed Alex Sanchez to play CF while Rocco Baldelli is out recovering from knee surgery, which moves Carl Crawford back to LF with Aubrey Huff set in RF. Meanwhile, Danny Bautista's sudden retirement has left the club without any solid options coming off the bench to fill the corners, and manager Lou Piniella has been complaining about a lack of power on his team. Journeyman Chris Singleton is unlikely to satisfy that need. Maybe Restovich's potential will appeal to Sweet Lou.

The Rays literally had no outfield reserves on the active roster last night, and non-roster invitee Chris Singleton is really just another rangey/weak-bat CF like Alex Sanchez. Non-roster candidate and Royals castoff Dee Brown also has been trying out for the club but hit just .250 with a .408 slg in 18 games this month. Not really the bat off the bench to satisfy Lou, either. The only other alternatives were minor league prospects Jonny Gomes, Joey Gathright, and Delmon Young; all had been optioned to the minors on March 18. Former Twin Buck Buchanasanadanna had also been in Rays camp, briefly; he was assigned to the minors on March 9.

So Restovich really has no competition for a bench role with the Rays this season. He could spell either Carl Crawford or Aubrey Huff, both lefty bats, at the OF corners and be the primary righty pinch-hitter on the team. At some point he might even become the preferred DH ahead of Josh Phelps. If Huff is traded after the season to escape his $7.5m salary in 2006, Resto could be in position to compete for the regular RF job with Young (now in AA) and Gomes (in AAA) next spring, as well. It looks like a good opportunity for him to show what he can do, and I wish him the best. Frankly, I hope he makes the Twins deeply regret this move.

Bon voyage, big guy.