The Continuing Saga of Resto; or, One Manager's Fixation with Excessive Spare Parts
Gardy is serious about this 'carrying four catchers' idea. He's even told Michael Restovich to be prepared for a trade, according to Le Strib, presumably because Corky Miller could make him the odd man out.
Not only is it silly that the club may not figure out a way to find a spot for Restovich on this team, but I think the manager is lying to him if he says that it's Corky Miller and Joe Mauer's knee that is forcing the issue.
First of all, it would be absurd to give up on all the investment put into Restovich's development, and the potential value he still offers, just to hang onto a fourth catcher who at age 29 has played a grand total of 622 innings behind the plate in the majors and has hit .203/.301/.332 in 273 plate appearances. Last year Miller played in 13 games for the Reds and hit .026/.204/.026. That's one hit (a single!) in 39 at-bats, folks. Corky Miller is a 4-A Catcher. The club can afford to let him go. If at some point during the season it's apparent that Mauer's knee cannot handle regular duty behind the plate, and Matthew LeCroy is not a satisfactory backup to Mike Redmond, then make a minor deal to acquire another 4-A Catcher when that issue must be addressed.
Secondly, we already know that Restovich is being forced out because Gardy insists on an overstock of futility infielders. Trade Rivas. Trade Castro. Trade Punto, or send him to AAA if possible. There's your spot for Michael Restovich, a nice righty bat off the bench and platoon option to pair with Jones in RF. It's some kind of bizarro world in which a club might cut ties with Resto even while it prepares to give Luis Rivas a fifth season and $1.6 million to show off his inadequacies as a regular 2nd baseman; but if that is the case, at least be honest about it. And could some media person with access to Gardy or Terry Ryan ask one of them to explain exactly why they need such an overstock of infielders or catchers who can't hit? I'd really like to see them grilled on game scenarios, too, and have them explain just how often they imagine the spare parts will come in handy, and why that is more valuable than Michael Restovich.
Please, La Velle E. Neal... Gordon Wittenmyer... Clay Matvick... make a young boy's wish come true!
posted by frightwig @ 3:28 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Can't Resto play second? Can't anyone play second? Maybe the Twinks should look into the Phillies' Polanco, who is their utility infielder, but a more than adequate 2B (or not 2B...that is the question).
YankeeFan
Lew is the primary DH. Resto could have platooned in RF with Jones this year and found at-bats subbing for Stewart or Ford and giving Gardy another RHB option for pinch-hitting. Who knows, somebody might get hurt again, and Resto could have filled in like Ford did in 2004.
Next year, Jones could be gone. We don't know what kind of shape Kubel will be in to play regularly. Stewart will be in the final year of his contract. The only other OF prospect on close radar is Alex Romero, rated a 'B' prospect by John Sickels, 9th in the Twins Top 10.
It might have been in the Twins longterm interest to see what Resto could do this year. Instead, they cut him loose so that Gardy might have a plethora of spare parts behind the plate and in the middle infield for this season, or maybe for a couple weeks.
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