I had my first chance to see the Rochester Red Wings at Frontier Field for a game Aug. 25, 2013, a game in which Terry Ryan attended to gauge potential September call-ups.
The Red Wings have had a solid season and are in line to make the International League playoffs as a Wild Card team, a rare feat for a Twins organization that routinely fields a poor to mediocre AAA team record. Much of the success has come from feel-good stories like Chris Colabello, Clete Thomas, Doug Bernier, Caleb Theilbar and Andrew Albers, all unheralded players that have become the competitive pulse of the big-league club, to go along with top prospects, Oswaldo Arcia and Chris Hermann.
Now, the Red Wings feature a long list of once highly-touted players on the Twins opening-day roster: Chris Parmelee, Aaron Hicks, Darin Mastroianni, Eduardo Escobar, an injured Vance Worley, and also Cole DeVries and Pedro Hernandez pitching in AA.
With September call-ups just on the way, the Twins must decide whether to bring up several players to the big-league, or leave them in AAA for playoff experience. From my one-game sample, it appears that Chris Parmelee and Aaron Hicks are still playing flat, and could benefit from the excitement of a playoff atmosphere. Eduardo Escobar has emerged as a leader and clutch player at shortstop, and would also be a shame to strip from the playoff team. Darin Mastroianni has been fighting himself to get a timing and rhythm back after injuries have derailed his season, but is in a bit of a logjam in a crowded AAA outfield.
With the Twins needing another middle infielder down the stretch, it could be interesting to see if shortstop, Danny Santanta, 22, could be bumped up from AA after hitting .296 in 510 at-bats. This would allow the Twins to rest a tired middle infield and give Escobar a chance to help the Rochester team in a more important role than he’d have in the big leagues.
Scott Diamond is almost sure to be recalled, as he has sparkled with a 1.93 ERA in four starts, and with the Twins a bit shaky in the rotation down the stretch. The AAA team would still boast a formidable playoff rotation of P.J. Walters (3.97 ERA, 17 starts), Pat Dean (2.13 ERA, four starts), Logan Darnell (4.09 ERA, 11 starts). Pedro Hernandez (0.82 ERA, two starts) and Cole DeVries (1.69 ERA, three starts) both have major league experience and are pitching well in AA, and should both be called up to either to the AAA playoff roster or the big leagues.
Kyle Gibson has likely seen his last time with the Twins this season, and appeared to be battling his command upon a return to AAA. Approaching the 150 inning mark shortly after his Tommy John surgery, it may be nearing time to shut him down, although perhaps at least one playoff start would be a nice way to end the year. Gibson has been in ace form most of the AAA season, with a 3.04 ERA in 17 starts.
The Red Wings have plenty of outfield depth, so look for at least one or two players to be called up. Darin Mastroianni is still somewhat rusty, hitting .244 in 51 at-bats, but deserves a call. Aaron Hicks has only batted .176 in 51 at-bats, while Chris Parmalee is only at .225 in 138 at-bats. With such slumping numbers, they may be likely to stay in AAA and perhaps see time in winter ball this offseason.
LHP Aaron Thompson and RHP Michael Tomkin both look like “blue chip” relief prospects to me. Thompson is a left-handed reliever with a solid delivery and composure, perhaps a bit better than Brian Duensing is right now as a short reliever. Tonkin took the loss with four runs allowed in the 10th inning on Aug 25 for the Red Wings, but was beat on some very good pitches and was showing outstanding movement.
Thompson is not on the 40-man roster, so will likely stay in AAA unless the Twins find a last-minute trading partner for Brian Duensing (seems like somebody would be interested??). Tonkin is the anchor of the Red Wings bullpen, so look for him to also stay until after the playoff run.
Prediction? Look for the Twins to call up Scott Diamond, Darin Mastrolianni and Danny Santana on September 1, and add Pedro Hernandez and Cole DeVries to the AAA playoff roster. After the playoffs, Eduardo Escobar, Michael Tonkin and perhaps one additional pitcher could get the call.
Also note that Indianapolis Indians’ right-handed pitcher, Erik Cordier, clocked a pitch reading at 101 MPH at the Aug. 25th game. “That’s the fastest I’ve seen all year,” noted a scout.
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