The Twins blew everyone’s mind yesterday by actually making a roster move, trading third baseman Danny Valencia to the Red Sox for rookie baller Jeremias Pineda, who, to his credit, has been playing well in the lowest levels of affiliated baseball.
Valencia gained a bit of a following during his rookie season thanks to a .311 average and 7 homers in half a season. The entire Twins roster played well that year, and Valencia’s rookie half season. In retrospect, that .311 average was likely a product of luck (his BABIP was .345) as most of his rate metrics stayed the same in a much weaker second season, aside from BABIP. His true talent probably lay somewhere near his second season, and with a weak glove in the field, Valencia was quickly losing his luster.
With Trevor Plouffe figuring out his bat, and Valencia having a shred of value, the Twins moved him while they could, acquiring a 21 year old having a strong season in rookie ball. Sure, he isn’t a top prospect, but he is something. He is old for a Rookie League player, and he hasn’t shown any power, though he has been very fast, with 14 stolen bases in 36 games. Like I said, it’s something.
In the mean time, the Twins have called up Tsuyoshi Nishioka. I’m happy to see him back. The team has a lot invested in Nishioka, first by trading away JJ Hardy and then signing him for a few million dollars. Nishi was steadily improving in Rochester, and perhaps he is more comfortable in the US. He is seeing the ball better, with his strikeout rate way down, and his walk rate up. And you know what? He will probably only be up for a week or so, until Plouffe comes back. And even if he isn’t, what does it hurt? He is sapping 3 million dollars, and the team is out of contention. Let him get comfortable with the pressure off, I say.
The moral of this entire story is that the Twins made a move that wasn’t all that negative, unless you were a big fan of Danny Valencia,
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