Alexi Casilla Optioned to Rochester, Matt Tolbert Recalled

It's been coming for a little while, but it's probably the best thing for both Casilla and the Twins. If Tolbert plays well, Casilla will have a difficult time getting back to the big league club unless someone gets injured.

6 months ago Jesse 22 comments 0 recs |

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Beat me to it

Good move. This should change the energy around the team. Casilla was just in some kind of funk and unable to focus as a result.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 6, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow

I’m a little surprised, but not a bad idea. Casilla needs to get it worked out.

"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane

by AdamOnFirst on May 6, 2009 2:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

A move the Twins should be making...

…although I agree that a week ago would have been early. Casilla needed a bit more time and Tolbert had done little to merit the promotion. But just as Alexi was going totally into the tank in all aspects of his game, Tolbert took notice and got on fire. Hopefully, he will bring that fire and energy to the Twins who certainly need a boost.

Now, the quesiton is what will Casilla be like in Rochester. Will he take the opportunity to work to correct the mental mistakes defensively and also work on his hitting so that he does hit around .300 for the Red Wings? If not, don’t know what his future holds for the Twins. If yes, he certainly will have value as either a future Twin or as part of a trade for a needed part to their puzzle.

by roger13 on May 6, 2009 2:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Tolbert vs. lefties...

…The Twins switch hitters have been terrible this spring against lefties. Tolbert’s splits are .273 against lefties and .257 against right handed pitchers. He only has 22 at bats right handed vs. 72 left handed. So that may be another area of help!

by roger13 on May 6, 2009 2:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Guess it's time to change my screen name

Certainly, Casilla struggled. He was in vicious cycle mode the last couple of weeks—take a bad at-bat, screw up in the field, take a worse at-bat, screw up worse in the field.

As Roger said above, it is very important to see what happens to Casilla in Rochester. If he tears it up, he’ll be back quickly and posters and commentators will say that strong medicine for Casilla worked. If he pouts some more, he may wear out his welcome with the Twins and a decent talent will leave the organization, one way or the other.

by Alexi Casilla All-Star on May 6, 2009 2:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

AAA allstar, maybe

by guinness junky on May 6, 2009 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that if Casilla

can work things out done there, he will be back up here by June. Also, if Casilla can show that he works his way around this thing, we may see somebody else being sent down there…namely: Carlos Gomez.

I am a little upset because Casilla is our best fielding second baseman since the early days of Rivas and also since Knobby. He is a strong person in the number 2 hole and provides the Twins with great speed. He just started the season off a little rough and couldnt adjust.

Come back soon Casilla!

by 33MorneauMVP on May 6, 2009 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Casilla in the field

I don’t know if he’s our best fielding second baseman. He’s a -4.1 in career UZR at second. Tolbert is a -1.1. Neither looks all that great, but Tolbert is better in a smaller sample size. With all the mental errors, I’d rather have Tolbert out there, at least right now. The only thing that Casilla excels at over Tolbert is the double play.

I hope Casilla can go down and improve. But at this point, his career is at a crossroads. If Tolbert comes up and plays solid, he could keep the job for a while. If it were up to me, I would keep him down there until September and teach him to appreciate his major league opportunities. Maybe that will force him to focus. He was rushed up here, kind of like Rivas. And, like Rivas, he started taking it for granted to the detriment of himself and the team.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 6, 2009 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cmath, I don't mean to pick on you

but this is the kind of remark that really bugs me…that he “took it for granted.” We don’t know that. Yeah, he’s made a lot of mistakes and I don’t disagree with sending him down, but lets not make those kinds of judgments without information.

by Eric in Madison on May 6, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fair enough

My apologies. I honestly don’t know what’s causing his funk. I just hope he gets himself out of it. The Twins can’t do it for him.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 6, 2009 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rivas

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on May 6, 2009 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Again

Rivas’ injuries were the issue. I believe he was with the Cubs this spring. At 29, he’s close to the end of the typical shelf life for a second baseman. And here’s something that is as much speculation as knowing what really went on inside a players’ head, but worth asking: Do we know if Rivas’ declared age can be proven? He was awfully damned good at age 20. The Twins don’t have too many players who are big-league ready at 20.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on May 6, 2009 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He sure got old fast

I often wonder what his career would have been like if he hadn’t broken his wrist in his second year. But he also had a serious case of entitlement, at least of the beat writers’ stories about him playing cards instead of taking early BP are any indicator.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 6, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like Casilla

but it’s too bad. Be nice to see Brendan Harris in there more though.

stop by Waving the Wheat (http://wavingthewheat.wordpress.com/) and The College Hockey Blog (http://thecollegehockeyblog.wordpress.com/)

by fetch9 on May 6, 2009 2:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's the move I expect.

Even though B. Harris 2B is worse defensively than B. Harris 3B/SS.

by Evan Nelson on May 6, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Harris' D anywhere isn't exactly art in motion.

by Jesse on May 6, 2009 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well he’s better at 2nd than he is at short. But yeah he’s best at 3rd

stop by Waving the Wheat (http://wavingthewheat.wordpress.com/) and The College Hockey Blog (http://thecollegehockeyblog.wordpress.com/)

by fetch9 on May 6, 2009 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm OK with this

Casilla has been really struggling, and it’s not clear that his career is anything but a hot couple of months last year, but Jesse, your intro is funny.

Saying it’s the best thing for Casilla AND saying he’s going to have trouble getting back to the bigs is….amusing.

by Eric in Madison on May 6, 2009 3:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Gomez

With this demotion of Casilla, what do you expect will happen with the Gomez situation? He hasnt earned very much playing time this year and needs to be sent down to AAA. He has too much potential to sit on the bench until the 7th inning and be a defensive replacement/pinch runner. Any thoughts?

by MinnesotaCatFan on May 6, 2009 5:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I kind of agree with you.

A guy can learn things from the bench, especially at the MLB level. But he’s also a guy who needs experience, and to play everyday. The only true value he adds to the Twins right now is defensive value, so if they’re not going to play him anyway, and the defense in the outfield suffers because of it, he might as well be in Rochester getting time seeing pitches.

by Jesse on May 6, 2009 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gomez should be starting nearly every game in center field,

just like he always should have been.

by DK on May 6, 2009 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

I don’t know why Gardy has basically benched him. He wasn’t hitting any worse than D’Young at the time and the Span/Gomez/Cuddyer outfield is such an upgrage over Young Span/Cuddyer it isn’t funny.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on May 6, 2009 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs