Former Twins: How Did They Fare in 2012 (AAA Edition)

Today we continue -- or maybe even finish -- the series on how former Twins performed in 2012. This week, I scoured the Triple-A ranks (including the Mexican Leagues) to get my hands on stats for as many players as I could find/remember. If it’s popular enough, I may scour down in Double-A and lower for one last post next week. I will only use stats, and then briefly have an overview at the end. A good number of these players only played in the upper minors or maybe spring training only for the Twins, keep in mind.

International League:
Jason Bulger - SWB Yankees - 3.41 ERA, 34.1 IP, 7.3 K/9, 5.5 BB/9, 1.34 WHIP
Jason Repko - Pawtucket Red Sox - .225/.293/.421 (199 PA)
Danny Valencia - Pawtucket Red Sox - .306/.358/.428 (53 PA w/ PawSox)
Darnell McDonald - PawSox/SWB Yanks - .194/.286/.295 (147 PA)
Jason Pridie - Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs - .298/.356/.455 (194 PA)
Erik Komatsu - Syracuse Chiefs - .269/.355/.394 (123 PA)
Chuck James - Buffalo Bisons - 4.57 ERA, 21.2 IP, 9.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.29 WHIP
Lew Ford - Norfolk Tides - .331/.390/.550 (267 PA)
Steve Tolleson - Norfolk Tides - .278/.358/.346 (193 PA)
Willie Eyre - Norfolk Tides/Round Rock Express - 5.74 ERA, 58 IP, 8.1 K/9, 1.47 WHIP
Pat Neshek - Norfolk Tides - 2.66 ERA, 44 IP, 10 K/9, 7 K/BB, 1.11 WHIP
J.C. Romero - Norfolk Tides/Columbus Clippers - 2.74 ERA, 23 IP, 7.8 K/9, 0.96 WHIP
Billy Bullock - Mississippi/Gwinnett Braves - 6.34 ERA, 59.2 IP, 10.1 K/9, 8.4 BB/9, 1.99 WHIP
Dusty Hughes - Gwinnett Braves - 3.31 ERA, 65.1 IP, 7.6 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, 1.61 WHIP
Terry Tiffee - Gwinnett Braves - .299/.314/.427 (121 PA)
Kevin Slowey - Columbus Clippers - 5.14 ERA, 49 IP, 6.2 K/9, 2.6 K/BB, 1.33 WHIP
Loek Van Mil - Salt Lake/Akron/Columbus - 3.20 ERA, 64.2 IP, 6.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 1.25 WHIP
Corky Miller - Louisville Bats - .235/.386/.354 (313 PA)

Valencia was a bit better in the Boston system, but didn’t have enough PA for his stats to normalize. Ford was awesome in Indy ball, and continued that run into Triple-A. He’s quite a story. Neshek did a nice job to force his way onto a big league roster, although he had to jump from Baltimore’s org. to Oakland’s to do so. I doubt he minds. Romero pitched rather well on the farm, and will probably get another minor league invite this spring. Boy, was I wrong about Bullock. Good to see Tiffee and Miller still hanging in there as org. types. It was a lost season due to injury for Slowey. Finally, Van Mil is still toiling but not any closer to the bigs after his age-28 season.

Pacific Coast League:
Aaron Bates - Memphis Redbirds - .167/.207/.218 (58 PA w/ Birds)
Brendan Harris - Colorado Springs Sky Sox - .317/.407/.507 (424 PA)
Brock Peterson - Memphis Redbirds - .250/.325/.528 (80 PA)
Juan Rincon - Salt Lake Bees - 3.12 ERA, 26 IP, 8.0 K/9, 6.2 BB/9, 1.50 WHIP
Ryan Rowland-Smith - OKC/Iowa/GCL Astros - 5.90 ERA, 111.1 IP, 7.6 K/9, 1.65 WHIP
Luis Rodriguez - Tacoma Rainiers - .296/.389/.452 (422 PA)
Matt Tolbert - Iowa Cubs - .240/.313/.304 (375 PA)
Matt Fox - Tacoma/Jackson/AZL Mariners - 4.44 ERA, 26.1 IP, 5.8 K/9, 1.25 WHIP
Trent Oeltjen - Albuquerque/AZL Dodgers - .295/.356/.484 (461 PA)
Sean Henn - Tacoma Rainiers - 3.64 ERA, 29.2 IP, 8.8 K/9, 1.59 WHIP
Brian Bass - Oklahoma City RedHawks - 5.56 ERA, 77.2 IP, 5.3 K/9, 1.79 WHIP
Luke Hughes - Midland/Sacramento/Las Vegas - .264/.349/.430 (273 PA)
Mark Hamburger - Round Rock/Tucson/OKC - 6.20 ERA, 78.1 IP, 7.2 K/9, 1.79 WHIP
Jim Hoey - Las Vegas 51s - 4.60 ERA, 60.2 IP, 6.7 K/9, 6.2 BB/9, 1.67 WHIP
Rob Delaney - New Orleans Zephyrs - 2.29 ERA, 63 IP, 6.6 K/9, 1.21 WHIP
Yohan Pino - Las Vegas/New Hampshire - 4.77 ERA, 143.1 IP, 7.5 K/9, 3.7 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP
Chase Lambin - New Orleans Zephyrs - .253/.306/.402 (249 PA)
Bobby Korecky - Las Vegas 51s - 3.44 ERA, 86.1 IP, 4.9 K/9, 1.25 WHIP
Gil Velazquez - New Orleans Zephyrs - .312/.391/.384 (461 PA)
Boof Bonser - AZL Giants/Fresno Grizzlies - 4.35 ERA, 39.1 IP, 5.9 K/9, 1.45 WHIP
Randy Ruiz - Yokohama/Reno - .300/.359/.551 (270 PA)
Eric Hacker - Fresno Grizzlies - 4.01 ERA, 150.1 IP, 6.2 K/9, 1.28 WHIP

A big note on the PCL is that offensive numbers tend to be highly inflated, so don’t get too excited about the rejuvenation of Harris, who still couldn’t manage a shot with the awful Colorado Rockies this season. Both Bates and Peterson had relatively long Indy ball stints in the season as well, which aren’t figured into the numbers listed. So did Rincon, who hasn’t appeared in the bigs since 2010, and hasn’t been effective since ‘06 -- his second-to-last year with the Twins. With that WHIP, he may soon be headed to Mexico. Pino was the player dealt for Carl Pavano. Rowland-Smith was actually a Twins Rule-5 pick-up who didn’t even break camp with the club, and was returned. There are a ton of former relievers and arms from the Twins organization who are doing next to nothing, like Bonser, Hacker, and Hoey. Delaney’s whiff rates are tumbling the longer he stays in the minors. Ruiz is still a minor league masher, and the quintessential Quad-A tweener who can’t field or really hit big league pitching. Glad to see Korecky still toiling; saw him with the Winnipeg Goldeyes a few seasons ago and he’s worked his way back up the ladder.

Mexican League:

Dan Serafini - Monterrey/Aguascalientes/Bridgeport - 5.46 ERA, 128.2 IP, 5.7 K/9, 1.49 WHIP
Armando Gabino - Mexico/Laguna - 5.12 ERA, 31.2 IP, 5.7 K/9, 1.4 K/BB, 1.58 WHIP
Julio DePaula - Veracruz/Mexico/Bridgeport - 3.99 ERA, 70 IP, 8.2 K/9, 2.2 K/BB, 1.49 WHIP
Alex Romero - Quintana Roo - .349/.415/.499 (473 PA)
Frank Mata - Campeche/Tabasco - 4.46 ERA, 38.1 IP, 6.8 K/9, 1.20 WHIP
Hector Carrasco - Minatitlan/Puebla - 5.09 ERA, 40.2 IP, 7.3 K/9, 1.65 WHIP

High WHIPs seem to be the norm in the Mexican League based on my limited research. Serafini was a first-round pick for the Twins in 1996 and a former top-100 prospect via BA, but ended up only throwing 105.2 disappointing innings in Twinstripes as part of a career that spanned six teams and seven seasons. Carrasco is 42 and has been in pro ball since 1988. Mata briefly appeared in the majors in 2010 with Baltimore, and the same goes for DePaula with the Twins, Gabino with the Twins and Orioles, and Romero, whom actually played a considerable amount for the Diamondbacks in 2008 and ‘09.