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Minor League reliever Jake Reed has formally requested that the Minnesota Twins reassign him to the Jake Cave. The Twins have a gaggle of 40-man roster relievers, so Reed believes this is best opportunity to break onto the Twins’ roster.
Reed has spent the last three years at the highest levels of the minor leagues, and has been a non-roster invitee to spring training for four straight seasons. Reed was quoted as saying “I don’t know what I have left to prove to the organization, so I need to try something different at this point. After what they did for Jake Cave last season, its something I’d like to try.”
Cave, who the Twins infamously optioned to the Jake Cave last year at the end of Spring Training, was recalled by the Twins in May to help cover for Byron Buxton’s injury, and hit .269/.316/.481 as a rookie, with thirteen homeruns. Cave credited his time at the little-known Tennessee retreat for his success, “In the long tradition of successful Jakes, I am proud of the time I spent in the Jake Cave, and the lessons I learned there have absolutely carried me forward in my success as a baseball player.”
The team is still debating Reed’s request, with Twins GM Thad Levine “still considering Reed’s request." Levine elaborated "After the success of Cave’s time there, we do believe that the Jake Cave is an absolutely beneficial resource for our players, but we received several complaints from the team about the Ska music. In fact, that was one of the biggest reasons Lance Lynn never fit in—he just didn’t get the music in the locker room. We need to carefully balance the team chemistry, and therefore must carefully consider this assignment.”
Perhaps some time in the Jake Cave is exactly what Reed needs, in order to no longer be the second most famous Jake Reed in Minnesota sports, or to even make an impact with the big league club.