The Twins announced Friday morning that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Kyle Garlick from Triple-A St. Paul and designated right-hander Dereck Rodriguez for assignment in a corresponding move.
Garlick, 30, opened the 2021 season as a fourth outfielder with the Twins and posted a .232/.280/.466 batting line in 107 trips to the plate. Primarily deployed against southpaws, he turned in a much more robust .271/.302/.576 batting line in 59 trips to the plate in such situations. Garlick landed on the 10-day injured list a couple of times — the first for a positive Covid test and the second for a sports hernia that eventually required surgery and ended his season. Minnesota passed him through waivers after the season, but Garlick will now return and presumably occupy a similar part-time role, perhaps splitting time with Trevor Larnach in left field while Alex Kirilloff is on the shelf with continued wrist troubles.
It proved to be a short stay with the big league club for Rodriguez, the son of Hall of Fame catcher and a former Twins prospect who made his way back to the organization by way of a minor league deal this offseason. Rodriguez tossed four innings of long relief against the Dodgers earlier this week, tossing three scoreless frames before being tagged for back-to-back-to-back home runs off the bats of Cody Bellinger, Gavin Lux and Austin Barnes. He finished that lone appearance as a Twin with three runs through four innings pitched.
Now 29 years old, Rodriguez was a sixth-round pick by Minnesota back in 2011 but didn’t make his MLB debut until 2018, after he’d signed with the Giants as a minor league free agent. He turned in a stellar rookie campaign, logging 118 1/3 innings of 2.81 ERA ball, but Rodriguez has just a 5.97 ERA in 107 big league innings since that time.
Rodriguez averaged 92 mph on his heater in that one-off appearance this year. He’s generally posted below-average strikeout and ground-ball rates but been better than average when it comes to limiting free passes. He’s also optionable for the remainder of the 2022 season, which could enhance his appeal to another club in need of some upper-level pitching depth. The Twins will have a week to trade Rodriguez, pass him through outright waivers or release him.
Let’s see how long it takes…
Baby Pudge up long enough to dish out some BP (4IP – 3BBs & 3dingers)…
I was at that game. After some shakiness (1 strike in his first 12 pitches), he cruised along. He shouldn’t have been sent out there for a fourth inning of work. Doomed to fail. I think he was going to be sent down regardless if he pitched three scoreless versus his final pitching line
Rodriguez must have been a vampire
Beat me to it
Hahaha first, lol
Bummed Dereck got DFA’d, love Garlick though, mostly because of his name, I hope he breaks out
Poor roster management by the FO of the Twins = Garlick S/H been on the initial 28 roster.
Poor pitcher utilization by Baldelli, Rodriguez S/H/B puled after 3 innings and one trip through the Dodgers lineup.
Why waste your time with the stupid “abbreviations” lmao just say “should have” or “should have been”.
Less space taken for me, less words for you to read when you take pot-shots at my posts.
Sorry man, just seemed too unnecessary haha.
There was talk that they thought they were in line for Upton. So at that point, if you don’t bring Garlick on the 40 man you don’t have to take him off if you pick up Upton and you can keep him in the organization. Celestino was on the 40 man. Also, Garlick didn’t make any case based on his spring.
Too bad they don’t play in San Francisco this year. Would love to see this kid knock one into McCovey Clove.
Which kid? The pitcher who doesn’t hit? Or the random 5th outfielder?
Slimmy, cmon. I liked your comment regarding Jackssons use of abbreviations but how could you miss the reference to McCovey CLOVE by Put it in the Books.Garlick?? Clove? Hey Slimmy, maybe the Spice Girls could sing the National Anthem.
Haha my bad bro. I’m only 29 I missed the reference.
I’d assume you have to be over 40 to appreciate a pun like that haha.
Not sure 30 yr old players should be called kids ⚾️
Ummm you know it McCovey Cove, right?
He could host a team dinner at The Stinking Rose, too.
Put in the Book, isn’t it amazing the number of posters that have no clue regarding your play on words. I’m glad you and I have our humor in cumin.
Another example of the inadequacy and ineptitude of having ONLY a 40 man roster in today’s game. Should be at least 45. Way too many of these DFA transactions. If a player is worthy of a position on a teams 26 (28) man roster one day, how is it that the next day he can be “thrown away” by DFA so that he is not only off the 26 (28) man roster but also be outrighted/released from the 40 man roster? Let’s update this antiquated, arbitrary roster limit to a figure that is more realistic for today’s modern game of baseball.
Gee… wouldn’t it be fun if we had a thousand man roster?
There is reason for the rules we have…..
What’s the reason?
Please. Most viewers of this site think that a 40-man roster descended from Sinai on stone tablets.
OF course the 40 man should be changed; the NFL/NHL/NBA change their roster specs more than I change my drawers (only kidding). 40-mans are an antiquated system; so are split contracts, service time based on whatever the team determines, etc. etc. If the MLBPA was alive, they could have changed all this.
Ah well, they DID get an extra jar of mustard for the post-game buffet; they saved the negotiations about the mayonnaise until 2028.
You guys understand that the MLBPA is the ones against expanding 40 man rosters, right? Having a larger roster would mean more players could just be kept in the minors instead of getting a chance with another team to possibly get to the big leagues. The owners would love a larger rosters to just keep cheap players stashed in the minors.
this
Is it not better for AAAA, AAA, AA players to have some degree of organizational security, coaching consistency, family stability as opposed to either being bounced from organization to organization to organization, being in DFA limbo or being out of a job? The MLBPA needs to realize this.
They also need to shoulder some of the blame for the player injuries thus far in the season, as a result of the shortened spring training due to the extended contract negotiations.
Exactly. The problem is clearly not them getting opportunities in the majors, it is them not getting more than one. With a 45 man roster, teams would be able to shuttle players back and forth from the minors so they can get service time, meal money, and opportunity. But if they get DFA’d every time, they will likely be outrighted OR sign with another team on a minor league deal. Either way, they lose out.
the solution has been and always will be letting all 40 man players earn service time. why the PA has never proposed that is baffling to me. that also allows guys who may need more Minors seasoning but are down their three options less fear of accepting an option down thereafter.
Exactly. As soon as you’re on the 40, you’re an MLB-er, with all the benefits that accrue. No more split contracts, no more fooling with service time. THAT would have forced teams to promote their better talent, never mind this nonsense of having Ken Rosenthall decide on who participates in some silly pool.
It would make for much more intriguing roster decisions than you have now.
I hear Matt Salt, Danny Pepper, & Sal Oregano we’re coming up soon too. They’re a tasty bunch …
UNC Greensboro has a senior reliever named Austin Parsley. One can dream…
Can’t believe Rodriguez had his own bobble head one year in SF.
#ForeverGiant