The Final Pieces

It would truly be folly if, as has been rumored, the Twins end up keeping four catchers on their roster (two real catchers, and two imposters) and cutting Michael Restovich loose. I still have a hard time believing that’s going to happen.

It’s all a result of a bizarre set of circumstances, of course, what with the Twins having a surplus at several positions and a dearth of satisfying alternatives at a couple others. I know they feel they need a safety cushion in case Joe Mauer’s knee flares up, but four catchers is both more and in this case less than a safety cushion, when two of those guys (Matthew LeCroy and Corky Miller) would be nothing but last resorts. Miller has done absolutely nothing other than presumably being able to crouch and don the catcher’s gear to deserve a spot on the major league roster, and I don’t see how he’s any kind of an upgrade from last year’s desperate measure, Rob Bowen. If Mauer’s knee truly becomes a concern they’re going to have to do something to address the problem sooner rather than later, and certainly none of the available candidates allows them to do that or (other than LeCroy) is even likely to be here next season.

I think Mauer’s knee will be fine, by the way. I talked to him about it last year on a number of occasions, and I sense this is a case of a 21-year-old kid who’s never had an injury of any sort getting used to the idea that his knee doesn’t feel quite the way it once did. As anyone who’s had knee surgery could tell you –and Mauer’s surgery was a relatively minor procedure, particularly when compared to Jason Kubel’s reconstruction– there are always going to be flare-ups of pain and discomfort, and there may well be additional glitches down the road. But for the time being, at least, it seems to me that the whole idea of being vulnerable is just something he needs to get his head around.

The real problem for Restovich is the insecurity involving the guy at second base, Luis Rivas, who has continued his maddening trend of answering questions with more questions. I don’t know anymore. I’ve tried to be positive about Rivas, and have pointed out his age as a potential cause for optimism. After the spring he’s had that just doesn’t cut it anymore, and how much worse off would the team be with Nick Punto at second? It now seems certain that they’re going to keep the switch-hitting Terry Tiffee as a bat off the bench, but let’s not forget that there’s still always the option of moving Michael Cuddyer over to second –at least from time to time– and starting Tiffee at the corner.

I wonder if the Twins have ever seriously considered cutting Rivas loose? It would certainly make things a lot easier for the time being, and would allow them to keep Restovich, a guy who they’ve invested a great deal of time and money in and who’s never really gotten a shot to show what he can do at the Major League level. Toss in that he’s a Rochester kid, was regarded as a prospect as recently as a couple seasons ago, and has power potential and I can’t for the life of me understand why they’d let him go to free up a spot for someone like Corky Miller. It makes absolutely no sense to me.