For three weeks, Minnesota Twins fans in Fort Myers, Fla., got a good look at the future of the club.
But that run — at least for the time being — has come to an end.
The Twins assigned many of their top prospects to minor league camp this week, including third baseman Miguel Sano, center fielder Byron Buxton and pitchers Jose Berrios and Alex Meyer.
Berrios made perhaps the biggest impression on general manager Terry Ryan, pitching six shutout innings over two games, allowing seven hits and walking nine.
“There’s no question he performed and did everything you ever wanted him to do,” Ryan told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “It’s time for him to get on down in the system here. He did a nice job.”
Berrios will report to Double-A Chattanooga with Buxton, who was 1 for 8 with two walks and three strikeouts in Grapefruit League play.
For Buxton, Ryan said it was simply a matter of playing time. After he missed almost all of last season with wrist, head and finger injuries, the Twins wanted Buxton to see regular at-bats and get off to a good start this season. With an active competition between Aaron Hicks, Jordan Schafer and Eddie Rosario for the starting center field spot, at-bats would have been few and far between for Buxton the rest of the way.
“He needs to do down and get some playing time,” Ryan said. “I think everybody’s aware; he got some time here but we need to get him going. He’ll need regular playing time, four at-bats a day, center field every day.”
Sano hit two long home runs but went just 2 for 10. With Trevor Plouffe locked into the third-base job and Kennys Vargas penciled in as the designated hitter, Sano is another player who needed at-bats.
Meyer entered camp with the opportunity to win the No. 5 starter job, but he was unable to beat out veterans Tommy Milone and Mike Pelfrey. The flame-throwing righty allowed just one earned run but walked seven over 5 2/3 innings. The Twins could have had Meyer work out of the bullpen, but they see him as a future starter.
“He’s behind quite a few guys. We want to make sure we get him consistent work,” Ryan told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “Hopefully he can get it settled down. It’s obvious he can strike people out. Now it’s a matter of not getting in so much trouble.”
None of the remaining three were expected to make the big-league club out of spring training, but it’s likely all four could debut in Minneapolis this summer.
