Stacey King -> RE: Players and prospects III (12/29/2014 9:58:21 AM)
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Maturity Helps Rosario Rebound In ’14 December 16, 2014 by Phil Miller MINNEAPOLIS—Eddie Rosario changed his number for the Arizona Fall League this season, wearing 16 instead of 2. Which prompts a question: How sure are we that it’s the same guy? “That’s a good question,” said Mike Radcliff, the Twins’ vice president for player personnel. “If you talked to him last October and this year, you’d swear you’re talking to two different individuals. He’s calmer. He’s more mature. He’s a better teammate. He’s got his confidence back.” And he’s starting to look like the middle-of-the-lineup weapon the Twins have expected him to become since drafting him as an 18-year-old out of Puerto Rico in 2010. Rosario batted .330/.345/.410 in the AFL, then went 4-for-5 in the championship game to carry Salt River to the title. He did one more thing, too: “He put himself back in our plans,” Radcliff said, “front and center,” making his addition to the Twins’ 40-man roster in November an easy call. That’s a big change from last fall, when “he basically wasted everyone’s time” at the AFL,” Radcliff said. Rosario appeared lackadaisical about learning to play left field, and overwhelmed at the plate. He batted .238/.262/.275 in 20 games, swung at way too many bad pitches, and worst of all—though the Twins didn’t know it at the time—failed a drug test. That positive test (for marijuana, he admitted later) cost Rosario a 50-game suspension, ruined his 2014 season, and hurt his relationship with the Twins and his teammates. He batted just .237/.277/.396 at Double-A New Britain and didn’t look like the same player. “It wasn’t the easiest thing for a young guy to handle,” Radcliff said. “He had to earn his way back with a lot of people, including his teammates, and it got into his head. But kids make mistakes. He dealt with it and he’s bouncing back.” It’s possible he might bounce all the way to the major leagues next season. The Twins have a vacancy in left field, and they remain intrigued by Rosario’s lefthanded bat. “This guy can hit,” Radcliff said. Not just hit, but have a real impact, even against lefties—it’s just a great swing. He’s got a little swagger. He knows he can hit anybody. That’s how he used to walk up to the plate, but he lost that for awhile. Now it’s back.” TWIN KILLINGS • Catcher Alex Real, the Twins’ 24th-round pick in 2014, has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for an illegal stimulant. Real batted .284/.323/.375 at Rookie-level Elizabethton last season. • Center fielder Eric Farris, who batted .280/.316/.356 in 133 games for Triple-A Rochester, signed another a minor league contract with an invitation to major league camp.
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