#-1: Twins (Last Week: -1). The big news is that Miguel Sano, who was an All-Star last year, was busted down to the minors last week. And he wasn't just sent down to AAA Rochester, or even AA Chattanooga. Nope, Sano was sent all the way down to A Fort Myers.
On first look this looks like an embarrassing, if not humiliating, happening for Sano, still considered to be the best long-ball threat for the Twinks. I mean, everybody goes down to AAA at some point, but no one goes down to AA ... and Sano was shoved down one further level than that? But then you realize that the organization holds Spring Training in Ft. Myers and has its complex there. In that sense, that makes more sense. And that gets to what Manager Paul Molitor was getting at when he tried to explain the move. There were mechanics and other things Sano has to tweak, Molitor said, which probably means the franchise believes there are structural issues and conditioning routines they believe Sano must adhere to, and the best way to monitor that -- and thus to make Sano the superstar the Twins think he can be -- they need to look at him closely. And that means Fort Myers.
For his part, Sano is saying all the right things. That's good, because if he didn't, or if he shows in deed instead of word that he feels emasculated by this, then boy howdy, this career is lost for good. And we don't even know if this new regimen is going to take. This is all on Sano.
Meanwhile, the major league club remains choppy; losing a series on the road to Detroit and then winning a series on the road to Cleveland equals a 3-3 screening week. And that keeps them behind both squads -- five behind Cleveland, 2 1/2 behind Detroit. Still waiting (wondering?) for this team to kick in. But at least they'll be at home this screening week, for three vs. Boston starting Tuesday, then three versus Texas over the weekend.
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