Arcia will get 3 days to hit. Photo courtesy of Priddy.
A regular feature on Crackerjacks is our Call Up Report where we look at a rookie and his fantasy baseball impact. The practical fantasy impact of most of these rookies is slim to none, considering that they are just getting their feet wet in the Majors and aren’t close to their full potential.
So our Call Up Report of one half scouting with the other half being like speed dating to get to know the players that will be on your fantasy team of the future. Well, slim impact certainly fits in this instance because the Minnesota Twins went and did something odd today:
#MNTwins recall Oswaldo Arcia from the @RocRedWings to take the roster spot of Wilkin Ramirez who is on paternity leave.
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 15, 2013
The 21-year-old Oswaldo Arcia getting his first Major League action is odd because it’s clear it will be for just a couple days until Wilkin Ramirez is back from paternity leave. It’s not odd in any sense that Arcia feels rushed. His bat is absolutely Major League ready (more so than Aaron Hicks).
But he’ll get a quick taste of The Show, then drop back to Triple A for a little more seasoning, only to compete for a starting corner outfield gig next season (unless the Twins flip Josh Willingham at this season’s trade deadline, freeing up a spot for Arcia this year).
So let’s look at his game. Signed out of Venezuela, Arcia has hit at every step. Although he Ks a little too often and doesn’t walk often enough, he’s flat-out hit at every level, nearly winning the Triple Crown in the Appy League.
There is power in his bat, although he is a lefty and his power will be sapped somewhat by Target Field. The good news is that he sprays the ball to all fields and is great at finding a gap to hit the ball into. He’ll be good for 20+ homers in his prime, plus his strong contact ability could have him as a .300+ hitter as well.
Long term he’s not a cleanup hitter, but he could possibly hit out of the 3 spot, or certainly #5 or 6. Any of these would play nicely for his RBI and Run totals. His speed is average only but it will stretch to some doubles, plus add a handful of steals for fantasy purposes.
A fair comp could be former Twin Jason Kubel, Cody Ross or Nick Swisher, although Arcia’s bat control should see him hit for a higher average than all those guys.
While I like this move for the Twins (Mix it up you old fogies!), it does nothing for your fantasy baseball team right now. By the time you’d get him in your roster, he’ll be heading back to Triple A. But keep an eye on him, two if you can spare them. He’s long gone in our Dynasty League, but you might be able to stash him in yours if the other owners were napping.