Minnesota Twins activate Aaron Hicks, make multiple other roster moves
By Aaron Somers
Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
As expected, the Minnesota Twins made a handful of roster moves early Friday afternoon in an effort to restore the balance to their active roster. Aaron Hicks has been activated from the seven day concussion DL and the team purchased the contract of outfielder Chris Parmelee from Triple-A Rochester. The team already had openings on their 25-man roster after optioning Pedro Florimon and Chris Herrmann following Thursday’s game, but needed to create an opening on their 40-man for Parmalee which resulted in outfielder Kenny Wilson being designated for assignment.
Hicks gives the team a legitimate center fielder again, but he has done little at the plate on the season. In 89 plate appearances before his concussion he’d managed to bat just .178/.315/.260. The light hitting outfielder has yet to produce much at the plate in the Major Leagues, but adds some certain value to the team from a defensive standpoint. The Twins have been getting by for the past week in center field with a handful of players, most recently including shortstop Eduardo Escobar, and the spacious outfielder at Target Field will be better covered with him back in the lineup on a regular basis. There had been some speculation that the team could send him on a brief rehab assignment before activating him, but those rumblings proved to be false.
Parmalee had been outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster during spring training, but has been swinging a hot bat in the minor leagues. The 26 year old had been hitting .305/.378/.542 on the year, with 7 HR and 7 2B through the season’s first 35 games. He continues to hit minor league pitching well, though that success has yet to translate at the Major League level. Parmalee is a career .246/.322/.395 hitter in 631 plate appearances over the past three seasons, but has shown some brief glimpses of power despite the inconsistencies. While he’s primarily been playing right field on the year, he does give the team an added option at first base while Joe Mauer recovers from back spasms.
The decision to DFA Wilson comes at little surprise. The outfielder had been claimed on waivers earlier in the season by the Twins, but fails to offer much at the plate and didn’t seem to figure into the organization’s immediate plans at the Major League level. In 118 plate appearances between the Twins and Toronto Blue Jays Double-A affiliates he’s batted just .204/.276/.291 – numbers just a tick below his career averages. Known primarily for his defense, Wilson has been unable to manage much at the plate throughout his minor league career. He’s in his seventh professional season and has yet to appear above Double-A. The former 2nd Round draft pick could end up remaining with the Twins organization if he passes through waivers unclaimed.