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This concludes my 2013 blueprint. So far it has involved adding Edwin Jackson and Shaun Marcum as the two new additions to the team. It also would mean a return of Scott Baker on an incentive-laded deal, giving Anthony Slama a chance, and a wait-and-see approach with Kyle Gibson. In terms of position players, instead of worrying about who to trade, I have argued that having a good PH option for every game is actually a good idea, whether it be (by rotation) Parmelee, Morneau, Mauer, Doumit, Will
As Seth Stohs mentioned yesterday, while the rest of us at Twins Daily were all stark raving mad about Kyle Gibson’s performance in the Arizona Fall League, another Twins prospect was making noise even further south. Outfielder Aaron Hicks, who is playing winthttp://apps.startribune.com/blogs/fckeditor/editor/images/spacer.gifer ball in Venezuela, is off to a fast start this offseason, matching the expectation he set from his in-season performance at New Britain. Of course, not long ago, Hicks
As the Twins enter their second straight offseason following 90-plus-loss seasons, I find it really hard to write a "blueprint". There are many directions the club could go to improve their team. Without any real idea which (if any) of those "directions" are feasible, I'm going to break it down into a series that previews upcoming roster moves. So far this offseason - besides the news that a few coaches wouldn't be returning - the only news has been the re-signings of a handful of six-year f
After our weekly podcast, Aaron & I are going to try doing a short video that recaps the podcast and gets into other silliness. [video=youtube;O6ib6uwW63M]
Immediately following episode 63, Aaron evaluates the podcast & comments further on the state of the Twins farm system while John mocks him from behind the iPhone's blinding light. Make sure to tune in next week, when we brave the new frontier of landscape mode.
In a season with few positive notes for the Minnesota Twins, one had to be Scott Diamond's breakout. On April 6th, Diamond was barely an afterthought; he had been selected in the previous year's Rule V draft and stashed in AAA where he failed to impress anybody, pitching himself to a 4-14 record with a 5.56 ERA in 2011. By May 8th, Diamond had generated some buzz, starting 6 games and allowing just 12 runs in his third season in AAA. His first major league start was a resounding success as he pi
This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com. Yes, you read that right. If you live in Eastern Iowa or have been thinking about making a trip to Cedar Rapids to check out the home of the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Twins’ new Class A Midwest League affiliate, the Kernels are inviting you to watch a World Series game with them. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/KernelsParty.jpg Thursday, October 25, is the date and we’re all invited to Perfect Game Fi
I realize that Ryan relies on his generalize and cover-all-the bases type of response to all questions, like “there are a lot of starters we need to look at” or “we need to make sure we put the right people in the right place”, but I too would be interested in more specifics. The biggest question I have is about multi-year contracts for a starting pitcher. Given the reluctance to for a three of four-year contract in the past, does anything change with the Morneau contract going off the books i
I’m having trouble getting into the second round of the playoffs. I don’t really want either the Yankees or the Tigers to make the World Series, which means I can’t even root for the American League. The official team of The Voice Of Reason™ - the Phillies – is also out for the first time in years. But part of it is because I’m ready for the next act. The offseason. Oddly, I don’t think I’ve looked forward to an offseason this much in years. For starters, it’ll be nice to see what a Terry Ry
Just over a year removed from his Tommy John surgery, Twins pitching prospect Kyle Gibson has made two encouraging starts in Arizona, firing 92-to-95-mph bullets and keeping the game’s top prospects off-balanced with an 83-86-mph slider. That’s right: Hitting 95 miles per hour according to the Pitch F/X system in Arizona. Let’s take a look at why his AFL performance should give Twins fans hope. According to MLB.com, Gibson has been aware of the velocity increase and views it as a positive
Shane Mack was my little brother's favorite player. It was perfect because Kirby Puckett was my favorite and Mack was almost like the little brother to Puckett. Well, maybe that isn't perfection, but it is poetic if nothing else. Regardless, in most cases, there comes a time when the little brother "catches up" to the big brother. They start to be more competitive in head to head sporting events, they get taller/bigger and they get more confidence. Often, you can tell who grew up with big
[Originally posted at VeryWellThen.Com] Harper’s magazine begins each issue with a list of number-oriented factoids called Harper’s Index. Below is VeryWellThen.Com’s third annual series of number-oriented factoids about the Twins baseball season. Here on the Twin-ternet, such a list has to be called “Brian Harper’s Index.” The single-season homerun record for Target Field (set by Josh Willingham in 2012): 21 Number of Twins wins at Target Field: 31 Twins team rank in Major Leagu
This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com. This is what happens when the offseason rolls around and I really have no rooting interest among the four remaining MLB teams in the respective League Championship Series. I write 2000 words about something that will never, ever happen. At least that’s what happened to me Sunday. But it’s not my fault. I’m blaming my fellow Knuckleballs blogger, Eric, and this Sunday morning Tweet: @ERolfPleiss Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says
Episode 8 of the Twins baseball podcast, Talk To Contact, is now available for download via iTunes or by clicking here. (This post originally appeared at www.puckettspond.com) http://puckettspond.com/files/2012/10/pumpkin-beer.jpgI love beer, and baseball, and pumpkins. In Episode 8 Eric and I discuss the Twins prospects in the Arizona Fall League, 2013 Payroll commitments, Justin Morneau and possible infield arrangements for the Twins in 2013. We take a closer look at Aaron Hicks, make our
The Saints were down 5-1 in the 7th inning. Culpepper hit a 3-run HR (his 8th HR of the season). In the 9th inning, down one run with 2 outs and 2 strikes, KC singled in the game-tying run.
I am not a follower of Donald Trump. I have participated in several no kings rallies and am disgusted with what he and his followers have done to our country and the world. I would like to know what most Brazilians feel about the United States now and about the folks our citizens have elected to represent us.