The 2015 Twins

[chopper0080]

Many years ago I found out that I was going to be a father.  It wasn't planned, but I went out and tried to gather information to prepare myself for the responsibility.  I thought I was prepared.  I wasn't.  However, I used the information I had, found some things that worked, and learned that other things didn't.  A couple years later, my second child arrived.  It was still a challenge, but I took my previous experience and used it to become a better parent in those early years.

 

I haven't been on this board for months, mainly because my time is valuable and the Twins haven't deserved my time with the garbage they have trotted out on the field the past few years.  The Twins have refused to acknowledge that they have a problem, and that has been proven by being unwilling to ask questions and look for answers, which is how problems are solved.  Some people on this board said they saw progress after the 2014 season, I disagreed because the Twins didn't get any answers.  They do not know how their top prospects fit in the Major Leagues which is a problem if the team is serious about becoming a winning team.

 

Some people point to Aaron Hicks and use that as an example of why it is best to proceed with caution regarding prospects because he has failed to date.  I look to that as proof in why you need to bring your prospects up to see how they respond to the pros.  As much as we all want Aaron Hicks to be succesful because of his high draft status, sometimes it doesn't work out that way.  Just like I wanted to be a good parent, there were too many variables for me to know how I would do until I had to.  Hicks has showed the Twins that he is a flawed player, may never live up to his draft status, and that is ok.  Now the Twins know that if a better outfielder becomes available, they need to go after him because they don't know if Hicks will every deliver at the ML level.  That is how a farm system should work.  Don't fear failure, just search for answers.

 

This Spring, the Twins have failed again.  Buxton, Sano, Berrios, May, Meyer, Rosario, and Hicks  all have shown flashes of ability, but we have very little information on how any of them will do at the ML level other than Hicks.  So why not move those players who are furthest along to spend April with the Twins.  Maybe they do well and stick.  Maybe they do poorly, and move down to work on where they struggled in the bigs.  Either way, it is a great measuring stick for both the team and the player to see where they are in the process.  Instead, the Twins will trot out AAAA players who have no future with the team, whose equivelant will always be available, and will ensure the Twins have zero shot at a winning season in 2015 and possibly 2016.  It is very possible that I am being over dramatic, and that those individuals who are paid handsomely know what they are doing better than I do.  However, every year that seems less and less the truth, and appears the Twins fail to recognize that in order to progress, you have to move forward.  Hopefully, I am wrong, and maybe this trade deadline we will finally be talking about something different rather than repeating the debates of 2014, 2013, & 2012.  We will see.