The Front Office and Settling For Mediocrity

[jimmer]

These aren't aggressive moves.  It's nice that Ryan won the bid for Park, sure, but he hasn't been signed yet. Trading Hermann and trading for Murphy are hardly aggressive moves.  Quantity of moves doesn't equate to aggressiveness. He's been the busiest it seems, though.

[Hrbowski]

Lot's of people who seem to think they would make a better GM than Ryan, although I am not talking about DaveW (for once). I think that JR Murphy will be better than AJ etc. and probably every other free agent except Matt Weiters, who's catching status is up in the air. I know that a lot of people on here were supporting Arcia for Zunino, Arcia for Bethancourt etc, but I believe that Murphy, who should be an average catcher and better than Zunino and Bethancourt, and Hicks, who is probably better than Arcia, were a fair one-for-one type deal.

[SF Twins Fan]

 

Cueto pitched one of the bet games this entire postseason FYI

Yea and two of his other three starts in the playoffs he pitched 6 innings with 4 earned runs and 2 innings with 8 earned runs.  Not exactly front line material...

[DaveW]

Yea and two of his other three starts in the playoffs he pitched 6 innings with 4 earned runs and 2 innings with 8 earned runs. Not exactly front line material...

Cueto is an ace, he has the 2nd lowest ERA in the MLB the last four years. He absolutely is front line material and he absolutely came up big when the royals needed him most

[DaveW]

Lot's of people who seem to think they would make a better GM than Ryan, although I am not talking about DaveW (for once). I think that JR Murphy will be better than AJ etc. and probably every other free agent except Matt Weiters, who's catching status is up in the air. I know that a lot of people on here were supporting Arcia for Zunino, Arcia for Bethancourt etc, but I believe that Murphy, who should be an average catcher and better than Zunino and Bethancourt, and Hicks, who is probably better than Arcia, were a fair one-for-one type deal.

Fwiw I'd be willing to wager a healthy amount that AJ outhits Murph dog by at least .25 ops points

[Squirrel]

 

When you win one playoff series in 17 seasons one deserves a tiny bit of criticism

A tiny bit?

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/20699-is-this-ryans-swan-song/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/20414-expectations-for-terry-ryan-moving-forward/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/20013-ryans-bullpen/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/19761-terry-ryan-is-it-time-for-him-to-step-down-is-he-to-blame/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/19684-should-terry-ryans-job-be-this-secure/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/19666-terry-ryan-and-the-pathetic-pickups-game/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/18850-dear-mr-ryan/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/18604-when-does-terry-ryan-do-something-about-this-offense/?hl=ryan

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/17706-does-terry-ryan-have-what-it-takes-to-lead-the-twins-in-2015/?hl=ryan

 

And that's just in the last 6-7 months, and are only the threads with his name in the title. Believe me ... I am frustrated, too. And I have made my thoughts clear on this subject many times over the past 2-3 years as being time for him to move on, but Dave, you are the master of overkill and over exaggeration. So I repeat ... a tiny bit?

[Blackjack]

 

Looks like someone started hitting the sauce early today!!!

[gunnarthor]

 

When you win one playoff series in 17 seasons one deserves a tiny bit of criticism

Same rate as Billy Beane, actually.

 

 

[Rosterman]

Rosario, Buxton,Arcia/Kepler/Walker in the oufield. Lookslike Hicks would've been the 4th guy as soonas mid2016. Have to find a place for Plouffe/Sano...the Twins suddenly have a crowded outfield.

 

Hicks enters arbitration after 2016. Is he worth it. Are you thinking longterm at this point? He rebound, for a brief period, this past season. But the numbers are playing against him.

 

He has worth. The Twins need a catcher. Maybe league average is asking too little, but better than we have, better than some teams have, better than we have in the system.

 

Traded supposed strength for a weakness. You can't totally knock it.

 

 

[Homer Hanky]

still plenty of time to trade plooooooof and susuki for luuuuuuuuuucroy! 

 

 

[Thrylos]

 

When you win one playoff series in 17 seasons one deserves a tiny bit of criticism

 

I was going to "like" this, but there are no playoffs in baseball.  Post season

 

[Thrylos]

 

still plenty of time to trade plooooooof and susuki for luuuuuuuuuucroy! 

 

Throw in Duensing as well

[twinsnorth49]

 

When you win one playoff series in 17 seasons one deserves a tiny bit of criticism

Agreed, if only it was a tiny bit though, or even a bit, or even quite a bit would be reasonable. We left all those behind ages ago.

 

Carry on.

[SF Twins Fan]

 

Cueto is an ace, he has the 2nd lowest ERA in the MLB the last four years. He absolutely is front line material and he absolutely came up big when the royals needed him most

He's an "ace" in the NL not the AL. They're completely different. He pitched terribly once he wasn't able to pitch to a pitcher 2 or 3 times a game.

[nicksaviking]

Fwiw I'd be willing to wager a healthy amount that AJ outhits Murph dog by at least .25 ops points

I'll trade a measly .25 OPS for six years of team control every time.

 

Besides, if that's the stratification we are using to measure catchers, it just goes to show how blasé the position is these days.

 

I don't think much of Murphy, yet his ceiling can't possibly be lower than what every catcher did last year aside from Posey. Catchers just aren't that good these days. 29 teams have boring catchers, let's concentrate on something else instead of dwelling on something that can't be fixed.

[DaveW]

Same rate as Billy Beane, actually.

Billy Beane isn't a GM anymore!

[DaveW]

I'll trade a measly .25 OPS for six years of team control every time.

 

Besides, if that's the stratification we are using to measure catchers, it just goes to show how blasé the position is these days.

 

I don't think much of Murphy, yet his ceiling can't possibly be lower than what every catcher did last year aside from Posey. Catchers just aren't that good these days. 29 teams have boring catchers, let's concentrate on something else instead of dwelling on something that can't be fixed.

29 teams have boring catchers?

 

Lol. No. Just. No.

 

KC

Toronto

Mets

For starters

[DaveW]

He's an "ace" in the NL not the AL. They're completely different. He pitched terribly once he wasn't able to pitch to a pitcher 2 or 3 times a game.

Give me a break, if you truly believe that he isn't an "ace" because of a SSS there is no need to further discuss this issue with you.

[DaveW]

Agreed, if only it was a tiny bit though, or even a bit, or even quite a bit would be reasonable. We left all those behind ages ago.

 

Carry on.

I raise a legitimate question/thought in this thread, when has TR ever tried to sign or trace for an actual "star" or someone with "star potential"?

[Homer Hanky]

Anyone know about this... minor league signing... from the TRIB???

 

"Twins sign former Giants lefty to minor-league contract

Dan Runzler is a candidate for the bullpen; team also re-signs two veterans for Class AAA Rochester."

[nicksaviking]

29 teams have boring catchers?

Lol. No. Just. No.

KC

Toronto

Mets

For starters

If you want to say 26 teams don't have boring catchers, fine, it's pretty subjective, but Salvador Perez is not that good offensively.

 

If you have to add the caveat "for a catcher" to describe a guy, I'd say he's closer to boring than a super star. As in, he's a pretty good hitter... for a catcher.

[Thrylos]

 

Anyone know about this... minor league signing... from the TRIB???

 

"Twins sign former Giants lefty to minor-league contract

Dan Runzler is a candidate for the bullpen; team also re-signs two veterans for Class AAA Rochester."

 

Yes.  Runzler might be the next Twins LOOGY.  Cought in the numbers game in the Champion Giants' teams, then shoulder issues that may or may not been fixed.  95-97 mph FB, 85-87 mph slider in his prime.  30some.  Good signing.

[1490]

 

I raise a legitimate question/thought in this thread, when has TR ever tried to sign or trace for an actual "star" or someone with "star potential"?

 

No one knows.

[Vanimal46]

Cueto isn't a front line starter? Only 1 C to get excited about in the entire MLB?

 

Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith have multiple accounts on TD? I don't know what is reality anymore.

[sane]

Fwiw I'd be willing to wager a healthy amount that AJ outhits Murph dog by at least .25 ops points

and I'll bet that AJ throws out Bartolo Colon stealing for his only CS this season.

[spinowner]

 

 Dave, you are the master of overkill and over exaggeration.

This is minimization and understatement.

[DaveW]

This is minimization and understatement.

hey if you think that one post season series win in 17 years is success, then more power to you. I'm just stating the facts, I have nothing against TR, I just don't think he is very good at his job any more and should take the President role (I do think St. Peter should have been fired ever since his cancer kid/Cordova commercial)

[twinsnorth49]

 

I raise a legitimate question/thought in this thread, when has TR ever tried to sign or trace for an actual "star" or someone with "star potential"?

 

Again, that's all I'm saying. This isn't the 1st or 50th this has been discussed, don't expect points for originality

[bird]

DaveW, your love affair with Hicks is pretty much the epitome of settling for mediocrity. He must play baseball The Dave's Way.    

 

In one move, the offensive lineup improves at two positions (Buxton will immediately be more productive than Hicks in my opinion, and Murphy will play against most RH starting pitchers in place of Suzuki). I see quality moves so far that improve the team offensively at three spots in the lineup.

 

Before bashing Ryan for not landing Lucroy, or Wieters, or Norris, tell us what the price would have been. The moves Ryan has made have been 100% additive. How is that a sign of mediocrity?

[DaveW]

 

If you want to say 26 teams don't have boring catchers, fine, it's pretty subjective, but Salvador Perez is not that good offensively.

If you have to add the caveat "for a catcher" to describe a guy, I'd say he's closer to boring than a super star. As in, he's a pretty good hitter... for a catcher.

Dude you were just so far off base. Those were 4 off the top of my head, here are some more catchers who certainly aren't "boring"

 

Cervilli

Lucroy

Vogt

Grandal

Montero
Hundley

Castillo

Molina

 

 

That's not even including the Norris' of the world etc.