Article: The Scope of a Rebuild

[snepp]

I won't argue with ranks but I have to think the performance was greatly impacted by how historically bad the rotation was. There is some talent at the back end and if the starters can get a couple more outs a start that will limit some of the exposure of the guys in the middle and long relievers. This should lead to better performance overall.

 

This is true, the Twins were right there with the Royals for the 2nd most innings thrown out of the bullpen. Being less reliant on the pen certainly couldn't hurt.

[mnfanforlife]

Coming out of the bullpen minimizes his exposure to righties, and can maximize his strength. He hasn't simply been "fine" vs lefties, he has owned them to the tune of a .560 OPS against.

 

He turns lefties into Jeff Mathis.

 

Well, No. Last year his OPS vs left-handed hitters was .699. I understand he can get lefties out, but he needs to get righties out too, and he has NEVER really been able to do that consistently. He is half a pitcher, or one third of a pitcher if all you can do is pitch him vs. lefties.

 

30% of MLB hitters are left-handed. 60% right, 10% switch (approximately). So he really doesn't have a job in 2014 if he can't get righties out.

 

I would stick with my word of "fine" because a lefty specialist isn't a high innings guy. He impacts our staff very little if he plays that role, since we won't be leading many games late....Duensing has A LOT to prove. I wouldn't say he dominated anything last year. And what has he done for us lately? 5.00+ ERA, that's what.

[TheLeviathan]

This offseason sure makes it hard to be confident about having a low expected future payroll. It just seems bound to be wasted.

[mnfanforlife]

This offseason sure makes it hard to be confident about having a low expected future payroll. It just seems bound to be wasted.

 

Wasted how? And I am excited to see some of these young talents that will be making the league minimum (and probably producing at a higher rate)

[mnfanforlife]

Sidenote: snepp, I made you a video here:

[snepp]

Sidenote: snepp, I made you a video here:

 

Yikes, I haven't driven "the loop" in probably 15 years.

[TheLeviathan]

Wasted how? And I am excited to see some of these young talents that will be making the league minimum (and probably producing at a higher rate)

 

Wasted by being pocketed. Nick implies it is a good thing for the club to have that much potential availability in the payroll, which normally would be very true. However, after this offseason, I'm hardly willing to count that as a positive.

[darin617]

Check out the two trades I proposed here. I suggested they bring pitching back in trade...

 

What proposed trades are you talking about? Morneau and Willingham for what?

[mnfanforlife]

What proposed trades are you talking about? Morneau and Willingham for what?

 

That needs to be very open-ended because Morneau and Willingham do not have static value. They will either be more or less valuable when/if they are dealt than they are now. So "pitching" is the objective, but a solid minor league shortstop would be awesome in trade for M & W

[mnfanforlife]

Wasted by being pocketed. Nick implies it is a good thing for the club to have that much potential availability in the payroll, which normally would be very true. However, after this offseason, I'm hardly willing to count that as a positive.

 

True, I dont see Ryan spending on free-agent in the A-B class. Slashing payroll is Ryan's MO

[FrodaddyG]

That needs to be very open-ended because Morneau and Willingham do not have static value. They will either be more or less valuable when/if they are dealt than they are now. So "pitching" is the objective, but a solid minor league shortstop would be awesome in trade for M & W

So basically, trade them for "something". That's not a proposal, that's a vague, non-committal statement. I'd also recommend the Twins draft well, get back more than they give in all other trades, and sign the best valued free agents every season, since we're going out on such limbs here.

[mnfanforlife]

So basically, trade them for "something". That's not a proposal, that's a vague, non-committal statement. I'd also recommend the Twins draft well, get back more than they give in all other trades, and sign the best valued free agents every season, since we're going out on such limbs here.

 

There was nothing wrong with my post. It was intelligent and did not demean anyone or anything. I explain how M & W do not have static value. Was a great post really. Your posts are pretty mean, FroGdaddy, and I'm sure you'll reply to this with more attacks and rudeness.

[old nurse]

So basically, trade them for "something". That's not a proposal, that's a vague, non-committal statement. I'd also recommend the Twins draft well, get back more than they give in all other trades, and sign the best valued free agents every season, since we're going out on such limbs here.

By prospect top list posted here Ryan did good on drafting. By the same lists and comments, Ryan has done well so far on trades. Except for pitchers, people seem to be ok with Carrol as a utility player, Willingham and Doumit. So Ryan must be doing a fair job for the most part by your recommendations

[FrodaddyG]

Was a great post really.

The "intelligence" behind a post whose sole premise is "they should get the most they can for an asset" is akin to "you should avoid getting hit by a car when crossing the street". It's stating that it would be a good plan is to shoot for the ideal outcome every time. That's common freaking sense, not overly insightful. But don't let me get in the way of self-congratulating the greatness of your posts.

[ThePuck]

Ryan said recently he has very little to do with the draft...that he was much more involved in the draft in the last few years when he wasn't GM. He said he lets them do their thing.

 

'

DL: What is your role in the draft?

TR: Not too much. I watch and listen. I do go to see some [players]. I see some. Just enough to be dangerous. That dabbling in the scouting world is a dangerous situation, because you don’t have a very good cross-section of what’s out there. I can do the skills, and I can do the makeup, probably. It doesn’t take any genius to go out and run a stopwatch or look at a radar gun or mechanics, and evaluate the skills. If you’ve been around, you can do that. But where does he go country-wise? Is he up here, or is he down here? I don’t see enough to be able to slot him in very well. That’s when it’s dangerous. That’s why I stay out of it and let our scouting department make the choices. They are the ones that live and die with it 365 days out of the year. I’m only a dabbler and that’s not good. Last year I was much more involved, because I wasn’t the GM.'

 

Q&A: Terry Ryan, Twins general manager | FanGraphs Baseball

[old nurse]

Ryan said recently he has very little to do with the draft...that he was much more involved in the draft in the last few years when he wasn't GM. He said he lets them do their thing.

 

'

DL: What is your role in the draft?

TR: Not too much. I watch and listen. I do go to see some [players]. I see some. Just enough to be dangerous. That dabbling in the scouting world is a dangerous situation, because you don’t have a very good cross-section of what’s out there. I can do the skills, and I can do the makeup, probably. It doesn’t take any genius to go out and run a stopwatch or look at a radar gun or mechanics, and evaluate the skills. If you’ve been around, you can do that. But where does he go country-wise? Is he up here, or is he down here? I don’t see enough to be able to slot him in very well. That’s when it’s dangerous. That’s why I stay out of it and let our scouting department make the choices. They are the ones that live and die with it 365 days out of the year. I’m only a dabbler and that’s not good. Last year I was much more involved, because I wasn’t the GM.'

 

Q&A: Terry Ryan, Twins general manager | FanGraphs Baseball

 

nice article, thanks.

Liked this one, too.

 

DL: There is a perception that your organization drafts and develops strike throwers, but not hard throwers.

TR: Well you can’t make a guy a hard thrower — more than likely — unless he already possesses arm strength. You can get a young, frail-bodied guy and once he develops and matures and so forth… and we got plenty of hard-throwers. But we do like strike-throwers. There’s no doubt about that. Number one, usually when you get strike-throwers, that means they’ve got pretty good mechanics and pretty good deliveries. That usually means they stay healthy. Everybody likes that. So, if there’s a hard-thrower out there, we like him. We’ve had a lot of success with the Radkes of the world. Santana threw hard. You show me a hard-thrower that’s available and I guarantee you we’ll take a good look at him.

[ThePuck]

DL: There is a perception that your organization drafts and develops strike throwers, but not hard throwers.

TR: Well you can’t make a guy a hard thrower — more than likely — unless he already possesses arm strength. You can get a young, frail-bodied guy and once he develops and matures and so forth… and we got plenty of hard-throwers. But we do like strike-throwers. There’s no doubt about that. Number one, usually when you get strike-throwers, that means they’ve got pretty good mechanics and pretty good deliveries. That usually means they stay healthy. Everybody likes that. So, if there’s a hard-thrower out there, we like him. We’ve had a lot of success with the Radkes of the world. Santana threw hard. You show me a hard-thrower that’s available and I guarantee you we’ll take a good look at him.

 

Yeah, I read the whole thing. What's the point? They like strike throwers first and foremost. We know this. My point is, people are giving Ryan a bunch of credit for this last draft...and he says right in this interview he's barely involved. My favorite part of that is when he says they usually 'stay healthy'. Big irony there. And he is basically saying, he's looking for Radke's.

[Kwak]

Now we know why there is so much optimism in the 2012 Rule 4 draft.

[old nurse]

The point was his comment on hard throwers.

You show me a hard-thrower that’s available and I guarantee you we’ll take a good look at him.

That, in light of comments made by others on a thread, I thought was interesting.

 

If the draft was a failure who would get the blame but Ryan? If a trade is bad, who gets the blame but Ryan? When they do or don't sign mediocre pitchers as free agents who gets the blame? Ryan makes the decision presumably from data. Who is the one in all of the cases collecting the data, scouts. If there are bad decisions and Ryan is to blame, than he gets the credit when they do well.

[Mike Sixel]

Ryan does not run the draft, the head scout does. In most MLB organizations, unlike every other sport, the GM cedes the draft to the head of scouting. Now, Ryan might hire that guy, so ultimately it is on him, but he runs his org like most every other MLB org.

[ThePuck]

Ryan does not run the draft, the head scout does. In most MLB organizations, unlike every other sport, the GM cedes the draft to the head of scouting. Now, Ryan might hire that guy, so ultimately it is on him, but he runs his org like most every other MLB org.

 

Yup, that's what I was saying.

 

Ryan also hand picked Smith to take his place as GM :-)

[Nick Nelson]

Ryan makes the decision presumably from data. Who is the one in all of the cases collecting the data, scouts. If there are bad decisions and Ryan is to blame, than he gets the credit when they do well.

Yes, he is the general manager and the chief executive. Comes with the territory. He's the highest-profile member of the front office and also quite likely the most highly paid. What is your point?

[mnfanforlife]

The head scout possibly had something to do with the Hardy trade? and Nishioka?