Article: Which Team's Aces Did the Twins Miss?

[Cody Christie]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1678-Which-Team-s-Aces-Did-the-Twins-Miss

[John Bonnes]

I count nine of them that were drafted before the Twins could even draft. It makes me wonder if maybe there is something to using that 4th overall pick in the draft on a pitcher, even if there is a little bit "better" player on the board. I'd be interesting in seeing how many of these guys fall into each category:

 

- players chosen before the Twins could get them

- players chosen in the 1st round

- players in teh 2nd round

- players after the 2nd round

- international signings.

[cmathewson]

I don't call a lot of these guys aces. I guess it's semantics.

[Ultima Ratio]

I don't call a lot of these guys aces. I guess it's semantics.

The article stipulates the definition of ace as best pitcher on each team. Pretty clear I think.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

The best of all these pitchers were unavailable or international signings. Cain would have been nice to have, but Span turned into one of the best players we've had this decade. Can't really fault the Twins for any of these. The best were already drafted and for a lot of the other guys, all teams passed on them.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

Interesting post, with plenty of time and perspective on our side. In football, it's called "Monday Morning Quarterbacking." Dad's jargon: "If if's and but's were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas..." Still, this whole website is an opportunity to reminisce and speculate.

[John Bonnes]

I'd be interesting in seeing how many of these guys fall into each category:

 

- players chosen before the Twins could get them

- players chosen in the 1st round

- players in teh 2nd round

- players after the 2nd round

- international signings.

 

- players chosen before the Twins could get them - 9

- players chosen in the 1st round after Twins picked - 5

- players in the 2nd round - 3

- players after the 2nd round - 7

- international signings - 5

[old nurse]

It would be interesting to get the scouting reports on the 7 players taken after the second round to get an idea on why teams missed on them

[drjim]

The Adam Johnson pick was unfortunate but to say it is going to haunt them for decades is a little unfair. The 2000 draft was historically awful. Wainwright and Utley were the only big leaguers worth anything to go in the first round. Sure it would be nice to have those two but if the team only had a 7% on hitting on a contributor in that round can't fault them a whole lot.

[Kwak]

I guess we don't include the Boston offer of Lester, Masterson, and CF Coco Crisp as part of our analysis. Perhaps said designation of "Ace" ( I'm guessing #1 pitcher on said team) is a bit too restrictive--maybe #2 pitchers should be included? IIRC, Cliff Lee was 5th or 6th Round. There are others who would sure improve the Twins rotation--but fall short of your "Ace" designation--that were definitely available.

[cmathewson]

I guess we don't include the Boston offer of Lester, Masterson, and CF Coco Crisp as part of our analysis. Perhaps said designation of "Ace" ( I'm guessing #1 pitcher on said team) is a bit too restrictive--maybe #2 pitchers should be included? IIRC, Cliff Lee was 5th or 6th Round. There are others who would sure improve the Twins rotation--but fall short of your "Ace" designation--that were definitely available.

 

That was part of my issue. In adition to some teams having two aces (e.g., Boston, Detroit), a lot of guys designated as aces don't deserve the designation. Just because they are the best pitchers on their team doesn't make them better than whomever we drafted that year. You have to define it somehow, and this is the easiest way to define it. But it is one of the least helpful ways.

[Brodin4Calder]

Matt Cain is the guy we missed out on, some of the other ones were picked way after our pick so we probably werent even thinking about them. How are the Twins so bad a picking pitchers or signing them?