Gleeman and the Geek: What We've Learned in Twins Camp So Far

[John Bonnes]

FORT MYERS - Aaron and John talk about the things we've learned in Twins camp so far, including about Byron Buxton, Chris Paddack, Brooks Lee, Jose Miranda, Jorge Alcala, and Edouard Julien, plus reacting to Joe Pohlad's comments about payroll, and how crossword puzzles and Settlers of Catan is taking over the clubhouse. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. 

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[tony&rodney]

Too much focus on the payroll and the Pohlad's role in shaping a team versus the opportunities for Falvey. The Luis Arraez for Pablo Lopez trade was quite a gamble for Falvey and the Twins. That trade could have gone bad quickly if Lopez ruins his arm. The Mahle trade was a horse of a different color. Fans liked the trade because it was a statement that the Twins were trying to win. However, that 2022 team was going nowhere and it turned out to that Falvey lost that gamble. This offseason Falvey had a few opportunities for a bigger gamble and he decided to hold the big chips. That's the way that PBO's and GM's win and lose their jobs. It is a tough position (PBO/GM), which is why they make the big bucks. The payroll is fine and so is the team. The chance to make some gambles will roll by again.

[ClosetFan]

Gleeman and Geek, As a huge board game lover and game designer myself, I enjoyed the insight on the Twins locker room board games.  The game designer of Catan and his sons pronounce it Ka-tahn, despite the fact that the narrator in this video pronounces it Ka-tan. Listen at 1:28.

 

[jorgenswest]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Too much focus on the payroll and the Pohlad's role in shaping a team versus the opportunities for Falvey. The Luis Arraez for Pablo Lopez trade was quite a gamble for Falvey and the Twins. That trade could have gone bad quickly if Lopez ruins his arm. The Mahle trade was a horse of a different color. Fans liked the trade because it was a statement that the Twins were trying to win. However, that 2022 team was going nowhere and it turned out to that Falvey lost that gamble. This offseason Falvey had a few opportunities for a bigger gamble and he decided to hold the big chips. That's the way that PBO's and GM's win and lose their jobs. It is a tough position (PBO/GM), which is why they make the big bucks. The payroll is fine and so is the team. The chance to make some gambles will roll by again.

Weren’t they in first place at the deadline in 2022? 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, jorgenswest said:

Weren’t they in first place at the deadline in 2022? 

Fair response.

The team was already teetering with increasing injuries and the depth was pretty clearly not there. Cave and Company would have been a miraculous couple of months. 

I opposed the Mahle trade strongly before it took place but supported it after it was completed as a positive sign that the Twins were making an attempt to win. 

[Major League Ready]

10 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

Weren’t they in first place at the deadline in 2022? 

That was the common theme here but shouldn't the criteria for sacrificing the future be the relative chance of a playoff run?  Being in 1st place is not one in the same.  I was dead set against investing heavily in that team.  It was not a good team but the rest of the division was terrible.  So, technically they were contending for a division title but they certainly were not a contender in reality.  As T&R points out, the injuries had already turned what was a questionable ability to contend into a non-contender.  Making that kind of investment should be done because of an opportunity to go deep in the playoffs, not because “they were in first place”.

The total future cost is yet unknown.  We do know we got absolutely no present value nor was there any value then.  There is a significant cost today.  Steer would be a a valuable player.  MLB network has him as the 10th best LFer and he would provide flexibility as well.  CES is less proven but he was crushing it at the end of last season and he would also fit very well on this team.

IDK how good Sawyer Gibson Long is going to be but he was great in his initial handful of games with Detroit.  Yesterday, I heard the MLB network guys praising Cade Povich.  His numbers have not been great but they thought he would add value for the Orioles this year.  Just the cost of Steer and CES would be a lot but if one or both of these pitchers are even average major leaguers, the cost of that decision to invest in a non-contender is enormous.  We sit here and worry about signing a free agent to a 1 year and that’s absolutely inconsequential as compared to this kind of mistake.  Fans love the idea of going for it so much that they overlook the fact the team proved to be completely unworthy of that investment and that the costs looks extreme. We would look far better this year and for several years with CES and Steer plus that pitching depth even if some of those players were eventually traded.  
 

[Guest]

Here's an interesting comment from twins.mlb:  "Larnach has adopted a wider stance without a leg kick, because his big motion out of a relaxed stance in the past would have him off-balance and leaning when trying to hit slower pitches."

Kudos to Larnach for addressing on an obvious problem.  Hoping he realizes Jeffers-like results as Larnach has a ton of XBH potential.