Is Harrison Bader Precisely the Wrong Player for the Twins Right Now?

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Michael A Taylor is still available. Christian Pache signed a minor league contract.

Don't forget about Gilberto Celestino... He's 25 and looking for work.

You and I have been through this before. I'm not going to talk about specific players. I don't know what Keirsay is going to be or could be. I won't pretend to... Same for Helman... Same for Martin. Same for Brooks Lee. Bader could go nuts this year and lead us to a World Series title. I don't know. 

You seem much more confident in your assessments... I'm not.

Right now... On February 11, 2025... I can say that I believe in Trevor Larnach. I do believe in Trevor Larnach... I think he can hit and I think he is going to be critical for us this year. I'm counting on him and I pray for his health because health has been a bugaboo for him.

My believing in Trevor Larnach adds up to nothing because Trevor isn't guaranteed anything even with my full support coming in full speed from North Dakota.  He's still has to go out in 2025 and just plain do it. 

I'm also not going to stand here on February 11th and tell everybody on Twinsdaily that Larnach can hit left handers if we just give him a chance. I don't know that. 

But I will I tell everybody on Twinsdaily that if the Twins process is just to strap him to a Margot or a Bader to him every year. He without question... won't be able to hit lefthanders. His development is going to stall with a ceiling of decent against right handed hitters but needing a Margot or Bader on the roster to face left handers for him. His final year with the Twins will be 8 million in Arb plus 6 million spent on his handcuff. 

I'm also not going to stand here and say that his minor league splits as 24 and 25 year old are destined to be cemented in time with no hope of improvement when he reaches age 27. Unless of course... the front office... POURS THE CEMENT!!! 

Develop or Die

[Riverbrian]

7 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

You keep saying this, why aren't you demanding a new front office?

One that develops. 

 

Not that my words will matter but I'm getting close. 

I've often said that I will judge this front office on development and development alone. 

I've often said that if I have a problem with Rocco... I'm not coming after Rocco with my words... My words will be directed at the guy who hires the guy. 

Everybody is good at some things and not so good at other things and I don't know everything they are doing to make an informed opinion... It appears that they are making progress on the pitching side of development... We seem to have broken maybe briefly... but we seem to have broken our dependance on innings eaters. The young options are starting to arrive on the mound... But... Yeah... on the offensive side... I see a development problem. So yeah... I'm getting close.

Right now... I'm just hoping that they stop doing this specific thing. If they don't... Yeah... I'll reach a breaking point. 

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, NYCTK said:

I understand the frustration that the Twins have failed to develop a competent Buxton backup, but they have failed. And so have a lot of teams have. The internal pre-arb guy with an 85 OPS+ isn't nearly as good as Bader because none of them can play the position nearly as well.  

Yeah, it would be incredible if the Twins could develop a 100 OPS+ CF with plus defense. But that's a 4 WAR player. So, let's be reasonable. 

If I could wave a wand and make Austin Martin not suck in CF, that'd be incredible. But that's not happening. 

 

Like I said earlier... I'm not going to talk specific players. It's the process.

By not talking about specific players... I'm also not limiting the conversation to specific players in the Twins farm system. 

Focus on Martin that's your choice. It's not mine. Declare him forever not capable... that's your choice not mine.

Tell everybody that Mickey Gasper is not worthy of anything... You may be right... but that's your choice not mine. However... just to point the potential doors open to staffing a roster... Mickey Gasper was a member of the Boston Red Sox just a few months ago. If the Twins don't like their farm system CF options... there are 29 other teams out there and everybody has a cell phone.

If I believed that the front office felt that there was nothing the Twins could do... but sign a light hitting defensive dude for 6.25 million dollars because Austin Martin sucks. I will at that point respond to Chief with yeah... I'm ready for a new front office...

One that knows how a cell phone works. 

[Riverbrian]

53 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

I just don't understand this Twins fan desire to constantly save the Pohlads money while wanting to rotate through terrible players instead. 

 

This comment shows that you really don't understand my point. 

 

[NYCTK]

42 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

If I believed that the front office felt that there was nothing the Twins could do... but sign a light hitting defensive dude for 6.25 million dollars because Austin Martin sucks. I will at that point respond to Chief with yeah... I'm ready for a new front office...

I mean, this is entirely fair criticism of the Front Office. I am a fan of the Mets first and foremost. While they were happy with Bader last year, they replaced him by trading a nobody reliever for a very similar player (better defense, worse offense). Obviously that option was open to the Twins too. And there are a handful of people around the league that fit that mold. 

I've been saying Falvey should be fired for a while. So you're not going to get pushback from me there. But I also think signing Bader was good and criticism of that move in particular isn't at all warranted. 

[Riverbrian]

2 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

I mean, this is entirely fair criticism of the Front Office. I am a fan of the Mets first and foremost. While they were happy with Bader last year, they replaced him by trading a nobody reliever for a very similar player (better defense, worse offense). Obviously that option was open to the Twins too. And there are a handful of people around the league that fit that mold. 

I've been saying Falvey should be fired for a while. So you're not going to get pushback from me there. But I also think signing Bader was good and criticism of that move in particular isn't at all warranted. 

Being Pro Bader is fine. These are always subjective discussions. You like the guy and I won't argue with that. Yes I feel differently because I can see what he represents to me... A Margot replacement that can legitimately play CF. Margot, Bader... are rostered just to keep Wallner and Larnach shackled. 

I'm a single issue voter. I've typed many acres of real estate on this single issue. This single issue in my opinion... has set roster construction policy. I'm never complained about the Pohlads... I don't expect new ownership to jack payroll up to 200 million. This team will always struggle paying for players developed by other organizations. I'm asking one thing and one thing only. Please stop eating your young with this full allotment of 4 to 6 million dollar shortsiders.

They have to develop no matter who owns the team.

We can't sign Juan Soto... We have to create Juan Soto and every time they take a Matt Wallner and attach him to a 6.25 million Bader because they are afraid of left vs left. They are further from creating Juan Soto. They have purposely capped Matt Wallner at Joc Pederson at best. It doesn't give me the warm fuzzy's about our ability to develop Walter Jenkins when I see every young left handed hitter in the same damn boat.

Forget about creating Soto... that's a tall order... how about just creating a Brandon Nimmo... so we don't have to pay 20 million to sign Brandon Nimmo because we didn't create a Brandon Nimmo in the first place. The Morrison's, the Gallos, The Margots, The Baders are just getting in the way of that.   

I will feel better about the path the Twins are on when they break their roster filling dependence on 5 to 10 million dollar innings eaters and 4 to 10  million dollar specialists.

They won't break it until they stop eating out of this garbage can and start cooking meals. Develop or Die.   

[NYCTK]

2 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

A Margot replacement that can legitimately play CF.

Margot wasn't a failure because he sucked at the plate. Margot was a failure because he couldn't play defense. 

3 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Margot, Bader... are rostered just to keep Wallner and Larnach shackled. 

This is just a foolish way to look at how rosters are constructed. Is Vazquez rostered to keep Jeffers shackled? 

 

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

Don't forget about Gilberto Celestino... He's 25 and looking for work.

Yeah, if you want a MLB minimum CF with a good glove he's going to project to a 65 OPS+.

[Mike Sixel]

Falvey and France say hold my beer....

[Riverbrian]

3 hours ago, NYCTK said:

 

This is just a foolish way to look at how rosters are constructed. Is Vazquez rostered to keep Jeffers shackled? 

 

Alright we're done.

You have no idea what I'm talking about. 

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Yeah, if you want a MLB minimum CF with a good glove he's going to project to a 65 OPS+.

I don't. 

[mnfireman]

Our dear old friend MAT...

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/white-sox-to-sign-michael-a-taylor.html

[David HK]

On 2/11/2025 at 12:31 AM, Parfigliano said:

And fans will be disappointed when there is no call up.  Bader is a vet paid 6.5 million so he will play.

If he stinks?  Still plays.  If young guy tearing up AAA?  Still plays.

This echoes my own sinking feeling, like a Margot 2.0 situation.  And when Keirsey starts lighting up AAA? What then? A young fast, true CF whose only crime is being a LH hitter?  

Still plays, methinks.

[USAFChief]

6 hours ago, David HK said:

This echoes my own sinking feeling, like a Margot 2.0 situation.  And when Keirsey starts lighting up AAA? What then? A young fast, true CF whose only crime is being a LH hitter?  

Still plays, methinks.

Keirsey isn't really "young." He'll turn 28 in May. I don't think he's  been considered a "true CF" by many, either.

 

 

[David HK]

On 2/12/2025 at 10:09 AM, mnfireman said:

Our dear old friend MAT...

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/white-sox-to-sign-michael-a-taylor.html

Oh, my, sentenced to the White Sox.  That's like doing time in stir.... 😅

[Mahoning]

On 2/10/2025 at 11:40 AM, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

I think by "younger players" it was meant to send a message to those currently on the team like Lewis, Miranda, Lee, Julian, and Wallner, not those in MiLB that are not yet up.  Just MHO.

That is what I meant: The message is to Miranda, Julien, et Al -- If this team is going to be any good, it's time for you to perform. And now maybe, It's time for you to prove you afre better than Ty France.

[mnfireman]

Next ex-Twin to the South side...

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/white-sox-sign-joey-gallo-to-minor-league-deal.html