Article: Looking For Clues In September

[drjim]

Completely agree. My guess is Ryan is looking for stability in the rotation for 2014 and not a whole lot more. In other words, he wants 5 starters who will take the ball every fifth day. Correia and Gibson are locks and I'm hoping September auditions yield a third. Ryan will pick up a second tier FA for the fourth and as a another posted said, a thumb wrestling contest will be held during spring training for the fifth.

 

This could change obviously. Hopefully our scouts find someone they like in Japan or is Cuban etc. But I think 5 stable arms is the floor for 2014.

 

Someone mentioned it before, but I imagine Worley gets a long look and he is a candidate to bounce back next year. There should be no locks next year (unless they keep Correia), and I still predict two guys are brought in.

 

It's not perfect, but out of Correia, Worley, Gibson, Diamond, Deduno, Albers, Hendriks the Twins should be able to scrap three starters together to begin the season, with Meyer and May waiting in the wings and combine that with two free agents.

 

I also think they sign a corner bat, and perhaps they surprise us with Guerrero.

[howieramone1406390264]

Someone mentioned it before, but I imagine Worley gets a long look and he is a candidate to bounce back next year. There should be no locks next year (unless they keep Correia), and I still predict two guys are brought in.

 

It's not perfect, but out of Correia, Worley, Gibson, Diamond, Deduno, Albers, Hendriks the Twins should be able to scrap three starters together to begin the season, with Meyer and May waiting in the wings and combine that with two free agents.

 

I also think they sign a corner bat, and perhaps they surprise us with Guerrero.

 

I agree, if there is any doubt at all, Ryan will sign a second FA. Who knows, he may have already decided to. I do know he was personally and professionally embarrassed at what he sent out there this season, and he will do anything this side of 6 years for 147M to fix it.

[Mike Sixel]

You know Ryan personally?

[Winston Smith]

I don't know Ryan but having watched his work if he signs any above mediocre free agent I'll be very surprised and if the payroll doesn't drop by around 10% maybe hitting 70 I'll be even more surprised. Hope I'm wrong.

[ThePuck]

I don't know Ryan but having watched his work if he signs any above mediocre free agent I'll be very surprised and if the payroll doesn't drop by around 10% maybe hitting 70 I'll be even more surprised. Hope I'm wrong.

 

I'd be shocked if payroll was at 70 or above next year with all the money coming off this offseason. It's going to drop big time.

 

Edit: Though I suppose Ryan could sign 4 or 5 players to divide 20M next year and we'd be in the mid 70s...

[TheLeviathan]

How does a rotation of Correia, Gibson, two other pitchers we already have, and one second tier FA make for 5 stable arms?

 

Voodoo math.

 

Whats funny is that some of the 2014 rotation talk all but echoes last offseason. How'd that turn out?

[Badsmerf]

Voodoo math.

 

Whats funny is that some of the 2014 rotation talk all but echoes last offseason. How'd that turn out?

Its like the same thing, except different.....

[LaBombo]

 

It's not perfect, but out of Correia, Worley, Gibson, Diamond, Deduno, Albers, Hendriks the Twins should be able to scrap three starters...

Totally agree with this. Well, two at least.

[Thrylos]

The Twins already look like they have four impact relievers – Glen Perkins, Jared Burton, Caleb Thielbar and Casey Fien.

 

From that list I see:

 

one impact reliever (Perkins)

two very lucky relievers (with BABIPs in the .1xxs at some point) who are returning to earth (Fien and Thielbar)

and one hit and miss guy (Burton)

 

Duensing is better than Thielbar. Thielbar is a mirage. Soft tossing lefties are a dime a dozen. Duensing can hit 94-95...

[drjim]

From that list I see:

 

one impact reliever (Perkins)

two very lucky relievers (with BABIPs in the .1xxs at some point) who are returning to earth (Fien and Thielbar)

and one hit and miss guy (Burton)

 

Duensing is better than Thielbar. Thielbar is a mirage. Soft tossing lefties are a dime a dozen. Duensing can hit 94-95...

 

I agree with the analysis, but Burton is probably slightly better than "hit and miss". Any reliever can have a rough couple of outings, I still trust his stuff. Fien and Thielbar, not so much.

[Snortwood]

The verdict is in on Parmelee and Colabello, then?

Neither can turn on a fastball. Hard in soft away - easy out. Yes, the verdict is in on these two.