Here we go again, Duensing & Swarzak told to prepare to start...

[Shane Wahl]

Once again, the Chief so effortlessly expresses, in one line, what countless others have felt in their rambling and redundant threads and posts.

 

Yep! Indeed. And unfortunately a real possibility.

[James]

If either Duensing or Swarzak start a game for the 2014 Twins, Ryan has failed. Period.

I agree with you on Duensing. I wouldn't say Ryan failed if Swarzak ends up getting a spot start or two in a double header or something like that. If Swarzak is in the the starting rotation, then yes, probably a failure.

 

My gut says that they were told to prepare to start as an extreme backup plan. We can only hope that is the case.

[nicksaviking]

Why not? They've got to try something.

 

Try harder.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Why not? They've got to try something.

 

Like.

[blairpaul715]

Terry Ryan will talk and talk and talk, but wont pay to win..........I hate todays salaries, but if the team is making millions, and don't want to give the attendees a price break, I want them to spend the money they make into TRYING to help them win, I have always like TR but now am tiring of him, probably for me, cuz he decided to retain the good old boy , Gardy.........I will cheer for the Twins but wont be going to many more games till they show they are willing to TRY to win and not just make money.

[Guest USAFChief]

Why not? They've got to try something.

In the ever eloquent words of one Snepp...likely-like like like.

[snepp]

In the ever eloquent words of one Snepp...likely-like like like.

 

 

Concur!

[Thrylos]

The 2015 rotation could be:

 

Meyer

Kazmir

Gibson

Hughes

May

 

Can you imagine that possibility? I can. The Twins can't.

 

Sub Correia with May (because they have to start him) and I don't mind if that is the 2014 rotation...

[Trevor0333]

The real news in this story is that (unlike some potential rumors out there) it sounds like the Twins will offer arbitration to both.

 

As far as starting goes, I think that Duensing needs to stay in the pen, but Swarzak has been spot starting anyways and cannot be any worse than anyone not named Gibson or Correia or Pelfrey from last season's rotation so it would not hurt to give him a few starts at ST to see what he does.

 

Another point of view here is that both of the guys are just entering arbitration and starters make more $ than relievers, so I suspect there is some pressure from the players to start, to which the Twins say, "sure, we don't close the door" in order to be fair to them.

 

This is true and a good point on the real news here.

 

Still Duesning at 2mill should not be on this team. Diamond could fill the Loogy role just as well. How anyone thinks he should be part of the team desperate for talent in other areas is silly. The pen is deep, its like the mentality is we have so much payroll available we dont care if we burn a few extra million here & there.

 

Players in those spots need to be purged and the $ used elsewhere on the team.

[Halsey Hall]

If either Duensing or Swarzak start a game for the 2014 Twins, Ryan has failed. Period.

 

Chief summed it up right there. If either starts, I'm done with these clowns.

[ashbury]

Still Duesning at 2mill should not be on this team. Diamond could fill the Loogy role just as well. How anyone thinks he should be part of the team desperate for talent in other areas is silly. The pen is deep, its like the mentality is we have so much payroll available we dont care if we burn a few extra million here & there.

 

But with this much payroll space, I would turn the question around, and ask whether the argument becomes that Dunse ought not to be on the roster anymore because he's had sufficient chances and his spot should be given to someone with better upside. Then it wouldn't really matter even if it were possible to pay him league-minimum.

 

Unless and until higher salaries are added, I can't see making money be part of any roster decisions. Just pick the 40 best guys for the protected roster, and pick the 25 best after spring training is over.

[DaveW]

Diamond is not a LOOGY

[Thrylos]

Diamond is not a LOOGY

 

Correct.

Diamond's ceiling is a LOOGY

[DaveW]

Correct.

Diamond's ceiling is a LOOGY

 

Lefties have a lifetime .859 OPS against him, righties have a .764 OPS against him.

Claiming he can suddenly be a LOOGY is as inaccurate as it comes, people really need to start looking up these basic stats before making these claims.

 

If people want to claim Duensing doesn't deserve 2 mil a year, fine, but don't claim the solution is to plug Diamond into a role that makes no sense for him.

 

Frankly, I don't mind them having Swarzak take another look as a starter, he showed some nice improvement last year, he could fit eventually as a #5, which is more valuable then his current Middle Relief/non 7th or 8th inning set up guy.