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jkcarew

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Everything posted by jkcarew

  1. jkcarew
    38-43 in the first 81 games 39-42 in the last 81 games. There was no second half collapse. That is a false narrative. 18-30 against the NL; 59-55 against the AL. About what I expected overall (although, I didn’t expect the AL to be historically awful relative to the NL). Some overachieving, some underachieving, as can always be expected. And Buxton breaking down and playing less than a half season at full health…as can also always be expected. Maybe a little better than I expected, but that’s probably explained by how awful the AL was. .
  2. jkcarew
    Tip of the cap to Ober, for sure. Remember when you could read here…almost daily (pun intended)…and as recently as last year…how great the Twins org is at developing pitching?
  3. jkcarew
    Buxton and his agent had huge influence on what went down. Obviously. There are big ($500k each) bonus steps tied to PA that were in play. They announced the surgery right after the first bonus became mathematically impossible. I don’t think this is a knock on Buxton. “Stars” and their agents are going to have some influence, and at the beginning at least, Buxton probably thought he could be productive through it, as well. Human nature. He should have been sent for surgery earlier, yes. But, it’s not an entirely simple and straightforward process to get the player there. There’s probably a parallel universe where management could have been more proactive and persuasive…but it ain’t this universe.
  4. jkcarew
    The smile and energy, maybe. Although, it’s easier to always look like you’re having fun when you’re virtually slump-proof…as Puckett was. That ain’t gonna be Rodriguez’s MO, so we’ll see. Anyway, the two batting approaches couldn’t be more different, and Rodriguez has way, way more raw power. If he can turn 10% of the K’s into BB and BiP (25% K instead of 35%), he’s likely to be very, very good. Easier said than done. But it needs to be attempted at the MLB level, and the upside warrants some patience…so glad he’s finally here.
  5. jkcarew
    Such a fine line. The minor league profile won’t translate, IMO. There was never much of a chance it would…at least out of the gate. The hope is that he can be successful with a more aggressive approach earlier in the count as he had with the first dozen PA. If he can do damage with that, then the walks might come and lead to a good OBP. Also, hopefully the EVs will result in highish BABiP, because the K’s will always be a part of the package it seems. And yes, the redeeming defensive qualities help.
  6. jkcarew
    Hey! ADMIN! Someone needs to get ahold of DJL…his account has been hijacked by Tom Pohlad!! (btw, just poking fun at the Pohlads, not DJL. It’s a legitimate point, IMO.)
  7. jkcarew
    1000% pushed out the door and his recent moves to sell at the previous deadline was what triggered everything…perceived bad PR, Tom coming in and making promises (that he had no chance of keeping). Pushed out or fired. Same thing.
  8. jkcarew
    Overall, Larnach was the very best version of himself in ‘26. Tip of the cap to him for that. After the failed trade went public, it had to be a bit of an exercise in mental toughness in the second half. If the top/high-side prospects were anything other than left-handed outfielders, you might keep him around. As it is, he moves on in all likelihood. But he’s done his best to keep his career in the MLB alive. Best of luck if/when he moves on. Meanwhile, the author gives the FO way too much credit by analyzing this as some sort of measured decision on the part of the Twins. But Larnach wasn’t moved in the offseason because Tom had just taken over and was running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off, screaming “we’re going to compete”, and firing the guy who had sold at the deadline. Nobody veteran-wise was going to get moved last offseason. Nobody. Everything was about counteracting the PR from the previous deadline. This was made all the more obvious at this season’s deadline, with the ‘mostly-buy’ approach under highly-questionable circumstances. Think about it…they moved neither Larnach nor Wallner. I’d honestly say that’s closer to malpractice than smart.
  9. jkcarew
    Reasonable take, IMO.
  10. jkcarew
    Except that the very first thing Tom did was to fire the previous GM who had just begun an obvious rebuild. Followed up by a deliberate, highly visible campaign tour promising a commitment to “winning”. I don’t for a second believe Zoll had anywhere close to the autonomy you insinuate here. Conceivably, someday. Currently, no way.
  11. jkcarew
    If Jenkins is supposed to be so good, why didn’t he hit a THREE-run homer in the 9th?
  12. jkcarew
    In 2027 the Twins Have a Gaping Hole Behind Home Plate Sounds unacceptably dangerous. If the Pohlads truly can’t afford the shovels and rakes necessary to fill it…as they’re sure to claim, maybe MLB will force them to sell!!
  13. jkcarew
    While there may be a path to productive alternatives that DON’T include a full rebuild…a full rebuild would still be more of a “direction” than they’ve been able to muster up in recent years. Shooting for maintaining indefinite mediocrity is not a direction. It’s standing in one place and spinning.
  14. jkcarew
    This is satire, right?
  15. jkcarew
    Due for a well-pitched game, and certainly got one. Guys not named Gomez: 12.1 IP, 0.810 WHIP, 0 HR, 0 ER…against a good lineup, at least by AL standards.
  16. jkcarew
    I wouldn’t lump Mercedes in as a “low level” prospect…unless we’re simply referring to the fact that he hasn’t reached AA yet. Still seems like a pretty high ceiling there.
  17. jkcarew
    It’s a good question. The org doesn’t seem to think so. When are you going to test him, if not now? And if that’s the case, how much longer can they afford to have him eating a spot on the 40-man? It feels like it’s been forever already.
  18. jkcarew
    The idolatry for someone who has accomplished so little confuses me. 7 post season PA. Averages a little less than 3 WAR per season. Horrible availability and perennially struggles in leverage. No longer a plus defender in CF. Exiting to watch…immensely talented, doesn’t always translate to valuable.
  19. jkcarew
    Playing spoiler to the Guardians. Love it. Rodriguez was determined to not get deep into counts. Probably smart, at least in his debut. Got some pitches early, and hit them hard, to say the least. Congrats to him! Also, nice decision to go to third with that throw, nice tag by Lee.
  20. jkcarew
    Glad. Excited to see what happens. I honestly don’t know what to expect. If I were to guess, it’d be spectacular success, or spectacular failure…but it seems it must be spectacular.
  21. jkcarew
    If you’re going to use counting/cumulative numbers like WAR and WPA, don’t you need to include Buxton’s -0.67 WPA and -0.3 WAR from July on? Very big impact despite the relatively low number of games played. The “why” doesn’t matter if we’re looking at impact to team performance.
  22. jkcarew
    The Twins wanted to remain competitive while also building for the future. It’s been done, but is way more often a recipe for accomplishing neither. But to seriously commit to one or the other takes….commitment…and seriousness. Things like courage, leadership, or resources probably need to come into play. Basically, a number of things that don’t seem to exist in this org.
  23. jkcarew
    The $500k bonus opportunity/possibility for 502 PA has slipped away in the past week, so…
  24. jkcarew
    If we could just figure out a way to not play any more games, we could win this thing.
  25. jkcarew
    1000% Yes. Because the rookies and young guys have a chance of being ABOVE average someday. Average doesn’t mean anything. Nobody cares about average. It’s totally and completely irrelevant, even in provincial Minnesota where the average-ish Twins are 12th of 15 in AL attendance. And that’s what you’ll always be if you make it a worthy goal.
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