Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

jkcarew

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5,339

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    6

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by jkcarew

  1. jkcarew
    Especially, when the deal won't be any kind of barrier for future trading. Toward the middle/end of the contract, Kepler will be, at a minimum, a solid strong-side platoon option at a corner or 1B. He would be dumpable in a heartbeat at a trade deadline with this contract....if it came to that. Smart deal by Twins...slightly surprised, but not shocked, that Kepler's camp pulled the trigger on this type of deal at this point in time.
  2. jkcarew
    Not sure Sano striking out 200 times would be a bad thing. It would mean he was healthy...and if it comes with a lot of walks and HR's...but, yeah it would be fantastic if all that came with fewer K's. fwiw, if Buxton has the fantastic year that many here predict (hope) will happen, he could be real close to 200 K's, as well. At his career rate, that would only take a little over 600 PA. At the 550 PA you cite for Sano, Buxton would get rung up 175 times...so he better be hitting the ball over the fence, as well.
  3. jkcarew
    Seems everything you hear about this kid is that he's got the entire package from the mental/emotional/maturity standpoint. The kind of player where if he's an average hitter, he's going to be very valuable, if he's a better than average hitter he's a perennial all-star, and if he's a top-end hitter...well, be still my heart.
  4. jkcarew
    Yeah, certainly going to be hard with that organization to crack into the everyday lineup in the outfield. But I'd think Austin would have been out there more than he was...there's always some opportunity. Gardner has been terrible against lefties for some time now. But he was continuing to get the play in left, before Stanton and during periods when Hicks was out, etc. Honestly, though...I have no idea how good or bad Austin would be in the OF...only suggesting that I think that ship has past. If it could work out, they should be looking at it, as it would be great to have a legitimate right-handed bat out there when needed. And so far, it's been just as difficult to discern whether Rooker will be considered a MLB outfielder.
  5. jkcarew
    Hope you’re right. Remain sceptical.
  6. jkcarew
    Three different major league managers have seen fit to give Austin 3 of his 65 (most with the Yankees) MLB starts in the outfield. And the last time he played more games in the OF than 1B/DH was the 2015 season. Since then, very few appearances in the OF, and even fewer starts there. Those numbers would suggest that he’s proven to a number of managers at various levels that he’s not a serviceable outfielder.
  7. jkcarew
    So, you’re saying the club will go with a 4-man bench once the schedule picks up? What makes you think that? All indications are that 13 pitchers will be carried for the bulk of the year. Makes the topic moot.
  8. jkcarew
    Excellent analysis! The outs are going to come in bunches...fast and furious. The ball better leave the park on a regular basis...even if it does, there are going to be long stretches of excruciatingly painful offensive baseball. And this from the article regarding facing left-handed pitching...the problem here is that Austin won't be on the 25-man roster...or at least BOTH Austin and Cron won't be on the roster.. Twins hitters who are better than average against lefties over their careers: .937 Tyler Austin .927 Nelson Cruz .846 Miguel Sano .776 C.J. Cron That’s it. Considering the composition of the other teams in the division, however, this doesn’t seem like such a bad problem to have. While there are fewer guys who hold their own against lefties, those top three can really mash.
  9. jkcarew
    I like it. Polanco's performance has steadily improved since he's become a full-time player, the suspension not withstanding. I'm with those that don't see this as anything other than locking up an asset that's likely to hold or appreciate in value. I don't think it means they are committed to Polanco for the life of the contract, nor do I think it means that Gordon or Javier are automatically out of luck. It's worth repeating that the extension likely improves Polanco's trade value around the anticipated arrival time of Lewis and Javier.
  10. jkcarew
    But his SLG was higher last year than it was before the suspension....higher than it's ever been.
  11. jkcarew
    I'm a little surprised at least one of you didn't have Kirilloff 1 and Lewis 2. Everybody must REALLY love them some Royce Lewis, 'cause I don't think Kirilloff is far from the show if he rakes in AA. Can hardly wait to see what these guys do this year.
  12. jkcarew
    Barely 20 years old in A ball and put up wRC+ of 97...don’t beat yourself up too much, kid! Good luck and enjoy the ride as much as you can!
  13. jkcarew
    I agree that the weight is a symptom, not the problem. The problem is he hasn't taken anything seriously so far. You can see that he usually is having a ton of fun out on the field. I love that. But he'll need to also start listening to others and developing dedication and discipline for his craft. If/when he does that, I'll be very much a buyer on Miguel.
  14. jkcarew
    Luis Severino ("short-ish", right-handed, power starter), pitched 44 innings as a 19 year-old, 113 as a 20 year-old, then 162, 151, 193, 191 through his age 24 year. His delivery is smoother than is Graterol's. But we can dream, can't we?
  15. jkcarew
    Seems too high for a guy who's 22 years old and really only has one season since he left high school that would distinguish him. How much are our perceptions influenced by the fact that that season was basically broadcast live by ESPN? Then again, I don't know who I'd have ahead of him. Maybe Javier. Javier represents an interesting contrast. Also has a shiny but thin (to date) resume...but is nearly a full two years younger, with presumably a higher ceiling as a shortstop, but presumably further from the show. Isn't it our turn to have a college bat-first guy arrive and rake inside of two years? Seems it happens all the time for other teams (even though I know it doesn't).
  16. jkcarew
    And until Duda, it was four RIGHT-HANDED power bats with little or no defensive flexibility. They knew they would lose Mauer's left-handed OBP...they chose to part with Grossman's left-handed OBP...so they picked up more right-handed power bats (Cruz and Cron) with mediocre OBP to go with the questionable OBP right-handed power bats they already had (Austin and Rooker). Cruz was a no-brainer. But Cron and Austin are totally redundant, and potential blockers of Rooker depending upon how the season goes. Then you add Duda in what seems a complete after-thought even though it doesn't immediately cost a roster spot..."Wait...all our marginal and inflexible first-basemen are right-handed. We have to find a margin and inflexible left-handed first baseman." Weird to say the least.
  17. jkcarew
    13 pitchers makes for a 3-man bench. Once the schedule picks up and the 13th pitcher becomes a fixture, a platoon of a Cron and Duda...two guys that can’t play any position other than first base becomes...next to impossible. A much more likely platoon at first would be Duda (if he were to win the job) and Sano...with Adrianza (sigh) playing third against lefties.
  18. jkcarew
    On the one hand, kinda odd that a player would go up in the rankings despite missing the year. But then again, Romero graduated and Gordon and Gonsalves were ahead of him, right? Meanwhile, he drops behind two or three guys...Graterol and Larnach among them. So, it is in fact, kinda easy to argue that Javier should be higher.
  19. jkcarew
    ...Romero could be a force in the bullpen. And that’s something that Falvey acknowledged as well. “Fernando is someone who you watch THE FIRST FEW INNINGS and you think, ‘that could be pretty special out of the bullpen.'’ Doesn't this make it sound that there are questions about his stamina...how long he can maintain his velocity/stuff on any given outing? That no matter the development of pitches, he may simply be significantly more effective as a reliever than a starter? That's what it sounds like they're saying to me. But it seems early in his development to be making that conclusion...at least definitively. And I don't know how you answer that question without keeping him in a starting role to see if the added year, and further distance from the TJ, moves that needle.
  20. jkcarew
    It's not the BA or even the OBP that's disturbing about those last months. It's the grand total of 2 home runs in his last 32 games. While the K% was bottoming out, the game power all but disappeared. Could be a case of one step backwards to go two steps forward. But, the forward steps will need to happen fast now, IMO.
  21. jkcarew
    Tom and I went back and forth a bit on the phrase 'make-or-break year' in regards to another prospect. IMO, if there's such a thing...Rooker in 2019 would be it. He's a bad corner outfielder or (maybe) an average first-baseman. He's 24. The bat needs to go from good/promising to leaderboard quality...fast.
  22. jkcarew
    Fair enough. Still, age and pedigree has to matter some, right? When Torii Hunter OPS'd 678 in Ft Myers after having gone around 800 in low A...it would have been silly for his prospect status to take much of a hit at all. He was a no. 20 overall pick, offered value beyond the hit tool, and was only 19 years old. Baddoo is not analogous to Hunter, but still...pretty glossy tools and will only be 20. Admitted, (and ironically) his youth kinda works against him in a way, as well...at least in terms of a future with our favorite club. His rule-5 clock started ticking when he was barely 17. He's going to be rule-5 eligible at a relatively early stage of his overall development (almost Dominican-like), which could be problematic for the Twins if he stalls at all in the lower levels.
  23. jkcarew
    Don’t know that I’d have a guy with Duran’s track record...and this far from the show, ranked ahead of Thorpe (and maybe one or two others). But I’ll say this...the kid looks the part physically. Was never anywhere near 9k/9 his first 3 years of pro ball. But then all of a sudden last year happened. Maybe a bit of a late bloomer as the strength finally catches up with the length? I hope so.
  24. jkcarew
    That’s true of every single highly-regarded prospect that has ever made that jump or ever will make that jump. I’m confuses as to why Baddoo’s situation is uniquely “make-or-break”. At this point you’re kind of obliged to feel that this year will also be a make-or-break for Miranda and will REALLY be make-or-break for Jeffers...two other highly-ranked position players headed for Ft Myers...both older than Baddoo.
  25. jkcarew
    Three batter minimum seems ridiculous. But if rosters go to 26, you'll have to do something drastic like that. Don't think for one second that that spot wont go...eventually...to yet another pitcher. That's what the data will tell you to do with it...use as many pitchers per game as the rules will allow, given the roster constraints. Ease the roster constraints...use more pitchers. Ugh! Please no!
×
×
  • Create New...