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rv78

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Everything posted by rv78

  1. rv78
    First real true test for the lineup against a quality top-notch pitcher. They failed. Thumbs up to a great outing by Maeda. Pablo verses his old team tomorrow, We'll see if he can return the favor.
  2. rv78
    4 games in and they've face a weak KC team and a washed up sore armed Cueto who was replaced by a rookie pitcher. A real test for this lineup happens today against Alcantara with a rehabbed Maeda going for the Twins. One good thing, the strong arms in the bullpen are rested. Hopefully Duran will be available if they need him. After the Marlins series the Twins have 19 games against much tougher competition before facing the Royals again to close out April. Those 19 games will tell us more about this team than the first 6. Kepler/Gallo HITL watch;. 187-BA, 6-K, 2-BB, 4-HR, 8-RBI, 13-LOB.
  3. rv78
    I'm not sold on Buxton in the #3 spot. Typically you want your best hitter there to not only score runs but to drive them in. Gotta have someone on base first before you get an RBI unless all you're doing is hitting solo HR, which is what Buxton did a lot of last year. If his power is going to be his forte going forward then he needs to go to the cleanup spot. I move Correa to the #3 hole and either Gordon, Farmer, Solano in the #2 spot until Polanco comes back. If Larnach continues to rake he should go to the #1 spot in the order especially against righties. It surely looks like he's a WAY better option right now than Kepler. It appears that Rocco has a hard time seeing a game, understanding it and making adjustments. Evidently his spreadsheet still says Kepler is a leadoff hitter even though that hasn't been the case for 3 years now.
  4. rv78
    Using Kepler or Gallo in the leadoff spot is totally brainless. I'm not looking for the guy who can just get on base, I want my best hitters at the top of the lineup so they get the most at bats. Like someone said, the guy hitting 1st in the lineup is only guaranteed to leadoff once per game. Kepler and Gallo need to be in the 7, 8 or 9 spots or on the bench. Get a clue Rocco.
  5. rv78
    Bats break loose finally. All or nothing Gallo gets the point for the Game 3 victory on the offensive side of the ball. Ryan gets it for the pitching. Kepler/Gallo HITL watch thru 3 games: .130-BA, 2-HR, 4-RBI, 6-K's, 2-BB, 13-LOB. Off to Miami to see Arraez torment the Twins pitchers.
  6. rv78
    2 games in and the Twins have a whopping 4 runs against a lowly Royals staff. I'm not overly impressed that the pitching staff has thrown 2 shutouts as well again against a lowly Royals lineup. If they were playing one of the better teams in the league they are 0-2. 2 games on the base paths and it looks like it is only a matter of time before Buxton is injured running the bases. He gets the game ball on the offensive side for both victories. Buxton = 2 points. Pitching has PLopez for 1/2 point and the Bullpen 1/2 point for Game 1. Gray =1/2 point and the Bullpen1/2 point, now at 1 point total. Kepler/ Gallo "2 holes in the lineup" watch, 2 games in = 0-15, 5-K's, 7-LOB.
  7. rv78
    Until Kirilloff is ready, Gallo's the main option at 1B. Doesn't mean we have to like it or even that it is the best option. One thing is for sure, the Twins don't give a guy $11M to sit on the bench and Gallo won't be an exception. If he isn't at 1B he'll be in the outfield. I doubt we will ever see him at 3B with Miranda, Farmer and Solano on the roster. Besides all 3 of them hit much better than Gallo. So, if/when Kirilloff comes back and if/when he starts hitting with reckless abandon, Gallo will take playing time away from an outfielder or two, and if that is Kepler who is just as inept at hitting, then nothing will be lost. If it is Larnach, Gordon, Lewis, or Martin then someone will need to have their head examined. The Gallo/Kepler watch line is 0-7 with 2-K's, 0-BB, 0-HR, 0-RBI and 5-LOB.
  8. rv78
    Literally speaking, the Twins are carrying 8 pitchers in the pen. I suspect and hope that "The Plan" this year is not to use the starter for 5 innings and then 4 relievers every night. That would require each reliever getting used at least every other day. = Recipe for disaster. It also exposes your weaker pitchers in the bullpen to be used as often as your good ones. = Recipe for disaster. Assuming Rocco has changed his plan and the starters will now go 6 innings possibly 7 or 8 is what would be needed on a daily basis if all you are going to use your relievers for is 1 inning at a time. I think the goal here should be, not to use the long reliever just in blowouts to save the rest of your bullpen but to also pitch much needed innings in high leverage situations to rest the bullpen, especially if the high leverage arms have pitched in back to back games. A long reliever that can come in and effectively throw 3 or 4 good innings at a time at least two times a week dramatically changes and improves the workload on the bullpen. Just filling a mop-up role shouldn't be the only priority. If you have a long relief guy and the game is close with your high leverage arms used up from the previous 2 or 3 games played then having one who can finish the 7th, 8th and 9th innings effectively is only a win/win situation. Think how good it would be to have a guy like Duran, (not saying it IS Duran but another pitcher like him), be able to do that twice a week. A long relief pitcher doesn't have to be, or even should be, a mop-up pitcher.
  9. rv78
    I understand that. However that doesn't change the fact that the same decision can end up being a mistake as well. They scored 1 run due to it. If KC would have scored 3 runs and they needed the lefties in the lineup for better matchups to make a comeback, it would have been the wrong decision. Maybe Rocco got lucky.
  10. rv78
    It worked out and the trend is for managers to pinch hit in the middle innings to break open a game. I don't like using up half of the bench with a small lead, especially when not improving the defense. It could be argued that Farmer/Solano is as good or better than Gordon/Gallo, but having Farmer and Solano face a tough righty in the 8th or 9th in a tie game is the scenario I fear. Totally agree with this. It worked out because the Twins scored 1 more run using this strategy, (which really isn't breaking the game open), and luckily he didn't need the left-handed hitters later in the game. The need for those hitters that he pulls in the middle innings, in a late game situation, will eventually happen and then, when Rocco makes the same move, it will be a mistake.
  11. rv78
    A few positives, PLopez pitched great. Larnach got a couple hits and an RBI. Buck didn't get hurt running the bases even though he hopped around 2nd and slide hard into 3rd. I think everyone watching expected him to come up lame. Rocco made 2 good substitutions pinch-hitting for Gordon and Gallo which produced another run. The negatives, Kepler as leadoff hitter. 21 LOB - 3 times with the bases loaded. No attempt to manufacture runs by stealing, sacrifices or hit and run. 2 runs against a weak KC team is hardly much to brag about. Would list using 5 pitchers as a negative also but with an off day tomorrow I can live with it. It will however, be a recipe for an over-worked bullpen if it is "The Plan" for the entire season. Lopez at 85 pitches, (and all of the other starters as well), is enough this early in the season until he/they get stretched out completely. I suspect Mahle and especially Maeda will have a shorter leash. 1 Game, 1 Win. Let's see how they do against teams with better lineups and better pitchers..
  12. rv78
    For me, this season is all about the players proving they have what it takes. I'm not buying into the hype, or drinking the kool-aid until I see actual results. All of the fancy new uniforms, a new scoreboard and added depth won't mean a thing if this team can't come together and stay healthy. The one new change that probably would have made the most difference is the manager and that didn't happen. Rocco hasn't proven to me that he has what it takes to manage a game as it unfolds before him. The Bomba Squad and juiced ball is long gone and the short covid season were his successes. He didn't have much control over either one. Otherwise he has produced 2 losing seasons. The FO has added depth on the offensive side of the ball but none of them are really worthy of starting roles on any team and will Rocco use them correctly or just shuffle them everywhere so he can fill his fantasy of using a different lineup on a daily basis? They have added another starting pitcher in PLopez but lost their best hitter. I will intently watch to see who can get on base and fill those empty shoes of Arraez. MY biggest fear is that with Gallo and Kepler there are still 2 empty holes in the lineup, probably on a regular basis. Gallo is the new Sano so nothing was gained there. Vazquez is an improvement over GSanchez and hope is Jeffers turns it up a notch. The only other new bat that must hit is Larnach and he reminds me of being too much like Kepler..... Strictly a pull hitter. Will Rocco use his starters effectively or over-work the bullpen and let his spreadsheet manage games for him as usual? A lot of things have changed but the core remains pretty much the same, so I don't see the results changing much either.
  13. rv78
    Sometimes I wonder why they play spring-training games. For the Twins it surely isn't to earn a spot on the roster. If it was Coulombe would be there. I'm not a big fan of him but it seems no matter how good some guys play, they don't make it and no matter how bad some guys play, they do. Evidently age, how the player is going to be used, and spin rate are more concerning factors, verses performance with this FO, and that my friends is why guys like Pagan, Sands, and Megill who haven't shown much success, and one could argue... if any at all, get spots they haven't earned. I suspect that Pagan will be this years Tyler Duffey getting cut midseason and Ober, Winder and SWR will get more innings combined than Maeda or Mahle.
  14. rv78
    Reason#1, WHY Kepler hasn't been replaced is because the Twins didn't make it a priority. There were plenty of options in Free Agency to sign a BETTER outfielder. Instead they chose to acquire one than is an even worse hitter than Kepler, Joey Gallo. Together they are costing the Twins $19.5M in 2023. That's a lot of money for 2 guys that strike out a ton and hit weak grounders to 2nd base. I would think for $19.5M they could have found 1 outfielder that could be better than both of them combined, (And then use Wallner, Garlick as backups). Reason#2, Kepler would have to be traded and there probably weren't any takers, which is the real proof of what he is worth, (less than his $8.5M), or released which means the Twins would get no return at all and they are not in the habit of eating their bigger contracts for nothing in return.
  15. rv78
    I find it ironic that the Twins have decided they can't let him play in CF becasue they don't want to lose his offense. Yet they keep and allow Kepler to play mainly for his defense, (because he has become really bad offensively), and they go out and get one of the worst hitters from 2022, Joey Gallo to add to their outfield, which means again they only acquired him for his defense, and they got Taylor who is right-handed, same as Buxton, so a platoon with him doesn't make sense, and again a defense-first type player. But Buxton, who is probably the premier defensive player in all of baseball is not going to be used for defensive purposes, even though he too has become in your own words, "an all or nothing hitter." Based on his past performance I would say the only value that Buxton provides over other outfielders that can hit for decent average and some power is his defense, but the Twins have chosen to throw that value down the toilet in the hopes he doesn't get plunked by a pitch or hurt a knee running the bases. (His last 2 injuries were not from playing defense).
  16. rv78
    Very possible that he's toast. Done. Won't ever regain his former self or worth as a pitcher. Who's next? Mahle?
  17. rv78
    79-83 This team will struggle to score runs without Arraez. I seriously think they will miss him more than anyone has anticipated.
  18. rv78
    My thoughts exactly. How about a Dobnak or Pagan instead?
  19. rv78
    No need to worry. All of the eternal optimists here believe the roster will be just fine come opening day. On the other hand there's some of us who believe this team won't amount to much due to the way it is built around injury riddle players who can't even make it through spring training playing part-time, poor offense and a Manager who thinks he can win games by looking at a piece of paper. If the pitching doesn't hold the opposing teams to 3 runs or less this team won't come close to finishing .500.
  20. rv78
    You have bought into the hype the FO is feeding the fans. New uniforms don't make a winning team. Performance does. Will we see improved hitting? Manufacturing runs? Better base running? Throwing to the correct base? Better managerial decisions? Longer starts by pitchers in the rotation? A long relief pitcher or two to take the pressure off the bullpen? Improved health? The roster is full of players with health issues and Rocco hasn't proven to me that he's learned anything from his past mistakes. I don't drink their Kool-Aid. I want to actually see it happen first.
  21. rv78
    Sounds like you are on the HOPE bandwagon with Buxton. How has it worked so far. Maybe trying something different should be.... trading him for a durable player that can play everyday. Then having 4 different options to "back him up" when he gets hurt wouldn't be a priority and the FO could concentrate on making the entire roster better. Gallo and Taylor were definitely brought in to be options in CF for him. Neither one brings much of anything offensively as I already pointed out. With the additions of those 2 players Gordon, who was the best hitting outfielder the Twins had last year, will get even fewer at bats. "if guys stay healthy, we’ll score plenty of runs" How?? Losing Arraez puts the offense in an even deeper hole. Where are the hits going to come from? An outfield of Gallo, Buck/Taylor, and Kepler who can't keep their batting averages above a combined .225? Most of these guys can't put the ball in play much less get a hit. Yes. they'll hit a few HR, mostly solo shots. Rocco doesn't know how to manufacture runs so you can rule that option out. Scoring a few runs won't be "plenty" and most of the time it also won't be enough.
  22. rv78
    Hope springs eternal for some. The rest of us can see the writing on the wall that has been there for quite some time now. Buxton is a part-time player. Always has been and always will be. Even if he is healthy the plan now is to only let him play defense part-time. Settling for less is not a recipe for success. I hate scheduled rest for any player. There are off days. There is the voice of the player that can let his Manager know if he needs a day off. Is the communication between players and Manager that bad that they can't come to an agreement about this on a daily basis? There is no proof that days off prevent injury. So the Twins have the best defensive outfield in all of baseball. I will believe defense wins championships when it happens. Pitching and clutch hitting wins Championships. If you can't score, saving a run or two per game won't matter. Adding Gallo and Taylor who hit for a combined .210 clip last year does nothing to improve the offense, which was a huge sore spot due to the Twins inability to get a hit when they needed it. So far, in spring training the Twins are leading all of baseball in strikeouts. Doesn't appear they have solved anything offensively by adding the outfielders that they did.
  23. rv78
    And a lot can be said for taking at bats in this scenario verses real game action against an opponent who is trying to get you out, including being ON THE FIELD for defensive purposes. I've seen the Twins baby their injury prone players for an entire season and it didn't go well. Now they are even doing it in spring training. Let's hope they don't stub their toe entering the stadium on opening day.
  24. rv78
    It's one thing to bring players along slowly to avoid further set-backs but it is also not good if those players are not ramped up and ready to contribute due to insufficient at bats in spring training. All of which may cost the team potential wins in April. Being ready to play in games that count should take precedent over being cautious. You can be the most cautious person in the world and still have something bad happen. It is better to find out in spring training if they are ready to play than waiting until the first week or two of the season and then have it blow up in your face costing you games on top of it. Quit playing the AAA squad and get the main roster ready for Game 1.
  25. rv78
    This is laughable no matter how you look at it. The FO tells us the bullpen is not a priority yet a couple games into spring training they sign two pitchers that fit their usual criteria, big arms with no control and poor success except for brief stints in their careers. Most of us know that there are issues with the bullpen, mainly Pagan and Megill and they continue to show that the bullpen really isn't a priority by signing has-beens.
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