rv78

For the last time, move on from Eddie. He's become too expensive. His defense is not what it used to be. He likes throwing to the wrong base. He swings and misses at too many pitches above his head. He runs the bases with reckless abandon. There are at least 3 other CHEAPER prospects waiting for their chance to play, that will probably play SMARTER than Eddie. (Kirilloff, Larnach, Rooker).

If the front office "knows their stuff" and were willing to show confidence in him why do they wait until the playoffs to bring him up? Surely he would have given the Twins a boost over a Cave batting average of .221 or a Marwin average of .211 or Wade Jr at .231? Want to take it a step farther? How about a weak Kepler batting average of .228? Plenty of opportunity there that they missed out on.

If the hitting coach can get them to quit swinging for the fences every time that would make them better. Trying to replicate 2019 in 2020 was the mistake. All 4 of the Garver, Polanco, Sano and Keplers struckout or hit lazy weak fly balls way to often for that very reason. It's great when it works but it shows a glaring weakness when it doesn't. 9 singles, a couple of doubles, some sac flies and bunts and 1 home run will win many more games for you than 3 solo shots.

Moves like this is why the Twins fall on their face in the Playoffs. Is it their goal to win Minor League Championships? It would be really good to move away from the Terry Ryan theory of Hope and A Prayer acquisitions.

I think the one thing that is continually over-looked with players that left the Twins and became successful after doing so, no matter the circumstance, is that a new coach or manager or fellow player maybe helped them become better. Maybe the Twins organization didn't have what they needed to succeed, no matter what that was. I have commented previously about Sano being compared to Ortz. Ortiz may have never become the player he turned out to be had he stayed with the Twins. Honestly the Green Monster turned him into a different hitter but someone probably told him to hit the ball off that wall and he found success doing so. It doesn't take much for a successful player in high school or college or the Minors to fail at the major league level if they don't make adjustments or just plain ol' simply don't get the help they need. Sometimes it takes someone in a different organization to find it. How many Hitters would be great instead of pathetic if they would get 3 hits every 10 at bats verses 2 hits? That could be something as simple as bunting down the 3rd base line when a shift is on. Yet 99 out of 100 hitters won't do it. If your talent is limited to hitting the ball one way and only one way then you are hurting yourself and your ballclub. Players today need to get better and smarter. I guarantee you if Pete Rose or Rod Carew were playing today they'd make any shift put on against them their lunch.

There isn't anyone that can/will replace Cruz at DH. If the Twins don't resign him they will go backwards in production at that spot. Of the players you list for the outfield, I like Brantley, Springer, Bradley Jr, and Pillar. Unfortunately only Pillar will come at a cost savings over Eddie. He'd be a good fit even if it's only for piece of mind knowing you have a centerfield replacement for when Buxton breaks a fingernail and has to go on the IR for 2 months. I still say it's time for the youth movement of Kirolloff, Larnach, Rooker, add Celestino and Wade Jr as backups.

Sorry, I don't understand the continuous camparison of Sano to Ortiz. They are hardly the same players. For #1 Sano is a dead pull right-handed hitter. Ortiz was a lefty that hit to all fields once he went to Boston. In Sano's 1st 6 seasons, he had 2256 plate appearances and struck out 834 times. Ortiz in his 1st 6 seasons which got him to 2202 plate appearances he struck out 422 times. Almost half as often. Will Sano ever learn to hit to the opposite field? To use the short Green Monster wall to hit opposite field HomeRuns and doubles like Ortiz did when he went to Boston? I would guess NOT. I don't see any ballparks with a Green Monster in right field. If you don't think the Green Monster changed how Ortiz hit then you are mistaken.

I wouldn't make a move for a catcher. With Garver, Jeffers and Astudillo(emergency use only), there are other positions of greater concern. As far as utility guy, if money is an issue then you have to go with the youth movement now. I know everyone says Lewis needs another year in the minors but he can play multiple positions and will be the cheapest option. Maybe the Twins should quit babying their prospects and let them learn at the major league level. Other teams do it. My bench would include him with Blankenhorn, Gordon and Wade Jr. Larnach, Buxton, Kirilloff/Rooker in the outfield. New 1st baseman or Rooker/Kirilloff, Arraez, Polonco. Donaldson in the Infield. Resign Cruz for DH. Trade Sano, Kepler, Cave, Let Rosario, Marwin, Adrianza walk.

I'd unload Duffey, Buxton, Rosario and Rogers. Time for a youth movement as the present core of players have proven they can't get it done in the playoffs when it counts. I'd also try to trade K-Sano, Kepler and Cave. Don't resign the highly over-rated Marwin or Romo either. This team needs to look a lot different next year if they ever want to get to the next level.

Question is... how many chances do you give him? At some point you have to determine he is what he is and, if it isn't what you want or need then it's time to move on. I think it's that time. If anything he regressed this year. Everyone is saying how a lot of players had a tough season due to the circumstances of covid. But there were a lot of players that didn't too. I'm tired of the excuses. When you're getting paid millions you need to perform at your best no matter what. If we have seen his best, we won't miss it if he's traded.

Sure, maybe the Twins can’t shed the idea that they can’t develop starting pitching. But they don’t really need to. They’ve decided instead to focus on making safe bets on veteran starters and improving internally only when the situation calls for it. They have made other teams expend the energy needed to weed out successful pitchers and then they plunder who they want. It’s a proven system of success and the team has no reason to abandon this plan for the immediate future. This last paragraph says a lot. Yes the Twins have had success doing this. The most notable is Jack Morris taking the bull by the horns and winning Game 7 in 1991. Since then the success has fallen short, so is it really THAT successful? The biggest problem I see is that the Twins won't go the extra mile to sign the ACE they need to win a playoff game. Course, when you have to throw a shutout to win because your offense disappears like Harry Houdini maybe it's a moot point.

I'm tired of the mistake calls. It use to be that Umps stood directly behind the plate thus giving them a better perspective of the entire plate. Now they stand over the inside corner and can't see the outside part of the plate, so they guess. I would venture to bet that 90% of the wrong calls are on the outside part of the plate. Too bad they can't move back over 1 foot so they are centered behind the plate like they use to be. As for being biased we only have to look back to the playoffs this year where the 1st base ump called 2 consecutive Astros runners safe at 1st base only to have both calls reversed on replay. Take your "human factor" and shove it you know where. If the umps aren't going to be held accountable then it's way past time to go with computer technology. When the announcers and the fans can tell within an instant after the pitch crosses the plate if it was a strike or ball then there is no excuse NOT to use it. Something as simple as a red and green light on the scoreboard, red for ball, green for strike, that lights up after each pitch could be used by an Ump sitting behind a monitor screen/TV making the call. The homeplate Ump would only have to work the plate like the other base Umps work the bases. Problem solved.

Yelich is a career .296 hitter. So, yes his .205 season this year is an anomaly and he will probably spring back next season due to a full 162 game schedule. Kepler is a career .237 hitter so his .228 season this year is right on par with his usual. To suggest it is a down season is false. Instead it is what can be expected. I would love to see him traded for an upgrade at any position. Package him with K-Sano and take what you can get. Rooker and Kirilloff can perform as well or BETTER than a .237 hitter and the strikeout King.

Kind of stings a bit when Maeda wasn't left in the game long enough to make a difference in his only playoff game this year and Graterol is in there at the time when it does make a difference. Managing 101?

You ABSOLUTELY bring him back. The lineup was pathetic without him. He would have been even better if he would have had someone who could hit batting behind him in the lineup. Easy out swing at anything Rosario and the Big K Sano don't offer much protection. Why give Boomstick anything to hit?

The bench players, Marwin, Cave, Adrianza, Avila can go away. All of them are easily replacable. I'd be open to trading Sano, Buxton and Kepler for prospects, another top starting pitcher or bullpen help. Sano can't hit with any kind of consistancy, Buxton can't stay on the field with any kind of consistancy and Kepler probably had a career year in 2019 hitting .252 following that up with a .228 season this year. He's a career .237 hitter with an OBP of .319, Really??? from your leadoff guy? Nothing special going on there! If this season proved anything, we need some guys that can hit for average and get on base. Getting 5 or 6 homers each game isn't going to happen often enough to win when you need to. (Playoffs) Rosario for $10M is too much. With Kirilloff, Rooker and Larnach ready to go, He's expendable. Throw in Lewis who can play in the outfield too and you definitely don't need to spend $10M for a guy who swings at anything and throws to the wrong base time after time, again and again. Don't any of these guys learn anything when they make mistakes? Spend the money and bring back Cruz. He was the only guy in the lineup that could hit most of the 2020 season. You definitely bring Polanco, Arraez and Donaldson back. Hopefully all healthy and able to play a full season. I'm comfortable with half a lineup of new young talent. Cruz, Donaldson, Polanco, Arraez, Garver joined with Kirilloff, Rooker, Larnach, Jeffers, Lewis. Teach Astudillo some plate discipline, let Wade Jr have a bench spot, add Blankenhorn and the hitters are set for 2021.

I agree with you on the above post Darius. Baldelli isn't all that he has been bragged up to be. His constant influx of scrub players to give the main guys rest is BS, pure, plain and simple. Maybe these so-called super athletes should try working a 10 or 12 hour shift at a blue-collar job to find out what it's really like to put in a full day of work. Half the time these guys are sitting in the dugout waiting for their turn to bat and the other 45% of the time their standing around on the field. Outside of the pitcher or catcher, in a 3-4 hour game they're actually doing something for maybe 15 or 20 minutes. I'm tired of hearing how they need rest. They have off days for that. Play your best players every day and use them to their fullest.

Unfortunately hitting was the teams demise this year. Who would have thought! I'm ready to move on from the Bomba Squad in favor of some hitters that can hit line drive singles and doubles. Maybe even bunt for a hit on occasion. The lineup has become too one dimensional with what looks like everyone, with the exception of Arraez, swinging for the fences. I'm tired of Sano looking like a lost puppy at the plate, Buxton being a porcelain doll, Rosario swinging at anything, throwing to the wrong base and running with wreckless abandon on the bases. Can anyone hit a linedrive to the opposite field anymore? Maybe bunt down the line for a base hit when the shift is on? Sometimes you have to MAKE the other team react to you, instead of playing into their hands. (Poor Managing)! I really don't care how they do it but I want a whole new outfield, shortstop and 1st baseman. I'm willing to let Arraez, Donaldson, and a platoon of Garver/Jeffers hold down 2B, 3B, and C, and Cruz DH for another year, of course! We can do better at the other positions. Want to keep Polanco, fine but he plays behind a new shortstop and Arraez as a utility guy up the middle. Give the outfield to Kirilloff, Larnach and a new centerfielder, aka FA or trade. Give Lewis the utility role Marwin had. He can't hit any worse and I'll bet he can play all of the same positions just as well for a whole lot less money. So, you trade Sano, Buxton, Kepler. Let Rosario, Cave, Adrianza, Avila walk. Bench spots go to Lewis as your main utility guy, add Blankenhorn, Rooker and Wade Jr. Pitching was the bright spot this year. Too bad this team can't get both sides of the team to work together in the same year. I'd bring back the big 3, Maeda, Berrios and Pineda. Give Odorizzi a chance at a 1 year deal. Look at bringing in another FA or promoting Duran or Balazovic. I've seen enough of Dobnak and Hill isn't going to be good enough much longer. The bullpen is a bigger problem. They definitely need to say bye bye to Romo. I'd like to see Clippard, Rogers, Wisler come back. Not sure about Duffey. He can be lights out but when they really need him to be a shutdown guy, (like in the playoffs) he lays an egg. I'm not sold on Stashak, Thorpe or anyone else they've tried.

Twins 2021: Hitters C-Jeffers/Garver 1B-someone who can hit 2B-Arraez 3B-Donaldson SS-Lewis LF-Larnach CF-someone who can stay healthy RF-Kirilloff DH-Cruz Bench-Polanco, Rooker, Wade, Blankenhorn GoodBye- Avila, Astudillo, Sano, Rosario, Buxton, Kepler, Adrianza, Cave, Marwin. Pitchers SP-Maeda, Berrios, Pineda, Balazovic, add 1 RP-Clippard, Wisler, Alcala, add 3 Hill possible resign for a long relief role. I've seen enough of May, Stashak, Duffey, Rogers and Romo. Not impressed with Dobnak. Let's move forward, not sideways.

Very good article. The one thing that wasn't mentioned when Jeffers was lifted for Garver that shows Baldelli's brain freeze is that Garver hits fastballs not curveballs. Valdez throws curveballs. Why then put Garver into that situation in the first place? He would be one of your worst options. Also would have liked to see Buxton bunt when they had guys on 1st and 2nd no outs. The announcers said later that you don't ask a player to do something they can't do. Buxton used to bunt. Don't think he tried it at all this year. Don't understand why they don't make that part of his game and why he doesn't WANT it to be part of his game. I've never understood why major league hitters can't bunt. High schoolers know how to bunt. With the shifts being deployed on almost every hitter nowadays there are base hit bunts available on almost every at bat. Evidently 2 hits in the first 8 innings, swinging for the fences, is acceptable. To me it's poor baseball.

These are all interesting thoughts. To put it bluntly, the guy should have been on the roster all season. He's shown he can hit at every level and deserved the chance from the get go. If he only hits .250 that's more than Sano, Cave, Wade, Kepler, and the greatly over-rated Marwin.

His biggest problem is he tries to hit 500 foot home runs every time he swings. I'd like to see a different approach especially when he has 2 strikes. How come the hitting Coach and Manager can't get him to try to make contact when he gets to 2 strikes instead of swinging for the fences. His cold streaks last way to long to be an effective part of a lineup and are really a huge liability. I wouldn't care if he was traded. I believe he was the fastest player ever in the history of baseball to reach 1000 strikeouts. Is he too blind to see how hitting doubles and singles, like Arraez did last night can be MORE productive than 3 or 4 strikeouts? We all know he is strong. We've heard it over and over, again and again. We've seen some massive Home Runs. Will he ever grow up, quit trying to show off how far he can hit a baseball, and just become a good HITTER to actually help his team? If he would cut down on his swing make better contact get some singles and doubles, the Home runs will still be there. He doesn't HAVE to swing hard to hit it over the fences.

I'm still a doubter. He's the most over-rated player on the team only because he can play multiple positions. So he produced 2 games in a row. What about the 15 in a row when he doesn't? 5 players that need to go bye bye to make this team better: Marwin, Cave, Adrianza, Wade, and Rosario.

I'm tired of Baldelli's decision making. So in the 2nd game of a doubleheader we need to rest Arraez, Buxton and Polonco and play the 3 duds of Marwin, Wade and Adrianza? Don't get me wrong, in a long 162 game season you want to keep your guys fresh and well rested, I get it. But this is far from a 162 game schedule and with 2 off days in front of you there is NO REASON NOT to put your best lineup on the field every game. Has Buxton played so many games already that he needed to rest? Is Polonco not going into the games on Tuesday as one of your hottest hitters? Is Arraez so exhausted he cannot play 14 innings in 1 day? Yes Dobnak layed an egg, but Baldelli's decision to constantly give at bats to guys that are not performing and producing runs very well cost us the game as well. With those 3 in the lineup maybe we score another 3 or 4 runs and win instead of lose.

If Eddie was a youngster I'd give him a pass but given the fact he's a veteran on a team trying to win a championship, his bone-head plays should have ended years ago. You may like his aggressiveness at the plate and on the bases but when it costs your team outs it's going to cost you games as well. Will everyone be so forgiving when he plays like that in the playoffs and it costs them a game or series? I'd like to see what Kirilloff or Larnach can give us in his place.