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Otaknam

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Everything posted by Otaknam

  1. Otaknam
    Good points. Pitchers are always a big risk, especially starters with injury histories. But it’s too soon to declare the 2024 draft was poor. We won’t know that for at least two years.
  2. Otaknam
    This actually makes some sense and would add a left handed starter and solidify the rotation. I believe Luzardo has two years remaining on his contract, so it’s not a one year deal. Keaschall could be a big loss, but right now that is an unknown. Culpepper appears to be at best a low rotation starter. And the team would also have to move Vasquez, no small task given his ludicrous contract. I think they can find a taker for Paddock and his $7.5 million contract. He has recovered from TJ and just needs more innings. Or maybe they just start Paddock and not make the trade, since Luzardo makes more than Paddock. .
  3. Otaknam
    Not interested in Jiminez. Lewis and Correa will be everyday infield starters, with Miranda, Lee, Julien, and maybe at some point Keachall needing at bats too. As the rooster current stands, Miranda, Lee and Julien will mix and match at third, second and DH, leaving no at bats for Jimenez. And the team may dumpster dive for an actual low cost fading veteran first baseman and move on from Miranda or Julien. In that case they should just resign Santana, IMO.
  4. Otaknam
    The comparison of Ryan to Brad Radke is valid, a really solid starter who will hopefully give you 30 starts and at least 180 innings. But with three years of team control until he is 32, an extension doesn’t make sense, especially with the cheap Pohlads trying to sell the team. And the FO likes to brand itself as a pitcher development pipeline, with a stable of cheaper starters always ready to emerge, like Morris, Festa, Matthews and Maya. So trading Ryan in 2-3 years at the deadline to acquire younger players is the likely strategy going forward, unless a new owner wants to actually win.
  5. Otaknam
    I think you’re right on Bader contract wise. It would be great if Erod forced their hand and he made the team out of spring training. But while he isn’t a free swinger, he still bats left handed and they need a right handed bat in the outfield. The same with Kiersey, who I think will get a chance before EROD. Kiersey has earned the chance and has excellent speed and defense. And he would make the major league minimum . For a team not planning to compete, saving money will drive these decisions.
  6. Otaknam
    SWR’s season was a success by any measure, given the bumps in his development. But unless he develops a better fastball he seems have number 4 starter as his upside, or more likely number 5. However, the team gave up Berrios, a legit number 2- or 3+ starter, for SWR and a backup player in Martin, which isn’t a lot to show for it. At least they saved $131 million over 7 years, which they won’t spend to upgrade the current roster.
  7. Otaknam
    It is tempting! But I would until they have proven their skills over a longer period of time. That may just mean a strong, if not sensational rookie season, where the team can see the potential and the player gets lifetime financial security.
  8. Otaknam
    I disagree that this clickbait proposal is laughable. The Twins are in salary dump mode, so any move that frees up $5-10 million will be considered, regardless of what it brings back. That is where we are with this team right now.
  9. Otaknam
    Festa is their best hope for a starter taking the next step, just like Ober did. I wonder if the team thinks he needs to add another pitch during the off season, or just work to refine what he has and add a couple of mph to his fastball. Hopefully a couple of others from the list of SWR, Matthews, Lewis, Morris, Raya, and Prielipp emerge to be solid starters. Prielipp could move fast if he is healthy and pitching well.
  10. Otaknam
    With no other current options this guy would be fine. He has the finances and the interest, and he’s no Red McCombs. All billionaire businessmen have alleged questionable business practices. As long as he has no ties with Russian oligarchs, like some corrupt US politicians, I would be happy if he was the owner.
  11. Otaknam
    Turner makes sense if they just need a right handed DH. But right now they need to find at bats for Miranda and Julien, assuming they make the active roster. They might even pivot, not sign Santana, Turner or anyone else, and play Miranda and Julien out of position at first, and occasionally at their normal positions at third and second, saving the $5+ million. The team has a record of playing people out of position (Lewis in the outfield….how did that go? Martin in the outfield, Miranda at first, etc.). So staying pat would be the unsurprising choice to save money, and go with the current players, even if it weakens the team. Clearly the ownership isn’t focused on a winning season, just cutting costs to maximize profit. And after the public paid for a great ballpark, the Pohlads again give the fans the middle finger.
  12. Otaknam
    Hoping Canterino is healthy and earns an opening day roster spot with his electric fastball. But there should be no discussion of trading Ryan, Lopez or Ober, weakening the starting rotation. Festa, Matthews, and the other potential young starters are all unproven. Even if a couple of young guys emerge as mid rotation starters, the team still has no real ace like a young version of Verlander, a stopper who you can count on to pitch 7-9 very effective innings every time out. Lopez has too many clunker starts to put him in the ace class, though he is the Twins’ top starter when he is on.
  13. Otaknam
    Love the sarcastic take on the Twins offseason. We can now look forward to their next big move, buying reconditioned baseballs from China to save money on pre game batting practice home runs.
  14. Otaknam
    I think the Ishibia boys could afford to purchase a lovely Twin Cities lake home or downtown penthouse to escape the Phoenix heat during the summer.
  15. Otaknam
    That’s well said! The Vasquez signing was always a head scratcher given the cost for three years. The team is no longer in win mode, just salary dump mode, and moving Vasquez for nothing, if they can, will be an example. The actions of ownership clearly shows it is indifferent to winning after the taxpayers gave them a new beautiful ballpark, raising the team’s value. Do you think the Polhads will give some of the profit from the sale back to the taxpayers? Just kidding! We know that answer, don’t we!
  16. Otaknam
    Trading solid starting pitchers like Ryan, Ober, or Lopez makes no sense and weakens the team that another hitter doesn’t address. They need Correa, Buxton, and Lewis to be healthy. The rest of the lineup will be filled by younger players and a cheap free agent or two. And they could resign Santana to fill in first, but even he is probably too expensive for this penurious ownership.
  17. Otaknam
    We’re back to salary dump mode for the Twins. Target Field was supposed to provide such a great fan experience that the rising attendance would keep the team financially competitive. The predicable outcome is that, while Target Field is great, the big money teams like the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, etc., raise the financial stakes every year, rendering the Twins and others neutered competitively. See Juan Soto or Otani for the most obvious examples of raising the bar financially. Now the Twins look at a $3 million salary as a reason to move on from that player.
  18. Otaknam
    So will they keep Castro too if they sign Rosario, with two position flexible players? Or is the plan to let Castro go to save $3 million? Another more likely and plausible option for the cheapskate Twins is to save the $3-6 million they would pay for Castro or Rosario and just hope that Austin Martin gets better, or that Hellman earns his way to utility role, saving $5+ million.
  19. Otaknam
    If the Twins expect to compete on the field they should keep Paddock and let him try to win a rotation spot. But because money is more important to ownership than a winning team, Paddock is likely gone on a salary dump. Vasquez is a bigger issue, given his ludicrous $10 million contract. They’ll have to be creative to find a team to take on that contract and his .220 average with little power, probably paying a portion of the salary. Nice move, front office!
  20. Otaknam
    Russell Smith has a high 80s fastball and high walk rate. No thanks! Franklin as a right handed hitter as a fourth outfielder with speed who can play all three outfield position might make sense if they don’t think Martin or Helman is the guy. But if they make a Rule 5 pick I think it will be a lefty reliever.
  21. Otaknam
    No reason to trade the mainstays of the starting rotation of Ober, Ryan or Lopez. Without a solid rotation you have no chance to win. A cursory look at Casas shows that he has some power, strikes out a lot, and hits left handed. This team needs a right handed power hitter, especially for when Buxton and Correa again go down with injuries. Casas isn’t the answer.
  22. Otaknam
    The Twins have become street urchins of baseball, with their hand out hoping someone will take Vasquez and his always head scratching contract off their hands. And that someone will give them anything for Paddock and his $7.5 million contract. But even if those two events happen this offseason, I fear they will still try to dump salary in a way that hurts the team. Good luck getting the fans on board when your goal is to cut salary instead of getting better.
  23. Otaknam
    For some reason I cannot read this column. But if the writer is suggesting the Twins pursue either Bellinger or Suzuki, I doubt it. The Twins need a right handed hitting fourth outfielder who can play all three positions. Bellinger is a lefty hitter. Suzuki is under contract for $15 million for the next two years, so that only works if they trade Vasquez and Paddock. Even if they did, is Suzuki a fourth outfielder, or more likely he displaces either Larnach or Wallner as the everyday outfielder. And Suzuki would still be owed $15 million for the following year, so the numbers in a trade for Vazquez and Paddock only match for one year.I don’t see this as a viable option, given the penurious owners.
  24. Otaknam
    Arraez would be fine if his defense was solid and he had some defensive flexibility. Glad the Twins traded him when they did. Lopez has been pretty good, though he is not a number one starter.
  25. Otaknam
    Trading either Ryan or Ober would verify that the Twins are not interested in competing for the playoffs, Both are solid mid rotation starters capable of winning 13-15 games on a good team, and with number 2- or 3+ Lopez give the team a good three man rotation. Add SWR as a hopefully improving number five and Festa, Matthews or one of the minor league starters, and the only thing missing is a number one starter. Even the Twins won’t screw that up by weakening the rotation with a trade.
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