Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

Otaknam

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,120

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 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

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by Otaknam

  1. Otaknam
    Farmer is an asset but also a luxury because he makes $6 million, a high salary for a backup infielder. That makes him expendable and a trade candidate for suddenly penurious Twins.
  2. Otaknam
    It seems like DaShawn Keirsey should be a higher ranked prospect in the organization. Based on his minor league stats he hits for a solid batting average, has some pop, and great speed with a 85% stolen base success rate. Additionally he is an excellent outfielder. So aside from above average power, what’s not to like? Why isn’t he more highly thought of?
  3. Otaknam
    A wake up call for Jovani Moran to figure out how to throw more strikes. Hope he does w that great arm.
  4. Otaknam
    The shuttle to St. Paul will be busy this year, especially if the starters can’t go six innings consistently. This guy will likely be riding it.
  5. Otaknam
    It seems to me that it would be easier to teach patient hitters to be more aggressive earlier in the count than to get aggressive hitters to be more patient.
  6. Otaknam
    I am not fond of pitchers with control problems, regardless of their stuff. A quick search of Cabrera’s career stats shows he walks almost 6/9 innings and his 2023 WHIP was 1.44, just slightly higher than his career average. He averages about 2 strikeouts to one walk, so control issue is a big concern. A straight up trade for Larnach with one other 10-25 level prospect makes sense to me.
  7. Otaknam
    It wouldn’t surprise me if Gordon is traded before the season starts. Castro has bypassed him based on last year, and provided more speed too. Also Martin may make the roster and has options.
  8. Otaknam
    Good for Jackson getting some guaranteed money for the first time, which isn’t a lot compared to other contracts. But let’s remember this FO gave Dobnak a guaranteed five year, $9.25 million contract based on him being a 4 and sometimes 5 inning starter. That was a head scratcher at the time, IMO. Now Dobnak can’t even make the active roster. Meanwhile a younger Balazovic, once a top prospect, is dropped from the roster and likely lost, in favor of a 36 year old pitcher. So pardon me if I’m skeptical of FO moves with pitching.
  9. Otaknam
    The FO’s love affair with home runs makes them indifferent to other important aspects of the game that contribute to team success. Martin is a good example. Trying to unleash power seems to have diminished the skills he does have: a contact hitter, speed/base stealing, high on base percentage, and defensive flexibility. Let Martin relax and be the player he is and let’s see what happens. My guess is he becomes a valuable multi position player.
  10. Otaknam
    I don’t think the front office overvalues him, aside from the fact that there is no obvious replacement currently on the team. The FO will of course point to last year’s resurgence and Kepler’s strong defense in any trade talks, hoping to sell high. Because Kepler had several mediocre seasons before his second half surge in 2023, other teams must be hesitant to believe he can repeat it.
  11. Otaknam
    Click bait column, but I’ll bite. Signing Hernandez would be a head scratcher. With the team’s self imposed financial limitations it makes more sense to utilize the current roster of Castro, Gordon, and Martin. Why sign a more expensive utility guy and potentially lose Gordon? Makes no sense.
  12. Otaknam
    2010: “We need public supported financing to build Target Field. The new ballpark will help us generate enough revenue to compete for the World Series.” 2024: “Our revenue is down because of the BALLY contract fiasco. So we’re cutting payroll despite having a roster of young stars and a team that is built to contend for the World Series.”
  13. Otaknam
    A welcome change from the home run or strikeout lineup the FO has constructed. Let’s hope he still is a dangerous hitter and has something left. He replaces Gallo’ 40%+ strikeouts mixed in with an occasional hit, so that’s an upgrade despite his defensive limitations.
  14. Otaknam
    I think Kiriloff already knows he needs to stay on the field. It’s not like he concocts reasons to miss games, his body just hasn’t cooperated.
  15. Otaknam
    An excellent analysis of Polanco’s tenure with the Twins, truly a win/win. Remarkably, Polanco’s contract seems somewhat low now, But it was life changing for him and insured him against a possible a career ending injury or illness. Polanco will still be young enough to get another contract when this one is done, extending his career and banking decent baseball money. Meanwhile the team’s bet on Polanco paid off, with this trade bringing back some assets that should help the team this year and in the future. I especially like Gonzales’ potential as a right handed power hitter.
  16. Otaknam
    Just spit balling here, but maybe because Seattle has to agree to do it too.
  17. Otaknam
    A right handed hitting outfielder is more important, given the current roster makeup. But this move wouldn’t surprise me, given Falvey’s Cleveland roots. It would push Miranda off the 26 man roster, though, as platooning at first against lefties and DH occasionally seems to be his ticket to the active roster. But spending some time in the minors to learn a new position and regain his confidence at the plate is not a bad idea.
  18. Otaknam
    You always hope your early draft picks become impact players with high ceilings. But if they become big leaguers and solid position players, a starting pitcher or high leverage bullpen pitcher, that’s still a decent pick. Nick Gordon is an example of a disappointing early pick. One breakout utility season followed by injury, and not a great minor league history for a number one. At least he has shown enough ability to be on a ML roster. Of course there are a huge number of early draft choices who flame out, so there is that.
  19. Otaknam
    The trade makes sense given the Twins desire to move Polanco’s salary. Topa provides a proven arm in a BP that should be very solid. It looks like the addition of DiSclafani pushes Varland to the BP, where he could be electric like he was at the end of last year. Hopefully Canterino, Balazovic, Winder or someone else also emerges to provide a high 90’s arm to the BP. Still the loss of Gray and Maeda has weakened the starting pitching, and DiSclafani is unlikely to make up for that. Right now the plan appears to be to have back end starters pitch 4-5 innings and count on the bullpen to win the game, similar to what KC did in 2014-15 in their World Series run. That would require a constant flow of arms from AAA to keep everyone fresh.
  20. Otaknam
    Rodriquez and Gonzales seem like similar players in the same position. The differences are that Rodriquez bats left handed and has a solid defensive profile. Gonzales bats right handed and is somewhat limited defensively despite his great arm. I wonder if one of these guys, probably Gonzales, will be dealt in another trade package this spring to acquire a starter.
  21. Otaknam
    Another column indicated that Seattle kicked in $8 million of the $12 million DeSclafani salary. $4 million for a back of the rotation veteran starter is probably close to market value, sadly.
  22. Otaknam
    This trade is about opening playing time for Lee and dumping Polanco’s salary. DiSclafani looks like an overpriced number five starter, but does add depth that is always needed. And it looks like the Mariners kicked in $8 million to offset this salaries. Hopefully DiSclafani has an upside and can give the team effective innings. The trade also provides proven depth to the BP, which is never a bad idea. Farmer and his $6 million is likely the next guy gone in a salary move, leaving Castro and/or Gordon as a Swiss Army knife type bench player. IF Buxton can play CF regularly, then Lee can get at bats as DH and move around the infield, giving CORREA, LEWIS AND Julien days off or days as DH. Aside from Correa that’s a very young prospect laden infield.
  23. Otaknam
    Excellent summary that we player development junkies just love! Drilling down to others who have a solid and protectable upside but are not considered top 20.
  24. Otaknam
    Because it is very unusual. And rushing a prospect who isn’t quite ready can create its own problems when there are some inevitable bumps along the way. Teams also manage callups to manipulate time on the major league roster to maintain team control of free agency for another year.
  25. Otaknam
    Ho hum! Back to acquiring scrap heap players on the cheap for a team allegedly built to win now. Meanwhile significant players are signing elsewhere as the front office strives for mediocrity.
×
×
  • Create New...