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Otaknam

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Everything posted by Otaknam

  1. Otaknam
    I thought Bundy did ok as a number five starter. The trouble is that Archer was their number five starter. But it seems like they could get that production from a younger player for a lot less money. Still I hate the way Rocco mishandles the staff. Imagine Morris, Viola, Santana, Verlander, or any 15-20 game winners being lifted after five innings because the manager doesn’t have confidence they can get three more outs. Who would want to be a starting pitcher for a guy who doesn’t believe in you?
  2. Otaknam
    Early returns from the AFL are that Martin is raking offensively. I don’t know about defense, but I thought they are now viewing him as an outfielder.
  3. Otaknam
    The fact that the Twins signed Dobnak to a contract extension when he had accomplished very little was head scratcher and gives me pause. But extending Arraez, Miranda, Duran and Ryan does make sense given their current value. Marketing will be built around Arraez, given that Buxton can only play half a season.
  4. Otaknam
    Have to respect player like Cave who hustles, runs out every ground ball, makes maximum effort every play. Not everyone on the team does that. I prefer him as a backup outfielder instead of the punchless Celestine. I wish him well in Baltimore.
  5. Otaknam
    Of course the Twins won’t pursue Judge, so why write about it? Running out of ideas?
  6. Otaknam
    I do believe they have a solid nucleus of everyday players. Jeffers is still questionable as an everyday catcher. Not sure why others disparage Wallner’s defense. My understanding is that he has above average speed for a big guy and has a rocket for an arm as a former pitcher. Did we see enough of Miranda at third to judge him incapable of playing there ever day?
  7. Otaknam
    Injuries were the biggest problem, especially to the starting pitchers. Lack of an ace or number 2 starter means any playoff run will be short. Most of their current SP crop looks like number 3-4 starters but you need a shutdown starter. Fire Rocco and hire a manager who isn’t buried in his computer spreadsheet and afraid to make an actual intuitive decision. Unless the BP is fantastic let starters pitch at least six innings when they are pitching well and the pitch count is manageable. I do think the nucleus of younger position players is solid but the injuries are a concern. I’m undecided on Correa because of the cost to extend him for 7-10 years. The last several years of that contract will hamstring the team so I doubt the team will go that route. I think Correa will find a contender who will pay him big money anyway. Positives are Ryan, Miranda, Gordon, a couple of BP arms.
  8. Otaknam

    High Marks??

    Otaknam commented on Doc Munson's blog entry in Fantasy GM

    It’s all about the pitching, especially the starters. The Twins have no ace or number two starters that have emerged. Until that happens no playoff run is possible.
  9. Otaknam
    Pretty negative take. As a long time Twins fan if I felt that the off season moves would be pointless I’d turn my attention elsewhere instead of deciding to be frustrated.
  10. Otaknam
    Done with Baldelli! I agree with other posts that Rocco’s dogmatic inflexible analytics approach has to be discarded from time to time in favor of using his intuition. His refusal to let the SP go past five innings is only the most obvious example. That works if your bullpen is solid but no one will argue that was the case this year. When starters are removed after five solid innings and 75 pitches to bring in a guy like Pagan, the only conclusion is that Rocco has no instincts for managing. Also his inflexibility on giving players days off is puzzling. Apparently those are scheduled many days in advance. Players do needs days off but there are times when the hottest hitter is on the bench because it was scheduled a week ago. Let him keep taking for a few more games. There were also times when both Correa and Buxton were benched while the team was struggling. How does that make sense? I just see Rocco managing by computer algorithm instead of with the instincts you expect from a competent manager.
  11. Otaknam
    Obviously there is no correlation between the first start and career success. Not sure why you raised the question.
  12. Otaknam
    I’d sign him for one year for depth and see how the year plays out. Maybe he could be a trade trip mid summer if Lewis is ready.
  13. Otaknam
    Thx for pointing out the definition of a quality start. Maybe a five inning start is a Rocco quality start. The rest of us know better.
  14. Otaknam
    Still hopeful on Martin. His stolen base numbers are eye catching though Rocco wouldn’t let him steal a base because maybe someone behind him in the lineup might hit a home run. Earl Weaver reincarnated.
  15. Otaknam
    The injuries did decimate the team but Rocco should not get a free pass. His slavish devotion to analytics and lack of trust in his starters was frustrating, especially with a bullpen that was poor. His Earl Weaver refusal to utilize the speed he had to occasionally steal a base or try a hit and run, especially when the offense was sluggish, a frequent occurrence, was a head scratcher. And of course the many base running blunders says to me the coaching staff didn’t do a good job. I wish they’d move on from him.
  16. Otaknam
    Given the team’s collapse I say it’s time to give SWR his last start this year at the big league level. That would help to calm the jitters to have SWR get a start this year in pace of Bundy. What’s the downside?
  17. Otaknam
    Every time Buxton runs the bases, slides, or goes after a fly ball I cringe, expecting another injury. He is clearly a difference maker when in the lineup but he can’t be counted on. Having him DH to prevent more injuries would help, but he might need a designated runner like in senior softball to prevent pulled a calf or hamstring.
  18. Otaknam
    I’ve become skeptical of the team’s future starters, given the mounting injuries. Also, as noted by a previous posting, hardly anyone on this list has averaged more than five innings. How is that developing a workhorse pitcher, especially when Rocco doesn’t trust his starting pitchers to go through the lineup a third time? No workhorse free agent pitcher would ever sign here with that philosophy. So count me skeptical that this management and coaching staff can develop top flight starters.
  19. Otaknam
    Tanking in baseball is a crap shoot because top talent is harder to project than it is in other sports. Of course there are occasionally a Ken Griffey Jr. or Carlos Correa available who are viewed as can’t miss prospects.
  20. Otaknam
    It does give you hope. The key is for the starters to remain starters and hopefully one of them can become at least a number two starter. The team will go nowhere without high end starting pitchers. Five number 3, 4, or 5 starters won’t get you to the World Series.
  21. Otaknam
    With minor league starters dropping like flies I have to wonder about their approach to developing pitchers. In fact given the mountain of injuries on the big league club, resulting in a majority minor league lineup in a series they had to win, it makes you wonder about the entire medical staff’s handling of injuries.
  22. Otaknam
    Another season of moving on from baseball once the NFL starts. The predictable Buxton injury was especially frustrating. Trades for broken down pitchers Paddock and Mahle that didn’t help this year were especially aggravating and a black mark on the FO. Lost a lot of minor league arms for 7 starts total.
  23. Otaknam
    Since the Twins won’t pay big money for a top of the rotation free agent starter, the FO took a measured risk with mid rotation starters with injury concerns. And ir hasn’t turned out well. The larger problem is the inability to develop potential number one and two starters, which are essential to making a strong playoff run. The current team will not be positioned for any playoff run until that happens. Also the injury problems of their highly regarded minor league starters is a concern, especially since the organizational theory of four to five innings that Rocco dogmatically follows, using a computer algorithm instead of actually managing on a game to game basis, is also applied in the minors. Pretty disappointing about how this team is managed.
  24. Otaknam
    Good luck to Varland making his debut in the Bronx. It will be a start to remember. It is some good starting pitching news for the team after so many of their promising starters have been injured, non productive, or traded, which doesn’t bode well for the team going forward. They still don’t have a legit ace or number two starter.
  25. Otaknam
    Just a suggestion. Show their their position and height/weight and age next to their names?
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