Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

arby58

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,702

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    8

 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

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by arby58

  1. arby58
    I'm not sure 'strong' is the word I would use to describe the Twins core. Inconsistent sounds closer to the mark. If you line up 2024 and 2025, Buxton is the only one who has put together two solid seasons, and even then, he missed 60 games in 2024 (but still put up a WAR of 3.6). Ryan had a great 2025 but missed much of 2024, Lopez was the opposite, great in 2024 but missed much of 2025. Ober battled injuries all year and had an ERA north of 5, Wallner's OPS was league average this year after a strong 2024, etc,, etc.
  2. arby58
    I think they hold onto Wallner, who, even with an up and down season last year has a career OPS+ of 127. My guess is he ends up DHing a lot. Larnach, on the other hand, has a career OPS+ of 101, and 1 more HR than Wallner for his career - in 635 more ABs. Yes, trade him for something serviceable. Martin might be their best trade bait, as he definitely showed significant improvement, both in the OF and at the plate. I doubt either Outman or Roden will get you much of anything in trade at the moment.
  3. arby58
    It's worth noting that both Brunansky and Gagne were acquired via trades. Bruno as part of a package from the Angels for Doug Corbett and Rob Wilfong, and Gagne with Ron Davis from the Yankees for Roy Smalley.
  4. arby58
    MLB doesn't include Abel on the Twins top prospects list presumably because they consider him to have too much MLB experience. Their list has Kendry Rojas at #5 - and I'm at least as excited by him as by Abel, albeit with a bit less experience. It's been some time since the Twins had a solid left handed starting pitcher.
  5. arby58
    Buxton likes batting lead-off, and you want to get him as many ABs as possible when he's in the lineup. If the R/L/R/L thing is important, you could go Buxton, Keaschall, Lewis, Jenkins, Jeffers, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Lee, with a first baseman to be named later. In that line-up, one of the four OF would DH, probably Gonzalez. That is also a pretty good defensive outfield, and maybe Buxton moves to RF. Of course, putting all three AAA outfielders in the starting lineup is a stretch, but next year is likely to be a developmental year anyway.
  6. arby58
    He and Lopez are the primary reasons the Twins have won a play-off series in the last 20 years.
  7. arby58
    Agreed. Every time a player has a promising start but then fails to deliver over the long run, when is it on the player? Outman had a very strong start to his career - is it the Dodgers fault he hasn't lived up to it?
  8. arby58
    The point of a lead off hitter is to get on base AND score runs. Arraez' gaudy stats are missing the most important component: runs scored. Here is how he has done with that - I already provided the stats for 2025. 2024: 83 runs (39th in MLB) in 637 Plate Appearances 2023: 71 runs (88th) in 574 PAs 2022: 88 runs (29th) in 547 PAs 2021: 58 runs (141st) in 479 PAs. Given that he doesn't hit the ball hard or over the fence, what exactly does he do other than pile up singles for a high batting average?
  9. arby58
    Last year's OBP for Arraez was ,327, 82nd in MLB, and the same as Byron Buxton. The problem with Arraez is he mostly hits singles, and he is slow - he clogs up the bases. Buxton, in 488 plate appearances last year, scored 97 runs. Arraez, in 620 plate appearances, scored 66 - which was 102nd in MLB. He is not a prototypical lead-off hitter (get on base AND score runs) and he certainly isn't a prototypical first baseman (low OPS, few home runs).
  10. arby58
    The negativity on this board - you all need to find things that bring joy into your life. I like baseball - it's a beautiful game, but it is a game. Really, does the result of a Twins game or a season define you? Is it really that important? Living in Iowa, I know lots of Cubs fans - now those are fans! They hadn't tasted a World Series or a win for a lifetime! Yet they kept rooting and believing, and finally it happened. Good for them! Most of you are baseball crybabies, and I'm sick of it. I will not return. I will love baseball, and the Twins, though - and hope maybe some of you might do the same.
  11. arby58
    Can't argue with that - of course, you have just defeated your own argument. In policy debate, they call that a turnaround.
  12. arby58
    You forget he traded FOR Duran. BTW, Duran has not been an All Star.
  13. arby58
    It's a title earned in human tournaments, so it's not going to go away. You call it slop - they used to say the same thing about accountants who used Excel rather than a 9-key keypads that produced paper tape output. Time marches on - and productivity improves.
  14. arby58
    You're shifting the goal posts. Now it is that they developed players, but those who developed them are gone? As if they died with the secret?
  15. arby58
    I'm fascinated by those who view AI as something to be categorically disdained. Machine learning via AI comes from distilling the content produced by humans. Sometimes it is portrayed in ways that aren't accurate - sort of like humans. I am a national master in chess. 20 years ago, the best 'AI' programs couldn't compete with the best human players. That ship has sailed - the best chess AI programs routinely beat even the best human players - even giving odds. Embrace change - or wait for the tire tracks on your chest and forehead.
  16. arby58
    You sound like 'get off my lawn' grumpy old men.
  17. arby58
    Jeffers wasn't a developed catcher?
  18. arby58
    SI gave the Phillies an A- and the Twins a B+. Their write up on the Twins side: "The Twins were certainly hoping to get their hands on Painter, but Abel is an excellent consolation prize. Though he had a 5.04 ERA in his first six starts, he was sensational in his debut, striking out nine batters while surrendering five hits and no runs against the Padres. His upside his high, and he won't be as under as much pressure to perform right away with the Twins not contending just yet. Minnesota's farm system was lacking a top right-handed pitching prospect, and they received just that in Abel, as well as a developmental piece in Tait who could potentially be an everyday catcher in the majors down the line."
  19. arby58
    I don't get this 'failed at player development' mantra. Starting pitching was seen as a strength until injuries took its toll. They traded for Lopez (for a player they developed), but Ryan, Ober, SWR, Matthews, Festa, etc. are theirs, in terms of development. They developed Duran, Jax, Varland among the power arms in the bullpen. In the field, they developed Buxton, Jeffers, Lewis (sorry about injuries, that is not on development), Wallner. That's not 'failed at player development' when that is most of the core of the team.
  20. arby58
    Fangraphs - the site that picked the Twins to win the division each of the last two years.
  21. arby58
    Amen, brother.
  22. arby58
    Sometimes you snooze, you lose. We are not privvy to the discussions with other teams, I assume this was the best offer they had. Teams can move on to other targets. We are seeing that this trade season.
  23. arby58
    The myopia around here. They developed Buxton, they developed Lewis (injuries are not the fault of the development staff). They developed Jeffers. They developed Wallner (and if you are going to complain, he has a 128 OPS+ for his career). They developed Ryan, they developed Duran, they developed Jax, they developed Ober, they developed Varland. Etc., etc, etc. There are plenty of young players where the jury is still out. Books Lee is an example. They have plenty of highly rated prospects in the pipeline, including Keaschall, Culpepper, Rodriguez, Jenkins.
  24. arby58
    I used MLB.com. We all know prospects are a lottery ticket, but Abel was at least already in MLB, and was starting for a stretch for a pretty good team. His AAA stats are also good this year, with a 7-2 record, 2.31 ERA 1.161 WHIP and 81 Ks in 74 IP.
  25. arby58
    When the Twins traded for Duran in 2018, he was in A ball too. It took four years to get to MLB, and another year to settle in. I know that patience is hard for many fans to accept, but Tait was the Phillies #4 prospect and, according to MLB.com, #56 in the top 100 prospects in MLB this year. They had Keaschall at 42 and Kaelen Culpepper at 85, for comparison. Meanwhile, Abel was already part of the Phillies starting pitching staff. Yes, control has been an issue, but he's still young, and he was also the #49 prospect in 2024 - not far from Emma, who was 42. They basically got what they asked for - two top 100 prospects.
×
×
  • Create New...