Riverbrian

I'm sorry... I just did exactly that. My Fault. You can see how this will play out because things even out in the end... All the guys we have hitting below .235 will start to hit a little and raise their averages. When that is happening we will build some leads and that's when the bullpen will come back down to the level we expected of them. That may sound negative but that #1 pick in 2013 is exciting for me. The Twins will have the next Stephen Strausburg... I don't know who he is... But he's coming.

About Bartlett... I know... I'm just saying. I hope you are right about Oliveros... But let me ask you this... Would you rather have Oliveros OR... Chris Archer, Hak Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer, Sam Fuld and Robinson Chirinos. Trades only happen because there is something wrong with the player(s) being traded. Those Cubs Prospects were too young to contribute therefore available. Superstars are available only when they are about to become too expensive or getting ready to leave. Young talented players in the majors like Delmon are only available if they are bad attitudes. If you want to build your team via the trade... The only strategy that works is to trade for the flawed young player who might develop into something. The other guys without flaws are not available for trade. Bill Smith got his butt handed to him by a (at the time) 30 year old ex investment banker named Friedman.

I understand what you are saying... I'm saying without researching it. That very few teams are getting killed like this. Not question the contracts in total... Just the freeking luck. I was happy they actually spent money... I remember Calvin Griffith and the Metrodome Pohlad payroll that followed him... Loved that they were finally investing to retain talent instead of watching your guys leave for better deals. I would have given Mauer 23 Million... I would have given Morneau his contract. Liriano was worth the shot. I wouldn't have reached deep for Pavano or Baker or Blackburn but that was me personally. Look at it this way... After year upon year of Calvin Griffith... Followed by year after year of Carl Pohlad and the non revenue producing Metrodome. As an organization... They finally open the checkbook and sign some big contracts and look what happens. They got crippled by it. I'm saying... I waited a long time for this and was looking forward to what turned out to be punch in the face. I'm not sure the punch was worth the wait.

The things about trades are this... If someone is willing to trade someone to you... THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIM. The Delmon Young trade was an over reaction trade by a young GM. In 2008 everyone was screaming for Power and offense because it was lacking the year prior. Morneau and Hunter were the only power sources in 2007. Hunter was looking for a long deal and heading out of town. Cuddyer and Kubel parked 16 and 13 homers respectively. With Hunter leaving we had 3 guys in double digits. Gardy didn't like Garza(I have no personal knowledge just read that a couple of times) so the Young GM Bill Smith made a deal for Delmon Young who the Rays were willing to part with because he was an extreme attitude problem and they wanted to cash him in when the right deal came along. There was something wrong with Garza so we traded him for Young... Who the Rays had a problem with. Garza was then traded to the Cubs for a boatload of prospects... The Rays could have traded any of their pitchers and may have got more prospects... Something was still wrong with Garza... What was wrong with those Cubs Prospects... They were too YOUNG. Delmon Young was traded for Lester Oliveros. God I hope Oliveros becomes something... Anything. Cuz Oliveros cost us Garza and Bartlett and boy do we need starting pitching and a shortstop right now.

I got to get this off my chest. I'm still trying to walk this one off. To many it's a small issue in the face of many large issues with the 2012 Twins. To Me... It's a big picture large philisophical issue. To be very clear... I don't care about Hughes and Burroughs. I harbored no illusions that these two were going to perform like Andrew McCutchen or even McGehee for that matter. My problem that I struggle with is this: Burroughs had 17 at bats... Hughes had 10 at bats. Meanwhile the starting lineup features thus far: Carroll .213 Velencia .232 Doumit .230 Morneau .230 Parmelee .222 Shaking things up means cutting the guys who didn't play!!! Leaving the ones actually playing to continue. This is my issue and it is still bugging me. It's like if your car doesn't work so you give away your bicycle.

Going into the season... Everyone was concerned about the bullpen. So far the Bullpen has been the only thing performing. Baseball is a funny game that way.

Yeah, it is the nature of the business but way too much nature with our Twins. So much nature that Trees are growing out of Gardenhires nostrils. Mauer 23M Morneau 15M Pavano 9M Baker 6M Liriano 5.5M Blackburn 4.75M Can you say that we are getting 62.75 Million worth of production out of 6 of our top 7 salaries. Let's add Jamey Carroll 38 years old and $2.75M Now you are looking at 65.5 million for 7 players. Tampa Bay's Payroll is 65 Million. (I know this is a bad example. Tampa Bay has been a model Farm system and is producing young talent and more young talent to keep them World Series threats so thats a tough grading curve.) The Twins owners have shown that they will spend a little so I don't believe that is the issue. It's the nature of what we are spending it on. The Nature of the Business has been a F5 Tornado. It's leveling the town. When do we call FEMA.

I have no idea who is good and who is not. I know or at least assume that the #2 pick should be pretty nice value. That said... I understand BPA... I'm Ok with BPA... However... from a value standpoint... You have to draft Pitching and lots of Pitching... You have to stockpile it. Here's why: 1. Pitchers are always ending up with arm problems... You need excess to replace the inevitable injuries. 2. Pitchers are always ending up with arm problems on other teams so they are always looking for pitching. 3. If you have excess pitching... you can trade it for the position players that you didn't draft in the first place. 4. Pitching... Pitching and more Pitching. You can do BPA for that #2 draft spot... if the next Evan Longoria is on the board but I'd draft about 15 pitchers in the next 15 slots if that's the case.

No-Hitters are big moments. Tomorrow Blackburn may be tossing one through 6 innings(I obviously used Blackburn for example purposes). Nobody is happy if Blackie loses a no-hitter because Velencia is playing too deep at 3B and no one would be happy if Weaver lost his because Trumbo is playing too deep. No one wants a cheapie to break up a no-no. If Carroll trys it succussfully or unsuccussfully... Mauer will wear it. Here's another unwritten rule in reverse. You don't intentionally walk Mauer during a no-no because you think he has the best chance of breaking it up. It's a big moment... Don't tarnish it.

Pavano 4.62 Marquis 6.23 Blackburn 6.64 Hendriks 9.00 Liriano 9.97 Swarzak 4.64 Should Diamond get a shot. Those Numbers kind of answer the question. Pavano, Baker, Liriano, Blackburn and Marquis are 28.75 Million dollars worth of rotation. Swarzak, Hendriks, Diamond, AAA guy and AAA guy will lose just as many games for the Value of 2.5 Million.

I wouldn't read much into this... It's simple stockpiling. The Kid is a prospect... The Twins brass thinks he could develop into something and all they have to do is hold on to him during a year when it's looking like it doesn't matter who they hold on to. It doesn't mean the Twins think less of Revere or Mastroianni or anyone. The Twins are increasing options when the chance to do so arises. It's too bad that he isn't an IF or Pitcher because we really don't have any options in those positions but you have to take them wherever they come.

Luke made his first Start for the Red Wings on Thursday (May 3). He pitched 5 Innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks with 1 home run allowed. Not a bad first start and not an amazing one either. The Red Wings won 4 to 3.

I was the biggest Morneau fan in the World waiting for his arrival. I started to resent Meintkiewicz even though I loved his defense because he appeared to be standing in Morneau's way. Morneau was everything I hoped he could be and I waited with anticipation for his turn in the order. Since the concussion on July 7 2010. He has been out with variety of injuries. Neck, Wrist, Head, you name it. When he has played he has been nothing like he was before. You don't even know if he can be the same player without regular at-bats. You can only find out what you have if he actually plays. Since July 7, 2010... He's hit under .230... .300 OBP... 8 dingers. That's 330 some at bats total since the concussion. For comparison... Doug Meintkiewicz hit .238 his final year with the Twins with 6 dingers in a similair amount of at bats. So the question isn't... is he worth 15 million? because he hasn't been and we know that answer. The obvious question is... Is he still a major league baseball player period? If it's not the Head... It's something else. His ability to stay on the field and play and PERFORM is killing his career and challenging our franchise. Morneau needs his current value to increase. The return on 15 million a year is out of whack. It only returns to normal if he can stay in the lineup and perform at an exceptable level. You have one hope for Morneau... That is Health. Once you get the Health... It's not gaurenteed in my mind that you have the same player but you won't know unless he stays healthy. People are hanging on to what Morneau once was... That's a big question mark! I hope he can return to that player like Hafner is doing this year... For his sake and ours! The only thing for sure is that he costs 15 million this year and 15 million next year.

I'd abide by the unwritten rule. I woud not attempt to bunt to break up the no-no. However, If I had a rabbit at the plate like Casilla or Revere I would attempt to bunt for a hit with them. A lot and I mean A LOT. Anything to draw the Corners In... Anything to get the pitcher thinking about what side he is going to cover instead of pitching comfortably. Anything to utilize their speed in unique ways. I think the Twins need to utilize this part of the game a lot more. Just not in the no-hitter situation.

Gardy sacrifices his family time for about 6 months of every year. His daughter has earned a solid weekend of him saying he's proud. As for the Seattle series... It's not like he ran out the door and threw the keys to the plumber or Ice Cream Vendor. He's got a coaching staff who have watched a game or two.

Capps will not be resigned. Might as well take what they can get... He could fetch something. Every contending team feels like they need to shore up their bullpen... Bullpens never feel like they are shored up. A vet closer... Even an average vet closer will fetch something. Some GM's get so desperate for bullpen help when facing the stretch run in contention that they will move good prospects at position they are stocked with. Some teams will give up a high level catching prospect (for example) for a closer of Capps ability.

I agree with you completely. In the end... Burroughs doesn't matter... The odds were against him. He isn't George Brett. In the end... Drew Butera doesn't matter... He won't play much. What I'm walking off is the cutting of players who didn't play which has led to the cementing of players who are not performing. I'm losing faith because of that. Im also walking this off. Somewhere in this thread... Someone mentioned that Burroughs could have been sent to AAA out of spring training. This is a spot on assessment. He was signed to a minor league deal.Burroughs made this team for a reason and 17 at bats later the direction changed again. And here comes Butera. The backup catcher insurance meanwhile we have no insurance at the other positions. I just lost some faith in the front office and it really has nothing to do with Burroughs as a player.

Revere supporters (like me) gloss over his weak points. The anti Revere crowd accentuate his flaws. Every player has flaws especially on this team. The "limited" sentence in your post can be written in similar fashion for every player on the Twins. For example "Mauers value on offense is limited by his lack of power and overly patient approach" or you can be written "Mauers home run power isn't an issue because of his high OBP percentage and plate discipline". The next sentence could be written "With Willingham, Morneau, Doumit, Parmelee and Velencia over half your lineup has no foot speed at all. The thing I agree with is... his need to play every day and working on his plate discipline. Just thought that would be happening in the majors this year. Back to Thomas... He's toolsy and with those tools. There is a reason he was cut by the Tigers... After watching him play I'm convinced contact is a primary reason.

If I owned a team... You would be my director of scouting. All scouting reports should read like this one. Back to the subject. Clete Thomas is toolsy. He should be dripping with potential but at age 28.. the potential clock is ticking like Marissa Tomei's foot in My Cousin Vinny.

Im with you on Revere... Put him in the lineup but don't be afraid of his arm. I don't believe Willingham is unwilling to play RF. Willingham was moved to LF because of Doumit and Morneau. Once Morneau became the DH. Doumit's bat needed a position and RF is where is experience was. That moved Willingham to LF. I believe that Parmelee was also an unplanned Spring training survivor and that took the third catcher out of the mix. Everything was Revere in LF and Willingham in RF and then it changed with about a week left in Spring training.

1. You need an arm to play CF as much as you need one in RF. Arm hiding only makes total sense in LF. 2. Alex Gordon led MLB with 20 outfield assists last year. Led by a wide margin with 2nd being 16. 3. The strong armed Gordons, Cuddyers, Ankiels and Francour's of the world nailed the advancing runner once every 8 games. 4. Is the arm that big of an issue? The runner is advancing when the situation dictates advancing. Mr. Cannon and Mr. Popgun will both struggle to stop advancement. 5. With the exception of balls deep to the fences. The purpose of the cut is to stop the trailing runner from advancing. The weak armed guy gets cut more often and leads to less trailing runner advancement. 6. Ben can throw a baseball. He's done it a few times in his life. It's not like he throws a baseball and it falls straight to the ground. 7. At some point the arm obsession takes on a life of its own and it gets bigger then it needs to be. 8. Yeah you'd rather have a Francour Arm but Range is a much much bigger issue in outfield defense.

Yeah, that was a left turn. To keep the left turn going to 360 degrees. I was just making an aggressive point that this was a pretty safe DFA. Ill be surprised if the Orioles are a looking for a phone number. I like Sean... I'm seriously pulling for him. Hope he keeps clean and I hope baseball helps him do just that. I want someone on the roster to push Velencia but that concept doesn't work if the only PA's he gets are cold off the bench against upper 90's closers. Its May 1 only... Hughes 10 at bats and Burroughs 17 at bats and they are gone. The bench has been cleared and up comes Butera with his .178. Meanwhile... Only 3 Twins have an on base percentage over .325. So the obvious answer is cut the guys with 27 at bats combined. This is messed up. How big a finger is needed for this dyke. I lost a little faith today. I'm gonna have to try and walk it off. Right now I'm just left turning until I'm dizzy.

We had options albeit not amazing options but better options than 2011 and now we have next to none and we just got through April. If May continues at this pace our Roster will have 14 pitchers and 4 catchers and 6 people who may go on the DL but end up just missing a week here or there. What the hell happened... The TR and Gardy show need better writers because this plot sucks. This team needs direction and I'm not sure they know what direction to go in the short term. Benefit of the doubt that the long term plan is rock solid. On the outside it looks like too many cooks right now. TR is making a fruit salad and Gardy is convincing him that it needs Oregeno or something.

Sean is a recovering drug addict, singles hitting third basemen who is currently not hitting singles. I don't believe anyone will be knocking at the door during the waiver period. Just a hunch. Rochester will be his next stop. Unless he decides to go back to his Las Vegas Nicolas Cage impersonation from a few years ago.

Anderson will love him. He's a big fan of crafty.