Riverbrian

Great post as usual. Being a GM is a tough job and I'm not willing to hang them for the decisions that they make... after all sometimes these 1 year guys have good years and are worth the money. However... the failure rate has become high in my opinion and the most simple thing that you can do is not let them double down on the mistake. Spending the money is a mistake but the money spent can't hurt you unless you make the bigger mistake of letting the money spent mistake step to the plate continuously or take the mound continuously. The bottom line to me is pretty simple. A vet on an expiring contract has to perform at the very least average because you can find at least average or close to average waiting in the wings below. Agreed on the short side Platoon. The true short sider (Garlick for example) is a waste of a roster spot. In the case of Farmer... I'll bet anyone money that he will face more right handers than left handers this year. You can set up these pretty platoons in the off-season... they will be blown apart before April is over due to injury or poor performance... and in order to keep the platoon integrity you are signing Luplow and signing Luplow over promoting Larnach for example because of short side splits is just going to kill Larnach.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. The Twins starting rotation was unusually healthy last year and the healthy arms all performed pretty damn good. I believe we are not going to have that kind of health again and I'll be surprised if we will have that type of consistent quality performance again from the healthy so therefore... it doesn't matter if we added Corbin Burnes to the rotation... the collective will not be as good as it was last year no matter how good it looks on paper. The starting rotation will fall in comparison with last year no matter what we do... the question is how much. That 3.75 ERA will be nearly impossible to replicate. It is the offense that we had the chance to improve this off-season to make up the difference. You can earn a playoff spot with offense. You get to the playoffs a variety of ways... Yes you can get there by pitching but you can get there with offense... It is best to have the combo but... you can get to the playoffs a variety of ways. Last Years Playoff Teams were ranked (ERA): #1 - Brewers - #23 OPS #4 - Blue Jays - #11 OPS #5 - Rays - #4 OPS #6 - Twins - #7 OPS #7 - Orioles - #13 OPS #8 - Astros - #5 OPS #12 - Phillies - #6 OPS #13 - Dodgers - #2 OPS #15 - Braves - #1 OPS #16 - Marlins - #19 OPS #18 - Rangers - #3 OPS #20 - D-Backs - #17 OPS The Top 7 Offenses (OPS) made the playoffs. The two worst team regular season ERA's of the teams who made the playoffs are the two clubs that reached the world series. Once the small sample size of playoffs hit. Only 5 teams had a playoff team ERA under 4.50 and one of those teams only played two games (Jays). Phillies 2.20, Jays 2.81, Twins 3.40, D-Backs 3.49, Rangers 3.83... that is the regular season ranked teams #12, #18 and #20 included in that top 5. Only 5 teams had a playoff team OPS over the Major League Average. One of those teams only played two games (Brewers). Phillies .821, Rangers .792, Astros .776, Brewers .767, D-Backs .734. The D-Backs are the only team from that group that wasn't an elite hitting team going in. Numbers can be presented many ways to support a point and there is always a lot more to the story. This is a down and dirty way to support my point that there are many ways to reach the playoffs. In the quest to make the playoffs... Offense can get you there so my belief that the pitching staff will not be as good this year isn't a death sentence. The offense not hitting or making up the difference just might keep you out of the playoffs. Is it too late to get Polanco back? 😄

It's hard to justify 8 million for Adam Frazier when the Orioles have a stable of young prospects who can produce the same or better. It's hard to justify 3 million for Elvis Andrus when Zach Remillard can produce the same. It's hard to justify 9.5 million over two years for Jace Peterson when Jordan Diaz can produce the same. It's hard to justify 7 million for AJ Pollock when Dominic Canzone can produce the same It's hard to justify 7.75 million for Jurickson Profar when Daza or Goodman can produce the same. It's hard to justify 7.5 million for Wil Myers when the Reds have about 75 players down on the farm who can out produce him. And of course... It's hard to justify 11 million for Joey Gallo when Matt Wallner produces much better or a Larnach produces the same. The prospects listed above for purely example purposes are not big name prospects. In a nutshell... it isn't hard to replace what a poor performing vet on a one year deal produces and poor performing vets on one year deals is something that happens frequently. Too frequently in my opinion. I'd rather shop the higher end of free agency with bigger contracts and have the money for those bigger contracts because of more roster spots available to those making the minor league minimum. These 7 to 11 million dollar deals add up. Remove a couple of them and you have cleared actual money to be spent on something bigger and better. Vazquez, Farmer, Descalfini and Santana are 23 million this season. Jorge Solar cost 14 million. Rhys Hoskins cost 17 million. I think it's possible that we would be better off giving a couple of prospects like Miranda, Camargo and Varland the chance to be just as good and having the extra money to upgrade from Santana to Hoskins. It's debatable I know... there are no guarantees in this game but I am certainly of the opinion... that one of the biggest hamstrings to any organization... is that 5 to 10 million dollar one year deal vet that falls flat on his face. If a young player is absolutely worse than the under performing vet... try someone else. The under performing vet is a setting a low replacement bar.

I can't say this and bang the gavel down but in my opinion. Those days are gone. Young players are getting more opportunity and getting the job done. A player that gets the job done making the minimum with years of control has become way to valuable. There will always be an exception for the Juan Soto types but the days of Gleyber Torres for the rental of a Chapman are gone. No way Adam Eaton fetches that return anymore. I wish the Angels would have traded Ohtani last year just to see the return for the rental of the best player in baseball. Anyway... I think the value of prospects is at another level these days. In my opinion of course.

2022 happened. Nick Gordon was a good major league baseball player that year. 2023 also happened and he clearly struggled (at a doesn't deserve to be in the majors level)... but let's be clear that wasn't 162 games. Injury took away any chance to fix it. I'd also like to suggest that the presence of Castro doesn't mean there is no room for Gordon. There is always room for a decent player who can play multiple positions on any team. Saying we got one of those guys is just plain short sighted. To me the issue with Gordon is the combination of burning up his options before putting a major league uniform and not being the type of player who performs clearly and obviously at a level higher than other players who have actual options. When you burn up your options... the egg timer goes off and starts ringing. he no longer has the time to find himself in the majors. You can't send him down to the minors so he has to better RIGHT NOW. The trade to Miami was probably a good thing for Nick because it buys him a little more time and I hope it goes well for him. Of course if it goes well for him... it will allow us to second guess the deal in hindsight... which of course we will do. When it is all said and done... I understand why the trade was made. My positive thoughts of Nick Gordon will be full credit for his performance in 2022 which was above average. My negative thoughts will be how I attach him to a group of what I consider a bad draft and development stretch of 1st round picks that contributed either nothing or just a little bit to our team. A group that set our franchise back and became. That group contains Wimmers, Michael, Stewart, Jay, Larnach (Yes I'm including Larnach because he could be the next out of options Nick Gordon next year), Cavaco and Sabato. Our first rounds from 2010 to 2020 can't be looked at favorably and Gordon was right in the middle of it.

Instead of saving a roster spot for a stretch reliever. How about stretching out all of the relievers from one inning stints to two inning stints. There is a large tract of land in between a one inning assignment and a 4 inning assignment for a relief pitcher. Those are not the only two options for relief pitcher utilization... yet they seem to be. It's Ok to think outside the box. The decision for all bullpen spots should be based solely upon who hangs zeroes and that is it. There is no hiding of bullpen arms. If you talk yourself into rostering a lesser pitcher in the name of inning eating or stretch relieving or whatever you call it... you are making a mistake. If you have to hide a pitcher from leverage.. if you have to save a pitcher for blowouts. You are wasting a roster spot.

You will always be the best Doc! I'm not trying to say it was a bad trade. I understand the current context. But... Yeah I am saying... he was a 5th round pick that was cashed in for a 33 year old lefthander and your last sentence agrees with me. It wasn't the first time something like that happens and it won't be the last. The highways are littered with them. Could Gordon become Mickey Moniak? Is he just another Nick Senzel? That will be up to Nick in Miami but he's done better than Corey Ray. 😉

LOL... I'm not sure how many points I'm arguing because I think we largely agree. The combination of having no options and not being as good as the guy who survives roster cuts places him hanging on the end of that string until he puts together a decent year or two. Which he will have to do in Miami.

IMO... Bust is a strong word to describe him. As a 5th overall pick... there is no question he is a bust. As a baseball player... despite exhausting every last drop of his options because he didn't blow the minor leagues away. He did have a good year in his only full year in the majors. 2022 Gordon played good for 405 AB's at multiple positions. Nothing wrong with his numbers that year. I understand that you have to "get what you can" and I understand that top 5 draft picks have failed and will fail again in the future. Once he leaves your organization you have locked in your return... We drafted him... we worked with him since 2014. In the end... that locked in return was a 33 year old left handed bullpen guy. That's not a win for a 5th overall pick even if getting something for him was a win. .

I'll wait for the off-season to conclude before I decide how I feel. If I were to decide today. It's a good deal and a bad deal at the same time. Good deal: We got something for Gordon. That's a win. Bad Deal: Gordon was a 5th pick overall that leaves the organization in return for a 33 year old left handed guy out of the bullpen. There is no way that is a win.

I'll settle for that. Save the pinch hitting for the 8th and 9th inning if the game is on the line. There is way too much game to be played in the 3rd inning. If they just do that... I won't be as worked up about the platooning in 2024.

Could be... I'm not sure how they will utilize Santana. Saving Santana for the 1 out of 4 left handers just may be what they signed him for much like they did with Solano last year. I'm not trying to be argumentative... However... Miranda tore it up in Spring Training Last Year with 1,225 OPS. He did make the club but I think the front office was planning on Miranda making the club before spring training began. Whatever they decided or thought about Miranda going in... That OPS in spring training didn't carry over to the regular season. 20 to 40 AB's in Fort Myers versus a variety of talent level arms (Majors to Single A arms) shouldn't change minds in my opinion.

I'd bet on Miranda because he has some major league work in and Kirilloff needs a handcuff. But... it's going to be someone. Just like Chief Said. Personally... IMO... It's scary to me to think that a player tearing it up in spring training can leap frog a player over another.

Quite Possible However, unless we add a player. Either FA, Trade or 40 Man Add like Goodrum. As of today... Someone gets one of those 13 spots. The choices off the 40 man are Miranda, Larnach, Martin and Severino for one spot.

Can we wait just a bit first? Please?

With Gordon no longer around to be that unchecked extra left handed hitter to make things lumpy. The roster is all platoon pretty right now. I assume that Miranda will now make the roster out of spring training and be that third short side right handed hitter to handcuff to one of those young lefties. Julien/Farmer Wallner/Castro Kirilloff/Miranda Bring on 162 games.

I've read things here and there. The battle for San Jose, Etc. Etc. but... a lot of the information (if not all) that gets out to us mere mortals should be taken as grains of salts because public relations is crafting those messages for our consumption. Both the city and team will want us on our side as part of the game. The real details are not shared. It Money vs Money.

Your comment will get no substantial argument from me on the surface under the simple consideration of fair is fair. I really wish things wasn't so but... they have indeed been so... to my knowledge for as long as I have been alive. We all know... let me rephrase that... we all should know by now that this type of thing happens all the time and it isn't just sport franchises. If Oakland, Alameda County or the State of California doesn't want to provide incentive to the A's to stay. Some city, county or state without a team will. If you own a team and Oakland isn't willing to entice you to stay and Memphis is willing to give you the sun, the moon and the stars. Why would you stay in Oakland and get nothing? Why would you give up the Sun... The Moon... The Stars? When Amazon wants to build a massive distribution facility in a certain area. Local officials of every population center in the footprint are going to compete against each other to get that facility built in their home town. Cash Grants, Rebates, Tax Credits and whatever sweet thing they can offer on the table or under the table. Those decision makers at Amazon are not stupid. They are going to build in Beloit Wisconsin because they are providing significant financial incentive to build in Beloit meanwhile down the road in Janesville... they are taking your stance and offering nothing... because fair is fair. Beloit gets the facility, 1,000 plus jobs, they grow their tax base, they have nicer schools and roads. while the residents of Janesville move to Beloit, because all the jobs are in Beloit, the schools are better and the pot holes in Janesville are ruining the suspension on cars they already can't afford because they are unemployed since the cheese factory closed down and moved to a brand new facility in Oconomowoc subsidized by local officials who are deciding how to spend that tax money. We can all sit back and applaud the decision makers for taking a hard stance against the MAN. I mean fair is fair after all. However, when it is all said and done. Oakland will be team less, Amazon is going to build in Berkeley. There will be no reason for anyone to visit the garbage strewn streets of Oakland unless they entice Disney to build a massive theme park and the economy just keeps sinking and sinking and sinking and sinking.

The Mayor's comments do suggest that this thing is not a done deal. However... I don't think MLB is that worried about a reduced media deal. The current media deal model is going away. I have no idea because I'm just a guy in North Dakota but I would not put it past MLB or any of the owners of MLB franchises to use Las Vegas as leverage to get what they want in Oakland. Could be just a new version of the Pohlad's contracting the Twins for new ball park leverage. Who knows.

I haven't seen tourism numbers for Vegas by month so I'm not capable of getting in depth. I agree that there is probably a summer downtick. However... 3.5 million visitors every year... they are still coming in the summer. However... I will ask that you go back to the part where I said that "I am stretching". Anyway... they will have a road team fan uptick that other clubs won't have... even in what just might be a summer tourism downtick. How dead will the stadium be after the novelty? Who knows. But if they move... it's for financial reasons that I'm reasonably certain of.

Yeah... She back tracked and reclarified as quickly as possible. She is going to get raked over the coals by other powerful people working toward making this happen. Politicians can't say what they really think publicly... That never plays well and she is going to feel this one.

Las Vegas is a destination city. It has been suggested that Vegas could have more away team fans then home fans. I'm stretching I know but there is a road team attendance bump that other cities don't have. The modern revenue streams of the new stadium are something that I'm unaware of but I'm sure that they are part of the deal. These billionaires are aware of them and Fisher is going to make money off of this otherwise there is no point.

There is a lot that goes into these things and there is no way that I can sit and judge anything from my chair... I always assume that money is driving the bus though and I'm sure this is no different. I've made one trip to Oakland to watch a game. My opinion has very little value because it was one trip. But here it comes my opinion anyway. 😉 I've been to 24 different cities to watch games. That's 24 different stadiums to compare and contrast with. The worst experience was by far Oakland and it isn't particularly close. The worst stadium in the worst city in my comparison with the other stadiums that I have also visited just one time. The blocks surrounding the stadium are garbage strewn, I'm not talking about a couple of McDonalds bags, I'm talking you can't see the sidewalk because of all the garbage piled up. Detroit in my opinion isn't a very impressive city overall but Detroit manages to clean up the area surrounding the stadium at least. Once you get inside the stadium... it serves it's purpose... you can play a baseball game on the field and there are 62,000 seats so you can watch a game just like the other stadiums. However, it was built in 1966 without any charm that exists in the older stadiums like Fenway, Wrigley, Kaufman or even Dodger Stadium. It operates like it was built in 1966... It's a multi level of tight circled concourses and it simply doesn't have the additional revenue opportunities that the new stadiums like Truist Park provides in Atlanta. I generally don't like the idea of franchises leaving cities. When the North Stars left Minnesota... it hurt and it knocked me out of the NHL for awhile but if the city of Oakland won't help improve the situation... another city is going to. The Raiders, the Warriors and the A's have all left or are about to leave Oakland and I'm willing to bet that the city of Oakland wasn't able or was stopping short of doing what is necessary to keep them all in town. Some will say... good for them standing up to those owners shaking them down for taxpayer money. I can understand that but in the end... the city has gone from 3 teams to zero in a fairly quick period of time. Enter Las Vegas... ready to provide what Oakland wouldn't... It just works that way. Anyway... Oakland. My trip there... it was surprisingly sub par. I'm heading to St. Petersburg this year to watch the Rays. Maybe Tropicana can challenge Oakland for the worst baseball experience. I can't wait to find out.

The Brewers: 2022 - .724 Team OPS 2023 - .704 Team OPS The pitching improved though. 😁

Gregg Rolie read the article... dropped his pants and said... "Feature This".