Riverbrian

Yep... that's how it has always worked. Options are powerful thing. If a player has options, they can be stored for rainy days. There is no reason to decrease your talent pool by one when a player has options. However... you should decrease your talent pool if a player (without options on an expiring contract) is struggling while the injury replacement is earning the job. That's how it needs to work but the Twins have been kind of slow to pull this particular trigger. If Wallner gets called up when Gallo gets injured. If Wallner is looking good out there and Gallo was struggling before injury. You decrease that talent pool by one by sending Gallo packing. If Gallo was doing well before getting hurt and Wallner also does well. Wallner might be earning a spot but he must go back down because options remaining are a powerful thing. If service time and options were not such a prominent thing in the CBA. We'd have a lot more 22 year old and 23 year olds on rosters on every major league team and whole bunch less 30 plus dudes.

I don't see what you are saying. It wouldn't stunt the growth of your prospects... it would at the very least... start the growth of your prospects if they are going to grow. I understand the depletion of depth point you are making and I think that is a very valid concern.... However... I think what Jorgenswest is saying is what will the margin of production difference actually be between a struggling Margot and what Helman produces. Helman could be eventually better... Margot will eventually be gone. I think he is saying that Hoskins and (Helman or Martin or Lee) might be better for two 26 man roster spots than using two spots on Santana and Margot. I agree with him... if that is what he is saying. If that is not what he is saying. Cue Emily Litella.

This is the million dollar question... or should I say... the $720,000 question.

I'd say easy to give away at the trade deadline. If the Twins are in contention and those players are performing. The player with options is going back down. If the Twins are in contention and those players need to be replaced by a player with options. They are not performing very well and other teams in contention will not want them and teams not in contention won't want them either because what's the point. Only if the Twins are not in contention and those players are performing will they be easy to move. 😉

I think Lewis is a superstar and I reserve superstar for maybe a handful of players in all of baseball. I drink to his health.

This has been an interesting side discussion. I'd say there is a chance he gets claimed and the reason that I limit it to a "Chance": In order to sign a free agent... a team usually must pay more than the other 29 teams are willing to pay. That's how free agency typically works so naturally by signing a free agent contract... they are immediately out of everyone else's price range meaning they will be unwilling to take on the contract whole. For Vazquez to be claimed and his contract taken over by another team. You would need a team to develop a new huge hole behind the plate and become suddenly willing to pay money that they were not willing to pay last off-season. Granted... a year being taken off the deal increases the odds but I guess only a little. 2 years at 10 million a pop is still pretty steep. It Could happen... but not likely so I think the most likely scenario would be the Twins place him on waivers and the Twins will try to find a trade partner and they will need to send money in the deal to get his contract to area where the acquiring team is comfortable. Or they send along Isiah Kiner-Falefa so the acquring team can patch a hole. If they can't find a trade partner. Vazquez would clear waivers, refuse assignment and he would be able to choose from multiple suitors as a free agent. He would sign elsewhere and play for the minimum while the Twins paid his contract off in full as dead money. In other words... There is absolutely no way that the Twins place Vazquez on waivers.

I'm a big Julien fan however... I'd really like to hear that it happened against a left hander.

I think it's more likely that Austin Martin plays 2B before Brooks Lee does.

IMO... Julien made significant noticeable improvement as the season went on. Julien is a capable 2B. He isn't Brandon Phillips but he is capable. Bad and Good are not the only two levels of talent assessment. There is a whole bunch of space in between bad and good and sometimes bad players have great days and good players have bad days. Julien is a capable 2B and I bet that he could be a capable 1B... maybe even a capable 3B or LF. Let him play and drive that ball around the park and out of the park.

Long Winded or Not... It's a much needed gust of wind. I love this post and my sincere hope is that EVERYONE reads it and does their best to understand what you are saying. What you are saying is to quote Mona Lisa Vito in my Cousin Vinny "Dead On Balls Accurate". It's important to understand how zone ratings work. They are thrown around like Candy and sometimes they taste like meat loaf. They are small sample sized volatile and yet get folded into WAR and over weighted in the process. Because the majority of defensive plays are routine high percentage plays. A ball can land in a high percentage quadrant because of shifting and one ball that hits the ground in a high percentage quadrant can statistically act like a relief pitcher who gave up 6 runs without retiring a batter. Once a relief pitcher gives up 6 runs without retiring batter... It's going to take a lot of scoreless innings to get his ERA back to decent and a relief pitcher gets limited opportunity to throw the amount of innings to repair the damage so it takes a while. Same goes for the defender especially an outfielder who catches nothing but routine catches for 2.5 days before getting a chance to make a low percentage play. Zone Ratings only start getting some kind of value after the sample size increases and I personally don't believe that a year provides a large enough sample and therefore you see a lot of instability in the stats... yet into WAR they go. Also take into account who gets nailed when Kepler lays up so Julien can make a circus catch on a shallow fly. I saw that happen about 4 or 5 times last year. Kepler could have easily made the catch coming in like God intended... but he pulled up so the 2nd baseman could try to make an over the shoulder catch that he doesn't make it. Kepler doesn't take the hit... the 2nd baseman does. I'm not saying that this is why Julien or Polanco have lower UZR and why Kepler doesn't. But I am saying... that this is just another example with the problem of zone ratings. Anyway... Great Post. You are definitely someone that I will respectfully read on this site.

I have guys that I like but I really tend to stay out of being specific... but yeah I stray into specific players from time to time even though I realize that I shouldn't. But, since you are asking for examples. Honestly, I would have kept Polanco. If Polanco needs to go (I don't think he did). Hoskins would have been a great addition. Solar would have been a good addition. Yes they have extra years but next year can be addressed next year. But... I want to clarify... I've said this often. I don't use the terms starters or bench to describe any player. I want 26 guys who can play and I don't start looking for lesser players for spots 10 through 13. Solano and Castro would have been 10 through 13 players last year and they were 3rd and 4th in plate appearances last year. Correa and Kepler were #1 and #2 and they were not very good. Correa wasn't very good until the playoffs and Kepler wasn't very good until the all-star break. You will never find me settling for lesser players for any of the 26 spots.

I agree that it isn't a fair characterization of Kyle Farmer and your response is kind of the point I'm making. 😎 Experience has taught me (all of us really) that injuries are going to throw all of these carefully made left side/right side plans into the garbage anyway. We don't know who will get hurt and for how long but I'm pretty sure that we are going to lose significant man hours that will influence all of the playing time expectations being currently discussed so you and I agree that Farmer is going to be much more than a short sider Garlick/Luplow type. When Correa goes on the disabled list... Farmer will be the every day SS against right handers and left handers. When Lewis goes on the disabled list... Farmer will be the every day 3B against right handers and left handers. When Julien goes on the disabled list... Farmer will be the every day 2B against right handers and left handers. It is not a given that Brooks Lee is handed a 40 man spot when these things occur and they will occur. Julien may not have exhibited an injury history to this point but that doesn't mean that he won't twist an ankle or take a fastball off the wrist. Lewis has exhibited a severe injury history and Correa hobbled through last season and has a diagnosed medical issue that scared off the Mets and Giants. Not to mention the injury histories of Kirilloff and Buxton and the injury possibilities of every one and it's all going to lay waste to those carefully made left/right plans so carefully crafted together during the off-season. Kind of like that beautiful decorated cake. Once the season starts and the injuries hit... that off-season cake that was so carefully put together will look like this. I agree that Farmer is so much more than a hitter to deployed against left handers but... and here comes my point. What he excels at offensively is hitting left handers. If you needed him to hit right handers... that isn't what he is good at and you should find someone else for that task. But... you are right... He's going to face them... he's going to face more right handers and than he faces left handers. Therefore... I was inspired to comment based on Chia Pet... (I'm calling him Chia Pet from now on out and I hope he changes his handle to reflect that) commenting that he hopes Santana never faces a right handed pitcher. Santana is also going to face more right handers than left handers... yet... like Farmer... what he does best offensively is hit left handers. If you need someone to hit right handers... Santana probably isn't the best choice. Same goes for Margot. All 3 of Farmer, Santana and Margot are going to face more right handers than left handers. Yet it could be argued that the reason they were added to the roster was because they hit left handers. As far as the $$$ part of my post. I agree with you and I am happy that the Dodgers tossed 8 million dollars over to us and I recognize the significance of that and I made sure to mention both contract value of the three players (21.3) and what the Twins are paying (13.3). The reason both the contract value and what the Twins are paying both matter to me is to illustrate what we are investing into players who hit left handers much better than they hit right handers... when they will face more right handers. It has become expensive to make that beautiful off-season cake that won't last because they will be facing more right handers. It has become expensive in a time when pay roll is stressed. We have a limited amount of dollars to throw around and we threw a lot of dollars into players who hit left handers better than right handers. They have invested 21.3 million worth of players (Contract) (13.3 paid by Twins) because they have a favorable platoon split against left handers who comprise 28% of the arms that a team will face and a weakness against 72%. For what... To maintain the platoon integrity? To provide 5 to 10 extra on base balls out of the 100 balls in the plate appearance raffle drum for 28% of the time? Since it's easy to predict that Farmer, Margot and Santana will face right handers more often than left handers. Why not take that money and sign one player with that money who can hit both sides of the plate or at least hit the 72% side? I don't like the word "Bench"... I don't use it. I want 26 players who can play. But I will use it now... We spent 13.3 million on the bench! A bench that consists of guys who are weak against the pitching hand that will be on the mound 72% of the time. It's too much for a team that needs to count pennies.

I don't believe Twinsdaily has a great quote hall of fame. This Sentence illustrates the need for one.

I'm pulling for him... No Idea how to rate him yet.

I seen you around for a long, long time I remembered you when you drank my wine Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?

Could be but I'm not sure that I agree that the Twins value HR's to defense. Slugging to K rate... I'll agree. I'd be in the camp that says they over value defense at times... but then again... I tend to value big bats over defense and I'm extremely distrustful of zone rating defensive measurements. So I'm coming from the opposite direction that you are. Individual perspective is subjective and a funny thing that provides the DIS in these DIScussions. Twinsdaily would be boring with a bunch of yep I agree responses without our varied opinions. 😄 I think it could be argued that Margot was primarily a defensive addition to the club. His bat is certainly so-so. So in my mind... he's a defensive addition. I would certainly be ready to argue with anyone that Max Kepler was a defensive specialist for 2.5 years. I'd say Taylor was a defense first consideration. I think Urshela was a fantastic defensive 3B with a so-so bat. Simmons... His bat was about as bad as it gets. Still played every day. In this case... I don't know Miller from a Giraffe. I've read articles but never seen him play. I'll take you at your word that he is what you say he is. If he is... there is no way the Twins didn't value that at the SS position. Under Valued... Over Valued... I don't know but time will tell. In the meantime... I'm going to give Margot his chance to win me over and I'm going to give this kid that the Dodgers sent over a chance to get better. Let's see what happens.

You are a solid poster... I enjoy your posts... I got what you were saying when I read the blog. I'm just saying that when you type that the Twins thought that Noah Miller was worthless... you jumped the shark and you are using embellishment to sell it. If I were to guess and my guesses are just as worthless as everyone else around here. I'd be more inclined to believe the exact opposite. I'd be more inclined to look at the timing and guess (without the information needed to guess) that Kike Hernandez was involved in this trade since his signing with the Dodgers was nearly simultaneous. A. The Dodgers couldn't entertain signing Kike due to roster space. They needed to move someone off the 26 man for the roster space. The Twins were entertaining the signing of of Kike while looking for a decent CF in case needed and also slide into a short side platoon with Wallner or Kirilloff or Larnach. B. Kike probably wanted to go back to the Dodgers. Knowing Kike's wishes... Either the Dodgers called the Twins or the Twins called the Dodgers and they helped each other out. The Dodgers would trade Margot to open up space for Kike. The Twins would get a better defensive OF'er to take that last spot. C. They talk about a trade... The Dodgers like Miller but the Twins don't want to give up Miller because the Twins do indeed value him... so in order to make the trade work. The Twins ask the Dodgers to include 8 million dollars and a prospect who is actually rated in the same ball park as Noah Miller. Noah Miller isn't done cooking yet. He was a supplemental 1st rounder just a couple of years into his career. What he is going to become... he hasn't become yet. It would be amazingly impetuous for the Twins to tag him as worthless in this short of period. Like I said... It's one thing to disagree with a trade... It's another thing to embellish the point by claiming that the Twins don't value Miller. There is no chance that the Twins didn't value Miller. I think my theory while worthless is more plausible. 😉

I agree. Actually... my post to Chia Pet was originally going to say the exact same thing. They are one bat short to keep Santana on the short side. I ended up changing my mind on the post and chose to play up my sympathies to him instead for a more light hearted approach. 😁 I'll take another swing at light hearted approach. Chia Pet walks into a bar... The bartender says "Why the Long Face". Chia Pet says: A. The Twins signed Santana and I'm worried that he is going to face right handers. or B. Do I look like a horse? or C. Dick Van Dyke was my grandpa and Mary Tyler Moore was my grandma... I didn't have a chance genetically.

Flight, Rental Car and Hotels are booked. My first time attending spring training this year. Been on the wish list for a long time. I'll soon check that box. I stand here on leap day in anticipation of taking the leap.

I suspect that my friend already looked up the answer on the internet and is just being an ass. 😄

Based on the above sentence... I'm willing to bet that you will be disappointed when it is all said and done. I hate to say that because you are a good guy and you deserve happiness. 😉 I'm willing to bet that Santana faces a lot of right handers. Barring a significant injury that puts him on the shelf for a long time. I'll set the Over/Under at 250 AB's versus right handers and I will take the over. I'll predict that he has twice as many AB's against right handers then he does against left handers. If you are right though and the Twins do indeed strap Santana into a Kyle Garlick role. If Santana joins Farmer and Margot. I'm going to chuckle a bit because it will mean that our Twins have $21,500,000 worth of ball players stuffed into the SHORT SIDE. With all of the discussion of belt tightening... after you take the 8 million that Dodgers included in the Margot trade... the Twins have 21.5 million worth of ball players and 13.5 million of actual money stuffed into the short side. That's tightening the belt to make plenty of room for junk food. 😄

Taylor Walls in 2022. 466 PA's - .172 BA - .553 OPS What does Baseball Reference list for bWAR and what does Fangraphs list for fWAR? Just asking for a friend.

This sentence is about as emotional as it gets. It's one thing to disagree with a trade but when you are saying that the Twins think Miller is WORTHLESS to support your point... you are embellishing, escalating your rhetoric. I highly doubt that the Twins felt Noah Miller was worthless. Again... It's OK to disagree with a trade but at least consider the possibility that instead of the Twins thinking Noah is worthless maybe the Dodgers think he is worth something. Trades take two to tango. You have to consider the other team. There are miles of gray into between black and white. Deep Breath Doctor Gast.

Insatiable. This is an itch that can't be scratched because it doesn't end. If the Twins spent some money... Oh... Let's say they spent 250 million in an off-season. I know that's crazy to think they would do that ever... but lets say they spend 250 million. That wouldn't calm the the masses down because there will just be another level after that. I wish the Twins would spend 250 million in an off-season so I could prove my point but until they spend 250 million in an off-season... I'll just say that Yankees fans think that Steinbrenner is cheap. It doesn't end. Fandom is insatiable to the point where you can't pay attention to most fans anymore. NDSU Bison fans were producing page after page of non-stop fire Matt Entz conversation because they were 4-2 after 6 games because winning 9 out of the last 13 FCS titles isn't good enough. Insatiable. I have a friend who left the Twins last season for the Padres. Last off-season!!! After spending 250 million... he's gone. He says... I'm done with Twins... The Padres are my new team. He would text about how awesome the Padres were at least once a week until the Padres were obviously not so awesome and the texts slowed to a drip. This year he's a supposed Twins fan again but still constantly whining about the cheap Pohlads. I stopped listening a long time ago.