Riverbrian

The Altuve contract extension provided an opportunity to bring up a point that I make often on this website. In the past I have mentioned Altuve as one of the reasons... one of the examples... of why you don't let vets on expiring contracts play terribly and block up a roster spot besides the obvious... that they are playing terribly. The last time I mentioned Altuve... I mentioned that he was not a highly ranked prospect when he was given a major league job. Nobody expected Altuve to be anything when he got an opportunity. Someone responded that Altuve was killing it in the minors and therefore not a big surprise. Altuve was a surprise... nobody (including the Astros) thought Altuve was going to be Altuve. He has been recently quoted after signing his extension through 2029. “When I got called up the first time back in 2011, they told me it was just something temporary until they find another second baseman,” Altuve said. https://www.mlb.com/news/jose-altuve-discusses-contract-extension-with-astros A struggling vet on an expiring contract can be fixed but by the time you fix them... they are gone and all you are left holding is the damage that occurred while waiting for them to turn it around just before they are gone. In the meantime.,. roster spots are gold... that roster spot that they occupy as they waste it with terrible play could be given to someone... anyone else, Chris Williams, Yunior Severino, Austin Martin... anyone who is performing like they want a chance at a major league career. Anyone performing like they want an opportunity and just need the roster space to be granted. More often than not... the player you replace Santana with isn't going to be a long term solution but you already know that Santana isn't a long term solution so you might as well try someone else. If the vet is playing badly... can it get worse with a Someone... Anyone Else. Trying someone else... regardless of what Keith Law says about them is how you accidentally trip over an Altuve, Max Muncy, Justin Turner, Cedric Mullins, Nelson Cruz, Jose Bautista. Someone... Anyone Else is how Nick Anderson remains a Twin. This is why Logan Morrison bothers me to this day, This is why Andrealton Simmons bothered me, It's why Logan Forsythe playing every day in September bothered me and this is why Carlos Santana scares the crap out of me. With that said... I wish Carlos well... and I hope it doesn't come to what I worry about.

I've often heard it said but always question the value of such things. The Orioles won 101 games last year. Are any of us ready to declare that it was the presence of Adam Frazier Aaron Hicks and James McCann that got them there.

Someone... Anyone else is what I always say when I get to the point in my head that I'm ready to throw away 100 games remaining of the 20 million dollars combined between Kepler and Gallo. If you are going to cut... what? around 12 million dollars in June. You certainly can't trade it. They'll just end up playing for the minimum for someone else. That first week of June... I was more than ready to set them a drift and reach into the raffle drum. It's interesting that you bring up Chris Williams because he would have been one of the guys in that someone... anyone else raffle drum... I remember that he was showing some pop across the Mississippi River. I tend to not worry as much about exact positional matches when it's time to call someone up. What are the odds that your 2B in St. Paul is tearing the cover off the ball at the exact moment that your MLB 2B gets hurt. If you try to match it up positions for call ups... the odds are overwhelming that the best player is not called up. So... If it's time to cut Santana... they won't do it... but if they do... The answer is whoever is earning it in St. Paul. If It's Larnach... It's Larnach. If it's Brooks Lee... It's Brooks Lee.

My guess: We still have the DH position to play with. Kirilloff should feel no impact from the Santana signing with the exception of having to play some OF on occasion. Gordon won't be impacted by the Santana signing... Gordon would be impacted by Miranda and Martin because we are still short a right handed hitting hand cuff for Julien, Kirilloff and Wallner... Unless of course the plan is for Santana to act as that short side platoon which... I don't know... I don't think he will be. Miranda won't be impacted by the Santana signing... Miranda will be most impacted by the sin of having options left. He can be stashed for injury call up. Larnach won't be impacted by the Santana signing... Larnach will be impacted by having an option left and not quite doing what we hope he could do so far.

I don't personally. I don't know many soccer fans period and the ones that I do know follow the Premier League... like I do. There are like 3 people in my life that I can even talk Premier league with and all 3 are younger than I am. I can't name a single player with the Loons so MLS is something that isn't even on my radar. I do enjoy a random Aston Villa vs. Brighton game on a Saturday morning so there is no reason that the MLS couldn't be on my radar other than viewing access. But, that is just a small sample from my circle of friends and my generation has know I idea what a West Ham is so my litmus test is going to fail due to lack of validity. I attended one Loons game... and even without media attention... the place was packed. I haven't checked MLS demos but I suspect the demos are young and I would also guess that you can't discount the possibility that there is a sizable population in any major city made up of people from countries where Soccer(Football) is huge.

Your point is solid. I'm not arguing merely discussing. I was wrong to cut him in June yet also right at the same time. Using 100 AB's as a qualifier. Post All Star Break - Max Kepler ranked 27th OPS in all of baseball in OPS, That is an incredible half of baseball and I fully recognize what Kepler did and I tip my hat. However... (there is always a however with me). Out of the 26 names in baseball above Kep. Again... using 100 AB's as qualifier. Here are the younger players ahead of him. 4. Triston Cases 1,034 - Rookie - Highly Ranked Prospect 8. Davis Schneider 1.007 - 28th round pick - 24 year old rookie that I can't find on any prospect rankings. 12. Royce Lewis - Rookie - Highly Ranked Prospect 14. Nolan Jones - Rookie - Once a highly ranked prospect who fell to suspect prospect when the Guardians traded him to the Rockies for a pretty good low level prospect. 17. Luis Rengifo - Not a Rookie but a player who has never been in the company he was keeping post all-star break. 26. Ryan Jeffers - Young Player who wasn't that great in 2023. If you adjust the qualifier down to 30 AB's and Evan Carter, Sean Bouchard, Jasson Dominguez, Sam Huff and Emmanual Valdez show up. No doubt I was wrong about cutting Kepler because Kepler eventually showed me. I was also right because the cost for that great 2nd half was 2.5 years of below average and possibly a Nolan Jones or Davis Schnieder type. The odds are impossible to calculate because Davis Schneider types fall silently when they get swallowed up by Max Kepler types who fall loud and long. At some point... you have to reach into the raffle drum. In June... I was up to my elbow deep in the raffle drum.

Portsmouth was the team I got behind... They got into financial trouble and were penalized straight into the toilet and are now hanging in League One. I've adopted Arsenal as a placeholder until Portsmouth can work there way back to the Prem.

Check out a Loons Game. The Place is packed. Weak to non-existent broadcast options, tiny amount of column inches at the very end of the sports page in the newspaper. Yet, even with no media support... the place is packed. While the Loons may lack decent coverage... On the other hand... the English Premier league is growing and is becoming a thing Saturday Mornings. The one truth about television programming is this: If people don't watch it... it goes away. If People watch it... there will be more of it. There is more of it and that's because people are watching. For 30 years... it wasn't available to us... For 30 years... it was a soccer ball unsold on the shelf at Toys R Us and stories of hooligans across the pond singing songs and living dying by the days results. In the U.S. It has become available and becoming more available every year while those soccer fields in Maple Grove are over run with Kids and parents with lawn chairs.

I think they would be safe purchases but baseball's demographics have me worried as a long term investment. Me... I'd invest in American Soccer. That sport is going to be pure growth as you an I jam out to Led Zeppelin in the old folks home.

I thought of the Red Sox and ultimately decided to keep them in my vast hold category. I think Henry is a guy who is able to merge best practices from other organizations into his and he of course has the money to support whatever direction they go. However... Henry also appears to be impatient and therefore I'm never sure if they could stick with a concept long enough.

I can't offer him an extension because I cut him back in June.

Agreed but... I'd put the Rockies issue with Bryant down to an unexplainable horrible sense of timing. Kris Bryant... OK... you spent on him and he cost what he cost. That's how free agency works... if you want the player... you gotta pay the price. Not only did Kris Bryant do you no good but the bigger issue is that you had nothing around him when you made the purchase. It's like buying the Mona Lisa and hanging it on the wall of a trailer park office. Get out of the trailer park first.

Teams that I would buy stock in... Good Question... Fun Question actually. Orioles - With that farm system - They are going to be around for awhile - With a new owner they may get to add money to the farm. Jays - They own Canada - Good Farm - plenty revenue - There is no reason for this organization to fall large distances Tigers - The Kids are starting to come - And the money will come once the kids build a base Braves - They are pretty loaded for the next few years - After that... who knows but right now they are set for awhile. Nationals - Buy low candidate - They will be back and back strong. Dodgers - They are like buying Berkshire Hathaway - Expensive but bullet proof. and why not... Twins - I think the farm is starting to produce fruit and I think the farm will continue to produce fruit Teams that I would never by stock in Rockies - They don't develop prospects - They don't spend money Marlins - Lots of young players - But, somehow someway they can't seem to figure it out White Sox - Probably a good buy low candidate but I'd be wishing they stay down... even if they climb up... they are going back down again. Instability on steroids - And I hate them more than any other team. Angels - There hasn't been a worse run organization for the past couple of decades.

Very sensible posts Jocko. Lots of folks bought stock in the Padres last year. Last off-season... I don't remember how many pages were spent on how the Padres were showing all the small market teams the way. I tried my best to remind people that the Padres did indeed spend a lot of money but the Padres hadn't accomplished anything yet and it will be nearly impossible for them to sustain it because there is a bill that comes due and that bill came due even before the 2023 season completed. Not only did they not make the playoffs. A loan was taken out to make payroll. Around 95 million was taken off the books from last year to this year. Almost the entire rotation is gone... Two members of that Padres staff last year (Lugo and Wacha) are now with the Royals who are apparently the new small market light that is blinding everyone once again. The 2024 current roster has someone named Batten penciled in at 3B and 3 non roster invitees as the favorites to make the 26 man roster including the LF starting job. Soto gone, Snell gone, Hader gone, Martinez gone along with the fore mentioned Lugo and Wacha. The top of the farm system was traded off leaving them with nobody close to help with their best prospects still at least a year away. This year... as the Royals become the new... whatever. The fans demand for money spent is insatiable. Yankees fans are calling Steinbrenner cheap. These cries from fans are something that will never go away no matter how much is spent.

Why do y'all do this to yourself over and over again. Feb 3, 1979... I realized that the Twins had a budget. I'm embarrassed that it took me until I was 13 years old to understand that the Twins have a budget. 45 years later... consistently without fail... Every single year... the Twins have demonstrated that they have a budget... it should be clear to all by now. People who live in Minnesota understand that it will be cold in January. Every January... the temp is going to drop... you all know this. Consistency teaches you this. If you don't like winters in International Falls... Move.

The Royals need to produce a better record than the Twins before embarrassment sets in.

From age 24 to 33... Santana was consistently a pretty good hitter. From 34 to 36... His consistency was below .700 Age 37... He had a rebound to slight above average. I have no idea who is booted off the 26 man for Santana... and for those players who start the year in AAA and I assume Miranda is a high probability for starting in St. Paul... it's good to have those players with options to deepen or depth so that's going to be OK with me. However... For Santana to be given a 26 man spot over them. Which I'm ok with. He needs to play at a level that justifies not giving someone else the chance to be at least equal to what he is providing because I think... actually more accurately hope... that someone down on the farm will be able to OPS+ 100 if given the chance. I want to be clear... that these types of conversations will appear like I am tearing Carlos Santana apart. I'm really not. I hope he kicks butt. I'm just making my point which is really just a point that is born from my biggest fear and that is another Logan Morrison type performer.

I appreciate your usage of Logan Morrison... who is my favorite poster boy of the bad bad bad bad vet who walks past the lineup card because he knows he will be on it despite not deserving to be on it, while taking the team down with him. Logan Morrison should never be forgotten as a prime example of the process going horribly wrong and the need for an escape hatch. Logan Morrison should never be forgotten as a prime example of the front offices not being perfect and the job being very hard. From your lips (Fingertips) to Gods (Twins Front Office) Ear. I hope your suggestion for the 2024 Twins front office is how they operate... I hope they will have the strength to move on from a failing veteran player who has less than a year on his deal if that player is not getting it done. Morrison in 2018 tells me they don't. Simmons in 2021 tells me they don't. Gallo and Kepler in 2023 tells me that they don't.

Whatever happens is going to happen. However, Perhaps my biggest question is this: Will Joe Ryan give up #41?

That would be my guess as well. However... Only a guess.

I know CJ Cron didn't have the best year last year... He had a bad 2nd half after getting traded to the Angels. However... I'd rank Cron higher than Santana on my wish list. Cron also has Decent K rates along with Power. No idea what Cron was asking for though so I'm certainly not upset with the front office going with Santana over Cron.

I do not think we will be a stronger team in 2024 compared to 2023 but I will pick the Twins to win the AL Central. I do that every year

Expected isn't the right word... and yes... it is also unknown to me... everyone is unknown to all of us... really. However... Yes is the answer to your question. Miranda produced a .751 OPS in 2022. Santana was .747 in 2023. That's pretty marginal in my eyes. Severino and Martin are indeed wild cards and who knows but it isn't out of the question that new additions to the 26 man will or could produce league average or better. Which could also be marginal to what Santana produced last year. My overall point that I'm making is this: IMO... His numbers last year if repeated puts him in the depth crowd. Don't get me wrong... you know that I love depth but we already have a lot of depth... Santana is just another depth addition IMO. His repeating his numbers of last year puts him in with Farmer, Gordon, Castro. Along with Solano and Taylor from last year. Along with 2021, 2022, 1st half of 2023 Kepler 2023 Buxton 2023 Correa Those 3 players did not play at a level last year that was comparable to their status of players much better than they were. I'm not making predictions. I am saying that Santana's numbers last year while decent are not a level above decent.

If he performs like he did last year... he will help us win games and be a positive member for the Minnesota Twins and a decent signing. However... If he performs like he did last year... the value increase over players... like Miranda, Severino and Martin will be minimal. If he performs better than he did last year... he will be a perfect addition to the team. If he is worse... He could be a big issue when bad performance is combined with a 40 and 26 man roster spot being spent on a guy who isn't playing well and the club patiently waiting for him to start playing well. More risk than reward in my opinion but the reward is definitely possible so I will give him every chance to bring the reward. .

I like how the Orioles utilize their IF prospects in preparation for the majors. Holliday, Westburg, Henderson, Mayo, Norby and Joey Ortiz now off to the Brewers have all played multiple positions down in the minors. It's easy to speculate the Brewers starting Ortiz at 3B and moving to SS because the Orioles have been training him for this sort of thing. Brooks Lee has basically been a SS. I'm never sure how much this sort of thing matters but I have to imagine that it does matter... if only just a little. When it's time to call up Brooks Lee... the Twins won't know where that opening will open. Is it Lewis, Correa or Julien who gets injured to create a spot for Brooks. Is it best that Brooks prepares for anywhere now in the minors or do you just do it on the fly in the majors? I like the way the Orioles do it.