Riverbrian

There are things that we agree on and there are things where we don't. This is one where we don't agree and I don't think we can change each other's mind. 😎 If you are in first place... you are in contention. Being in first place... is in contention... there is no other way to define it. The strongest team on paper doesn't automatically win in the playoffs. There are teams that advance in the playoffs with flaws. I don't want any front office thinking that they know better. They don't know better. .

Well that happens with 160 proof moonshine. I get that he wasn't successful before... it should probably be noted that he was a starter when he wasn't successful. First year converted to the pen produced. 48.1 innings. 54 K's... 0.94 WHIP. He has visible and measurable stuff. Baltimore chose him as a closer and they had one of the best bullpens in baseball at the time if you rank by team ERA. Our bullpen was one of the worst. The Twins were in 1st place and they traded for one of the top bullpen options available instead of some cheaper option. You won't find me criticizing the move. I would have made it 8 days a week. Matter of fact... I remember asking them for bullpen help very loudly last year. Pablo? I get it... Starters are expensive. I didn't like losing Arraez... Still don't. But... I think Pablo is a good pitcher and good pitchers are expensive.

Cano has options. Pagan does not. Therefore... the Orioles will take Cano in a trade but would probably not take Pagan in a trade.

It feels a little better when you reduce his consideration to mere player on the 26 man roster. A little better.

Of Course there are no guarantees that Wallner would have done anything. However, that same lack of a guarantee applies to everybody on the 26 man roster but... in absence of a guarantee... it's best to go with the guy who doesn't seem to need that guarantee.

There is something that combines throw in the air during September harvest that I am allergic to. I can definitely say that I'm not allergic to a platoon. However, there is a strong part of me that wishes that the first half of the year is used to establish who SHOULD be platooned. I'd rather remain vigilant to the possibility that players get better and get worse from time to time and I believe that front offices are capable of making sure a player doesn't get better by restricting access... I.E. Alex Kirilloff will not get better facing left handers because Kyle Garlick is going to play against them instead. Come playoff time or even come September... Platoon away... you'll have the data... the players will have let you know. But... even more importantly... I really struggle with the platoon concept if the long side of a platoon is .213/.281/.398 against right handed pitchers and I struggle even harder if that same long side of a platoon was .221/.315/347 last year. And I'm going to struggle even harder if the team has scored less than 2 runs in 21 out of 60 games while striking out 613 times. When this is the context... A two day rental of a short side platoon who will never be allowed to be better than .213/.281/.398 is a waste. Especially when you have 10 other players on the roster who hit right handed. And especially especially especially when the guy you passed over for the 2 day short side rental guy. Went 7 for 11 with the Twins with 2 walks and zero K's over 5 games... Was sent down for .213/.281/.398 guy and then went 11 for 26 with 3 home runs over 6 games. 18 for 37 combined. 4 home runs. I'll finish with one last point. The most efficient way to kill a hot streak is to bench it or send it down. How do you make the establishment of major league ability as hard as possible. The answer is -- Make him time his production to the exact time you have a spot for him. Instead of making a spot for him when he is producing. Also... The most efficient way to maybe a add a year or two but guarantee the career will be short lived. Just do what you have done to Garlick. This team needs to stop screwing around with this... I got a left hander on the mound today so let's call up a lesser hitter that swings from the opposite side of the plate crap. We need help.

The easy answer to the question posed by this excellent article is: Baltimore acquired him as part of a package in a trade for Jorge Lopez. At that moment he became the Orioles responsibility to improve or Baltimore became the beneficiary of his pending improvement. The Twins needed bullpen help last year. They needed immediate help and Cano's ability to help was not immediate. If the Twins were not in contention they wouldn't have needed Lopez and could have given Cano more time. They didn't have the time. I don't blame the front office for this... I blame the front office for Nick Anderson... but not this.

Yep And the opportunity to demonstrate it.

Rocco: Riverbrian wants you to get a chance. Here ya go.. you get 1 game against a right hander. I'd like you to go 5 for 5 before we send you back down on Tuesday. Kyle: What if I go 5-5. Can I stay? Rocco: Of course not.

You didnt list the number of times a player can be sent down. 5 is the answer My response: Well if all you are looking for is a 2 day call up. That is all you will get. We may need more than that. Personally I dont think this offense is strong enough to take that approach. My follow up question: Is Wallner not allowed to be better than Larnach? Are you 100% sure Larnach is better than Wallner? Im only asking because you've called up a 2 day rental? Larnach is apparently the remedy.

Garlick starting today against a right hander. All that careful planning.

This is getting confusing. Ok. who starts for Larnach?

If Garlick goes down... Who will pinch hit for Larnach?

I dont believe we draw McClanahan. However... The Rays can throw 3 portsiders at you out of the bullpen. However... with the addition of Garlick we are down to two pure left handed hitters period. With the addition of Garlick we were able to smother Logan Allen with nothing but righthanded hitters... we didn't win the game but we won that matchup thing and it is obvious.... the hand the pitcher throws with and what side of the plate the batter swings from continues to be the most impotamt thing on earth. Our lefty hitters facing left handed pitching appears to be the scariest thing of all scary things because Garlick was called up to give us 9 pure right hitters, two switch and 2 pure lefties. 9 Right handed hitters doesnt appear to exhibit fear of our right handed batters facing right handed pitching... other than KYLE GARLICK facing right handers of course. To be clear... OUR lefty hitters not the other teams lefty hitters is the fear. Because we cant deploy our best hitter because he is left handed.... YET... we only have ONE lefthander in the pen and no lefthanders in the rotation. So its our lefty hitters exclusively who cant matchup because if the data says lefties cant hit lefties... we would have more lefty arms. We dont... so its Kirilloff and Wallner who cant hit lefties. All the other lefty hitters in the league. We can get them out with right handef pitching. Right handers throw 70 to 75% of the time and we called up a guy who will only play 25% of the time. I continue to ask... WHAT ARE WE DOING!!!

You are correct. It is a long ass season. I was part of that half the posters that you are referencing. Speaking for myself. I wasnt reacting to a single game then and I wont react to a single game now. I am capable of breaking out the stats that show its June 3 on the calender and therefore already a long ass season for some of our players. Ill stand by my comments!!!

Marlin Perkins doing Color: This is the American third baseman in it's natural habitat. Third basemen are fiercely territorial as they tend to hunt and defend small tracts of land that they claim for themselves. This guy here with the number 23 clearly visible on his back, is powerful, fast and capable of amazing feats of athleticism as he waits for his prey to come flying through at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Let's watch what he does here. That's impressive. He took Jim Fowler down with such ease and has now eaten him. I will notify Jim's family but WOW... This is an impressive specimen.

Under normal circumstances... I would agree with you. Correa is a tremendous defensive SS. Correa in years past is also an offensive force that will help teams win. Sadly, circumstances are not normal. It's June 2... The Alarm Clock on my patience rang yesterday. I have none left. Correa has been no help at the plate. He's given us 9 walks and a couple of doubles in the past 15 days. his OPS in the past 7 days is .431 -- just 3 singles and 3 walks. I'm going to say it... Our comeback last night was in part possible because he got out of the way so the players capable of bringing us back could. Sometimes injuries make us better. It's June... Cleveland is in town. LET'S GO

There's a United flight leaving Buffalo at 10:50a that arrives at MSP around 2:16p with an hour layover at O'Hare. Flight is listed at $246. Wallner should be on that plane. I'll pay it. It honestly doesn't matter to me who they D.L or if they even need to be placed on the D.L. The front office has 3 to pick from. Great comeback by our Twins. Cleveland did that to us last year and it ended up being their year. Maybe this year can be the Twins. Back to Wallner. He's still as hot as hot can be. Adding a hot hitter to Polanco?, Lewis, Kirilloff, Castro, Solano and Jeffers just might cause a problem for Cleveland, Yes... I listed Castro, Solano and Jeffers. Let's recognize who brought us back last night and who on the roster has been actually hitting the ball like they belong in the majors. D.L. someone and bring Wallner up.

Context... It sure surrounds those managers a little thicker than us mere civilians in the peanut gallery. 😎

How does he do when he is afternooning out the workload?

Agreed Bullpen needed some breathing room. They have been pitching with no margin of error for too long. I don't understand the debate here. It was 8 Zip. Pull Varland and save bullets for his next start. On the other side Baker pulled Tucker and Maldonado to get them off their feet.

I'd like to see him take about 1,000 ground balls a day in AAA. His bat is going to be fine. That swing is a thing of beauty.

Lopez has to figure it out with the big club. Bullpens are so volatile.

Yes I would... I would acquire hitting. On July 31... Being in first place is a great measuring stick for being in position to make the playoffs. 😎

De Leon can fill the long man role in the interim.