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Riverbrian

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Everything posted by Riverbrian

  1. Riverbrian
    Agreed... You always have to consider that it takes two to tango. Trade deadlines would have to be chaotic with everyone in the market for starting pitching. They liked Mahle, chances are other teams like Mahle as well. Now you got to pay the price it costs to acquire Mahle. This price won't even matter if the Reds like the prospects that the Rays are offering. The front office just can't walk into trade deadline chaos like a supermarket and simply pull macaroni and cheese off the shelf and put in the basket.
  2. Riverbrian
    No matter what happens going forward with Steer and E-Strand. We lost this trade. Mahle will most likely never pitch in a Twins uniform again and if he does pitch in a Twins uniform... he will have to be signed as a free agent which is something we could have done if he was still with the Reds. We lost this trade... There is no debate on this. My question would be this: I often hear fans saying things like the signs were there. What signs? What signs could you possibly have that the front office wouldn't have? Why is it so easy to assume that a front office would make a deal like this knowing that there are signs that he would only throw 42 innings before needing Tommy John right before he hits free agency? Does that sound like something a 13 year old would do? I don't think a 13 year old would do that... so why is it so easy to assume, that a professional highly paid front office would do that. If the guy who runs a 3 pump convenience store in a small town in Idaho is aware of the signs... Why wouldn't the front office be aware of the signs.
  3. Riverbrian
    That wasn't exactly what I meant but I'll take the spot on and put in my pocket for safe keeping anyway.
  4. Riverbrian
    The blackout rules are ancient and are really not good for baseball. My cable comfortableness aside... For the good of the game, I'm hoping with this Diamond debacle that baseball is able to get into something makes it possible to be everywhere that everybody is. We should be able to watch a baseball game on any device anywhere... for the good of the game. Of course... I don't know how to work any of that stuff... so I think I'm being quite generous in my hopes for the future. 😄
  5. Riverbrian
    I'm a simple guy... I am comfortable with cable as it is and haven't considered cutting the cord. If the Twins were not on cable. I'm not sure that I would remain comfortable with cable.
  6. Riverbrian
    Two players on this roster can't have ice on them. They are Correa and Buxton. What they are capable of doing would be nearly impossible to replace.
  7. Riverbrian
    Baseball is certainly cut throat with hard hard decisions that can't be avoided. But I like to believe that front offices are human beings that still have considerations for other human beings. It's easy for me to talk tough on a message board but if I was in charge... I like to think that the human side would be a factor in my responsibilities. I don't ever want to be that kind of person who just treats players fighting for a career like fleas.
  8. Riverbrian
    The option is still there. However, we all remember what happened when a financial decision had to be made on Eddie Rosario and Eddie kinda sets a bar for Kepler to clear for that option to be picked up. It ain't looking good to me... unless the front office really really really really values defense to the point of dismissing offense almost entirely. I agree... It's probably risky to trust a rookie... but eventually trust of a rookie won't matter if Kepler can't get himself over the Mendoza line with the bat because eventually you end up trusting that anyone will be able to do better. I think that planning for potential injuries would be a larger consideration. Wallner and Larnach can be stashed in reserve to cover for future injuries. If you pull the plug on Kepler, you are one player short now and we have already reached down to Garlick on the OF depth chart to cover for a rash of injuries. Those rashes can still come in September like they did last year. Myself... I'm bummed that Wallner's hot streak was clipped but I get it... Kepler has to be given his job back at this moment in the season but that clock has to be ticking. It just has to be. My guess, is that Kepler has until the trade deadline to get himself right but not because we will trade him. Because, we will be trading for someone. If we are still in contention and the offense hasn't made significant collective strides. We will make a trade for a rental with decent bat skills. When that player is required... someone on a expiring contract will then be jettisoned because the team will still want that Larnach and Wallner depth to cover for injuries. Acquiring a player... will be the first serious threat to Kepler. I'm guessing that he's got a couple of months... Tick Tick Tick 😎
  9. Riverbrian
    If your team is in contention... Wouldn't a couple of hot months take him out of in-season trade considerations? After all... contending teams acquire rentals just to improve for the stretch run... they don't trade rentals. The Twins hold a 10 million dollar club option on Kepler. If he doesn't get better, his rental status holds no value because he isn't improving what teams already have for the stretch run. Plain and simple... Kepler is playing for 10 million bucks next year. If he doesn't get those hot months... the Twins won't pay the 10 and he will be a free agent looking at minor league deals next year or a low dollar 1 year prove it deal. Kepler is heading straight for a cliff if he doesn't turn it around. The Twins moving on from him before the season is over would be almost fatal to his career at this moment in time. I think the club understands the consequences to Kepler's career by giving Wallner his job right now so I wouldn't dismiss humanitarian and pecking order considerations. However, at some point, the club is going to be absolutely sure that they are not going to pick up that option meaning Kepler will not be part of the team in 2024 and beyond. Meaning Kepler has no future value which is not good news for Kepler especially if he isn't providing significant current value. In my opinion, when they reach the conclusion that they are not picking up the option. Kepler has to be demonstrably better than Larnach and Wallner. because Larnach and Wallner will be back in 2024. The Twins have to be getting close to that point. Kepler should be hearing a loud ticking clock in his head because that career clock is absolutely real.
  10. Riverbrian
    Every season is unique and yet still the same. Last season we had concerns and this season we have concerns. They may not be the same concerns but they are still concerns. Perfection is really hard to achieve. The team is in first place... there are plenty of ups and downs to come. Overall... the veteran hitters on this team are a collective concern to me. When it comes to those veteran hitters... I don't assume status quo through the rest of the season nor do I assume guaranteed improvement as the season progresses. The one thing that is obvious to me. The front office appears to have placed all of our offensive hopes and dreams in these veteran hitters. It's up to them.
  11. Riverbrian
    In the movie Saving Private Ryan. (BTW Thank you to all who have served). Tom Hanks is clutching his wounds and he whispers to Matt Damon "Earn This". I feel like someone should be saying that to Max Kepler right about now.
  12. Riverbrian
    Wallner hitting a double, triple and 420 foot home run last night kinda suggests that he is still a hot streak cut short by decree.
  13. Riverbrian
    Yeah... If he heats up in the 7 position... he can be moved back to the 3. Batting order doesn't have to be a permanent assignment.
  14. Riverbrian
    I'm sure you understand that I am an individual and not people... and those who are concerned about the batting order changing too often are other individuals and not people. This board is not a single voice. I recommend not treating it as such in your responses. I agree that the batting order will not solve the main issues... I am not making a declaration but I am asking three questions that are lineup related. You can dismiss those questions if you like but I'm asking them anyway. Now if you use the word "Any" before "solve" and in front of "issues" in response. Just draw the names out of a hat because it doesn't matter apparently.
  15. Riverbrian
    It certainly can't be denied that this is a discussion worth having. At the very least: 1. Why does Correa get to keep his top three batting order position? Right now... Kirilloff, Lewis, Castro and Julien have been our best hitters. 2. Why doesn't the batting order change more significantly day to day? They certainly have matchup data beyond left/right splits that should influence significant line up changes from day to day. At the very least they have hot and cold numbers that we can all see. 3. This last question has been bouncing off my brain walls for awhile now, and I really want to know the answer. If you are making data driven decisions to create SLIGHT advantages in the margins. Doesn't the lack of adjustment in response to the actual performance of Correa and others not meeting expectation negate all of those data driven decisions? In other words... the question for the front office in a nutshell is... What are you doing?
  16. Riverbrian
    Thursday can't come fast enough for you.
  17. Riverbrian
    I have no idea what Castro will be in the future nor will I even try to predict but the numbers say what they say and I like the rewarding of better numbers. I'm sure you know by now that I have an aversion to putting people in boxes like that. Assigned roles, utility man no matter if he hits better than others who apparently can't or don't play multiple positions. It's almost like the multiple positional guy is being punished for being multiple positional while the guy who can only play one position gets locked in and yet plays more? Castro can play multiple positions... Perfect... I like those types of players but why doesn't being able to play multiple positions mean that they can compete for playing time against the 3B, SS, 2B, LF, CF and RF. Multiple positions should produce more paths to more playing time but utility is viewed as occasional utilization here and there. Why does Kepler get utilized like he is Aaron Judge? His numbers are not good enough for that type of utilization. Taylor isn't good enough for Judge type utilization. Gallo isn't good enough for Judge type utilization? And if the Twins start utilizing players commensurate with their performance... all of a sudden we are are not as crowded in the left handed corner aisle of the department store.
  18. Riverbrian
    I believe Cleveland is on the schedule for Thursday June 1 at Target Field. Pablo Lopez vs. Tanner Bibee to kick off a 4 game series. The first 10,000 fans get a Twins Water Bottle.
  19. Riverbrian
    Proven Mediocrity. That isn't a good thing.
  20. Riverbrian
    Castro and Kepler have a similar amount of bats. Kepler has played every day when healthy over 29 games. Castro has never been hurt while his at bats have been scattered over 42 games. Comparing direct with Kepler, Castro has been better in nearly every single offensive category so far. I'm willing to bet that Kepler will also push Castro into a short side platoon role.
  21. Riverbrian
    We don't have a glut of left handed outfielders. We have a glut of veteran players performing average to below average baseball with a bat in their hands. I love Byron Buxton... he is one of us and will be for a long time. I don't want to feel this way but... I'm sorry... I'm almost at the point of starting to resent Buxton. I'm trying my best to understand that there is a medical reason for his playing DH but it's a bottleneck no matter how you slice it. We were vet healthy when this team cratered into the bottom portion of most hitting stats about three weeks ago. We are about to be vet healthy again. Hopefully we will see different results because Kirilloff and Lewis are now in the fold. And that is of course... youth leading the way... not the vets. I'm getting tired of the 1 for 4 day being a good day for our vets. Wallner has 1 more 4 hit day than all of the vets combined this season.
  22. Riverbrian
    As unenthusiastic as I am about Kepler's return and as much as I hate management stopping a little hot streak by decree. I also don't see an alternative move for the front office to make. Wallner had to go down for Kepler. We have 3 hitters on the 40 man down in St. Paul. We are still in the month of May, it's too soon to put acute pressure on the 40 man roster. Correa, Buxton, Gallo, Kepler, Polanco and Taylor have to be better.
  23. Riverbrian
    True And yet... not enough. I substituted Wallner for that 2nd Larnach.
  24. Riverbrian
    I was thinking about that exact thing watching Kepler have a pretty rough game yesterday. I was thinking that Matt Wallner in just 2 games almost reached one third of Max Kepler's entire season of offensive production. I was thinking that it's possible that Max will be signing a minor league deal next year but not before he gets in the way for one last time. Honestly... I didn't think about Kepler that much because Royce Lewis gave me something else to think about. Watching Lewis I started thinking. Our youth has led the way in the past 3 wins as the vets did very little. Then I started thinking... when Polanco gets back, we will be healthy again with vets all over the place.
  25. Riverbrian
    Options... Wallner has them. Kepler doesn't... this means that Wallner has to be significantly better than the player who doesn't have them and it's hard to be significantly better when hot streaks are stopped at management's request. Kepler sending Wallner down was in the script. That's why we are not surprised.
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