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Riverbrian

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Everything posted by Riverbrian

  1. Riverbrian
    Help Wanted - We are looking for 3 bullpen specialists able to start immediately. Qualified candidates must be able to: * Travel extensively 6 possibly 7 months over the course of year. Passport required. Vaccination optional. * Pass random drug tests with the ability to read and understand the labels listing all substances contained in over the counter products. * Lift (and throw) objects roughly the size of a baseball. Candidate can be either right or left handed Minimum Salary is $600,000 Yearly Health Insurance including dental and vision 401K 5 Months of PTO Sign-On Bonus of $35,000 Application can be found at: 1twinsway.com
  2. Riverbrian
    I’m not going to debate this in the extremes like there is nothing between Taylor Rogers and terrible. You and I agree that the bullpen is vital. Especially in this age of managed pitch counts and trips through the order. If starters are going to throw less innings and they are… the bullpen needs to fill those extra innings and as a result the bullpen workload is also going to be managed including Taylor Rogers if he was still on the roster. The bullpen needs to be aggressively rostered from top to bottom. I’m not as concerned with the top as I am with the bottom. The bottom is what is killing us. Taylor on the roster is absolutely an improvement because it should knock someone off the bottom, but we are still talking about one spot. Not having Taylor Rogers doesn’t mean we have to tolerate what Pagan is providing like there is nothing in between. Taylor Rogers is just one guy. Who replaces Taylor Rogers? Not my call… that job is on the front office. I can throw names out there but that would be meaningless. However, let’s not pretend that the mere presence of Taylor Rogers fixes this bullpen. He improves it if he stays healthy, but he is just one guy and the Taylor Rogers trade didn’t cripple the bullpen by his not being here. The arms in the current bullpen are crippling the bullpen and we’ve had months to make the assessments. The options to fix that come in all shapes and sizes in between great and terrible. You and I both know that. We agree the front office hasn’t done enough in this regard. July starts tomorrow. It’s time… they must get to work and make those phone calls and get bullpen serious.
  3. Riverbrian
    This makes him like almost everybody. People are fickle by nature. I'm sure he believed what he said in 2019 and I'm sure he believes what he is saying in 2022. Context, attitudes, perceptions, memories will adjust multiple times over the span of 3 years and they change for all of us. I have hired many people who told me they were looking for X because they didn't like Y only to leave 6 months later because Y wasn't so bad and they don't like X.
  4. Riverbrian
    You are absolutely right. The Twins overcame themselves to put themselves in position to win it in the 10th. It's still a team performance in the end. Well it's a team performance with Pagan a part of that team. ?
  5. Riverbrian
    Thornburg and Moran were fresher. Before you replace Pagan in the bullpen... you have to replace the guys who the manager feels is worse than the guy who has blown 3 games against your closest competitor in a short period of time. Silver lining? I'll give it a shot. The front office has to know that the bullpen is beyond priority now. That might be a good thing.
  6. Riverbrian
    Dear Rocco, I'm still in your corner but I can't help you here. I imagine that there are times when a manager needs to show a struggling player that you still have confidence in them. However... Pagan had blown 3 games against Cleveland in the span of 8 days. Make that 4 over the span of 9 after last night. How is his confidence now? Not good and that extends to his team mates and yes the fans. If anybody else in the bullpen would have blown that lead in extras... you'd have a leg to stand on, because the blame could be shouldered by the bullpen as a whole instead of focused on the one that you have exposed by allowing him to drop 4 games in a short period of time against the team that is closest to you in the standings. Rocco... you have to wear this one. Tomorrow/Today is another day. Go get em! Sincerely, Riverbrian
  7. Riverbrian
    Of Course I can. Trading Rogers doesn't mean you can't replace Rogers. Maybe the replacement isn't as good but just cause you trade Rogers... it doesn't mean you are forced to roster crap in his place. Also... I think it's fair to point out that Pagan can also be replaced and this is perhaps where the Twins are really failing at the moment because the Paddack trade was months ago.
  8. Riverbrian
    Bullpen would ranked #1, #2, #3 and #4 on my trade deadline acquisition wish list. Bullpen arms are typically not that expensive. Even arms with significant stuff. The Twins clearly need to add a couple of arms with significant stuff to the bullpen before the deadline. The priorities: #1, #2 #3 and #4: At least two Bullpen guys with the stuff to get away with mistakes. No tricksters please... look for arms that can rack up some K's with a runner on third. The bullpen has this need right now even before you consider the possibility of any injury making this need worse. I don't personally see an in-house solution to satisfy this need. Bullpen has to be the top priority on the shopping list. This team is in contention. This must be addressed. These are not expensive acquisitions in terms of prospect capital. #5: A power bat You have to consider the very likely possibility of injury from someone amongst the position players. An injury could happen to someone who is a significant important contributor. (Buxton, Correa, Polanco, Arraez). Even if we are blessed with health... it is my opinion that the Twins could use an additional power bat to deepen a healthy offense but you will really wish you added to the offense if one of these guys goes down in September. I don't care what position this power bat plays however, since Kirilloff can also play OF and Arraez can play other positions. 1B is the cheapest position to acquire a power bat. I'd have no problem with a big powerful 1B being added such as Josh Bell or Trey Mancini and I don't believe it would wound our farm system. Yeah... I know I'm not factoring in Sano's return to the lineup. I'll repeat... I don't care what position this power bat acquisition plays. #6: Starting Pitching. I surely wouldn't mind the addition of a Castillo or Montas. A starter like that would be wonderful. However, those guys are expensive to acquire and I would not be comfortable giving up a Canterino for example to acquire this type of a guy. I continue to contend that our starting pitching has some real nice depth which makes this less of a priority.
  9. Riverbrian
    Pagan has less than 5 years service time and he has 1 option left.
  10. Riverbrian
    Agreed but when it comes to baseball. The weather has to be an additional factor. Being able to play baseball year round gives California and the South an advantage over the University of Minnesota. In reverse... Being able to skate outdoors in July gives the University of North Dakota an advantage over Arizona State in hockey. ?
  11. Riverbrian
    Common sense would suggest that the pitching coach is a major part of the pitch count/data process. The pitching coach probably serves as the main adviser to those decisions you complain about. The narrative of Rocco being some sort of ruler of the universe is beyond tired.
  12. Riverbrian
    Wes isn't a job hopper. He put his time in with the organization. If this is the job he wants... it's the job he wants. If proper notice was given, that's between the Twins and him. But yeah... the shocking part is the money... if what is reported is correct. College baseball programs don't turn a profit. If they do, it's a tiny profit. Paying a pitching coach more than the head coach of the Gophers hockey program will make it harder to turn a profit. If a major league baseball team can't compete with a college team. Things are way out of whack.
  13. Riverbrian
    That opposite field job by Encarnacion-Strand isn't ordinary. That ball was a rocket. I'll checking for more of his highlights as the days go by.
  14. Riverbrian
    It was nice to see Garlick get a start against a right hander. If Garlick could hit right handers like he hits left handers he'd be a very good hitter. Still believe that he hasn't faced enough right handers to determine if he can hit right handers. Hope to see some more of it.
  15. Riverbrian
  16. Riverbrian
    The idea of bunting in that situation could have been an interesting post game discussion. However... There is absolutely no chance of an interesting discussion taking place without providing matches to the burn the witches crowd. It's like water pouring into your basement. When the shop vac is useless... it's time to move.
  17. Riverbrian
  18. Riverbrian
    Agreed... I don't really have a tremendous complaint with how Baldelli is working players in. I want him to work all players in. However, there has been a recent shift since Kirilloff has been called up. Miranda 3 starts Sanchez 6 starts Urshela 6 starts Kirilloff 5 starts Larnach 5 starts I also understand that we have faced 5 RH starters in a row so I get it but I'm also hoping he doesn't get short sided with the Kirilloff addition. I'm just responding to the article while also hoping the recent shift isn't a trend. All good
  19. Riverbrian
    Plenty of discussion this week about the necessity of using roster space on Duffey and Thornburg in consideration of their current usage. The question is why Duffey and Thornburg "Don't come around here no more". The lack of their usage is causing Emilio Pagan to tell them "You Wreck Me" due to lack of other options. From my perspective and looking at the pair of them on the roster and their current lack of usage. I can't explain it and "I need to know". "You don't know how it feels" to be me without that information.
  20. Riverbrian
    While I feel the use of the word "Crippling" is a little pre-mature and dramatic, I do agree with what your article is saying. Many moons ago when Miranda was struggling I felt he should have been sent down but they sent down Lewis instead and provided Miranda with plenty of playing time while he was struggling. Now... Miranda seems to have straightened out a bit and now the playing time isn't as available. I understand that we are healthier than we were back then but this is kinda backwards. You are absolutely correct. Sanchez can yield some playing time to give Miranda more playing time. Urshela can yield some playing time to give Miranda more playing time. KIrilloff can also play OF so that means Kirilloff, Kepler and Larnach can yield playing time and nobody has to sacrifice significant playing time to make it happen. If you want to simplify it and just compare Miranda to Sanchez without factoring in everybody else. Both are righthanded Miranda has an OPS of .874 over the last 30 days - Sanchez has an OPS of .653. This suggests that Miranda is hitting better than Sanchez right now. Miranda will be a free agent in 2029 - Sanchez will be a free agent at the end of this season. This suggests that Miranda is clearly the better choice for our future. The combination of playing better right now and a potentially long future with our club makes the consistent selection of Sanchez somewhat curious to me.
  21. Riverbrian
    OMG... Clearly... You have to be addressed before we even think about addressing the bullpen.
  22. Riverbrian
    Agreed... The season isn't lost. The Ups and the Downs are going to happen. We are still in contention. And there is absolutely no question that this is indeed... your fault. ?
  23. Riverbrian
    Absolutely fair consideration and a great point. I don't know... it all depends on the cost of the necessary acquisition. I do have the assumption (right or wrong) that decent effective rental relievers won't come with the type of price tag to move the needle past my personal comfortableness but it clearly depends on what we have to give up to fix it. Even in consideration of the Paddack injury. Paddack was significant enough value at the time of the deal to justify the potential chain reaction replacement cost for Rogers but yeah... let's see. Regardless... Great point. Deals like this are never zero sum considerations.
  24. Riverbrian
    The traditional strategy of closer/set up/set up only really works if your starting pitching gets you 6 innings fairly often. They have too many young arms that need innings management and they are too adherent to the 1st time/2nd time/3rd time through the order data to even think about the traditional strategy. Gonna need a bullpen full of arms that they trust.
  25. Riverbrian
    Agreed Moran Up and Thornburg down right now seems necessary and time sensitive. We absolutely need to know if Moran can be trusted. He has certainly out performed existing options this year. Tyler Duffey will not be here next year. If he can't be trusted in his final year... he should not be allowed to take us down with him. There is nothing to develop with Duffey... He's gone. He doesn't have to directly cough up leads on the mound to take us down with him. Not being trusted to pitch which in turn reduces the options available can indirectly take us down and it quite possibly did last night.
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