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Riverbrian

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Everything posted by Riverbrian

  1. Riverbrian
    Ok, show me the Tarik Skubal clone? That's your lead? No... I don't think I will I'll post my original post that you responded to that led to you asking me to show the Tarki Skubal Clone? Notice the recognition that we don't seem to be near Cleveland or Milwaukee. Let me know if I need to keep looking for a Tarik Skubal Clone? Can't do better than Dylan Bundy if you keep signing Dylan Bundy. I'll celebrate the removal of that innings eating obstacle.
  2. Riverbrian
    In my opinion... GM's need to prepare for success and failure. I'm with you... 2026 certainly has the potential of being a rough year. If I had to place a bet. I'd bet on a rough year. No matter how you and I feel... or even how the front office feels deep down inside... you still have to prepare for success. If they don't trade Ryan or Lopez... That starting pitching staff could be pretty good... it is certainly deep with potential. I personally don't believe that we traded any offensive game changers at the deadline and I include Correa when I say that. In other words... I think the offensive ground could be made up quickly. We are not talking about high bars to clear. The bullpen? Well... Yeah... they really did a number on the pen and it is probably the main reason that I doubt a fun 2026 is possible... but the bullpen is also one of the easiest things to rebuild... it doesn't have to be the best bullpen in baseball... it just needs to be competitive... not a nightmare like it is now. So you got to prepare for success. If some things click... Our chances for success are improved with Trevor helping out... of course... that is my opinion... many here seem to disagree with that opinion. Bottom Line: We don't need to rush Trevor out the door. If he has a good year... he can be a deadline decision. For everyone looking at his 100 OPS+. His OPS was going to come down when lefties are added to his repertoire. With more exposure... he can get that OPS against lefties .650 and I think he has the potential to increase his OPS against Righties and all of sudden you got an .800 OPS guy playing for Cleveland against us... and we can all look back and say... Yeah... We probably shouldn't have rushed him out the door. He's one of our best returning hitters. We may need more than that but right now... we got way too many players not hitting at his level to deal with first. Trevor has a job on my team.
  3. Riverbrian
    I also view the $$$ part secondary. When you are pressed up against the budget it becomes much more primary-ish. We shouldn't be pressed up against that budget for 2026. Who knows maybe... that line got lowered significantly but significant money got moved between Correa and the arb raises that Duran and Jax were going to get... space should have been created. I also view it the same regarding too many holes to fill. And for that reason... I'm hesitant to part with Larnach. We both have the same assessment but different answers to the same problem. I know that I have been a broken record on the necessity of more pre-arb players and I realize that Trevor is not pre-arb but Trevor is also not expiring. Next year this conversation is different for me with an expiring contract and a larger arb number. The part that I'm objecting to in regards to Trevor is the suggestion by many around these parts is to not offer arbitration. I expect the Twins to trade an OF... Perhaps that is Trevor. I used Cleveland as an example. They would probably love to acquire Larnach. They got a lot of decent bullpen arms that they could offer in return. They committed over 3,000 AB's to players with OPS .650 or lower. Larnach's OPS against right handers would be a significant upgrade for them. No hurry on Larnach... He can be a trade deadline decision. If he has a good year and the team isn't in contention. He could be dealt. If he has a bad year... he can then be released if there is no interest in him. Cleveland is good at that sort of thing. They couldn't move Santana... they released him. As for the OF space. You and I see things differently. I don't see Martin or Larnach as an either or. I'd like to see 5 outfielders on the roster coming out of camp and I want to see all 5 competing with each other. I offer no predictions on who will be showing major league talent in 2026 including Larnach. There is more than enough playing time for all to determine winners. Now... Buxton, Larnach, Wallner, Martin, Outman and Roden. That's 6... so I do expect a trade or someone is going to pick up a first base glove over the winter. On the other hand... Roden also has options available as does Erod and anybody added to the 40 man. Anyway... my first step is removing the players that the Twins are not going to provide opportunity to. Get them off the 40. After that process is done. The Twins will have their hands full just filling that vast amount of space before they release Larnach.
  4. Riverbrian
    It would have been nice if you were along. Two is much harder to escort out. I remember the day clearly... After I left the building... I walked over to 1st Avenue (Princes Place). Jumped up on stage and sang Bob Dylan Covers with a Nu-Metal Band out of Wheaton Minnesota. The band was a little confused at first since I didn't ask or introduce myself before I jumped on the Mic and broke into "Don't Think Twice... It's Alright". But, they were able to keep up. You could have played some percussion.
  5. Riverbrian
    What I would like to see... Is for the players to compete to the trade deadline. Reward more playing time to those who are earning and less to those who are not but I'd like to see full on competition up to the deadline. Send players down and call up players as needed but full on competition... No more pre-determination. Limit the platooning to allow for establishing needs after the deadline. You can add your right handed hand cuff at the trade deadline if progress isn't made. At that deadline... if in contention... I'd like them to identify the holes... patch them up and then settle into a more consistent lineup but there still had to be competition because injuries will change the equation and you need a roster full of talent. Once the playoffs start... You got your guys. They let you know who they are through performance. You got the guys who earned it. Lock in and play ball... oh and platoon to your hearts content in the playoffs... if it turns out that someone just can't hit the same hand as established through the course of the season... OK... You can let him watch Skubal pitch to his teammates.
  6. Riverbrian
    The leading indicator of satisfaction of job performance is continued employment. I have levied a lot of criticism on this website concerning the operational side based on what I strongly believe. The one thing that I have never done despite the tonnage of my criticism is assume that any of them are idiots. Therefore I believe that the Pohlad's showing faith in Derek was come by honestly, through communication. Sitting the corporate office... Umm... Yeah... Sure... Yup... I did that. I remember the day clearly... just a few hours earlier... I caught a Blue Fin Tuna in the hotel bathtub. I wasn't sure how it got in there but... I tried a lot of different baits until I got him to bite. If I knew that tuna liked the coffee grounds from the Hotel provided K Cup... it wouldn't have taken me that long. For those concerned about the well being of the Tuna. I released it back into the tub. I didn't have any mayo or salad dressing to make a sandwich.
  7. Riverbrian
    We are going to disagree on this point. I believe it is not only possible to roster 5 outfielders and provide enough playing time for all. I also believe it is necessary to do so. The rest of your post is good food for thought. Martin had a great finish to the year. Many people were willing to toss him aside after 2024. Not as many are willing to toss him aside now. What happens in 2026? Let's find out. You are right that Funderburk stepped up. Players will both surprise and disappoint with opportunity.
  8. Riverbrian
    The view from my chair... The issues seem quite apparent. The phrase that comes to mind is "Uff Da". But... that's only because my mother was full blooded Norwegian. Otherwise I might have said. "WTF".
  9. Riverbrian
    You put a lot of work into this. I won't argue but each situation probably has a different dynamic. Jerry Jones seems to be wearing a few hats with the Cowboys but I got tossed out of that conference room as well. I'm just saying that I can see where one person overseeing both departments can be an advantage in keeping the departments from colliding with each other. Working many hours a week with talented subordinates. Is it working at 1 Twins way. No idea but from my view... they got some major issues so maybe not. I've seen some interesting power structures. Granted it isn't sports but I have seen a Local GM in charge of his market with a department head working under him. I've seen that department head rise to a regional VP role of said department overseeing multiple markets that includes his local market... resulting in the local GM answering to the new regional VP regionally while the regional VP answered to the local GM locally. It was weird but it worked out because they could work together.
  10. Riverbrian
    Who knows on Outman. He certainly didn't make the most of these two months but I do think it's important that everyone strongly considers that he was in the Dodgers Organization. It's an important consideration because the Dodgers spent a lot of money on their roster. He's not going to get a lot of time to work out major league kinks with a team like the Dodgers. While he clearly struggled in his 150 AB's a year in Los Angeles 2023, 2024 and 2025. He did not struggle at Oklahoma City. In a nutshell... The Dodgers spew out a higher level of waste. The guy has power, speed and defense. If the Twins can turn him around in 2026. They will win this trade and win it by a large large large margin. If they can't... he will be sent through waivers by July because we have outfielders coming and he is a minimum investment.
  11. Riverbrian
    Jeremy Zoll does something. Thad Lavine did something. Falvey has certainly been the public mouthpiece because Jeremy Zoll could walk past me in a Hy-Vee and I wouldn't recognize him but I got to assume that Jeremy Zoll does something and it's probably quite substantial. Has he hired the right people? No Idea but right now... they got issues from attendance to wins and losses so... they got some things to question and fix. The only thing that I know is this: I've seen some interesting power dynamic structures and the office adapts to it and if it doesn't... it is addressed with a different structure.
  12. Riverbrian
    I walked into 1 Twins Way once and I asked to sit down with the leaders of the department and go over operational structure. Met with a nice persistent guy for a little while who instead of answering my questions... kept asking me to leave the conference room and the building. I got to say that I didn't learn much. I also admit that I forgot to ask him if there were any more teams that have one guy over seeing both business and operations. I just remember that I left a nearly full bottle of Mountain Dew on the conference table that he wouldn't let me go back and retrieve.
  13. Riverbrian
    I've stopped predicting what players are or what they will be. Regardless... The Twins front office must feel differently because it makes no sense to acquire him knowing that he is out of options for a two month stretch of baseball in a lost season. We can all discuss the value of Brock Stewart due to his injury history. The Twins certainly could have acquired someone that didn't require a 26 man spot or 40 man spot next year... or they had the option to keep Brock in uniform in 2026. We were going to need the bullpen help next year... Brock just might have helped. Unless they can trade Outman for something in the off-season... I got to imagine that he has a 26 man spot waiting for him. Otherwise there was no sense moving Brock at all. The Twins like him and are going to take a shot at fixing what has been ailing him.
  14. Riverbrian
    Again... I have no idea on the structure. If I had to guess and it's all I can do is guess. I think it's quite possible that the separation of the two departments is difficult because revenue is dependent on operations and operations will be dependent on revenue. You can't have these two spots butting heads because that would lead to paralysis. One person in charge of both makes sense. I'd imagine that someone out ranked the other with St. Peter and Falvey. The Falvey promotion to President removes the conflict so operations connects to revenue and revenue connects to operations. I'm really not concerned about it. St. Peter as an advisor? Is he advising 24/7 or does he pick up the phone when key questions arise. There is nothing wrong with help. As for his qualifications? I don't know. He graduated with a degree in economics and turned that into a baseball scout. However, he has been the President of Baseball Operations since October 3, 2016. I have to assume that he has been in every room in the building. He would hire a director of marketing, I have no reason to believe that he is writing ads, placing ad buys, calling GM's to try swing deals, and checking the laundry room to see if everything is packed for the trip to Kansas City. But... I'd guess he's getting reports. With all that said. Attendance is down noticeably, we just sold at the trade deadline, we got a lot of lottery balls for the upcoming draft. They have problems under his leadership.
  15. Riverbrian
    Every single year this is proven true. Every single year... a superstar has a horrible post season and every single year someone that nobody expected rises up. Yesterday it was Bo Naylor with his .195 regular season batting average coming up big. Anthony Volpe has been leading the way for the Yankees so far and Giancarlo Stanton has been dragging the bottom. Trevor Story has led the Red Sox. Ben Rortvedt is the catcher for the Dodgers. He's 3 for 6 so far. Every single year a blooper falls in and every single year a screaming line drive is caught. Nothing ever goes as scripted. First team to 13 Wins wins it all. You can lose 9 games and still win it all. 13-9 will get it done. During the regular season... 4 wins every 10 games will get the manager fired and 6 wins every 10 games will get you in the playoff door. The Margins are incredibly thin during the regular season... they become even thinner when you jam it into a small sample size of 3 game series, 5 game series or 7 game series. 22 games maximum sample size. Every single year anything can happen is witnessed by many (or not witnessed) and ignored immediately afterwards so they can return to talking about the building of a world series champion being the only thing that matters. If you want to build a world series champion... you got to get in first. There are 6 spots and 15 teams in the American League... every single year.
  16. Riverbrian
    I have no idea on the operational structure of the Minnesota Twins. This article paints a picture of being overwhelmed with too many responsibilities. That's what being at the top is because ultimately... all roads end up on his desk but we are not talking about one person doing everything. If the Twins are run like almost every business in every industry. I think it's safe to assume that he has people working for him with important responsibilities. I'd imagine that his job is making sure that he has the right people in place to handle those responsibilities... because no one can handle everything without help. I think he has help.
  17. Riverbrian
    The Trade of Clevenger alone brought back a haul that is helping them today. Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor, Joey Cantillo, Gabriel Arias, along with Austin Hedges and Owen Miller. Josh Naylor has since been traded for Slade Cecconi pitching today. Civale was traded for Kyle Manzardo probably batting 4th in the lineup today. Logan Allen was acquired when they traded Trevor Bauer. We will see what they do with Bibee in the future but he threw pretty good yesterday. Not to mention Beiber who was traded this deadline to the Blue Jays. Two years a pop can sustain you.
  18. Riverbrian
    You just did a thing there. Not sure what it was... but it was definitely a thing. I've seen things before so I recognize them.
  19. Riverbrian
    There are multiple paths forward. One path is to keep the current group of starters and build around it. All paths forward have changing unpredictable conditions that should make any declaration on October 1st premature. Yet we ask on October 1.
  20. Riverbrian
    You are fine without the fancy stuff. The deeper you dive into stats... the more it equalizes. Good stats with bad stats mix together. More data typically leads to more average. Of course... if you do run into that player with minimum bad stuff. There is no debate with those players. You don't have to look at the stats to know that Aaron Judge is pretty good. I think you are right. The Twins have access to data that tells them who is most likely to succeed and they use that data to provide and limit opportunity. It makes sense... but... the thing that I can never get past. They are wrong often... and I mean often. Not just the Twins... All teams. The information, is maybe 50% (making up a number) correct and they deploy it like it's 100%. And past data is always past. Development isn't linear. Coaches... have a reason to get up in the morning and report to work... to coach... to improve... to make better... that's why they are paid. Austin Martin doesn't have to be frozen in time at age 25 with no hope. Can't hit the curve ball on the outside corner. Let's face some and go over it. This is better than... you can't deal with the curve ball... OK... you sit here on the bench... I'll pour the cement over you and we will lock this problem in.
  21. Riverbrian
    In my opinion it matters greatly. The young pitcher will be back next year. Bundy will not. They can take what they learned and apply it the next year to the benefit of the Twins. In the case of Bundy... if he learned anything with those 140 innings that he ate... He applied what he learned to the benefit of the Syracuse Mets the following year. Tarik Skubal started out Bundy like... he got better. I'm watching Bello pitch against the Yankees. He started out Bundy like... he got better. I will take 79 Innings of 5.56 from Zebby Matthews over 140 innings of 4.89 from Dylan Bundy every single time. Same with Festa, SWR, Bradley and Abel. I'm not sure if you have specific players in mind when you say Cleveland pitchers don't last more than a couple of years. A broad response to that is. A couple of years is fine. Yes... we all want 6 years of fantastic from young players but we rarely get it. Especially on the mound when injuries are prevalent. Only getting a couple of years is still a couple of years. A more specific response. Cleveland trades players before they get expensive or before they reach free agency. They restock rather than lose them for nothing and then they consistently beat us with significantly less payroll year after year after year. Just imagine having this constant wave of young talent plus an additional 40 to 50 million to spend. We could out Cleveland Cleveland with more money. We could out Milwaukee Milwaukee with more money. As cheap as we all claim the Pohlads are. We out spent Cleveland and Milwaukee by a considerable amount. Since 2021... The Twins have spent 275ish million dollars more than Cleveland. Since 2021... Cleveland won 428 games with 3 AL Central titles and the Twins won 390 games with 1 AL Central title and three years of drafting early in those same 5 years.
  22. Riverbrian
    I don't know if I've mentioned this before... in case I haven't. I enjoy your posts. You are one of the few who is consistently researched. Yep 24 players. 21 in 2024, 21 in 2023. 25 in 2022. 24 is a little on the high side but not far from a typical number for any given year or any given team. We sold at the deadline so some of that 24 will be trade inflated. Cleveland ran through 21 players in 2025. 13 of those 21 were below .650. 14 players if you count Carlos Santana who was exactly at .650 and those 14 players produced over 3000 AB's. Cleveland would love Trevor. I would also say that... of those 24 players that the Twins ran through the filter... 7 never really made it into the filter... they bounced off the side of the filter and onto the floor. Keirsay, Bride, Fitzgerald, Roden, Miranda, Pereda and McCusker never built a sensible sample at the MLB level or any kind of consistency. Roden got hurt, the others were manager decision. 5 of those 7 players would be included in your 9. I'd just toss Keirsay, Bride, Fitzgerald, Miranda, Pereda and McCusker overboard right now. No faith was displayed toward them at any point. O course... that could have been Rocco... He's gone now... Maybe somebody new would feel differently about those players. 24 is a normal number and exactly why I'm insistent on pouring 13 players through the filter at all times and creating competition because searching for 9 will never be enough. Brooks Lee might be our everyday SS and people may think that SS is covered. He won't be the SS for 162 games. Could end up being the SS for anywhere between 0 and 162 games. We will need someone besides Brooks who can play SS in 2026 and if Brooks is going to OPS below .700... he will also need competition.
  23. Riverbrian
    You can call it whatever. A pipeline or ham sandwich. You can all debate effective or ineffective. I'll just point out that we haven't had to sign Dylan Bundy types in awhile and that's good. If the pipeline or ham sandwich is effective enough to make Dylan Bundy unnecessary... That's good start. On the offensive side of the ledger... we are trying to survive off of Dylan Bundy types. Duran, Jax, Varland are from this pipeline or whatever it is and they brought back 3 starting pitchers which keeps you further from Dylan Bundy. Plus they acquired a highly ranked young catcher in Tait and a decently ranked outfielder who are now products of this whatever you want to call it. On the other hand... this pipeline or whatever you want to call doesn't seem to be near the Cleveland (trade Beiber, Sewald at the trade deadline... lose Clase to suspension and get better afterwards) level. This pipeline doesn't seem to be near the Brewers (trade Corbin Burnes and get better after) level either.
  24. Riverbrian
    I don't know anything about the inner workings of the decision making process at 1 Twins way to be happy or sad over this so I'll carry on with my day. If Rocco is part of the development bottleneck. OK... Let's get this thing cleared. If it's because they think that Rocco isn't the best choice for development... OK... Let's get this thing cleared. I don't know the thoughts, preferences, manager style of any potential candidates so I won't even try to recommend anyone. The only manager that I know that will do things the way I'd like to see them done is me. I'll wait for my phone to ring.
  25. Riverbrian
    Your sticking point is also my sticking point in reverse. If the Twins have pinch hitters on the roster next season... I'll lose my mind. You pour 13 players through the filter at all times... not 9. Martin playing 5 out of 6 is not going to hurt him. Outman playing 4 out of 6 or 3 out of 6 is not going to hurt him. Larnach playing 4 out of 6 is not going to hurt him. Wallner playing 5 out of 6 is not going to hurt him. The only outfielder that has EARNED 6 out 6 games playing time is Byron Buxton. The rest can compete with each other for playing time and I'm certainly not going to predict winners with up and down performance from year to year. You pour 13 players through the filter not 9 because I'll guarantee you that not all 9 of your chosen 9 are going to make it through. Your odds of finding 9 major league talent level players improves by pouring 13 through instead of the bare minimum 9. The front office has to stop pretending that they got this evaluation, forecasting thing nailed and therefore limiting the numbers going through the filter with focus on a select few. It's way past time to let the players decide by performance. I've railed against the low value one year contract guys that won't be back the following year. He works out he's gone anyway. If he doesn't work out... he's gone anyway. That ain't Trevor yet. Plus... I'll admit that there is part of me that is reacting to the unfairness of the stupid approach they took with all of their left handers. I'd like to see that rectified to see what happens better late than never.
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