Riverbrian

Reports I'm reading suggest that the SP FA market is being held up by Tanaka. If Tanaka is holding things up. Teams will be competitive. If teams are competitive for him... He blows past Darvish in years and dollars. Purely a guess... I'd say at least 7 years and probably around 150 for the Twins to land him. Yankees... Dodgers... Red Sox... I'll throw the Mariners in as well for Japanese consideration could get it done for 6 and 120. Purely a guess because I have no idea.

I'm surprised and not surprised at the same time. And Wow... Is that a weird sensation. I'm tired and wide awake at the same time. I'm Jumbo and Shrimpy. I know Maestro is just a phone call away but I can't shake this concern about our team speed. I'm not talking about stolen bases... I'm talking about speed. Weather you take a base or not... I'm a big believer in team quickness in the majority of the facets of the game. Mastroianni can't provide all the speed we need by himself but still... We could end up with the slowest roster since the game was played on yet to dry cement.

The pitchers are going to resist until mandatory. I worry about it more at the college level because of the Metal Bats but someone will get killed on the mound someday. Not a question of IF but when. They can't protect themselves. The ball is coming back at the pitcher too fast. Head gear will save a life. Unfortunately... It won't become mandatory until someone dies. Jeez... That was a bummer of a post from me.

This is a bunch of bull in my opinion. If the 3rd base coach is looking in and stealing the signs from the catcher. Give that 3rd Base coach a raise. If the 3rd base coach is busted... As a manager... Walk out to the mound... Tell the Catcher that the 3rd base coach is getting your signs... so... close your damn knees closer together and put your fingers against your nut cup so he can't see them. If he has x-ray vision and can still see the signs. Change 2 for fastball and then change 2 to slider for the next hitter. Reverse the location so tapping outside means inside and change back. That advantage will turn to a disadvantage very quickly. Then go back to the dugout and tell your 3rd base coach. That the flipping Cardinals 3rd Base coach is stealing signs and ask him why he can't do the same. It's really simple.

I think Willingham needs to play LF... Just for trade value alone. I wouldn't move Willingham right now for a few reasons. 1. Willingham's trade value is low right now. If he rebounds to just normal numbers for Willingham... His trade value improves in July. 2. If the Twins are going to be successful... He is the most legit power source on this club. Willingham rebounding would be a needed thing for this club. 3. If the Twins are not going to be successful... Willingham rebounding is a trade chip to contending club. 4. If Willingham is a potential trade chip down the line... Being positioned as a LF instead of a DH increases the trade options and therefore value. 5. If Willingham doesn't rebound... none of this matters... His trade value and value to us will be insignificant. Just let his contract run out and move on. Willingham can and should DH on occasion... but I think Kubel is the most logical DH option as the roster stands right now.

Colabello is a great story and I really pull for guys like him. I spend time thinking about each player as an individual human story... I don't think about Colabello as a batting average or a set of stats. I think about Colabello as a guy who is trying to forge a career and I try to imagine what it would mean to me if I was in a similar circumstance. After all... We are... most of us... in similar circumstances... Just different careers. We can relate to trying to get somewhere in life in our chosen profession. I really do try to think about what it means to him... To his family... to all that are pulling for him. That's why I get upset with guys with talent who don't give it everything they have. There are many who never get that chance to swing a bat in the majors and hoping with all their heart to get that chance and even fewer who get that chance and do lock down an every day job in the majors. I pull for Colabello I really do... He has legitimate... no doubt... plus power... But... with all that said... I'm a patient guy... but... I just can't see him being successful against the Major League Pitcher with his approach at the plate. Pitchers of Major League Talent will easily keep busting him inside as he strides out for the outside pitch. He has to change his approach to be able to turn on a pitch and fully utilize that plus power. Korea or Japan would be a better place for him in my opinion.

A Veteran Backstop who will be able to help with the game planning. His Value will go beyond his batting stats and caught stealing%. The Catcher plays a major role in weather a pitcher is successful or not. After Doumit was traded... I was pretty sure this was going to happen. I think it's a bit much to just hand the job over to Pinto without a little insurance. We did that with Hicks in 2013. In hindsight... Insurance would have helped in the case of Hicks. Also... In consideration of what Parmelee did a couple of Septembers ago and what he has done since that impressive September. Simply saying Pinto "here you go" after an impressive September is a little risky. I have a feeling that Suzuki will start as the primary catcher come April.

I agree with you 100% I fully admit to being very convinced that the Twins should have taken a College Pitcher instead... because of immediate need. I would have been very happy with Gausman, Zimmer or Appel instead of Buxton. At at this point I'm happy the Twins didn't listen to me and I don't think Buxton was the slam dunk choice at the time.

Hey Hammer Here are 5 pitches for you http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=28525673&c_id=mlb I believe umps miss calls all the time. Sometimes the pitcher gets screwed and sometimes the pitcher gets the benefit. Sometimes when it happens... It's a huge moment... And the pitcher either has the stuff to survive or he doesn't. But any conversation that the catcher can influence games strictly by his framing ability to the degree that has been suggested... Simply suggests that the umpires are not worth the salary they are paid. If true... Seriously automate it. It would be way too much influence on the game. Make it a large suspension and fine for any catcher who tries to influence an umpire. Fire all umps who are routinely fooled by it. Clean it up. These teams pay millions per win. If a catcher can create wins by framing... The top framers would be FA rock stars with that kind of win influence. Forget the .850 OPS catcher. A framer will get you to the playoffs quicker. Umping is hard... Judging balls and strikes is hard. The ball coming in is quick and it moves. Umps miss calls all the time but consistent missing based on the movement of the glove and not being able to recognize it after film review that the catcher got you again and again and again and not correcting it after review means you are a terrible umpire and you should be taken out of MLB ballparks... The Ump would be better suited leaving his job at the car dealership... Grabbing a quick 6 pack and a pound at Taco Johns... Eating... Getting dressed and umping Cretin Derham Hall Vs. Burnsville. At at some point in time... We have to recognize that the umpires are professionals and capable of adjustment and are reviewed and graded on performance.

LOL... Thanks... That made my morning. That's funny.

Ball ball strike ball strike

I don't buy it... Never have... Never will. If Pitch framing is that influential. Fire the umps today and automate it exactly one second after the mass firing. If umps are so easily fooled by framing. This means that after years of training... Up to 7-8 years in the minor leagues. Multiple Performance evaluations for advancement consideration... Camps... Instructionals... Tests... After all of that training... They can't get passed catcher sleight of hand so sophisticated that it is one generation beyond "Hey look your shoe is untied". A catcher can practice the art of framing over and over and perfect it... Yet the ump can't practice recognizing it and perfect that or simply be better than that and is apparently at the complete mercy of the more clever catcher. If true... This means the umps are on auto pilot and robot like themselves. So... We Might as well put the real robots in. Instructor: A strike is judged by where the pitch crossed the plate... Any questions? Jim Joyce: We understand that... But... What if the catcher catches the ball outside the zone and moves his glove inside the zone. Is that a strike? Instructor: No it's not... It where it crosses the plate. Kerwin Danley: Ok... What if the catcher catches the ball in the zone but his glove moves outside the zone after catching it. Is this now a ball? Instructor: Umm no... Again... Marty Foster: Listen... We've been doing this for years... A strike is judged by where the glove is. Instructor: No it's not... Because the catcher might move the glove in order to gain an advantage. Tim McClelland: That is not true... They would never do anything like that. These catchers are good family men. C'mon guys... Let's leave this seminar. We don't have to listen to this.

Clydesdales can run approx. 30 MPH Usain Bolt can run approx. 23.5 MPH Just saying you are not being fair to Clydesdales. A Joke... Just a Joke. I agree with you... This trade is a step toward much needed improvement of team defense on the corners.

The way I saw it... If the Twins sign a Catcher... With the addition of Kubel... It will come down to Doumit or Parmelee on the roster. Nothing against Doumit but I choose Parmelee and apparently Doumit has some trade value because we just picked up a formally decent ranked prospect left hander for him. I'm fine with the deal and I wish Good Luck to Ryan Doumit. Thanks for your two years with my club. I think the Twins will be signing a Vet Catcher for sure now. Not so much to work with Pinto or Herrmann and their catching development... But... To work with the pitchers... A guy to go over charts and film and help with the game planning for our new arms. Kurt Suzuki??? I think so.

In case you missed it... Here are a few of the plays made by Parmelee last year. You won't be able to find anything like these for Willingham. http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=26728181&c_id=mlb http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=26905397&c_id=mlb http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=27035847&c_id=mlb http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=27619743&c_id=mlb http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=27679351&c_id=mlb http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=27772291&c_id=mlb He's not the fastest guy... I get that... There are better defensive OF options in Baseball. Willingham, Arcia, Doumit and Colabello are not part of that group of better defensive options. Players get discussed and dismissed for many things. Parm doesn't deserve to be knocked for his defensive play in 2013. I'll stand up for him on that. I'm a huge defensive guy. If someone isn't doing an above average job in the field... I'm gonna complain about it. Do you hear me Trevor Plouffe!!! It's why Delmon Young could do nothing for me at the plate to make up for the nightmare he was in LF. It's why I'm willing to give Florimon another go at the SS position despite weak hitting numbers. No complaints from me at all about Chris Parmelee on defense. Lumping him into a DH option is a serious miscast in the context of this team. In the context of the Twins... Parmelee as a DH is putting him in a role that he the worst at and removing him from a role that he is best at. That's a mistake! At the plate... Yeah... We got major concerns after 600 MLB at bats. For Parmelee to stick at 1B or the Corner OF... His bat has to get going right now and show some pop in 2014. Defensive Metrics... Flawed... Apparently. And if Flawed... The Worthiness is OK to be questioned in my mind. BUDDY HACKETT DEAD??? Well that has ruined my day!

We must be watching different people. I admit I was worried about his OF D prior to 2013. That was erased quickly. I still worry about Hammer, Arcia, Doumit and Colabello OF D. Those guys were letting balls drop. Parm... Not so much. I did not watch Parm in Rochester and New Britain... Thyrlos... I assume you have and I always value your minor league opinion and that has been earned... You have that over me and I wouldn't dream of arguing any farm opinions... So if he was struggling there... I can't and won't refute it. But I will say that very few watch as many Twins games as I do. If the 2013 Defensive Metrics objectively say that Parm is akin to Hammer... they are wrong and I can say that with 100% subjective confidence. It's not really close. Parms bat is killing him. His D provided his value.

If defensive metrics are telling anybody that. They are flawed and worthless. I watched him play RF... He threw at least 4 runners out at 2B playing the ball off the wall and throwing a perfect strike. He covered ground... He got good jumps on the ball. Me made 4 or 5 nice diving catches. He caught many balls that were not hit right at him. Can you find better? Absolutely... You better be able to find better but Nobody who watched him play RF is going to say that Parm compares to Willingham in the OF. I'm not saying he has a Ben Revere glove or Carlos Gomez range or a Bryce Harper hose. I am saying that he is clearly multiple steps above Willingham... Doumit... Arcia and Colabello on defense. If the defensive metrics say differently. Put them down and don't look at them again until they fix it. He can play RF for my team any day without worry. His bat is the problem.

Parmelee was a nice defensive outfielder. Good Arm... He plays the RF wall better than anyone and he has surprising range. He is multiple steps above Arcia... Doumit... Willingham and Colabello defensively. To group or imply that Parmelee is a DH type (especially with his struggles at the plate) in consideration of his defense... is severe mis-casting. Kinda of like putting Buddy Hackett in the lead of 50 shades of Grey. As for Reynolds... I want competition for Plouffe... So OK... However... With the team strikeout totals in 2013. Adding Reynolds and his strikeout totals isn't my first choice.

Interesting... Ok... You found similar LD% and I suppose I asked for that... However... If you keep going... You can find Deduno stats that compare to Cole Hamels and David Price when isolated. His GB% was pretty good and I watched each start. It was weak contact. In the end... Sam Hung Zero's.

Yes I mean it... LOL... ERA... Yes W-L... Yes Quality Starts... Yes FIP... K%... K/BB... Is like using the same stat over to make your point... If a team is making weak contact but contact nonetheless. That's a good thing and Fielding Independent Pitching isn't your friend. Tell Joe Mauer... David Wright... Carlos Beltran that the WBC is the Arizona Fall League. It was two big performances on two big stages. The Age... OK... But I'm not saying we should lock him up to a 6 year deal. And the Shoulder scares the hell out of me... But if he's OK... Why throw him away?

But he's not found money... He's a living breathing Human Being who is working at his chosen profession and starting to see his hard work paid off. 4.44 ERA in 2012 wasn't overally special but he had his stellar moments and he was giving up less than a hit an inning. I remember discussions on Twins Daily saying "if he could just lower his walk rate by half" Well... He cut that walk rate in half!!! ERA 2.69 over 12 starts before getting hurt.

I continue to be surprised by the number of Twins Daily posters (who based on their posts in other threads) seem comfortable tossing aside Sam Deduno. I'm not going to understand it but let's give Sam his own thread and see if anyone can convince me that Sam just doesn't matter. Sign Pelfrey... Meh... It doesn't matter... It will only cost us Sam Deduno. I don't understand it. He wasn't having massive control problems last year but everyone talks like he was. He pitched 13 Solid innings for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. He was chosen to start against Team USA over Wandy Rodriquez and also chosen to start the Championship Game against Puerto Rico. He held PR to 2 hits over 5 shutout innings. He kept Mauer and Team USA to one run over 4 innings. After some time on the DL. He joined the Twins and exhibited decent control all year After a rough 1st start against Detroit. He pitched better than anyone we had and better than anyone we have signed for 2014... 12 starts in a row... 9 Quality starts out 12. With the Twins winning 8 out of those 12 starts with Sam personally going 7-3. From May 29 to August 2... 77IP... 23ER... That's an ERA of 2.69!!! After August 2nd... It was clear he was hurt and it turned out to be a shoulder injury. That can be a problem for a pitcher. Unless his shoulder is still an issue.... How?!?... In Anyone's name can anyone casually make the statement that Sam Deduno is expendable... He doesn't matter or anything of the like. Yes its a small sample size but how can anyone look at a guy throw a 2.69 over 12 starts... on a pitching starved team and say... no thanks?

I'll go with: Nolasco 3.40 Hughes 4.60 Correia 4.05 Pelfrey 4.20 Deduno 3.10

Yeah... No doubt... And it would lead to a little complacency from the routine-ness of it all. Good stuff Ben... You are filling in some gaps with stuff that add's up... I've seen two Suzuki's... One good... One So-So... Hopefully... A little dose of "I want to stay in the majors" will bring that good one back. Let's look at the tape again: http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=7431547

OPS+ triple digits for 6 straight years... Until a fairly sharp collapse last year. For anyone knocking this signing to a minor league contract... May I suggest trying the bright side of the road for a bit. Think about 2013 as an outlier instead of the start of a downtrend at age 31. With a minor league contract... It seems like a no brainer with absolutely no risk at all.