Riverbrian

See It's right there Kepler - CF Fld% 1,000 - No Errors in 319 Chances.

1,000 field%

Fielding percentage is what you are quoting. You quote RF only... because you didn't mention Wallner is 1,000 in LF or .988 in the OF. Kepler's .993 literally means 7 errors every 1,000 chances. Wallner's .978 literally means 22 errors every 1,000 chances. Or 12 errors every 1,000 chances if you consider OF. The math on that is Kepler will make an error every 142 chances while Wallner will make an error every 83 Chances. Kepler and Wallner get a chance around every 4.1 innings. In other words it takes awhile for that Wallner error to occur.

Yep... we would have lost that incredible 2nd half run under my direction. I'll own that. However, after 2.5 years of below average leading up to that moment. I would have slept ok. And he was back at that below average thing he was doing in 2024. Now, If he kept that 2nd half run pace going into 2024. Then I'd really wear that egg on my face. However, if he kept that pace going into 2024. He'd be signing a 6 year deal with the Phillies.

I'm only responding to the post as well. That's why you and I are here. 😉 My problem is that I can't see past the self imposed platoon filter that the Twins use consistently. It dominates the roster construction landscape. If the Twins want to continue down this path, they will have to construct the roster in adherence to the filter. Wallner, Larnach require handcuffs. Wade will also require a handcuff. I know the filter is there... everyone should know it's there but there are times when articles, suggestions like Lamonte Wade fail to take it under consideration. Wade will only fit the roster with a handcuff. These articles can suggest someone like Wade Jr... that's fine he's a legit major league player but... you have to shove him into this self imposed filter and when you do that... he gets clogged up in the pores and you get this messy roster clog. In our discussion and the direction it has swung. Since we are knee deep in it. Julien had a bad 2024, he had a great year in 2023. His OBP dropped, His SLG dropped... This can't be denied that's why it was a bad year. Miranda had a bad 2023, Correa had a bad 2023. They rise they fall. He fell off the cliff no doubt... I'm still willing to send a recovery team down there to bring him back to the surface. He's young with options remaining. As for Julien at 1B. I don't know... myself... I worry about his bat. That's where his value lies. Defensively, I don't think he's as bad as some say but I realize he isn't Brandon Phillips at 2B. If he isn't the best at 2B... then OK maybe he won't be the best at 1B. Either way... he's the same guy. It's the bat that keeps a major league jersey on his back. Keaschall... OK... you can go that route but... if he is a key part of our future... why start that clock for short side duty in the middle of injury recovery. He doesn't have to be rostered until December 2026... I'd rather watch him bang the door down from St. Paul.

I would have cut Kepler in June of 2023.

Who knows with Eddie. But, I'd say it's way too soon to attach the borrowed time label to him directly. What he showed in 2023 was that he can hit. I'd love to see him get more protective with two strikes because the rate at which he looks at called third strikes, sometimes right down the middle is a bit odd to me. Haven't really seen anybody like him in that regard. However, I'm not ready to throw him away just yet. He has options remaining and a coaching staff to work out those kinks. I understand that there are better defenders but in my opinion... I saw improvement from when he first came to town and to where he is now. He is still capable of more improvement as long as we have coaches to keep working with him on those improvements. Even if he doesn't improve defensively... the kid can still hit in my opinion. Keaschall... My recommendation without knowing anything about him. If there is elbow surgery concerns that he may not be able to handle normal reps coming out of camp... well... that's fine because there is no rush because Luke isn't on the 40 man roster yet. Doesn't need to be placed on the 40 man until December 2026. So rushing him into a short side platoon wouldn't make sense from a development standpoint, injury recovery and service time standpoint. All of this just keeps the Wade roster issue an issue. He would require an additional signing of a Connor Joe or someone like that. Or Miranda would have to do the short side dirty work... which compromises him severely.

A little of both but mostly it was strict platoon usage. Wade had a couple of fairly short IL trips in 2024. When he was healthy... it broke down to 358 PA's vs RH and 43 PA vs LH. For comparison, Wallner had 217 PA's vs RH and 44 PA's vs LH in 2024. So it's safe to assume that Wallner received more opportunity to face left handed pitching than Wade did. The Giants are one of the teams that operated much like the Twins do with a heavy roster commitment to the Right/Left split. What they will be this year is TBD. The Giants will be interesting to watch. Farhan Zaidi is gone as the Giants have publicly suggested a change in approach coming under Posey. I agree that Miranda makes no sense because he hit right handers very well last year. It makes no sense to platoon him at all unless he shows that right handers are difficult for him. Keaschall... I have no idea about what he is capable of. However, even without knowing what he can do... I am flat out 100% against utilizing Young Keaschall in this fashion. This team develops or it dies. Taking one of your best young prospects and turning him into a short side platoon is about the last thing that you want to do in regards to his development. Will all that said... I'm not completely opposed to the addition of Wade for one reason and one reason only. He could potentially increase the total number of left handers on the roster to more left handers then they could shield from left handed pitching... therefore forcing the Twins to provide exposure to one of our younger left handed hitters like Wallner, Larnach or Julien. If Wade just takes one of the left handers spots which would most likely be the case. I'm out on Wade.

Wade would not fill 1B by himself. He would require a right handed handcuff. That handcuff would eat up another roster spot and probably have to come from outside the organization. There is no one on the current roster that makes sense for that short side handcuff role. Meaning acquiring Wade plus somebody else. Polanco would not require a handcuff. He would require a rebound from last year.

This post is only for Justin Ishbia.

It means he would perfect for the Twins. 😎

I appreciate the article. However, I worry a little about suggesting the Bolshoi Ballet after watching someone line dance to Copperhead Road. The price of hot dogs is a nice gesture. The press release is the marketing of the nice gesture. The price of hot dogs will influence revenue... just like the marketing will influence revenue. As mentioned in the article. The two leagues are two different animals. The NBA does not have the revenue disparity that MLB has. That revenue disparity is unique to baseball and that disparity is an elephant sized influence of operational decisions shadowing any attempt to compare the two leagues. Until... I am shown differently by action. I still believe that the new owners will eventually be Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old boss due to baseball market forces creating similar ranges. While we wait to see what happens with new ownership. If the Ishbia's want to impress me. In Arizona, Where's the deal on Sonoran Hot Dogs?

I've stated that I have only one wish this off-season. I'm willing to attach a rider to that one wish. If the Twins demonstrated the willingness to actually release a 4 million dollar 1 year vet producing low bar numbers. I'd be more tolerant of such things. Solano turned out to be a nice cheap pickup in 2023. Who knows... Maybe these guys could produce. However, the Twins have consistently demonstrated no such inclination so my wish remains that they simply not go there.

Everybody sing a long. There's a port... on a western bay... and it serves... a hundred ships a day. Lonely Sailors... Pass their time away... and they talk about their homes. And the Sailors say Brandy... You're a fine girl

Sadly? Plenty of drinks on board, large library of yacht rock downloaded, Ambrosia, Toto and Little River Band cranked on Bose Speakers and I'll be bringing in Dancers.

Doppleganger

I'm not expecting a significant free agent to ride into town on a white horse. I'm not expecting a significant trade for a big name talent. I understand this and have made my peace with it. I have one wish for this off-season of obvious budget limitations. One wish and I'm pretty sure that I will not get that one wish and I have not made peace with that. I'm not asking for a change in the front office... I'm not asking for a change in manager. I'm not even asking for a change of ownership. I'm just asking the front office to stop doing one thing. All I'm asking is: Don't waste roster spots spending millions of dollars that we don't have to spend on specialists. Don't spend millions that you don't have on innings eaters to 1 year contracts, Don't spend millions on short side platoons on one year contracts. Take whatever you have to spend and play the 75% not the 25%. Look for a left handed bat for the STARTING LINEUP. Cleveland currently has 6 left handed hitters and 3 switch hitters on their roster. Baltimore 5 left 1 switch. Boston 6 left 1 switch, Detroit 7 left, Kansas City 5 left, Yankees 5 left 2 switch. Arizona 4 left 4 switch, Dodgers 6 left 1 switch, Brewers 6 left 1 switch, Mets 5 left 1 switch, Phillies 6 left, Padres 7 left. It is quite possible to win baseball games with more left handers on your roster than you could protect against left handed pitching that is needed only 25% of the time. One wish... It's all I am focused on... and I won't get what I'm asking. Merry Christmas Everyone

My guess and just a hunch but a hunch based on what they have done. If these two moves happen and if these two moves are all that they do this off-season. Martin will still break camp on the 26 man. They still need short side platoons for both Wallner and Larnach. Laureano and Martin would be the obvious choices for these roles. Ramon and Ty will sign one year deals and will not be on the roster in 2026. That nearly zero upside that you are correct about... could only be contained inside of the 2025 season. If there is any upside to Austin Martin the former first rounder. His development will be severely compromised.

In the context of how the Twins have staffed their roster the past two seasons. These moves makes sense. However, I do not want to waste an opportunity to point out the continued lunacy of it. This would be the addition of two right handed hitters to the roster to bring their projected opening day total to NINE. 75% of pitching is right handed and they are looking for right handed bats despite only having potentially 3 left handed hitters with 75% of pitching right handed. Laureano would replace Helman on the current roster and France would probably take either Lee or Julien's 26 roster spot. We would purposely become even more right handed. I believe they are indeed looking for right handed hitters. The over reaction to 25% of the pitching population would continue.

If this is your first sentence. You won't sell many vacuums. 😁

Baserunning means more than just stolen bases but I remember watching us play Cleveland and the pressure they were putting on us with their feet. Stealing bags and taking extra bases helped them win some close games against us when we really needed those W's. The rule changes did what they were designed to do. It has brought the stolen base back into the game. Adding speed to take advantage of the rule changes typically brings the extra benefit of the extra base and more range defensively. Typically... not always but typically. The Twins were absolutely no threat at all, station to station and the difference gave Cleveland the ability to create runs in another way the Twins just don't. An extra club in the bag if you will. I wouldn't recommend a sudden jarring transition to a speed game but I would recommend at least starting the transition. With the rule changes... I think more balance is required.

Up here in Grand Forks. I lived through the Fighting Sioux nickname controversy. It was loud, extended and exhausting. I spoke with many passionate folks on the subject because it was all that everybody wanted to talk about. In those discussions... I found myself saying this to nearly everyone and it applies to this discussion. "75 Years from Now... Nobody is going to care". If the name changed today. 75 years from now it will just be a footnote. This controversy will blow away in the winds of time. Why do I bring this up? If I had a few spare billion dollars and wanted to buy a baseball team. I would be looking to keep the team for awhile... Long enough to the point that the things concerning the sale price being discussed here won't matter in 5 years. It will all blow away in the wind. 5 years from now... the ownership group will be in charge and the organization will be in the exact place that the new owners have directed it to. All remnants of the Pohlads will be gone. Do you want to own a club or not? There is nothing in the portfolio that will carry on into the future unless the new owners choose to carry it with them. Other than revenue streams and the CBA. 😉

That's the interesting part of the Santana discussion. While I firmly believe that we over platoon and it is causing long term damage to development and rather we didn't do it the degree that we do it. In regards to how the Twins have consistently platooned and I expect them to continue. Julien/Santana right/left makes sense at 1B. But, let's be clear... It probably knocks Lee off the 26 man roster coming out of spring training. I'm ok with this because he has options and we will need replacements when the injuries start roaming the hillside at 1 Twins way. It also might be a consideration of why we are hearing rumblings of Lewis to 2B (Which wasn't dismissed by Baldelli when asked about that). Because the platoon of Julien/Santana at 1B would slide Miranda to 3B and therefore slide Lewis to 2B because Miranda doesn't seem to slide to 2B very well. I can see all of that... but the thing that I can't see is Santana actually being deployed that way. The ability to stand in the left handed batters box seems to trump the actual splits being produced. Santana could be the everyday guy at 1B against both hands. Lee could be 2B or 3B, Lewis could be 2B or 3B. Miranda could DH primarily leaving Julien as the guy who starts in AAA. If Julien is the guy who reports to AAA out of spring training. That would leave us with two pure left handed hitters on the roster. Larnach and Wallner. The new addition RH OF and Martin would handcuff to Larnach and Wallner to once again limit their exposure to left handed hitting. No matter what... Whoever they bring in for 1B. There will be a ripple that turns to a tide in regards to Lee or Julien on the 26 man roster coming out of Fort Myers.

I expect the Twins to sign a 1B and a Right Handed hitting OF because Derek Falvey has implied that is what he is looking for when asked what is he looking for. I'm pretty sure Pete Alonso isn't coming so you go to the next level down... or perhaps the level down below that. Santana did a decent job for us last year. His coming back wouldn't be the end of the world unless his performance is end of the world like. I will give him the benefit of the doubt. It will take dynamite to get him out of the lineup if his performance goes in the tank next year. Turner has been a better hitter with neutral splits meaning platooning him makes no sense at all even though the Twins may strongly consider short side platooning him because someone has to take AB's from our young left handed hitters. Santana is a switch hitter which means he won't be platooned even if his splits are kind of dramatic and suggest that he should be short side platooned... he probably won't. In consideration of how the Twins platoon to the 100th degree. In consideration of 75% of pitching being Right Handed. Turner is the better choice because he can hit right handed pitching better than Santana even though the Twins may intend to short side platoon Turner once again using up significant dollars on a specialist.