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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Sure, it would be nice to have Peralta or Detmers but what is the cost. The Twins have a pile of outfielders and some others that could be traded in the right deal which has the possibility of being mutually beneficial. The question remains ..... Who all is involved in any transaction?
  2. tony&rodney
    Jacob Misiorowski is arguably the most dominant pitcher in MLB. He was not a first round draft choice. Hitting a baseball is incredibly difficult. Most of the best hitters are drafted early. Pitching gems can often be found later in the draft. The Twins have a bevy of good arms. The development of command and control is the battle.
  3. tony&rodney
    I'll play. Providing that Walker Jenkins remains healthy and keeps playing well for St. Paul, I will guess he is called up to play on August 10. I will be surprised, again presuming health, if WK is not called up sometime in August. I wouldn't object to seeing him sooner but doubt a call before August.
  4. tony&rodney
    The offseason is a time for the front office to decide what players go to Spring Training. In February and March the club looks over the 40 person roster and any ST invites to decide what players open the season. Every team has players in place, whether it is the Dodgers or Angels. Players on contracts, high draft choices, guys who finished the past year showing well are favored over waiver wire players. Finally, the front office sets the team, not the owners or dugout/bullpen staff. There are conversations but it is the job of the front office to set the team. The Twins were never going to open the year with Lee at 3B, Lewis at 1B, Kreidler at SS, Clemens at 2B, and Keaschall in the outfield. That should be obvious to all. As the season has played out there have been moves made to put players in positions more suited to their abilities. The manager would love to say, "I want Bobby Witt Jr.", but it doesn't work that way. The Twins are moving, perhaps too slowly for some, toward a more athletic club. The changes take time and the management of the player's egos has been done in a remarkable fashion. The quote by HarmonK03 is correct if it was meant that the Twins should have addressed player talent over the last three years. It's happening now though and as is often said, better late than never.
  5. tony&rodney
    Down 2-6 with zero outs in last inning, the Twins need to be conservative. The runners are not tagging and only go about 30 feet off the bag (because they are slow). A fast runner scores from second base but the ball doesn't get far enough away for Bell to score or for Caratini to get to third base. The irony of the play is that Lee is also slow and he was smoking around first base as if ..... Catchers and many DH types are often pretty slow. That said, I'm all in on the Twins focusing much more narrowly on speedy defensive players who can also hit. The current model was featured in that awkward 9th inning play, PCA.
  6. tony&rodney
    While I completely agree, this hasn't been the practice with sports or any other businesses.
  7. tony&rodney
    Clearly confusing high school or college with professional baseball or simply doesn't understand the difference.
  8. tony&rodney
    The Twins need to play fundamental baseball, show patience when needed at the plate, and get good pitching. Attention to small details are important. A couple of simple examples: Lee could have played back one or two steps against Suzuki - just a small thing. Matthews cannot groove two strike pitches. I know he wasn't trying to do that but he seemed overly nervous once he got to two strikes, either missing badly with non competitive pitches or grooving one right for the barrel. Hopefully the Twins keep it simple.
  9. tony&rodney
    You don't seem to have followed the team closely. The players who stood in their positions in April were holdovers who were getting an opportunity to earn a long term hold on their spots. A number of players, being put into positions previously were not up to the job. This was apparent to Shelton and his staff. The dugout staff work with the players they are dealt, they don't get to choose the team. MLB is not high school or college. After giving a lengthy time for the holdovers, staff made numerous changes. The differences from April to late July are stark, particularly to those of us who have lengthy experience as coaches and players but also to most casual fans. The Twins were the worst team in baseball at numerous defensive positions and the upgrades have resulted in a resurgence for the team. Currently the Twins are clearly better today at 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, and RF. C, LF, and CF are a wash. There will be further changes in August and perhaps next season as well. The current manager and coaching staff have done an amazing job with the talent on hand. I will remind you that more pundits picked the Twins to lose 100 games than picked them to win close to 80 games. Tune in and watch.
  10. tony&rodney
    Sure, talk with San Diego and see what the cost is for him. It can't hurt to find out and maybe something is possible, although highly unlikely. One thing that San Diego is quite cognizant of is that relief pitchers get hurt and generally hold less value than good starting pitchers and good regular position players. San Diego is fading fast and needs to boost their minor league talent, so there is at the very least an opening for discussions.
  11. tony&rodney
    The only thing I can add is perhaps very obvious - the Twins should have discussions with Preller about Mason Miller and several other players. Perhaps San Diego is a match for the Twins in more than one category and after talking things out maybe one deal gets completed ..... or more. It can't hurt to talk.
  12. tony&rodney
    All prospects are unknowns. The lower the level, the less that is known. Tampa Bay traded Tobias Myers in November of 2021 for a relatively unknown Junior Caminero. Stuff happens. We cannot predict with certainty that out prospects will be regulars or even contributors at the highest level. We do know that the Twins currently have a boatload of outfielders on their 40 person roster and that does not include the best player, Walker Jenkins, or a few others who have talent. It makes sense to find out if there is a match with another team that is low on outfielders. Whether the Twins are a playoff team or not, there probably needs to be several transactions.
  13. tony&rodney
    The MLB draft has been a big deal since Rick Monday was selected #1 in 1965. Baseball magazines, such as The Sporting News and Baseball Digest among others, touted the players and had various types of ratings. Baseball America came on board in the 1980s to add depth to the coverage. It is just a way to make a living, just like Twins Daily. So no big deal. The professionals have their eyes on the players and don't pay much attention to the ratings, which are for us to read and discuss.
  14. tony&rodney
    A game to forget is correct. Leave it at that.
  15. tony&rodney
    Doesn't it seem preposterously short-sighted though? The players are going to be locked out, they are not going on strike. An exemption from anti-trust laws could disappear but that is a moot point in the 21st century. In my viewpoint, the owners are playing with fire. It was their own very specific actions which created the financial disparities between clubs. It has nothing to do with the players. Demanding that the PA bail them out because the owners and commissioners are largely incompetent is a big ask. One should note that there are zero discussions of full transparency on revenue income. The owner view this as their right as private businesses. That's fine and I can agree with that point but then there isn't a path to turn around and cry bloody hell. Until I see something different I expect two weeks of games to be lost and the new CBA will be quite similar to the existing one. Both sides will keep their rhetoric low key and claim their only interest was the fans. The bottom line is that the public can only boycott games and that only happens if a half or full season is lost. That will cause financial problems for owners. Many of the players have come from common status and are not likely to back down.
  16. tony&rodney
    These type of articles should make a few suggestions. Some of the folks who comment have done so. Yes, there is more optimism right now than there was one year ago but the club is a little short on talent. There are two weeks to go and how the team performs will almost certainly direct whatever coarse of action ensues. The Twins have a large number of OF/DH guys on their 40 person roster. That is too many people.
  17. tony&rodney
    The Twins have to be pleased that the club is hanging around .500 and mostly competitive. The best guesses were for a 72-73 win season and enough went wrong (Lopez out for the year) that certainly 100 losses was not a crazy basement. Now, the front office has to think carefully about how they proceed. We cannot really know how Tom Pohlad factors into the equation. My best guess is that TP is supportive and willing to add salary if that is what baseball management determines as the best course of action. The ball is in Zoll's hands. The coaching staff have done a good job of shifting players to positions where they can make the most optimal contributions but we can watch and see that the club still needs a bit of a boost, both with pitching (especially the bullpen) and position play. Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins may be potential help but their delay due to injuries pushes any contributions from them past the trade deadline, so tough to gage what they can add to the team. It all mixes to make any moves, whether adding or subtracting, quite difficult to project. I believe the opportunity to add is present but it does involve risk. I'm willing to support some gambles.
  18. tony&rodney
    If the Twins get into these gamble type trade scenarios, in reverse to last year, it would be something and interesting. Reid Detmers would likely cost Tait, Rodriguez, and maybe C J Culpepper. I would do that trade. I don't think Baltimore will give up by the trade deadline, but it is worth the call to ask.
  19. tony&rodney
    Actually most agree but Jenkins needs a steady run of injury free play without the stress of being in MLB. He will be up in August. The Twins are watching his progress.
  20. tony&rodney
    Would it be nice to add Detmers or Gray? Sure. Finish the post by making some suggestions for potential transactions.
  21. tony&rodney
    Long for a time when negotiations were mostly secret with a few expected leaks. Now we have ads trying to sell the public on a position. Clever appeals to "What you want" in the commercials is slick and I'm wondering how that helps create a dialogue with the MLBPA. Are people all so easily swayed by commercials?
  22. tony&rodney
    I was responding to current complaints. I will grant you that the Twins were tighter with money in the Mauer Era, but that digresses. I have no idea what the costs versus expenditures are for the Twins. There are eight teams spending less than the Twins this year. Maybe some of those teams are making money but maybe some of them are not taking in as much as we all think they do because of the debacle of regional sports media collapsing. In any event it is the front office that receives a budget and proceeds from there. That is how teams get their foundations, trades and signings. FWIW, I did wish the team had spent an extra $20-30 million, especially for pitching.
  23. tony&rodney
    Perhaps you are not aware that the Twins spent more money on player's salaries during the entirety (add it all up) of Derek Falvey's tenure than any of the other teams in their division. Perhaps you have been a victim of the full-on anti-ownership writing since the budget was cut after the 2023 season. Perhaps you think that ownership scouts and signs players. Perhaps you believe that teams like the Twins (might include Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cleveland, and more) have the ability to run payrolls just below the Dodgers, Yankees, and a few others. I do not know the Pohlads. I find it useless to laud (as they were in 1987) or condemn them (current time period). The front office has a budget and builds the team. Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, Cleveland and all others do the same. Perhaps you feel there is secret money somewhere being hoarded. I can't know what you beliefs are regarding the Twins. The current front office is busy attempting to build a competitive team. The success of their efforts will be know in a decade. Winning a World Series is always the goal but If winning a World Series is the only barometer of success, then every team but the Los Angeles Dodgers were horrible failures and losers. I'm enjoying the current team and a number of the prospects in the minor leagues. Ownership is not my concern.
  24. tony&rodney
    Roden is in a really tough position. He gets a few weeks to prove himself. It is nearly unreasonable but the reality is that professional athletics is nearly cruel in the scarcity of opportunity and the weight of talent leaning on those who hold roster spots. I'll wish Alan Roden well but I also think there is a fair chance that he is replaced by very early in August. Tonight, playing for St. Paul, Walker Jenkins is showing off talent that is common only to the top twenty or so prospects. The double at well over 100 mph in the first inning was a start. In the inning I just moved away from, Jenkins drew a walk, stole second, moved to third when the ball went into the outfield, and scored on a wild pitch that only rolled away about 45 feet. Jenkins is fast, plays good defense, runs the bases well, has a good eye at the plate, and possesses a sweet swing. If he can maintain his current pace and prove he can remain healthy for a couple of weeks, I think he is called up to be a regular outfielder. There is quite a gap between WJ and any of the other outfielders.
  25. tony&rodney
    Tait and Gonzalez face the challenge of becoming proficient at a position. They have time on their side. Dasan Hill could go in just about any direction. He has great stuff, but he cannot control much less command his pitches. Hill throws hard so there is always the concern of an injury as well. The hope is that Dasan can figure things out and throw darts. All three players have talent and one wonders if one or more of these three might be involved in a trade in the next few weeks.
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