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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Fair comment. I guess I am one person who believes that the Twins have sufficient pitching to compete. The weakness of the team is more the other eight positions in my view.
  2. tony&rodney
    An examination of player personnel and their trade worth is always a decent exercise even if we know a player will not be moved. Royce Lewis was a hot topic last offseason and the potential return was high. Right now, Lewis would not return value in terms of MLB talent. Lewis might allow the Twins to gain a decent prospect, but that would seem foolish considering Lewis is still closer to a prospect himself with less then 162 games of experience. For the right player, sure. Falvey won't trade Lewis though. Who would I like to acquire for Lewis? Lewis for any one of Bryce Miller, Kyle Teel, Jeferson Quero, Jordan Lawler, and these types of players. Falvey won't trade Lewis though.
  3. tony&rodney
    The Twins do have a number of talented players. The problem is balance. Additionally, the use of "core" indicates players that a team has and can count on to perform as regulars at an above average level of play. This probably needs to be examined. Core players usually would not include players with less than one season's games worth of experience. I do believe the Twins have talent. The question is if that talent can return a performance in 2025 that is an improvement on 2024. I'm not seeing it with the current 40 person roster.
  4. tony&rodney
    Roque? Consider that Festa and Matthews are closer to rookies too with far less than a year in MLB. The pitching is decent.
  5. tony&rodney
    The last few years it has seemed like the Twins team/roster was exactly what Falvey saw as an ideal. Yesterday, I hopelessly posited whether Levine actually had a role in the player talent collection. Alas, the announcement tells us that the Twins are Falvey's toy. For those who see Falvey as the cog, this is wonderful news. I simply sighed. At least the words directed towards ownership should be reduced as we now all can see who directs the franchise. I wish us all good luck.
  6. tony&rodney
    Fun list and good article to read for those of us who follow the minors. Eeles looks almost too good to ignore. Because I have seen him so few times (less than ten), I will defer to others. I do wonder if he can just be slipped into the hole at second base. I have watched Carson McCusker a fair bit and it seems like this guy makes adjustments about as well as any very tall person who plays baseball. MLB pitchers would quickly attack his weaknesses but his ability to quickly learn how milb pitchers were attempting to retire him in the last two years could possibly translate. McCusker is a beast and his line drives render baseballs as unusable former spheres; he crushes the ball. I am excited to see how 2025 goes for Carson and hope he gets a shot somewhere, some time.
  7. tony&rodney
    "A dearth of viable pitching depth did in the Twins down the stretch in 2024." - first line in article. Wonderful idea to write about potential minor league free agent pitchers that are available for ST invites. However, one cannot start an article with a complete falsehood. The fielding was among the worst in baseball, the base running was the worst, and the hitting cratered to an unbelievable degree. The pitching was the least of the Twins problems down the stretch. I only respond because this has been stated once too many times and it is patently false. Only Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale could have pitched well enough to cover for the Twins pathetic efforts at the plate and in the field down the stretch. Sorry for being negative .... can't let this one go.
  8. tony&rodney
    Last winter I put this same information out in discussions where people wrote Paddack into the rotation. I suggested that 90 innings would be a possibility and that 120 innings were outside of reality. Paddack may still be a useful arm in the bullpen, an argument I also made last winter. The question is if $7.5 million is too much for a #6-8 guy in the pen. My belief is that Paddack can be traded for a dart (player not on any team's top 40 prospects list). CP can also be included in a trade as well with other players. Falvey has been all in on Chris Paddack since 2019 though. An aside ... Is it an unknown (possible) that Levine was responsible for all player decisions and the divorce signifies a change in direction regarding player acquisition?
  9. tony&rodney
    If Arizona accepts, I take that trade. I'm not sending off Moreno if I'm the D-Backs GM though. I hope you are correct. Seattle is not likely to trade Robles after they gave him a contract. I like the idea. I still can't see an infield of Miranda, Castro, and Lewis in those positions, thinking about the pitchers. To be fair, it is almost certain that zero people will agree on a Twins roster for this coming year. I like the general ideas here but am a little stubborn about insisting on better defense. That is just my preference though.
  10. tony&rodney
    This statement is why I have such a difficult time with the virulent articles/comments regarding the Pohlads. The idea that the Pohlads and Falvey operate separately has eluded me. I get that many folks believe something different and respect the right to an opinion. However, I agree with the quoted thought and find is hard to see the other viewpoint. Falvey has had numerous opportunities to craft rosters and I have maintained that the team reflects his ideas.
  11. tony&rodney
    In a vacuum the roster looks fine. Meanwhile the pitchers are spending their time praying for gloves that scoop up ground balls and catch fly balls at an acceptable MLB level.
  12. tony&rodney
    Moving Correa and/or Buxton off of the roster does not solve the current problem for the Twins, a lack of speed and defensive acumen. Scrolling through the free agents that make sense is mostly pointless. Christian Walker might work but I'm thinking that Royce Lewis at first base holds more promise. Falvey needs to make some trades for talent before he looks at dumping any of Vazquez, Paddack, Castro, Correa, Buxton, or others.
  13. tony&rodney
    The single biggest improvement that can be made to the pitching staff is to put players in the field that make defensive plays. Right now the roster is slow and below average defensively.
  14. tony&rodney
    One would think that a failure to complete some significant upgrades to the roster that improve the Twins ability to compete in 2025 results in the end of the Falvey era. If a team cannot improve when it has a decent organization in a window of winning, then that portends a fall relative to other teams. The biggest surprise of the offseason would be if the Twins did not make a few major deals. Falvey is on the clock and next season is his last in MLB if the team repeats 2024 or declines further.
  15. tony&rodney
    We all are aware that any player can be discussed and potentially traded. The Twins are right back where they were last offseason, except for this time they need to make up some ground on other teams. Specifically, the AL Central is markedly improved from a year ago. Still, the situation is pretty much the same. What can Falvey do to improve the roster for 2025? Money does make a difference in decisions but it is past the time for using the financial budget as a crutch or excuse. Budgets are a reality. The Twins can win with a budget of $110-125 million. We all knew that every player would or should be discussed in terms of their role in making the roster better next season. The central question remains .... how does any move make the team better?
  16. tony&rodney
    I try to be efficient in considering the potential outcomes for the Twins in the coming year; not much stress or too much time. In considering a trade I make an attempt to determine whether the other team may consider any of my ideas. Yes, I am consistent in suggesting two to three transactions to improve the quality of the Twins roster. All of my ideas can blow up. Thinking about moving Correa seems difficult. One prior trade idea that I proposed would acquire a player I would want to play third base and spell Correa but that player could also fill in for Carlos. A trade of Duran, Topa, and Castro to Arizona for Jordan Lawler is my thought. He is a slick defender at shortstop and would play third base for me with Correa at short. The Diamondbacks may want more and a huge blockbuster deal that helps AZ and MN is possible. I want the pitchers to take the mound knowing that routine plays will be made behind them. This is impossible without some shifting of personnel. One odd side kick, should Correa be moved, is that the Twins could then be interested in Christian Walker (3/$60M). First the Twins need to add a guy like Lawler and another couple of guys as well.
  17. tony&rodney
    Who plays shortstop? Really?
  18. tony&rodney
    How has Falvey arrived at a comparison of Royce Lewis to Rhyne Sandberg. This really highlights what may be a damaging flaw of Falvey's. He struggles to identify talent. Now he does have a entire phalanx of professionals to advise him but he sets the tone. Please tell me what, if any, attributes or skills are shared between Sandberg and Lewis. People are down on Julien. Brooks Lee still has luster and promise, even before he undergoes the sophomore jinx. So Royce Lewis, who I agree can be a terrific middle of the order bat, plays second base. Why do folks hate all pitchers? We continually read of suggestions to use below average gloves all over the field and then suggest that it doesn't matter too much. Lewis needs to hit. Put him in the middle of the batting order. The guy is jacked up big and has tremendous power and the potential to hit. However, it seems disingenuous to ignore both his massive size and injuries, all of which have robbed him of speed, quickness, and flexibility.
  19. tony&rodney
    If .... if Correa was traded, forget about any player of any interest coming back to the Twins. Then .... the real dilemma begins. Who plays shortstop? There isn't really anyone in the organization who can play shortstop at close to Carlos Correa level. Now if the argument is that Correa is always injured and we compare the next guy to Willi Castro ..... sure, that makes some sense. No, Brooks Lee is not an MLB (Correa) quality shortstop. Full stop. So the argument is must be that the Twins are looking to replace Willi Castro and not Carlos Correa, assuming he is injured most of the time. In lieu of the article and conversation yesterday on how the Twins pitchers have "suffered" with the guys playing defense behind them, it is ironic to consider reducing the quality of turning outs into outs instead of watching the ball bleed through the dirt. Look, we all have out thoughts and mine is that poor defense and the lack of team speed reduces the Twins to being a slightly above average team at best (79-87 wins) if everything else goes perfectly. Trading Correa and/or failing to upgrade the defense is a recipe for mediocrity. Then again, I have zero belief in Derek Falvey and his ability to craft a roster, which makes my thoughts easy to dismiss for those who see Falvey as a decent administrator.
  20. tony&rodney
    This is a common perception. Then again, maybe it is a misperception. If the Twins do nothing, they are rolling into 2025 with the same guys. Many people want exactly that option. Who knows, it may work. There are options though, many options. Yes, the best options will be pricey and cause some angst (Arraez-Lopez style). Falvey gets to make the choices, it is his team to put together.
  21. tony&rodney
    The idea of rolling with the status quo plus a couple of minor league invite relief pitchers and then trying to find a catcher next year doesn't seem like much of a plan to me. The offseason seems like a time when the people on Twins Daily throw out ideas for putting together a competitive team that has a better than even chance to increase their standing in the AL Central in 2025. Now, if folks believe that the current roster is just fine, it is perfectly fair to say so. Falvey has more or less stated this as his position. I sure don't have a clear answer and realize my belief in the need for some change is up against a wall. A few ideas that may be trashed by readers or opponent GMs .... trade Brooks Lee for Jeferson Quero. I have thought that adding Ryan Jeffers plus a guy like C. J. Culpepper to Lee might return Devin Williams plus Quero, but I'll stick with the original one for one. Sticking with the tone of adding a catcher .... trade Pablo Lopez and Jose Miranda for Kyle Teel and Tristan Casas. These are just ideas (I have a couple more) and teams are reluctant to give up their top prospects unless the return is strong, just as teams are stubborn about losing a top of the rotation pitcher no matter the return. Anyone else remember Milt Pappas for Frank Robinson? For those unfamiliar, the overwhelming consensus favored the Reds and felt the Orioles were getting a guy who had maybe a year or two left in him.
  22. tony&rodney
    Perhaps a few strategic transactions can infuse the team with needed talent in certain positions, even if the payroll is dropped to $120 million.
  23. tony&rodney
    If the defense is acknowledged as below average, I don't care how it happened but want to know what can be done to make the team better in 2025 than an AL Central fourth place finisher.
  24. tony&rodney
    When I think of the type of baseball player that Baldelli was for the Tampa Bay Rays, it makes me wonder how much input he actually has as opposed to Falvey and I even attach that to in game decisions because they often seem extremely scripted. Ultimately, it is the players who have the greatest effect on the outcome to any game, by far.
  25. tony&rodney
    The information provided in this article suggests that the Twins are going to be below average at catcher (in sum), first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field. If Correa and Buxton are fully healthy, the Twins should have fair defense at shortstop and centerfield. Willi Castro plays all over at varying rates of effectiveness but may be an adequate utility player. That is what I take away from this post. Last season, when I went to Twins games (and even when I watched on TV) the one thing that struck me, whether the team won or lost, was how slow the Twins players looked in comparison to their opponents. Batted balls that were near routine for an opponent escaped the reach of our Twins players. This forced our pitchers to throw many additional pitches. On the bases, our guys went station to station, did not steal or hit and run, and couldn't even score from second base with two outs a couple of times. The eye told quite a tale of differences between our Twins and their opponents. Derek Falvey believes the Twins have the players needed to be successful in 2025. His interview at the MLB GM meetings was mostly corporate speak but he did profess his belief that the roster is fine. Most of Twins Daily concurs and is wary of anything other than fringe changes; i.e., don't touch the core. The budget should remain around $130 million, the highest in the AL Central and Falvey hinted at getting "creative" to get the roster in line. Why am I not feeling optimistic about the 2025 season given the above information? I generally pick the Twins to win the AL Central nearly every year, which I did in 2024 (although with 83-85 wins). What information am I missing?
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