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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    You don't sound too optimistic and your #9 suggests that perhaps it is Falvey. I'm sensing that many believe in the core team and that a few subtle changes will bring different results. This is difficult for me to see. Without changes the Twins could easily slide below .500 next season. I'm trying to find out any information that ties a player on another team that the Twins could use to a player on the Twins team that that other team wants/could use to both teams better. These are challenge type trades and it is time for several of these transactions.
  2. tony&rodney
    If the Twins had Juan Soto and Aaron Judge playing for them in 2024, with the numbers they put up during the season, then the Twins would be in the World Series. FWIW, this scenario would still leave the Yankees with a larger payroll. But you want to know if payroll will play a big roll. I would say it plays a role but not as important of a role as identifying talent, developing it, and having a balanced roster. While everyone might hope or believe that new ownership means more money for free agents and player extensions (etc.), the market does have a bigger role in how much money is available. A large media deal and a sold out stadium (3 million fans per year) would play a bigger role in payroll. If you put down $1.5 billion for a sports franchise you would hope to break even for the first five years while you make whatever changes it seems would strengthen the product and provide hopes for financial growth in some fashion. It might be wonderful but somewhat implausible that someone buys a franchise with the expectation to lose a bunch of money. The PBO/GM have more influence on the roster than the owner unless one can expect the Twins to sign Corbin Burnes and Juan Soto this offseason due to new ownerships's splashes.
  3. tony&rodney
    This article clearly indicates the necessity of change to the roster. The only two starters among position players at the spots they played last season are Buxton and Correa and they require back ups. Sometimes a team can be tweaked with one or two moves. The Twins current roster needs shuffling and several additions. Falvey and his trusted advisors will need to ascertain which players, if any, among the prospects can be useful on the roster or whether a few might need to be moved in transactions. More importantly, Falvey needs to find fits in trades with other clubs that may cost some of the guys who were counted on in 2024. There are teams that could really use a player or two from the Twins and have a significant athlete to return in a trade. I'm not privy to how other teams view the Twins organization or which players are 100% unavailable via trade. My look through the roster sees a deficiency on defense that makes it difficult for pitchers. Others disagree with that assertion, often vehemently. Because of my view of the team, I see a necessity for Falvey to swing 3-4 trades to upgrade the roster and these trades will cost some important names.
  4. tony&rodney
    I hope you don't lose your sense of humor or ability to be entertained.
  5. tony&rodney
    John Bonnes or Brock will put up the calculator in November. That is soon enough. Let's enjoy the World Series. I seriously doubt a payroll beyond $140 million. More than half of all MLB teams will come in at or below that number. Everyone has their take but I'm not one to suggest the team is severely hindered by payroll. Yes, it would be sweet to have a $150-175 million payroll to afford a few mistakes and widen to scope of who is possible for 2025. However, there are legitimate trades to make and players to add along with a few prospects to test out. Falvey needs to put his golf clubs away until May and get some work done this season. A failure on his part will likely mean his career moves away from sports and toward some other big business job.
  6. tony&rodney
    Given 2024, yes, all those teams prefer their shortstops. I say this and I really like Correa and hope he stays a Twin. Objectively, Correa does not hold much value to other teams given his health and contract.
  7. tony&rodney
    Yes, more "stuff" in the pen and better team speed, but I'm focused on defense. Watching the Twins in the field was often painful. My offseason plans involve searching for paths to improving the defense behind our pitching staff. I'm actually less concerned with the pitching than I am with the gloves on the statues behind the guys on the mound. Of course, it will be impossible to make too many changes as a matter of reality. Still there are changes that can be made. The unknown is how other teams value players within the Twins organization and whether mutually beneficial trades can be completed.
  8. tony&rodney
    This seems like a legitimate point. TheTwins had both Austin Martin and Royce Lewis play shortstop when an objective viewpoint indicated that neither had the skills to play the position at the highest level but both had bats to play somewhere else. Perhaps Acuna should be schooled at second base. I have never seen him play, so have no real opinion on him specifically.
  9. tony&rodney
    The data is always worth looking at and every team evaluates their strengths and weaknesses to differing extents using data. Where the date fails is on how a team reacts to the batted ball. Cleveland catches the ball. When a pitcher makes a good pitch that winds up as a ground ball or a fly ball, it usually results in an out. Yes, some irony that Rocchio's errors made some difference versus the Yanks, but he is gobbling up balls that slide into the outfield routinely against the Twins defense. Cleveland had a pile of problems this season with their starting pitchers. I don't expect that issue to repeat itself. The Guardians also have a number of good players in their system. Expect Cleveland to have another good year in 2025, somewhere from 84-94 wins.
  10. tony&rodney
    I am just wondering how many times people have watched McCusker play? If you haven't watched him on numerous occasions you are not familiar with his skill set. His age is totally irrelevant. In fact, one could see his age as a plus because his maturity is something the Twins need on the roster. We know how reticent the Twins are to using position players within their organization who were "finds" or drafted in the lower rounds. This is not true in their view of pitchers. Rolling out the retreads and high draft choices who are less athletic than McCusker or Eeles is a sure recipe for a repeat of 2024. Change needs to happen. If the Twins are not going make several trades, they need to find other ways to infuse the team with talent. All I expect is that the guys mentioned receive the same shot as the retreads already on the 40 person roster.
  11. tony&rodney
    .... and a year later he turns 28. The Twins need players, age shouldn't be an issue. I don't know if McCusker is actually the guy the franchise is looking for but there isn't any reason the Twins shouldn't be giving him a long look in Spring Training. McCusker was quite impressive last season.
  12. tony&rodney
    Correa may be one to count on. Royce? Not so much. Please tell when Lewis has been a decent fielder? He last had a full season of at bats in 2019 and had an OPS of .661. It seems a little pollyannish to expect a full productive season on both sides of the ball from Lewis if he is at third base. Similar to how the Twins need to plan for someone who can actually play centerfield, Lewis remains a question mark until he can show production beyond spurts here and there. I guess we can hope for the best, which I do. It just doesn't sound like a plan.
  13. tony&rodney
    Dobnak will always be there if everything collapses. He has been a good teammate in St. Paul.
  14. tony&rodney
    If you guys are talking about Carson McCusker, he is 26. Read this: https://zonecoverage.com/2024/mn-twins-news/carson-mccuskers-2024-season-is-defying-everyones-expectations/ Payton Eeles and Carson McCusker were two of the more interesting players in the Twins minor league system this past season and certainly among the top five most exciting to watch. No reason to be skeptical of talent just because it was bypassed for reasons beyond their control: one player is seen as too short and the other as too tall. If you are talking about someone else ..... never mind, lol.
  15. tony&rodney
    If the numbers are real, which none of us really knows, the owners of half the teams may vote to lock out the players. The number of teams bringing down their salaries below the average seems to be on the increase. This postseason has to some extent highlighted the disparity between the haves and have nots. Oh well, I guess this topic is pretty worthless anyways. It's just big business.
  16. tony&rodney
    Agree wholeheartedly that the Twins need to find a way to replace Santana. Yet, one must understand that the budget will be somewhere from $120-140M. If the team, as is, comes in basically on budget, who is available? How can the Twins add a FA bat? Looking at available free agents, I see Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander, and Juan Soto. That's about it. I guess a gamble on a Yoan Moncada or Randall Grichuk or Tyler O'Neill is possible. However, back to the budget .... how do the Twins fit one of these guys into their number crunch? Half of MLB comes in below $150 million for payroll, How do the Twins add a bat in free agency?
  17. tony&rodney
    MLB has had strikes before but the fact that the Yankees can roll out Soto, Judge, and Stanton with salaries that eclipse numerous entire teams (including Cleveland) signifies a chasm that means a prolonged strike after the current CBA expires. Cleveland gave it all they had, and I admire how the Yankees manage to bring rookies and DFA'ed players along, but the financial gap between teams is growing once again. I understand that people were frustrated or angry with the Twins ownership but baseball is careening towards a crisis with its imbalance among how funds are distributed. Rozelle identified that without other teams to play there is no league and that success must include significant sharing of resources. I thoroughly enjoyed the games in Cleveland and hope there is an interesting World Series. The glean of the series cannot erase the fundamental imbalance in MLB. Without a salary cap and floor, the game will continue to decline in interest across the country. Yes, I will still be all baseball but the rise of the WNBA and other sports with competitive and balanced competitions will win favor with the population. Kudus to Soto, Judge, and Stanton for their performances .... and to the Guardians for giving every last ounce.
  18. tony&rodney
    Festa is high on my list as well. Nice read.
  19. tony&rodney
    I also read that Lewis was less than enthusiastic about playing second base. However, this may have due to his injuries. Second base requires more movement than third base and his body was not up to it. I can appreciate that Royce Lewis still has the tools to be a productive MLB hitter and he really seems like he would like to be a star. I hope he reaches his goals. I have watched Lewis play quite a bit over the last several years. Yes, he has had debilitating injuries that have clouded his performance and other such reasonable excuses. However, Royce has become a very big dude and his flexibility, reflexes, and speed will not be returning to 2020 Royce. The Twins need to move past statues as infielders. I'm a little frustrated watching Julien, Martin, Farmer, Lewis, Miranda, and Kirilloff types turn a ground ball into a base hit. I admit that my patience has been stretched. It may be too early to judge Brooks Lee and Willi Castro is a good utility player. Lewis has a chance to develop as a first baseman and free up the bat to play every day. Certainly, the Twins should be having these conversations and many more internally and with their players too. Falvey is on the clock. No amount of crying over spilled milk (budget) will matter if the Twins repeat their deserved fourth place AL Central position of this past season. I'm not interested in rolling it back again and hoping for good luck for the Twins and bad luck for all of Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City in 2025. I'm looking for proactive moves that push the team forward in positive ways. If Royce Lewis is to be on the team next year, he fits best at first base imho.
  20. tony&rodney
    The main reason the Twins need better team speed/ athleticism is because way too many ground balls leak through the infield and fly balls find the grass in the outfield. All of the stats in the world cannot disguise what is a team with little range defensively that winds up forcing the pitchers to continually get more outs than their opposing pitchers. There will need to be some changes, likely through trades. Rolling back the same outfit .... well, you know what is said about trying the same thing over and over.
  21. tony&rodney
    Hoping for Cleveland to come back. Torres and Stanton have been better than expected, even if we know they are experienced veterans.
  22. tony&rodney
    It is interesting to read how people view the possibilities for first base for next season. Seems like both of Miranda and Kirilloff could be good at the plate but it is generally agreed that they are less than stellar with a fielding glove on their hand. Something tells me that the Twins DFA Kirilloff, yet I'm in favor of using the duo as pinch hitters and at DH, with only occasional time in the field until they show some improvement. Royce Lewis is my first base guy. It is his best opportunity to stay healthy, get his bat going, and make a case for a larger salary in the future. With some work, Lewis could be a decent fielder at first base.
  23. tony&rodney
    This is on Falvey and has little to do with ownership. If the budget calls for a number and Falvey chooses the $5M and $7M guys instead of an $11 guy and a minimum MLB salary to fill the bucket, that reflects directly to the PBO.
  24. tony&rodney
    I'm not sure how this popped back up but we can see that none of these teams are looking for shortstops unless they are given away for a low price or to play another position. Arizona has a gem in Perdomo, who was injured a bit this year. St. Louis has Masyn Winn, strongest arm in baseball perhaps. San Francisco has broken in Tyler Fitzgerald with some good luck. Boston will have Trevor Story back and Ceddanne Rafaela is wiz at both SS and CF. Los Angeles Angels have Zach Neto, who they like enough for now. Correa is a Twins a while most likely. Of course, anything can happen but it would be a big surprise if the Twins could trade Correa. Best bets, if the team looks to reduce salaries, are Paddack, Jeffers, Kirilloff, Castro, and pitchers making more than the minimum. Buxton, Correa, and Vzquez would be difficult to trade. I don't think the Twins need to shed salaries.
  25. tony&rodney
    Should have been specific about new purchases. I was aware of his former buy ins at decent prices.
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