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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Anyone paying attention to Payton Eeles?
  2. tony&rodney
    How many plate appearances have you seen in the last two years of McCusker? I have only seen him about 50+ times, so super small sample. The improvement and adaptation has been nothing short of impressive. McCusker is athletic as well. There isn't anyone in the organization who hits the ball harder. He finished last season in St. Paul and was really good. Of the players who have appeared at AA or AAA, McCusker is in the top five among Twins prospects. Repetitions and experience are still needed but nobody should ignore Carson McCusker. https://zonecoverage.com/2024/mn-twins-news/carson-mccuskers-2024-season-is-defying-everyones-expectations/
  3. tony&rodney
    The 40 person has room. Blewett, Desclafani, Dobnak, Thielbar, Tonkin, Farmer, Santana, Helman, Margot, and Kepler all come off the roster. There are questions about Kirilloff, Keirsey Jr., Severino, Duarte, and Canterino to name others. That gives the Twins plenty of room. Of the names above, I may keep Canterino, Kirilloff, and Keirsey Jr., but that might not be what Falvey thinks. Kirilloff has likely suited up for the last time as a Twin, if I had to bet. However, I don't bet .... often.
  4. tony&rodney
    The fact that Kirilloff is an easy add to the 40 person roster should tell all of us that the Twins need to complete some trades to add a couple of players. AK might be an add on in a trade. If $1.8 million is too much to keep Kirilloff, the budget is really tight. It is much more likely that whatever occurred between Alex and Baldelli/Falvey last summer has already sealed his fate and he will not be back. Sometimes players need a change of scenery to find their way.
  5. tony&rodney
    These are interesting ideas. I like the general idea for some change. In general teams are very reluctant to trade starting pitchers unless they believe there is sufficient depth to cover the loss. The problem with trading Correa or Buxton is that only a large market team would work and the return would be quite disappointing. Boston has their eyes on starting pitching in any deal. The bottom line is that we don't exactly know how the league values the Twins players and that includes Falvey. So all ideas are worth an examination. I would expect Falvey to be very active because his rope is really short. Soon enough we shall find out. I hope we are not disappointed like we were last offseason.
  6. tony&rodney
    These three need to earn their way on to the roster, for sure. However, I do believe these three are more well rounded baseball players than the group you mention and their athleticism should allow them to make adjustments better as well.
  7. tony&rodney
    I wonder if everyone is still overlooking Payton Eeles, which has been the case for that guy. For those who have watched him, I'm curious about him as a prospect who can play 2B for the Twins. Eeles is one player who I have only seen a couple of times and so I don't have much of a feel for his future. Considering how successful Eeles was at multiple levels last season, especially at AAA, it seems odd that he hasn't drawn much attention.
  8. tony&rodney
    Seems like these three have bright futures. I get the idea that the odds are against prospects but feel these players are balanced for the most part in their game. Jenkins just needs to stay healthy and play. His physical tools will allow him to react and adjust to the improved pitching at AA and AAA. I have been impressed that he plays within himself and doesn't force a swing. 2026 is almost surely when Walker Jenkins will become a Twin. Luke Keaschall is someone who has bloomed in the last few years. His athleticism should play at several positions but he will need a ton of repetitions to be a plus defender. I think he will be a good defensive player within a year or two. The bat is really quick though which may push him to MLB this season. It is hard to predict how Keaschall performs coming off of surgery, but I am high on his talent and future. Then there is Emmanuel. EmRod will be controversial for many because he has missed a pile of games in his career thus far due to various injuries and he strike out quite a bit. Pitchers see a hole at the top of the zone and Rodriguez will often help a pitcher out by taking pitches right down the middle. MLB does not have either the ABS system or a challenge system for calling pitches, which further cuts into EmRod's ability to discern balls from strikes. Despite these issues, my take is that Emmanuel is ready to plug into the Twins lineup right now. He will be a handful for pitchers and he plays outstanding defense in addition to being a good base runner. Rodriguez will strike out but it is time for the Twins to plug in a guy who can energize the team. Lastly, while other teams have likely sought each of these players in potential trades, I don't see a team out there that will send back the type of player(s) the Twins would require to offset the loss of talent from any of Jenkins, Rodriguez, or Keaschall. I would be interested to read any ideas that others may have regarding trades. Because each of these three possess athleticism and the skills to be excellent on each side of the game I see them as superior to many previous Twins prospects. I'm keeping them.
  9. tony&rodney
    Andrew Morris may be a real interesting option should the Twins need to go beyond the starting five (Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Festa, Woods Richardson) and Matthews or Paddack (if not traded). He looked tricky, the hitters had poor swings as if they could not recognize what was coming. His unusual delivery combined with some decent stuff and solid command makes him a fair option to call from AAA. Raya looks like he still needs innings and repetitions to harness his repertoire. Perhaps he lands in the bullpen in August and later. Prielipp is a wild card. Yes, his stuff ushers him toward a starting pitcher role but that "stuff" also could have a purpose in the pen. He will be handled carefully in his outings from inning to inning and with a maximum inning count as well. It may be that some of those innings are pitching for the Twins if he shows the command and control more consistently than last summer.
  10. tony&rodney
    Duran should be on some other team's mind. What is his value? A fair deal helps both teams.
  11. tony&rodney
    The Twins have two catchers and apparently nobody in the wings (no consideration to even using Camargo at all in his time in MLB). Meanwhile these two have been decent as a combo, splitting time and managing to hold their own while maintaining decent health. However, Vazquez doesn't hit and has aged and has another year at $10 million, while Jeffers has seemingly plateaued as a player. So it looks to most as if the Twins can just roll it back again with these two and look for solutions next year. This seems reactive with the potential for cratering to occur during the 2025 season. I would propose the team become more proactive in acquiring their next catcher. This may not turn out as well as the last two years of Jeffers and Vazquez being available and stable as catchers, but it seems like a good time to attempt a change. Falvey has his work cut out for himself but I would think he is on the clock and more open to possibilities than he has been in the past.
  12. tony&rodney
    Identifying talent is huge for every team. The Yankees and Dodgers are good at it. The Twins surely need to put together a potentially stronger bullpen and keep their eyes open for possibilities for 2025. However, it is also fair to note that the Dodgers and Yankees routinely spend at least $20 million on their bullpens and often spend far more than that figure. Will the Twins commit to roughly $20 million for their relievers? I would say that is a fair expenditure considering the importance in today's game of bullpens, but Falvey may not agree.
  13. tony&rodney
    Perhaps you are correct that the Twins will run it back. The changes i proposed reduce the payroll a little bit and add players who drastically improve the defensive side of the game. This will make the pitching much better as well. The pitcher I add is capable of throwing high quality innings. Ultimately, Falvey will probably stand his ground with hoped for offense from the same group, as you suggest. I'm just not in favor of that direction and foresee further fourth place finished in the AL Central without some changes that result in better defense. Of course, everyone will see what they want to see, which is fine.
  14. tony&rodney
    Jhoan Duran is a really good relief pitcher and should have real value to a number of teams. The Twins need good relievers but they may have a greater need for a position player. Perhaps the Twins can work out a trade, using Duran, that benefits their team and fulfills a need for another roster. We can only guess whether another team sees Duran as a potential key cog for their team. One quick guess, which may work - Duran and Kirilloff for Jordan Lawler. Hard to know if Lawler is off limits.
  15. tony&rodney
    The games played (Buxton 102 + Correa 86 + Lewis 82) equals 270. This means that the games not played equals 216 (Buxton 60 + Correa 76 + Lewis 80). 162 games in a season times three players is 486 games. Combined they played in 55% of the potential schedule, missing 45% of the action. The initial wording may be awkward but while Buck, Carlos, and Lewis played in a combined 270 games they also missed a significant number of games, which combined equals 216 games. The point was likely that when a team has three players like Buxton, Correa, and Lewis miss a combined 44% of the games, it is tough to be successful. FWIW, that would not be my reason for the downfall of the team in 2024.
  16. tony&rodney
    .... trading someone like Lee or Lewis or Ryan or Ober or Lopez for someone like Quero or Teel. You can literally play missing an infielder or outfielder but you cannot play without a catcher. This is a situation or corner built by Falvey. Falvey needs to figure it out.
  17. tony&rodney
    Yes, the market value is high. Still, catcher is the most difficult and valuable position in baseball. So the Twins need to bite the bullet and make an attempt to trade for a young catcher even if it means losing a highly thought of player or prospect. Perhaps no team will trade a decent catching prospect but Harry Ford and Jeferson Quero are blocked in Seattle and Milwaukee and Boston needs starting pitching. Gambling time for Falvey.
  18. tony&rodney
    No big disagreement with the comments on the majoe players in these trades, but Doncon versus Miller is simply unknown. Anyone is free to speculate. Having seen dozens of at bats from both of these players (Miller & Doncon), Doncon is clearly a better athlete with a lower floor and higher ceiling and Miller is more accomplished with the glove. It is worthwhile to remember that neither projects as anything more than a replacement player with utility work as a best case scenario. It is a wash and not worth any angst.
  19. tony&rodney
    These timelines seem quite reasonable and it could be earlier if health and effectiveness by either or both of Prielipp/Raya combine with a need by the Twins. When I watched Raya and Prielipp I saw different types of pitchers. Prielipp has some serious stuff and can dominant with several pitches. The questions with him are health, stamina, and ability to repeat from day to day. In other words, Prielipp does need innings and experience and we will learn more about him as he faces more experienced hitters. I thought his stuff looked excellent though and capable of playing at any level if he could repeat the pitches. Raya is more a guy who finds success playing one pitch off of another; a classic pitcher. Raya needs to prove his pitches (all of decent quality) and his sequencing ( still developing) works at AAA a bit more before he gets his shot.
  20. tony&rodney
    Interesting choice of a retort when one considers that many people "win" back their $2 or more in a lottery but few people ever play baseball at the highest level but then again that has little meaning either. At some point, there are unique talents (talking baseball) who are able to move from A+ or AA and be successful in MLB. It would not be a good idea to use that approach very often but talent plays sometimes. MLB is very difficult because there is such a fine line between success and failure combined with how opponents pick on the smallest weakness of any player. Mental confidence and adaptability is crucial in baseball. I would guess that Emmanuel Rodriguez is ready to step directly into the Twins lineup. The question I have of him is whether he can maintain his focus. I think he can. Can he remain healthy? Who knows? In any event, we should hope that there are people within the Twins organization who can effectively determine which players are ready for what level of competition. All of the data we surround ourselves with are not conclusive or even predictive of success. That is why, while we are quite interested in various players and their potential, the roster decisions get left to those closest to the ground. This is, of course, something we know and understand even if it doesn't stop us from guessing who can jump a few levels to contribute for the Twins.
  21. tony&rodney
    The main complaint regarding these (and other) trades is that the transactions did not really improve the team. The payroll pressure was alleviated in the Yankee trade, which was apparently the only real objective, making it a success for many. However, the team was not improved. The Dodgers were willing to give away Margot and he did fill a role for the Twins, but Baldelli wound up leaning on Manuel to an absurd degree reducing Margot's effectiveness as a player. Thus, the team was not really improved. The exchange of minor league players is a wash. Miller can eventually (2026?) find his way on to an MLB team as a utility infielder if some organization has room for that specialty. Doncon is athletic and fun to watch but has a whole ton of refinement needed before he can face MLB pitching. My guess is that Miller gets a call up first but the talent side favors Doncon; it's a wash.
  22. tony&rodney
    The writers are putting out articles exploring just about any facet of the Twins as could be interesting or readable to fans. No one is required to read them. The articles come in all sizes with varying lengths of thought. I have yet to see an article that pushes me to accept an idea. Your responses are often quite complete, supported with the data you see as valid for the point you want to make. These can be readable and fair as well. I believe you might be interested in writing for Twins Daily. Give it a shot. I will read your articles but also reserve my right to my own thoughts and opinions based on my own lengthy history of playing, coaching, managing, etc. There isn't much of a future for fans in taking the dark side. Twins Daily is entertainment.
  23. tony&rodney
    Good note on Allison. He was a really good baseball player. I might think about him over Cordova but Jimmie Hall was pretty exceptional in all facets of the game in 1963-65, especially in his rookie year. Hall also broke Ted Williams record for home runs by a rookie.
  24. tony&rodney
    Prielipp sure looked dominant for 1-3 innings when I saw him pitch. The Twins need to determine if his development as a pitcher can include a stint as a relief pitcher in MLB. While I'm not opposed to Prielipp remaining a starter and working his way through Wichita and St. Paul, there is some value in testing the effectiveness of the young left hander for 1-3 inning stretches at the back of the bullpen. A relief pitcher, especially a younger guy, can still be shifted at some later point to a starting role. The Twins have a pretty solid core of starters currently and could use a guy that throws from the port side in the pen.
  25. tony&rodney
    Jimmy Hall was never the same after being beaned. He was a slick centerfielder. Danny Santana was so much fun, but his approach at the plate never improved and hitting becomes difficult when the pitchers have the code to get you out.
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