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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Max Clark would be fine.
  2. tony&rodney
    Larnach, Ober, and Salas (or Martin) would be a pile to trade for Reynolds, but Pittsburgh says no. The phone call and discussion should have taken place already and Reynolds would fit in left field. No harm in asking questions of Pittsburgh. I would also wonder what the Pirates require for Endy Rodriguez. Chafin seems like a guy who should already have been signed by someone. I wonder if the Twins feel the money Chafin requires is a little too rich and they are feeling good about their relievers already on the roster. Fulmer .... same mol. Max Kepler still has value and I don't see any reason to send him away for a poor return. If the Yankees want to send Loaisiga .... interesting.. The Twins might like Maeda going forward with similar price to the current deal. Gray and Mahle will want to explore their value as free agents. Neither projects as a player to offer a big contract (above $15M) and years may be an issue as well. I'm not sure if the Twins will put a qualifying tag on either but that seems quite possible. Pablo Lopez is a different case and the Twins will want to discuss what he has in mind for a four or five year contract. Remember that Dobnak and Paddack are the Falvey pitching contracts handed out thus far for three or more years. The Twins are projected by any number of pundits to win 78-86 games this summer. The variables are greater than normal because the team has so many players who have question marks due to injuries. The Twins depth looks far stronger to me. A significant trade or two is quite plausible in July, for more more than was acquired last summer. The ability to complete trades at this time are hindered by the hopes that all teams have entering the year. By mid July there should be better clarity on the direction of clubs, including the Twins, which opens up trade possibilities.
  3. tony&rodney
    Or second base? Have the Twins (or someone closely tied to the team with some specific knowledge of players) put out any statements or concrete hints about Austin Martin?
  4. tony&rodney
    This is the ticket to sustained good baseball where the Twins, or any team actually, competes in the playoffs. Gordon, Kirilloff, Miranda, Martin, Lewis, Lee, Salas, Julien, Larnach, Wallner, Rodriguez, and surprises to come are all short of 1,000 at bats at the major league level. The performance on the field using talent and skills will eventually determine who gets the playing time. Right now it looks like all of the Twins young guys are competing for nine spots with two catchers, Buxton, and Correa being roster fixtures for the next half decade. The post concerned Jose Salas and he has some baseball to play before I place him in the top ten for the Twins.
  5. tony&rodney
    Lewis had a cup of coffee last season before he was injured. Brooks Lee and Salas are still prospects. Lee projects to be excellent both at the plate and in the field. Salas has physical tools which still need to be shown at a higher level. All three will get an opportunity to prove they belong in MLB. If Lee is a better third baseman than Lewis or others, he should be the guy there. Using an athletic player like Lewis in LF is a good problem if someone like Lee or another proves to be better at 3B. The Twins, like many teams, have some exciting young players and prospects pushing for an opportunity to become stars. This season should reveal some guys for the Twins.
  6. tony&rodney
    Like most everyone has stated - Celestino needs a season of playing AAA to work on all phases of the game. He is still young and I expect he will make some good money in his career; he'll be back in the majors at some point.
  7. tony&rodney
    I drove downtown and parked, a little later than I had wanted. The day was cold and really ******. It was misty/raining/ sleeting and around 32 degrees F if I remember, and the scalpers who had any tickets left were unhappy because they were so cold. . One guy wanted $100, another $50, and after haggling for 20 minutes between several people a guy walked up looking miserable and sold me two tickets for $20 each. We had to watch the anthem before walking down to our seats just in time for the start of the game. The seats were in Row 3 just above the Tigers dugout. It was a phenomenal game. The atmosphere was electric and yes the ball did graze Inge's jersey. What a game.
  8. tony&rodney
    Can Spring Training be useful in answering this question? I want Gordon to start in LF, but the Twins may go with Gallo and Kepler unless Kirilloff is not ready. If Kirilloff is not ready, there is an opportunity for a player to make a big impression before the season starts. If Julien can be that player, and he is somewhat of a long shot because the Twins seem to look towards their veterans, then a line drive machine with power who draws walks and can run could look mighty fine in the leadoff spot. Make someone earn a spot.
  9. tony&rodney
    The Twins may add a pitcher to the bullpen during Spring Training if they determine that staff could use another player. A trade is always possible too if another team finds a need to acquire a corner outfielder. The Twins have corner outfielders available for a price. I doubt the Yankees offer Loaisiga for Kepler, for example, but it is possible I can't think of any right handed bats to add and believe Royce Lewis will be the addition when he is ready. The front office has not been free with contracts to extend pitchers. Only Dobnak and Paddack have received extensions. Thus I would not expect any of Gray, Mahle, or Maeda to be extended and don't see these three as values beyond their current price. Each would be worth extending for two years for similar contracts but they will be wanting to explore free agency in hopes of obtaining much more money. Lopez is an outside possibility to extend at the end of the year. The Twins need to anticipate the possibility of a trade in July if the season proceeds successfully for them and brings disappointment to another franchise, because there may be an opportunity to add a significant player or two at that time. The emergence of young players and prospects along with a potential trade or two in July seems like the most likely course of action. The team has some talent and depth right now and when the snow melts we will have our answers.
  10. tony&rodney
    Randballs Stu, this might be funny if it wasn't so totally true. I'm a huge fan of the work of Buster Posey and some other catchers but Joe Mauer was the hands down best catcher in baseball from this century. It is insane that he ever received the venom or criticism from his so called local fans base. To those who disagree, go sit in a dark closet for three weeks until your concussion symptoms begin to dissipate.
  11. tony&rodney
    The Twins are not trading E. Rodriguez, R. Lewis, or B. Lee for anyone. Period. It is doubtful there is another trade for a significant player. I cannot think of anyone who is available right now. Come late July, there may be some serious changes in how a team sees their players, which allows for a trade.
  12. tony&rodney
    This is looking true. Look around at the catchers in baseball today. There are some excellent catchers in the game today, but only Realmuto comes even close to matching Mauer. The Hall of Fame voters have to define the differences in their own minds between catching and any other position in the field. Many people have played baseball and some at a high level but unless one has caught a hundred plus games as an adult, it is difficult to explain the measure of physical hardship catching entails. If someone like Joe Mauer cannot be voted into the Hall on the first ballot, then the conversation on how to measure catchers needs to be concluded. Adrian Beltre was a terrific player and I believe a sure Hall of Fame player who should get in next year. One cannot compare on any level a catcher and any other position player.
  13. tony&rodney
    The trades completed thus far were all reasonable in their dimensions. Hopefully, each of the acquired starters manages to reach their potential this year. My own inclination is to allow each of the three on their final seasons reach free agency as a few new starting pitchers take their place. One potential path to finding an ace or additional strong starting pitcher is to gamble on a guy who has not yet established their career. I had hoped that the Twins could get lucky with a pitcher like Edward Cabrera. Another short term addition could arrive this summer. If Lewis and others arrive fully ready for every day play, the Twins will have some players to trade for pitchers approaching free agency on other teams that are looking to restock their systems. Trades remain a viable means to fill a rotation. The Twins prospects should be able to grab several spots too. The stock of talent is good for the team and for competition. If any of Ober, Winder, Varland, Woods Richardson, or others prove they are ready, they will get an opportunity to start and hold a rotation job. While it may be a stretch to see the current group of starters as the best in decades for the Twins, there is depth of quality and this bodes well for the coming season. If the young pitchers do not step up, there will be other opportunities to add to the starting pitching staff via trades and that is ok. We have to remember that the entire minor league system exists to put the best possible team on the field at the major league level.
  14. tony&rodney
    Emmanuel wants that top spot. I'm looking forward to how some of the young guys develop this year, both with the Twins (Kirilloff, Lewis, Miranda, Larnach) and in the minors (Martin, Julien, Lee, Rodriguez). That is just the position side. The pitchers will also be fun to watch. Royce Lewis was the #1 pick. Sometimes i wonder if he could be as good or better than Bobby Witt Jr. Wouldn't that be something?
  15. tony&rodney
    I'll go with Jaffe and his evaluations of Mauer, which pins him as the 7th best catcher in baseball history. I don't know about that exact placement but I believe Joe definitely belongs in next year.
  16. tony&rodney
    I'm a fan of making Spring Training meaningful, at least for that last spot or two. Additionally, the Twins need to keep an eye out for total nonperformance by a position player. Two weeks of nothing doesn't need to spill into five with the depth within the 40 person roster. If Gallo and/or Kepler are going to hit less than .200, give the starts to someone else. I'm not talking about a quick hook, but awareness of the type of at bats.
  17. tony&rodney
    Gallo has to hit much lower in lineup.
  18. tony&rodney
    Pablo Lopez is just coming into his game and should be really good this year. He will have a good defense behind him and a catcher who is excellent at calling a game. Let Vasquez lead Lopez through his starts. I'm excited to have him pitching for the Twins and he will give the team 6-8 innings in most every start.
  19. tony&rodney
    JB has the stuff to start. That's not the problem. I don't think his pitches play up as a reliever at this time. The issue is command and control plus the manner in which he becomes rattled. Whenever I watched Balazovic pitch he seemed to lose focus. I couldn't tell if he was irritated by an injury, his disgust with himself when he did not execute a pitch, disagreements with the pitched called or the umpire on a close call, his fielders when an error was made, or something else. There were a combinations of factors that caused chaos in Jordan's games. He reminded me of some of the pitchers I coached who could never isolate the world around then from the singular focused goal of throwing a specific pitch to a location. The game gets too complicated for him, seemingly. The thing is - this could all change now and we could see Balazovic find his groove and become the pitcher he has worked and hoped to become. Maturation happens. Thus, he remains a starter in my opinion.
  20. tony&rodney
    I see where one could think this way, but baseball players deal in focusing on the positives more than any other sport because failure is so common in baseball. A guy who fails three out of four times at the plate is pretty decent. The prospects are focused on determining their own future. Those who play well can push the veterans aside. Schoop was a premier defensive second baseman and power hitter who is still playing baseball, but when Luis Arraez proved he was ready to play the job fairly went to Arraez. Likewise players like Lewis, Lee, Martin, Larnach, Wallner, and Julien will need to prove that they are ready for MLB.
  21. tony&rodney
    Juiced ball makes the comparison tough.
  22. tony&rodney
    Byron Buxton or .... Edouard Julien. Julien has a huge March and proves he can take pitches and hit line drives everywhere and then proceeds to ROY.
  23. tony&rodney
    Laughed at the title to this post ... exactly what I thought. Taylor does play a great centerfield though and the Twins were not going to use Sisk or Cruz any time soon. Now what does KC want for Bobby Witt Jr.? jk
  24. tony&rodney
    Can the top three on this list become all stars? Every team looks to its prospects to develop into starting players and then star players. Guys like Julio Rodriguez light up the fan base. Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, and Emmanuel Rodriguez could all arrive very soon. It is going to be fun watching a few minor league games to see these and other developing players.
  25. tony&rodney
    The biggest change has been how the payroll jumped in the last five years. Financial constraints can limit the decisions that get made. I don't believe there is much room to compare the different front offices of Falvey and Ryan. The move to sign Buxton was a gamble and continues to carry some low grade risk, while the Correa contract was a real marked change to commit to winning, in my opinion. There are several prospects on the verge of breaking out or crashing. It might be difficult to know right now, but the talent is present. Kirilloff, Lewis, and Larnach could or should be able to contribute in a real meaningful fashion this year and Gordon could easily improve as well. His health issues seem to be in the past. Additionally, there are legitimate reasons to believe in Lee, Martin, Julien, and Wallner as prospects pushing for their opportunity. Miranda had a good year last year and would like to prove he can be much better given a second round at the pitchers. Even Jeffers could rebound. The combination of the older core and the emerging core projects potential success. Falvey and friends have some talent on hand which allowed for the team to swap out Arraez for Pablo Lopez. Depending on how the ten players in the paragraph above perform, the Twins may find it possible to complete a further trade for strong starting pitching again, even as they hope to see some of their own pitching prospects flourish. Buxton, Correa, and Vasquez will be around for at least three years. Polanco and Kepler could be around a couple more years as well. The Twins are building quite a bit of flexibility into their roster management. One could even imagine a mid season push for Burnes via trade in the right situation. The financial support from the top has created real opportunity and flexible alternatives for building the roster in recent history.
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