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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Kirilloff is still working his way into prime condition. Hopefully he can play in five of six games next week. He needs to prove he is ready and earn his call up. I'm a big fan of Kirilloff because I believe he will hit for power and average. AK has a few glitches in his games (every player does). He is prone, like many, to swinging at high pitches that are well above the zone. Additionally, Alex has a tendency to believe he can hammer any pitch. This is similar to Miranda. Kirilloff could be more selective at the plate. The upside is that AK drives the ball with power all over the field. He doesn't need to pull the ball to launch a bomb but he can turn on pitches middle in and crush it to right field. The bottom line is that the Twins want to see a week or two of consistent play from Kirilloff before they make a decision on him. I'm ready to see him now, but would be surprised if the call comes before May 15. What happens with the lineup? This has been discussed quite often recently. The team is healthy and we hope it remains that way. Kirilloff = 1B, Kepler = RF, Buxton = CF/DH, Larnach = LF/RF/ DH, Gallo = OF/DH. Taylor returns to the role he was signed for and plays CF against left handed pitchers and come in defensively late in games or as a pinch runner. Who goes? This depends on when Farmer is fully ready to resume his place as the Twins utility infielder. Castro remains until Farmer is healthy and has finished a rehab stint. Gordon likely holds his role (whatever that is) until Lewis forces his way onto the team. This means that Solano goes, despite his solid bat thus far. He just doesn't play a position or bring speed to the team. I prefer the option of 14 position players but we are unlikely to see that decision. Like mentioned by Falvey/Baldelli, among others, it is impossible to know what occurs in regards to injuries or performance between the last day of April and mid May. For now, Kirilloff will need to do his part to force a decision.
  2. tony&rodney
    It is always good to see posts on what people see as possible additions to the Twins team. This is an interesting collection of good baseball players. The problem is that none of these guys would be rostered on our current team even if the they were DFA'ed. The Twins would not release Gallo for Cron or Walker, Torres would not displace Polanco, and the Twins already have a pile of left handed hitting corner outfielders which means no role for Pederson. No room at the inn for these four.
  3. tony&rodney
    Baseball is tough enough when a player is a regular, but youngish guys need opportunities to grow their game. I don't know where Nick Gordon fits on the Twins team either now or in the future. I do think he could become a star player with an opportunity. I cannot understand any talk of sending down Trevor Larnach. It is a little befuddling as to why Gordon has not gotten any playing time. I was pretty sure he would be in the lineup today, but nope. Maybe tomorrow.
  4. tony&rodney
    If Kirilloff is still in St. Paul on May 15, it is a bad deal for the Twins. It would mean some combination of health and nonperformance kept him down in AAA. Both are poor outcomes for a player the Twins need to be a real threat in October. A healthy, productive Alex Kirilloff would bolster any lineup and he has the talent to fit right into the middle of the lineup. The discussion of who loses their roster spot will be pretty evident. If someone is injured, a spot opens. If everyone is healthy, we know it is one of Castro, Solano, or Gordon. For right now, I would choose Castro as my extra infielder and Gordon as my overall utility player. Solano has had a good start this year but he cannot play in the field. When Farmer returns, another guy needs to go. I don't know what the Twins plan for Nick Gordon. He had some decent swings recently but rarely gets an at bat. Personally I would like to see the Twins roster 14 position players, but expect all of Solano/Castro/Gordon to be elsewhere by June. We know that Taylor and Jeffers are here to stay, barring injury and also expect that Farmer gets a uniform.
  5. tony&rodney
    All good stuff. Maybe Royce Lewis is ready by June. Long road back, twice. He is going to be hungry and focused.
  6. tony&rodney
    Max Clark.
  7. tony&rodney
    April might be a little too soon to concoct an obituary for the Twins career of Max Kepler. It is true that the stats for Kepler have not been real hot the past couple of years but that same statement applies to other players in our current lineup as well. Maybe Kepler is gone after this year or even gets traded during the year, but I'm willing to see how Max plays up to the All Star game before reaching for another right fielder.
  8. tony&rodney
    Kirilloff needs to play for St. Paul until he proves he is fully healthy and forces the Twins to make a decision through his play. AK needs to earn his call up to MLB. He hasn't really proven anything with the Twins. However, AK does have the sweetest swing in the organization and can totally mash. He is a fair outfielder but a good first baseman. It would sure be nice to see Alex work on his selectivity at the plate and lay off the high stuff. Similar to Miranda, Kirilloff thinks he can hit any pitch and MLB pitchers will take advantage. The best arrangement possible puts AK at 1B, Buxton in CF, Kepler in RF, Gallo in LF, and Larnach as the DH. These guys can also rotate as well. There are plenty of bats to go around.
  9. tony&rodney
    No question at all, both of those are true.
  10. tony&rodney
    The ABS system will be used in AAA starting Friday, apparently. Batters with a really good eye should benefit. If Julien can take his game and numbers that he put up at AA forward I don't see either Lewis or Lee matching that offensive production. However, folks are correct to point out that Jorge Polanco is a stalwart for the Twins and looking good right now. I do think that a bat like Julien would really look good DHing versus right handed pitchers.
  11. tony&rodney
    Thank you.
  12. tony&rodney
    I think the ABS system is used in Rochester, but not league wide and not in St. Paul. Correct?
  13. tony&rodney
    Reminds me of how much Matt Lawton laughed in an interview when talking about what the strike zone looks like playing against the Yankees versus what it was when he played for the Yankees. Funny stuff Stu.
  14. tony&rodney
    Kirilloff had a nice line drive base hit today and a hard out to left field but looked unwilling to take a walk in the 9th inning and waved at a pitch way outside. He wants to hit but needs to make the pitchers stay in the strike zone. AK has a sweet swing. I hope the Twins identify when he is ready. I think he will hit.
  15. tony&rodney
    This article correctly points out what Julien needs to accomplish in order to compete at the highest level: defense, hitting off speed pitches, and the K/W rate. Watching Julien play for St. Paul, via milb.com (it would be obviously better to evaluate his play in person), we can see his value. Julien is still a work in progress but his positives are noteworthy. First off, while it is correct that his arm is not very strong, it is close enough to adequate or similar to what we see from Miranda. Julien is not slick in the field but he gets to balls better than often given credit for, which we saw when he flagged down several grounders while playing for the Twins. He is improving but we should not ever expect him to be Roberto Alomar. I trust Julien's glove ahead of either Solano or Gordon. A guy who can carry an on base percentage above .400 with power, stolen base ability, and a high average is a valuable player in any lineup. Julien just needs to keep hitting and improving in small increments. I believe he would be a real valuable leadoff hitter versus right handers and DH for the Twins. Whether Buxton is now a full time DH beyond May is another story. Lastly (I noted this previously in other threads), I cannot recall a player having more strikes called on them when the pitch is so far out of the strike zone. I saw this last season when following Julien and we saw this a number of times this year when he was with the Twins. It happens to all players just as they benefit from some calls but Julien is seemingly a magnet for the 3-2 pitch (4 inches off the plate) being called a strike. This may be a standard for players who test an umpires patience with how often they are deep in counts such as a guy like Carlos Santana, first with Cleveland and now with Pittsburgh. The path for Julien to have consistent playing time with the Twins will be tough given the barriers at 2B, 1B, or DH but wouldn't it be nice to have a guy lead off who gets on base at such a high rate or crushes a home run to begin games?
  16. tony&rodney
    No real worries. The bullpen is still in a good place. The Twins have Mahle, Lopez, Gray, and Ryan all scheduled to pitch versus Kansas City and a day off on Monday before Ober/Varland pitch. The Royals have only scored 82 runs thus far this season and we should hope that our starters fare well in this upcoming series. A greater concern is that the Twins have only scored 109 runs, but they look ready to break out. The Twins are in good shape. Perhaps the biggest challenge at this moment of the year concerns who is where defensively.
  17. tony&rodney
    Maeda was not good (understatement), but the defense was pretty pathetic. Solano is merely a DH/ pinch hitter at this point. Gordon is totally stretched in centerfield. On a positive note we saw Joey Gallo glide across the grass in CF in the 9th inning to make a decent play look very routine. There is our centerfielder versus right handers when/ if Kirilloff manages to earn his way on to the team.
  18. tony&rodney
    Looks like Headrick did a pretty good job today. I'm not too worried about the relief pitching right now. All of Sands, Stewart, Winder, and Headrick along with a couple of others maybe can handle reduced roles as a 7th or 8th pitcher in the bullpen. More concerned with the bats and inconsistent defense. Still, things are going fairly well thus far.
  19. tony&rodney
    Yes, I agree that Gallo has done a good job at first base. Kirilloff is better all around though at the position, likely because he has more repetitions. Gallo is a good athlete. He played a little third base as well as being an outfielder. I also agree with anyone who has suggested that AK has yet to deserve a position on the team based on his past mlb time, but believe that Alex is a superior bat who will hit his way into the top of the lineup. This pushes Gallo to either DH or the outfield and improves the team in several ways. Time will tell.
  20. tony&rodney
    Well, they are in first place in the AL Central right now. Does that qualify. You cannot win a playoff series unless you are in it. The starting pitching staff is strong which is a big key to success in the post season.
  21. tony&rodney
    Lee is a ways off. Watch his games at AA. He is fielding really well but his bat is still in the transition stage. Yes, the stats are there but he is not controlling his at bats enough to get to St. Paul yet. Hopefully Brooks Lee gets promoted to AAA by July, maybe even June. At that point the Twins will be much more focused on what he can contribute in the future. Lee is highly thought of in the organization at this time.
  22. tony&rodney
    Moran may benefit from AAA innings but you hit on the real issue .... Pagan is all over the place and he gets hit hard .... often. Maybe Moran would be served to fit as the #7/8 reliever if he is kept on the roster and Pagan can go fishing or golfing. The starters going 6 and 7 innings is a real plus for the bullpen.
  23. tony&rodney
    Maybe in softball, but when you see a guy like Kent Hrbek pick every bad throw, come off the base when needed, field his position, run down balls in foul territory, take cutoffs properly, and generally leave the infielders unworried about their throws ..... it makes a bigger difference than imagined. A first baseman is involved in more plays. Gallo is ok and actually makes the 3 - 6 - 3 play smoothly. We have seen him struggle with throws in the dirt though and off the bag. Solano is weak there and Miranda had a whole bunch of glitches at first base. Joey Gallo should play until AK is fully ready. Alex Kirilloff is very smooth with the glove and if he can wave his magic wand starting in May the team will reap the benefits of a strong glove at first.
  24. tony&rodney
    I'm wondering about Lewis as well as a potential third baseman too, but Miranda is really poor at first base as opposed to being actually playable at third base. I won't dispute whether Lewis might be a far better defensive player than Miranda but using Miranda at first base will have unintended consequences that hurt the team. If Miranda can refine his approach at the plate with more patience and become the gap hitter needed he should be able to hold down his current spot. That would leave the team with options as to how they incorporate Kirilloff and Lewis.
  25. tony&rodney
    They certainly may ... it is an option.
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