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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Clarification needed - Is it one season, three seasons, or a minimum of some sort? Leo Cardenas played for some of the best teams in club history and was really good, for 3 years. Several were good for 4-5 years. A few people have stated that Zoilo Versalles had one good year. He was a top 3 shortstop for 7 years and averaged playing 154 games per season in an era where shortstops were counted on to field the ball and get outs more than provide offense. Additionally, the era was largely depressed in offense. We can only hope the Twins get 7 years of steady play from a starting shortstop like Gagne and Versalles. It is key for pitchers to have a guy behind them at shortstop who is in the lineup and makes the plays. I'll add kudos to Polanco for playing hurt in too many games when the team didn't have a guy to replace him.
  2. tony&rodney
    I believe every Twins fan hopes that Royce Lewis rebounds. We don't know, at all, how another team values Lewis. A losing dysfunctional team, such as the 2025 MN Twins, needs to consider all avenues for improvement. Finally, you do realize that the argument of low value has been used every year on players ..... Miranda, Julien, etc. and now Lewis, Wallner, and so forth. Any opportunity to improve the roster needs consideration.
  3. tony&rodney
    I overlooked Guzman. He might belong ahead of Correa. Leo Cardenas was a fabulous shortstop for his 3 year run as a Twin. I guess I went with guys who played more years and also were glove shortstops. On a slightly different note, it is not easy to compare players from different eras. Part of it is the playing surfaces, conditions, and even the balls. The fields today are as near perfect as possible. Every time I go to watch a high school or college game I'm reminded that we started practice by picking rocks for 15 minutes. The baseballs are all in perfect shape too.
  4. tony&rodney
    Correa, the best Twins shortstop? No, not at all. I actually don't believe it is close. Top five? Ok. Looking only at Correa's time as a Twin we see a player who struggled with foot issues and staying fully healthy. Correa still was very good and I thought it was a terrible decision to just give him back to Houston and pay part of his salary and the bonus payments to boot. I think we saw a big drop off from a healthy Carlos Correa to Brooks Lee. Versalles had 371 to 501 assists from 1961-1968 (8 seasons) compared to Correa's 169 to 307 assists (4 seasons). Roy Smalley Jr. had four spectacular seasons playing shortstop among his decade as a Twin. Greg Gagne had a strong 8 year run as the Twins shortstop that included 2 World Series titles. A shortstop makes or doesn't make more plays than anyone fielding ground balls in the infield. A good shortstop is almost always an important part of a winning team. I would argue that Mookie Betts holding down the position is what elevates the Dodgers since he stepped in there in 2024. My order is Versalles, Gagne, Smalley Jr., Correa, and Polanco with a clear separation from the first three to the latter two players.
  5. tony&rodney
    It sure seems like something is amiss within the Twins organization. Whether it is those who ultimately make decisions, the people who evaluate and make recommendations, the coaches, the manager, or the player it is really tough to know much less pinpoint. Clearly, communication is less than ideal. Royce Lewis is among a handful of players who have found the rigors of adjustment at the major league level too tough to overcome, if one looks at play from the close of 2023 to now. There have been brief moments, but all of Julien, Wallner, and Lewis have stalled, at least for now. I was encouraged by an increase in speed and flexibility shown by Royce late last season. Perhaps full health plays a large roll in success going forward. I did notice how pitchers pounded the strike zone though, which is a sign that his bat no longer is feared. The necessary adjustments could be just around the corner, but those may also need to be with another team. Like several other players, the Twins should be casting a wide net to find whether a team places value in Lewis to a degree where such club is willing to offer a reasonable player in trade. Would a Lewis to Seattle for Harry Ford work? Absent an exchange for a useful player, the Twins will need to hope Lewis can forget all of his past disappointments and struggles. The guy who stubbornly, maybe out of frustration, attempted to pull every pitch in September is not a winner. A peaceful, reflective offseason may put Royce Lewis back on track. Perhaps his final three years ('27-'28) can be what the Twins, Lewis, and fans hoped for since 2017. We all would like to see Royce Lewis reach his full perceived talent in a Twins uniform. I hope we do.
  6. tony&rodney
    Oh my, there is reason to worry.
  7. tony&rodney
    I might be too high on Morris but i think he is just a good change-up from being a really good starting pitcher. Focus, sequence, and general experience should help.
  8. tony&rodney
    Twins traded Rooker to San Diego who released him (I think), picked up by Kansas City, released and picked up by Oakland. It's a journey. I believe Wallner may flourish in a strictly DH role though, but it is a stretch to think he does as well as Rooker. I like the White Sox young catchers a ton but they won't trade them. Teel was the main guy for Crochet and he worked out. Teams today know that catchers are valuable and they are difficult to acquire as a result. Neither of the young Pale Hose catchers are options, sad to say. I think a number of teams will be talking with Seattle about Harry Ford. Not sure what to offer because the Mariners are a tough team to figure out. Maybe Emmanuel Rodriguez and Travis Adams for Harry Ford and Jurrangelo Cijntje? Tough to lose EmRod, who has so much potential. Perhaps Jenkins, Martin, Rodon, and possibly a player arriving in a Ryan trade covers him. Catchers will be difficult to come by. Tait is 3 years away and he may be a first baseman by then. Do the Twins resign Christian Vazquez or a similar gov (grizzled old vet)? Pitching is not a need and I have said so in other comments about trading Ryan. However, I think Wallner might be a good pick up for the Pirates and Jared Jones is the type of pitcher worth a gamble. The Pirates are loaded with pitchers. The Twins could add a couple of minor league guys to entice Pittsburgh too ... maybe Fedko or Rosario.
  9. tony&rodney
    That would actually be a good addition to the team. The bat is problematic however. At $2.45M the Rays may let him go as their team will be undergoing some changes. I'm surprised at the number of people so high on Marek Houston after his first go at pro ball. In the games I watched him play for Cedar Rapids toward the end of the year (late August/ early September), Houston looked a little tired. I thought that was understandable. He has this winter to prepare. I hope he takes about 8 weeks off to let his mind and body recover. Going through a long season of college baseball and continuing on into pro ball is always a challenge. I'm hopeful and waiting to see him next season.
  10. tony&rodney
    The arm is a mystery and every pitcher coming back from surgery proclaims full health. I'm not sure, having had surgery, if it is possible to predict how a pitcher comes back. For me, the Pirates need bats. I feel pretty confident that the Twins are not winning anything in 2026 and also feel good about the corner outfield spots between Jenkins, Martin, Rodriguez, and Roden. I also feel that Larnach and Gonzalez can cover DH, as well as others wanting a day off their feet (Buxton, Lewis). In any event it seemed like a chance at a mutually beneficial trade between the two teams. I can see how people might object as well as feeling that Pittsburgh will not entertain offers for Jones. He is a wild card.
  11. tony&rodney
    You are probably correct. I must have watched him pitch 12-15 times last summer. There had to be close to 3 dozen missed outs on plays behind him, maybe more. Morris did a poor job of responding to bad defense and to hard hit base hits, occasionally just grooving the next pitch. Perhaps the biggest issue for Morris is that his changeup is not good enough. When you can hit 99 mph and sit 96-97 mph, it really helps to have a change of pace. Something makes me think he could be used in a trade. Arizona is a team that may have interest. Tampa Bay too. In any event I'm hoping Andrew Morris can make it. He does need to lose the mustache.
  12. tony&rodney
    Exactly. This was my opening, "vastly different" and "do not cross paths". Seems like everyone should recognize market size, even when they might not like it or how MLB views it.
  13. tony&rodney
    Thank you for that information. I would add a guy like Travis Adams or a lower level minor league player myself to acquire Jones. He is a gamble because he is returning from an internal brace surgery and not expected back until May. The Pirates are not counting on him as a pitcher, but would welcome his return. I think Pittsburgh is in a win-win situation with Jared Jones. I'm not down on Matt Wallner. Many times my position on the roster has been put forth, asking for better defense across the board. Players who are DH's should be used primarily at the DH spot. Many disagree that Wallner is a DH. So that is a different view where people agree to disagree. Also, there have been a ton of comments about people hating Wallner. The vast majority of comments on Wallner don't support that idea. Yes, there are people such as myself who want him to DH and others who believe he is worth something more to another team, which I agree with dependent on the return. Only a couple of people have made disparaging comments and want Wallner off the team. I fail to see how an opinion that states Wallner should be a DH is a hateful comment. Wallner hits some majestic home runs and I can see how he has loyal fans.
  14. tony&rodney
    The Toronto and Minneapolis teams play in vastly different markets. There are bound to be financial realities that do not cross paths. Money makes a difference (imo). However, roster construction is very important even on a shoestring budget. The Blue Jays flipped their runs scored and runs allowed from '23 to '24. The major improvement in 2025 was in runs scored. The Toronto team is still a little iffy on giving up runs. The bats came through, led by a major turnaround by George Springer. The Twins saw their runs scored remain relatively stable in 2024 from 2023, but their runs allowed went up a fair amount. In 2025, the bats declined, while their pitching remained about the same. TheTwins offense was led by Jeffers, Kepler, Julien, and Castro in 2023. Others were injured (Polanco, Buxton, Kirilloff, Correa), returning from injuries (Lewis), or otherwise on the wrong slope. The postseason was very exciting but the roster needed athleticism and better bats badly. It was a critical time to gamble. That didn't happen and an increase in payroll wasn't available either. Ironically, the major players identified on Twins Daily to be added were Rhys Hoskins and Jordan Montgomery. No trades of note were made. 2025 was a continuation of expecting a mediocre roster to do more with less from the 2024. The 2026 Twins need some change to their roster. At least there are a few prospects that may emerge and the pile of inexperienced pitchers should begin to develop too. More change needs to occur though and the path back will be via better players versus money. Minnesota had some tough luck. Now it needs to turn things around. The path forward might take a couple of years.
  15. tony&rodney
    Always fun to follow these guys. While I watch a ton of minor league games or parts of games, it is really impossible to see all of these guys enough to have a full account of their season. That is my preamble to ask about Andrew Morris. I have no idea how his stuff will play going forward but in multiple appearances last season (times I saw him pitch) Morris was the unluckiest pitcher I have seen in ages (managing, coaching, playing, etc.). Too much typing to go into a pile of specifics, but I have a question for you (Seth) or anyone else who has actually watched Andrew Morris pitch. How do you view Morris and his future? I'm very aware of all of his stats so I don't need to hear about any of his statistics. Where does Morris fit into the big picture? I'm just curious about other's opinions.
  16. tony&rodney
    There isn't any reason to trade Matt Wallner unless a team makes an offer that makes sense. We have no idea how teams value players. I made a wild guess some time ago that perhaps Pittsburgh, a team in need of ANY offense would make a gamble on Wallner and return Jared Jones to MN. This was wildly panned, with a few people taking it personal. It was just a wild throw. Perhaps someone who has BBTV could assess that thought from that perspective. There have been multiple comparisons to Brent Rooker. Rooker received his shot at 28 with Oakland. He is a DH and only plays about once per week in the field. I have routinely suggested that the Twins use Wallner as a pure DH. Wallner has been used in the field with appearances as a DH about once per week. There were reasons for this in the past, but looking forward, there simply isn't any reason any longer. Wallner is actually one of the easier decisions for the Twins. 1) He is their DH. 2) He gets traded for a good return. Larnach is a pretty good player and his bat plays differently. The two together on one team doesn't work because they are both pure DH's and left handed hitters. Larnach loses out in that competition because he will earn more money if offered arbitration. Larnach stays, maybe, if Wallner is traded. If Wallner stays, there isn't a position on the roster for Larnach. Of course, there are people who are huge fans of Matt Wallner and want his big bat in right field. That is a different opinion and it just represents a different opinion of a player.
  17. tony&rodney
    Sounds like many of you are interested in the Arizona Fall League. You can watch the games if you have an mlb.com account. Then you can see whether that 4-4 was on four broken bat bloops, the 0-4 was on four balls hit above 100 mph, or some combination. It's an option available if one wants to know more. Just an FYI.
  18. tony&rodney
    Pretty soon to know what Houston can or cannot do because he just got his feet wet. Next season will help everyone have a better idea of how Marek Houston handles professional baseball.
  19. tony&rodney
    You silly goose. It's not about being right .... or wrong. I never for even a second believe my opinions are facts. In case I used upsetting or triggering words, I shall try again. Brandon Winokur is an unknown. His talent and potential are off the charts. It is a mistake to judge him now on his messy skills. Maybe an off the cuff example might help (or not). Whereas guys like Paul Skenes or David Winfield to name two fellows have off the charts talents, they also have off the chart skills. Sandy Koufax had off the chart talent but his skills were years in the making. I'll let statheads look up the data but it seems like he toiled for 5-6 years before his emergence as the best pitcher in baseball. Not a clean example and anyone is free to poke holes or scream objections, but merely an attempt to explain that there are people whose talents are raw and the skills are slow to develop.
  20. tony&rodney
    We will almost certainly see Brooks Lee out at Shortstop to begin 2026. Hopefully he can improve and hold the position until a better option pushes him off the spot. Lee might make some physical improvements (strength, flexibility) this winter. Players do improve on swing decisions. Maybe Brooks also adds some more bat speed. Young players can improve. The downside is that Lee is pretty slow and that won't really change too much. I'm hoping for the best.
  21. tony&rodney
    Do you think Noah Cardenas is 6-18 months away? I'm wondering who you are thinking about. There have been conversations about bringing Christian Vazquez back. A few have wondered if the Twins can limp through next season using Gasper or Pereda too. Vazquez might be possible, but it seems unlikely depending on the dollars. The other two don't seem like fits going forward. Who did you have in mind, "young catchers"?
  22. tony&rodney
    Please watch a guy for a couple dozen times before coming to conclusions. These young players make mistakes, make improvements, and are all over the place in terms of their professional development.
  23. tony&rodney
    Excuse me if I am repeating myself, but the question to be answered in the next several years is whether or not Winokur can hit advanced pitching and be an effective bat at the major league level. He needs quite a bit of work on his swing and swing decisions in addition to pitch recognition. He is definitely making progress. Many minor league players face this challenge. A really rough comparison from another sport that involves talent and learning might be Anthony Edwards. Skills take time to learn, but talent is given. The glove, arm, power, and speed are not in question. There is not a sequence of shortstops, centerfielders, etc. Perhaps you have seen Winokur play a hundred times. Forgive me, I don't remember. Having seen him play dozens of times myself, the guy is a unicorn. Can he hit? We should have an answer in 2-4 years. The bat is his only restriction. If he could hit like Jenkins or Culpepper now, Winokur would open 2026 as the Twins shortstop. He is nowhere close to that level yet with his bat. I can wait. I hope others can too.
  24. tony&rodney
    Me too.
  25. tony&rodney
    Great series. My only comment, I wonder why Seattle played the SS to pull on Kiner-Filefa?
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