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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Nettles? Tiant? Etc.? The Athletics did not get Rooker from the Twins. Kansas City didn't get Rooker from the Twins. They DFA'ed him after a brief trial run. San Diego did get Rooker from the Twins in a trade. Falvey coveted Chris Paddack. The Twins had Nelson Cruz first and then Luis Arraez firmly in place as their DH. The Twins did make a decision on the 26 year old DH (Rooker) after his .201 BA and .688 OPS in 2021 because the .900+ OPS of Cruz in 2021 was replaced by an Arraez batting title and OPS of .795. There was no room at the inn, so to speak, for Rooker. Don't look back. It's a saying.
  2. tony&rodney
    If ..... the Twins were buyers .... Buxton and Correa have "no trade" deals and catchers are rarely moved midseason. So what positions need to be improved? This is really easy. 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, RF, and DH all need to be upgraded if the reason for the transactions are to have a playoff team. The Twins are incompetent if they do not take advantage of teams in need of a utility player and a reserve/4th outfielder who bats right handed. Castro and Bader must be traded. If someone offers a decent player for Clemens he should also be wearing a new uniform. The Twins cannot continue to roll out slow, defensively challenged, weak hitting teams year after year in hopes that their players hottest one week stretches of their careers turns into a six month performance.
  3. tony&rodney
    I'm open to anything that means a clear increase in talent. On the other hand Coulombe, at $3M per year is a fair contract. Coulombe is the one player with an expiring contract I would pursue. He is effective, which is my main reason, and the Twins could use one wise veteran in the bullpen.
  4. tony&rodney
    Drafted #1-1, there is no question that the flurry of home runs and bubbly personality made Lewis a total darling to Twins fans. Baseball can be cruel and he can almost, not quite, be compared to his fellow rising stars of 2023 teammate - Edouard Julien. Lewis looks like his stability is compromised: at the plate, running, and in the field. If an athlete doesn't have full cooperation of their legs, performance is going to be difficult. It seems like Royce has been trying to compensate for a lack of stability from his lower half which brought him a host of new challenges. Sure hope he can get well. I don't have an answer except that i think he needs to be 100% healthy to rebuild his baseball skills. I wish him luck.
  5. tony&rodney
    I think I have watched more minor league baseball this year than MLB games.
  6. tony&rodney
    Only other teams set the value of a player like EmRod. He has always had OBP above .400, hits the ball very hard, is an excellent base runner, and is an above average defensive centerfielder. He has, indeed, missed too much time but at 22 years old time is still on his side. I'm guessing he still has very high value. How high? Offer EmRod, Jax, Vazquez, and DSL player to the Dodgers for Rushing, Sheehan, and Ryan to find out. If not, bring him up when he heals and put him in the lineup full time to see what he can do.
  7. tony&rodney
    EmRod back on IL.
  8. tony&rodney
    Hard sell, for sure. We can say the same for Julien, Miranda, and a few others. Evaluation of players and completing transactions is always tricky. Buy low, sell high is an idea but most people buy high and sell low. Perhaps there are players who have tanked in a somewhat similar fashion with another team. A player I have wondered about was Jordan Lawler. Arizona is holding third base for him but he has only 56 MLB PA with a .080 BA and .259 OPS. He really struggled this year. I doubt the Diamondbacks are down on Lawler totally but his is a thought worth exploring. There might be others too. The counter argument is that Royce Lewis needs to go on the Il for the remainder of the season to get his legs and muscles along with his mechanics squared away once and for all. The dream is he then comes back fully healthy and can play unencumbered by physical issues.
  9. tony&rodney
    I have been wishing for that move for two years. Lewis was drafted #1-1, hit some grand slams (5), and is a fan darling. Those factors make separation difficult.
  10. tony&rodney
    Anything can happen. We watch the Twins and see a slow, defensively challenged team that can't hit and hope the pitching staff throws shutouts every game. Any time an opposing player pitches or an opponent puts the ball in play, the odds are unkind to our current roster. I hope they beat the odds.
  11. tony&rodney
    One thing we do not know for certain .... the future. Expecting Lewis and Wallner to be reliable MLB players is fabulous optimism. It can happen. Julien and Emmanuel Rodriguez could too. So could Austin Martin shine more than Brooks Lee. Maybe. Maybe not. Wild proclamations of any of these players rising up for the remainder of the season (not one game or one week here and there) are reaches and hopes. Gotta go with something, so it might as well be hope. Pick a player, any guy, and hope like crazy. Not much else we can do.
  12. tony&rodney
    Hey, I was looking for a positive. We know that the front office fears change. We know Paddack entered unfamiliar territory a month ago. I'm not wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood. I'm just living reality.
  13. tony&rodney
    Paddack surpassed 100 innings pitched. I thought 90-120 IP this year would be best case scenario as a bright spot for the young Texan. Despite the record, statistics, and hard hits Paddack must feel decent for getting past 100 IP. That's something.
  14. tony&rodney
    There is chasm between our ideas and suggestions, many of them ridiculed by those who prefer the status quo, and the viewpoint of the front office. I expect nothing to happen because the current roster has the full confidence of its architect. Ownership gets referred to often in these discussions, which is mildly confusing. Unless one really believes that new ownership means signing Pete Alonso (he wants to stay in NYC) and/or Kyle Tucker, I don't see ownership as part of roster composition or any of these conversations. Owners are rarely involved or even familiar with all of the players within an organization. The front office exists to build the roster. Calvin Griffith was the owner (part at least) and the front office. He even went to an occasional high school and college game. He was familiar with every last player in the organization. Players went to his office to negotiate their salaries. That was a very long time ago. Today, Falvey and others make the decisions. All the Pohlads do is set the budget. Falvey has stated his belief in this team and so it goes. chpettit19 stated it earlier and I agree - expect nothing. We can discuss ideas but don't expect change, which should also mean don't get upset with any thoughts or comments because these are just exercise.
  15. tony&rodney
    Having seen all these players and considering the Cubs position right now, it isn't far-fetched at all. I'm sorry you were triggered badly. The guesses are nothing personal. Don't use edibles myself but have nothing against them. My only advice at large would be to not drive while distracted (if you drive).
  16. tony&rodney
    The Cubbies are interested in some of the Twins players no doubt. There is a chance, small as it may be given that the MN FO isn't likely doing deals. I'm going to suggest Castro, Paddack, and Yasser Mercedes for Kevin Alcantara. PCA is set in CF and the Cubs will do all they can to sign Tucker. Alcantara is an iffy albeit athletic prospect that may not get the roster time needed to bloom with the Cubs. Would he in MN?
  17. tony&rodney
    The Twins have pitchers. While Ober and Lopez are likely 2 (Ober) and 4 (Lopez) weeks away from their full contingent, they still have Ryan, Matthews, Festa, Woods Richardson, and Paddack. Raya and Adams are spot duty from August onwards. The Twins do not match Philadelphia or several other teams with their top 5, but the Twins are in good shape. The bullpen is strong as well. The position side of the roster? There are issues galore. It would be grand if Jeffers, France, Clemens, Lee, Lewis, Correa, Larnach, Bader, and Wallner started to hit. We are already pleased with Castro and Buxton. Not much is expected from Keirsey Jr. or Vazquez. What are the odds of 9 players picking it up while 2 maintain their current batting? Base-running is not happening because the Twins are not only the slowest team in baseball, they also are extremely reticent to take chances. That's a rough combination. Good defense is a pitcher best friend. As much as we all love our team it is fair to say they don't have anyone besides Buxton to call their friend, although Correa is remarkably consistent. We can accept flaws but the team has about 6 DH's. That is the most competitive position in the lineup for Rocco to fill out and even then the production does not stand out. The most realistic hope is that all of Culpepper, Rodriguez, and Jenkins arrive with production as good or better than their current minor league output. The reasons to acquire talent seems pretty clear to me. The Twins front office does not agree with my observations and many people on Twins Daily do not either. We get to watch the remainder of the season unfold to produce a partial answer. No matter what occurs there will be plenty of baseball to watch. I'll enjoy the games because I'm not one to give up.
  18. tony&rodney
    FWIW, Buxton was asked, pointedly, about being traded to a contender. He specifically stated he has a NT, likes Minnesota, and is going to retire a Minnesota Twin. There will be no discussions about this as far as he is concerned.
  19. tony&rodney
    What player (be specific) that is a controllable worthwhile MLB bat is available for Jax or Duran? I can't think of a single player fitting that criteria. For Ryan, there are some bats available. That is another conversation. Thus, the Twins wind up with the same roster again next year. It becomes a bit of a circular discussion. Two years ago and again last year the team was judged to have the roster needed to win. Falvey has been transparent and consistently voiced confidence in the rosters. Maybe the saying "If not now ... when" applies. I guess you are suggesting next year or the year after/ wait and see. I feel this has been the approach. I like the pitching and am willing to trade a few pitchers too, which is always a gamble because pitching is precious. My main concern or complaint with the Twins relates to the position side of the rosters. The team is slow. The defense is poor. The base-running is mostly bad. The bats don't hit. Right now I can watch ground balls hit to Correa and anything hit out towards Buxton. On offense, it is Buxton and Castro. The team needs a pulse beyond those two players from my viewing. Others are completely content or hopeful that improvement will arrive soon. I hope so too .... at least in some form at some time. I can wait. I just don't want to.
  20. tony&rodney
    I guess the Twins could finish with 83-87 wins and bring the same team back again next year and then we can have this same discussion again. Do you think the Twins have any shot in the playoffs this year? There are teams needing a piece or two, either utility players or pitching. The Twins have utility players and pitching. On the position side the Twins have Buxton. That's it. If Buxton goes down, the Twins are going to be chasing the White Sox. It might be time for some changes. Either way, we will tune in and there is no reason to get upset. I'm living with whatever.
  21. tony&rodney
    Crawford is a stretch, especially because he puts the ball on the ground so much at AAA. The Phillies are in a tough spot though and despite proclamations of Painter as untouchable, they may need to cave to acquire a closer and a RH OF bat. I would demand Painter and Crawford for Duran, Bader, and 2 milb players (Pena and Bohorquz). An MLB bat worth acquiring costs more than a closer (Ryan?).
  22. tony&rodney
    Yes. I keep position players separate from pitching. Naturally I would add pitchers if not solely focused on position players.
  23. tony&rodney
    Ryan is evolving as a pitcher in a very positive fashion. Health, as always, is critical. If I'm looking around MLB for players in a potential deal for Joe Ryan, I'm shooting really high. I totally doubt the rational aspect of one of my thoughts. Ryan, Larnach, Gonzalez, and Charlee Soto to West Sacramento for Nick Kurtz and Mason Miller. They need pitching, the Twins need a bat. Ryan is about 99.9% remaining a Twin in my opinion.
  24. tony&rodney
    I understand that you are a Mets fan, but I don't see anything for the Twins in their system. That isn't a dig at the fine prospects in the Mets system or the players on their current roster like Mauricio or Vientos. Additionally, the Mets have a fantastic closer and are not likely to overpay in the fashion that Philadelphia might (or should). A few teams have a window where they must gamble or have regrets. The Twins are holding the chips (Duran, Jax) and should expect a haul. They can get it too. The question is whether the MN front office will act.
  25. tony&rodney
    Stewart has been good, I agree. However, he is not in any conversations as being an equal of Duran or Jax and thus he would not bring back much more than a lottery ticket. Stewart is more valuable to Minnesota than a player he would return. Still, I'll listen. Does anyone believe this Twins roster can win the World Series this year? The Cubs do not regret trading Gleybar Torres for Chapman, not one bit. The Twins have an opportunity to upgrade their roster. I believe they should. There have been numerous people talking about "core" players. Please allow me to suggest that in 1991, Hrbek, Knoblauch. Gagne, Puckett, and Mack were core players and one could add Davis and Harper too. Core players from 1987, Gaetti and Brunansky, were traded. I'm not sure what criteria people would use for the 2023-2025 teams. Was Julien a core player? When I look at the Twins roster I see that Correa has a NTC that has several runs left, which means he will be a Twin. If I am super generous .... maybe (but no) I include Jeffers. Byron Buxton is the only core player, full stop. One (1) core player means that some change needs to occur. Maybe it can be Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins, or Emmanuel Rodriguez. Perhaps Royce Lewis sits out the remainder of the year and comes back next year fully healthy. We cannot predict the future. Right now, he is a shadow of his former promise who garnered everlasting cache with some grand slams in the past. Things can always change and we hope for the best. Hope, however, is not a strategy.
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