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Doctor Gast

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Everything posted by Doctor Gast

  1. Doctor Gast
    If you think defense at catching isn't important then what you say makes sense. But most serious fans that don't follow social media would disagree w/ you. Although I thought $30MM/ 3yrs. is too much for catching, that's what they paid Vazquez to do, so why not have him catch at least 1/2 the games? Especially when he's a better catcher than Jeffers. Jeffers is a better bat so it makes sense that he DH when he's not catching. What doesn't make sense is having Vazquez DH. What I saw last year as the season progressed & Jeffers was given more playing time, his #s dipped especially defensively. What Jeffers has shown me so far is that he's very good especially offensively in a supportive role but in the leading role he can't handle it especially defensively; that's why Vazquez was signed in the 1st place. The whole team in general stinks w/o Lewis so I wouldn't focus on Vazquez but I'd focus on having other hitters at positions where production is mandatory that isn't producing to play less. So far this season Vazquez batting has been fine for a catcher with promising signs of getting better. So I'd wouldn't want to disturb what is working for something that probably won't.
  2. Doctor Gast
    Very interesting article. I pray that SWR does well. IMO I'd still like to have Varland up in long relief to help shore up the back end of the rotation, to limit SWR's exposure (buy time so he can make the necessary adjustments) & Paddack's innings, and have him around for spot starting.
  3. Doctor Gast
    I was wondering the same thing & I added it to my original comment. I also wondered that he might have picked up some bad mechanics that screwed up his swing & increased his SOs. His hitting is very uncharacteristic of him. Maybe the talk of trying Martin out at 3B (IMO is a bad idea) could be the result of maybe doing something with Farmer. Even if it's a fake injury, it's an excuse for him to correct what's wrong.
  4. Doctor Gast
    Very good insight on Martin. I was against the acquisition of both Margot & Santana. Farmer is a very steady bench player that should really mash against LHPs. The fact that he isn't is very uncharacteristic of him. There's something very wrong going on, maybe he's hurt, or poor mechanics he picked up that screwed up his swing & caused SOs. Whatever it is, the Twins need to find out what it is & correct it.
  5. Doctor Gast
    With Lewis going down it put a lot more stress on Correa. Correa has been highly depended upon to take up the big slack in the INF. Now in the absence of Correa the INF has greatly floundered & become a great sore spot. OF is a different story. Kepler is a great RFer but RF isn't a premium position & with Platnium glove Buxton at the premium position CF. Buxton is able to take up the slack with capable subs. Although we desperately need the return of our spark plug Lewis. Defensively we desperately need the return of Correa. IMO with less need of Martin in the OF with Buxton good health. He'd be more needed at 2B to better our INF.
  6. Doctor Gast
    CWS is just what the doctor ordered. I have expected more from the bottom of the order (Castro, Vazquez & Farmer) so I was happy to see Castro & Vazquez having great nights. I'm very concerned with Farmer, tonite against an easy LHP, Farmer should have hit the snot out of ball instead he SO 3Xs. Something is broken, the Twins need to find out what happened & fix it! The Twins are still striking out way too much with only 1HR to account for it. Ryan's HRs are still a concern. Wish SWR well tonight, Go Twins! Thanks for that Sano clip. I'm still marveled at how quick Sano is for being such a big man. I've been very hopeful that Wash'll help correct Sano. Sano is close to the top team OBP. I wish him well but hope LAA loses against us.
  7. Doctor Gast
    The schedule?- is the luck of the draw, it'd have been nice to face our last year schedule with MIA & HOU early. But you can't blame that. Coaches?- and coaches teach only the philosophy they are told to teach. As far as I can see Popkin is a good coach. I don't blame them. Owners?- IDK whether they can cough up more money or not but many teams have less of a budget that do well & there are many that have higher budgets & aren't doing that great. No matter what we are stuck with them & I'm happy they aren't Griffin. So it doesn't do any good to blame them. Hitters?- They are basically the same as last season, when everybody raved about winning a postseason series. IMO hitters are the by-product of philosophy, drafting & development. I don't blame them. Injuries?- Yeah they hurt especially when they are 2 of our best hitters that are the archetype of the team's philosophy & bedrock of our INF. I put the blame squarely on the FO. The philosophy for one thing. The 2nd thing is when I see teams aren't approaching this FO with good trade deals I don't have faith in this FO to inniate any good deals. So that's why I said that if this does nothing I'd rate this off season a C but after this FO was done I rated this off season an F because they made us weaker. I didn't think this season was going to be that good but it turned out much worse than I expected.
  8. Doctor Gast
    By your article Ted it sounds that the Twins have been trying to change their "all or nothing" approach for some time now, I beg to differ. Going into the off-season they stated that they weren't changing anything and that they weren't concerned about the SOs. Entering spring training, their solution to the too many SOs was to have their "all or nothing" hitters change nothing while acquiring mediocre at best contact hitters Santana & Margot (bad idea) to balance things out, Twins broadcasting their intent of doubling down on their approach made it easy for the league to prepare for it (like laying off throwing FBs & throw a lot of off-speed). It appears to me that with the poor production early in the season, they are just starting to try something else. You can't change overnight what you spent seasons incorporating especially not having a spring training to start it. IMO FO even with the poor results, they'll still want to cling to their philosophy & try to spin some stats that try to make us think that maybe it's the players, coaches, owners or anything else except their philosophy is the problem.
  9. Doctor Gast
    A win is a win but against any other team, it'd be a loss. Seriously, it was much needed win. Hopefully it'll jump start Buxton & the crappy cold weather get behind us.
  10. Doctor Gast
    I've liked Soto from the beginning. He's in good hands, it's great to finally see the results of our expectations & him exceeding them & discovering that he has even a higher upside.
  11. Doctor Gast
    I'm amazed on how so many who buy into the hype then later get amnesia. I can say I wasn't one of them & if I was, I hope I'd admit it.
  12. Doctor Gast
    I'm a defense guy and wish the Twins were more defensive-minded where it counts. But even for me 1B isn't a position where you worry about defense, you are concerned about production. Twins said they signed Santana mainly for his defense & plan for him to play every day. I'm a firm believer in Kiriloff, Miranda & Julien at 1B so I was completely against signing & locking (or any other capacity) Santana at 1B. Santana IMO was a very unnecessary risk & waste of money from the beginning. I'd DFA Santana a long time ago but I'm afraid we are stuck w/ him knowing this FO.
  13. Doctor Gast
    When have players w/ options you play the players with the hot hand & rotate. It's like you say it's a puzzle that needs to be daily figured out.
  14. Doctor Gast
    Lopez, Ryan & Ober have been fairly dependable. Paddack coming back from TJ & the young arms are like Riverbrian has stated a work in progress. Therefore their usage should be managed, which means some form of piggy-back. Paddack, Varland, & Sands have had success in relief & should be used in long relief & spot starting. SWR & Festa as openers. By this article, I'm encouraged about Dobnak's progress. Other reports have stated that Dobnak has lost his stuff, but his SO & GB rates show otherwise. Yet I wouldn't want to test him until our SS, 3B & 2B problem is solved. DeSclavani was a expensive mistake but back end of a rotation is rather easy & inexpensive way to add depth by signing a MiLB contract or waiver wire if need be.
  15. Doctor Gast
    The pitchers had adjusted to Kepler's "all or nothing" approach & Larnach's weakness against off-speed stuff. Going through spring training & into their IL stint, I was wondering if Kepler & Larnach were going to readjust to the pitching that had adjusted to them. Larnach showed me in the last DET game & Kepler in rehab in AAA along with the CWS game last night that they had. I'm very encouraged about the much needed offense.
  16. Doctor Gast
    IMO the league has easily zoned into the team-wide hitting philosophy. Those who bought into it have really suffered those who have not are having better results.
  17. Doctor Gast
    I was very much against acquiring Santana, Desclavani & Margot. They took away playing time from players (Kiriloff, Miranda & Martin) that I deemed better than them & they proved to be expensive. Farmer's flexibility is very valuable & he's not suppose to play against RHPs but he is. that's the problem. Farmer could have been a trade piece but wasn't, Catching is a premium position, Vazquez's defense is valuable (where we lack,) any offense is icing on the cake.
  18. Doctor Gast
    After a successful '23 post-season, this FO finally admitted to their "all or nothing" approach & giving all the credit to this approach. But our success wasn't because of this approach it was in spite of it. IMO we could have gone further w/o it. Most of our production came from the anti-type players Lewis & Correa. When confronted about league high SOs, they dismissed it as a necessary by-product & doubled down. Maintaining the same HR swing makes it easy for pitchers to adjust plus hoping for pitchers to serve up meatballs in clutch situations is delusional. IMO FO wants us to blame the players, coaches & even the ownership. Anything that detracts from the real problem of faulty hitting philosophy. I'm in favor of analytics but feeding in crappy philosophy info, yields crappy results.
  19. Doctor Gast
    Ditto. I'm very concerned of the team hitting throughout the organization except for some spot hitters. Maybe this is telling us something.
  20. Doctor Gast
    With as bad as this line-up is, the rotation almost needs to be perfect & Varland wasn't. From the beginning, I stated that Varland should start out in the BP. IMO SWR should be called up & see what he can do, have Varland in as long relief & limit Paddack innings. ? How is Martin listed as 2nd least WAR when he hit a HR?
  21. Doctor Gast
    Thanks Seth, IMO Cardenas is the best that we have but how does he rank defensively compared to other top-catching prospects out there? My guess is that he's not very high. I know that Olivar will never make it as a MLB CFer & probably shouldn't be in the minors. I just wanted to make the point that he's more athletic & faster than the normal catcher which normally plays only 1B or DH to keep their bat in the line-up. You saw Olivar, how would you rank his arm?
  22. Doctor Gast
    I guess I look at the bi-product Seth. If a team is serious about defense at a premium position you'd see that they'd draft it & then develop it and I don't see it in the Twins organization. You'd have to stretch it to find an average-defensive-rated catcher in the system. BTW- I heard once on a podcast that Olivar had an above-average arm & a player that have played CF in pro ball has to have above-average speed & fielding. Even though is ranked MN #22 prospect by MLB yet he scored 50 HIT- 40 POWER- 45 RUN- 45 FIELD- 45 ARM- 40 OVERALL . With a scouting grade like that I don't think he'd stick anywhere much less as catcher. Is this scouting grade that far off? https://www.mlb.com/prospects/twins/ricardo-olivar-691627
  23. Doctor Gast
    Both. 1st he has an above arm which is a must, next is his quickness these are his physical raw tools that are what catchers need to have to be good. Because he chose to be a catcher IMO he has the heart to be a catcher. Most everything else can be developed. Independent of what he does defensively, he'll stick at catching for the Twins if he continues to hit the way he is. By a TD article, Carmargo is our top catching prospect. Yet his defense is never discussed (although he has a pretty good arm) & they were afraid to test his defense when they brought him up.
  24. Doctor Gast
    Olivar has all the raw tools to become a great defensive catcher if only the Twins can develop him. So far they haven't done much. IMO the Twins don't put a lot of stock on defense & are hoping he can figure things out on his own if not they can put him in the crowded OF & hope his bat will excel enough to make it to MLB. I've been following him since rookie ball.
  25. Doctor Gast
    They are keeping a tight lip on Lee, I don't like that.
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