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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    I like the fan-driven discussions that are on the Twins Talk page. As the author of six threads on the first page of this forum, I can speak with some experience about this. The game thread intros were fun with new and different perspectives, but it happened far too often that the intro was forgotten. I did more than my share of "emergency" intros and reminders of when the first pitch was occurring. Having a short "let's go" actually isn't too bad. As noted, I have authored a lot of threads and do get disappointed when no one seems to want to comment on a topic or the topic morphs into something else. As Squirrel noted, often a topic is brought up here and within hours (sometimes minutes) the same topic is on the Front Page and usurps the discussion. That is unfortunate. I agree that the negativity can be draining, but it is tough to moderate. We should allow people to state their opinions, but some on this site seem to be waiting for failure.
  2. stringer bell
    Despite only stealing one base, Buxton's speed and defense was fun to watch until today. His hitting is seemingly always frustrating because of th high strikeout totals and long stretches of slumps, but overall he was playing pretty well and running very well. Before we urge him to retire or rule him out for the season, maybe the medical people need to weigh in on the injury and how to get him back on the field.
  3. stringer bell
    A nine -game winning streak changes things. No need to rush Topa back and the pressure on underperforming veterans is eased. SWR only went 3.2 and the bullpen still has Jax and Stewart available with an off day tomorrow. Still plenty of things to worry about, but the club didn’t get buried in April—tied in the loss column with both KC and Detroit and only a good series behind Cleveland.
  4. stringer bell
    To respond to @dxpavelka, some of us follow players because of their story, whether they are a Twins player or not. Some build up affection for a player when they are on your favorite team and you follow them even if they aren’t a Twin any more. Some are just a curiosity like Jaime Garcia—traded for just before the trade deadline and then traded away at the deadline with one start with the Twins. There are lots of reasons to follow ex-Twins (IMHO) over and above roasting the club for letting them go.
  5. stringer bell
    He’s going to be 33 shortly and his peripherals are meh at best. Above average walk rate and below average K and whiff rates. There are several 40-man options in St. Paul including Topa (rehabbing). Barring another spate of injuries, I can’t see how he’ll be missed. Several of the guys at St. Paul can be optioned and Bowman can’t. Bowman is making $925K this year and would forfeit that salary if he declares free agency. I expect him to pass through and accept assignment at St. Paul (most on the site think he’ll be claimed). Yes, Bowman looked better than Jackson or Thielbar, but the sample sizes are tiny.
  6. stringer bell
    With today being the last day of April, it might be time to look back at performance so far this year. First, who is an ex-Twin? I think only a player that actually performed on the field during an official game for the Twins is an ex-Twin. So Spencer Steer isn't an ex-Twin, while Yennier Canó is an ex-Twin. Now that the ground rules have been laid, I'll name a winner and a runner-up both from the position player side. I'm hoping to spark some conversation, but not to rehash whether a player should have been traded, released or allowed to be a free agent. Pitching--Winner: Jose Berríos. In a word, Berríos has been great. In six starts, Jose is 4-2 with a 1.44 ERA. His only loss was in a rain-shortened start against the Royals. Berríos has 28 Ks in 36 innings and a WHIP of 1.04. Runner-up: Sonny Gray. Sonny has been outstanding, but has fewer opportunities due to his opening the season on the IL. Gray is 3-1 with a microscopic 1.16 ERA and an impressive 0.94 WHIP. Position Player--Winner: LaMonte Wade Jr. Wade has been a great acquisition for the Giants. This month, he has put together a great month--.328 BA and a .882 OPS. Wade is platooned, but is getting plenty of at-bats. He has been a valuable left handed bat for the Giants since he was traded and his current role seems like the floor for current Twin Alex Kirilloff. Runner-up: Ben Rortvedt. Also, not a full-time player, Ben Rortvedt has had a nice start with a new team. He's hitting .340 with an .831 OPS. As long as he keeps hitting, he will get plenty of at-bats, since he's regarded as a good receiver. There have been several ex-Twins who have struggled--Eddie Rosario, Joey Gallo, Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver for example--but most of them will regress to the mean, much as the fast starters will likely not carry their great numbers through the season. Are there any others that should be considered as ex-Twin (Position Player or Pitcher) of the month. Are there any others to be noted?
  7. stringer bell
    Topa allowed three runs in one inning tonight. Meanwhile, Jackson and Thielbar were effective tonight, Funderburk threw two innings and allowed a two-run homer. The are choices to be made. Personally, I think any pitcher on the 40-man is a major league quality arm. Until today, I thought Topa for Funderburk was a good call.
  8. stringer bell
    Durán for the save.
  9. stringer bell
    I still don't trust Sands. I know that's easy to say after the HR.
  10. stringer bell
    Wow. Sands for the 8th with a one-run lead.
  11. stringer bell
    The bad baseball from both teams was a team effort. So too, has been the comeback by the Twins.
  12. stringer bell
    Buxton is plenty fast to steal bases. He is a joy to watch in center field. He's always been streaky and the streakiness was probably exacerbated by his injuries. I expect him to heat up at some point, but he doesn't look good in the majority of his at-bats.
  13. stringer bell
    Short start for SWR. Very unimpressive IMHO. Velo down, and his pitches weren't fooling the Sox very often. The best thing is that the score is only 1-0. My gripe about Funderburk so far in his career is getting the first guy. This is really important this time with Pham batting and the sacks juiced.
  14. stringer bell
    Hittable SWR this start.
  15. stringer bell
    Provus mentioned that Larnach is still working through his turf toe injury. One other consideration is that Buxton could run for either Kirilloff or Santana late in the game and then replace him defensively (AK to first if running for Smooth).
  16. stringer bell
    SWR's velo is down a bit.
  17. stringer bell
    At this point, two of the three activations have occurred. Correa started at shortstop yesterday and is in the lineup again today and Durán was activated today. Bowman (DFA) and Martin (option) were taken off the active roster. The Twins may lose Bowman since he was DFA'd, but 1) I am not confident he will be claimed and 2) with Staumont, Topa and Alcalá all at AAA, it doesn't seem likely that he would be needed barring another spate of injuries. Regarding the post-Polanco trade moves the Twins made, I wasn't a fan of adding a right handed hitting outfielder. I thought Austin Martin could handle that role and thus far he has been far better than Margot. The key fact is that with both Margot and Martin on the roster, the preferred center fielder was Martin. I was neutral to slightly negative about acquiring Carlos Santana. His recent power surge has quieted the critics, but so far he hasn't hit enough to justify playing first base on a regular basis (76 OPS+). Finally, bullpen depth was added. Jay Jackson was signed to a free agent contract, while Steven Okert was acquired for Nick Gordon. I think the choices were sound. Relief pitchers are volatile, but the Twins have almost a full bullpen of players under team control through 2025 and their top guys (Jax, Stewart and Durán) look to be excellent.
  18. stringer bell
    Staumont is also at St. Paul. Honestly, I don’t think it would be a huge loss if Bowman is claimed.
  19. stringer bell
    And Willi Castro has been given his freedom! For two weeks, Willi has played almost exclusively at shortstop, now he can play third, second, left and center. That Castro has swung the bat well right handed makes it much easier to move Martin, who got platoon at-bats in left plus serving as Buxton's backup. Castro can fill both of those roles and get some third base time.
  20. stringer bell
    Too bad for Martin. Overall, he did well. He'll be back if he stays healthy.
  21. stringer bell
    More Farmer, Miranda and Margot with the lefty going for the ChiSox. That crazy Rocco might even have Vázquez DH!
  22. stringer bell
    Correa said (to quote Amy Winehouse) "Rehab, no, no, no."
  23. stringer bell
    Reports have been made that Jhoan Durán and Carlos Correa are close to activation, probably while the Twins are in Chicago. The club is on a seven-game winning streak, but someone will have to go to make room for those two stars. Additionally, Justin Topa is pretty close to being activated, so another pitcher would have to be put on IL or sent down, Options figure in, as well. While it might not be fair, I expect Kody Funderburk to be optioned when Durán is activated. There are three left handers in the bullpen and Thielbar and Okert can't be optioned. The corresponding move for a Correa activation is a tough one. In terms of contribution, I think Margot should go, but he can't be optioned and the Twins wouldn't want to give up on him in April. In the end, I think Austin Martin draws the short straw. Willi Castro can play the positions that Martin plays and he will be freed from playing shortstop when Correa is activated. Jose Miranda had a nice series in Los Angeles and his hitting stats look pretty good right now. Finally, if Topa is activated within the week, I think the Twins will try to DFA Bowman. Bowman has looked pretty good so far, but did wobble in a high-leverage situation against the Angels on Friday. I think there is a chance that he gets through the DFA process and makes it back to St. Paul. The other thing that can happen is an injury. Julien seemed to get nicked yesterday and I'm sure a bunch of players have nagging injuries that could be disabling when the Twins need the roster space. If anyone has an opposing opinion, please post and show your reason.
  24. stringer bell
    I'm imagining there will be plenty of seats available, so sit right behind the plate so that we can see you.
  25. stringer bell
    Then don't go!
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