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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    There isn't a great option for the ninth starter against right handed pitching and I think Santana will get a lot of playing time at least until someone emerges. It has been mentioned often that Buxton most likely will get some DH time and it is possible that other regulars will also occasionally DH. When this occurs, AK should get 1B time. I don't think Kirilloff profiles as a bad first baseman long term as I mentioned before he had neutral numbers in 2021-2022 and his skills shouldn't be diminished at his age.
  2. stringer bell
    It certainly will not be Alex Kirilloff as purely a DH. He is acceptable in the outfield and at first base IMHO. As far as his hitting goes, he wasn't as much a standout as the three rookies last year (Julien, Wallner, Lewis), but he was an above average hitter for sure. I don't think Kirilloff is a finished product as a hitter--I think he needs to punish more balls middle in and hit as many homers to the pull side as he does to the opposite field, but having the ability to drive the ball the other way is something not everyone is capable of. Doing a bit deeper dive into Kirilloff's fielding, that Baldelli made mention of getting better defense at first base is more significant to me than the defensive metrics. Kirilloff posted roughly neutral numbers (slightly positive) for his first two partial years (345 innings) and last year his numbers were worse and negative across the board. in 555 innnigs. Why would a 26-year-old get worse at defense? I suspect it could be one of three things. 1) Less focus on defense, perhaps because of a daily maintenance schedule to deal with his wrist. 2) Injury early to his wrist and later to his shoulder impacted his fielding directly. 3) It is an outlier and he's really not that bad. That he was slightly above average in a fair amount of innings prior to 2023 makes his '23 number suspicious. I think the answer is some of all three of these reasons and I continue to believe Kirilloff can be decent or better than that at first base. Regardless, defense at the low end of the spectrum is overshadowed by how well those players hit.
  3. stringer bell
    Enjoy Pi 🍰 Day!!
  4. stringer bell
    How about a little nuance? 1) Kirilloff was a good hitter last year, but has only had 700 plate appearances in three years due to injuries. Does it make sense to bring in one of the most durable players in MLB to augment his position? 2) Kirilloff was not good against left handed pitching, does it make sense to bring in a guy who has handled left handers better throughout his long career? 3) Kirilloff struggled in the field last year and the guy they brought in is regarded as a good defender. I don't think the Twins believe Kirilloff "is not good enough", but I do think it is more than prudent to have a backup plan for areas where he isn't as good and especially since he hasn't displayed durability to this point.
  5. stringer bell
    All on the 40 man, so options are being used.
  6. stringer bell
    It is pretty certain how the season will start and Kirilloff should get enough chances to prove his bat is legit and that he can play first base. The article being referenced also made mention that AK was an outfielder through high school and the low minors. I still see him as a first baseman primarily, but I thought he had always played more first than OF.
  7. stringer bell
    As the season rolls along, the pecking order can and will change. It was really stable last year, but I think we can see that as an exception to how things proceed normally. Little has been said about Caleb Boushley, who the Twins signed on a minor league deal. He would figure in the starting rotation in St. Paul and may well get a chance with the Twins in 2024. It will depend a lot on how all of these guys pitch in AAA, as it should be.
  8. stringer bell
    To me, Wallner made big strides on defense, making himself far from a one-trick pony. As shaky as he looked in '22 and his first handful of games last year, he looked the part of a major league outfielder in the second half of his season. Wallner will always strike out a lot, but if he can manage to hit balls hard in the zone and refuse to chase, he'll be fine.
  9. stringer bell
    If that is the plan the extra reliever would have to be somebody who is optionable, ruling out Duarte and Brigham, who have been good so far this spring. It would open the door for Alcalá or Funderburk (Funderburk's numbers look pretty bad so far) to start the season with the Twins and maybe kind of compete with Staumont for a longer stay on the big league team.
  10. stringer bell
    The tone here is that Baldelli is on an island with his usage of starting pitchers. That is not true. Twins' starters logged something like the second or third most innings in 2023. 90%+ of managers limit their starters and few get a chance to pitch 200 innings. 150 is the new 200.
  11. stringer bell
    First of all, this is all speculation. I guess it is a sign that not much else is happening. Secondly, if DeSclafani is just a bit behind, that isn't the same thing as preparing for TJ surgery. Finally, the carefully laid out schedule that Nick provided depends on good weather. We've had an historically warm low-precipitation winter, what are the odds things even up in the spring? DeSclafani's issue is health. The Twins gambled that he would be able to give them innings and IMHO he has the potential (if healthy) to be a lot better than an innings-eating fifth starter. I will make no predictions here. He may never throw a pitch for the Twins or he might be a valued member of the rotation for the entire year. His health history would lower the chances for a positive result. I do find the alternatives to be interesting. Rocco really seems to want multiple inning guys in his bullpen and there would be an opportunity for someone if Disco was temporarily on the shelf. Running Varland out there would indicate to me that the team has no faith that DeSclafani will ever make it back.
  12. stringer bell
    Additional comment: it doesn't seem like that long ago that any organization that had more than two or three guys with velo >95 mph was a rarity.
  13. stringer bell
    Woods Richardson has been >94 according to reports, but hasn’t hit 95. Still quite an improvement for him
  14. stringer bell
    I don’t think we can make a judgment on Wallner from Spring Training, nor should we. If Wallner struggles in April, the scenario you foresee could very well happen. It’s probably the best path for Miranda to make it back to the Twins.
  15. stringer bell
    I haven’t given up on any of these guys, but injuries have blocked their progress and perhaps limited their upsides. I thought it was interesting that the Twins added an inexpensive team option to Alcalá’s 2024 contract. If he can perform and avoid the IL, he’ll be a key piece in 2025. Alcalá looks like he’s on the outside looking in for an Opening Day spot, but if he’s healthy he’ll get his shot this year. Kirilloff’s pretty extensive injury history and lackluster postseason seem to leave people forgetting that he was hitting in the middle of the order for a playoff team last year at age 25. He will have this season to stake a claim as a regular and I hope he succeeds. Miranda has moved down the defensive spectrum rapidly, but hitting has always been his strong suit. If he can hit like he did in midseason of 2022, he will be in the big leagues soon and stay. I’m not sure if that run will come with the Twins.
  16. stringer bell
    I haven't heard any word of a new pitch. Getting back to the upper 90s on his fastball would help against everyone and better command also. As I said above, Alcalá got behind on too many counts and grooved too many fastballs--if the count is 1-2 or 2-2 instead of 2-0 and 3-1, he has a lot better chance of getting outs no matter which side of the plate the hitter uses.
  17. stringer bell
    Yes, having two spots that can be shuttled would be a better setup. Of course, an injury to one of the locks or out of options types and it is then the optimum situation. BTW, Winder is out until late May so he won't factor into decisions for the first third of the season.
  18. stringer bell
    Fitting together the best team to put out there on a daily basis has a lot of moving pieces. Some are as simple as putting the best defender at a position in that position every day, but some are complicated by things like a superior defender moving to another position because a lesser defender can't play anywhere else. It would be great if all the pieces fit perfectly, but that never happens. To me, third base long term is much of that conundrum. While Lewis profiles as good, Lee might profile even higher. So, move Lewis right? To second to displace Julien, to left where he hasn't played much if at all? There is also egos and preferences to deal with. Apparently, Max Kepler wants to stay in right field. Is it worth the trouble to insist that he plays in center some days? Probably not. In Lewis' case, he's a young guy with a superstar upside who has been moved from short to third. Move him again? I don't think the Twins want to wipe the smile off Lewis' face for any reason and perhaps putting him at second or left or center will do just that. It's been said that most personnel decisions take care of themselves and I believe that is the case with Brooks Lee. I don't think it is going to effect the Opening Day roster and his emergence might not happen until 2025. It is interesting to see how the field staff prepares him and all of the other guys who have moved around.
  19. stringer bell
    With four-man benches, players there need to be versatile--four guys back up eight positions. Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro will provide a majority of that versatility, but if one is injured it's nice to have another guy who can cover more than one spot effectively. By the way, I don't think either Farmer or Castro is "bad at playing all positions".
  20. stringer bell
    Topa was a key trade piece and seemed well regarded, Stewart broke out (limited innings), Jax was pretty good and Durán is elite. Add Thielbar and Okert from the left side and that’s a pretty good start for the BP. They’ve signed several relievers who have had some success to fill out the ‘pen. All the guys don’t have to produce because there is depth. It could go south, but there are lots of viable options.
  21. stringer bell
    Another consideration his Staumont’s service time. He can be optioned for only the first three months of the year before he hits the five-year threshold wherein he can only be optioned with his consent, so if his final option isn’t used in the first ninety (or so) days of the season, it is null and void.
  22. stringer bell
    According to Phil Miller, no Twin has ever had two triples and a homer in the same game. I believe Kenny Landreaux had a game with three triples. That doesn’t include spring training games.
  23. stringer bell
    Why wouldn't they if it is there to use? IMHO, Staumont was never as good as Topa was last year, and if he has an option to use, they might as well use it if he isn't as good as someone else (Alcalá, Funderburk, maybe one of the non-roster guys).
  24. stringer bell
    I’d put Staumont as the biggest suspect among those projected and several guys have been really good so far.
  25. stringer bell
    Also of note, Ober retired nine in a row after allowing a single and a homer to the first two batters. Woods Richardson with another 1-2-3 inning. He might be moving up the pecking order for a chance with the major league team.
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