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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    I don’t think their numbers were fairly even. MAT’s power surge came at the expense of OBP and strikeouts. Most Twins fans would rather see more on-base and more contact. Kiermaier had over 40 points higher OBP, while Taylor had a 20-points higher slugging percentage.
  2. stringer bell
    Yes, according to stats. Both last year and in their careers, Kiermaier has a substantially higher OPS and OPS+. Taylor’s lifetime OPS+ is 83, while Kiermaier’s is 98.
  3. stringer bell
    The chances will come, I expect, for any player on the 40-man roster. Last year the Twins used all their position players and they dug deep into their system in 2022.
  4. stringer bell
    In conjunction with a Polanco trade, Merrifield would fit very well IMHO. He hasn’t been as good the last couple of years, but he makes contact and is a reliable fielder at second and in the OF. Austin Martin might offer similar skills and versatility at a fraction of the price, but he is unproven.
  5. stringer bell
    I would say New Year's Day since this one is labeled 2023.
  6. stringer bell
    I pretty much agree. However, defense that is a step above good should be recognized as well as defense that is dreadful (I'm thinking Delmon Young, Josh Willingham, Ryan Doumit). It is really tough to get a handle on defense, merely looking at number of errors is a waste of time, but every team tends to overrate their defenders IMHO. Taylor was good last year, but most regular center fielders are good.
  7. stringer bell
    I agree that Willi Castro shouldn't be Backup A in center field. I'd love to see the Twins pick up one of the Cardinals excess outfielders. I particularly think Dylan Carlson would be a good fit for the Twins. Miranda can be optioned next year, so unless he is traded, I would think he'll at least be in the organization. Coming off his strong season in '23, I would expect Castro to return, but I agree that Farmer is on thin ice as far as remaining on the Twins for the coming season. I think Austin Martin figures into the bench player discussion and he does add contact and speed, two things lacking in the current team. Moran is left handed and breathing, so I think the Twins will go the extra mile with him, although last season was extremely disappointing. Sands and Winder have moved from starting options to low-leverage multi-inning relief pitchers. Their place on the 40-man roster should be in jeopardy. I don't know about options remaining, but if either is out of options, that lessens their value considerably. Fangraphs says all three of these guys have one more option year, so they all could be candidates for the "St. Paul Shuttle". I have speculated that the Twins will keep Varland in Minneapolis as a multi-inning reliever if he doesn't make the five-man rotation out of Spring Training. If the Twins acquire a veteran pitcher for the rotation, I think he starts 2024 in the major league bullpen.
  8. stringer bell
    According to BBRef, Taylor was -4 runs from hitting, +1 from base running and +5 runs from fielding. Kiermaier was +2 runs from batting, +1 runs from base running and +18 from fielding. I know all of us liked what Taylor did in the field, but according to this source Taylor was good, but Kiermaier was elite.
  9. stringer bell
    Severino and Camargo added to the 40-man, avoiding minor league free agency for both players.
  10. stringer bell
    I don’t know if the Twins have “plenty of money to spend” in light of their well-documented and much discussed TV revenue issues. Replacing Gray on the free agent market would be quite expensive with no guarantees. Prospect capital is valuable, but also many prospect’s don’t pan out. The Twins dealt a lot of prospects at the ‘22 deadline (didn’t work), so I don’t know how many are left to use in a trade. Otherwise, someone closer, but less of a blue chip (Larnach, Woods Richardson) could be used, I suppose. I think Polanco could offer value for a team that is trying to win now, same with Kepler. However any team that is trying to win now might be hesitant to deal pitching.
  11. stringer bell
    Yes, I would hope that “new” position players would strike out less than the guys they replace. I also would like to see an outfielder who hits left handed pitching. Kiermaier isn’t the answer for that.
  12. stringer bell
    More on Kiermaier: Both he and Taylor had around 400 plate appearances last year. Kiermaier had a better BA and OPS, Taylor hit way more homers. MAT struck out 44 more times in fewer PAs. Kiermaier is just under a year older than MAT and stole one more base than Taylor.
  13. stringer bell
    Kiermaier for 80-100 games in CF, if Buxton can’t play there is a viable plan. As an alternate in the bottom of the order, Kiermaier would be fine. He’d make more contact with less HR power. Having Castro and Martin available for center field is a pretty good second backup and probably needed given both Buxton’s and Kiermaier’s injury histories.
  14. stringer bell
    I would dispute that Polanco can play shortstop at all at this point in his career. He played zero innings last year and he was absolutely dreadful at third base in his 103 innings at the hot corner. I commend Polanco for playing third base last year, but the experiment was not a success.
  15. stringer bell
    Two consecutive posts with opposite views. To me, there is enough depth in the infield to trade Polanco and fill another hole, not to discount Jorge’s value. With Lee and Martin waiting in the wings and Julien, Correa and Lewis set for regular duty, Polanco could be traded without a substantial loss on the field.
  16. stringer bell
    I really don't know. I tend to look at all drug suspensions as a blemish that won't go away, (including Jorge Polanco BTW), but some players seem to wear their indiscretions forever, while Cruz (and others) seldom gets nicked for what they have done. That sounds a bit harsh as I type it, but perhaps Nellie's personality and presence in the clubhouse has minimized the damage to him.
  17. stringer bell
    Isn't it interesting how three months can change perceptions? By the end of June, I was pretty sure Kepler's first name was DFA. He had the type of second half that indicated he was a bargain for what his contracts pays him. The real question is whether the Twins will trade Jorge or Kepler and what return they can get. To me, Polanco is more expendable and a greater injury risk. Using him as the headliner in a trade for pitching makes sense to me, but losing him would not be painless.
  18. stringer bell
    I just compared Cruz with Tony-O on BBRef, which refers the comparison to Stathead Baseball. They are separated by less than one WAR. Cruz has the gaudier counting numbers and four Silver Sluggers, while Tony had three batting championships and a Gold Glove. Tony also played his entire career for one team and had no issues to detract from his play on the field. It's possible that Cruz eventually makes the Hall.
  19. stringer bell
    A great late-blooming career for Cruz. He has managed to outrun the steroid suspension he had a decade ago. There was a local article bringing up and then dismissing the suspension I found when I googled "Nelson Cruz suspension". I wonder if he could eventually make the Hall of Fame. By all accounts Cruz was a leader and a great teammate. If the Twins could find a role for him, I hope he would come aboard.
  20. stringer bell
    It isn't the million bucks, it is that 40-man spot.
  21. stringer bell
    It would be nice to have a lefty in the rotation, just for variety. Cleveland has historically struggled against left handed pitching and they may or may not be the primary threat for the Twins in the Central. The Twins did just fine with five righties in the rotation, so I don't think a lefty is necessary. Adding a top half of the rotation guy is a very worthy goal for the offseason.
  22. stringer bell
    Putting together the two years that Pagán played for the Twins, Emilio had a 3.67 ERA, 3.72 FIP and 1.149 WHIP in 132.1 innings. Those are okay numbers for a middle reliever, I suppose and would be less affected by SSS. That doesn't bring in the dreadful meltdowns at crucial times. As mentioned above, Pagán is three and a half years older than Jiménez and only has had one effective season (2023) since the pandemic.
  23. stringer bell
    He'll be 26 next month. To spend another year in the minors pitching four innings or less per start would waste what seems to be major league stuff IMHO. Let him go to the bullpen and she how he fares.
  24. stringer bell
    Getting a deal completed before the arbitration deadline is often done. It doesn't have to be a multiple year deal. I certainly wouldn't be interested in a multiyear deal for any of the players listed. A lot of players fall in the category where they can't get the arbitration number on the open market, so they take a deal from their current team for less.
  25. stringer bell
    I think that is a fair statement. However, in the few healthy interludes Kirilloff has had, he has looked the part of an elite hitter. If the fates give him an entire healthy season, we will have enough information to know what to expect.
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