Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

stringer bell

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    21,550

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    95

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    By the numbers: Willi Castro now has a higher OPS than Byron Buxton, Carlos, Correa, Jose Miranda, Kyle Farmer, Max Kepler and Michael A Taylor. This is of course a SSS. Willi's OPS is a point shy of Trevor Larnach and five behind Julien. My point here is that numbers can change in a hurry--a good weekend could rocket any of the slow starters to respectability or more. Also, league average OPS is .715, a pretty low number.
  2. stringer bell
    Regarding recalling a starter, I would assume that it would be Ober, in part because the team wouldn't want to use up two "send downs" on Varland so early in the season. This is also assuming that an IL stint for Maeda would be just 15 days and not much longer. This is an area that the Twins didn't really add depth. I guess the assumption is that someone will step up if needed from the minors or that some nominal starters (Winder, Sands, Headrick) become capable bullpen pieces. One reason why I would like to see the club pull the plug on Pagan is that it would open a 40-man spot for a reliever and some guys would have a path to perform their way to Target Field. In other posts, I've mentioned three major league vets that have performed pretty well at St. Paul so far--Dereck Rodriquez, Aaron Sanchez and Jose De Leon. It would seem to me that they could be candidates for the long relief job that Rocco wants to exist in the bullpen, but maybe one of them could actually be a bullpen arm, performing in more than low leverage spots. Beyond that, Sadzek, Schulfer and Stewart have pitched pretty well out of the bullpen, but they're not on the 40-man.
  3. stringer bell
    There will be some decisions to be made. If Maeda goes on the IL, recalling either Ober or Varland is a no-brainer with no 40-man consequences. If Maeda is just going to miss a start, it gets much more complicated. Either Varland or Ober will be recalled and someone has to be optioned. The easiest would be to option Headrick and then promote his replacement (Sands, Winder, Megill) after Bailey or Louie makes their spot start. More deeply, what I will call the front-end of the bullpen is showing some weakness. Alcala has been knocked around a bit in his last two outings and the fastball velo has been mostly on the short side of 95 mph. Moran looks good for a few pitches, but seems to have too many 3-ball counts and baserunners. Pagan just gave up a huge number in Boston and really hasn't been any kind of consistently effective since 2019. Alcala and/or Moran could be optioned, Pagan would be DFAed and the Twins would pay his salary if someone else picked him up after going unclaimed. Honestly, I think one of the three relievers should be sent down/DFAed. The easy answer is Pagan, but there is a case for demotion for both Moran and Alcala.
  4. stringer bell
    Maybe it isn’t the stat sheet that will determine when and if AK is ready. His extra base hits have gone to left field and he is playing seven innings so far with only one back-to-back appearance. If he hits a couple balls off the right field wall (or over it) and plays two or three consecutive nine-inning games, then he will probably be ready to help the Twins.
  5. stringer bell
    We haven't seen Kepler in center since midseason last year. Gordon has played a lot more center field than Kepler in '22-'23.
  6. stringer bell
    Kirilloff still has a minor league option.
  7. stringer bell
    Gallo played a couple games in St. Paul and struck out a bunch of times. As far as I know, he was out for only a day over the minimum.
  8. stringer bell
    I think "long reliever" is a different track from the other seven spots. Headrick is in the long reliever track and Moran is with the rest of the bullpen. If the Twins want a bullpen arm to replace Moran, I don't think it will be Headrick.
  9. stringer bell
    I don't think Buxton and Correa are exempt from criticism here on TD. However, particularly with Correa, I think there is confidence that the production will be there.
  10. stringer bell
    I do believe tomorrow's matinee is important for the psyche of the club. A second winning road trip, this time against New York and Boston really bodes well for the future. The club is getting healthier and the pitching continues to be outstanding.
  11. stringer bell
    The Twins have completed 1/9 of the regular season, so multiply all the counting numbers by nine. Gallo is on track for 36 homers, Larnach is on track for over 100 RBI, of course Miranda is on track for zero homers, and Lopez, and Mahle are on track for nine wins each, while Joe Ryan is on track for 36 victories. More relevant is that the team is on track for 99 wins, that's a great number especially considering many thought the April schedule would bury the team.
  12. stringer bell
    This is speculation that will likely be answered in a few hours, but I do believe the Twins will send down Julien before they send out Castro. The reasons for such a move revolve around Kyle Farmer, Nick Gordon and Joey Gallo. Gallo is returning today unless something pops up and someone will need to go. Gallo played a decent first base so that is where he will likely play when he returns. If the Twins want to keep one of their few productive hitters in the lineup, they'll have to move Solano, and second base has been his primary position (he got plenty of work there in Spring Training as well). This squeezes playing time away from Julien, and as a top prospect, I'm sure the Twins want him playing, not sitting. The other side of this is preferred subs. Willi Castro is the preferred backup to both shortstop and third base. Castro hasn't hit much, but he's performed acceptably at four different positions--third, short, second and left field. Nick Gordon is off to a rough start and is not the preferred backup to either Correa or Miranda. Until Kyle Farmer returns from injury, I think the Twins keep Castro around as the 26th man.
  13. stringer bell
    Without adding a first baseman while subtracting two guys (Sano and Arraez) who played there a lot in past seasons, I think the Twins were expressing confidence in Kirilloff being healthy for a majority of the 2023 season and for him to be able to put up representative numbers. The Twins brass knows more about Kirilloff's wrist than any of us do. Also in this thought process, there must be belief that AK can and will hit if not impeded by the wrist. Again, being patient while Kirilloff gets ready indicates belief that Kirilloff is worth waiting for. Count me as a believer as well. No one really knows if the wrist will hold up, of course. I firmly believe that Kirilloff will be an outstanding hitter if it (the wrist) does hold up. He isn't entitled to say "I'm ready" and be inserted into the lineup, but if he shows by his at-bats and performance in batting practice etc. that he is healthy, I doubt he'll be in St. Paul long. There is a real need to lengthen the lineup and include more threats in the middle.
  14. stringer bell
    None of the hits Boston got were hard hit and Moran struck out a guy who then reached base. Yes, he walked a guy and pitched himself into trouble, but it wasn’t like batting practice.
  15. stringer bell
    Gallo is in Boston and will almost certainly be activated for tomorrow’s game. It seems the choices are a)Castro, utility guy hitting .150 b) Julien, top prospect but so far only two hits or c) Garlick, supposed lefty killer. My guess is Julien, but none of the choices would surprise me. I will add that it wouldn’t shock me if Max Kepler was put back on the IL.
  16. stringer bell
    Disagree. With a day off preceding, going with four one-inning relievers would have left four available with no one working consecutive days. Due to the fielding misplays, it didn’t work out. I think López and Thielbar and maybe Duran can go tomorrow in addition to those that didn’t work today. Seven innings from Ryan would be helpful.
  17. stringer bell
    Defense cost them. Gordon/Vázquez should have made the play at the plate and I don’t think they understood the Catcher’s Interference rule. Miranda pooched the ball to first and Solano made no attempt to tag the runner or hold the bag. Vazquez keeps 90% of those low pitches in front of him, but the one in the tenth got by him. The pitching options were Alcala, Pagán, Headrick and Moran. I would have been on pins and needles for any of them, but Moran absolutely needs to throw more strikes.
  18. stringer bell
    The eighth inning run scored as a result of a mental error. Miranda tossed the ball to first and Solano didn’t try to stay on the bag, if he had, the runner wouldn’t have advanced to third. Then Duran would have been trying to save the game instead of keeping it tied.
  19. stringer bell
    And we get word just that Kirilloff is moving on to St. Paul!!
  20. stringer bell
    Lots of pessimistic Kirilloff posts on this thread. I was thinking the same when he didn't make the active roster out of spring training, but that he's rehabbed for about 10 days without a setback and has progressed to playing on consecutive days tells me that he's doing well. I'm more optimistic than I've been since he had his surgery. I do agree that if he can establish himself as a better than average hitter and fielder at first base, it can move the needle on the Twins chances to reclaim the Central and succeed in the playoffs.
  21. stringer bell
    Cleveland just lost so the Twins lead by 1.5 games. I think coming home with a lead should be a minimum expectation. Two of three should reasonable, making it a winning road trip and 8-5 against Houston, ChiSox, Yankees and Rose Hose.
  22. stringer bell
    The Twins have had a day off to rest, while Boston will be traveling across the country following a series with the Angels and no rest.--not quite. The Sox were playing at home in Fenway Park. I'll be interested in the lineup against Sale tonight. Joey Gallo could come off the IL and somebody would need to be sent to St Paul. Whoever isn't in the starting lineup on Tuesday between Julien, Castro and Garlick would probably be the one to be sent out. I'm pretty sure they will start Garlick against Sale, even if that means delaying activation of Gallo to Wednesday.
  23. stringer bell
    Regarding the rehab of Kirilloff and Polanco--Kirilloff played seven innings of first base and seven innings of outfield on back-to-back days. Polanco played a full game at second base and DHed the following afternoon FWIW, Twenty days rehab for Polanco end around April 26, so he'd have to be added to the active roster at that point. Kirilloff's twenty days run out around May 1, but he could be optioned at that point.
  24. stringer bell
    Don't forget Josh Winder. He's further along in rehab than Polanco and Kirilloff and has worked multiple innings out of the bullpen in each of his outings. He is on the 40-man roster, so when he's ready to go, he could be promoted directly and save having his option used (for now).
  25. stringer bell
    This list is why I'm not overly concerned about the Twins' offensive struggles this spring. It also is why next year when Seth profiles the longest-tenured Twins, the top two from this year will most likely be gone. Kirilloff, Lee, Lewis and Julien could provide a lot of offense for the remainder of the decade.
×
×
  • Create New...