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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    I certainly think the Twins will be only the third pick for 2023, but with much better health and some good acquisitions, they can compete.
  2. stringer bell
    I thought at the beginning of the season there was a legitimate chance that all three would be helping the major league club. Martin's OBP skills and stolen base ability could be very helpful to the Twins as soon as next year despite his struggles this year. With Buxton's injury issues, and so many left handed corner OFs, it would figure that Martin could get lots of playing time in the outfield. Balazovic has pitched much better his last couple of starts and the ability is there. I would hope that next April he will be going 6-7 innings regularly for the Saints and be in a Twins uniform prior to the All-Star break. I guess we'll have to wait and see on Canterino. While I won't criticize anyone for trying to avoid surgery, it seems the Twins have gambled and lost too often in the last couple years.
  3. stringer bell
    Lots of questions, very few certainties. As by noted above, the Twins will have money to spend. Gary Sánchez is a free agent and Correa can opt out , which would create two holes. The return of injured players would give the Twins needed depth and the chance for one or more of them to become fixtures in their lineup. I would advocate picking up a good starter plus a reliever and they seem to be lacking left handers.
  4. stringer bell
    The odds are long for the Twins. They really need to win at least four of the five games and given their current roster, it is an extremely long shot. Because they are playing the teams ahead of them in the standings, they control their own destiny, but they must dominate two teams they have had trouble beating in the second half of the season.
  5. stringer bell
    I think Bundy averages over five innings per start, which is par for the course for a 4-5th starter. I think he is the type to be managed as Rocco did last night--hard contact equals short leash. Given the dire situation, managing the bullpen as it was last night looks like the right call. They had to win the game and went with their best options (and it worked). Now they'll go into Cleveland with most everyone available except maybe Duran. The fact is that if they succeed in Cleveland (win 4 or 5 games), the less trusted bullpen options (Pagan, Moran, Megill, Sanchez) will have to come through. I wouldn't take that bet, but that is what they are up against.
  6. stringer bell
    Injuries, injuries, injuries! It was obvious to me that Larnach wasn't right when he came back from his first stint on the IL and the results panned that out. The Larnach we saw before he was injured is at least a solid MLB player and perhaps much more. There is swing and miss in his game and there will be slumps, but there is excellent power and good defense. He takes his walks, as well. To the original question, it is really tough to count on any player who isn't established (Larnach, Kirilloff, Lewis) and coming off injury. My thought is that there needs to be enough depth if one or even two guys fail due to injury or ineffectiveness that there is someone to replace them. Having Gordon produce and stay healthy this year provides much of the desired depth. Arraez, Miranda, Kirilloff, Gordon, Lewis and Larnach provide a lot of positional flexibility. I also have not been swayed by Celestino. He's a competent center fielder, but his offense and base running aren't major league quality. With Buxton's injury history, he needs to stay on the roster, but I don't think he should be guaranteed a major league job next spring.
  7. stringer bell
    Two big comeback wins for the Twins’ Class A affiliates in their playoffs. Cavaco is still intriguing despite struggling for the Mussels. Also good to see Jordy Blaze doing better for the Saints.
  8. stringer bell
    The team never had a run-scoring streak commensurate with the offensive talent they have/had. They have been among the least efficient teams producing runs all year. Top that off with terrible base running and you have an underachieving offense and that was supposed to be the strength of the team.
  9. stringer bell
    There isn’t enough left to win enough games.
  10. stringer bell
    Manfredball will be in full swing in 2023. No more shifts, a pitch clock and bigger bases. The Twins will need to adjust to the changes and they will probably have to adjust more than most. The larger bases will make infield hits and stolen bases more common. The Twins will need to find a way to get more speed in their lineup and to be better base runners. They have been dreadful running the bases and have yielded oodles of stolen bases and that is not all on their catchers. At the very least, adding players with plus speed will be needed and a renewed emphasis on elements of "small ball" will have to be done. I am looking to 2023 because I believe the 2022 season is basically over. A large number of the Twins' top position players aren't playing (Buxton, Polanco, Kepler) and many viewed as emerging (Jeffers, Kirilloff, Larnach) aren't playing either. Carlos Correa has been an offensive disapointment. Add in that Max Kepler and Gary Sanchez have been playing at replacement player level and it is a near miracle that the Twins are still in a pennant race. They've had plenty of help from Cleveland and Chicago, but it appears to me that it will be a surprise if the Twins finish higher than third in the weak Central Division. I think there will be enough talent for the Twins to contend in 2023. A bullpen that includes Jhoan Duran, Jorge Lopez, Caleb Thielbar and Griffin Jax will be a far cry better than the bully that began the season in 2022. Add in prospective starters Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, Tyler Mahle and later Chris Paddack with guys like Louis Varland, Simeon Woods-Richardson, Josh Winder and Bailey Ober ready to step in, perhaps there wouldn't be as many short starts and so much pressure on the bullpen. There is position player talent as well. Jose Miranda has shown himself to be a major league hitter with perhaps a ceiling of star, Nick Gordon has developed into a competent major leaguer with positional versatility. Jeffers, Larnach and Kirilloff showed glimpses of what they could be before they were sidelined by injuries. Byron Buxton played most of the season on one leg and yet was valuable. If only he could get his health right for a season, the Twins become a different team. If Correa comes back, he is a fine ballplayer at a crucial position. If not, the Twins have sufficient funds to upgrade the team (pitching staff or position plauers). It is obvious that there will be more injuries, hopefully not as much as 2022, and also that some players will no longer be Twins in the coming year. Circling back to the mark that Commissioner Manfred has made on baseball, with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, MLB is now going to recognize minor leaguers as a union. My fervent hope is that minor league players will get upgraded treatment in future years. Time will tell on that.
  11. stringer bell
    The cost in prospects was for Mahle to help make the playoffs in ‘22 and help the team win in ‘23. If Mahle is successful in 2023, he may not provide the value that the prospects will eventually produce, but then again he might get them into the playoffs, so I do say the jury is still out. Spencer Steer might have a fine career or he might parallel Josmil Pinto or Willians Astudillo.
  12. stringer bell
    Okay, maybe there's fault to find here. The problem has been injuries for all of the guys named. Medical staff might be on the hook for okaying guys with arm issues and the brain trust could be catch flack for gambling on the health of guys with injuries. Beyond that guys like Fulmer and Lopez haven't been as effective after being acquired. Falvey and Levine could be faulted for acquiring these guys during breakthrough seasons and then have them regress to the mean. Lopez and Mahle will be back next year and could recoup the value received. I won't dispute that the trades haven't panned out as of yet, but I think the jury is still out.
  13. stringer bell
    Larnach and Jeffers can come back yet this year. It is procedural to put those guys on the 60-day list. The return time has been pushed back and there are no guarantees they won’t be pushed back farther.
  14. stringer bell
    Adley Rutschman (3.8 WAR) and Steven Kwan (4.0 WAR) are both having great rookie years. Miranda has been very good, but those two plus Rodriguez have been better and play much better defense.
  15. stringer bell
    Okay. Thank you Richie.
  16. stringer bell
    I was wrong about Nick Gordon. I didn’t think he would ever hit enough to be even a utility player. He has done that and more. On the other hand, Nick isn’t really a shortstop. When Correa was on the Injured List, someone else took over shortstop duties.
  17. stringer bell
    Does Davis have an option? I presume they will DFA Sanchez when Mahle is activated.
  18. stringer bell
    His hitting is beyond poor, but he can run and play defense. As a fourteenth position player in September he could steal a game or two for the Twins. As a thirteenth position player in the unlikely event the Twins make postseason, he could impact a game positively for the Twins.
  19. stringer bell
    As of today the Twins are two games behind Cleveland and three ahead of Chicago. Their prospects for making the playoffs as a Wild Card are pretty small. They trail the three teams in line for Wild Card slots by more than they trail the Guardians. The Twins play Chicago nine times and Cleveland eight times in the balance of the schedule. They would appear to control their own destiny. I believe the Twins will need to win 22 to 24 games of their remaining 36 and they need to win a majority against both the White Sox and the Guardians. I think it is a tall order, but it is doable. Here's my take on the roster--additions on September 1. Mahle (technically 9/2 or 9/3) and probably Billy Hamilton. 40-man space could be created by DFAs to Caleb Hamilton and/or Mark Contreras. I'm hoping the Twins can add back some of Buxton, Jeffers, Larnach, Ober, Maeda and Dobnak.
  20. stringer bell
    Urshela has performed as expected and avoided the IL. I know the Twins' TV crew has pumped his defense while metrics aren't so kind. I think he's been fine at third, but he's not irreplaceable there. Miranda and Arraez need places to play but what we can predict is that there will be injuries. I suppose that Gio will make good money in arbitration, probably too much for a part-time player. I wonder if there is a trade market for him.
  21. stringer bell
    The last regular season monthly schedule has been started. Quite a few vacancies to fill. Sign up now by responding in this thread or messaging me. Thanks! https://docs.google.com/document/d/131DY2CCj2lHIFMKdFYMoXe-fpR97mQUv5-YiyaqcBY0/edit
  22. stringer bell
    We have 10 days or so until September callups and that is only two players. It is quite possible that no minor leaguer is called up since the Twins have a host of players on the IL who could return (Jeffers, Larnach, Ober, Winder and perhaps Dobnak and/or Maeda. What is left in the minors at this point is really about the future. I, too, am disappointed with the lack of progress with pitchers, particularly starting pitchers. It is important to remember that the Twins have added Miranda, Ryan (sort of) and Duran from their list of prospects. Also of note is that many of the best prospects are out for the season.
  23. stringer bell
    Sands or a minor league recall on Tuesday, I reckon.
  24. stringer bell
    Regarding Palacios, his brief time with the Twins, his glove looked at least satisfactory. Good to see that he has sustained his production from AA to AAA and I do think that he could be the Opening Day shortstop in 2023. It seems to me that the Twins regard Palacios as a shortstop who could be a utility player while someone like Nick Gordon is a utility player who can fill in for a day or two at shortstop.
  25. stringer bell
    Fulmer was warming in the bottom of the seventh. As long as he was “hot” he was used despite the large lead. Fulmer most likely could still be used tomorrow, but Megill, Jax, Duran and Lopez should be rested and ready with an off day on Thursday. Pagán is also available.
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