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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    It's pretty hard to say definitivly that sending Lewis down was a mistake when the team hasn't lost a game since he was sent down. If Lewis returns in early June and is ready to assume 10th regular duties, I don't think the move is a mistake at all.
  2. stringer bell
    Is Steer this year's version of Miranda? Actually, that is kind of a double-edged sword given Miranda's production so far this year. Glad to see him (Steer) promoted. It seems that all of the exciting arms are at AA and below, with the exception of Balazovic, who hasn't quite found his groove yet this year. Lots of retreads at St. Paul, which I guess is the way they do things. A couple more guys currently on the Twins might be on their way to St. Paul soon.
  3. stringer bell
    Jorge Polanco isn’t hitting much either. Today was his first multi-hit in over a week and his overall numbers have suffered. It is pretty impressive that the Twins have won seven of nine with so little production from two of their best players.
  4. stringer bell
    Ober will pitch at KC I believe. Honestly my current trust level is 1) Ryan 2) Gray 3) Ober 4) Winder 5) Smeltzer 6) Bundy 7) Archer. I noticed Smeltzer’s velo consistently in the low 90s. Much better than the 86-88 that he had before. The separation in speed between the heater and breaking stuff should make him more effective.
  5. stringer bell
    Aaaand we now have a google doc for June Game Thread introductions! There are six dates left to fill and I would encourage first timers to give the introductions a try. There is also one date left in May (the 31st). It would be appreciated if a volunteer could be found for that date, as well. The schedule gets tougher in June. If the Twins are healthy, the month of June might really tell the tale for the season. The game threads should be well-attended and entertaining. Go Twins! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VBGARQcTvpGJTZghxN4meDvK3rgl6wmTzWy1_OJ7UJM/edit
  6. stringer bell
    Kirilloff has a place to play on the major league team, Lewis does not. I agree that Kirilloff driving the ball and getting two extra-base hits is the most important news of the night in the minors. In his last three games he has eight hits, so maybe the turnaround came in the doubleheader on Tuesday. I would expect that he will have to both pass the "eye test" of finding his swing and sustain the hard hit balls before the Twins would consider his recall in a week to two weeks.
  7. stringer bell
    Larnach should be back this week and he has done well. Arraez has been satisfactory at first and Kirilloff is starting to hit at St. Paul. Both the starting rotation and the bullpen have surprised, but I think both could use some fortification.
  8. stringer bell
    Kirilloff had four hits for the Saints today, including a double and a homer. His AAA numbers suddenly look very good. I believe Alex now has eight hits in the last four games. Hopefully, he can sustain this hot streak, get his confidence back and return to help the Twins.
  9. stringer bell
    I think you're right, but Dick and LaTroy were saying that Larnach might have a short rehab before he rejoins the club. If Miranda is optioned, there is about 10 games total of first base experience, almost all of it in Arraez. I'd really love for Kirilloff to start raking, but the team can't count on that at this point. Until the Oakland series, I thought it was a no-brainer that Lewis would be sent down. He was the best offensive player in the two game in Oakland and I started to warm to him becoming a 10th starter on the fly. This isn't an outrage and I don't think this says much about how the front office is viewing this season. I hope Royce is back soon and it's not to replace Correa because of another injury.
  10. stringer bell
    I submit that if Lewis stayed, the guy to go would be ........Celestino, and he's hitting for a higher average than Royce. The Twins have a short-term first base problem and I wouldn't be surprised if Curtis Terry is brought up to fill the RH half of that problem. I'm pretty sure if there was room on the 40-man, it would already be done. The place for Lewis to find playing time with Correa being activated is in the outfield, I think. If Buxton is the half-time CF, Lewis could take the other half, but where does that leave Celestino? Lewis' history in other defensive positions is all from his time in the AFL, correct?
  11. stringer bell
    Royce Lewis spent a whole month in St. Paul. If he stayed in the majors the remainder of the year, it wouldn't change his eligibility for free agency. There could be the matter of salary arbitration, but the Twins will have Lewis for six more years beyond 2022. Miranda has performed poorly, but is an option at first base.
  12. stringer bell
    Pagán has a decent fastball, but it’s the second pitch that will determine his effectiveness. If he can get the split change in the zone or get hitters to chase, he’ll be fine. If not, low-leverage middle relief.
  13. stringer bell
    My opinions about Baldelli--1) "Player's Manager"--The first two years here, Rocco had players older than he was. He is as connected to today's players as any MLB manager. He doesn't publicly berate his players and routinely gives players days off, tries not to overextend key bullpen arms and makes some BP voluntary. Most players welcome being treated in this manner, I think. Some might take advantage in some way. 2) Big Picture--Today's game is important, but having the squad have a chance to win games in postseason is more important. Two instances of resting star players have been controversial, but Baldelli would not use Correa in a game against the White Sox and Buxton in a game vs. Cleveland. Rocco and Wes seem determined to limit innings for most of the starting staff, while at the same time, trying to keep the bullpen stocked with available arms. It's tricky, but so far the results have been excellent. The big picture philosophy also shows in use of the Injured List. Better to be careful with a player and let them heal as opposed to playing through an injury that results in missing a large portion of the season. Of course, this is not the case for Byron Buxton, who is being frequently rested and used as a DH in an attempt to get him through a knee injury. 3) Analytics etc.--Baldelli has been accused of being a slave to analytics--refusing to let a pitcher face a lineup for the third time, shifting, changing the lineup on a near daily basis as well as not using small-ball tools like bunts and stolen bases. I think analytics are helpful in deciding when a pitcher should be taken out. Baldelli goes with percentages and tendencies and most often he is right. I think Rocco Baldelli is a good fit for the MInnesota Twins this year and probably going forward. Manager of the Year? It's way to early to even speculate.
  14. stringer bell
    Short starts and a well-used bullpen argue to keep the maximum number of pitchers. Of all the factors about Lewis, the one area of concern would be defense. Sticking him at third where he played a bit in the AFL, or in the outfield would be a stretch IMHO. He has aced the audition, but that doesn’t qualify him to be a utility player or supplant Correa
  15. stringer bell
    Garlick is meeting the team in Oakland. Someone isn’t going to be active (probably Contreras). Correa and Larnach are both on track to be activated in the coming week. Miranda and (gulp) Lewis would be the logical choices. These moves would mean nearly zero depth at first base. If Lewis stays, it would mean Celestino goes.
  16. stringer bell
    Houston is playing very well. At the top of their game they are superior to the Twins. The thing is that no one goes through an entire season on the top of their game. Even at the top of their game, the Twins have some gaps. They definitely don't have much team speed they are strikeout prone. They're reliant on homers to fuel their offense. This would seem to be a formula where there are slumps and the past week has shown an offense that just doesn't measure up. Over the course of a long season, the offense will have peaks and valleys. Guys like Arraez who make contact and work counts tend to have fewer slumps and dry spells. Guys like Buxton are a bit of the opposite. I am worried about the rotation and the back end of the bullpen still needs at least one reinforcement. I do think the Twins are better than they showed against Houston and they will play better ball. I'm not sure they have enough talent to make up for their shortcomings.
  17. stringer bell
    Reading the ESPN report on last night's game, Coulombe's injury was a left hip inflammation. I thought it was his arm. Sounds like 15 days on the IL, but not a season ending injury.
  18. stringer bell
    The top prospects really didn't do much, but still a lot of good news on the farm. I've said this before, but probably the best news is that the top prospects are not on the IL and are playing.
  19. stringer bell
    Godoy is here because he was healthy and on the 40-man roster. He would be first. I think Kirilloff is next, particularly if Arraez is one of the guys activated.
  20. stringer bell
    It's not helping Kirilloff or the team for him to be with the Twins right now. As soon as some semblance of order is restored with the roster, AK needs to either go on the IL or be optioned to St. Paul.
  21. stringer bell
    Players flame out or don't pan out. However, the Twins currently have Jeffers, Kirilloff, Polanco, Arraez, Lewis, Miranda, Larnach, Gordon, Celestino, Buxton and Kepler on their roster. All home-grown and under 30. The earliest any of these players could be a free agent is 2024 and the Twins have options to keep both Kepler and Polanco longer. It appears that at least three pitchers have arrived to stay with the Twins and there are more on the way. This looks like the nucleus of a contending team for the rest of the decade. Edit to add: I know that Celestino was acquired in a trade, but he was a Low A ballplayer when acquired and only 19 years old IIRC. In my book, that makes him home-grown.
  22. stringer bell
    I don't recall Coulombe's "shoulder shimmy" from previous seasons. It seems like a balk to me when runners are on base.
  23. stringer bell
    Looking forward to the rest of 2022, the guy I see playing the most first base on this team is..............Miranda. Right now, Alex Kirilloff seems to be in need of either another stint on the Injured List or a trip across the river to St. Paul. He's not hitting the ball hard and he doesn't look like he's enjoying himself on the field. It's a long season, but this is starting to look like every bit as much a lost season for Kirilloff as it has been for Sano. Arraez is going to be in the lineup almost all the time against right handed pitching. He can DH, play first, second or third. Barring a bunch of injuries, I don't see much playing time available for Gordon. With Celestino and Larnach advancing, and Garlick doing exactly what he has been pegged to do, again Nick doesn't have much of an avenue for consistent play in the outfield. We all know that injuries will continue and they tend to cluster. Gordon's ability to play both outfield and infield make him pretty valuable to the Twins.
  24. stringer bell
    I haven't been a huge Nick Gordon fan and pictured him "on the bubble" to make the Twins out of spring training this year. In paying attention to the Twins last year after they were hopelessly out of the running, and this year, when things have so far gone very well, I have an increased appreciation for Mr. Gordon. He has demonstrated that he is a capable outfielder and he's not a sure out at the plate. Nick has good speed, something in short supply on this Twins team. Injuries seem to have cemented his position on the active roster. As for his versatility, Nick Gordon is not going to play many, if any, innings at third base or in right field. The key to his value is whether he can be trusted as a shortstop. Last year, when winning mattered, Rocco preferred Jorge Polanco over Gordon as a shortstop. This year, Gordon has played one full game there and played a few innings where the score was lopsided. When Carlos Correa got injured, Gordon was the in-game replacement. I guess, on balance, the Twins seem to look slightly more favorably on Gordon as a shortstop. During spring training, I opined that Nick Gordon was no more than the third choice at any defensive position on the Twins team. If he's the second choice on the active roster at shortstop, his value is enhanced and I think that is the case if Royce Lewis is sent back to the minors when Correa is ready to play again. Gordon has gotten starts in center field and left field, so he seems to have improved his value due to his outfield play. The bat, however, continues to be bottom of the order at best. In summary, an out-of-options Nick Gordon is likely to last the season as a Minnesota Twin. If the Twins would try to sneak him to St. Paul via DFA, I now think he would be claimed and lost to the organization. I doubt that there is regular playing time in his future and wouldn't be surprised if he was on another team in 2023, but Nick Gordon is a major league player and has the skills and versatility that will keep him a major league player for some time.
  25. stringer bell
    Coulombe seems to be getting the most out of his ability. I think command is the key component, given his limited arsenal. I would expect some regression to the mean, but if he continues to hit his spots and keeps being used in low to medium leverage situations, he probably has a job all year and is well worth the 700K he is being paid this year.
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