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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    I disagree with terming the Cruz trade a salary dump. He became a free agent at the end of the season and he's 41 years old. Sending him to a contender netted talent that figures to far exceed the production Cruz could have offered in a lost season. That the team saved money there was an added bonus.
  2. stringer bell
    With the current roster, I guess Urshela is the starting shortstop? Miranda or Arraez would be the third baseman with Kirilloff in left, Sano at first and Sanchez as the DH. Goodness, that is not a defense that will inspire confidence and it is a strikeout prone low BA group. Well, maybe Gray can be traded at the deadline.
  3. stringer bell
    I think there's room to grow in many areas for Kiner-Falefa. The OBP would really be aided by getting more walks. I wonder if he might add more XBHs to enhance the slugging percentage. As mentioned, he probably won't be hitting at the top of the order for the 2022 Twins, and I think he might do a bit better hitting 7-9. As for Garver, he has not ever had more the 359 plate appearances, mostly due to injury, but also because his manager really makes sure that his catchers don't get overworked. As far as playing other positions, Garver has played three complete games at first base, none since 2018. There probably will be opportunities for Garver to play first for the Rangers, but I don't think it is a situation where it can be assumed he will suddenly get 600 PAs. Nelson Cruz was able to cheat Father Time, but he was a DH. I don't know if Gaver will. The Twins best player in the mid-teens was Brian Dozier. He was basically done at age 31. Hard to say how long Garv Sauce will be an offensive force.
  4. stringer bell
    Sano has turned out to be closer to Mark Reynolds than Miguel Cabrera or Frank Thomas. Given the hype that surrounded him as a minor leaguer and then as a rookie, he has been a disappointment. The power is there, but making contact has been a perpetual problem. He has hurt the team in the field, despite a rocket arm and more quickness than one might expect from such a large man. The problem with Sano has not been his work ethic or commitment. He has gaps in his game that he has not been able to fill and he approaches his 29th birthday.
  5. stringer bell
    I'm an old guy dealing with arthritic knees and my PT is exactly what bean has stated. I would think that Arraez would benefit from both strengthening the muscles to relieve stress and losing weight. It will be interesting to see his condition when he reports for whatever kind of spring training they have. One thing to remember is that this is a young man at age 24.
  6. stringer bell
    While Arraez didn't play much left field in the second half of the season, I think who was on the roster had more to do with that than his perceived ability to play there. When Donaldson was out and later when he couldn't run, Arraez had a home at third base, but the rest of the season, there really wasn't a place for him to get regular at-bats. I'd much prefer seeing Arraez in left field than Rooker and I think he's superior offensively, as well, although they are totally different types of hitters. I don't think left is Arraez' long-term spot though. As for Arrraez' skills--great contact, excellent strike zone, superior on-base skill--Martin projects to be similar and also have the ability to play the same positions, probably with a better glove. The key word though is "projects", we don't know if Martin will pan out and if he doesn't no one else at the top of the prospect list or on the roster can provide what Arraez brings to the table. Another prospect who compares in some respect is Miranda. Again, infielder, but not a shortstop with a plus bat. If the Twins are confident that Miranda and/or Martin are ready to contribute, then I think Arraez is expendable. The injury history and the prospect of recurring knee problems tell me that he can't be relied upon to give the club enough plate appearances to be an All-Star.
  7. stringer bell
    I think it was a reasonable gamble that hasn't really worked out. I think Miggy's improved health the past two years bodes well for a productive 2022. I hope the Twins make a good decision about whether to pick up his option for '23. He should be the primary DH this year. I just don't think he'll ever be a good defender. If the Twins don't contend, he might be playing elsewhere in August.
  8. stringer bell
    It would be a good idea if the utility infielder could play shortstop. The Twins management team seems to have misgivings about Gordon’s ability to do so. Apparently Robertson and Beckham are competent shortstops. Of course, there is still a need for a regular shortstop.
  9. stringer bell
    He's young. He may well be the first Twin to make the majors born in this century/millennium. The guy has the pitches and the makeup to be a star, as well as the body type to be durable. So much could go wrong, of course, but having the tools and makeup to be great moves him up the prospect list.
  10. stringer bell
    Picking nits a little here, but I wouldn’t consider either Carew or Tovar part of the “early 60s” teams. Carew’s first season was ‘67 and Tovar had a “cup of coffee” in ‘65, but was a rookie in ‘66.
  11. stringer bell
    Two very good players in the first years of the Twins. Unfortunately, one of my most vivid memories of Battey is him being thrown out by the right fielder on a line-drive “single”. The outfielder was Lu Clinton, I believe. Battey was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in an era when offensive numbers weren’t as high. Lenny Green led off almost every game for the Twins, but hit #2 in their very first game against the Yankees.
  12. stringer bell
    It seems that Miller's upside is tied to his ability to stay at SS. When the scouting report says "average speed", I wonder if he'll be able to stay at the position. Speed doesn't necessarily equal range as Simmons has shown and I also wonder about arm strength, any report on that? Finally, we have an older brother who is in MLB--he was a shortstop, but came to the Guardians as a second baseman (played one game at short) so I wonder if Noah would follow the same path as Owen.
  13. stringer bell
    Sure, Sanó as the primary DH makes sense. No matter where he has been put on the Diamond, he isn’t a good defender. There will be several occasions where he will log time at first base, but he is a threat with a bat in his hands. Some guys don’t adjust to being a full-time or almost full-time DH. I would hope Sanó adjusts to not playing in the field on a regular basis.
  14. stringer bell
    A little late to the party here, but put me in the “Arraez is tradable” camp. Arraez is elite in making contact, has a very good idea of the strike zone and gets on base. All of the above skills are rare and in demand in this “three true outcomes” era. In addition, Luis has seen considerable action at three defensive positions—second, third and left—providing versatility. That gives him a lot of value, particularly with four years to go to free agency. The Twins have another player in the pipeline, Austin Martin, who approximates Arraez’ skills with more speed and who yet may develop power than Arraez will ever possess. Who knows? Perhaps Martin is the Twins’ shortstop of the future, although I’m not banking on that. Assuming that his contributions are replaceable and that his skills have value, combined with four years of team control, Luis Arraez should have a lot of value and net the Twins either frontline pitching or an everyday player (shortstop?). A couple more thoughts. If the Twins we’re to start the season with the current roster, Arraez would be my pick to be the Opening Day left fielder. Secondly, from both the eye test and BBRef fielding stats, Arraez is an okay defender at all three of the positions he played last year. Finally, and perhaps the deciding factor would be his durability. Troublesome knees usually don’t improve.
  15. stringer bell
    I think Sanó will be the team’s principal DH. Garver and Donaldson figure in as well as perhaps others. Kirilloff should be penciled in to start a majority of games at first, with some left or right field duty. When AK is in the outfield, Miggy would be the second choice at first. With an expiring contract, Sanó would be considered by many contenders at the trade deadline, if the Twins are not in the hunt. I don’t see the point in moving him now. One more point, I think Sanó works just as hard on his game as the next guy. He is a big man, but not sloppy out of shape. Getting sleeker might help, as it did for Abreu in Chicago, but Sano’s big league career has been limited most by inability to make contact and secondly by being a defensive liability.
  16. stringer bell
    I don’t have much information at my fingertips, but was such a list made last year? If so, where was Ober rated? My point is that pitchers seem to be more unpredictable than position players and anyone on this list could boom or bust. What is needed is volume and depth and I think the Twins are in pretty good shape in that regard.
  17. stringer bell
    I think as an offensive player, Martin looks like a top of the order guy—high OBP, perhaps not much power and some base stealing speed. He definitely could be somewhere in the middle defensively (center, SS, 2B) or else corner OF. He could perhaps be a replacement for Arraez if he were traded or maybe create a really pesky top of the order if he and Arraez are in the lineup together. As far as a future corner OF is concerned, I wouldn’t rule out or minimize the future of Larnach. I think he’ll adjust and be a solid corner guy with plus power, perhaps as soon as 2022. Behind him, the Twins have several guys who may step up like Walter and Julien. Circling back to the OP, Austin is still a prospect, but he’s close to ready with a high floor. He offers skills the club lacks (speed, OBP) which would seem to make him more valuable to the Twins than most other teams. I guess there are scenarios where he is moved, but I think the price for his services would be quite high.
  18. stringer bell
    Harmon is #1 in my book, as well. I think in general this series that the earliest stars should be rated higher--Kaat, Tony-O and Killebrew in particular. Last I looked Harmon had over twice as many lifetime homers for the Twins as the second best on the list, and if his homers were added from his time with the Senators, the margin would be even greater.
  19. stringer bell
    I’d like to see Palacios get a chance. He had a nice comeback year at Wichita and if he could hit a little with some power and base running speed while being an average defender, that package would be better than what Simmons achieved. It’s all speculation at this point, but at his age a player goes from prospect to suspect pretty quick.
  20. stringer bell
    I don't think the idea of making a trade should be ruled out. From where I sit, the Twins right now have three players yet to make their MLB debut who would profile to being major league regulars as soon as next season (Martin, Lewis, Miranda) with Miranda looking like he could easily break camp with the big club. Add to that, a player without a defined position (Arraez) and there is redundancy at second, third and perhaps corner outfield. If they can trade redundant players for value at positions of need (pitching, shortstop) they should make a move. I don't fault the Twins for making some moves where they traded from perceived oversupply that haven't worked out--Wade for Anderson for example--I do fault them for choosing the wrong players. Hindsight says that they should have traded Cave and kept Wade.
  21. stringer bell
    I’d disagree that the position player roster is “solid and complete as is”. There is a gaping hole at SS and left field is unsettled. I think that the assumptions that Miranda and Kirilloff are ready to be big-league regulars are valid. If that is so, then there are extra players at second and third base. One of them could fill left field, at least on a platoon basis, and Kirilloff is passable in left as another option. I’m pretty sure the Twins will rotate several players through the DH role.
  22. stringer bell
    Well written Nick. There can be an argument that production was delayed and now we'll see excellent results from the guys listed in the piece and maybe from guys not listed. Baily Ober was not on many people's radar and he looks like a solid starter. To think that a couple of Twins' prospects with higher profiles could come in and contribute as soon as this year would make sense. With all the injuries that occurred last year, there would seem to be a crying need for short-term help to tide the team over in '22. Many of the prospective starters will be on innings limits as Ober was last year, and some will not step forward, that is just the way things go. Bundy is one piece, adding someone else and Pineda or taking a chance on Rodon would still make sense.
  23. stringer bell
    Miranda certainly looks like someone who should be looked on as having a very solid chance to be a productive hitter as well as someone capable of playing several positions adequately. If the FO is confident he can perform at that level, I would advocate using Arraez as a trade piece for a shortstop. There is redundancy between Miranda and Arraez in the positions they play while there might be some redundancy with Arraez and Martin (who would figure to break in sometime this year, as well) in their ability to lead off, reach base and play multiple positions. Failing to trade Arraez, it could work out that he would be a platoon left fielder, with Miranda getting the at-bats at third, second and DH.
  24. stringer bell
    I doubt that the Twins will be in the sweepstakes for Story or Correa. The Twins need a relatively sure thing to be at least a placeholder for in-house options Martin and Lewis (perhaps Palacios) and then they need to determine anyone of those candidates profile as an everyday shortstop, starting with what we hope will be some sort of normal spring training. With whoever they have slated for starting at shortstop, it would beneficial if he could transition into a utility player if Lewis/Martin shows he that they are ready. I have thought Jonathan Villar might be a good fit and I imagine there are some trade candidates who would fill the bill for the club.
  25. stringer bell
    I was thinking the same thing, but Morris was a Tiger and Blue Jay for longer than his time in Minnesota. Perhaps when I was spelling out the ex-Twin criteria it would also include that they played a majority of their time in the majors with the Twins.
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