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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    I’m a sucker for power/speed guys. Hopefully Jenkins or Emma becomes a 30/30 guy. Both guys need to play, especially Rodriguez due to his recent injury history. Give him a month in St. Paul and unleash him on MLB.
  2. stringer bell
    Relief pitchers are so volatile. Previous stats just don't mean much as far as predicting how they will do. I'm sure there are a couple arms that were cut loose that could help the Twins in 2026. Rule V eligible players added to the 40-man can't be designated, so if the Twins need to make roster space, for example trading three guys on someone's 40-man roster for Lopez or Ryan, they would have to DFA someone who wasn't added yesterday. Gasper, Keirsey and McCusker could likely be DFAd, not claimed and kept in the system.
  3. stringer bell
    I guess I see Rosario and Fedko as more valuable and more likely to be claimed than both Keirsey Jr. and McCusker. The only thing that gives those two superior value is that they can be designated if the Twins need more room on the 40-man--free agent signing or trading Ryan/Lopez for multiple players--but I can't really get excited about either of the incumbents. Yesterday's DFAs contain a couple of interesting players. Colorado designated first baseman Michael Toglia, who has almost a thousand career at-bats. He was above-average in 2024, but cratered last year. He's a switch hitter with better splits against lefties and has played the outfield (not well). Houston designated infielder Ramon Urias, who won a Gold Glove for the Orioles a few years ago and has been a decent player until last year. Urias would probably cost quite a bit more than the minimum.
  4. stringer bell
    I'd like to see Gasper succeed and be a productive major league player. He's a switch-hitter who has raked at Triple A and he can fill in behind the plate. He was terrible last year, so there isn't much hope left.
  5. stringer bell
    Too many outfielders and Mendez hasn't played first base much if at all in the minors, so it is pretty hard to consider him an infielder. Also, top prospect Jenkins (not on the 40-man) could be the first call-up and he's yet another outfielder.
  6. stringer bell
    Not counting Julien and Larnach, there are four or five guys who can be DFA'd who probably won't be claimed by anyone and then could be outrighted to St. Paul. Gasper, McCusker, Keirsey Jr., Fitzgerald and/or Kreidler. Many other teams made room by DFAing players previously on the their 40-man rosters. I wonder if there would be someone that the Twins could pick up (cheap). The biggest name let go today was Nathaniel Lowe, but there might be a Willi Castro-like pickup to be made.
  7. stringer bell
    I think Ober will be the Twins' problem unless he is non-tendered. No organization wants to take on a guy who has lost velocity and effectiveness unless there is evidence that he can get the velo back. Ober finished the season with a fastball that couldn't get to 90, so I don't think any team will want him. He's also expected to get a nice bump in salary despite his ineffectiveness last year.
  8. stringer bell
    Don't trade players when their value is down. That would apply to every one of these players.
  9. stringer bell
    Given recent history, if Clemens is the Twins’ first baseman, he should be the odds-on favorite to win a Gold Glove.
  10. stringer bell
    Gulp! That's a tough one to swallow. I think Clemens earned a roster spot for the start of '26 with his versatility, power and defense, but handing him a starting spot at first base is committing to mediocrity at best unless there is more to unlock from a 29-year-old. If he is the primary starter at first, having a platoon partner for him does make sense because his numbers against lefties were dreadful last year in his first fairly substantial sample. It just doesn't sound like there is any real plan to be competitive in 2026.
  11. stringer bell
    BABIP in conjunction with hard-hit rate might explain and predict success for players. Hard hit balls in play should work for a higher batting average. Keaschall's .340 BABIP coupled with only a 31% hard-hit rate should predict regression to the mean. Woods Richardson coupled a below average BABIP with an above average hard-hit rate, so he too would look like his runs allowed numbers would get worse in 2026.
  12. stringer bell
    I don't have SWR's velo numbers. but I from memory I disagree that he is only good for 60ish pitches. In September after he recovered from an intestinal parasite, SWR went at least five innings every start with at least 80 pitches. Again, from memory, Sim looked like he could go longer than he was allowed. I do agree that with his stuff his margin is small. He needs to have command plus near maximum velo and break on his pitches to be successful. To me, that is not the profile of a relief pitcher
  13. stringer bell
    Oops, you've traded Brooks Lee and kept him to be a utility infielder.
  14. stringer bell
    I am resigned to the conclusion that the Twins will trade at least one starting pitcher before Opening Day 2026. The last headline I saw was that the most likely is Lopez (i hope not), but it wouldn't surprise me. I just don't see SWR as a bullpen piece, particularly not a late-innings, high leverage guy. He doesn't have one outstanding pitch, but he has a good pitch mix with several pitches in the average range. That sounds like the profile of mid-rotation guy, not a setup guy or a closer. Also Woods Richardson has stayed pretty healthy, outside of illness, and durability as a starter is another reason to keep him in a rotation.
  15. stringer bell
    I think some measures like sprint speed and arm velo give an indication of tools, but not the whole picture. Some guys go from bad to good while in the majors, although their basic tools don’t improve. Two of the Padres outfielders moved there because the infield was full, not because of defensive inadequacies—it does happen.
  16. stringer bell
    Many sources said that France’s defense was awful and he won a Gold Glove. Defensive evaluation still seems more art than science IMHO.
  17. stringer bell
    It's not the end of the world to lose a player in the Rule V. The player that gets more opportunity because someone in the system leaves might be just as good or better. That said, I hope they don't lose anyone of substance since the team last eleven players to trades on 7/31. I expect some more roster trimming by the November 18 deadline, so adding six or seven minor leaguers is probably doable. They will probably go heavy on adding pitchers by the deadline.
  18. stringer bell
    Sizemore's career arc is similar to Rocco's, except that Grady was healthy longer before falling to a siege of injuries. I do like shaking up the coaching staff, although I don't think it necessarily means more wins or a better team. Every team's third base coach gets criticized and I'm sure Borrego will get plenty. What helps is having fast runners who can undo a base running mistake and I hope the Twins feature more speed in 2026. ,
  19. stringer bell
    Grady Sizemore is being added as an outfield/base running coach. He was a very good player. Hopefully he can help in both areas.
  20. stringer bell
    A lot of careers have been ruined by beanings. Jimmie Hall and Tony Conigliaro come to mind, but there are many lesser guys who never recover after getting hit in the head even if they are “healthy”.
  21. stringer bell
    I think the beaning that Miranda suffered is the turning point in his roller coaster ride of a career. He hasn't been the same player since, not even close. I don't think he could ever have been a true slugger, but I thought he would have the ability to hit for a high batting average in an era where that is very rare. I wish him luck as well and hope that he can regain some of his hitting mojo.
  22. stringer bell
    Injuries more directly got Kirilloff. Lewis is undetermined--I think he has a really good year in '26--and Larnach's career path hasn't had the peaks and valleys that Miranda has experienced.
  23. stringer bell
    Rojas said that he would play one more season and he would prefer to stay with the Dodgers. Given his post-season performance and what he offers outside the lines, I doubt he leaves Los Angeles. If the Twins want to go with a good field-no hit option, Kreidler is probably as good as any free agent option. Bonus, he played center field a few games for the Tigers. Kreidler also appears to have pretty decent speed. Swiping a young guy with a good glove in the Rule V makes sense for a team that doesn't have a plus fielding SS all the way down to Cedar Rapids.
  24. stringer bell
    Fedko and Rosario are both interesting cases. Rosario continues to creep up through the minors with some valleys but also some undeniably good hitting. Fedko showed and power/speed combo last year that is hard to ignore. I think one of them should be protected, I'm not sure which.
  25. stringer bell
    I've speculated that Lee, more than most, wasn't able to handle the grind in the late season due to not being in the right kind of shape. He played more games and had more at-bats than he ever had in organized baseball (college and pro) so he needs to be more ready for the marathon. If he stays healthy, it is a near-guarantee than he'll again exceed 500 plate appearances, whether it is as the shortstop or a three-position utility guy. He can't afford to give away so many at-bats.
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