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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    Scary. I think it could have been much worse.
  2. stringer bell
    Ump is giving a couple inches on the outside corner.
  3. stringer bell
    Nice defensive inning Royce!
  4. stringer bell
    Alcalá can't be optioned without his consent. I believe the only reliever with options is Topa (there may be others like Durán and Jax who certainly won't be optioned). That is why I think an option of SWR is quite possible given that Festa or Matthews will be recalled within days anyway.
  5. stringer bell
    The Twins really need six innings from the Sheriff today.
  6. stringer bell
    Of course, barring injury. I don't think it is much of a stretch to have Festa or Matthews take two turns instead of SWR. Festa already filled in for 15 days when Pablo was on the IL.
  7. stringer bell
    Option SWR. Adams is on the 40-man.
  8. stringer bell
    What happened to Baldelli? i hope it is nothing serious. Some player and roster comments--Keirsey has looked pretty bad as a hitter, but now he's the backup CF if Bader isn't available (Groin tightness sounds like a disabling injury for sure). If Bader hits the IL, I believe it will be McCusker's chance although I really doubt he'll continue his prodigious hitting in the majors. Either or both Tonkin and Keaschall could go on the 60-day IL to make a spot for McCusker or a relief pitcher if needed. While Jonah Bride looks like a good defender at either first or third base, I don't think he's long for his spot with the Twins. Since Clemens hits lefty and has provided some big hits, I expect he'll be around for a while. Unrelated to the above--RIP Rich Rollins, a Twin from 1961 to 1968. All-Star in 1962.
  9. stringer bell
    They have one or two guys to go on the 60-day so I don't think that is as big an issue. He will be 27 in eight days so starting a service time clock etc. isn't much of an issue either.
  10. stringer bell
    Yeah, I posted just above you and suggested Adams. I think major league front offices place a lot of value in options and 40-man roster spots. They aren't going to give up an option and make a 40-man move very often just to get over a doubleheader in May. However, with the doubleheader they need a starter or a bullpen game on Sunday and frankly Woods Richardson probably isn't as good right now as either Matthews or Festa. Using Adams to eat innings tomorrow through Saturday would work, although I'm not sure they'd consider him with only three days rest.
  11. stringer bell
    Ober would be on regular rest to pitch on Monday. If either Festa or Matthews is recalled I would presume they take SWR's spot in the rotation for at least two starts and it would appear that one of them will be starting against the Brewers, so why not keep them around for a while? If the Twins want to recall a bullpen arm while they are short (tomorrow especially) Travis Adams would probably be the guy. He's on the 40-man roster, he has pitched effectively and he's worked multiple innings. Adams started a game on the 11th and worked four innings. I don't know if that would preclude him from being recalled and available tomorrow.
  12. stringer bell
    Early on, it seemed anything that could go wrong did go wrong at the worst possible moment. Now, the reverse seems to be happening. Regression to the mean? I would think all the guys who threw more than 20 pitches would not be available tomorrow. That would leave Topa, Coulombe, Sands and Dúran to pitch tomorrow. I imagine Paddack will go pretty deep unless he gets shelled. If Bader is going to be out more than a day, maybe someone very tall gets a major league chance. They will need a starter on Sunday. It is possible SWR gets optioned and a bullpen guy is added for four days before Festa/Matthews comes up Sunday.
  13. stringer bell
    I watch the standings way too much, but the Twins are currently 1/2 game out of the last wild card. They are 5 behind Detroit and 2.5 behind the Guards and Royals. They haven't fared well on the road and against their divisional opponents. Those chances are coming and while I don't expect six wins on the road trip, winning half of the games would show they are continuing to play good ball. Winning series against the other Central teams can and will put them in the middle of the race. It is interesting that the Twins have gone on a heater since Lewis and Castro have returned considering those two haven't contributed much since returning. Like almost everyone else, I see Lewis as not yet ready to contribute. I don't want to see him play the way he finished 2024. It would appear that the Rangers are having similar problems with Corey Seager. The roster is constructed so that the team has a guy who is a pinch runner and defensive replacement. If that can be done without harming other facets of the game, Keirsey is a perfect fit and right now the roster is allowing the manager to utilize him in that way. The pitching staff is very good, deeper than 2023, with good quality in both the rotation and bullpen. I'd like to see SWR and Paddack put together a couple of good starts working through six innings and I think the last guy in the bullpen will probably rotate through several guys. Despite the payroll of the Yankees and Red Sox, there aren't any super teams out there in the AL. If the Twins can maximize their talent and stay healthy, they should have a chance against anybody.
  14. stringer bell
    Nice analysis. It seems the bullpen usage is on a par with most other teams and I don't think overuse has been an issue. I almost hate to bring it up, but health has been a positive for this group. The Twins don't have a significant starter or reliever on the IL at this point, although they have several on the IL in the minor leagues.
  15. stringer bell
    The mysterious injury is Michael Tonkin. He’s been shut down, so he won’t exhaust his rehab. If the club maintains relatively good health on the pitching staff, I see a DFA in Alcalá’s future. He’s 29 and just hasn’t performed well consistently.
  16. stringer bell
    Each spot in the order either scored or drove in a run. France scored as the ghost runner in the tenth, but everybody else did something to help win the game. The ebbs and flows seem to be series by series. The Orioles couldn't get France out, but he only had one hit against the Giants. Larnach didn't do much against the O's, but was on fire facing the Giants. The lineup hasn't been consistent, but I think that's true of nearly all teams in MLB. The pitching is pretty damn good, even the White Sox have some pretty good arms. I'll mention it here because I really don't see a place to discuss it elsewhere--Mickey Gasper is probably the AAA Player of the Week. He's hit six homers in about 40 plate appearances and his OPS is 1.576. Just because guys can hit in AAA doesn't mean they'll help the big league club. Keirsey got a hit that won a game, but he hasn't come close to replicating his stats at St. Paul. Gasper hasn't looked like a major league hitter in his 40 or so PAs in the big leagues.
  17. stringer bell
    Day off tomorrow, so just about everyone should be available on Tuesday.
  18. stringer bell
    21-20. 15-6 at home, but 6-14 on the road at the quarter pole. It's early enough that a good game makes stats look pretty good (like for Brooks Lee and Trevor Larnach), but it is late enough that a bad series takes a dent out of your stats (Ty France). Eventually one of the front line starters would have an off day and it was Pablo. He did give the team six innings and kind of keep them in the game. Jax gave up a run when he deflected a probable double play bouncer and Durán allowed a ghost runner to score, but the Twins had enough to pull out the W. I thought Lee looked very good at shortstop. He doesn't play it quite like Correa does, depending on a quick transfer and release rather than setting and throwing a laser to first base. Lee and Keirsey's big hits in the tenth were examples of making contact. The balls were not hard hit, but found the grass in the outfield.
  19. stringer bell
    I think Baldelli made it clear that France was going to play a lot this year, just as he was pretty clear that Santana was his first baseman last year. France's performance has done nothing to change the manager's opinion, I'm sure. It would take a long hot spell for Miranda to supplant France and Wallner or Larnach are outfielders--very unlikely that either of them would be moved to first base in mid-season. France is going to be a regular for the foreseeable future. His performance has merited it and the lack of better options would seem to seal the deal.
  20. stringer bell
    Checking back to this blog entry after four straight wins. Continued good play would put the Twins in line for at least a wild card. Yes, the division is pretty strong and there are three teams in front of them, but they aren't buried. The coming schedule includes Baltimore and Milwaukee before the Twins get divisional opponents. The team is being carried by the pitching staff. The starters have been outstanding and the bullpen has mostly been solid. Matthews, Festa and perhaps Morris appear ready in AAA. Hitting and fielding have not been consistent, but both have been better of late.
  21. stringer bell
    I’d say all three guys have exceeded expectations. Bader is what the Twins thought/hoped they were getting with Margot and with added swagger. Coulombe shows you don’t have to throw 99 to be effective and France has held up well at first base and is getting barely more than pre-arbitration money.
  22. stringer bell
    Baseball is fickle. Every trend and the pitching matchup favors the Twins, so naturally Pablo will struggle tomorrow. Also, I don’t think the White Sox record for losses will last through this year. The Rockies are giving up ten runs a game. San Diego is ahead 19-0 today. Must have missed a couple extra points.
  23. stringer bell
    Willi Castro might be the most relieved player on the field.
  24. stringer bell
    I don't like this.
  25. stringer bell
    Sands last two innings in close games have been saved by a Buxton throw to the plate and a Vázquez pickoff at third base.
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