stringer bell
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Everything posted by stringer bell
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Clemens. He's been with the team for over a year and every day we get two or three alternate spellings. On top of that his dad was a great major leaguer for two decades. It shouldn't be that tough, -
Twins (Priellip) vs Red Sox(Tolle): 5/22/26, 6:10 pm CDT
stringer bell replied to C-Gangster's topic in Archived Game Threads
Mmm, as much as it b is good to habe Buxton in thr lineup, maybe it would have been better for him to do a mjnimum IL stint, rather than being a full time DH. -
The goid thing about Kreidler is his undeniably above average defense plus his versatility. Unlike a guy like José Miranda, who has to be a well-above average hitter to provide value, if Kreidler hits a little bit, he helps the team. If he continues to hit balls over the fence at above league average rate, he probably will provide enough value to stay on yhe team, even though the BA is nearly certain to drop.
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Fedko looked pretty ordinary in Spring Training this year. I don’t think he had much of a chance to make the team, but he did have a chance to impress the field staff. He actually started real slow at St. Paul this spring, but has been pretty hot lately.
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Lewis, until recently, was below league K average. He had a rash of strikeouts prior to his demotion. Like most teams, I believe the Twins consider a high K rate the price that is paid for slugging. If a player is not getting extra-base hits and striking out a lot, it’s a problem. If you have a high K rate and slug well, it is acceptable.
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The player who I thought of to compare with Carson McCusker. They are pretty different, but it would seem that they both benefitted from playing in a hitter's league. I am extremely suspicious of Triple A stats put up by older players. That said, Fedko is a better fit than James Outman as the fifth outfielder in that he's a right handed hitter. Because he possesses good speed and is regarded as a good outfielder, he can provide value without being an outstanding hitter. The differences between Fedko and Brent Rooker are that Rooker was a high draft choice and a guy who has to hit well above average to be an asset to a team. While I don't feel optimistic that Fedko will make much of an impact, I hope he gets a chance and thrives. ZIPS and other predictions miss often enough that they can't be totally relied on. I'm confident that if he keeps producing he'll get a shot and for a lot of minor league players that is all they can ask for.
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Kreidler has limited value as a glove-only guy. He has more as a low-average hitter with some power and a lot of value if he can hit at league average level. In a really small sample size, he has hit well and with considerable power. I think it is more likely that he'll continue to hit with surprising power, but I doubt the batting average and on base number is close to sustainable. His rep was he was a far better than average defender at five positions and that is something the Twins can really use.
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I'd add to the evaluation that Lee had a similar run of competence eleven months ago and he really hasn't been very good except for the month of June in 2025 and his five week run this spring. He hasn't hit much the last week or so. Martin has regressed the last 20 at-bats. Batters ebb and flow every year. It is hard to stay patient until they are fully established and maybe after they are established (See Buxton, Byron). The Twins have precious few players who can absolutely be counted on. That is IMHO why it is hard to count on them being a good team until they actually show it on the field.
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It's a mixed bag for sure and that the Twins are within a couple games of the Wild Card after 50 games is a surprise. The team has had more than their share of disappointments--Wallner, Lewis, Keaschall, Bell and Caratini from the Opening Day lineup--and a fair number of key injuries in Lopez, Abel and Bradley among the starting pitchers. The bullpen is substandard, although some incremental progress has been made. IMHO, the team that played the first 50 games isn't good enough, even in the weak American League. The question to me is whether there is talent enough to break through and improve this team enough to be a real contender. A return of Wallner or Lewis playing at a high level could give the club a real push. Having someone emerge as a legit high-leverage BP arm would help greatly. The Twins are third in the AL and ninth in MLB in scoring runs. Over the course of a season, that is probably good enough. They are quite a ways below average in Defensive Runs Saved and they have statistically once of the poorer bullpens. I think there is hope for a more middle of the road 'pen going forward. That's a lot of ifs to spend prospect capital on.
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Who Replaces Tristan Gray for his Paternity Leave?
stringer bell replied to stringer bell's topic in Minnesota Twins Talk
Correct, I was asking who the temporary replacement might be. With the versatility of Kreidler, either an infielder or outfielder could be promoted. Per Bobby Nightengale, the answer is Gonzalez. Congratulations to him, even if the promotion is for just a day or two. -
Who Replaces Tristan Gray for his Paternity Leave?
stringer bell replied to stringer bell's topic in Minnesota Twins Talk
I don’t think so since he’s already on optional assignment and on a minor league Injured List. If it is possuble to place him on the major league 60-day that he would accrue major league service time FWIW. In past years the Twins had Matt Canterino on their 40-man roster, but never placed him on the major league 60-day IL despite having to make difficult roster decisions. -
Today, I am optimistic about the pitching staff. Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk and Laweryson aren't elite, but they have the look of big-league pitchers. Add Morris, Orze and Gomez along with SWR and maybe sprinkle in a veteran like Rogers and while it isn't a top bullpen, it seems more competitive with much more upside than Topa, Banda and Garcia. There is the possibility of someone who throws hard transitioning to the bullpen as well. Results haven't been even close to good enough to compete, but maybe they'll be better in the future. I keep reminding people that the Twins offense isn't bad at all. They are well above average in runs scoreds despite the struggles of several players. Scoring runs consistently is tough, especially with high-velocity pitching staffs. There is also hope for improvement of the defense. Lee has stabilized at shortstop and Buxton is still a good centerfielder. I still have a hard time seeing this group succeed long term and I think the offense will regress a bit as the season moves along and without anyone proven to finish games the bullpen is likely to leak quite a bit.
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Provus reported that Gray will be leaving the team for the birth of his second child, probably this weekend. The Twins are allowed to replace Gray and it is my understanding that the player must be on the 40-man roster and the Twins can't exceed 13 pitchers. Due to injuries, there are only four position players in the minors and active who could be recalled. They are Gonzalez, Mendez, Wallner and Lewis. It doesn't make sense to bring up either Wallner or Lewis for a weekend and the other two guys also seem like a stretch. Who will the Twins bring up to temporarily replace Gray?
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Emmanuel Rodriguez and a 4th option
stringer bell replied to jorgenswest's topic in Twins Minor League Talk
MLB Trade Rumors is reporting E-Rod will undergo thumb surgery again. Ugh. -
Maybe sending guys to single A gives them a message, maybe not. Are the problems for Lewis and Wallner attitude or is it something else. I don't believe it is best to rub noses in it although maybe it makes fans feel better about themselves. I don't see any reason why both players can't reset in St. Paul facing the closest thing to major league pitching.
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I've made a bunch of comments in this thread but I do want to say one more thing: Welcome to Alex Jackson and Orlando Arcia, when they make their Twins' debuts, it will give me a couple more guys to plug into Immaculate Grid where I try to use as many Twins and ex-Twins as possible.
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No Keaschall again today. Is he nursing an injury?
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I think it is the "under the hood" numbers and possible replacements. Who could the Twins call up to replace Lewis? There are a lot more relief pitching options close--Funderburk, Sands, Laweryson--than there are infield replacements for Lewis. As I said upthread, I think the FO believes that more time at AAA is warranted for Culpepper and if not Culpepper there's really only Arcia. From what I remember of Bowman, he doesn't wow with velocity , great breaking pitches or exquisite command. At his best, he keeps repeating okay pitches to get outs and maybe he's been extraordinarily lucky at St. Paul. I was more excited about several of the minor league signings the Twins made than I was about signing Bowman, but he's been very successful at St. Paul. Someone likely will give him a major league chance when he becomes a free agent.
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The Twins are 9th in baseball and 3rd in the AL in runs per game. Some of that may be luck, but offense is a lesser problem than relief pitching and defense.
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The Twins have faced a succession of "who's he" pitchers lately and really haven't taken advantage.
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Who is Ortiz?
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I would say that Arcia was an All-Star three years ago, the same time Eddie Julien and James Outman were emerging talents and Royce was a future superstar. He fell off in the last half of '23 and was pretty bad the next two years.
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I don't see much upside in either Brebbia or Bowman. I know Bowman has put up great numbers in Triple A, but his stuff and major league performance in recent years shows a guy who might be okay in middle relief, nothing more.
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Caratini has been pretty good with challenges. Jackson will be a wild card, but he has a good reputation as a receiver including a strong arm, which I welcome given the Twins' lack of success stopping other teams' running games
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Both Gray and Kreidler have option years to use. Arcia will have to be DFA'd if they want to send him down. I think the verdict is that Culpepper isn't really ready and will benefit from more time at AAA (I agree)
