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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    Quite a while ago, @Riverbrian started a thread about "five guys" who could be written in ink every day they could run out a ground ball. The Twins haven't had a left hander in that role since probably Arraez, although Kepler played most of the time against lefties coming down the stretch in '23. Having one of the three--Larnach, Wallner, Julien--step up would really help the roster construction and remove a lot of griping about pinch hitting and lineup construction IMHO. I believe Brooks Lee can emerge this year as a regular and I have hopes for Wallner also establish himself as an everyday guy. Add in full-time work for Miranda and the Twins have a much more regular lineup and potential for a good offense despite not that much power and a real lack of speed. Ideally, Castro could become a tenth regular, playing a game or two a week at several positions, but not locked in anywhere until the inevitable injuries. Currently, I guess I see one of Lee or Julien starting the season in the minors, with Castro the ninth regular, starting mostly at third and left field while Larnach or Lewis is the DH. If Julien is the second baseman, Willi could replace him and move Julien to the DH role.
  2. stringer bell
    I think he wanted to use the three batter minimum to his advantage.
  3. stringer bell
    I read the first page of comments and don't have time to read the same thing repeated ad infinitum. I have no problem with Larnach/Wallner not starting when a lefty starts for the opposition. My second thought is that guys like Miranda who have shown that they can hit same-side pitching also shouldn't be hit for. The final thought is that early pinch hitting does take away key moves later and leaves sub-optimal matchups late in games. Platoons work if done properly, but the results are on the margins, not a dramatic change, most of the time. Resting a LH hitting starter most or all of the time against a left handed starter provides protection and rest for developing players, but shielding these players so totally is malpractice as a manager. I don't complain about lineup changes--the Twins haven't had enough hitters for Baldelli to make slots where hitters would stay and I don't think there are many teams that do.
  4. stringer bell
    Which is why I had him at #1 on a "prospect trade" list. I'll say it again here--sometimes one-tool guys pan out (Brent Rooker) so I won't say that he'll never amount to much.
  5. stringer bell
    With the minor league camp just down the block from the "big boys", it really doesn't make much difference who gets a Spring Training invitation any more. I guess if you are in major league camp, you will be seen by the major league coaching staff, but that is about it. Maybe this is saying that the Twins' front office thinks otherwise about McCusker and Eeles.. McCusker and particularly Eeles are good stories, but they're probably both quite a ways from making an impact on the 2025 Twins. I really don't trust partial (or even full) season results at St. Paul. Everyone will have a chance to impress in just days. The move tells me that Eeles isn't going to be the Opening Day second baseman. Everyone will have a chance to impress pretty soon.
  6. stringer bell
    I don’t think the number of games at the key positions is what wore him out. He continued to grind while having a back injury and he played a career high number of games. I would speculate that the poor defensive numbers at short and center were exacerbated by his injury and fatigue.
  7. stringer bell
    I do buy into the overuse angle for Castro slumping in the second half. His full-year stats were not All-Star worthy by any stretch and for him to be named the Twins MVP is a nice nod to a career utility guy. I think Castro is fine filling in at short for 20-30 games and he would have been okay doing the same in center. Yes, he is stretched at either position and a different guy or guys to cover both of those spots would allow Willi to play where he is best suited--second, third and left field. That's still a ton of versatility and his bat plays far better there than first base. Castro was a better, more patient hitter, especially in the first half. Whatever the Twins can do to replicate that performance at the plate should be the biggest priority for Willi. If he hits at an .800 OPS level, Rocco will find plenty of places for him to play.
  8. stringer bell
    I think it is an acceptable risk to pencil in Miranda at first base. He has had longish stretches of being an impact bat in '22 and '24 and his skill set is best used at first. What isn't acceptable IMHO is the options after Miranda if he struggles or is injured. Mike Ford and Mickey Gasper seem next in line and both are long shots to even make the team, neither are regarded as even average defensively. Then come position changes--Julien, any outfielder who is not a center fielder and ..........Willi Castro. With all the bat-first guys the Twins have drafted high, it is surprising that there isn't one first baseman in the mix who could be adequate in the field and hit well enough to be projected for the middle of the order. The disappointment of Alex Kirilloff's career hangs over this trouble spot, as well.
  9. stringer bell
    I'm not ready to give up on Lewis at third base yet. Coming to camp rested and healthy, I expect he'll look a lot faster and more athletic than the end of last year. With no leg injuries, Miranda is already really slow with less than a cannon for an arm. I think he'll never be a candidate to be a full-time third baseman. All of that said, the time might come sooner than later that Lewis gets a first baseman's mitt. Other than perhaps Brooks Lee, I don't see many candidates to push him off third, however.
  10. stringer bell
    With the current roster, Miranda is Option A at first base and probably not as a platoon (given his reverse splits). What is disquieting is that Option B is Mickey Gasper or Mike Ford followed experimenting with Julien or Castro at first base.
  11. stringer bell
    Sure, Castro could fill in there, but slotting him on an everyday basis takes away from his availabity everywhere else and locks in a non-slugger at a slugger's position. Willi's a good hitter for a utility guy, he is not a good hitter for a first baseman.
  12. stringer bell
    Interesting—One trade is intradivisional and the other would be to reacquire a player the team traded away. I think those facts make each proposal much more unlikely. Steer has been an everyday player for the Reds, but could get crowded out by young talent. Pasquantino seems like a middle of the order guy for KC.
  13. stringer bell
    I hope Paddack is traded for one reason—that I won’t be needlessly frustrated by people misspelling his last name.
  14. stringer bell
    Salary relief.
  15. stringer bell
    IF Miranda can sustain what he did for pretty long stretches, having him at first would be fine. I’m also okay with Castro getting near-regular at-bats. Not comfortable slotting Lee as a backup. I hope he wins a job and thrives.
  16. stringer bell
    Paddack is worth about what he is getting paid this year, so giving up prospect capital for his services is an overpay. Perhaps Miami thinks they need a more veteran guy to protect their youngish arms and wants to take a flyer on Paddack. The Sheriff is one of those guys that has been hurting and recovering for most of his career. It's seems he hasn't found a groove since his rookie year. I think he could be better than fifth starter material or a bullpen guy if totally healthy and fully recovered, but it seems he never gets there.
  17. stringer bell
    I think it's more fair to look at both seasons that Julien played, with a bit more emphasis on the more recent season. His 709 plate appearances are the equivalent on one full-time season and his numbers are okay (106 OPS+) with a 2.5 WAR. Some very good players had bad seasons and Julien was undoubtedly pretty bad last year. He probably has to win back a position this spring, but it isn't out of the realm that he reverts to his 2023 form.
  18. stringer bell
    The defensive numbers are not great for Willi, but I believe if he isn't overused and sticks to 2B, LF and 3B, his defensive stats will be better. Castro is definitely stretched at shortstop and center field, but in '23 when he played a large majority of his time at third and left, he was very good.
  19. stringer bell
    An average major league center fielder is pretty doggone good. Bader, at age 30, was average according to the Fielding Bible (better from other sources). In house options would have been much worse and I'm not ready to sign on that Keirsey Jr. is a defensive marvel. As far as hitting, Bader's lifetime splits are a more appetizing .776 OPS in 676 plate appearances. Not a lefty killer, but good enough to get platoon starts, that is starting between and 35 to 45 games. Again, as with the entire team, it is my fervent wish that the manager recalibrates the pinch hitting calculus. Don't pinch-hit for superior hitters in the middle innings.
  20. stringer bell
    Margot WAS a high-end defensive CF until he was injured. I assume the front office thought that he would regain some speed in the second year of recovery, but he did not. If he could have been the kind of defender he was previously, he wouldn't have been a waste of roster space. I know, I know--"if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas".
  21. stringer bell
    I think Julien needs to win a spot although he he could be in as a 1B/2B/DH. I wonder if Tonkin survives this week, but most closer to the team seem to think he makes the Opening Day. It seems this really puts Keirsey Jr. out of consideration until one of the veteran center fielders gets injured.
  22. stringer bell
    Nit pick--Canha will be 36 in eight days. 2025 will be his age-36 season.
  23. stringer bell
    i wouldn't be surprised if the Twins have an offer out for Canha and it is in the $3M range. I wonder how much he is declining at age 36. I think the biggest roster gap would be filled by Canha, so it would probably help the team to add him. Not a great move, but a functional one.
  24. stringer bell
    Two things to remember are that he's 35 coming off arm surgery and that he has no options--he can't be taken off the roster without being exposed to being claimed. If he is the second lefty in a 'pen, having flexibility is important. That was his situation in Minnesota and when the Twins wanted him to start out in St. Paul (on a minor league contract) to start '23, he took advantage of the upward mobility clause in his contract.
  25. stringer bell
    There really isn't much there at third base in the system, although one of the shortstops or second basemen could move over there. It appears to me that whoever becomes the regular third baseman for the Twins this year (most likely Lee or Lewis) could probably stick there for several seasons because there really isn't anyone to push them out.
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