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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    I agree with almost all you posted with the exception of Miranda. I don't think he'll ever be ML average at third base. Wherever he plays, he needs to be far above average as a hitter to hold an everyday position. It isn't from lack of hard work, it is his skill set.
  2. stringer bell
    They’ll need ‘em all and more.
  3. stringer bell
    It now appears that the plan is for Lewis to be the Twins primary third baseman to start the season. If there is a scenario where he moves to second, he probably should continue to get work there, as well. The only way I see Lewis moving to second is if there is a first baseman added moving Miranda off to third and then also moving Lewis to second. It would seem that would require a trade or free agent signing.
  4. stringer bell
    IMHO Eeles did what he could in 2024 to earn a shot this year in major league baseball. That doesn't mean he should be penciled in for a role, even less for a starting role. I think minor league production, especially at Triple A, is less of a predictor of major league success than it used to be. Does Eeles have the skills and abilities that translate to MLB? He'll probably get a good look in Spring Training, whether it is on the back fields or in exhibition games. Some of the other guys on the periphery like Helman, Keirsey, Gasper and Cartaya will also be watched to see what they have (and don't have). A couple of those guys will be playing for the Twins, perhaps on the Opening Day roster, and that is what makes Spring Training fun. Back to the OP, without additions to the roster, my starting second baseman is Brooks Lee, with Willi Castro in the outfield and Trevor Larnach the DH. If Lee is unimpressive this spring, the next shot goes to Julien and Castro is there too.
  5. stringer bell
    There are a lot of pitchers like Stewart. They're fully healthy only every once in a while, but when they are, they are very good. He just can't be counted on to provide many innings. That said, if he is healthy, he can really help a bullpen.
  6. stringer bell
    His OPS+ with the Padres was 108, less than José Miranda. His WAR was .9. Last season's Arraez wasn't worth his salary. That may be due to his thumb injury, but it also might be due to having less selectivity. His BB rate has gone from 8.3% in '22 to 5.7% in '23 to 3.6% last year.
  7. stringer bell
    From the title of the thread, I don’t think would be investing if they used potential rotation pieces for one year (and a big salary) of a starting pitcher. In general the price for starting pitching is steep although the Twins were able to land Sonny Gray and López for a reasonable price.
  8. stringer bell
    How clear is your crystal ball? If Keaschall is a lock to be the Twins' second baseman into the 2030s, yeah I wouldn't mess with moving Lewis. However, I thought this would be the third year of Alex Kirilloff's ten-year stretch of being the Twins' middle of the order first baseman. Going into 2024, the story on Brooks Lee was that he was sure to be an MLB regular and perhaps a frequent All-Star, now we're wondering if he might be a utility infielder. Keaschall has passed Lee by in most estimations at TD. I guess I'll wait until he's dominant at Wichita/St. Paul and demonstrates he can handle second base. This off-season we're projecting on a lot of guys--Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, and to some degree Miranda. I think the surest bet is that Royce Lewis will be in the Twins' lineup every day as long as he's healthy. I'm not sure what the second surest thing is. I know that I like Lee better at third than Lewis, but I might like the combo of Lewis/Lee better with Royce at third. I think that there's a much better than zero chance that Lewis ends up at first base for a majority of his career, but not yet.
  9. stringer bell
    I think you are right (and I happen to agree), but they probably want to find a permanent position for Lewis. I don’t see any third basemen in the system, so maybe they would leave him at third. If Lee has a good season, maybe both he and Lewis might be established and the moving parts would be elsewhere.
  10. stringer bell
    I’m in for the streaming! Very reasonable price, I think.
  11. stringer bell
    Julien did look totally lost at the plate in 2024 and hitting is his calling card. He's smart enough and young enough to come out of it and be a good hitter again. That said, with lots of other options at second base, Julien might be moved elsewhere (DH or 1B) where the bar is higher for his offense, so he is really up against it.
  12. stringer bell
    Josh Winder signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/diamondbacks-sign-josh-winder-to-minor-league-contract.html
  13. stringer bell
    I'm of the opinion that I'd like to see it settled where Royce Lewis is going to play for the next four years. It's not that uncommon for guys to play different spots before getting a permanent one. Chipper Jones was an outfielder for a while, Albert Pujols was a third baseman and left fielder before settling at first base as was Miggy Cabrera and they're all Hall-of-Famers. When Royce is settled, maybe the Twins can figure out what they will be doing with Lee. Honestly, I liked what I saw of Lee in the field at third base, but I'm pretty confident he would be fine at second. Also, if both Lee and Lewis have their feet under them this year, maybe they'll show a bit more in some of the measurements that Statcast provides. I hope so, since the trio of Lewis, Lee and Correa might be the slowest infield measured by Statcast last year.
  14. stringer bell
    There's been a lot of piling on about platooning in just about every thread. Does Baldelli prefer to platoon? I think he'd love to have six guys play every day plus a catcher rotation and only platoon at two spots. He and the field staff are convinced that lefties should be shielded from left handed pitchers. He hasn't gone out of the way with many right handed bats to protect them from right handers. Many have remembered the game where he got snookered by the Giants. They started an opener and then went to a left handed pitcher who Rocco didn't realize was available and RB pinch hit for all of his lefties (at least two before they got an at-bat). That isn't the norm even for Rocco. Getting to the above post, I think Rocco and the field staff would love to see Lewis, Correa and Lee line up in the three infield spots 140 or more times in 2025, maybe less for Lewis if he is used often at DH. Because of injuries and ineffectiveness, versatility is highly regarded and the Twins currently have one of the most versatile players in MLB in Willi Castro.
  15. stringer bell
    Rocco is far less rigid with right handed hitters. They get lots of at bats against right handed pitchers. Exhibit A, B and C are Kyle Farmer, Manny Margot and Donovan Solano, all brought in to be lefty killers who got many more at bats against right handers.
  16. stringer bell
    I don't know if I agree that Lewis has the stronger arm and I certainly don't think he has the "better" arm for third base. His throwing has been the main problem with his defense at third.
  17. stringer bell
    I haven't commented much about Rooker, but I will admit I was never a fan. He was and is a bat only player. Even more so than Jose Miranda, he needed to hit well above average to get a place in the major leagues and three teams didn't give him that chance--Minnesota, KC and SD. Oakland was willing to stick with him when he struggled, basically because they had no choice and he developed himself into an elite hitter, at least for now. IMHO, it shows the risk of taking on guys who are really one or two tool players. The bar is set high for hitting and since they can't help any other way, when they struggle the page gets turned. Sometimes it is too soon as with Rooker.
  18. stringer bell
    It is my understanding that a "4A player" is someone who dominates in the top minor leagues, but can't get it done in the majors well enough to hold a job. Of the players on the Twins who would fit this description, I would say Keirsey would fit, I don't think Camargo has nor has Martin, Lee or Helman.
  19. stringer bell
    Regarding the infield, IMHO the Twins need to: 1) Decide if Brooks Lee is ready to be a major league regular. 2) If Lee is ready, figure out whether they are better suited with Lee at second and Lewis at third or Lee at third and Lewis at second. 3) Decide Jose Miranda's role 4) Determine the backups--Castro, Martin, Helman, Julien, Gasper. Can't have them all.
  20. stringer bell
    A backup catcher plays more than "every fourth or fifth day". With few exceptions, the second catcher is closer to an alternate than a backup. That is the way of the world in 2020's baseball. I can see no scenario in which Jeffers (or Vázquez) catches more than 105-110 games (two-thirds). We fans aren't privy to how banged up Jeffers and Vázquez have been with their job-sharing arrangement the last two years. The way Rocco has stuck to it indicates to me that he's sure he's right about splitting time down the middle and that he believes it's the right thing to do to keep both on the active roster. I would hope that Baldelli could adjust slightly, letting the better player catch two consecutive games if there's an off-day in between and perhaps using the better player on consecutive days when it is a night game following a day game. That would get the better player (Jeffers) somewhere between 90 and 100 starts.
  21. stringer bell
    Stafford was on about the 20 yard line. No safety if ruled grounding.
  22. stringer bell
    If Wallner projects to be a much better player and the team has control over him for two additional years, wouldn't he be able to garner much more in a trade? If the Twins want legitimate talent with control for a player or players, they might have to part with more than Larnach. I agree with analysis that projects Wallner as the better overall player, but if they have to trade one and want to bring in enough talent for 2025 and the immediate future, it might make sense to trade the guy with the higher upside.
  23. stringer bell
    It wouldn’t have been a safety IIRC.
  24. stringer bell
    The Stafford play went against the Vikings and a split-the-baby decision of intentional grounding probably was warranted. It looked to me like he intentionally let the ball go forward. I don't know if he knew where Puka was, but he didn't fumble that ball.
  25. stringer bell
    I agree that WAR is problematic especially evaluating defense, especially for catchers. That is why CERA in a case when the players have been alternated provides some helpful information. It is an apples to apples comparison and the runs allowed is tangible proof that the difference between the two behind the plate is negligible.
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