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LastOnePicked

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Everything posted by LastOnePicked

  1. LastOnePicked
    I want to say yes, but they just couldn't get over the hurdle last year. They still seem to be 2-3 players away yet from being a championship-level core. And the core you mentioned has more injury question marks than a Riddler costume. The last four offseasons have been interesting and important, but this one is especially so.
  2. LastOnePicked
    One of your best articles, Nick. Honestly. Even the potential reasons/rationales are well-considered. I'm still kind of hoping for the "under-promise" scenario myself. I seem to recall that they made similar comments at the start of last offseason, and then later Correa was signed. New postseason addict Joe Pohlad could certainly be talked into boosting payroll a bit come February, if a few good deals avail themselves, couldn't he? But we'll see. Maybe this is a new reality. But I think this market is potentially lucrative, and a healthy Royce Lewis could make this a very desirable team to stream.
  3. LastOnePicked
    WHAT?! WE NEEDED HIM!!!! ... are words I never thought I'd write on TD. Kidding aside, he should be proud of his resilience, and I'm happy for him. Reds opponents might be even happier come July. Twins will be just fine without him, I think.
  4. LastOnePicked
    For the record, I mostly agree with you. I think Maeda is a smart pitcher, and I would have liked to have him back. I'm just maybe not convinced that the arm is exactly "shiny" at this point. Or all that reliable. We'll see.
  5. LastOnePicked
    Not quite how these surgeries work. I think you're thinking of Iron Man movies. 😀
  6. LastOnePicked
    I usually see huge chunks of Twins sky falling , but I really liked this post and I think I agree. It seems like ownership and management have a really good relationship with talent here. That's a big part of the puzzle. Now, it's a matter of making the best moves possible with slightly tighter resources. I can see 2024 being fun regardless of this news.
  7. LastOnePicked
    Thank (insert your chosen force/power/creator-of-fate here)! Good to hear. Thanks for the update. Any chance we can get some Buxton and Lewis body miracles this offseason, too? Not pressing my luck. Just asking. 😀
  8. LastOnePicked
    Agreed. Targeting Gray from the Reds was a sharp move that paid off. I would love to see a young AAA hurler knocking on the door as his replacement, but even if that doesn't happen, the move for Gray propped open that contention window and dovetailed perfectly with the trade for Lopez.
  9. LastOnePicked
    There's a lot of good to say about Baldelli. I'm still left wondering why his teams don't perform in the strongest spotlights, though. Closers have had trouble here. Division leads have often been lost midseason or late season. Twins have often folded in the playoffs under his leadership, despite this year's nice mini-run through the Wild Card series. I mean, I agree with the points made in his favor, but they just can't get over the hump. I did not expect a WS this year, but not getting to Pablo and Game 5 just smacks of all the same old story for this club. They can't make a win happen in crucial situations. Is that managing? Is it roster? Is it something intangible? It's just hard to say. After the WC series win, Baldelli told the crowd that his team had "a lot more to show." They didn't. Was that overconfidence, or just a misread of the Astros strengths/Twins weaknesses? Oh well. Welcome back, Rocco. Let's see what 2024 brings.
  10. LastOnePicked
    I'm glad that you posted this, Mike. This helped ease my anger over losing both of those games at home. Thoughtful explanation of Rocco's moves.
  11. LastOnePicked
    I think this is the cold splash of reality, yes. It was great he came back for the playoffs, but the last time I took a look at pitchers who tried to come back from two Tommy John surgeries, it wasn't a pretty sight. I'll hope for the best, but a lot of question marks are already piling up on 2024's door.
  12. LastOnePicked
    I don't think there's a lot of hand-wringing, Nick. Fans seem pretty clear-eyed about the situation. Buxton has never been healthy as an MLB player for any real sustained stretch. There's no reason to believe he will be. When in doubt, the trend is your friend. Mauer had an MVP season. Buxton has merely had two player-of-the-month stretches. I'm sorry if this annoys you, but fans are rightfully looking for replacements on the roster. If there's more there, great, but I certainly don't see any reason whatsoever to count on more from Buxton.
  13. LastOnePicked
    I agree with what others have said: the hitting side of the game just isn't ready yet for a long playoff run. When you make around 50% of your outs without even putting the ball in play, you have little else to do but hope for the long ball. In the playoffs, the pitchers you face are much less likely to make a mistake pitch. 2024 could be rough. They'll likely be missing a #2 starter, and a large segment of the lineup is due for a sophomore slump. The hope is that Correa is healthier, but I think we have to start admitting that Buxton is out of the picture. Are Lewis, Julien and Wallner ready to elevate their game? Can Jeffers sustain his success? Can Kirilloff ever get a clean shot at a healthy season? Because to go further, you're going to need all of them at or near peak performance. I think we're a lot further off from a WS than most fans think at this point. The weaknesses that were exposed in this Astros series may be difficult to fix in just one offseason. Not sure if there's any payroll flexibility either. But, here's hoping that the hunger inspires a strong returning team in 2024.
  14. LastOnePicked
    Sorry, just to clarify - a "big boy" team is a team that can reliably return to the postseason and make LCS noise along the way. Didn't happen for the Braves or Dodgers this year, but they've both recently proven they can make it there. The Twins haven't ... yet. That's the mark I'd love to see them reach.
  15. LastOnePicked
    First of all, fun article, Stu. Your what-ifs hurt my heart. As for this comment, I'm not a Rocco "hater" per se, but here are what would likely be a few rebuttals to your defense: 1) He has had the luxury of talented rosters and the highest payrolls of any Twins manager. 2) He also established the longest playoff losing streak in American sports. 3) This was the easiest division in all of MLB during those years. 4) Arguably, some of those changes don't seem to be getting the team very far in the postseason. I think when I'm frustrated with Rocco's Twins, it's when they're favored to win and just can't/don't come through. Not pulling out a single win at home against the Astros really stings. Is that solely his fault? No. Does he bear shared responsibility? Absolutely yes. But he'll be back. We'll all get to continue this debate in due time.
  16. LastOnePicked
    I think you're right. The question I'm left with is probably better left for later in the offseason: Can you actually turn this team into a "big boy"? The Royals had two shots in their window of contention and made the most of both of them. Let's see what this version of the Twins can learn from teams who have bounced back hard the next year.
  17. LastOnePicked
    I am 50% with you, all the way. Seriously, I'm good on heartbreak. One of these years, I want to watch a Twins team that snaps opponents' necks. I'm curious for 2024, but this series made it clear that, despite some gains, they're still a long ways off from being one of "big boys" in MLB.
  18. LastOnePicked
    Brooks LeeWalker JenkinsEmmanuel RodriguezMarco RayaCharlee SotoDavid FestaAustin MartinTanner SchobelBrandon WinokurLuke KeaschallYasser MercedesKala'i RosarioYunior SeverinoByron ChourioJordan BalazovicJose RodriguezBryan AcunaDanny De AndradeSimeon Woods RichardsonBrent Headrick
  19. LastOnePicked
    2-18. What's the big deal, everyone? Totally joking. I've got chills again and tears in my eyes. Either I've got COVID or Twins playoff fever. Love this team. Lemme scrub all my 2023 TD posts, and then I can tell you that I knew they had it in them all along. Keep it up, boys. This is how the magic gets made, a game at a time.
  20. LastOnePicked
    I have chills watching those clips. Absolute [redacted] chills. What joy. Go Twins.
  21. LastOnePicked
    This team is good, but not great. I like them, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see the streak extended to 0-20. Yes, they were a much better second half team. Yes, their second half schedule was much easier. It comes down to grit at this point. It's where managing, coaching and cohesion matter. However, as 1987 and 1991 taught me, it's also where fan support matters, too. And that's maybe the team's biggest weakness at this point. Die-hard Twins fans are great, but after the humiliating streak, there aren't all that many left. I don't expect a rowdy crowd for this series. And if it's a nailbiter, the players may need a boost. They're probably expecting us to step up, but many Minnesotans are expecting them to step up first. We'll just have to see how it shakes out.
  22. LastOnePicked
    Yeah, against my better judgment, I'm just gonna set aside any pessimism this postseason. I just like this team a lot. Win or lose, I'm with them. They won this thing decisively, batted through some tough spots and have played some very good baseball. Take each game as they come. If these Twins play up to their potential, they can hold their own and then some.
  23. LastOnePicked
    Thanks for these weekly recaps, Nick. Well done as always. Even when I follow the team day-to-day, I still appreciate the weekly recaps as a way to look at trends and highlights. And a nice tribute to Pagan in this one, too. We'll see how it goes, but I have a ton of admiration for a guy who struggled yet kept showing up and kept finding ways to have his potential match is performance. He and Kepler each silenced their critics in exactly the right way.
  24. LastOnePicked
    I asked this team just to win every series since the two crucial Cleveland matchups. I think they darn near have. Should I push my luck and ask them to win every playoff series, too?
  25. LastOnePicked
    Oh, trust me. It's better to have won and lost 18 straight than never to have won at all. I would glad give you the '87 and '91 experiences, if I could. Magic. Just magic.
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