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LastOnePicked

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Everything posted by LastOnePicked

  1. LastOnePicked
    Imagine two people (X and Y) agree to sit at a table. Person X tells Person Y that when Y sits at the table, X is going to beat him over the head. Person Y understandably doesn't like this idea, and they fail to reach an agreement to sit down together. That doesn't mean "both sides are to blame." It's the quality of the interaction and the details of the offers that matter more than the fact that an agreement wasn't reached, isn't it? The players have been locked out by the owners, and yet the owners wouldn't negotiate in the months before the lockout or the weeks after the lockout. The players financials are transparent: we know exactly what they earn from the sport and why. The owners financials are never shared unless required by law (in the case of GA). The players have repeatedly adjusted their offers in meaningful ways on multiple issues to find common ground. The owners didn't. There just is no reason that I can see to "both sides" this one. Do I always agree with the players, or the MLBPA? Nope. But in this particular case, this mess is the clear responsibility of the owners. They think they can break the union. I hope they're dead wrong.
  2. LastOnePicked
    I feel exactly the same way, but I have more anger than apathy. We've suffered through COVID, unrest, economic upheaval and now we're watching a Russian autocrat spark war in Europe. Baseball offers hope, comfort and healing in hard times. It pulls us together outside in the most beautiful months in North America. The owners seem to have absolutely no interest in the legacy, history or the soul of the sport. And they already won. They are life's winners. They would remain billionaires even if the MLBPA had doubled their meager requests. They could have handled this with some decency. They could have started negotiating in earnest from day one. They could have opened their books and made a case about their fiscal concerns for the game. They could have worked with the players to make necessary changes to this great game to make it more competitive and more steady for the next ten years. That's what stewards of a national institution would do. Instead, they proved themselves to be petty vandals. Manfred's callous press-conference laughter says it all: the players, the fans, the sport doesn't mean a thing to any of them. It's a joke to them ... and the joke's on us. I'll always love the Twins, but I have no love for what MLB has become. Yuck. I'd rather see a new league rise up with these players than to see the owners get what they want from their idiotic lockout.
  3. LastOnePicked
    Here's where we fundamentally disagree. Baseball exists without any union - of course it does. But the infrastructure that promotes (and seeks compensation for) excellence, that creates an equitable workplace for professionals, that gives laborers a voice is all created and maintained by the union. The players make the union. The players are what make the game great. Who the hell ever would ever buy a ticket at Target Field to watch Jim Pohlad roam around centerfield? That doesn't mean that any union is ever 100% in the right. But if you listen to the MLBPA conference (I just did), you'll hear thoughtful professionals explaining why they are defending their profession as well as a very composed explanation that they have been and are still willing to negotiate the changes that are necessary to keep the game relevant and competitive. I don't see this commitment to the urgency of the moment or the heart of the game from any of the owners at this point. The players make the game - they are not replaceable at that level. If the game is wildly profitable, they should share in that equitably.
  4. LastOnePicked
    This is a very good point, and the FO hinted at this recently, if I'm not mistaken. I think the Rays have done this with young pitchers, and it might be the right move for this staff at this point. I still would have preferred 1-2 solid FA signings, but this is a reasonable Plan B for an organization that needs to learn how to develop frontline starters.
  5. LastOnePicked
    This is exactly where I'm at. I wanted to believe that the FO was serious about it's "championship-caliber roster" and intentions to compete, but that proved to be just PR-puffery. The only realistic path for a resurgence in 2022 was through free agency. That ship has sailed (and please, no Rodon). Now it's time to give the players on the cusp a chance to get used to the pace/challenge of MLB. See what you've got, and get better at keeping the impact prospects.
  6. LastOnePicked
    Fun projections, but every year baseball reminds me of what a weird, fickle game it can be. Another mph on that line drive, or another millimeter in the wrong spot, and instead we'd be talking about Joe Ryan's rehab year for the broken wrist he suffered towards the end of last year. Accurate predictions for performance are tough to make. I do think those projections are a little off, though. Keith Law is probably right - the league will figure out that "invisiball" (which is just a 90mph fastball a little higher in the zone) pretty quickly. I'm just hoping that Ryan has the fortitude and the competitive streak to keep building up his pitch arsenal and adjust as well.
  7. LastOnePicked
    Can't a 23 year old's arm strengthen? It seems odd that we keep hearing that neither Lewis nor Martin has what it takes to stick at SS, yet we can't keep stockpiling utility players at 2B. Do the Twins have the kind of coaches who can tell a prospect like Martin "Hey, SS for this organization is yours if you want it." And then make a plan to help him claim it. Gleeman just wrote an article about how Corey Koskie once rose to the challenge to claim 3B. I can't see why this can't happen here again at SS, particularly on a team that isn't going anywhere in the standings in the near future.
  8. LastOnePicked
    Before the next draft, the Twins should take Moneyball to the next level by hiring a team of psychics to determine which pitching prospects will remain injury-free. Then I'd feel a little better about taking a chance with Rocker that the Mets were unwilling to take.
  9. LastOnePicked
    Yeah, this was rough, but still important for Twins fans to hear. Our prospects are not as highly-touted as we'd like to think, and there are successful organizations whose MLB teams are winning and still running circles around our farm system as well. If we're not going to be a player in free agency, this has got to change. Law is probably right, though - teams will figure out Ryan's fastball, and it won't take long. They hit him pretty hard already. Sad that we went from a #8 ranked system a year ago, then traded Cruz and Berrios for prospects, and now we have a #18 ranked system. All while the players who graduated from prospect status didn't exactly set the league on fire. And, of course, the prospects we gave away showed a lot more promise. Yuck. Tough road ahead for our club.
  10. LastOnePicked
    Agreed, Nick. I really feel for him. He seems like a truly great young man, and I hope these trials only strengthen his resolve to be a star-caliber MLB player. Let's hope he still gets a full MiLB season in this year. I also feel for Twins fans. Small and mid-market teams are much more reliant on top prospects developing into stars, and we also feel the pain. First overall picks like Lewis are supposed to be the upside of the agony of the terrible season. Frustrating for all involved so far.
  11. LastOnePicked
    Really good thoughts, but the Twins signing Story? I'm not even sure the FO will be aggressive enough to re-sign Simmons at this point. Story isn't going to end up here, that's pretty clear to me. But Kikuchi is possible. We'd have a rotation of Bundy, Pineda and Kikuchi with Ober, Ryan and a handful of MLB debuts. That seems like the kind of rotation that would put this team in a very similar position as 2021 - struggling to avoid 90 losses. Absolute upside is a .500 team. Might be better just to go with the youth movement and tell the offense that victories in 2022 are going to be their responsibility.
  12. LastOnePicked
    We had the opportunity to sign Odorizzi before, and fairly affordably, and we passed. Why would we lose prospect capital on an even older version of him now? When the FO opted not to make a splash (or even a drip) in a pitching-rich free agent pool, it pretty much signaled the white flag for 2022. Let's not make this situation worse by losing some potentially strong prospects that we'll need when the team is on firmer footing in 2023-24. Hopefully the Luis Gil lesson doesn't have to be re-learned. But sure, sign Pineda to eat some innings and let's all enjoy watching some prospects develop in an otherwise dismal year for Twins baseball.
  13. LastOnePicked
    With this FO, I'd say the chances are higher than 0%. Maybe more like 40-50%. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I hope.
  14. LastOnePicked
    Let me put it like this: the Twins have disappointed over the years, many times. TwinsDaily never has. You all have done a brilliant job with this site. I feel like a smarter fan of this goofy team every time I check in and read an article or two. Bravo. Here's to many, many more great years ahead for TD. And maybe even for the Twins, too.
  15. LastOnePicked
    This feels a little like the vibe some of us had for Keon Broxton last year, and we probably had more hope than foresight. I think I agree with the other posters here for 2022 - would be far better to continue Gordon's development, or to give Palacios a shot.
  16. LastOnePicked
    Yes. And we even seem to have a problem signing what we can't develop. Though I'm hoping that either Lewis or Martin will soon defy the skeptics and rise to the challenge of making SS their own.
  17. LastOnePicked
    Wonderful interview. I'm really rooting for him, though that road ahead to MLB after a torn ACL is pretty steep. Here's hoping we see him make it to the top within a year or so.
  18. LastOnePicked
    Ugh. With the awareness of lifelong injuries and concussions, the NFL was finally starting to experience a dent in popularity. MLB could have stepped in as "America's Great Pastime," amping up rivalries and elevating the status of the game from the Instructional Leagues on up to MLB. With a few wise rule changes, the game could have gotten a little quicker and more intense. With salary floors and enhanced revenue sharing, league parity would be on the rise. With a few additional promotions and park amenities, fans could have felt even more connected to local teams. With a diverse array of stars, and many points of entry for professional baseball and earning a living, we could have been entering a new Golden Age of the game. Instead, we're getting this: greedy players and incompetent owners, seemingly neither with much of an eye on the future viability of the sport. Heartbreaking. A win-win era is entering a total-loss scenario.
  19. LastOnePicked
    Agreed. Farm system rankings aren't regular season standings, but AL Central teams need to be able to develop top pitching talent and supplement rookies with significant (or at least wise) FA signings. Neither have yet proven to be strengths for this FO.
  20. LastOnePicked
    I agree with so much of this article. Except this: "If the Twins decide to trade him, then I can say for sure that it was the team that failed Donaldson" Trading Donaldson may be a mercy at this point. He has fire and a determination to bash opponents. That's just not going to happen here for the remainder of his contract. He was meant to supplement an AL Central powerhouse, not a rookie team haphazardly entering a multi-season rebuild. All of his flaws and injuries are magnified on a team like the 2021-23 Twins. I wish him well. It was a fun signing that ultimately didn't help us win anything important.
  21. LastOnePicked
    The fact that they weren't aggressive right off the bat in addressing this club's glaring needs in the starting rotation is unforgivable. They've even implied that they were "surprised" by the speed of the offseason market. Really?! I laugh out loud when I read quotes like this: "I've approached each of the last three offseasons, really even going back after '17, with an approach: 'How do we find a way to get better now and in the future?'" - Um, isn't that literally the general description of your job? And the job/goal of every single FO in MLB? Plenty of high-minded words from these two that mean absolutely nothing. If the offense clicks in '22, if Buxton is an MVP, and if it's the pitching that sinks this club, articles like this should get plenty of credit for foresight. This was likely the wrong offseason for wait-and-see moves.
  22. LastOnePicked
    Well, the rationalizations for doing nothing about the rotation before the lockout are in full swing now. And it's not that you're wrong, Nick, it's just that we again seem to be rushing right in to make excuses for this organization. Excuses they aren't even making - they've said next-to-nothing to the fans about their seemingly-changed plans for 2022. Though, as you point out, they might never have been planning to sign a top FA starter. I get the sense that lots of teams have pitching prospects like the Twins. Our pitching prospects are not particularly exceptional, and we currently have a mid-tier farm system, and most have been seriously hurt. Like you, I have *hope" that they'll pan out, but there are no guarantees that even one of them will become an impact starter. And this organization needs an impact starter - multiple impact starters. There was nothing wrong with signing a few reliable, established veterans, even if 2022 seems lost. They could have served as mentors for younger pitchers, OR they could possibly be traded at the deadline if they overperform and the younger pitchers prove to be ready. This line from your article sums up this sad attitude that we seem to have as Twins fans: "Maybe even win some games." A year after having WS aspirations, our fan expectations are so embarrassingly low now that we're crossing our fingers hoping that *maybe* some of our hurt pitching prospects might debut next year and win a few games. Good gosh. But, if you're trying to find or make some sense of reason in all this, your article does seem to get there.
  23. LastOnePicked
    Hard to understand all the complexities at work here. Even though it seems like all sides (players, owners and fans) want increased competition in the league, there appear to be some big differences in terms of how to get there. I can say that, for all the talk of "league parity," it sure seems like the high-profile teams experience very short playoff droughts, and the lower profile teams experience much longer playoff droughts. NY, CA and Chicago teams routinely go on spending sprees for FAs, all while revamping their state-of-the-art analytics and development facilities for drafting and developing talent. What choice do the lower-tier teams have but to cut payroll, wait for top draft picks to develop and hope that bargain FA contracts pan out? Additional revenue sharing and salary caps and floors seem pretty important to these aims. But there may be some issues or components I'm missing.
  24. LastOnePicked
    The starkness of this hits pretty hard. No matter who they realistically slot into that #1 spot at this point, that's not a rotation that can compete for anything but an awfully high draft pick for the team the following year. Love that they extended Buxton, but I don't see the urgency here to get the most out of his prime.
  25. LastOnePicked
    Maybe not terrible. Maybe not great. But this is not a "retooling" move, FO. If you're still serious about competing in 2022, get back on those phones, fellas.
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