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jokin

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Everything posted by jokin

  1. jokin
    Thanks, JC. It looks like 2014 hasn't been such a letdown year for prospect gazing afterall. I'm interested in hearing on what Gonsalves is working on this year, based on his falling K-rate numbers at E-Town, obviously not his strikeout pitch.
  2. jokin
    Was there a pitcher promoted from Cedar Rapids that Gonsalves replaced or just Stewart on the DL for the short-term?
  3. jokin
    There are also glaring errors of commission from last offseason, Nolasco instead of Garza, there are also glaring errors of omission, witness Abreu.
  4. jokin
    Here's another one: After reading this article about Aledmys Diaz http://www.robrains.com/CARDINALSBASEBALL/tabid/91/entryid/1727/aledmys-diaz-is-convinced-he-made-right-decision-to-leave-cuba.aspx, it is distressing that Ryan didn't do his homework on a prospect who would have made a perfect fit for the upper minors, and possibly be only a year away from Target Field. Diaz, at only 23, was an absolute bargain signing steal by the Cardinals, free of other spending restrictions as a native Cuban, and is doing well in AA, despite a nearly two-year layoff from competitive competition.
  5. jokin
    Tony LaRussa was available and actively seeking an executive baseball position in the offseason. Who knows if Minnesota was a situation that was to his liking, but it's unfortunate that Pohlad didn't at least more aggressively pursue that option- LaRussa had a proven track record with small market/mid market situations. I'd put the odds of success for LaRussa at much better than 50-50.
  6. jokin
    Recognizing the impact-potential, and signing Jose Abreu to a 6-year deal after the very public "all clear" signal from Pohlad to spend his money, would have tipped the scales in TR's favor. The Abreu-related concession sales would likely make him now the #1 marketable Twins player, achieving dual goals, addressing the immediate major league marketing and cash flow needs for team buzz and a more competitive situation, and also locking in a cornerstone player while the next wave arrives and gets established.
  7. jokin
    Actually, his lower GB% in AAA can be largely discounted. What you fail to note is the fact that his IFB% has jumped from 3.3% in AA to 10.7% in AAA. Also, his LD% has dropped slightly, while his H/9 has gone down to 7.37 from 7.71, year-over-year. BA slightly lower, WHIP slightly lower. In short, he's being hit less hard in AAA, than in AA. That leaves the control issue, some of which can be discounted, based on reports of Meyer's ongoing experiments with trying out a new pitch, and the ever-ongoing adjustments in his mechanics, which based on the history of tall pitchers, is likely to continue well into his late 20s or longer.
  8. jokin
    And the arguments against the other starters was merely to discredit the alleged evidence used to justify those other starter promotions. The main point remains, those on the promote-Meyer side tend to agree that "what is best" for Meyer is pitching with the big league club, as he has nothing left to prove in the minors, and likely nothing more to gain. And like Randy Johnson, he is now at the point in his career where he can improve his mechanics, control and command of his secondary pitches in an environment commensurate with his talent level, with the best coaching situation. Moreover, pitching 50-100 innings this year breaks him in and gives him an idea on how to prepare for next year, while giving the Twins a more informed basis on what their expectations should be for Meyer in 2015.
  9. jokin
    Sounds like the ground being laid for the filing of a Scott Boras-inspired grievance.
  10. jokin
    And that's exactly it. We already have a living example for how the transition period is likely to proceed. As in Johnson's case, there is really nothing for Meyer left to learn in AAA, that can't be accomplished more effectively in the Majors. Sure there are going to be ups and downs, but why waste all of these bullets?, there's never going to be a "perfect" moment to call him up.
  11. jokin
    How about another expert? As in, Will Middlebrooks' analysis? In the postgame aftermath in which he struck out three consecutive times vs. Meyer, Middlebrooks said:
  12. jokin
    The velocity uptick ("touching 98") was noted by scouts earlier on in his High A season, which has directly led to- the K/Swing rate jumping from 14.9% to 20.6%, and the IFB% jumping from 7.5% to 10%. Add to that the bigger parks, his FB% has increased by a couple percent, but the big flies leading to XBH are staying in the park and being caught more now. Plus, while his ERA/FIP was hurt by a low strand rate (65.9%) in Cedar Rapids, his strand rate was a help in Ft Myers (76.5%). The big thing is getting that big uptick in velocity while simultaneously dramatically IMPROVING his control. His K% - BB% is crazy good- 22.1% (2nd in FSL to 24 year old, Taylor Cole, by comparison,Berrios was only 13.2% K-BB in Cedar Rapids). How often does that kind of improvement take place?
  13. jokin
    Boston's first-place AA team is also the best offensive team in the EL, so really nice performance by Berrios in only his 3rd AA start, retired his last 12 in a row.
  14. jokin
    Now we just have to have the bad cop step up to Pohlad's good cop.
  15. jokin
  16. jokin
    Twinsights: Induction ceremony canceled after Chuck Knoblauch’s arrest Sad story concerning a very troubled guy. http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/07/24/twinsights-induction-ceremony-canceled-after-chuck-knoblauchs-arrest/
  17. jokin
    Reposted from the Trade Suzuki thread:
  18. jokin
    +!.
  19. jokin
    I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that Drjim was posting with tongue firmly in cheek.
  20. jokin
    If the Twins aren't seriously listening to other teams, after the Soria deal from Texas to Detroit, than they aren't doing their full due diligence. Would it really be a "betrayal" to Glen Perkins if he is given the opportunity to pitch in the World Series this year for the Dodgers or another perennial contender? Seems like he's going to have to wait a much longer time for that chance with the Twins.
  21. jokin
    Well, the bust rate from the draft has been higher for the Twins before the 2012 draft. This is a diversionary issue from what has taken place since the 2012 draft, though. Directly as a result of the Twins collapse in 2011, the team has gathered up 3, and possibly 4 high-ceiling talents, all some are saying is that there is a component of on-field futility that has fueled the farm-ranking upgrade, besides the other good moves that were made (ie, the last 3 top picks are players that are listed in the Top 25 prospects, by at least one scouting service, anyway, which really ups your overall farm ranking).
  22. jokin
    No problem, and I hope I haven't come on too strongly, in turn. We share as many points of agreement as contention, which usually leads to better understanding of the issue on both of our parts, and has definitely done so in this instance. (Good model for the Twins, perhaps?)
  23. jokin
    I have not advocated this. I have strongly suggested in the past and recently that the general thrust of this article is a valid concern. It has been demonstrated that the notion that- new infusions of personnel and lines of thought is critical to success- to be ubiquitously true in the modern competitive information-based free market. New ideas and the rapid process, and implementation, of valuable information are the keys to success. A stale culture that avoids "creative destruction" ends up on the short end of the stick over time.
  24. jokin
    Yes, but you're confusing what I actually said. What I said was it's easy to pick high-end talent in the top picks in the draft- which is obviously true. I made no comment that the ultimate success rate is 80 or 90%- we still have to wait and see how soon and how much Buxton, Stewart, Gordon and this year's top pick ultimately make their impact. The comments currently praising the Twins' upgraded farm system (benefiting significantly overall from the lofty ratings of all three of the recent top-end picks) are making few allowances for the inevitable bust rate. As of now, in Buxton's 2012 draft year, 5 First round college players are in the majors, and there are a bunch of first-round High Schoolers in AA.
  25. jokin
    Bartlett caused the team to lose their entire rostered CF depth, plus was a huge embarrassment to the club in his short time with the team (Bartlett was the one guy in the whole deal who did the most honorable thing, he could have shut-up and taken the money, but at least he could admit that the whole thing was a colossal error). Not having Santana start out the season at SS, with Escobar getting heavy utility ABs, until they knew one way or another with Florimon, has now been demonstrated to be a huge mis-assessment of talent in all three cases. Guerrier definitely blocked a better, younger pitcher, take your pick, from Meyer on down the prospect list. A complete waste of a spot for the time he was here.
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