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jokin

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Everything posted by jokin

  1. jokin
    The Yankees also have designs on Diaz playing 2nd base for them.
  2. jokin
    If the Twins go with 6 IF, you theoreically can keep all of them, especially now that Drew is willing to play other positions. But I can see them still trying to trade Plouffe before the season begins.
  3. jokin
    +1 Unless they think Bartlett needs 30-50 games to dust the rust off before joining the major league roster as a legitimate contributor, anyone else playing SS to start out the season at Rochester sure seems like a fool's errand.
  4. jokin
    Very Intriguing. Would Correia and a slightly lower-level prospect do it? (Hint: The Rangers do like their good bat/no field types from which we have an abundance). Sardinas still looks to be 2 years away. How about a deal with the Rays for Plouffe (fits into their super-UTIL scheme perfectly at DH/LF/1B/2B) and a prospect for Yunel Escobar or Hak Jun Lee?
  5. jokin
    Isn't great? It is great when broken down by position. Drew's .333 OBP in 2013 would have beaten every other team OBP from SS except for four. Having Drew at the bottom of the batting order would be a huge upgrade. I also possibly like Drew batting 2nd against some RHP (.343 career OBP)- especially if the Twins don't mind occasionally changing up on the potential R-L-R-L-R-L-R configuration with Mauer batting in the 2-hole and farther down, Arcia, Plouffe, Kubel, Drew- 4-7 in the order.
  6. jokin
    I was with you several years ago, especially when it looked like Ramos could handle a large portion of the Catcher load for the Twins. I haven't changed my opinion. And that was mainly because the Twins can't reasonably expect to recoup the per year cost for Mauer at First Base. Joe Torre never played a major league game at Third until he was age 29, in his 10th year in the majors. The next year he won the NL MVP at age 30 playing the position for 161 games. Joe Mauer doesn't turn 31 until mid-April...a great athlete can make the necessary adjustments and be more than merely "competent" at a new position reasonably within his range of athleticism.
  7. jokin
    Lots of reports out there that his defense projects only to 2nd base. He's stilll a nice gamble, but that should certainly give TR pause on emptying the International signing bankroll.
  8. jokin
    The Twins appear finally, to be at the least, putting their toes into the water on Drew. I have to think that Boras thinks that between now and 2015 this is the best year that Drew can get a long-term deal by letting it be publicly known that Drew has positional flexibility- in the process, hopefully leaving out the one year option as a viable alternative. Maybe Boras comes to the conclusion that a 2 year deal could give Drew a more open field for another big contract in 2016. 2 years should be awfully appealing to the Twins, and might be just enough to keep the Mets and Red Sox at bat to get it done. By making this type of deal, the Twins could keep Florimon at minimum wage for the next couple of years, maximize what he does best- minimize where he hurts the team, and in the process, strengthen the overall offensive output for the next 2 years. I can see the Twins becoming aggressive on the offensive side of things....especially once they take a good, hard look at the projections.
  9. jokin
    Perhaps this development in willing position flexibility on Drew's part is why the Twins have blinked (if not "panicked") and apparently have moved off of their previously obstinate stance on Drew and finally come to the realization how desperately they need another LH bat (well, that development, and this Epic Mega-Pedro Florimon thread might be swaying opinion at One Twins Way, as well ): It is just Doogie, but this is the first acknowledgement that the Twins are even considering the possibility. Of course, it could all be just Boras stirring the pot to get the Mets to ante up.
  10. jokin
    Are the Twins changing their obstinate stance on Drew? It is Doogie, but still interesting. http://puckettspond.com/2014/01/16/minnesota-twins-rumblings-stephen-drew-chone-figgins-bronson-arroyo/
  11. jokin
    Yep. After our discussion on the Third Base thread the other night, the main things that were going to pique my curiosity with this list was where Santana and Mejia are likely to land. Is there any chance that the Twins decide to start Santana out in Roc. and Mejia and Michael then become front and center in New Britain? (And then when Rosario comes back in late May, at that point, Mejia could possibly take over for Sano at Third....?)
  12. jokin
    The problem with your excellent analysis- on which we both can agree is in the realm of the possible- is that so much is based on hope and defiance of the probable. All the teams that finished below them on offense, in the AL at least, with the exception of the Astros, have significantly upgraded their offense. The Twins are hoping that Kubel somehow ressurrects himself to his 2012 form, and that's it, thus far, that is their only outside "upgrade", and Kubel's contact % and K% have completely imploded over the last 3 years.
  13. jokin
    I think supporters also noted Drew's outstanding career and debunked the health issues, as his outstanding 2013 season was after coming back from a harrowing injury. Moreover, Drew got stronger as the season progressed, while Florimon got worse. Drew's OPS+ of 111 confirms that his production numbers would have been good, even out of Fenway, as does his 136 OPS+ against RHP.. If used properly and especially against RHP, he would be a sorely missing bat from what looks to be a very anemic Twins offense in 2014. While agreeing with you and acknowledging that Drew may very well decline, especially by a 3rd year in a contract (And I'm not sure that 3rd year is even going to be necessary- 2 will probably get it done), Pedro Florimon is also projected to decline. And again, if you use Drew primarily against RHP, his numbers will not decline, but increase.
  14. jokin
    Hey, it could be worse. I mistakenly conflated this headline with your heads-up companion post on the Twins checking out Chone Figgins, seemingly as part of an escalation on their new strategy to sign a whole stable of washed-up players.
  15. jokin
    Maybe nothing left to say, but certainly NOT nothing left to meme....
  16. jokin
    http://preview.images.memegenerator.net/Instance/Preview?imageID=2976879&generatorTypeID=&panels=&text0=C.F.%20in%20CF%3F%3F%3F&text1=You%20cannot%20be%20serious!!!&text2=&text3=
  17. jokin
    I wish they would sign Johan Santana just to have JO Berrios hang with him for 3 months or so. Physically, they are almost identical, if Berrios were to learn and master Santana's change-up technique, I think it would further justify his lofty ranking from BA.
  18. jokin
    So the alternative is that they go out sign another AAAA guy? Makes sense, I guess.
  19. jokin
    You've now set the table for a rather interesting article from Seth regarding the Twins SS depth chart, methinks. Anxiously anticipating it.
  20. jokin
    Hanley Ramirez won't be unaffordable? And I never said they would all get qualifying offers. And it's imperative that all of the "ifs" questions come into play here in early 2014. We know what the cost parameters are for an available SS at a significant upgrade at the position.......and that's the point, you limit having to ask and forecast the "ifs" of the future..... the guy available today led the AL in SS OPS, he's the one near-top-tier SS available now. How those costs might play out a year from now are far more muddled, but if Stephen Drew was protected with a QO this year, it only follows logically that all of the other high-end SS (who don't extend with their present clubs) will be, as well.....and does anyone see the Twins going after the likes of Ramirez, who should command up to $30M/yr? Or even, the next level down SSs sure to asking for $15M/yr? I sure don't see TR opening up Pohlad's checkbook, he isn't going to budge on this one, or any other outside FA player as long as he's the GM until his hand is forced, ala Willingham in 2012, and the Nolasco/Hughes signings this year. We differ greatly on the "big onuses". As it stands right now, this team is going to repeat in the bottom quintile on offense, which, nothwithstanding the improvement in the rotation, still means another year of potentially, and very likely, reaching 90+ losses again. It would be acceptable if they didn't have the resources available and the opportunities available in the FA market, but they do.
  21. jokin
    Thanks for the insights. Given that Harrison becomes a Rule 5 guy in 2015, and that Sano is the heir apparent for the next decade at 3B, I hope that they manage Harrison's potential asset value prudently. From the day they drafted him, I imprinted a Corey Koskie-type prospect impression of Harrison in my mind. It turns out, Koskie was a year at a time guy, too. Only, Harrison is 2 years younger while on the same track, with the same power potential, and learning the defensive ropes the same, hard way. One more question for you Seth, given that the promotion of Sano from New Britain is inevitable, and that Harrison won't be ready, how do the Twins fill the depth need at 3B there? Is there any chance that Mr Everywhere, Aderlin Mejia, could fill the second Third Baseman/UTIL role with the Rock Cats? He certainly had a nice and unexpected year at Ft Myers in 2013.
  22. jokin
    Thanks for the info. And the Travis Harrison 2014 potential career track? Assuming Sano moves up quickly or is out for TJ, there doesn't appear to be too much blocking him from reaching AA in-season provided he gets off to a good start at Ft Myers. Your thoughts?
  23. jokin
    Hmmm. I think Joe Torre from C to 3B qualifies as a seamless transition.....he won the NL MVP the year he made the switch! And he's nowhere near the athlete that Mauer is. I get the strong suspicion that Mauer would be better than the "solid and adequate" that Sano offers at 3B. What's done is done, and I understand the Twins thinking on this, but the Sano elbow injury should at least give them pause to rethink their options.
  24. jokin
    As has been pointed out, if any of the 5 SS are available, they may cost a 1st Round Pick given that the Twins are likely to improve incrementally. I'm not sure if that is worth waiting for a chance to get Yunel Escobar or not (seems like the best fit for the Twins)- I would bet that the Rays will exercise their 2015 option on him. The rest are either unaffordable (Ramirez), poor with the glove (Lowrie), have an option pending (Nakajima), overrated (Cabrera) or long in the tooth (many others). How about the need to move out of the bottom quintile on offense?
  25. jokin
    Drew's sterling 2013 OPS+ of 111 adjusts for his ballpark. And, in addition, he has a history of being not only a great left-handed hitter against RHP in general, but also, always a better hitter at home (.803 OPS) than on the road (.725), not just last year at Fenway. Finally, Drew's a guy that gets sronger at the plate as the season progresses, his 2 best months are the last months of the season (corroborated in 2013)....career August .815 OPS/113 OPS+... and career September .822 OPS/114 OPS+ ... just the kind of guy you want in the middle of your infield during a pennant chase. Let's get another pitcher from the top 3 FAs and a Major League SS. We all hope that a better SS is available just down the road, but why wait and hope for that to happen?...... the Twins have never demonstrated the ability or desire to develop or keep a SS above the level of Little Nicky. The chances of getting the Cuban, Diaz, who many say projects to 2nd base anyway, are very slim, what wth the likes of the Yankees and Dodgers said to be all over him. Drew may very well be available for likely on a 2 or 3 year deal, and even acknowledging that he's not the perfect answer, just what is the opportunity cost in acquiring him? *The money is available and doesn't inhibit other signings, *no prospect is being blocked, *and provided he stays reasonably healthy, Drew is readily tradeable during the life of the contract should another SS opportunity emerge.
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