jokin

This. A club virtually bereft of quality SPs, let alone a quality "power" SP, basically gives away their only option- of any kind- at "P"SP. It is constantly preached that quality starting pitchers don't come cheaply and to wit, the Twins made curious-to-ridiculous long-term deals to the likes of utter mediocrities in Pavano and Blackburn. The play here obviously should have either been in bluffing on their intentions on Liriano long-term to drive up his value or playing chicken on the one-year @ $12Mil for the Pick or one more year of service- with the chance to deal him during 2013. The defenders of Ryan and ownership are mind-boggling. It's well-past obvious that new-blood and agressive, forward-thinking is needed desperately in this organization.

So much for reports stating that Plouffe would, once again, "expected to be available tomorrow".... That bottom third of the lineup day-after-day is downright depressing.

How many speculative interrogatories can one paragraph hold? I'll try to answer, based on watching every game this year. 1) Yes 2) "No other"? Hard to answer a speculation this vague, and I don't recall characterizing his plays as ones "no other" can make, it's safe to say based on the eye test that Casilla has made good-to-great "rangy" plays and/or agile DP pivots in virtually every game he has appeared in, and most importantly in the Twins situation, he's doing it at a tiny fraction of the MLB average 2B salary. Which is also in contrast to some of the repeatedly shoddy play shown at 2B by recent Twins' opponents in June and July. 3) 2B year-in/year-out usually have the most Total Chances of any position player (other than 1B), and given the hole frequently at first with a man on base, plus bunt coverages, are required to cover the most ground in the infield. 4) More speculation, less of a question, see the answer to #3

Exactly right. I posited this previously and I hope to heck the Twins are inquiring, even if it's within their own division.

I'm not advocating necessarily keeping him, and certainly not for upwards of $2MM+. I am advocating spending on pitching and prospects and maximizing Casilla's value until the Twins part ways. If you have a "real player" in mind at 2B for the "extra money", I'm listening- who is the "legit player" at 2B that will fulfill your wildest dreams? The won't likely trade for it, and certainly won't sign a FA, so who is it? Dozier? Dinkleman? Beresford?

Up to his FA year, he's very cheap, on a team that has overpayed others, leaving them few other options until they develop one internally. I don't think anyone is ignoring Casilla's offense, it's just that defense is just more important than hitting in the MI and you're obviously overstating your case about making 1 play every 2-3 weeks.

Detroit

​ Plouffe finally finds a spot on the field where he finally looks like he's not dancing on hot coals, this comfort level transfers to his hitting production, and people are actually calling for him to move to spot where he's destined to fail? Remarkable. People, there is only one guy at 2B that can really hit, Robinson Cano. Ian Kinsler makes $7.2Mil, did you watch him butcher ball after ball hit to him last weekend? Want to know who the 6th highest rated 2B in WAR is for 2010-12? Rickie Weeks. Here's his line over that time: 254/350/440. HE MAKES $11 MILLION. Casilla's line over the same period: 257/311/357 for less than 1/10 the cost.

Which again, going back to the OP, is why he needs to play now, to establish possible value now.

Spot on. Money must be directed toward pitching first and pitching last...and everywhere inbetween.

Which is why he needs to play now.

Lots of mlb.com blackouts in Tuscon, gameday doesn't cut it.

Did you read Stringerbell's entire post? Have you been watching the games this year? Casilla is easily having his finest year defensively. He has saved countless runs and ended many an inning, snaring line-shots, and seeing-eye, hard-hit grounders, to his left and right, frequently laying out full-horizontal and adroitly turning DPs as both initiator and middle-man- which has gotten the Twins pitchers out of many threatening situations and the club far and away leads the majors in that department. FWIW, given the quantifiable metrics that are available, Casilla ranks 7th among all active 2B for 2010-12 and 2011-12 and 2nd for 2012 alone in UZR/150. If you evaluate him solely as a hitter, I see where you're coming from, but even there, if he gets an extended run or two before the season ends, he historically has had a couple of short 10-25 day runs per year where he hits for high average and he does have 2 seasons where he hit above positional average. I fully agree with the OP, establishing his value for trade purposes and future arb worth as a utility player should be a priority in the 2nd half. If Caroll rightly returns to the career role he is accustomed as utility infielder (he currently is on pace to play 153 games, the most in his career) and can play that to age 40 (through 2014), than Casilla should play more now, with Florimon getting his shot in September. Is there anyone else knocking at the door to take that spot in 2013? Eddie Rosario is at least two years away, and there's no firm evidence in yet that he will master 2B. The Twins have to prioritize their spending on pitching, the MI has demonstrably been shored up from last year's disaster of a year with a relatively cheap fix. Hopefully Dozier continues to improve and/or Florimon definitively takes the job away from Casilla.

[TABLE=class: dataTableClass, width: 615] [TR=class: headerRow] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]Team[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]League[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]AVG[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]G[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]AB[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]R[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]H[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]2B[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]3B[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]HR[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]RBI[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]TB[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]BB[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]SO[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]SB[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]CS[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]OBP[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]SLG[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #999999, align: center]OPS[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: dataRow even] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]BEL[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]MID[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center].250[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]18[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]56[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]3[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]14[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]3[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]1[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]9[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]20[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]6[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]9[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center].323[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center].357[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: center].680[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: dataRow odd] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]FTM[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]FSL[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center].348[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]20[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]69[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]13[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]24[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]6[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]9[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]30[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]10[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]13[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center]0[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center].439[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center].435[/TD] [TD=class: dataCell, align: center].874 [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] These are Kyle Knudson's numbers this year. Given his marked increase in production, is there any reason to hold back Sano, when he can see better pitches with better players behind him and get better instruction, both in the field as well as at the plate?

Break up E-Town! Another 12-0 rout with 19 hits and unbelievably, Rory Rhodes went 0-6. Kyle Knudson continues to hit in Ft Myers, with a 2-3 night and a walk. Good to see Sano back in the lineup.

Careful, you could get hanged in effigy (I have the pseudo neck burns from last April to prove it) for comments such as these. There are certain types here at TD that defend the FO/Field Staff at all costs.

Willingham? 2014 is last year of his contract. Things would have to work out really well to see Sano in RF in 2014. I think he ends up at 1B. Arcia is gone in your scenario?

I just checked his stats within a day of when he moved into the leadoff spot on June 20: 354/433/632. It will be interesting to find out who gets the Sep. call-ups and who gets thrown in as sweeteners in July and August trades. If the Twins stick with Revere, he has to end up full-time in CF eventually. I could see Willingham begin to transition to more DH duties in '13 and especially '14 if any of the above, plus Arcia, begin to project being ready to stick on the ML roster. Personally, I'd like to see all 3, plus Revere and Willingham, no later than 2014, but that doesn't work when Gardy says you must have 3 catchers. It probably means someone ends up as the odd man out, and we might find out sooner rather than later.

I would say this definitely is related. Just about the time that Hicks was inserted into the leadoff spot, June 20, the Rock Cats have been on a 16-4 run. His July numbers are sizzling: 395/477/684/1161.

You left out the fact that they are stuck with Blackburn for another year. I like how Walters and DeVries battle, but there is virtually no upside there. Gibson is a question mark on when/if he regains his form and Hendriks has a major mental barrier left to hurdle in becoming a reliable big-league starter. Wimmers also should be in that Gibson category. Greinke's makeup, personality and Midwest pitching roots begs for the Twins to make him the right type of "pitch" and $$$ offer to finish his career in Minnesota. To help convince Greinke that you're serious about winning now, you must add in one or two more FA SPs on shorter term deals and then you have yourself a competitive ballclub. Unfortunately, this might mean biting the bullet and shedding most of the rest of the dead weight existing contracts, up to, and possibly including, Morneau. I see a SP corps of Greinke/Diamond/One of the Above/FA #2/FA #3 or another One of the Above

94-38=$56 Million (courtesy of M&M Marketing Ltd.)

Not to speak for Glunn, but this is the math from his post that makes the most sense. With the glut of SPs in the FA market off-season, I've got to think Liriano's actual number will come in closer to the latter than the former.

When French and Manship begin the shutout domiance, they too, can join the Red Wing SP Murderers Row. Good point about Hendriks, although at least for now, at least mentally he's reached his ceiling.

Trying to be careful, lately some of my posts are being questioned when I mistakenly thought I was obviously being sarcastic.

What? And break up that murderer's row of SP dominance in Rochester? 3 straight days of shutout ball by Walters, Hendriks (yesterday) , and now Blackburn (looks like it went "extra innings" in a DHer game, so complete game, 8 inninng shutout with Valencia getting the walk-off hit) . The Red Wings fans never had it so good with 3, count em, 3 AAAA SPs on their roster. Add Pavano in a couple more days and the International League title is ours. /sarc