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IdahoPilgrim

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  1. IdahoPilgrim
    And from a selfish point of view, I like seeing guys from the indy leagues get a shot - it encourages more players to try out for those leagues and increases the quality of play. I am a Twins fan through and through, but I also enjoy going to see the Saints - minor league and independent league baseball is just a whole different atmosphere and a good fan experience.
  2. IdahoPilgrim
    I've been to a couple of Saints games this year, and he has pitched well. 7 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 2 walks, 5 K's. Sometimes you find a diamond in the rough, and the bullpen in Fort Myers isn't exactly filled with top prospects. My understanding is that the American Association is about the same level as high-A, so his numbers should provide a fair comparison. Why not give is a shot?
  3. IdahoPilgrim
    I think you have to go with the BPA philosophy, regardless of current need. The baseball draft is unlike those for other sports. You aren't picking players who will have an immediate impact; you're picking players you hope will be ready to contribute 2-3 years (or more) down the road. A lot can happen in those 2-3 years to change what your top needs are. If you have a top prospect, even if it's in an area where you are overstocked, it still sets you up to make trades down the road to fill holes where necessary. What happens if we take a college pitcher, and Diamond and Walters step up and become steady starters, and Gibson comes back from surgery well, and the Twins pick up 1-2 decent FA pitchers. What if at the same time Benson, Tosoni, Hicks & Arcia fail to develop to their potential? Now all of a sudden you're stocked on pitching and OF is a problem. You just can't predict what the need will be in 2015 - you need to take the best player available and go from there.
  4. IdahoPilgrim
    I agree with those who say we should hold out for an A-prospect, and if that doesn't materialize we should hang on to him. Is there risk? Of course, but there's risk in every decision you make. I have not been a big Morneau fan this year; he's just been too inconsistent - spurts where the old Justin is back, and spurts where he looks anemic at the plate. But if he can get on a tear and regain even 80% of his former form, he provides more value by playing than by anything we can get back in trade, unless that includes someone already or soon-to-be MLB quality.
  5. IdahoPilgrim
    The first and most important thing I would do is remove my bookmark for this page from my favorites list and stop reading it - lest I actually be influenced by what I was reading. Don't get me wrong - I love Monday-morning quarterbacking, and I find the discussions immensely interesting, and discussing this stuff is part of being a true fan, but I also have no doubt that the people actually running the team know far more about this than I do, and my guess is that applies to about 90%+ of the other posters as well:). No offense intended to anyone!
  6. IdahoPilgrim
    I was pretty sure it was, but it doesn't take long reading these boards to see a number of threads advocating a radical overhaul of the bullpen, DFAing half the 'pen and filling it with their favorite minor-leaguer [insert name here], when in reality the bullpen has been the one part of this roster that has worked fairly well and really doesn't need a massive upheavel.
  7. IdahoPilgrim
    I assume this is tongue-in-cheek, right?
  8. IdahoPilgrim
    Bromberg? Really?? I can see Dean at AA, though.
  9. IdahoPilgrim
    Good discussion - what I hoped for. I agree with those who say it's either pick up the option or wave goodbye - I don't see Baker re-signing for less; he'll get offers from elsewhere (that's how desperate the other 29 clubs are for pitching as well). Someone will take a chance on him. Does anybody know when the Twins need to make their decision on the option? Is it before or after free agency opens up? Maybe we can see what's out there and what we might be able to get for comparable money, before having to make a decision either way. Without a replacement, though, I don't see how we have a choice other than biting the bullet. If Diamond and Walters continue to shine, and if (miracle of miracles) Liriano and/or Blackburn find their way back, maybe then, but otherwise you need a veteran to anchor this staff and provide stability. Baker can do that (if he's healthy!).
  10. IdahoPilgrim
    I agree. Certainly he's not the closer of the future and this will be his last year with the Twins (unless they pick up his $6M option, which I doubt), but I think too many people are judging him on last year. It's a new season - everybody starts fresh, and this year he's been the closer they hoped they were getting when they gave up Ramos (ugh!).
  11. IdahoPilgrim
    I agree. Let's get some perspective here - if we had been told at the start of the season that Capps would covert 90% of his save opportunities throughout the year, we would have been ecstatic. Anyone can have a bad day and throw a couple of bad pitches. If it happens the next couple of times, then we can start griping. As far as I'm concerned last year is history and has no bearing in how players are evaluated.
  12. IdahoPilgrim
    Mastroianni started the year on the 40-man, at New Britain, so his option for the year was already used - he can be moved back and forth as desired without consequence until next year. I wasn't sure why they took Komatsu either; it's not as if they're short on prospects in the OF...
  13. IdahoPilgrim
    Back in April when he had TJ surgery, the conventional wisdom was that Baker had pitched his last game as a Twin - why would the Twins pick up his $9.25M option for 2013? Now, with the implosion of the rotation and Liriano and Blackburn falling off the map, one has to wonder if that CW might be changing. Granted, he is not a #1 starter (and never will be) but he has been a reliable, steady pitcher the last few years, with decent numbers and winning more games than losing (even in 2011!). Even if Gibson makes a good recovery, there are still plenty of holes in the rotation, and while there will be free agent options out there, will they really be that much cheaper than Baker? One could make the case that it makes sense to pick up his option year, knowing he will be a free agent in 2014, just to plug a rotation hole short-term. Of course, this all depends on his recovery, but if it goes well he's got a shot at being ready by season start or close to it. Thoughts?
  14. IdahoPilgrim
    I wonder if the Twins hand got forced on this with the schedule. With DeVries on Tuesday and Liriano on Wednesday, there is the potential for something ugly happening. With Manship due to make a start on Sunday, maybe they decided they needed to act now, before his arm became useless for 3-4 days.
  15. IdahoPilgrim
    Man, Gene Glynn actually has worse pitching problems than Gardy does - all of his best starters have been taken, with only 1 (Hendriks) returned in exchange, and now he loses his next day's starter for - we don't know who yet! And all when they had started to win a few ballgames. I wonder if they're going to promote a starter from New Britain (Hermsen? Hirschfield?) to help pick up the slack.
  16. IdahoPilgrim
    Actually, Marquis' spot was already vacant - as soon as you are Designated for Assignment you are off the 40-man. Then the club has 10 days to figure what what they want to do. They tried to trade him but (shocking!) no takers, so waivers & release it is. His 40-man roster spot was taken by Cole DeVries. They are sitting at 39 (20 pitchers, 19 hitters).
  17. IdahoPilgrim
    Yeah, Mastroianni is probably on the block - he got promoted too fast anyway. No good choices here, but I say go with Manship - he's your best bet for long relief. We don't need a 1-2 innings guy - we need someone who can eat up 3-4. Manship is stretched out and has decent (if not exciting) numbers this year.
  18. IdahoPilgrim
    The thing that makes a difference in my mind (and I confess I am by no means an expert) is dependability. Even if the pitcher only has average stuff, if he can deliver it regularly and you can count on it, that makes the difference for me between a #4 and a #5. They're never going to blow the other side away, but they won't often get blown away themselves. Maybe they go out and you know it's only 50-50 that you win and they're not going to handicap the other team's bats, at least you're not in the dugout wondering if this will be a "good start" or a "bad start."
  19. IdahoPilgrim
    Per Twitter, game still on as scheduled.
  20. IdahoPilgrim
    Here's a wild, out-of-the box idea. Liriano seems to have good stuff the first 1-2 innings he pitches. Then the wheels come off. So how 'bout making him a closer? Just a thought.
  21. IdahoPilgrim
    The same thing they sold the public this year - hope, dreams & fantasy.
  22. IdahoPilgrim
    I agree that, at the time, it was the right decision. This just might be a case where the right decision ends up not helping you. I don't know what kind of upside he had - probably no more than a 5th starter or long reliever. Still, of all the years to "waste" a roster spot on a rule 5, this might have been the one. That's what they're doing with Komatsu right now. What's that they say about hindsight?
  23. IdahoPilgrim
    He is performing well (although last night he was less than impressive) but no more so than Guerra or Oliveros, who are both 5 years younger and probably have more upside.
  24. IdahoPilgrim
    So now we are almost two months into the season and the starting rotation has proved worse than possibly thought, I wonder if the Twins are having second thoughts about sending Terry Doyle back to Chicago. Granted, he hasn't cracked the majors there yet, but his AAA numbers are decent, even good: 3.46 ERA, 1 CG, 1.098 WHIP, 8.7 SO/9, 2.1 BB/9, 4.08 SO/BB If we're giving starts to DeVries and Walter, you have to think Doyle couldn't do any worse.
  25. IdahoPilgrim
    Could it be they are trying to keep their options open (both figuratively and literally) on Slama? He was on the 40-man in 2010 and 2011 - that's two option years burned up. He only has one left. If they call him up this year, and he isn't quite ready, next year he either stays on the 25-man roster or get's put on waivers. I'm not trying to defend them, because I don't know, but it seems to me it makes sense to bring up one of the pitchers who is doing a comparable job but has already burned an option year this year, so there is no real cost. Just a thought.
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