h2oface

It really surprises me how most give Phil Hughes a pass, especially with how horrible he is in April. Those games count as much as all the others in the season, and there is no reason to keep making the same mistake, after his problem is identified, over and over and over again. Forget the drastic loss of velocity and his coming back from injury. Just consider his history in April. At least put him in the bullpen for the start of the year. May could be entrenched in the rotation by then, or not, and Hughes could be the answer for the pen. Or not. At least you are trying to do something different and trying to stop the same April results from happening yet again. "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ~ Albert Einstein

Why do folks keep worrying about restricting budget? The "most honest man in baseball", according to many posters, keeps telling us (well documented and directly from the honest horses mouth) that the Twins' budget has no restrictions. That has to be true, right? Start spending the money. Don't worry about the money, and improve the team. Dump salary when a player hurts the team. Of course, since these actions don't happen, maybe there is some untruth about the oft mentioned and quoted "no restrictions on the budget".

I'm with you 100%. Trevor May should be in the rotation. More on that in the other article's comments Like It Or Not, May Is Bullpen Bound. I won't be redundant and repeat it here.

Rotation. Certainly things can change, but start the season in the rotation. The future of the bullpen is in the farm. If May shows he cannot improve as a starter, the pen is open to him. It would be a shame if the bullpen isn't taken seriously by the GM for yet another year. Hughes could at least start the first month in the pen. He is historically horrible the first month of the season. Every season but one in his career, and even in his best year of 2014, he was horrible in April. Let Hughes get warmed up in the pen, especially with all the questions surrounding him after the major loss in velocity last season and his inability to be in shape when the season started, and to stay healthy. It could possibly be that Hughes is the new bullpen weapon - what he needs to really help the Twins is a lessor load, and he may be fated to do the Wade Davis thing for the rest of his career (wouldn't that be nice). May will not be entering the season "interested to see what he can do heading into a season with the preparation and mindset of a relief pitcher." He will be preparing to start, and making the preparations, in his mind, to start. He will be on a mission to prove Molitor and Ryan wrong. It is only in the managements mindset, or other fans, that the place for him for 2016 is to be a relief pitcher. The right call, for now, for at least the first 5 rounds of starts, is May to the rotation.

Terry Ryan is just out doing himself. I hate how the Twins' AAA team is always so old, and used to stock less than replacement value players instead of having the real prospects compete at a higher level. The dumpster diving mentality has extended to the whole team instead of just the bullpen.

Perhaps the new money ball will be trading totally unproven but highly rated prospects for real major league players in the future, before they spend 3 years of disappointment in the farm (like Kohl Stewart)...... like Dansby Swanson getting traded for Shelby Miller.... and Meyer for Span (prospect losing the trade for 3 years and counting). Let the prospects fail on another team while they are traded for proven pros that can help you now and in the future, instead of hope and dreams. Trade for the pros that have weathered the farm system and succeeded, instead of trading pros for prospects that fail over 80% of the time.

Yet, when drafted, many are considered top ten, and even top 5 prospects as they pitch in the lower minors. Articles and laurels are heaped upon them. Hype wins over historical actuality. And use them for proven MLB players by trade right away, while they have the highest value they probably will ever have? Don't even think about it in Twinsland.

Such promise and hope! I don't see one name that has made it and contributed with any significance at all to the Twins, yet. Sure it is hard to guess right. And many in this article are still developing, right? Looks good on paper, but the fact is...... no lasting results yet that have had any impact for an extended time. There is always the future and hope, though.

Killebrew had over 500 at bats in 1961. Are you meaning the starting lineup on opening day? ...... and does that make you 124 now?

I think that you are referring to the second year of Cuddyer's three year contract with Colorado - 2013, .331. The first year - 2012 - was pretty pedestrian, while Willingham was raking for the Twins. It would have been nice if Cuddyer had given the Twins a year like 2013.

That would seem to be a lose lose to me. Santana hardly proved his bat was ready, both in MLB and in MiLB. So you start Santana, whose bat is just as suspect, if not more, than Buxton's, and the defense is not as good then, either.

Again, that video is a 4x3 aspect ratio video stretch to fit a 16x9. It is not at all representative of reality. Chris Sale would look heavy in it.

You can make light of it if you like. All these 6 years with the Twins org as far as I can tell - 27% of his life. I can still identify with being 22, and what it is like. At 22, I would think I am being jerked around to not even get a chance to play third and prove myself once I got to the show, that I have earned being here with my talent and work and focus , and would embrace an organization that treated me with the respect and gave me a shot. The Twin's aren't doing him any favors, and never have. He would be relished on any club, and perhaps given the opportunity he has earned. My thinking is that Plouffe and Sano split time at third, and if Sano can show that he can become a major league third base sacker, then Plouffe's highest value will come at the trade deadline, if he is to be traded. If Sano can't cut the mustard at third after given a fair lengthy chance, then a change would be appropriate to keep his bat in the lineup, if he is hitting like he has.

Yes. To get to this final level and not even get an opportunity to perform in the position that is familiar, that is the only position you have been groomed for throughout the long minor league progression, and thrown into one when he finally reaches the top level that is totally unfamiliar. It is one thing to get the chance and fail, another to not even get a shot.

If I were Sano, and was getting jerked around like this after all these years, I would want to be traded to a team that would at least give me a chance, just a chance, to show them that I can do the job I have been groomed to do before being asked to switch to an unfamiliar position just as I arrived. Sano would probably have more trade value too.

In that video... a 4x3 aspect ratio recording stretched to fit in a 16x9 format, he looks downright fat, but it is distorted. Everyone in the video would look that way. Sano should be working out with Berrios! For that matter, so should Mauer and Perkins! No need to be playing Dominican ball. I think this is great. I don't know why they don't have a fitness camp where the boys can go to get personal training and diet et al during the off season. The Twins should even have a guy that can go to where he is to be involved daily.

Why not just sign Scott Kazmir?

Shields will soon be a Nolasco. I dream of a Twins GM shopping with much higher standards.

Casey Fien got tindered? Who did he hook up with?

It sure isn't an indicator that the bull pen is getting any better.

Great Article!

...... assuming the pronunciation that you heard was actually correct. Did it come from Park's mouth?

Definitely not.. ever, yes, no and no. And no.... not really waiting to see them. https://youtu.be/-fNvi6xG-5Y

Since Park doesn't get the posting fee, and it didn't change from the time they won the bid, I can't consider it any part of the deal. It may be a cost to the Twins, but it is nothing to Park. The predictions of 4 to 5 years and 20 to 30 million had nothing to do with the posting fee. So much for the self appointed media hyped expert's opinions again. They are becoming less and less relevant. This is a deal that is fair. Fair to the player, and fair to the Twins. He still may end up a flop, and have "trouble with the curve", but now it is worth the risk.

Great to see Berrios in the news. I can't wait for the shirtless off season workout pictures to start rolling in.............