h2oface

I can understand Houston being leery of a reported significant smaller ligament, and would rather offer the about $3.1 million bonus instead. "...... three more years he could get hurt" on somebody else's dollar, rather than theirs. I see this situation as a need for physicals before one is drafted, but even several doctors have different opinions about it. It certainly makes sense to me that a thinner ligament that is somewhat of a pitching epidemic anyway is great cause for concern, and it was not disclosed or not known about pre-draft. The round 5 pick, Nix, is really the casualty of this whole situation, as not he is caught in the bonus limits at this late date. Interesting that the big winner here may be UCLA, as both are committed there. The possibility of Houston getting the 1st and 2nd pick in next years draft seems really unfair, though. If Aiken and his agent, etc, really have the confidence that this ligament abnormality will make no difference, I don't understand why around $3.1 million or $5 million or whatever the final offer was would still be unattractive for a teenager. If Aiken actually will become a star and not a flop, he will make his way more money than a baseball player really should anyway, and then when the ligament goes on the hard throwing pitchers arm, it will cost the team maybe $30 million for the full season he is out, and the part of the next that he is coming back and pitching like a ........ Nolasco or Pelfrey or something.

I love it. Suzuki playing great at an iron man 30, a leader, and might slink back to .274 (or even .250 let's say). How many times have I wished the Twins had a catcher that would hit that other than Mauer is off the scale. I say deal..... and if you must, trade Pinto. I see Mitch Garver as the future Twins catcher, with Stuart Turner in the back up maybe as soon as 2016. Both Johnny Bench finalists in 2013 with Turner the winner. Real catchers. Garver has the bat, though, as well. Pinto still hasn't proven he can hit in the show, or catch very well...... and how about those throws to second? Pinto will be a DH at best, and if the Twins really do have the studs as promoted and believed by all of baseball....... they will need the DH to keep some of those guys in the order when not on the field. Morales...... playing horrible, and a tubby out of shape 31...... but he is a keeper? Not in my book. Get all you can for him. Hopefully other GM's will think the same thing as Nick, but I think they are wrong, and Kendrys has shown the best he has and is on a quick regression out of the game. To keep him seems a lot like Gardenhire's thinking coming out of spring training. Unfortunaltey for this fan..... Nick's predictions are probably right, even if it is for all the wrong reasons for me. Dozier has been amazing, but "already become a great player"? Great is taking on a new meaning in this twitter age, i guess. I have to reserve great for greatness, and that only comes with consistent performance over a much longer span of time. There is plenty of time to decide what Dozier's future is, and he will have his own decisions to make as well.

It seems like the AAAA pitchers (and many hitters, too) do horrible, even worse than the mediocre stops in the show, once they get sent back to AAA. I could be way off statistically, but that is what it feels like.

The longer they wait to give May and Meyer the call........ the more innings used on limited innings arms in AAA, and the less fresh those arms are. It would be more prudent to let them have the shot with fresher arms.

Appel is becoming a worse story than Shooter Hunt.

The trade should be Pinto. While he may hit in the show, it is still a gamble, and I don't see how he can be trusted with a young pitching staff. No way. I see the next good Twins catcher to be Mitch Garver (one of three finalists along with the winner, Stuart Turner, for the 2013 Johnny Bench award and who played with New Mexico, and is right behind Turner in Cedar Rapids), who is wielding an impressive bat - much more so than Turner - and actually IS a catcher very close to Turner with the glove. Suzuki, even if he regresses all the way to around .250 at the plate, would be great to transition the young pitchers coming up, as well as be a leader and a back up ala Mike Redmond for a couple years after Garver and Turner take over. Pinto......... not a catcher that can lead and control the game. Having him be the catcher for the young staff scares me (and Perkins). He is a DH at best, and that is only if he proves to hit in the show consistently. I see a lot of holes in his swing, and I am not even betting on that.

The thing about Johnson replacing Nolasco so far......... he is doing a great impersonation of Nolasco, getting spanked and behind by 5 after a couple of innings...

MVP - Suzuki Pitcher - Hughes Relief - Perkins Rookie - Santana In this rebuild......... is there even a rookie on the active 25 right now? (except maybe Kris Johnson? Would he even count?) Doesn't seem like much of a rebuild when you look at it that way.

It is a bit, just a bit, but still a bit troubling that i have heard and seen several people bring up that they were relieved that Dozier didn't get blanked........ as they seem to have expected him to. It was quite a bit of charity that allowed him in the home run derby, and that kind of statement confirms and conforms to that idea. Good for him though. He didn't get blanked with his 350 and 380 foot taters. good thing he pulled the ball.

I would sure hope I am not alone in believing that Pelfrey should be the least likely to have a future with the Twins. Pelfrey, Correia, and Nolasco don't miss bats, and never did. The ineptitude of a GM that would sign Pelfrey to a handsome (for Pelfrey) contract after 2013 means that he will be around for more nothingness and blocking of a young pitcher for yet another year, and Nolasco supposedly now has an excuse and is regardless, around for another mind tingling 3. Correia should be dealt now before he fades (as his career stats show he does season after season in the second half) and those balls coming off those bats he still doesn't miss can land in a new teams outfield.

Pinto should be traded, not Suzuki. Suzuki leads the pitching meetings, and is a leader behind the plate. A young staff will need that. Pinto will not be the answer for the next Twins young catcher. The answer will be Stuart Turner or more probably, Mitch Garver (check out what he does with the bat in ceadar rapids and he was one of three finalists for the 2013 Johnny Bench Award that was won by Turner) Suzuki, even if he bats .250, is the transition catcher that needs extended for two years sooner than later. I would even say immediately if not sooner.

I thought Twitter IS the plague.

Looking at his career, I notice just the opposite. Correia, including last year, has tended to start well, and fade as the seasons goes on. He was pretty horrid to start this year, but with half the season left, if he follows form, which can certainly be different this year perhaps, we are seeing a delayed "beginning" of the season. Time will tell. It is great that he is earning his pay lately, for sure.

I think they have both deserved the business when they have received it.

Well, I can never go with a glittering generality about any team, and I do not agree the Cubs are bad because they're the Cubs. I certainly don't claim a "truism" in my musings, and I thought Gardenhire should have been gone in 2007. I don't believe I was making a statement that major moves shouldn't be made. I was trying to refer specifically about trading the most integral parts of your team for the unknown hope of prospects, always prospects.......... I commend you for having faith in Ryan, as I can't separate him from Gardenhire, as they seem joined at the hip.

I think that Suzuki's leadership for a young staff is very integral. Pinto is expendable. I feel Suzuki is the one to take the Twins to the future catchers, who I believe are Stuart Turner (Fort Meyers) or more probably Mitch Garver (Cedar Rapids).

Is anybody as excited as me that we have a 32 year old pitching a complete game in AA ball?

The world is a twitter prospect world now. Unfortunate. I have never seen how it is beneficial to trade ones best players for prospects. The Cubs and Kansas City have been doing that for years......... and the future never arrives. A team is not made of prospects, it is made of players who are no longer prospects. Those that keep some of the core (including Billy add prospects, and there is a good mix that gels and can grow quickly into a champion. Champions are not made from always selling the best players for a hope.

Gardy should have been fired in 2007. I am happy for another passionate post. I hope it helps.

ouch! that is not writing the storybook chapter. ............. and what about the 24 year old that is pitching to a 28-31 year old? I think age is so very very over rated.

Grandpa and Dad used to both boast the Joe would absatively possilutely be the next .400 hitter. I guess that doesn't come up anymore................

I bet Jose Fernandez thanks forces daily that he was never in the Twins' system. You never know if they are ready unless you bring them up and give them starts. May and Meyer are no longer young. This is prime time for them now. Bring them up for a few starts each at least, and soon.

A team could sign Cuddyer for probably way too much to regress back to the .260's (which would make him one of this team's average leaders, unfortunately) or less. No to Cuddyer. Yes to Torii, the ageless wonder. I doubt Torii would accept, however.

If Dozier's participation ruins that already menacing .230 average, I will be really disappointed. Hard to understand him even being invited, and more hard to understand Dozier accepting.

Three cheers for Gibson......... but an ace? really? Dire straits must really lower ace standards. I won't say it too loud, ...... I don't want to wake you from your special dream during your nap. :s-chainsaw: :s-chainsaw: Perhaps I am misreading what you meant, and without saying it, you meant the ace is someone else....... like Hughes? Maybe, but after the last few starts, we might want to reserve the ace talk for later. It is a long season.