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TopGunn#22

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Everything posted by TopGunn#22

  1. TopGunn#22
    Going to the saints game today with family. Should be fun to see Cole sands pitch, and Lewis, Kiriloff and Steer assault baseballs.
  2. TopGunn#22
    Not only is it time to get some bullpen help (I'm all for Lopez), it's time to move Smeltzer into the rotation and move Archer to a Griffen Jax role...middle guy who can go 3 innings. That, to me is where Bundy should be headed as well. It's time to move on from Duffey and Theilbar as well. Shuffling some roles and adding an arm like Lopez could help. I'd love to see Canterino in the pen at some point, but the Twins seem (probably rightfully so) to be committed to using him as a SP all year. I just don't know how that will work with whatever innings limit they have already determined for him. Still, if this team could ever figure out "situational hitting" we'd have won the last two games against the Tigers and Royals. You can't keep loading the bases with nobody out, late in one-run games and coming up with a goose egg.
  3. TopGunn#22
    This is where Rocco infuriates me. 79 pitches !!! Smeltzer was in command, and for a guy that doesn't throw hard (i.e. MAX effort on every pitch) he could easily have gone at least another inning, probably even finished the game. I know hindsight is 20/20 but this is just one of my persistent pet peeves with Rocco. Duffey ain't the Duffey of old. Neither is Theilbar. It's time to look to deal both of those guys and load up with Lopez types.
  4. TopGunn#22
    Nicely done Axel !!
  5. TopGunn#22
    Still...I just miss Royce. Come back Royce, please come back...sigh... Love the history for the intro. Few people know how badly FDR prolonged the Great Depression with his policies either. A basketball coach of mine in high school was also a history teacher and he bragged up FDR in a big way. It wasn't until I was a young man, 4-5 years removed from college that I decided to read a few other books on the subject and I was shocked that my history teacher/coach from high school never pointed out any of that.
  6. TopGunn#22
    The Martin Perez suggestion is interesting. I remember he started out well for us the season we had him and then he returned to his usual form. He seems to be a different pitcher this year. On cue today, Eovaldi K's 12 and looks tremendous. I haven't given up on getting Montas. I just think the Dodgers or Yankees outbid us. I think Lopez could be pretty good paired with Duran. The kid has GREAT stuff. Maybe it would cost a little more to get him (and maybe Mancini too for 1B and DH?) but if Lopez has figured something out and you've got him for 2 more years after this, what's not to like ? Still, the guy I'd like to see up here after the All-Star break is Matt Canterino. Talk about STUFF !! He would have an etched in stone innings limit. But I'd love to see his stuff on display in some high leverage situations late in the season. Great topic and great ideas Nash. This is the kind of stuff we all could talk and post about for days...heck weeks !! It's just great seeing the Twins playing good baseball this year (and rallying against the Royals) !!
  7. TopGunn#22
    Yeah, this one is a puzzler and while frustrating to us fans, it has to be driving this kid nuts. He has a beautiful swing. I once likened it to Will Clark's swing when I first saw him come up with the Giants. I'm sure hoping SOMETHING works and we can get Alex back on track. Wrists are the worst thing a hitter can hurt because EVERYTHING depends on them.
  8. TopGunn#22
    He may yet be an asset if he can command his pitches better. I see him as a worse version of "Everyday Eddie" if you're talking closers. Eddie was the ultimate "nibbler" and always found a way to escape disaster. I could see the Twins hunting for a high leverage "closer" arm at the deadline if they maintain their place in the standings putting Duran in the 8th and also as a "sometimes" closer. The other option that's lurking is Matt Canterino. We could just go with a youth movement and have Duran and Canterino close at the end of the season and post season. THAT will depend on how the Twins manage Canterino's innings up to that point. I see Pagan is a 7th/8th inning guy depending on the situation for the most part.
  9. TopGunn#22
    Forgot to mention Simeon Woods-Richardson as well. It might be time to move him up too.
  10. TopGunn#22
    This kid has been my favorite Twins pitching prospect for awhile now. I think it's time (or at least VERY CLOSE) to move him up to St. Paul and see how it goes. I'd love for him to be a starter, but arms like him and Duran in the bullpen conjure up the bullpens the Royals had some years ago when they went to two straight World Series and won one of them. I had not realized the pipeline in the low minors was looking this promising either. Time to salute the Twins FO for me and stop complaining about not acquiring a front line FA SP in the off season. (although Carlos Rodon looks every bit the pitcher I'd hoped to see in a Twins uniform).
  11. TopGunn#22
    THIS year is completely different than LAST year. In 2021 every move the Twins FO made that could have proved terrible, was indeed...TERRIBLE. This was further exacerbated by the injuries and uncertainty of all the young pitchers in the pipeline. Bundy was tremendous in his first several starts and we all knew it wasn't sustainable. He's probably not as bad as his last two starts and in fact, as others have pointed out, may have been weakened by Covid in his last start. But this year Ryan is showing last year wasn't a fluke. Winder is showing he BELONGS. Gray, Archer and Paddock have been good pickups. There is DEPTH. And now, with Balazovic having a solid first start at St. Paul and Woods-Richardson off to a great start the pipeline is fully in place and poised to help as the season progresses. I see Archer as superior to Bundy but unable to consistently go 5-6 innings. So how long would I stick with Bundy ? Not long in the starting rotation, and to be determined if he's a long relief option out of the bullpen. The Twins have options now, and even with innings limits on all of the young pitchers they could still have a use and a role for Bundy. But the ice on the lake is getting thinner and thinner under his feet. More outings like the last two will hasten his departure. If he's able to stabilize and find something consistent that falls between his Bob Gibson-like start to the season vs his Happ/Shoemaker last two starts Bundy will have a place on the Twins pitching staff.
  12. TopGunn#22
    It would be Lewis. Canterino next. Absolutely nothing against Steer but with Urshela and now Miranda to go with Arraez there's not really a clear a pathway yet for Steer. Lewis however, even with Correa could still play OF and if the bat to ball skills continue, Lewis could be very much like Buxton...if he stays healthy, and PLAYS, he's going to do good things. I wouldn't mind seeing Canterino up and pitching out of the pen. I'd use him in low stress innings and just kind of bring him along slowly. At some point, since he's pitched so few innings these last couple years you've got to believe they will shut him down. But I'd like to see how that "STUFF" plays up in the big leagues and handle him with care.
  13. TopGunn#22
    I, as a fan, have cut Sano about as much "slack" as I am able. Lost at the plate. Bailed out of a base running blunder by a T-Ball looking end of the game throw-around by the Tigers. You can't trade him for anything right now. But if Kirilloff proves himself healthy and ready to go soon, I play him at 1B and sit Sano for a week or two. He can get plenty of work in at the batting cages under the stadium. Send someone to check on him every other day or so.
  14. TopGunn#22
    I believe the Twins have given Martin enough opportunity to play SS and have found him lacking there. Big deal. The Royals gave Alex Gordon every opportunity to play 3B and all he did was become a perennial Gold Glove LF'er. Soon. Very Soon, move Martin to AAA St. Paul and play him in CF/LF. I'd like to see the power develop more and that's what he should be working on at this point, but SS is not his position, so just move him already.
  15. TopGunn#22
    Wow, where do you start with a day like this in the farm system ! I'm not going to suggest who should be sent out, but it's looking very clear that Miranda has nothing more to prove at St. Paul. With Kirilloff's season in doubt and Sano just being Sano, the sooner they get Miranda up and into the regular lineup the better. He could play LF, 3B, 2B and 1B as well as DH once in a while. I wouldn't send Gordon down. I like his speed and versatility. But Miranda needs to be brought up in another couple of weeks at the longest. It's GREAT to see Royce Lewis off to such a good start. And Palacios isn't disappointing anyone either.
  16. TopGunn#22
    There is no doubt that patience has run out on Sano for Twins fans. The current situation is just exacerbated more with the continuing wrist problems of Kirilloff. I disagree with the take that you can't bench Sano for the likes of Miranda. Get Miranda up to the Twins and in the lineup consistently. It was already a huge risk to have BOTH Sano and Gary Sanchez in the lineup at the same time, especially hitting in any proximately to each other. Twins fans have seen enough. it's time the front office did. Package him in a deal to Colorado where he can DH and hit 80 HR's every season.
  17. TopGunn#22
    I put this on Rocco. Last year, he totally mismanaged our BP by constantly going to Colome when Colome just couldn't get it done. Whoever said "If Duffey was the plan all along then Rocco is sleeping standing up" hit the nail on the head. I don't care if we "just" acquired Pagan and we hadn't seen him pitch yet. We "acquired" him for a reason. The guy can close games. He was in uniform. I'm sure we scouted him prior to acquiring him. I was certain the reason we traded Rogers and got Pagan included in the deal was for him to close games. And as others have pointed out, it's not like Duffey has been lights out this spring, Far from it. I know it's only game #2 of 162, but the way last year started and the way this game ended after Buxton's dramatic 2-run BOMB is just deflating. I don't have a lot of faith in Rocco's ability to manage a BP and I don't have a lot of faith in his ability to manufacture runs unless we're crushing HR's. To me, this is kind of a make or break year for him. I need to see improvement in how he handles a BP and I need to see an improvement offensively. Unfortunately, with strikeout hogs like Sano and Sanchez he may already be somewhat hamstrung in that capacity.
  18. TopGunn#22
    While I will always be a fan of Rogers I think the Twins FO made a great deal. As has been stated previously this was all about "value." Pagan, may or may not prove to be as effective as Rogers will be in 2022. If I had to choose between the 2019 version of each, I might lean a little toward Pagan. But Rogers has been the most consistently "better" bullpen piece. Paddock is indeed a gamble with high upside and concerning downside. Let's see what we get out of him THIS year first. I've got a feeling we will get more out of him in 2023 and 2024. The Twins FO is certainly not done dealing for this year. Once the Twins hit the All-Star break, we will probably need to assess and reevaluate where 2022 is going.
  19. TopGunn#22
    Yeah, hate to see him go, but with his free agent status coming up next season and the fact that his softball crushing prowess has been slipping the last couple of seasons (his Mascot WAR has been slipping toward no more than league average) we all could see a change coming. I heard a rumor the Tampa Bay Rays may buy his contract from that zoo and stick him in the middle of their lineup now that they traded Austin Meadows. If Tampa is sniffing around TC Bear, you have to be a little worried the Twins cut bait too soon on the furry power hitter. We can't have a Wolf, or even a Wild Wolf. Can't have a Viking or a Gopher. A Lynx would be cool but I heard that's not available. So I wonder what is possible ?
  20. TopGunn#22
    They called Tom Hall "The Blade" because of his slender, wiry build. He could bring it, and his 1970 season was pretty darn good going 11-5 with 184 K's in about 150 innings. He was so/so in 1971 so prior to the 1972 season the Twins surprisingly traded him to the Big Red Machine in Cincy. We got back Wayne "The Whip" Granger who along with Clay Carroll had divided the Reds closing job. It was a curious trade for the Twins. Hall was younger and had better raw stuff and was left-handed. He went on to be a valuable piece of the Reds bullpen for several years. Granger had an O.K. 1972 for the Twins, but not as impactful as Hall was for the Reds and Granger wasn't long for Minnesota after 1972. The only reason I could come up with as a kid back then was that Ron Perranoski was getting older and not nearly as effective in 1971 as he had been in previous Twins seasons and the Twins FO felt they needed a proven closer in their bullpen. I always thought Hall would have made a decent closer. But 1972 was the beginning of the end for elite production from Killebrew and Oliva and despite his excellence Rod Carew couldn't carry the whole team. With Killebrew, Oliva, Tovar, Jim Perry, Jim Kaat, Dean Chance and a whole host of other Twins on the downside of their careers, it didn't really matter in the large scheme of things that the Twins had shipped off a good, young, left handed pitcher to the Reds in 1972 for a closer that only had one good season left. Plus the Oakland A's were emerging as an American League powerhouse.
  21. TopGunn#22
    GREAT Article ! I wonder what it would look like if you added that 3rd player. 1964 Oliva, Allison, Killebrew already mentioned. I wonder what 1969 Tony O's numbers would add to Killebrew & Carew. Add Hisle to 1977 Carew & Bostock...THAT would be interesting. And if you DID add pitchers, add Santana to a Mauer and Morneau years (2009, 2006). Another interesting question: What would some of the all-time trios look like ? Ruth, Gehrig, and...Irish Meusel ? What about 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers: Duke Snider, Roy Campanella and either Carl Furillo or Jackie Robinson ? How about 1961 Mantle, Maris and Elston Howard ?
  22. TopGunn#22
    I'm not terribly disappointed in not acquiring Manaea. My eye has been on Montas from the outset. Oakland didn't name him their opening day starter to try to gin up more interest in someone acquiring him. He's their BEST pitcher. He SHOULD be their opening day starter. He will still be a hot trade commodity well after his opening day start. I also agree that Montas shouldn't be the only target...but he should be high on the Twins list of preferred candidates. Montas and Gray going #1 and #2 in a playoff series would be fine for me. Especially if someone like Ryan, Ober or Winder flashes like Liriano did in his rookie season. THAT would be very interesting for our home-town team.
  23. TopGunn#22
    I expect the Twins to get far better production and impact from Urshela this year than Sanchez. I hope I'm wrong, but I think Urshela will be solid. He gives the Twins a guy that can help out with some games at SS if Arraez is playing 3B and Correa gets a day off to DH. I for one am pretty disappointed the Twins are starting Miranda at St. Paul. He should be playing LF, 3B, 2B and 1B as a super utility guy with a bat you WANT somewhere in that lineup. The only way Sanchez out does Urshela this year is if he hits .240-.250 and mashes 25-30 HR's. If THAT happens all will be good.
  24. TopGunn#22
    Lots of good input here. I'm DONE with Cave. Garlick is a better option as he hits LH's well and Gordon can cover CF on occasion. I like the idea of trading for someone like Lewis Brinson if Garlick is not deemed "acceptable." As for Rooker, I was thrilled when we drafted him. He was in elite company with Will Clark and the cheater Raffy Palmiero as the only Triple Crown winners in S.E.C. history. Sadly, I've seen enough. He's not even as good as Michael Restovich, and obviously THAT never worked out for the Twins. I sense there's going to be some last minute "maneuvering" by the Twins FO before this MLB roster and the 40-man are set.
  25. TopGunn#22
    Ace...NEVER underestimate the POWER of STRATO !!! I for one think the Tigers are going to be sneaky. Torkelson and Greene will probably be solid and contribute a lot. I agree with Karbo: Signing Ed-Rod was very good. I wanted the Twins to get him. Imagine what OUR outlook would be if we had Gray and Ed-Rod fronting our staff with the lineup we project. I also agree with the prognostication that Cleveland will slip. Bieber has to prove to me that he's healthy and will be the old Bieber. Jose Ramirez is GREAT, but who else does that lineup have?? I could see Ramirez traded at the deadline or even before and when that happens the Guardians will be just as pop-gun as the 60's White Sox lineups were. The Royals are a lot like the Tigers without as much young pitching. The key for the Twins is how good (or bad) their young pitchers are. From Ryan & Ober to Winder, Balazovic, Duran and whoever else gets a chance, it will be interesting to see who shines and who struggles.
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