Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

TopGunn#22

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,409

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    5

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by TopGunn#22

  1. 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.
  2. TopGunn#22
    Forgot to mention Simeon Woods-Richardson as well. It might be time to move him up too.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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 ?
  13. 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.
  14. 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 ?
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. TopGunn#22
    That is QUITE a list !!!
  20. TopGunn#22
    This move doesn't really push the needle but I can see the logic. Like last year, the Twins FO is putting their eggs in a basket of a couple veteran pitchers to regain some of their earlier career "magic." Last year, it turned out to be an epic fail. The leash for Happ and Shoemaker was far too long. But as others have pointed out, the injuries to pitchers and the weird 2020 covid shortened season messed things up royally. I'm hoping for the best, but I'm also hoping for a quicker pivot if Bundy and Archer trend more like Happ/Shoemaker than Rich Hill. This year, we have the young pitchers ready and knocking on the door. It's clear, the A's and Reds are holding out for King's Ransoms. Better to wait the market out at this point. In fact, Luis Castillo is experiencing "shoulder soreness" right now. The Reds certainly need to wait until he shows he can pitch before dealing him. It's not how I "hoped" the rotation would look when the season started, but the current situation probably makes this necessary. I'd still like to see the Twins try to get Max Meyer from the Marlins. I think Max is close to being a big league SP and right now, Miami has no place for him.
  21. TopGunn#22
    Cody, this is a PERFECT time to bring something like this up and I believe there will be a LOT of opinions and none of them will be wrong. Here's what I think: 1. Arraez DH 2. Buxton CF 3. Polanco 2B 4. Correa SS 5. Kiriloff LF 6. Urshela 3B 7. Kepler RF 8. Sano 1B 9. Sanchez/Jeffers C This lineup doesn't have Miranda in it. I think he should also be a consistent piece in the lineup. Let's suppose Sano is off to his usual "slow start." I'd shake things up like this: 1. Arraez DH 2. Buxton CF 3. Polanco 2B 4. Correa SS 5. Kiriloff 1B 6. Miranda LF 7. Kepler RF 8. Sanchez/Jeffers C 9. Urshela 3B I would still want to keep this lineup pretty steady. I just swap in Miranda for Sano. I want Arraez at the top and I don't care if he can't run. He gets on base at a .380-.400 clip. Set. The. Table. Buxton's power and speed slot in well at #2. Polanco's switch hitting and solid bat to ball skills work well at #3. Correa at cleanup is my desire. He's clutch and will drive in runs. Kirilloff is a future #3 hitter for the Twins who slots in well at #5 with bat to ball skills and power (plus some protection for Correa). #6-#9 are fluid depending on who's swinging a hot bat. Urshela has the most movement in my lineups and he's a bit of an unknown. Do we get 2019 Gio or something quite less? It remains to be seen. I would just like Rocco to finally (if we're not going to trade him for pitching) put Arraez in the leadoff spot and leave him there.
  22. TopGunn#22
    These are great points, and until we see some of these (or all of them) at the Major League level it's hard to accurately guess how they might affect the game, much less specific players. But I believe change IS coming. MLB needs to find some way to speed up the pace of the game without artificially making it SEEM unnaturally "sped up."
  23. TopGunn#22
    I'm all for this, whether Duran is an opener or is used as a RP. Young arms can and will flame out. Get his arm up to the Big Leagues and see what he can do. I would hate to see him included in a trade, but if it's part of a package that brings Montas or better yet Montas AND Manaea I'd do it. Canterino is another possible Starter or dominant closer candidate. Trading one of those two still leaves us the other possibility.
  24. TopGunn#22
    Here's the trade I just posted on MLB Trade Values: Twins Get: Montas 39.6 Sean Manaea 14.1 Lou Trivino 1.10 Total 54.80 A's Get: Arraez 27.9 Larnach 22.6 Cavaco 3.0 Simeon Woods-Richardson 5.4 Total Value 58.90 The Twins over pay, but it's necessary to make this final step to remake the roster for 2022 and beyond. Starting Rotation: Montas, Gray, Manaea, Ryan, Ober. Taylor Rogers and Trivino now close and hold down the 8th inning. Duffy and Alcala are 7th-8th inning guys. Pretty solid team, and we have the trade capital to make this happen with Oakland.
  25. TopGunn#22
    Yup, now to put the cherry on top the Twins FO needs to go out and get Frankie Montas. In fact, I liked the idea of making a blockbuster for BOTH Montas and Manaea. A staff of Montas, Gray, Manaea, Ryan, Ober would be solid. Plus, with a lot of young pitchers close to breaking thru there would be some depth. But yes, at this point, I'd go for the killshot and part with Arraez, Larnach, two young arms and Cavaco for Montas & Manaea. If I can get Montas or BOTH without giving up Martin/Lewis/Balazovic I'm pushing all my chips to the middle of the table and calling the bet.
×
×
  • Create New...