Thrylos

Here is an interesting split: Gibson: Opponent record <.500 15 GS 3.63 ERA, 1.283 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 2.5 K/BB Opponent record >.500 17 GS 3.61 ERA, 1.319 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 2.1 K/BB Berrios Opponent record <.500 17 GS 2.55 ERA, 0.960 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 3.8 K/BB Opponent record >.500 15 GS 5.53 ERA, 1.386 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 2.8 K/BB Gibson's performance was very similar regardless the opponent. Berrios did not perform well against winning opponents. Matter of fact Gibson did much better than Berrios against opponents with > .500 record and started 2 more games against that level of opponents than Berrios. It should be Gibson.

Molitor was playing favorites with his veterans. Not good for a team that is built primarily on youth. Good to see him go. I hope that the Twins bing in a younger manager outside the organization who comes with a winning pedigree. Mills is 61. Fine for a bench coach but too old to relate to 20-30 year olds, not unlike Molitor

The Dodgers Also the Phillies, and Diamondbacks for sure. Others can definitely accommodate Machado.

I am not arguing that Mauer was not great for the Twins. However, OPS does not indicate power. His high OPS is driven by OBP instead of SLG%. Fact: Among catchers with more than 3000 PAs Mauer ranks 89th in isoP. Among 1st basemen he is abysmal. It is not a myth. Mauer was not a power guy. And nothing wrong with that.

I meant corner. Big fan of them bringing back Escobar either as the starting second baseman or at a superutility role if someone else (Gordon, Arraez) wins the second base job this spring

Former Twins Trevor Plouffe, Chris Carter, Chris Parmelee, and Steve Pearce are also free agents in those spots. That said, first base is easily covered. Austin, Rooker, or any LH throwing OF can play there. Third base should be Sano's to lose. And I hope that this is the case. The Twins don't really need infielders at this point...

If y'all care to find the '87 and '91 World Series in a supported format for your devices of preference, you'd get what May wants. It is not the "loud" part. It is the engaged part. And if you are engaged in the game, you better be loud. If you are going for the "experience" and a baseball game happened in the middle, you won't. Simple: Bring back baseball to baseball games.

I think that in about 5 years or so, Twins fans will appreciate Mauer more for what he was (an All-star player season in and season out) and concentrate less to what he was not (a charismatic leader who would take the team on his back.) Regardless, I think that this is it for him and there will be an announcement right before the last home game...

Can probably make the argument that the Twins have been lagging in draft quality since 2009 (Gibson) if not since 2002 (Span). Add some horrendous player development with the inability to trade prospects for proven players and you got a recipe for the disaster they have been...

I agree with the assessment of the Twins' talent (other than Berrios might be a #3 because of this home/away and 1st half/2nd half splits). However they need more than that. They need a pitching staff that will match up with Boston or Houston and give them a chance to win on each game. That is not just one pitcher away.

Data. Twins' rotation rankings in the majors: WAR: 2017: 20th, 2018: 16th (+4) ERA: 2017: 19th, 2018: 22nd (-3) FIP: 2017: 23rd, 2018: 21st (+4) K%: 2017: 26th, 2018: 15th (+9) K-BB%: 2017: 22nd, 2018: 20th (+2) Average ranking improvement: 3 spots Shift? Not really. More like baby steps towards improvement, but still below average in the majors as a unit.

1. No reason to do that. Cave is just a year older, and even though he is not as good as Buxton is with the glove, he has been better with the bat. Even if you like small sample sizes and account Buxton's 2016 second half (.300/.347/.546) Cave bettered it in his first half this season (.312/.346/.558). The best case scenario for the Twins will be for Buxton to come with a chip on his shoulder in spring training and then: 2. Used as the centerpoint for a trade for an Ace. Not a top 3 pitcher. They need an Ace. A real one. And they can use Buxton (and the likes of Gonsalves. Gordon etc) to get him. Maybe even 2 top of the rotation pitchers, because: 3. I am not convinced that Berrios is better than a number 3 in a championship team. His 2018 was improved over his 2017 but if one looks at his splits, he/she will see the same difference between home and road games and the same drop off in the second half. I would love to see the Twins going to a team that screams for rebuilding, like the Mets and go after both of their top starters (DeJong and Syndergaard) and their star outfielder (Cespedes) with a packaged centered on Buxton and Berrios, with players like Gonsalves, Gordon, Kepler etc as add ons. 4. Bring back Eduardo Escobar will go long ways here. Arraez (.310/.361/.397 between A+ and AA) is back. These two can rotate at second and back up Sano at third if necessary. Rooker (.254/.333/.465, 22 HR in AA) and Luke Raley (.275/.350/.471, 20 HR in AA) will fight with Austin for the starting position and DH roles, with the loser at AAA. Enough depth there, esp if you add another utility type like Astrudillo. 5. That eventually will happen if they go hard after top of rotation starters...

This is not hard at all. An Ace. A real one. As it has been the last 10 years or so. The rest shall follow.

Well worthy! Congratulations

An example is Royce Lewis: they focused Sam Perlozzo (IF coordinator) to work with his arm strength and his throwing accuracy and has paid dividends. It seems that he will stick at SS instead of moving to CF as was the initial thought after he was drafted.

Teams that won weak divisions and went belly up in the post-season is "outstanding"? Wonder what MacPhail's run from 1987-91 should be then or Brian Cashman's for the Yankees from 1998 on?

Great to see Kirilloff performing with the stick. Would need to check some video of his season in OF to make me forget about the triple bounces from RF to 1B and the balls over his head while at ST. Players his age are a work in process, and at least he seems to be progressing... At some point the Twins need to ask themselves the question regarding how many left hand hitting, left hand throwing OFs are appropriate in an organization...

Too young. He needs a break the first season back from surgery

David Ortiz was great for the Twins but not as good as good ol' boy Matt LeCroy for Terry Ryan. Mauer is about 10 years older than Ortiz was when he went to Boston. And in Mauer's age, that's dog years...

So.... if he is not good enough for the Twins, why in heaven he should be good enough for the Red Sox or another perennial contender? Mauer smacking the green monster would had been a valid fantasy c.2009-2010

I think that it might be another Killebrew situation: He might think that he has another year in the tank, the Twins know that he does not, and will try to prove himself right at Kansas City or Chicago or some other place close.

Do tell why it is worse for the team and its fans to have extra money to spend for a top of the rotation pitcher and/or a real closer because Buxton will wait a year to get his money. Also, do tell why it is worse for the team to have another year of control for Buxton instead of him taking meaningless PAs in a team that is going nowhere If he needs PAs, he should do like the rest of the minor leaguers do: Instructs and/or winter leagues.

Nobody was playing on a broken foot.

2018 MLB numbers: Johnny Field: .196/.235/.339 (201 PA) Byron Buxton: .156/.183/.200 (94 PA) Quick: Who has performed better at the MLB level this season and merits a spot between these two?

This felt like a Spring Training game in September