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jmlease1

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Everything posted by jmlease1

  1. jmlease1
    I'm trying to think of a more frustrating player than Kepler. He's been pretty useless this season, and coming under fire from all sides this season. So of course, he's had a good week at the plate and a nice last two weeks out there. But his defense has slid, I don't expect this little hot streak to last for long, and he's going to drive us all crazy at least until the trade deadline or until he gets hurt again. (I guess it's a blessing that he tells management every time he gets nicked up and goes on the injured list without a fight?) They should have moved on from him in the offseason. Sigh.
  2. jmlease1
    I don't mind them signing him to a minor league deal to see if he has anything left. The rotation is still solid, but having another potential veteran depth option if a significant injury hits us can't hurt. As long as there's no guarantee of a MLB shot, then sure. Don't think this hurts anything, and maybe a few guys can learn something from the crafty veteran in the minors while he's in Saint Paul.
  3. jmlease1
    I don't mind them signing him to a minor league deal to see if he has anything left. The rotation is still solid, but having another potential veteran depth option if a significant injury hits us can't hurt. As long as there's no guarantee of a MLB shot, then sure. Don't think this hurts anything, and maybe a few guys can learn something from the crafty veteran in the minors while he's in Saint Paul.
  4. jmlease1
    Love me some Joe Ryan. He was masterful today, and it was fun to watch. Really nice win today. Hopefully this is the team getting back on track and we'll see this continue. Offense and pitching showed up at the same time, and that was great. Can't say it's a bad thing at all for the bullpen to get a day off.
  5. jmlease1
    Schobel was just drafted in 2022 and is in high A at 22. By your formulation basically every college player we draft has to start their career in AA or they don't matter. This is Schobel's first season in full-year baseball, starting at Cedar Rapids is just fine. Everyone wants "difference makers" but age doesn't decide that, and I'd rather the team make decisions about where to place a player be done based on their individualized development track, not their age.
  6. jmlease1
    Yep, he's definitely on a roll in June. He's still so young, so it's great to see him back on track and looking recovered from the injury. Schobel is on a heater right now, and could get an early promotion too. He's improved every month at the plate and looking like a dangerous player. It'll be interesting to see how he does when he faces more advanced pitchers, but nice to see a 2nd round pick doing well early. Really nice wave of position players at Cedar Rapids right now: Rosario, Rodriguez, Schobel, Cossetti, and Cardenas are all looking good, and there's still tons of potential in Urbina, Salas, and Miller. (I'm not sure how Morales fits in; at 24 and repeating a level he needs to be crushing it...but catchers often develop later) But there's a ton of talent on that roster and players that are going to be pushing for promotion.
  7. jmlease1
    Prices are higher, parking is harder? They still seem to be doing fine for AAA. Congrats to Balazovic for making it to MLB and having a good first outing. He's had a long and complicated road, and it's good to see him doing well especially after the messy spring training.
  8. jmlease1
    Do the Twins intend to stretch Raya out at all this season? I'm all for being cautious with a young pitcher coming off an injury, but 47 pitches? At some point you have to let a starter throw 75 and start finding out what you really have in a guy. It's the middle of June, not April.
  9. jmlease1
    hard to know with a guy like this. Maybe he just needed the development time and could be an asset in MLB. Maybe he's a AAAA player who can nuke AAA pitching but will get pushed around by MLB. It'll be interesting to see if he gets an opportunity. It's always one of the hard calls, whether you can count on players like this to be our depth layer in AAA as a hedge against injury. Maybe he's figured something out that lets him make enough contact to let his power stroke play, but he was doing this in Wichita last season and then kinda stunk when he got promoted. He's hammering the ball right now, making good contact, drawing walks, and doing everything right at the plate...but his overall AAA slash line is good not "you must allow him to play in MLB NOW". It would be great if he turns out to be a late-bloomer, though!
  10. jmlease1
    Pick one argument, eh? First you want him to manage the team, then you want him to not touch the lineup (I assume you meant lineup rather than roster?).
  11. jmlease1
    I think doing a concert series like this is a great use of Target Field and a smart promotion by the Twins. I think it's cool that they're trying a range of options for shows to appeal to different fans, and I hope everyone had a great time.
  12. jmlease1
    and positional flexibility. the only spot on the dirt Kepler can play is 1B. Castro can actually play a passable SS in a pinch. I don't want to make a bigger deal out of Willi Castro than we need to; he should be a minor part of the team. He's got utility, and more utility than someone like Kepler does at this point, sadly. But sending him down for a week probably won't make much difference...and shouldn't. I increasingly like Castro as a 26th man; he's been doing all the things you need from that spot: playing wherever we need a guy, giving you a speed option in late games, etc. But he's also going to be overstretched as a starter, and will have weeks where he couldn't hit water if he fell out of a @&%#% boat.
  13. jmlease1
    I don't think it's obvious at all. Gray is feisty, a competitor, and never wants to come out of a game, especially if he's been struggling a bit. Whether he has a personal issue with Rocco or Maki or the front office or whomever is total guesswork right now, and might always be. he's not taking personal shots at anyone, we're not seeing blind quotes or any of the old "sources behind the scenes say" stuff to suggest that there's a real conflict or a problem there. I think Gray is just a little different cat than some: he's direct, pretty honest, and very very competitive. but he also seems like a good teammate who doesn't go after guys in the press (whether it's management or players) just because he's mad.
  14. jmlease1
    I'm really confused why you think changing the manager will significantly cut down on the hitter's strikeouts. A new manager isn't swinging the bat. Twins pitching was bad last night, and it sucked. They let a meh Tigers squad feel hope instead of stomping on their faces. Gray did not have it and was fighting his command. I get there are those who thought he should have gotten a chance to get it back in the 5th, but he did nothing in the 4th to show he should. 3 walks in an inning is pretty bad, and it's not like he was getting squeezed by the ump. Moran couldn't hold it down, and Lopez let them tack on extras in the 9th which technically didn't change the outcome but sure felt like they put it out of reach. Just not a good night for the pitching staff outside of Pagan (man, that feels weird to type). Offense was a bit toothless last night outside of the 2nd, but Boyd did a good job hitting the zone. Got to re-set for Friday and put this one behind them.
  15. jmlease1
    These 4 game sets are something. sweep it and you're off to the races and thrilled. 3-1 and you're still feeling very good about things, but you only net 2 games. 2-2 and you're frustrated and disappointed, 1-3 and you're ticked off and wondering what's wrong with the team, and if you get swept you're heating the tar, plucking the feathers, sharpening the pitchforks, and lighting the torches. I'd love to see the offense really get on a roll here, the bullpen to settle down, and the starting pitching to keep rolling. this is the perfect time to punch the Tigers in the mouth and send them to the beach early in the year.
  16. jmlease1
    Cossetti is an interesting prospect. He's unlikely to make any national lists (too old, no pedigree, etc) but catchers sometimes develop later and if he can keep hitting as he advances through the minors and stick at catcher as a good receiver back there he could get very interesting. Took Mitch Garver a while to make it to the majors, but that worked out pretty well for the Twins. Soularie is having a decent season at AA as well. I think if he's going to K this much that he's going to need to show most consistent pop in his bat, but it'll be fun to see where he finishes the year. He struggled at the plate last season, so it's nice to see him doing better even after moving up a level again. I would like Brooks Lee to keep pushing the average up, but it's good to see him knocking doubles out there. I'll be interested to see how his splits wind up by the end of the season; so far he's been significantly better hitting from the left side; if he can tick up the OBP and SLG a bit from the right I'll be feeling more confident about his ability to be weapon from both sides of the plate in the future.
  17. jmlease1
    Value play. Reardon was the closer on a championship squad and got the job done. Aguilera & Nathan were both better, but you had to find savings somewhere because of the $$ restrictions in this scenario. felt like the drop off to some other positions was higher. Give me another $2-4 to work with and I'm probably looking a lot harder at Aggie or Nathan.
  18. jmlease1
    Interesting list and there's definitely some value plays. My first cut at this put me $2 over which forced some hard sacrifices. But here's where I landed with this tight budget: P - Johan Santana $3 C - Joe Mauer $5 1B - Justin Morneau $3 2B - Brian Dozier $2 SS - Cristian Guzman $1 3B - Corey Koskie $4 LF - Shane Mack $3 CF - Kirrrrrrrrrbeeeeeee Puckett $5 RF - Michael Cuddyer $2 DH - Jim Thome $3 CL - Jeff Reardon $2 Best value plays: Brian Dozier and Jeff Reardon for $2, Johan Santana for $3. Toughest cut for me: dropped Hrbek.
  19. jmlease1
    I love the fact that Duran pitched the 8th and took down the 1-3 hitters in the MKE lineup. Team was very willing to take a walk today, and 7 free passes really piles up. Correa is definitely on a bit of a heater right now, and it's just what the team needs. I worry a little when Ober gives up the long balls, but he settled down nicely. Very nice win.
  20. jmlease1
    I love Julien's eye at the plate. I hope the lack of the electronic strike zone and the occasionally wobbly umpiring doesn't cause him to alter his approach and expand his zone. His ability to get on base would make him a real asset at the top of the lineup if he's able to keep taking walks while being a threat at the dish. I like his hit tool a lot, and he's been looking good at the plate in this latest call-up. It's still a small sample, so it'll be interesting to see if he can keep this up. The defense isn't good. His arm is below par and he makes routine plays look harder than they need to be at times. Despite his experience at 2B, he doesn't seem to have great instincts there for where to go and what to do when a play is coming into his zone. He could certainly improve; despite his age he doesn't have tons of game experience at 2B (Jose Miranda, despite not playing any 2B in MLB is basically even with Julien in innings played in the minors) so maybe he'll develop more with time. I do like that bat and eye at the plate, though!
  21. jmlease1
    Buxton is an excellent DH when healthy; his production collapsed when his knee started barking at him again. he had the 2nd highest OPS+ on the team last season; even this season (when he's been struggling recently) he's still tied for 3rd highest OPS+ among players with at least 150 PAs for the Twins. As always, the only issue with Byron Buxton is health: when he's healthy, he's great at any position he plays. We'd be better off if he were healthy enough to play in CF, because it frees up DH for other players with less ability, but his bat plays at DH just fine.
  22. jmlease1
    It's not like Miranda is out of options after this season, so we're probably getting a little ahead of ourselves. yes, he's not just a kid any longer, but the window isn't closed for him to be a successful MLB player. The problem (as much as there is one) is really more one for Miranda to solve than the Twins. He was given a big opportunity at the start of the year and couldn't handle it. He needed to go back down to the minors to get a re-set on his approach, and the jury's still out on whether he's made it, though the last week or so has been encouraging. now Royce Lewis is healthy and has passed him on the depth chart and maybe Ed Julien has as well. For Miranda to get back up to MLB, he has to force his way there again. he needs to hit, he needs to improve his defense, and he needs to show that he's a better option for the team than a player like Donovan Solano going forward and can push players like Lewis and Julien, rather than be pushed down by them. I think there are options, especially if Miranda finds his hitting stroke and again and shows that ability to not just make a lot of contact but also to punish the ball when he swings. maybe it's more of a platoon role with Julien (especially if the twins move on from Polanco), maybe he can seize the 3B job again and Royce slides over to 2B. Maybe Royce goes out to CF if Buxton's knee just doesn't make him viable in the OF for more than occasional jaunts. He could be a trade chip in the future, but right now it'd be a sell-low job that I don't think anyone wants. The real problem with Miranda is we don't know for sure if his massive 2021 was a fluke year or who he really is as a hitter. His only other really strong minor league season was in 2017 back in rookie ball; while he didn't spend much time in Saint Paul in 2022 he wasn't lighting it up either (nor was he bad). His time in MLB in 2022 was up and down: horrific start in May, excellent June & July, bit of a fade in Aug & Sept. It's on Jose Miranda to show how good he is and can be and seize a job; it's not going to be given to him on scholarship.
  23. jmlease1
    Good to see Celestino back on the field. I think he spends most if not all of the season in AAA this year, unless Michael A. Taylor goes down for an extended period, and that's fine. Frankly, Celestino needs a couple of months in the minors in the same place working a program and getting himself back on track. He's got talent, but his development really got screwed up and the injury this year has set him back. Severino has been pretty great at the plate; a little worried about him in the field, but if he keeps hitting like this, they will find a spot for him. (but players have shown the ability to grow and develop at 3B before, so maybe he'll start figuring it out. But oof he's a bit of a butcher there right now) I'd say Rosario has earned a promotion to AA. He's making good hard contact and racking up the hits, but also piling up the walks. yes, he Ks a fair bit, but he's actually brought it down a little bit and with with everything else he's doing right it's hard to see his approach at the plate being a problem. Let's see how he does against more advanced pitchers. He looks ready for the challenge, and 232 PAs isn't that small of a sample any longer.
  24. jmlease1
    Sure. But it was still a pretty funny crack to overhear, Also, it was abysmal getting out of the ramp last night. never taken so long to get anything moving before, literally just sitting in cars and nothing moving at all.
  25. jmlease1
    Overheard at the end of the game last night: "Plus, we took all that Milwaukee money!" 🤣 Very fun game last night, with an ideal ending. Royce trying to stretch a single to a double wasn't so great; he didn't get a fast enough start out of the box to have a a chance and that ball didn't die or slice enough to really give him a chance. Glad the mistake didn't end up hurting us. The phantom walk that Pablo Lopez issues didn't look great from the stands, much like poor Kirilloff getting rung up looked...questionable as well. Again: ready for the electronic strike zone. Taylor and Correa's HRs were no-doubters right off the bat. Very fun celebration at the plate with Correa; they really looked like they were having fun there. Winder got the job done, but I still am not sure about him. His fastball looks a little too straight and 95mph doesn't play like it used to. The curve was good, but the slider didn't move enough. Changeup was solid and got him the swing and miss he was looking for, but I'm just not sure he's got enough stuff. It would be huge if he could be a 2 inning guy every 3 days or so, but his fastball looks hittable and he didn't seem confident in it. All in all, though, a pretty great win. And nice job by Castro pinch running, even if it was maybe a little more exciting than it needed to be (almost oversliding 2B, then starting his slide into home so early that from the stands it looked like he was going to Willie Mays Hayes it and come up 2 feet short. But he got it done!).
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