Don't Feed the Greed Guy

Great event! I enjoyed visiting with Phil Miller--very approachable guy. Also Stephen Gonsalves and Zach Granite (upstairs with other prospects). We discussed having a Draft Party at the Twins Daily table at the Diamond Awards. The draft is set for Monday, June 12. What a great opportunity for draft nerds to gather at a local Twin Cites bar to hear the Twins first pick, and then enjoy some baseball chatter over beers as the clock moves toward picks #35 (competitive balance pick) and #37 (first pick of the 2nd round). Last year, teams were given four minutes between first-round picks, and one minute during the competitive balance phase (#31 through #36). That means two hours, at the most, between pick #1 and picks #35 & 37. The time of the 2017 draft hasn't been released, but last year the MLB Network began broadcasting at 6 p.m.ET, with the first pick on the clock at 7:01 p.m.ET. Mock Draft prizes for most correct picks, and least correct..? Could be fun! I'd drive down from Walker for sure! Only criticism of the event--minor criticism--was the lack of tables--eating space. I think if there was seating in front of the stage, some of the folks who ate early might have been willing to move closer to the stage, and give up table or bar space to those who were waiting for a place to eat. The bar might also see this as a way to increase their income.

We would like to join you folks at the Diamond Awards, if room is still available. My wife is a physical therapist who worked with last year's featured individual, Patrick Tyk who underwent the surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation to help treat his Parkinson’s symptoms. Nice when a date night combines our "Twin" passions for baseball and community service.

Wow! Tickets went fast... Bummer.

Strib confirms, through Ken Rosenthal, that Trevor Plouffe has signed with Oakland. Good for him. The California boy will be playing just north of I-5 from his home. http://www.startribune.com/trevor-plouffe-agrees-to-one-year-deal-with-oakland/410365565/

"An article from Mike Berardino in the Pioneer Press earlier this week quoted a source as saying that a final decision would be coming soon "out of respect" for the veteran infielder." I, as a fan, would like this settled by Twins Fest, where our family has had great interactions with Dozier. Makes sense that fans, labor, and management want the halls of Target Center to be "friendly confines" by the end of January.

Bummer. Just got the "let's go!" from my wife, and the tickets have melted down. If anyone has a change-in-plans, message me, and I'll make arrangements to come get your tickets.

Great article. I use ticket stubs for bookmarks, and prefer to have tickets mailed to me, or picked up at Will Call whenever that's an option. Every ticket is a memory.

Our family watched the Tin Caps-Kernels tilt last night in Fort Wayne. We're on our way out to Boston and Fenway, and Pawtucket-AAA to see our Twins and Red Wings play. Parkview Field rivals the finest Spring Training parks with a top notch field and facilities. Consider dropping in if you ever take an East Coast road trip. As for the game,four errors and miscues made the score much closer than it should have been. Kevin Garcia-who was nice enough to toss my son a ball-tried reaching third on Rainis Siva's single with nobody out in the second inning. He was thrown out by fifteen feet. Nine other runners were stranded on base over the first four innings, adding to the frustration, and the simultaneous sense that our luck was bound to change. Sam Gibbons' return to the rotation was also not as bad as the box scores dictates. One or two pitches would have been the difference. Haunting walks, bone head errors, and pitches left over the plate could easily have been replaced with balls-in-play, double plays, and timely strikeouts. Eventually our fortunes changed. The bats stayed hot, and baserunners who couldn't get past third base during the early innings began to be waved home. One last suggestion: try "Shigs in Pit" BBQ. The best BBQ I've enjoyed since dining at Gates BBQ in Kansas City, remembered from the days when we used to head south for outdoor baseball, and to escape our Teflon-covered exile in the Homerdome.

Odor's shove had to do with the slide. Bautista kept coming at him after the shove, and so Odor punched him. There may have been some built up tension due to past history, but Odor's actions were reactive to the situation at hand. Bautista tried to break his ankles, sliding way past the bag with spikes up.

This is true. Comparing the ethics of baseball to office behavior is ridiculous. Yes, there are behaviors that will get ballplayers suspended or fired either by internal or external controls (Internal: your team/the organization you work for--or external: Umpires, the MLB League Office, or even State or Federal law). There are internal and external controls in the office space too, but the two arenas are vastly different. When was the last time a bunch of fans cheered an office employee's performance review? What Bautista did violated the ethics of Odor's workplace. He deserved everything he got. Some might call that vigilantism. Some might call it justice. It will be interesting to see if baseball's external control--the league office, rules on this one, and how they rule. Whatever message the league office sends will not likely be as loud as Odor's right cross. As far as the fans in the stands, there's a reason to get excited, or even outraged, when something like this happens. If I was a father to a son at that game, I would explain what happened, and why the ethics of baseball were violated when Bautista slid past the bag into Odor's kitchen. That's a teachable moment.

Post-trade deadline, Polanco should be at second and Sano at third, with Kepler in right. Plouffe and Dozier work only in a "win now" format so trade 'em. I still see 2018 as the breaking point toward winning ways. 2018 is also Joe Mauer's last season under his present contract. Park at 1b through 2020.

It's all about the OBP, baby. Get Mauer on so Park and Sano can bang him in. I'm all for batting Mauer, Nunez, Park and Sano at the top of the order, like BMCACCAL's list above. Send Plouffe and Dozier a wake-up call.

I will remember 2010 as a great time to drive down to Kansas City and watch the Twins feast on a Royal banquet of top prospects coming out of the KC pipeline. Outdoor baseball, and records like 12-6 (2008) 12-6 (2009) and 13-5 (2010) against our AL Central rivals made for a strong Minnesota section at Kauffman Stadium , drowning out the locals with chants of "MVP" when Joe Mauer came to bat. Billy "Country Breakfast" Butler was on the menu, as well as high-draft prospects like Luke Hochevar and Mike Moustakas. Alex Gordon was maturing, but still young and raw. In 2011, Eric Hosmer was 21 years old, and Salvador Perez played in 39 games as a twenty-one-year-old catcher. All that began to change as the Twin's dominance declined to a respectable 10-8 (2011), then 11-7 (2012). The big switch came in 2013, when Kauffman Stadium became a home field for powder blue again. Minnesota went 4-15 against Kansas City. The shift in dominance turned northward as droves of fans from Missouri and Kansas came north on I-35 to Target Field. Kauffman entertained back-to-back World Series games. Target field entertained empty seats. All I'm saying is that this trend from Prospect to Respect will take time. Who can tell where Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, and Byron Buxton will be playing when they enter their early thirties, like Gordon and Hochevar? "Country Breakfast" just turned thirty too. The Royals let him go to Oakland as a free agent after the 2014 season. Good move. This much is for sure: Prospects will be moving rapidly through the Minnesota pipeline as the losing continues. Kansas City endured nine losing seasons in a row before turning things around in 2013. Minnesota may be halfway through its losing stretch, with last year's modest winning record being a small reprieve. I began to think that 2018 might be the season when the tide would turn. It might take longer. What do you think, Seth, others?

Seth, I asked you a week or two ago about your prediction that TJ White would be most likely to be promoted out of Ft. Myers. WOW, what a prediction. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. My two boys, ages 10 and 12, met White last year down in Cedar Rapids. TJ gave my boys a cracked, game-used bat without more than a request for an autograph. "Boys, I've got something for you..." He ran to the dugout, and came back with the bat. Here's one dad that hopes TJ White's opportunities, and place on the MILB leaderboard, continue to rise.

Strikeouts matter, unless we expect our base runners to steal third and home. How often have the Twins failed to move runners over to third by hitting a grounder to the right side of the diamond, or failed to hit a sacrifice fly when a tying run is 90 feet away from scoring? Eduardo Escobar can lead the league in doubles, but he's not going to score if he's staring into home across the diamond, watching his teammates flail away. Balls put into play find holes too. Not if the pitcher and his battery mate are just "having a catch."

E.E. squared. I like your equation for a Twins breakout shortstop.

Another interesting question regarding White. He and Kris Bryant are both Las Vegas products, born twenty days apart in January of 1992. I wonder what stories White has of playing with/against Bryant?

I watched TJ White in Cedar Rapids last August. He impressed. He's nowhere on anyone's "Top Prospect" list, yet you have him pegged as the most likely hitter to be promoted to the Twins. Please tell more.

"The AL Central often turns into a war of attrition and when ammo starts running low, I like the Twins midseason reinforcements to be the difference." Good take. I'll drink that elixir from here to 2018.

My sources tell me that Terry Ryan is preparing to announce that Miguel Sano will be moved into the starting rotation. "We think the young man has the athleticism and live arm to make the switch. He's been throwing great after Tommy John surgery, and we think the time is now to make the change." Seriously, this is a potential WIN situation awaiting everyone if Ricky Nolasco is named the fifth starter, and Tyler Duffey goes to Rochester. Duffey wins by getting to work on that third pitch in AAA, and solidifying his future MLB career with a more diverse arsenal of pitches.Nolasco doesn't have to pull a Pelfery and whine about being sent to the bullpen. He WINS by getting a chance to resurrect his career.Jose Berrios and other potential AAA starters win by earning a call up if/when Nolasco implodes.And finally the Twins Organization wins by avoiding Super Two status on Berrios, and potentially Duffey too. They also get to recoup some value on the Nolasco investment if Ricky does click as the fifth starter. http://www.fangraphs.com/library/business/super-two/ See, everybody wins... Except perhaps the fans...

I'll trade a reduction in triples and outfield assists, for a higher OBP and more stolen bases.

Two things regarding a higher expectation for Eduardo Escobar (EE) this season: 1) I'm a little "old school" in thinking that MLB hitters don't peak until reaching that 2,000 PA/AB plateau. If that's the case, EE's star could keep rising as he's only at the 1243/1145 PA/AB level for his MLB career. 2) I also think that EE will be hitting in a better, more seasoned lineup this year. He's simply going to see better pitches, IMHO.

Sweeney is 31 years old. Who's most likely to break camp with the Twins, or get called up during the season? Arcia (80%) Santana (70%) Sweeney (40%) Benson (15%) Mastro (10%) Punto (?) What are your odds?

Gibson can become a free agent in 2020. He's eligible for arbitration in 2017. Both strategies of "win now" and "build for the future" are secure with Gibson in the starting rotation. The Twins should build their bullpen, short-term, via free agency, non-roster invites, minor league contracts, bailing wire, and duct tape. I will trust Terry Ryan to find cost-effective options in April and May of 2016 like he did with the April-May 2015 versions of J.R. Graham and Aaron Thompson. Two options remain by mid-season: A. The 2016 versions of Graham and Thompson don't implode due to overuse. B. The Chattanooga Choo-Choo/Rochester Calvary brings sturdy young reinforcements as Burdi, Meyer, Chargois, or Jones figure it all out down on the farm. One or two of those guys are bound to click. DON'T trade Gibson for a two-month fix. Everyone's for sale in the MLB, but not unless the competition beats down the door for Gibbie. Even then, sell high.