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LA Vikes Fan

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Everything posted by LA Vikes Fan

  1. LA Vikes Fan
    Lee is off to a slow start but two games isn't enough to judge hm. Now, 15-20 games is and we will be there after this next game every day for 15 days swing. Meanwhile, Kaelen Culpepper is tearing it up in St. Paul. If both trends continue, the answer is obvious to me. Culpeper up, Lee down.
  2. LA Vikes Fan
    I agree but would add Martin as a guy who could be part of the 2028 group. These guys need to play.
  3. LA Vikes Fan
    I'm with you. Play Martin 5 days a week for a month and see if his .282/.374/.365 slash line from last year can be replicated or, even better , if he can raise his SLG even to .375. If he can do that and continue to play above average defense in LF we have an everyday MLB starter who can it in the 1 or 9 hole. Other suggestions: Play Wallner every day in RF or DH to see if he can hit LH pitching enough. Just don't hit him 4 until he shows you can drive in runs from the 6 spot. Bring up Roden for Outman (or Larnach if you can trade him somehow). Play him 3-4 days a week (RF, LF, and DH). See if he can hit. Wait the 16 days to keep the extra year and then, bring up Culpeper to play SS. Lee has 2 weeks to show that he can hit; replace him when he doesn't. He may need a AAA reset. If he does hit, move him to 1B, trade Bell. Play GG, Mendez and/or Fedko at 1B in AAA. Plan to move the one that can hit up in July to play 1B for the Twins.
  4. LA Vikes Fan
    I couldn't agree more on Clemens. He is a below average hitter with a low average AND a low OBP, although he does have some power. He's pretty good at 1B, decent at 2B (and maybe 3B), and the epitome of average in LF. In other words, he is the 25th or 26th guy on a good team, probably in AAA on a championship contender (like he was with Philly). He's also almost 30 years old so he's likely at his ceiling. He is here to be used when necessary; he is NOT a guy you create opportunities for or feel compelled to use. He's fine as a bench guy playing 2 or 3 times a week, and should be replaced by midseason by a guy with higher upside even if that means Caratini and Bell have to play 1B. C'mon Jeremy, this is a year to position the roster for the future and hope you get lucky and contend. Trade Larnach for whatever is out there and get Roden up. Wait the 16 days until we can get the extra year and call up Culpepper to play SS (maybe Lee moves to a UTL slot). Lose Outman and bring up GG or Emma (I prefer GG since he's RH), move Bell to an everyday 1B, and rotate Wallner, Roden, Martin and GG through the corner OF slots and DH. Give the "young" guys their shot this year so you know what you have for next year.
  5. LA Vikes Fan
    Speaking of bullpens, don’t know if you guys saw but Jorge Alcala triggered an upward mobility clause in his contract and can now go to any team willing to up offer a 26 man roster spot. Worth trying to get him? I say yes, drop Kent.
  6. LA Vikes Fan
    I really wonder about Topa. I was hoping he would have a dead arm or some other "injury" so he could be put on the 15 day Il to start the season. I know its only one game but add in ST and it might be time to drop/Il/demote Topa and bring up Altavilla. He throws 96-98 MPH so he could add some velocity to a soft tossing bullpen. He does have a high walk rate around 12.3% and doesn't have a huge SO rate, around 18%, so there is risk. Still, Altavilla had 2.48 Era (4.66 FIP) last year so there's also hope. Topa was bad in ST and looks off to a slow start so maybe some time off would help. He did have an "oblique issue" in ST so maybe he isn't completely healthy.
  7. LA Vikes Fan
    I saw the same thing, but when I watched the replay, the shortstop was lined up for a throw to third base, not to second base. When the outfielder gets the ball, he looks up for the cutoff man, and Lee was lined up with third base. I don’t think that’s Martin’s mistake. I think the shortstop told him to throw it there with his positioning.
  8. LA Vikes Fan
    I like Martin leading off. Let's see if he can replicate that .374 OP he had the last two months of last season.
  9. LA Vikes Fan
    Opening Day Lineup: Martin LF Buxton CF Keaschall 2B Jeffers C Wallner RF Bell 1B Caratini DH Lewis 3B Lee SS I think that's the planned every day starting lineup against LH starters Against RH starters, I'm guessing Wallner and Jeffers flip flop at 4 and 5, and Larnach replaces Caratini. Things will move around as the season rolls along and the order will change on those days that the bench guys get a start but I think this is what Shelton wants to do. By the way, I like it. Your 3 speed guys are together and your LH regulars are split up at 4 and 7 against RH pitching. Lewis is low until he earns a promotion. Lee concentrates on his fielding with less pressure hitting 9. I could also see moving Martin to 9 against RH starters and everyone else up one. It's important to have Martin, Buxton and Keaschall together to manufacture some runs.
  10. LA Vikes Fan
    I live in LA and Dodgers have all kinds of injury issues. They've won the last two World Series with pitching staffs cobbled together to get around injury problems. Of course, having unlimited resources to pay talented guys who can't stay healthy big money even though they regularly break down helps - see Glasnow (never pitched more than 130 innings in a season, salary $30m) and Snell( 5 year $182m contract, one year over 130 innings out of the last 7 years) . I'd be interested in some statistics on that if you think the Twins have more than their share, I think the Dodgers have had just as many injuries, they just have more resources to find and keep quality replacements. A 25 year, 8.25 billion dollar TV deal helps. My sense is that the Twins don't have more injuries, they just lack the resources to replace guys who get hurt with guys who can play.
  11. LA Vikes Fan
    I was thinking the same thing - it looks like there are a lot of catchers who should or have hit the waiver this week. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll wind up as the 3rd C in AAA. We will need him at some point this year if he does.
  12. LA Vikes Fan
    Agreed, but Emma is unlikely to ever be a well rounded hitter. He'll be a guy who walks a lot, hits 25 plus HRs, fields well, but has an average or below average batting average and a 30% SO rate. Something like a .240/.350/.475 line. That would be great to have in the lineup but It's a guy who hits in 4-6 hole, not a guy who hits 2 or 3.
  13. LA Vikes Fan
    I agree that this is a high variance team - could win 85-90, could lose 90-100. Nick, you described them well. My one nit is that I think Shelton is much different than Baldelli. Being a baseball manager (or head football coach, CEO, etc.) is about leadership. Leadership is not only about the lineup decisions or pitching changes, etc.; its much more about creating a culture conducive to winning and putting players in the best position to be successful. Some guys get a pat on the back, some get a kick in the ass, some get left alone. You have to create a culture where each individual contributor is put in a position to contribute what they can and celebrated for that contribution regardless of how big or how small, not put people is a position where their flaws are exposed or where they are criticized because they aren't something they lack the skills or temperament to be. I think Shelton understands that much better than Baldelli did and is trying to create a positive, winning culture. Who knows if it will work. We may simply not have enough talent to be successful or may need to define success at 81-81 given our talent level. I do think Shelton could be the "X factor" that allows this team to be better as a whole than the sum of its parts.
  14. LA Vikes Fan
    The decisions are in - Arcia, Altavilla, Banuelos, and Trent Baker all sent to minor league camp. Bowman granted his outright release. That means Lawyerson and Kent made the team in the bullpen. If I'm following this, your 2026 opening day roster is almost done unless we make a trade or pick up someone else's waived player for a backup SS or BP pitcher- C - Jeffers, Caratini (Jackson still on roster, assume he will be traded or DFA'd) IF - Bell, Keaschall, Lee, Lewis, Clemens, Tristan Gray OF - Buxton, Wallner, Martin, Outman, Larnach Rotation - Ryan, Bradley, Ober, Abel, SWR Bullpen - Rogers, Topa, Orze, Funderburk, Banda, Sands, Kent, Lawyerson There you have it unless there is a waiver pickup or trade made before Thursday.
  15. LA Vikes Fan
    God I hope you're wrong. At the very least, I hope the thought is Wallner - Buxton - Martin in the OF with Larnach as the LH DH/emergency OF. I would actually prefer Larnach and Outman gone with a Buxton/Wallner/Martin/Roden OF group, each playing on the OF 4-5 days a week and DH'ing on occasion. Bottom line is that Larnach should NOT see the OF.
  16. LA Vikes Fan
    Agreed. Martin should get an everyday run in LF to see if he can take the LF position by playing like he did the last 2 months of 2025 - .282/.374/.365 (.739), 11 for 15 on steals, and above average OF defense. My hope is the reason they chose Outman over Roden is so that Roden can get everyday ABs in St. Paul as next man up, waiting on the starters and/or Larnach to get hurt or fail. Outman should be the 1-2 day a week CF and otherwise not play. Larnach is the LH DH who plays rarely in the OF.
  17. LA Vikes Fan
    Agreed. Martin is your opening day LF and will be there most days now with Roden in AAA. Larnach will only be in LF occasionally, mostly the LH DH. Very sorry to see Outman over Roden though. Maybe we'll find a way to trade Larnach or Outman so Roden can come back.
  18. LA Vikes Fan
    The tempting choice after last year is Martin - .374 OBP (near elite) with no power. Classic lead off guy if he can replicate that. Martin, the Buxton, then Keaschall, then Wallner. Moves your power guys back where they can hit with runners on base. Big bet on Martin, though.
  19. LA Vikes Fan
    I actually see two win – win trades already coming out of the last deadline. Trading Duran for Abel in an of itself might be a win-win if Abel meets his potential as a middle to top of rotation starter. That guy is easily worth a quality closer, and we have at least a potential high end catching prospect (but we are way too far a way to know if Tait is any good). The other is trading Jax for Bradley. I think both teams are going to be happy with what they got out of that trade. Now, if Roden can turn into a quality starting outfielder, I might start to think there was actually a plan last year …
  20. LA Vikes Fan
    My guess is they pick up someone DFA'd by a better team, which of course leaves a large number of possible sources.
  21. LA Vikes Fan
    Urshela was released today. Agree on the rest.
  22. LA Vikes Fan
    Right choice. Abel looks ready: Matthews does not. Let Zebby refine a 3rd pitch in AAA. Abel is likely to be up and down performance wise, but he earned the shot. So far, glad to see the Twins embracing their youth. Looks like Funderburk over Chafin and Abel in the rotation. I hope Rodon gets a starting OF spot and Martin makes it as the 4th OF. We need players. Let's see if our "younger" guys can be any of those players and, if not, on to GG, Emma, Culpepper, and Jenkins.
  23. LA Vikes Fan
    Whoa! Chafin also released?! Matthews send to minors? Rotation and Bullpen coming into fous: Rotation: Ryan, Ober, Bradley, Abel, SWR Bullpen _ RHP - Sands, Topa, Orze, Altavilla, Kent (?) LHP - Rogers, Banda, Funderburk. So Able over Matthews, Funderburk over Chafin, Kent over Hendricks. Love the first 2, Meh on the last one.
  24. LA Vikes Fan
    Thanks for the update. I want to keep him, too. I think you're right - it's Hendricks, Chafin, and Arcia that have the opt outs. I just read the date is today, not tomorrow. When do we expect the team to announce its roster decisions?
  25. LA Vikes Fan
    I have to think Dan Altavilla will break camp with the team. He had a 2.48 ERA last year in 29 innings with the White Sox (admittedly with a 5.45 FIP), and seemed to pitch well for Italy in the World Baseball Classic this spring. He's on a minor league deal so he will have opt outs under the CBA and one is 5 days before opening day, i.e., tomorrow. If Altavilla and Kent make it, Orze probably goes down. My guess is Orze and Altavilla stay and Kent goes. My real guess is that someone winds up on the 15 day IL to start the season.
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