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LA Vikes Fan

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Everything posted by LA Vikes Fan

  1. LA Vikes Fan
    Agreed. I think the roster crunch most likely gets resolved by an injury or two but if we're lucky.... could be an issue. It really effects the limited players - Garlick who can only hit LH pitching and is a detriment in the field and Sano whose hitting challenges are well documented and who also is a problem in the field. Those are the two guys at risk of being gone when and if a roster crunch occurs. BTW, the one plae I disagree is the assumption that Sano will ahve a stron 1/2 a season (all that will be left when he is eligible to return in July.) I honestly think that he is regressing and we've seen the best he has and it's all downhill from here. Hope I'm wrong.
  2. LA Vikes Fan
    Well said, Mike.
  3. LA Vikes Fan
    Arraez needs to play 1B to get into the lineup - there isn't anyplace else for him to play. Count me on the team that says when Correa comes back, Lewis goes to 3B 3-4 times a week, and Arraez and Urshela become a tandem 1B/3B/UTL entry. I don't think Lewis needs to play SS everyday but I agree he should play every day. I think it should be at the MLB level. Why? Because he is one of the best 6 or 7 players on the team and has earned a spot. He needs to devlop at the plate as well as in the field. Arraez goes to 1B against RH pitching, Urshela or Kepler plays there against LH pitching. Lewis plays 3-4 days a week at 3B, 1 at SS, maybe DHs one. Larnach plays LF or DHs every day when he comes back, Celestino plays CF, LF or RF. Gordon and Urshela are UTL players with Urshela in the lineup more often than not. Best lineup we presently have.
  4. LA Vikes Fan
    Thanks, this is a good explanation of Miranda's troubles. This might be as simple as him being over eager in his first trip up to the MLB level. Unfortunately, it looks like he needs a little more time at the AAA level. I expect him to go back down when Correa or Larnach is ready to play. Good first look, but just not ready yet.
  5. LA Vikes Fan
    I agree that the Twins should at least contend for the division title. Frankly, a wild-card spot might be tougher to get this year. I hope the team took notes last night because the Astros showed you how to play. They advanced runners and took professional at bats against a starter who was only just a little wild. The scored at least some of their runs on a ground out, a 2 out single after a player walked and stole 2nd base, and a sacrifice fly. Combine that with a pitcher how threw strikes and made the opposition put the ball play into an elite defense and you have a real recipe for winning baseball. It is also the recipe that would work best for these Twins. We don't have the offensive talent to bludgeon anyone to death nor can we expect ace stuff from the rotation, We need to play smart situational baseball at the plate, good defense, and get pitching that requires our opponents to put the ball in play. Just like the Astros last night.
  6. LA Vikes Fan
    I agree that the baseball is deader and suppressing home runs - that's exactly what baseball intended to happen. Baseball as an entertainment product is trying to deal with 2 negative issues (1) almost all games lasting longer than 3 hours, and (2) a lack of action in those games. This causes baseball to appear "slow" and "unexciting" when compared to a 2 to 2 1/2 hour basketball or hockey game that has a lot of scoring and excitement during that time frame. Football lasts just as long but there's excitement or least potential excitement on every play. Not so in baseball. By deadening the ball, baseball hopes that the trend towards the 3 true outcome layer is reduced in favor of more athletic, contact oriented types. Think more Gilberto Celestinos and fewer Miguel Sanos. This is going to take a while to play out, probably more than just one season. Teams that were built based on slower power types have to adjust and you can't just do that overnight. I expect that we will go back to the day where each team has a lineup of 2 or 3 power/homerun/strikeout guys and 6 or 7 contact oriented/single/doubles guys rather than the other way around which is what many teams have now. That should mean more players on the bases, more high stress situations, and more pitch to contact pitchers. Pitchers will be less worried about guys hitting home runs on mistakes since many of them will hit singles or doubles on those same mistakes, nor homers. The end result is theoretically a more exciting game because of more runners on base and a faster game because of fewer strikeouts, which is what baseball wants to make it a better entertainment product. It is far from certain that any of these changes are going to happen or that any of this will work in practice the way it "should" work in theory. I think this season is the test. Baseball is losing popularity or to basketball in particular and it felt like it had to do something to improve the entertainment product. We'll see if this works and whether we like the result. Pretty unclear right now ...
  7. LA Vikes Fan
    Great to sweep the As when half of the starting lineup is out. Think about it, of the 8 positions only 4 positions had starters in or available the lineup for more than one game this weekend - Polanco, Kepler, Miranda/Urshela, and Jeffers/Sanchez. Pretty amazing we could beat anybody 3 straight. Great seeing Lewis and Celestino perform well, and Miranda is close. Pitching is really carrying us but the young guys are making a contribution. The only real disappointment is Kirilloff. He looks bad. I'm guessing a lot of it is phycological with the wrist as much as it is physical. Godoy is probably the first one to go back to AAA when Arraez is ready but Kiriloff has to be second when Garlick or Larnach can come back. Sad to see, but Kirilloff needs to go back to AAA and really show he's ready before he should be on the 26 man roster. I hope that when Correa is ready to play full time in about a week (DH until then), that Lewis stays to play 3B/DH with Urshela, Miranda stays to play 1B with Arraez and Celestino stays to be the LF/DH/4thOF tandem with Larnach. Bye bye to Garlick and Sano (60 day injured list) and option Kirilloff.
  8. LA Vikes Fan
    Could be a win-win depending on how Lewis plays. It's interesting that they called him up even though Correa isn't going on the IL. I guess they're down to a few guys on the 40 man roster to call up without DFA'ing someone but still, it shows that they want to be aggressive with Lewis. It wouldn't surprise me if he stays if he hits over the next few games, maybe in place of who? Miranda, Gordon, Larnach, Celestino? We've got a few guys playing for jobs in the next few days while Correa is on the shelf. . .
  9. LA Vikes Fan
    6 weeks, Ouch! Well, I guess that's right about the perfect amount of time to see if Lewis is ready to play and can handle MLB pitching. We'll know a lot more about this team by the end of June after Lewis and Miranda have each gotten 100-150 ABs, and Larnach has another 150 under his belt. Add to that 6-8 more starts apiece for Ryan, Ober and Winder and as they say, the future is now. Scary but could be exciting.
  10. LA Vikes Fan
    This COULD really work out if Lewis can handle MLB pitching. I have ZERO concern about finding him a place to play when Correa comes back. Let's not forget, we have the DH spot without anyone hitting well play to put there regularly. We even have our backup C hitting there; seems like we can do better. There's plenty of room for Correa, Larnach, Arraez, Urshela, Miranda and Lewis between SS, 3B, 1B, LF, and DH. If either Miranda or Lewis needs more AAA time because they can't yet handle MLB pitching, they go back. Perfect time to give each of them a 60-100 PA run to see if they're ready. Weak schedule the next month, and a so far weak division. Let's set ourselves up for the second half. By the way, when is Correa coming back? Anyone hear?
  11. LA Vikes Fan
    I'd love the Correa exercises his option scenario but I think it's pretty unlikely. He is well set up to get a long term high value contract this winter, particularly if he plays well and leads the Twins to the playoffs and they win a series or two. The Yankees will need a SS, as will others, and I can see him getting a 7-8 contract at a high AAV. I just don't see the Twins doing that and Scott Boras doesn't really believe in home town discounts. Now in the good news category, the Dodgers will need a SS since Trea Turner is in the last year of his deal but I just don't see them signing the face of the "cheater Astros" from the 2017 World Series. The Dodger fans would never accept him.
  12. LA Vikes Fan
    Yes, I think it is far from certain that Kirilloff will be of much help in MLB this year. Something is still not right with him and his wrist, whether it's a continuing physical issue or more of a mental adjustment to playing through pain. I'd be very surprised to see him before June 15. I think it's possible that he will be up for the second half but wouldn't be surprised if it takes him a season to work through these issues, including possibly a further procedure. I think we have to plan on 1B being manned by someone else. On the bright side, that someone else could be Miranda. Between Sano's injury and Kiriloff's rehab issues, there's a huge hole at the 1B/DH spot. Here's his big break, hope he can take advantage of it.
  13. LA Vikes Fan
    Wow, A Kelly's Heroes reference? Impressive and kind of spot on. If I remember the character well, they kind of look alike, and Sutherlands character turned out to be a lot smarter and more savvy than you thought when you first saw or listened to him. Well done.
  14. LA Vikes Fan
    IF Lewis continues to hit his presence and that of Miranda does give the Twins some options should a market be there to trade Urshela or Sano for bullpen help. I could see us trading Urshela at the deadline with a decent prospect for a solid controllable reliever and having Miranda and/or Lewis take over at 3B. A lot depends on whether Miranda shows he can hit at the MLB level in the 3-4 weeks while Sano is on the IL and then at AAA trying to find his stroke. I expect Miranda to play most every day between 3B, 1B, and DH to see how he hits at this stage. It's a long shot since this is his first time up and he's only 23, but a lot of possibilities open up if he can be effective at the plate.
  15. LA Vikes Fan
    My prayers are with you and your wife in this difficult time.
  16. LA Vikes Fan
    I think that's the actual plan and the right plan. I expect Lewis to be in AAA playing SS every day unless Correa gets hurt. Lewis is the SS next year unless Correa stays (seems unlikely), and needs the SS reps. I don't expect he'll be in MN this season until at least August or September.
  17. LA Vikes Fan
    You the man. That's exactly what they should do as a plan. Kepler is a good glove in the OF and is now hitting (who would have guessed? not me). Arraez needs a place to play against RH pitching and IB is the only spot left for him where he doesn't hurt us in the field. Pair him with Miranda and if Miranda plays well, trade Sano if we can.
  18. LA Vikes Fan
    I agree and Memorial Day may be optimistic. Kirilloff has to get over the mental part of playing with a potentially chronic injury. That takes some time. I'm thinking after the All Star break, particularly if an Arraez/Miranda platoon is at least adequate at 1B.
  19. LA Vikes Fan
    Correa is coming back nicely and just maybe Polanco is starting to come back to his norm. I like seeing Kepler hitting the ball the other way; he might actually be the middle of the order bat we desperately need. We're still one middle of the order guy short of a complete lineup. Larnach maybe? No on Sano. Any way we can trade an A ball guy or two and get Nelson Cruz back?
  20. LA Vikes Fan
    Nice write up. My only question is the defense; it seems like it's been better than middle of the road. I may think that because its better than it was and/or watching Detroit and Chicago give away games in the field. Still, I just think the defense is one of the reasons we've improved and a main contributor to the success of the rotation.
  21. LA Vikes Fan
    It's not that Sano isn't a competent MLB player; he is. He just isn't good enough to be the 1B/middle of the order bat on a contending MLB team. He's plenty good enough to start for a .500 team, but I don't want to be that. A contending team can't wait 2 months for a guy to heat up to slightly above average. We should always be evaluating players on whether they can contribute to a team contending for a championship. If they can, they stay. If they can't, you look for an upgrade. They play until you find that upgrade but you don't stop looking. Simple as that. Sano just isn't good enough to be what we need - a solid 1B/DH who hits in the middle of a good lineup. I wouldn't cut him slack, I'd look for his replacement. Weirdly enough, we may have found his replacement in Arraez and/or Kirilloff.
  22. LA Vikes Fan
    I agree but I do wonder a a little about our MLB ready depth. There isn't anyone burning up AAA except for Lewis, who will stay in AAA to be ready to replace Correa at SS. We're having a hard time finding an everyday LF, and Laranch seems to be our only real hope unless Kirilloff re-appears. On the SP side, the only real go to at AAA is Smeltzer, who doesn't seem like he is more than a #5 SP/long reliever. I know we have pitching depth at the MLB level in Winder and some AA guys but it's a long way from AA to the majors. I agree that we have more depth than last year. I don't think we have a lot of depth overall. I think the Twins success this year is heavily dependent on continuing good health.
  23. LA Vikes Fan
    Keep Smeltzer as a starter in AAA for now We will need starters t the MLB level by June given the injury history and checkered track records of Gray, Bundy and Archer. I also don't see the team letting Ryan, Paddack or Ober go more than about 150-160 innings this yea given none of them pitched over 110 innings last year - Ober 108 total, 92 MLB, Paddack 108, all MLB, Ryan 92 total, 26 MLB. There will be 30 starts this year for guys outside the 6 now in the rotation. WInder can take 15 of them, leaving 15 for somebody else. That's what we really need Smeltzer for.
  24. LA Vikes Fan
    I'm with you. Better defense means better pitching and Ryan used it last night. I love the idea of getting Arraez in the lineup at 1B or DH and only occasionally in the infield. Keep Correa, Polanco and Urshela in the infield as much as we can - all 3 are waaaay above average at their positions and really help these guys out.
  25. LA Vikes Fan
    Kepler hitting like he did last night or over the last week would sure help fix the big hole with this offense - the lack of a #4 or #5 hitter. Even better he hits left handed and the other 2-4 guys that can hit are all RH except Arraez. I don't think it's likely but ... a girl can dream, right?
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