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Otto von Ballpark

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Everything posted by Otto von Ballpark

  1. Otto von Ballpark
    Why would they shut down or limit Romero to 90 innings last year, just to give him more in instructs? Wouldn't they rather those innings came in actual games? Also, if you are weighting instruct innings equally, don't you also have to weight major and minor league spring training innings? He probably had more of those in 2017 than 2016, given his late start last year. I don't know much about instructs either, so I am not sure of the numbers or how they should be weighted.
  2. Otto von Ballpark
    Correct. Stewart too, if they want to keep him out of Rule 5.
  3. Otto von Ballpark
    I should have clarified, I agree it was a bad decision not to PH Mauer. I just think Molitor's explanation of why he didn't is even worse. I'd pinch hit him either way, but I think it is slightly more important with runners at 1st and 2nd, rather than 2nd and 3rd. But, better for Molitor to blame Polanco...
  4. Otto von Ballpark
    That would have left a base open for them to walk Mauer (or at least pitch around him) and face Rosario and Buxton.
  5. Otto von Ballpark
    Well, Heston is already off the 40-man, so I guess he's rotation fodder for Rochester the rest of the way.
  6. Otto von Ballpark
    How many of those deals do they really regret today, even with the benefit of hindsight? Even the Gomez trade has yielded Fiers who is capably holding down a rotation spot. Some guys they have given up have had their moments but most are ultimately pretty "meh" and would barely be factors in the Astros current roster, and that includes Grossman and DeShields. JD Martinez was the big one, although every other team in the league passed on claiming him too.
  7. Otto von Ballpark
    Yates looks very Tonkin-esque, right down to being available on waivers 2 months ago and his current low-leverage assignment. I probably wouldn't bother with him, except perhaps if he was a throw-in with Brad Hand or something.
  8. Otto von Ballpark
    The previous call ups (save perhaps Rosario jumping up after only 30 career innings at AA) were all obviously worse pitchers too. Seriously, I don't think game situation is what was holding Wimmers back in 2017.
  9. Otto von Ballpark
    And it's not just the job, it's the role -- no team has asked Belisle to pitch this many high leverage situations since the 2012 Rockies (and they weren't a good team). The 2014 Rockies and 2016 Nationals in particular used him in more of a Breslow mop-up role. But the 2017 Twins have him as our second highest leveraged reliever, behind only Kintzler.
  10. Otto von Ballpark
    It will be Gee, I think. It was perhaps the primary reason for adding him to the 40-man last week. He should get a tune-up at Rochester today?
  11. Otto von Ballpark
    Glad to see Gee sent out. He can come back Saturday as the 26th man, and the rest of the bullpen spots (hopefully? finally?) can be decided on merit.
  12. Otto von Ballpark
    As the article says, Gimenez hit his 5th last night.
  13. Otto von Ballpark
    I worry that Hughes might offer the same "help" as Breslow -- low leverage mop-up work, and generally limited to an inning or two per appearance, with ample rest in between. In any case, I would hesitate to trust him with more than that.
  14. Otto von Ballpark
    Platoon splits are meaningless in Breslow's strict mop-up role.
  15. Otto von Ballpark
    "Yes, your honor, I ran over a few kids with my car -- but think of all the kids I didn't run over! Far from a problem -- I am an asset to this community!" And is last night another tally in Belisle's "no runs allowed" counter?
  16. Otto von Ballpark
    wRC+ is actually strictly a measure of offense. But Forsythe hasn't played much 2B, he's been injured and back in a utility role. Utley and Chris Taylor have been covering 2B, and I expect that production to come back down, but probably not enough to characterize the position as a hole anymore, at least not relative to Dozier'a non-2016 performances.
  17. Otto von Ballpark
    C'mon, I clearly never said that Dozier "lost all value". I said he returned to his pre-2016 level of performance, which is solid but notably less than his 2016 level. And at that level, he makes far less sense for the Dodgers. They have pretty well been vindicated so far in not giving up multiple top prospects for the available second basemen last winter, right? As much as the Twins have been vindicated in not trading straight up for De Leon. It was a smart non-trade on both sides.
  18. Otto von Ballpark
    Holy old post, batman! In any case, 29 is notably less than 42, so I am not sure of your point. Dozier's had a nice couple weeks here too, but Dodgers 2B still top Twins 2B in wRC+, 124 to 105. Only a game behind the Astros for best record in baseball. I doubt they are regretting not making that trade.
  19. Otto von Ballpark
    Pablo Sandoval?
  20. Otto von Ballpark
    I'm not sure what this is supposed to prove. I don't think Busenitz or Hildenberger would get much in trade right now either, should we cut them too? Also, we have yet to see that no other team is willing to give Melotakis a 40-man roster spot. And finally, again, I've got to dispute your contention that Breslow is providing "help right now" in any meaningful way. He's not eating significant innings, he's pitching exclusively in mop-up situations, and he has no options to temporarily exchange him for a fresh arm -- so if he throws 45 pitches in relief like last Thursday, you've got to boot someone else from the roster to add Dillon Gee in time for the next game. If Breslow was the best that I could get in trade for a player, well, I just wouldn't make the trade right now.
  21. Otto von Ballpark
    I heard we were holding out for the cryogenically preserved head of Sandy Koufax too, but the Dodgers balked because he's not dead yet.
  22. Otto von Ballpark
    And I'm not even sure the league would allow that now.
  23. Otto von Ballpark
    I agree with all of that, and I'd add -- it's not just fat on the pitching side. Palka is probably on thin 40-man ice too, although I notice he is on Rochester's DL just like Chargois so it is a little tougher to remove him right now. Or Vargas, really. 77 wRC+. Not that I advocate cutting him, but if we truly get into a roster crunch, he would have to be examined.
  24. Otto von Ballpark
    They can DFA an injured player -- they just can't outright them to the minor leagues during the regular season (which is often the desired outcome of a DFA). They could trade them or release them, though. Rule 5 players are a little different -- they can be traded, but they can't be released while under Rule 5 restrictions. There must be some mechanism to eventually return an injured player, though -- otherwise, if a Rule 5 guy suffered a career-ending injury before his Rule 5 restrictions were up, I don't think he'd be eternally locked into a team's 40-man roster! Maybe just for that season? I don't know. Not that I recommend releasing these guys, just interested in transaction rules!
  25. Otto von Ballpark
    Would you have cut Breslow before him? Keep in mind, they could have cut Breslow immediately after he had thrown 45 pitches Thursday, and replaced him with a fresh Gee for Friday's game. I know you're in the "cut Breslow for Reed soon" camp, so you would think cutting him a week or two ahead of schedule to let Melotakis throw a bit in AAA and see what else develops might be more prudent. Are Chargois and Rosario next on your cut list? They are relievers who likely will not achieve "success/effectiveness in the majors this year". Haley would seem to not be meeting your requirement either (and frankly would have been a good candidate for the 60-day DL, if there was really a 40-man crunch last week -- he's been out almost a month with shoulder soreness already, I see he is just starting rehab in rookie ball today but I think I'd let him rehab for quite awhile anyway).
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