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cmathewson

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Everything posted by cmathewson

  1. cmathewson
    How much of the strikeout thing was the result of rarely getting anything good to hit and getting tired of taking walks all the time? When I played, I was pitched around a lot and, as a result, got into bad habits like chasing pitcher's pitches just to try to hit something. I wonder if that is part of the reason for the high walks and high strikeouts.
  2. cmathewson
    Plouffe spent most of the first two months on the bench. Dozier got sent down after playing average. Gardy had quotes in five interviews over three before the demotion saying he wanted to do it. That's pretty typical.
  3. cmathewson
    Kelly had his issue with some players. Todd Walker comes to mind. There was the celebrated Rochester revolt. But several of those players who said they hated him became cores of the team Kelly built: Mientkievizc and Pierzinski in particular. TK built a complete team out of a bunch of young kids, most of them fringe players like Mint. TK had 21 rookies in 99. He let them play and, by the time he left, they were a contender. In contrast, Gardy rarely lets guys play through their slumps. He always plays the hot hand. So he's had a mix-and match, patchwork infield for the last eight years. He'll start benching Plouffe or Dozier at the first sign of trouble. Carroll will be an everyday player at three different positions, whichever one has the cold player. Meanwhile, none of those young guys will get into a rhythm. They'll struggle their way through the season on and off the bench. And, at the end of the year, we once again won't know what we have going into 2014 at three infield positions. I hope I'm wrong. But that's Gardy's pattern, and it's not sustainable on a team that builds from within.
  4. cmathewson
    TR has had a solid offseason. I'd say it was a very good offseason if he'd chosen to sign McCarthy instead of Correia. But that's my only quibble, really. They've got $20 million in the bank in case they surprise some people and remain in the hunt in July. If not, let the rebuilding continue with Willingham and possibly Morneau. I don't think winning is TR's main goal this year. He wants to build for the future. In that context, the thing Gardy needs to do to keep his job is what has has not done in his managing career: Develop a young infield. Gardy's main weakness, relative to his predecessor, is his impatience with young players, especially infielders. Three of the four infield spots have been revolving doors since Guzy, Rivas and Koskie left. His intolerance of mistakes have scuttled the careers of several promising infield prospects. His patience will be tried this year. He won't have a job at the end of the year if he keeps the doors revolving at second, short and third.
  5. cmathewson
    Not one poster on this very long comment thread has said anything about the availability of pitching this offseason. Fact is, prices are very high and quality is very low. There are a handful of decent guys who would cost way more then they're worth. All others are back-of-the-rotation types. They could choose different guys in that class (not a fan of Corriea myself), but I don't have a problem with passing on the likes of Anibel Sanchez at 4/80.
  6. cmathewson
    The only name left that would be an upgrade over Deduno/Gibson/Hendrix is Lohse. Ryan doesn't like to bring guys back who leave on their own accord. I would have loved another starter, but I doubt they will get one before Spring Training. The best hope is that one of the three I just mentioned steps up in camp and asserts himself as a top-of-the-rotation starter. My money is on Deduno, who seemed to turn a corner last year and has been lights out in the Dominican league. Perhaps they can start with Gibson in the pen and he can be the first guy to fill in when one of the other four falters.
  7. cmathewson
    Durability needs to be part of the equation. Baker gave the Twins 0 innings last year. Pavano gutted out 63 ugly innings while injured. Liriano was healthy but wild. I would take Worely in a heartbeat over Liriano. I would take Pelfrey over Baker. And I would take Corriea over Pavano. And that does not count the guys who are waiting for opportunities, such as Gibson, who were not even an option last year. I'm not saying it's a good staff by any stretch. But it's much better than the staff we started the year with last year, which could not get much worse.
  8. cmathewson
    Hi Chris's mom. He's 28 years old. He's played one year in AA after a career in the independent leagues. The Twins are the only team to even offer him a contract to play in AA after 10 years of independent baseball. Any team could have signed him to a contract at any time pin those 10 years. Any team could have drafted him in the Rule 5 draft this offseason. There's a reason none of them did. I'm really glad he's done well at the AA level. But he's not even one of the Twins top 40 prospects, let alone "the best hitter in the Twins org."
  9. cmathewson
    This is like signing Scott Baker on the cheap. I've always liked him, despite the low K totals. At the very least, he and Gibson can tag team in their first full year back from TJ. And if he performs, they can extend him. Solid move. I'm still waiting for Ryan to sign a "pretty darn good pitcher," though.
  10. cmathewson
    This is spurious speculation. We had a chance to sign him last offseason, but instead chose to sign Jamey Carroll. We don't need two aged utility players on one team.
  11. cmathewson
    <sadface>
  12. cmathewson
    I think he'll get a chance right away. I think you're right about it being his job to lose. Benson or Mastro could beat him out. But I expect him to win the job out of Spring Training. He won't make the team if he doesn't win the starting job. But I expect him to win the starting job. Here is a complete list of top position player prospects they have promoted directly from AA: Mauer Revere Benson Parmelee Dozier Not all of those guys stayed up. But the guys who were drafted in the first round stayed up. Also note: Hicks was the highest drafted position player since Mauer (16th overall). From the time he was drafted until the time they signed Sano, he was by far the best position player in the system. I think it's fair to say the really want him to win the job out of spring training.
  13. cmathewson
    I don't get the logic. Trading Revere actually makes trading Morneau less likely. One fewer outfielder means Parmelee will be needed in right field in 2013. Not that a Morneau trade at this point is all that likely, anyway. Right now, his value is marginal, considering his contract. If he puts up great numbers in the first half of 2013 and we're out of it at the break, then, yeah. His value would be pretty huge at that point, because any team interested in him would recoup his salary in the playoffs. Teams don't like to spend that kind of money unless they know they have a good chance of winning it all. I suppose you might say a pure salary dump makes some sense. But not if you listen to Ryan. He said he doesn't want to sign a big contract pitcher like Grienke, who's pretty much the only pitcher the Twins can't afford with their payroll. Ryan statement means he's not going to dump salary more salary. This post is a nonstarter.
  14. cmathewson
    One notable difference between Worley's and Blackburn's surgeries is in the way they were handled. Blackburn's loose particles were discovered after the 2009 season. The medical staff decided not to remove them. Blackburn pitched with them (and in considerable pain) throughout 2010. That likely did damage to other parts of his elbow. If you remove the chips early, you can prevent further damage.
  15. cmathewson
    Both Benson and Hicks are better defenders than either Apan or Revere Mastro is no maestro with the glove, but he is at least as good as Revere, IMHO. Revere is overrated because of all the Web Gems, many of which came after he got bad jumps on the ball and had to use his make-up speed to make circus catches.
  16. cmathewson
    I favor using the 20-25 million as follows: Sign one guy to a long-term deal in the mid teens. Sign the other guy to a one-year deal in the $6-8 million range. This strategy is made possible by the presence of Meyers, May and Gibson in 2013, who, with Worley and Diamond, would make a decent young rotation by themselves. Understanding that you want six capable guys, one of the guys you sign can be a short timer. The question is, what will Sanchez cost in $$ and years? If he would accept a 4/56 type of deal, doesn't it make sense to go after him? I like McCarthy and all, but Sanchez is a cut above. Am I estimating too low on him?
  17. cmathewson
    But right this very minute, Hicks is ahead of Benson. Benson had a horrible year last year, getting demoted twice. I know some of that was due to the hamate bone and resulting surgery. But he started slow and never got going. Hicks got going and continued through the fall land Winter leagues. Hicks is my favorite to win the job out of spring training.
  18. cmathewson
    Interesting that we actually got more for Revere than we did for Span. I'd put May between Meyers and Gibson. Worley becomes the number 2 starter, for the time being, behind Scott Diamond.
  19. cmathewson
    Revere's stock is at it's zenith. He will not get more valuable than he is right now. Hicks will be as good, all things considered, in 2013 and much better in 2014. I wouldn't worry about starting his arbitration clock, with Buxton's projected time of arrival at 2016.
  20. cmathewson
    4/48 is a steal for Sanchez. I'd do that in a heartbeat. It doesn't make sense to sign a marginal upgrade, unless it's a one-year deal. But that guy has upside and life in his arm.
  21. cmathewson
    The key question is who has options? I believe Burnett still does. Robertson, Swarzak, Guerra. I expect three of those three to make the 25 man out of spring training regardless of performance. With Fien, Burton, Duensing, and Perkins locks, Burnett is likely headed to Rochester to start the year. I doubt they signed Roenicke for Rochester and I doubt he has options. So that puts Robertson or Swarzak on notice.
  22. cmathewson
    I like his arm slot and movement. The arm slot will make him particularly tough on righties, a la Justin Masterson. His movement will make him tough on lefties. I also think his arm slot makes him less injury prone. Tall guys who come over the top put a lot of undue stress on the elbow and shoulder. If he can develop his change and smooth out his mechanics next year (likely between AA and AAA), we can pencil him into the 2014 rotation. Now if they just use Span's dollars to help the 2013 rotation, perhaps with a different Myers...
  23. cmathewson
    How could you call Meyer a "C" prospect, the guy hits 98 MPH as a starter and looks to have 3 plus pitches (not to mention size, good minor league results etc)? He was widely considered the 2nd best prospect heading into 2013 of the Nats farm class. Meyer is clearly the best pitching prospect the Twins have and ranks somewhere between Hicks and Arcia but ahead of Rosario and Gibson, you wouldn't call those guys C prospects right?? Top 50 prospects are all B's or better.
  24. cmathewson
    By the way, the Rays are the better trading partner, as they are rumored to be shopping both Shields and Hellickson.
  25. cmathewson
    Span represents an upgrade in center for about 15 teams in the MLB, given his WAR/$$$ ratio. One other CF moving from one of those teams to another doesn't change anything. Now the Rays rather than the Braves are on the list of potential trading partners. Why the panic button?
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