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whosafraidofluigirussolo

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Everything posted by whosafraidofluigirussolo

  1. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Sounds like some see Irish as an OF (as mentioned above) but the Os also just took another catcher, Bodine
  2. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    He’s 26th on the freshly updated FG board, but they had guys who went in the first round as low as 60th
  3. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    I'm far from a habitual Baldelli (or Maki et al) basher, but one thing I don't get is how often a reliever will be done for the day after a short inning or a partial inning. Jax needed 9 pitches to get through the 8th. Obviously there's 20/20 hindsight knowing that Durán would be iffy today and give up a run, but they did know they were in a low-scoring tie game and there was a decent chance of going to extras. Can a reliever who probably threw more warming up in the pen than facing the Pirates not at least start another inning? Is the coaching staff so averse to handing off inherited runners between their two best relievers?
  4. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    From the scouting report on MLB dot com for Matthews, he seems not a great deal more valuable than Lee. Faster (which, yes, the Twins could use) and probably higher offensive ceiling, but less established floor and defensive value a push at best. The three-player package feels like a lot. Why would the White Sox want two years of team control of Durán?
  5. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    I generally don’t like bullpen games, for what you might call aesthetic reasons (you also could debate whether an opener/bulk pitcher plan is a distinct thing, but Adams has been throwing long relief in AAA, so call it a bullpen game.) But in any case, if they’re going to do it, the strategy so far today seems as good as any. Sands had a very short relief outing last night and probably (I assume without looking) didn’t face the same batters as today; Coulombe gets a lefty-heavy middle of the order. Adams presumably gets to start with the bottom of the order now that the preceding guys have faced the minimum through two.
  6. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Ryan indeed would bring back a haul, but man, that would be (to my perspective) about the most depressing move the Twins could make. I can’t help but think about the chances that they would have extended him by now, instead of it being even half realistic to trade him, were it not for the self-imposed budget restrictions and sale limbo. I’m less confident that Ober would have nearly as much value right now. The recent struggles would have to make teams wary. And the starting pitching situation has grown shaky enough that it really might be better just to keep Paddack as a reliable source of innings, if not consistently good ones…
  7. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/rich-hill-has-june-15-opt-out-in-royals-deal.html June 15. Falvey and Zoll: circle the date!
  8. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    …and possibly not even Bride, who seems like a decent bet to be the corresponding move if they need to add Fitzgerald.
  9. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    This season (such as it is, at this early stage) is the first since 2022 where the Twins have been below league average in innings per start
  10. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    I’m not usually one to pile on Baldelli and so I don’t often nitpick specific in-game decisions. But wowza, seeing the game end with the tying run at 3rd, the winning run at 1st, and Gasper at the plate… At the point when Bader pinch-ran, three things could have happened next: - the next batter (France) makes an out, ending the game with a loss - the next batter homers, ending the game with a win - the next batter drives in one or two runs, leaving the following batter’s spot (Gasper) next up to prolong the inning Bader’s speed only matters in the third scenario here. But in that scenario, if you need to play for the run that Julien represents, then having Bader’s bat available has to be more important than having his speed on base. Just a bad tactical decision in what could have been an exciting end to the game.
  11. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    I basically agree that a guy like Blewett either is or isn't good enough to be the 8th pitcher in an MLB bullpen (or the 9th, depending on injury carousel etc.) A player on the edge of the roster might as well get a chance to play and prove himself, instead of the team being too precious about keeping him under org control. It seems like the logic is that the team is more invested in some non-roster, minor-league-deal types than others. Of course it doesn't totally square with the fact that those guys didn't get a 40-man spot to begin with. But if they're going to cycle a few lower-leverage relievers on and off the 40 like every year, and they really think based on the injury picture that this is a short-term need in the bullpen... I get why they'd opt for a more fungible player, too. No real opinion on whether Blewett or any of the other current NRI guys are above that threshold. There has to be someone already in the org who fits the bill. Then again, the roster crunch before opening day is probably the best time to be scouring the waiver wire.
  12. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    [Narrator voice] We hit a ground ball right to the spot where both the 5'11" first baseman playing second base and the 6'6" outfielder playing shortstop could get to it. Let's see what happens.
  13. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    With that lineup for a home game, I'm surprised it's not a split-squad day. I assume there's some logic to taking more of the regular starters to an "away" game yesterday (do the Red Sox train close to the Twins, a shorter bus ride?) and then giving them a day off today.
  14. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Regarding Lee, this report tells me that the Twins must not like the prospect of him playing shortstop. A lot of speculation and forecasting about the 2025 Twins (here and elsewhere) seems to presume that Lee has a spot on the roster from opening day. It's not that he won't be a good and useful player, but he wasn't great in his first MLB experience last year, and he hasn't spent so long in the high minors to cause serious concern about him stagnating there. Maybe the org is considering more time at AAA for Lee as much as they're doubting his ability at SS.
  15. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    I like this signing, but it says something about the Twins' offseason and about our eagerness for action, that there are 3 front-pages news stories about Coulombe within a few hours of the signing being announced.
  16. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    For some reason, Larnach decided to switch from number 24 to 13 ahead of the 2022 season. He yielded 24 to Gary Sánchez, no?
  17. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    I don't hate the Dodgers, but to me it's clear that Sasaki going there would be the least fun or interesting outcome. They have a lot of good players, they usually figure out how to maximize their already plentiful resources, ho hum. Of the 3 reported finalists I kind of think Toronto would be the most fun. Or...the mystery team?
  18. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    I'm curious, how does PECOTA rate Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb?
  19. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Came here for this. Here's the MLBTR report on Cartaya DFA: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/dodgers-designate-diego-cartaya-for-assignment.html If they believe in the defense and think there's something to work with offensively, then a team like the Twins without great long-term prospects at catcher absolutely should try to get Cartaya. Maybe even worth a minor trade to skip the waiver line, but at least put in a claim.
  20. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Looking at another way to balance some of the overabundance of pitching without dealing from its top end, while accomplishing another one of the Twins' goals: Is there a pitcher outside of the centerpieces of the rotation and bullpen (López, Ober, Ryan, Jax, Durán) who could be paired with Vázquez or Paddack to get another team to bite at a (more favorable) trade? Does including Pitcher X in a trade get a team to take Vázquez' full salary in a trade? Or does adding a reliever to Paddack get player(s) in return who are more interesting or closer to the majors? If that framework is possible, who would player X have to be? I think any of the current MLB or MLB-ready starters are too much, plus it depletes the depth too much to attach another starter to Paddack. Henríquez or Varland are still more potential than track record, but maybe some team loves the potential. Does a team take the volatility of Stewart's health to get the upside of his performance? Maybe this doesn't work—maybe all their second-tier arms are either too valuable for this kind of trade or not valuable enough—but if the FO needs "to get creative" this winter, this seems like an intriguing way to do it.
  21. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    As a non-caretaker I'm responding in ignorance of the meat of this article - but there is a rundown of Rule 5 candidates at the MLB site that could be interesting to cross-reference here. It seems like logical places for the Twins to focus are roles where their depth is limited - catcher and left-handed relief pitching. Right-handed corner OF or 1B could fit that criterion too, but it's a little harder to imagine a good enough hitter to have a MLB-level impact at those positions being available in the Rule 5. There are 3 LH relievers on that list and they all seem worth a look. The comment above mentions Bryan Magdaleno, who is also on MLB's list and, at first look, seems the most intriguing of those 3 guys. And the one catcher, Brandon Valenzuela from the Padres, is intriguing too - switch-hitter, good reviews for his defense, not a great hitter overall but posted some good OBPs in the low minors. Maybe he's a stretch for the major-league portion of the Rule 5, but he could make sense for the Twins if they were confident they would trade Vázquez. (Side note: the Padres prospect list, where Valenzuela ranks 12th, has some eye-catching names. Cobb Hightower? Kale Fountain?! The mind reels.)
  22. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Top of the 4th and I just listened to the radio call of the Vientos HR. Still a climb with the Mets behind by three, but a lot of game left...
  23. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Gotta say, this comment aged quite well.
  24. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    Would another team trade for Durán and a $3.7M (or so) salary? If the answer is a relatively clear yes (and I think it is), then he's not a tough arbitration decision. They'll pay him, and if they really think they can't afford either the "luxury" of a closer at that price or the risk of decline, then they'll look to trade him, and I expect some team would offer real value if Durán were available.
  25. whosafraidofluigirussolo
    https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/08/yankees-release-chasen-shreve.html Not even a DFA because he wasn't on the major-league roster. The fact that the Yankees didn't see fit even to keep him around in the minors is...telling. But as the article notes, "he made 50 MLB appearances between Detroit and Cincinnati a year ago, turning in a 4.63 earned run average with slightly better than average strikeout and walk rates over 44 2/3 frames." Worth another minor-league deal to see if he looks better than Okert or Thielbar?
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