Mike h

The financial part of baseball is tough. It's hard to lose a good player, a good teammate, and a fan favorite just because of money. The Twins must think he's going to regress. They know better than me. I've written before about the 8 year old fan who lives inside me and doesn't understand or care about profits. He has a 3 step approach for making a better team: 1. Figure out the biggest need for your team. 2. Find the best available player for that position 3. Pay the man. Yeah, well, the old man that I am tells him to grow up. It doesn't work that way. Wait a minute... Are the Yankees run by an 8 year old? I heard the Twins team is worth $1.4 billion. And it was purchased for about $87 million back in the 80's. So it looks like there is some equity there, even if the cash flow is questionable. They could borrow against their equity if they had to. Putting a winning team on the field is the surest way of generating fan interest and revenue. Fielding a losing team is the surest way of losing fan interest and revenue. Oops, there's that 8 year old again. Letting a very good pitcher like Maeda leave, especially to your closest division rival, for a mere $12MM, looks like they value profits over winning

Sano, Gallo, Sabato. Big power, but all or nothing. I think Rooker was the same. But I bring him up as an example of a late bloomer who ultimately found success. Until last year he couldn't do anything at ML level. But then, in his age 28 season, he hit .246 with 30 HR. Unfortunately, it was with Oakland. (OK, I know his numbers were Jacked up by a crazy hot early start, and he swooned mid season, but the final stats are still good.) But also, he led his team in strikeouts. So what. That happens with power hitters. So now we are trying to project whether a 20 year old prospect with power and strikeouts will develop into a Killebrew or a Sano (or a Rooker.) It's way, way too early to know. The road ahead is very long with many unforeseeable bends and forks. But the question being asked now is what do they do with him? It's a fact of baseball life that teams will sometimes quit on a player who goes on to prove their worth with another team. (Ortiz, Hendricks.) I see way too much potential, as do some others as he was named MVP of his league, to give up on him. Maybe it will take 8 more years, like it did for Rooker, but he has a chance. Keep him.

Ah, Mel Jass. HE had a good job! (Those of you over 70 might remember that one)

I wonder if Duran still wants to be a starter again. If he does, and the Twins aren't open to that, then he won't want to sign a long term contract. (And I wouldn't blame the Twins because throwing 80+ pitches at 100+ mph seems like a sure way to blow out an elbow or something.) On the other hand, Johan Santana came out of the bullpen to start, and guys like Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson had pretty long careers even though they threw hard. Who knows? Make an offer. Let him reject it. Make another offer. Negotiate. There's probably a number that both sides can live with, and to me, really, it doesn't matter what it is. It's not my money. Baseball owners are billionaires. They can choose to pinch their pennies. I just want to see them field a winner.

I agree with Karbo. Catcher is a defense first position. It's the main thing you look for when shopping for a catcher. So we already have that, why would we let it go? As far as Vasquez' value to another team, everyone wants a great defensive catcher on their team. And everyone is looking for depth. So I think he would be attractive to more teams than many of us think. This article mentioned blocking and framing. But that's all. In order to discuss whether a catch is worth keeping we need to look at much more than that. How is he at calling a game? Is he a good field general? Can he hold a runner at first due to his arm? Does he do his homework, studying opponents ' weaknesses before each game? Does he know when to visit the mound? Etc etc Now in discussing the balance between a good defense and a good enough offense,, I'd like to point out how poorly the hitters were as a whole, and that included Vasquez. It also included Buxton, and Correa; Polanco was down, Kepler was so bad in the first half that fans wanted him gone; Larnack, a former #1 draft pick could never get his footing this year, Miranda, a former Twins minor league hitter of the year who was pretty good last year, fell flat on his face this spring. Farmer hit below his career average. And do on. There were exceptions - Castro and Taylor did very well, but generally this club had a collective swoon hitting wise. So you can't really single out Vasquez for not hitting and holding that against him or use it as an excuse to move him off the team. The team hitting philosophy and/or coaching has to change, and then maybe we'll see the real talent.

Sorry for the underlining. I didn't realize it was on.

A recent thread discussed why the pitching staff was so darn good this year, but it didn't mention Vasquez. So it made me wonder, do the pitchers like throwing to him? Do they give him any credit for their success? I wonder if they pitched well because of him or in spite of him. I know there are pitchers around the league who love their catcher so much that they won't throw to anyone else. Any Twins pitchers feel that way about Vasquez? I may not have paid close enough attention, but I don't recall any pitchers' comments about him, good or bad. In any case, I believe the adage that a teamust be strong defensively up the middle, starting with the catcher. A good BA is a bonus. So, to keep him or trade him? I couldn't decide until I know the answers to the above questions.

I can't say for sure, and I don't exactly know why I feel this way, but I suspect that Farmer's presence on the team helped make the other players better. Something about his leadership, professionalism, character, and the way he went about his business of preparing for games, makes me wonder if his absence might result in some regression next year. Hate to mess with good chemistry. I'd keep him, just in case AK 's shoulder is not ready, or someone inexplicably fails like Miranda did this year. He is proven, dependable, flexible, and likable. To me, that's low risk, and that's hard to find. If next June or July someone at AAA can't be ignored, then make the inevitable decision.

I read many years ago that Griffith had summoned Martin to his office but Martin blew him off. That was the final straw that got him fired. Not mentioned is the public reaction to his firing. The response was huge and passionate. So many people said they would never attend another Twins game. This must have fed Martin's ego and validated (to him) that he would always be in demand no matter what he did. (Amateur psychology there.) In the end, his biggest mistake was disrespecting the man who signed his paycheck.

My dad was a high school sports star who lettered in 3 sports, and as his first-born son I benefitted from his sports enthusiasm. In 1961 I was 6 years old , always at my dad's side, and the radio was always turned to the Twins game. Then in the Fall of 1965, I was in 5th grade when my friend's mom showed up at school to take him out of class to go to a WORLD SERIES GAME! Oh, was I jealous! It made me even more aware of what a big deal baseball was. And there was no shortage of Twins heros in the late 60's. Those first few years were collectively my first impression of Minnesota Twins baseball, and it was good enough, strong enough, to last 50+ years through thick and thin.

If the problem is poor secondary pitches that would have been apparent from the start, so I don't think that's it. More likely it's injury or fatigue, at least I hope so because he can recover from those and get back to being the excellent pitcher he was.. Solution: rest and physical therapy. Ryan never had a high-heat fastball. (This article mentioned movement but not velo.,) "Slower" fast balls are easier to wallop. I don't know if his fast ball has lost some velo but if Ryan is fatigued he may have lost a few ticks so that would make sense to me That leads to another possibility: sequencing, or more specifically, predictability. I've heard the theory that pitchers need to "establish the fast ball" in early innings in order to set up secondary offerings in later innings. If this is Ryan's philosophy, or Maki's, and hitters are aware of this, they will wait for the one they like and jump all over it, especially if it has slowed down to meatball speed. Solution: change up the pitch sequence, offer fewer fast balls in early innings. Keep batters guessing.

Polanco came to the Twins as a SS but was moved off the position because of his defense. It was his ARM that was erratic, he just couldn't always make the throws from across the diamond and that's why he was moved to second. So unless he has improved his arm I'm guessing he won't stay at 3B. I don't understand why the Twins don't already know this. So put Lewis at 3B, Polanco at 2B where he is better than Julien there, and Julien at DH. Buxton has played himself to the bench.

Replacing one player, say Kepler, isn't going to fix anything. It's the entire hitting roster that needs fixing. It's a cliche, but you can't fire the whole team. So fire the manager, and let the new manager bring in his own coaches.

I was and continue to be open minded about the value of analytics as a tool in the Manager's toolbox. But for Baldelli my impression is that it's the only tool in his toolbox. He seems not to understand or maybe just not consider some intangibles in his decision making. Things like chemistry and psychology and motivation. So I was thinking that if the Twins find themselves 10 games under by July 4, which is possible, then hopefully they would fire Baldelli. Now I don't think that will happen regardless of how poorly they play. We will get tons of excuses, none of which will be Baldelli's fault. Perhaps in another thread we could discuss the Manager's job description, specifically detailing what he is responsible for ( and what he is not). Then how do you evaluate whether he is meeting the minimum requirements? And how do you distinguish between a good manager and a great manager? (And I hope not to hear a lot of "if the team wins he is a good manager and if they lose he is a poor manager, and if they win a lot he's great .." ) Like I say - another thread - trying to evaluate objectively rather than subjectively. I may have to change my mind about him.

Why is there a reluctance to DFA/ release him? Because TJ pitchers are often better two years out than one year out. Although he will be another year older, I suspect he will be better next year than he is now. But, yeah, what do you do with him this year? If he can't go on the IL, can he be sent to the minors to continue rehab?

So there is a computer that has all these statistics broken down every which way. When that can be paired up with AI so it can learn, then Rocco can retire and the computer can completely manage the game. We may as well not put players on the field. Just play simulated games over and over. How fun

You say Buxton is projected to be the Twins best hitter this year. Sad to say, you may be right. Only because the lineup is so weak. For all the love Buxton gets from the Twins you'd think he is a sure fire hall of famer. I don't get it. He tries hard. He plays hard. His teammates like him. When he connects the ball goes a long way. But, bottom line, results are just average. He'll never win a batting championship or even come close. Home run champion? No. RBI? No. Silver Slugger? No. Gold Glove? Yes. Can he carry this team to a championship? No. On many teams Buxton would bat in the bottom portion of the lineup, which is where he belongs. Nineth, actually. That way, if he does get on base, you've got his speed in front of the best hitters. At any rate, he should not bat 1-4, at least not unless he picks up his bat to ball skills. If Buxton is truly our best hitter, then I'm looking for a third place finish, or worse. Sorry fans, that's just my opinion. And I hope I'm wrong.

The thing about a first baseman is he doesn't need to run like an outfielder, he doesn't need the arm of a third baseman, he doesn't need the reflexes of a middle infielder, and if he hasn't trained as a catcher he can't just slot in there either. So 1B is the only place left. Which is no disgrace. You could carve out a Hall of Fame career playing there. Harmon Killebrew played there. Every MLB player is a gifted athlete with incredible talent. Still, playing 1B well requires special practice, like scooping errant throws out of the dirt and charging in for bunts. I assume our potential 1B players are getting daily reps practicing those things. Regarding Miranda's defense at 3B, I think he'll be fine. Didn't Derek Jeter make something like 40 errors in one year? They stuck with him though and the rest is history. The Twins had a young 3B named Craig Nettles, who they traded to the Yankees. Calvin G, the owner at the time, had commented that Nettles was 500 ground balls away from (being a ML 3B? From being any good? Sorry, I don't remember the exact ending, but this is the gist of it.) Nettles went on to have a great career, but it took some patience for him to develope. If the Twins are patient with Mirandai think he will develop into a better defensive 3B as well. Some of us want him to be a finished product right now, and if hest not, then we want him to sit or be traded. I say keep him, let him play, and we'll be rewarded. Edit: Nettles was traded to Cleveland, then they traded him to the Yankees. Sorry about my error.

The thing about a first baseman is he doesn't need to run like an outfielder, he doesn't need the arm of a third baseman, he doesn't need the reflexes of a middle infielder, and if he hasn't trained as a catcher he can't just slot in there either. So 1B is the only place left. Which is no disgrace. You could carve out a Hall of Fame career playing there. Harmon Killebrew played there. Every MLB player is a gifted athlete with incredible talent. Still, playing 1B well requires special practice, like scooping errant throws out of the dirt and charging in for bunts. I assume our potential 1B players are getting daily reps practicing those things. Regarding Miranda's defense at 3B, I think he'll be fine. Didn't Derek Jeter make something like 40 errors in one year? They stuck with him though and the rest is history. The Twins had a young 3B named Craig Nettles, who they traded to the Yankees. Calvin G, the owner at the time, had commented that Nettles was 500 ground balls away from (being a ML 3B? From being any good? Sorry, I don't remember the exact ending, but this is the gist of it.) Nettles went on to have a great career, but it took some patience for him to develope. If the Twins are patient with Mirandai think he will develop into a better defensive 3B as well. Some of us want him to be a finished product right now, and if hest not, then we want him to sit or be traded. I say keep him, let him play, and we'll be rewarded.

Yes, it was Maddox I was thinking of. Thank you for the correction.

So what I'm reading is Varland can pitch- proving it by working his way up from a 15th round draft choice, up through all levels of the minor leagues, winning pitcher of the year award, having a successful major league debut - but he can't pitch, because he lacks real heat and his secondary pitches are not good enough. Well, I'll take his results. I would keep putting him out there until his results say he can't pitch. There was a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves (John Smoltz?) who got great results despite throwing "soft". There is more to pitching than throwing fast. Whatever that is, Varland has it. I hope the Twins will consider his results after spring training, instead of holding on to the preconceived idea that he can't pitch because analytics say so.

I agree with Doctor Gast that Maeda belongs in the BP to start the season. Coming back from TJ surgery, giving him too much too soon could hurt rather than help his recovery. Build him up slowly. Set him up for success. But as for candidates for having pitches tweaked, that's a hard question for a casual fan because I think we need to see a lot of data to discover trends. Generally though, I'd say EVERY pitcher should should have a thorough end-of-year review where all those numbers are analyzed. Let's not underestimate the value of having a catcher who calls a good game. And let's say we have a two-pitch pitcher- it's important that he moves the ball around. Up, down, in, out. Avoiding the middle. Not afraid to throw inside. Well, every pitcher needs to do this, but especially the two-pitch guys.

What if the SF doctors are right? What if CC will break down sooner or later due to whatever condition is now "known"? With guaranteed money this contract is much too large for any fiscally responsible team. IMO the Twins not only dodged a bullet, they dodged a bomb. On the other hand, what if the SF doctors are wrong? What? Really? Of course I'm not a doctor, but to me, it seems this is not a black or white case of he is broken/he is not broken (or all doctors would be in agreement) but more he is likely to break, which is debatable. But say CC is fine, and the doctors are wrong, how/why could that be? Could it be that the SF FO has buyers remorse? They found out how much they overpaid and want out of the agreement? This mean they would have to collude with the doctors to find a way. This is not an accusation, merely a wild thought. But wild situations lead to wild thoughts. Bottom line: the possibility that CC might have a medical issue makes me glad the Twins did not sign him to a mega deal, and if they Mets also fail him I would only take him on a non-guaranteed, performance based contract.

I cringe every time I read that so-and-so could be a DH. Sure. EVERYBODY could be a DH. Even the weakest hitter on the team. But why would you do that? Typically a DH is a player with a good bat, often with some power, but can't crack the lineup because his defense isn't as good as somebody else. This is not Joey Gallo. He plays because of defense and power potential, and his poor contact has to be tolerated. The twins can't afford such a poor contact hitter in the lineup. The below average pitching that we have requires the offense to be above average. This signing didn't help the offense and that's why I don't like it.

If other teams are interested in getting Kepler, and he and Gallo are basically the same player, why didn't they just sign Gallo? Kepler's contract is only $2.5m less which is virtually no difference. And it wouldn't have cost them the SP or any other player the Twins would want. So my conclusion is, there is no real interest in Kepler; he has hardly any trade value, the Twins will simply give him away in a package with our more valuable players. I'd rather keep him.