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JD-TWINS

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  1. JD-TWINS
    Would not surprise me at all if they don’t try to package Larnach & Miranda in trades sooner than later…. other guys are coming in ‘25…….honestly, not much value there so probably depth guys with options at AAA balance of this year. Even if the depth Veterans go away after this season, Rodriguez - Keirsey - Hellman - Severino are all going to be pushing to get Miranda & Larnach out of the way.
  2. JD-TWINS
    I got Kirilloff or Lewis in LF in ‘25 so Lee can play 3B……….if Kirilloff in LF, then Lewis at 1B. Not hearing this from anyone……most here, 90% plus, don’t think there’s a chance Lewis ever moves from 3B. Margot & Kepler gone……,Farmer & Santana too……. We’ll see how realistic it is for Buxton to be a focal point in CF in another 2-3 more months. Martin is back & forth from OF & IF - same with Castro. I’m theorizing Lewis at 1B OR LF and playing v. LH a bunch at 3B while Lee rests many of those days. Kirilloff can bounce back & forth between LF & 1B. With the above 4 off the roster they add Lee - Martin - maybe Miranda?? - Larnach?? A year from now: Lewis - Buxton/Castro/Martin - Wallner - Larnach Lee - CC - Julien - Kirilloff/Miranda (Martin/Castro IF & OF) 2 catchers Larnach/Buxton/Miranda principle guys at DH……..some Lewis & Kirilloff as well.
  3. JD-TWINS
    Out of this article the only guy I care about is Kiersey……really thought he’d get some at bats and a few games on the grass. I guess we’ll see if he can be consistent again this year starting in St. Paul - his speed and defensive ability in CF is intriguing, even if he only hits .220 he may have some value by ‘25 with big club.
  4. JD-TWINS
    He throws his splitter at 99MPH …….there’s only so much a guy can dial back naturally. I think the, “he’ll coast more and conserve himself…..”, premise is misguided. He’s a power guy and that’s why & how he’s effective. IMO.
  5. JD-TWINS
    Was agreeing that your thought may be the best approach ……..stressing not wasting talent and limited GOOD innings in Wichita or St. Paul. To me, to protect against this, he pitches less innings early….potentially relief, to better monitor innings and to see if his stuff is up to being on the MLB staff in the Pen. He can contribute in June/July, before potentially getting fatigued, just as well as Alcala, etc.
  6. JD-TWINS
    I think he’s in the mix with these other guys (can Prielipp even throw?) ……Raya seems fragile to date due to protective status within organization. Canterino seems to be a darling here but has 85 pro innings over the past 4+ years. Cullpepper isn’t on radar yet for me ……Festa seems like he’s only a couple months away from helping intermittently. Headrick threw 27 innings in the bigs - he was just OK at best. The new splitter & having command of it would be a big dea!. I can see him getting 4-5 spots starts in the Show this year………won’t be disappointed if he outshines anyone on this list……Ober gets guys out with a similar fastball MPH.
  7. JD-TWINS
    If there’s a big concern by Management &/or Lewis (doubtful) to have him play in the OF, & the consensus is Lee should be at 3B, what do they do? Lots of people here say, just trade Julien for a pitcher………. his bat is valuable - his contract status is valuable - he’s reached neutral & getting better at 2B……only starting year 2. An option that may make sense for later this year or more likely in ‘25, move Lewis to 1B. Low physical stress - great glove & mobility at that corner - an everyday home for him. Kirilloff spells him 25 games per year & plays LF regularly……..Lewis could rest Lee as well & Kirilloff or other then plays 1B. Lee - CC - Julien - Lewis on the dirt is pretty good as well as at the plate! Possible?
  8. JD-TWINS
    Buxton playing “a lot” of CF is maybe 60 games plus. Castro will regularly play CF v. RH pitching………,,Buxton will DH a bunch v. RH pitching as he has decent reverse splits. Both Margot & Castro will play in the OF v. LH pitching 25-30% of total games. Farmer-Santana will be the right side v. LH pitching. Castro will play some 3B but mostly in CF & LF. I see him squarely as the 4th OF relative to innings played - maybe even the 3rd OF behind Kepler & Wallner?
  9. JD-TWINS
    ……..nobody is suggesting banishing him to the Pen. He needs to get his competitive legs at AA &/or St Paul - agreed. I just don’t want to burn up 60 innings of decent pitching from mid-April to mid-July and none of them are helping the Big Club win & then somebody decides he needs to taper off…….Frankly, may be short sighted, but I don’t care today ……through ‘24 season……about where Canterino fits into the ‘25 rotation. Best situation may be to have him start through June in minors, into July even & then taper him down with use through the Pen in Minneapolis? Just want every guy that can contribute effectively in ‘24 to do so.
  10. JD-TWINS
    Seems to me with an assumed jump for Correa back to at least .260 BA & Buxton up to at least .235 BA …….the XBH capabilities come along with more hits for those two……..,Kepler, somewhere between ‘23’s 1st half & 2nd half offense ……maybe .245 with decent XBH power. So these 3 guys were intermittently effective last year - to me, with these guys making the line-up longer along with Kirilloff-Wallner-Julien-Jeffers, Lewis will continue to see decent pitches to hit. If he hits .285 with 28 HR & 85 RBI, Lewis will be regressing a bit but still having a pretty solid year!! Games played is what the Team needs from Royce! Hoping for 130-135 games.
  11. JD-TWINS
    A thought about the dilemma coming up with a high test starter for game #2 in a postseason series. Nothing earth shattering. 12 guys typically on the Staff for playoff baseball……..Starters are reduced to 4 guys at this point. At this point I think these guys are on the Staff: Lopez - Paddack - Ryan - Ober Canterino - Varland - Thielbar or Funderburk - Okert - Stewart - Jax - Alcala - Duran Game #2 Paddack starts with the premise that he’s going 3 innings maximum……….Okert or one of the other lefties, assuming opponent stacks line-up toward LH batters, goes 1+ innings. Varland goes 2-3 innings. Seems like a quality solution to get through 6-7 innings. We then have the normal 6 other relievers to finish the game. Next is an “off” day. I don’t know who a team goes and gets that’s better than the two righties letting it out over 2-3 innings with Okert in the middle for 1+. Unconventional, but great chance to be effective, IMO.
  12. JD-TWINS
    It was Polanco or Farmer…..somebody had to go………Topa may change your mind?
  13. JD-TWINS
    I believe what you’re saying! …….in ‘19 (after college season of 90+ innings) he threw 25 innings in low minors…….nobody played in ‘20…….in ‘21 he threw 23 innings ………in ‘22 he threw 37 innings ………hurt & zero innings in ‘23. So, he’s thrown 85 professional innings in 2.25 seasons & not pitched at all the other 2 years. With that level of experience he doesn’t seem ready to spring into action as a starter in the Show. To me, that history doesn’t add up to 125 innings in ‘24. Not personal……don’t think it’s smart to target that many innings just because we all want him to be great. Festa & Raya are treated with kid gloves and they’ve never been hurt that I’m aware of - maybe? ………Limit Canterino’s innings and use him where he’ll bring most benefit.
  14. JD-TWINS
    I get he’s been healing since the Fall but still fresh off surgery…….not a great health history……...GAS for 12-25 pitches at a time seems like a sound usage for Canterino this year. Get him 55-70 innings between ST. PAUL & The Show. Big affect on Team’s success with this approach. If he holds up in ‘24, stretch him out over the Winter and into Spring of ‘25. IMO.
  15. JD-TWINS
    For me it’s tough to turn my back on Eddie Julien’s upside. ……supposedly, Lee is going to be playing infield for Twins by July or, worst case, next Spring. Lee hasn’t played 2B since early college. The “evaluators” over the past year slot him into the left side of the infield. He’s not playing SS any time soon in Minneapolis. If his best position is 3B & Julien is playing 2B……….Lewis playing LF & eliminating the need for “solid RH power bat in a corner OF spot” once and for all. He’s a better athlete & has played some OF. 3B is a more physically demanding grind than playing LF. All 3 guys in the line-up is the goal. If Buxton wasn’t on the team and the DH spot was open for the next few years…..easy!! Just rotate all 3 on defense on the dirt while spending time at DH for rest. Buxton will continue to slow down and he’s not going anywhere either……..DH is somewhat clogged. I get Royce tore up his knee in CF…….he might get hurt doing nearly anything. Teams have hidden inferior defensive talent in LF forever…….it’s not that demanding. Lewis is not inferior…….he’s just an infield first guy. He can still play 25-35 games at 3B when LH pitchers are throwing (Lee’s current weak spot) and he can play 3B when Lee plays SS to rest Correa for 20-25 games in ‘25. I think it’s the best option to get all our best bats in the line-up!
  16. JD-TWINS
    Dave Winfield?…..😉
  17. JD-TWINS
    To me, insanity! Let’s move Lee Smith to our 2nd starter …..let’s move Kenley Jansen to our 2nd starter……let’s move Bruce Sutter to our 2nd starter …….,let’s move Rollie Fingers to our 2nd starter ….,…let’s move Mariano Rivera to our 2nd starter……come on! Never heard these comments from any of these team’s management…..don’t care how thin the rotation may have been at any point in time. He’s in the Top 6 relievers in the game over 6 different pundits on MLB network’s 2024 predictions. He’s number 3 on a couple lists. His stuff is fabulous - his physique sure denotes the ability to hold up physically as a starter - he’s had some arm issues though - my rub is his ability to focus pitch to pitch. I think many of his troubles, on the few occasions he has troubles, are between his ears. That alone doesn’t bode well for a starting pitcher.
  18. JD-TWINS
    Not sure if this is tongue in cheek or if you are serious? I do think they may move him to LF….. maybe even later this year. Lewis - Buxton/Castro/Martin - Wallner in OF for ‘25………room for Larnach too! Lee - CC - Julien/Martin - Kirilloff & maybe Miranda? in IF. Lewis plays 3B a bunch v. LH pitching until Lee is competent form the right side of the plate. Castro & Kirilloff & Lewis & Martin could all go back & forth from OF to IF as needed. To me, LF is less physically demanding than 3B for Lewis & it opens up a spot for Lee’s best worth, along with Julien.
  19. JD-TWINS
    I like the Veteran depth - agree Farmer is our best next man up at all 3 positions on the dirt! Hoping Vazquez will bounce back a bit - seems to really be working at it for months. Santana seems to be a good fit - uptick in power over Solano from right side & better defense. Castro, though, doesn’t seem to get much respect. Not just here but in nearly any post. Castro in ‘23: 2.6 WAR …… 9 HR ……. 33 steals …. 106 OPS+ plays all over the place….great arm……switch hitter. Seems most think he will regress - he was lucky in ‘23…..don’t get it at all?
  20. JD-TWINS
    ………..both……..,Likely more valuable than Kepler will be this year….? Why the upbeat for these 2 vets and the negativity with Kepler? Max was one of 5 guys in the game to have 30 or more XBH & hit .300 in the 2nd half last year. Do I expect him to be an AllStar, no. Seems though, his fit in the locker room as the oldest tenured Twin, deserves as much respect as Vazquez or anyone.
  21. JD-TWINS
    Wish him well!!
  22. JD-TWINS
    Mental readiness, maturity is also a real thing …….. I gotta trust the Club knows which guys & when they should be in the majors. Pitching is often a “me thing” that needs to be developed …….pitch mix, command. Paying a guy $4M on a flier isn’t a bad risk & he’s not blocking anyone the Club deems ready to go. Plenty of innings to go around. Saying that a guy scheduled to throw 10-15% of the Team’s starter innings is just an innings eater isn’t the approach to maximize wins. I think Varland - SWR - Festa will combine for an entire year’s worth of starter innings …….180 or so. They’ll get their chances.
  23. JD-TWINS
    Don’t disagree at all - seems obvious he had poor run support! They still lost games he started at a higher rate than when he didn’t……he was often facing the other Team’s #1 or #2 starter, reason for lack of support as well……that’s why I think replacing his results will not be as difficult as many here seems to think. Will the Rotation’s ERA be higher, more than likely, YES! Can they go better than 15-18…….with guys that have ERA’s around 4.00…….certainly.
  24. JD-TWINS
    Less strikeouts is a good formula. In games Gray & Maeda pitched the TEAM was 6 games under .500 (my recollection, may want to check) so replacing these two guys at 33 & 35 respectively, with youth, makes sense to me. Not terrible risk. Risk, sure, but not unreasonable to think with more runs scored and better bullpen that the replacement arms can’t fare as well or better. Gray was fortunate to win v. Toronto with a well executed pick off in 5th inning to escape a jam. He did not pitch well v. Houston. Maeda did not pitch well in relief in post season. Twins have other competent guys that can give them an opportunity to win playoff games. Maybe not dominant arms but competitive arms.
  25. JD-TWINS
    2023 - Clevinger …..131 innings ……9-9 with a poor White Sox team …….. 3.71 ERA …….not fake news! Clubhouse mesh??
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