Jump to content
Our free agent ranking is up to 100 names, and now you can filter by player position! Click here to check it out! ×
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

JD-TWINS

Old-Timey Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5,522

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    4

 Content Type 

Profiles

Minnesota Twins News, Rumors & Analysis

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospect Rankings

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Minnesota Twins Trade & Free Agent Rumors

Minnesota Twins Fan Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by JD-TWINS

  1. JD-TWINS
    Just looked over Spring batting stats and it appears the OF four of Bader - Buxton - Larnach - Wallner are all performing very well at the plate! Catchers are both hitting .297 & regardless of power stats, that’s impressive. France - Julien - Gasper are all hitting very well in the small sampling that’s ST. CC is 4-35 & Castro is 7-35……. I think those 2 guys can work through their issues. Lee & Lewis out with injury opening day. Potentially, Lee is at AAA to get healthy and to improve at the plate. His spring isn’t terrible offensively but it isn’t good either. Miranda/Castro - CC/Castro - Julien/Gasper/Castro - France/Gasper …..6 IF. Martin or Kiersey as 13th guy? Bringing Lewis back when ready to displace the guy in the 13th spot is a big step up. Lee has time to get right. Is Keaschall hurt too - stats don’t seem to show much playing time?
  2. JD-TWINS
    THANKS for clarifying that we should quit hoping Eeles is potentially a savior for the IF. Injured! Castro - Martin - Gasper - Julien seems to be a list long enough to cover 2B……..maybe Keaschall in another 60 days? Lee, to me, along with Julien were candidates to start the season in St Paul in order to get their offense in order. Don’t have stats but it sounds like Julien has been acceptable at the plate in ST but that Lee has struggled. Correct? Anyway, Castro can play 2B many days & 3B or SS every 6-7 days as needed. Gasper & Julien seem to be near term options at 2B as well. Unless further injuries strike the Club, it seems they have the depth to handle the Lewis & Lee injuries for at least a month or more.
  3. JD-TWINS
    Agreed - and he turned 20 in February. Seems that his development through ‘25 and then 1/2 of ‘26 would be a nice evolution. There are no guarantees, but having a guy ranked in Top 20 - Top 10 - Top 5 that has a chance of being in big leagues midway through his age 21 season is a good problem to have.
  4. JD-TWINS
    Certainly there are indicators in Spring for essentially all players. No doubt……can’t ignore Spring results/trends. His “best pitch”, theoretically, is his curveball if one asks many people around the organization. Personally, I like his 98MPH splinker! I’d be more concerned with his fastball velocity differences year to year if he threw 70% fastballs and that was his primary weapon. Arguably, all 3 of his pitches are out pitches. Command and pitch selection will drive his success or failure, IMO, not a 2 Mph decline in his fastball. Throwing a straight fastball at 99.5Mph IS hittable if he’s behind 3-1……more hittable than 102. Fastballs to start hitters to make his other two pitches much more effective, that’s what I’m hoping for in ‘25.
  5. JD-TWINS
    Pitch sequencing - command. Fix those and velocity of 102 or 98.3 isn’t a concern. If guys are looking fastball because you just threw a splinker in the dirt, after 2 curveballs, you have a problem. Fastball early in counts and get ahead - then the other 2 pitches are devastating whether in the zone or not. He’s a power pitcher that pitches backwards and tries to look cute fooling guys. If it’s the bench calling pitches OR the catcher……that I don’t know? It’s problematic though for him. His stuff is excellent and if he doesn’t dig holes in counts, he’ll be great at any velocity. Duran’s success doesn’t hinge on him throwing 102 any more Griffin Jax does.
  6. JD-TWINS
    You think “they look the other way” so guys bulk up and get hurt & they get fired…….doesn’t seem very productive for their careers. These guys are fitness experts and have programs tailored for each guy - it’s not 1970 and they just hand out salt pills and Bengay and give massages…….diet - stretching - cryo treatments - hot & cold tubs - suction cups - deep massage. Why would a trainer turn his back on weight lifting that’s not productive? What’s the upside?
  7. JD-TWINS
    Their training staff can’t be that ignorant. Nobody is sitting in their office while Royce is squatting 500lbs on his own. If fans know muscle bull can be torn more easily than lean - well stretched muscle, pretty sure the training staff and players are aware. Players probably need to be monitored but after 2 major knee surgeries and 2-3 other long “games lost” stints, somebody is on Royce’s hip all day long in the training room. Do we think the potential “best player” on the Team is just left alone to lift & lift until he likes what he sees?
  8. JD-TWINS
    I’m talking about Julien
  9. JD-TWINS
    He’s had to have started around 100 games the last 2 seasons at 2B - right? Gotta be close to that…….if he hit last year he would have played there regularly. I think Team is OK with him playing 2B if he hits ………. right or wrong.
  10. JD-TWINS
    Joe Mauer’s athleticism and most other humans are not on same page, to be fair. Also, pretty sure he spent more than a few weeks getting acclimated to 1B. IMO, Julien’s mediocre at the only position he’s ever played. Not a bunch of learning opportunities at 1B in the off-season…….giving him 2-3 months to get sharper at 1B is worthwhile, if he’s producing with the bat.
  11. JD-TWINS
    If having a left handed bat in CF. Castro is probably the guy in ‘25. 2 Catchers - Lee - CC - Julien- France -Miranda Castro Larnach - Buxton - Bader - Wallner I think Martin has inside track but if Gasper keeps hitting it may be him……Kiersey would really have to be better on fire the next couple weeks.
  12. JD-TWINS
    The article says he has 2 HR & a .727 OPS this Spring - what’s real?
  13. JD-TWINS
    Don’t need to play in games every day to improve or feel comfortable at a position. Practice makes perfect. No reason Miranda can’t improve enough with drills & other practice activity to become a competent 1B. Psychologically, one needs game reps at some point but getting confidence through practice reps should earn time in games……I like Miranda at 1B and assume he’ll play there v. RH pitching or DH as he’s a reverse splits guy.
  14. JD-TWINS
    Julien for a warm body does team no good. Nothing about his ‘24 would entice a trade partner for more than an A ball guy with a moderate ceiling, IMO. Seems if there was a guy to trade, along with an arm to get some real value back, it would have been Castro. Also, $7M or whatever in saved $$. I’m hoping Keaschall is good enough hitter to be the long term guy at either 2B or 1B……have fingers crossed. While not impressed with Lee at the plate in ‘24, he’s worth giving some time to develop and try to figure it out. An opportunity for the FO may have been missed with Castro’s value coming off ‘24 but they are scared none of the young guys will hit effectively……need the depth.
  15. JD-TWINS
    Who’s on the roster? Martin - Bader - Kiersey - Castro - Gasper - Miranda - etc……. somebody has to go & this assumes Julien isn’t on 26 man. Can’t just list guys that could be helpful.
  16. JD-TWINS
    Trading a real chip - IMO, Castro or Keaschall or maybe Lee - these all weaken the club going forward in ‘25. The other guys bring back nothing of value. Not really sure what “plus value” any of the 3 chips bring back? A chip with another arm in the deal may have worked but to gain what? Julien - Martin - Gasper are all long shots to make the club they are with now……who/what do they bring back in trade?
  17. JD-TWINS
    I struggle with Eddie as well. He’s gotta hit at a high level to be on 26 man. Lee at 3B long-term seems almost a certainty. IMO, if Martin can’t play OF he can’t be on the 26 man. Lee/Castro/CC/Lewis/Juilen/Keaschall/Miranda/France/Gasper………whole bunch of guys with potential to be ahead of Martin in the IF.
  18. JD-TWINS
    The only two guys hurt more than Emma are Cantinero and Prielipp……..he’s got a sprained ankle now. I have no expectations of Emma in the Show until he can play 60 days straight in MiLB and have success. To me, he’s mostly hype at this point. I don’t dislike him nor think he isn’t talented but “little availability” is of no interest in Minneapolis!
  19. JD-TWINS
    Hoping he’s our 1B of the future OR Lewis goes there and Keaschall plays 2B? Either works with Lee at 3B eventually.
  20. JD-TWINS
    Trading for Stanton is the most bizarre take I’ve seen in my 3 plus years following TD. This is regardless of who trade pieces might be. Trading Lopez & Larnach or Wallner to free up $$ to pay Stanton (who is always injured) so they might get Alcantara and Meyers from Florida………it reads like……, I can’t say it here. Bizarre thought. 1 of 2 prospects from Yankees for proven MLB players like Larnach & Lopez…….again, bizarre. “screaming to be done…..”?? NOT. You “clear $21.5M for 2 years……” but you don’t have Pablo Lopez ……you may have some arm the Yankees or Marlins don’t think is good enough to start on their teams.
  21. JD-TWINS
    If they just throw him in the Pen without trading for him, he has no options. If he sucks BUT with upside, they cannot send him down all year without Philly just getting him back. If he has perceivable value to organization based in n what they’ve seen & know, they should make a trade.
  22. JD-TWINS
    We disagree on Alcala details - that’s all. He had a 1.08 WHIP & 3.24 ERA with 58K’s in 58.1 innings…….really very good overall! He appeared in 54 games not 50. He had 3-4 not great outings…….pretty typical for any reliever or any pitcher over 54 appearances. My position is just because a player doesn’t shine 100% of the time it’s not mismanagement. IMO, he’s mentally fragile - trouble focusing at times……him & 75% of pitchers in MLB. Bullpens - individuals in bullpens get stressed. Roles evolve through the season. Sands was a “long guy” and then became more situational through the season. Alcala’s role evolved. He went into the Rangers game with a 4-0 lead & got roughed up over 9 pitches - his ERA was around 2.00 or less going into the game. That was middle of August, long after any multiple inning appearances. ………he threw 58.1 innings all year (understood he threw in St Paul as well)……not exactly a terrible load. I look forward to him being the solid #3-#5 guy in ‘25! Brock Stewart - as many here state, getting 40 innings from him over 6 months may be the realistic ceiling. I certainly don’t see him as a “lynchpin”. He’s fun to watch when he’s healthy.
  23. JD-TWINS
    PEN: Do we think Castellano sticks? 6 months is a long-time to commit to a guy without any MLB innings. Sounds like there’s upside from all the stuff in print since the Rule 5 draft. It just doesn’t seem real to me …….with Topa & Tonkin iffy with 3 weeks to the opener, he probably has a real shot for the 26 man. Man, I’d really like to see Paddack displaced by Festa in the rotation. To me, Paddack has zero chance of a successful year as a starter over the length of the season. He could spot start a handful of times (3 plus innings) & be a max effort guy out of the Pen. Seems the best way to get 80-100 effective innings v. 110 innings of mediocrity as a regular starter. Varland - Paddack……Alcala - Sands ……..Coulombe - Stewart……Jax - Duran. That’s a very good group! Blewett & Castellano are other possibilities. I assume they still might look to trade an arm or two before the end of March. Sure hope there is a surprise deal yet to be made!
  24. JD-TWINS
    When Morneau states out loud during a broadcast, “……..how did we get this guy?…….he looks great…..” that’s validation enough for me on Blewett. I thought he would have Tonkin’s spot in ‘25 before they signed Tonkin in the off season. Surprised he’s still in the system and not in the Opening Day mix for the PEN
  25. JD-TWINS
    Sands: WHIP, excellent - ERA, very good & 10.7 K’s/9 ……….pitched in numerous situations from 5th innings through 8th inning ……maybe has 2 bad outings all year………I too, don’t know what else he may need to do to get respect?
×
×
  • Create New...