I'm not as down on Miranda at 1B as some. A lot of his numbers come from his rookie year when he was adjusting to the MLB and learning 1B on the job. He is a big guy with enough mobility for 1B. I think he will be fine... if they give him some more time on task!
Seriously? This is what we have all been awaiting for years! And the TD writers have to come up with a negative spin on it? And give us a side of union propaganda to boot? I used to love this site for the inside baseball perspective it provided. Please get back to what made this site special!
I think this is where the hitting coach makes a difference. It seemed, at times, Popkins was overwhelming hitters with too much to think about. Hopefully, Borgschulte is better at tailoring it to each hitter!
My guess... The team is for all intents and purposes sold, the Pohlads can see their payday in sight, and the new owners have asked them to please not destroy the Team's reputation any further 😉
I realize there are current owners that keep payrolls low in order to pocket revenue sharing as a income stream. It would be foolish to pay today's prices for a ballclub and do that. There are way better ways to generate revenue with $1.5bln.
If that is the case, they are not the serious business owners they would have us believe. Retained earnings are crucial to smooth out revenue volatility.
This ownership group and FO could not have picked a worse time to face-plant. They crushed fan and team morale while the Central Division looks to be more competitive going forward than it has been in years!
That certainly seems to be the case. But then you hear that the Twins have an analytics staff of 100+ putting out daily analysis. Maybe Rocco's not getting the memos?
Of these three returning, it is Baldelli that concerns me the most. And that has nothing to do with spreadsheets or lack of instincts. It has to do with the morale of the team going forward. I was at the last two games of the season. There was no heart, no pride left in those players. Now you have the highly paid superstar and the next face of the franchise sniping at each other in the media. I don't think time is going to heal these wounds!
I heard an interesting point yesterday. Ownership does not want to spend $$$. The FO does not want to spend prospects. That doesn't leave much space to maneuver in.
I hadn't viewed Rocco's actions through this lens. His tendency to cling to failing strategies and unflinching belief in reversion to the mean can also be seen as risk-averse behaviors. In which case, he will not change until the pain of standing pat overwhelms the unknowns of taking a risk