RedLeg44

This bullpen has been so bad it doesn’t take much imagination to view this team in a +500 light. This bullpen has easily cost them 6 games this season which would put them in 1st place in the division. 2 league average releavers here are likely the difference. Most everyone would be lobbying to buy or stand pat if that was the case. Go get two “average” relievers with minimal impact to the farm system and roll the dice. Some are saying it’s not worth it if your not a true contender…how about just giving your young guys a taste of a playoff race, maybe a first round playoff series, gain the experience and develop a true hunger to get back to that point. Build some positive momentum for a change. There is value in that too, just harder to quantify.

Maybe the twins can start leveraging this in trades…add clauses where they get more $ or additional prospects if a player they trade away is a playoff series MVP. Or the team wins a World Series game in which the player starts. Think how full the farm system and bank account could be!

Good Luck Willy! Hope you crush it in Colorado.

This is the type of article on this site that makes my head spin…in a really good way. I really appreciate the deep dive and explanation into the numbers. I am a lifelong baseball fan that doesn’t often get down to this level of analysis and I find in fascinating. Thanks Matt for posting this one.

I like the thought of Walker at 1st base a lot more than Bell. Do I think Houston will cover much, if any of his salary…not likely. Guess it really depends on the hypothetical prospect you send. This to me would really make the Bell signing look like a decision made from fear to make sure the twins had a chair once the free agent musical chairs stopped. $7 mil isn’t a lot in today’s market but put that together with Walkers $20… I think $27 million AVV buys you a pretty impactful player. Could maybe have signed Nailer to play 1st…had 1.5 more WAR than Bell and Walker combined last year for around $18 mil AVV. But I could see the hesitation to have a longer, better cheaper, solution to a problem. But…at least they would be trying to do something.

I would like them to consider Michael Cuddyer for the job. He has done some coaching with team USA and has a good baseball pedigree. He was a good solid player and a twins HOF’er. Plus all his work with the youngster as of late means he should be able relate and connect with the younger players.

I am neither a “big hall” or “small hall” person. But I do feel that the one and done on the ballot is a bit restrictive. I would like to see a two year window to be on the ballot, as some commentators on MLB network have suggested. I think allowing this would help with years of “crowded ballets” and allow for a little bit longer look before passing over a candidate. Some will argue it should be pretty clear from the onset of voting if a candidate is worthy. But perspectives can be skewed a bit sometimes especially if voters are not as familiar with a players career due to geography and access to watching that player regularly. Perhaps even years having a unanimous first ballot HOF’er on the ticket sucks all the oxygen out of the conversation for those second level guys. Again skewing voters perspectives and forcing some nominees to be judged a little harsher than they would be in a subsequent year. Honestly anyone on a ticket having to face of against Jeter or Rivera would have a tough time seeming worthy when many likely are. Nathan aside, all I am saying is perhaps a second chance on the ballot isn’t a bad idea.

Thank you, It is so cool to see stories like this! So many people love the game and there are many ways to be connected to it. For any team it takes dedicated and passionate people working hard to make it something everyone can be proud of.

Son…We are in a pennant race, we need a hitter up here.

One of the discussion bullet points when HOF debates are had regularly includes All-Star selections. I don’t know how much weight it carries with voters when they are checking ballot boxes, but in a 60 sec spot on MLB network it seems to. With the close of free agency this winter I think C4 has put him self in a good position to increase the number of times he has been an All-Star. All the other top short stops signed in the NL. According to MLB networks “Shredder” he is the best SS in the AL, 2nd in all of baseball. His next closest league challenger just signed in the NL for the rest of there career. Seager and Bichette would be his closest remaining AL competition right now, and he really just needs to better than one of them. It isn’t to much of a stretch to think that he could secure 2 selections to the mid summer classic in the next 4 years. Which would double his selection total thus far in his career. Perhaps even 4 out of the first 6 years in his current contract. Selections set aside, being at the forefront of a discussion on the best player in the league at any position does have value when securing one’s legacy. Especially when it will likely cover a lengthy period of time. But, ultimately it all comes down to health and maintaining performance.