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sun

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Everything posted by sun

  1. sun
    It will be difficult to displace Farmer at 3B this year if he keeps on hitting like he has since his return. Right now I'm high on Will Castro as the replacement SS, I think that he's deceptively good in the OF & IF as needed due to his strong arm & speed. And I think his bat will improve too. I hope that he doesn't get demoted when Lewis comes up. Castro also had a great spring training which earned him the roster spot. Maybe Miranda will have a chance to platoon at 1B next year depending on his bat. He doesn't have a lot of fielding options. Miranda will just need to suffer in AAA until he can prove that he can perform at the plate at his new weight. Maybe last year he was picking up the slack for Buck being injured. Not sure how else to explain his struggles this year. Both Gordon & Buck were sent down to AAA multiple times over years, so to see Miranda stay there until ready & needed is not a big deal. It's just money out of Miranda's pocket. Miranda's contract pays him $727K this year while Castro is earning $1.8 mil and their fielding shows their difference. Either Miranda hits or he's stuck in AAA.
  2. sun
    They both have upside & downside. If Vasquez continues to slump with his bat then an adjustment with his PT can be made. Jeffers is probably just picking up the slack for the high salaried vet. I'm happy for Jeffers for as many hits as he can muster. Everything the Twins catchers do averages out, After all it shows that they're working in tandem together like real Twins. Rocco simply needs to work out the issue of PT and play it by ear.
  3. sun
    Polanco & Rocco. If they both do their jobs well then the Twins can go far. Hook the sled up with those 2 leading the dog pack & see if they can finish the long race.
  4. sun
    Rosin gets sticky when it's mixed with sweat or simply rubbed between the fingers & clothing using friction. According to Pedro Martinez, it gets sticky when it's burned or heated by rubbing it. This is intended by the rules so that pitchers can increase spin rates. According to this article, a lot of pitches mix it with sunscreen which is illegal but can't really be controlled. It's claimed that many pitchers do it. https://baseballtrainingworld.com/baseball-rosin-bags-what-are-they-and-how-do-they-help/
  5. sun
    I didn't know what was going on but I suspected that it had to do with rosin. Rocco should have let it go like he did with the bad call in game 2 when CC was tagged out at 2nd base and he didn't appeal. It makes Rocco look bad when he gets ejected for protesting an umpire's decision that he can't change. He was trying to act like a lawyer but in this case he looked more like an ambulance chaser.
  6. sun
    IMHO the reason why so many journalists predict that the Guardians will win the Division is because there's a perception that Terry Franconia is the better manager. Last year he was named AL Manager of the Year for the 3rd time in his career, & the Guards had the most come from behind victories in MLB with 29. He has a better track record & now it's up to Rocco to show that he can be the better manager. If Franconia was the Twins manager they would have probably received more 1st place votes than the Guards .
  7. sun
    You're right that it was only 1 start. However he started 11 games in the Puerto Rican Winter League this past November & December which means that he's healthy and perhaps more ready to pitch longer outings & more effectively than some other Twins AAA pitchers. He had a 1.51 ERA in 47.2 innings which could show his advanced level of readiness. Just because Team Israel couldn't hit the ball doesn't mean that De Leon wasn't pitching well. His pitches seem to have good movement & zip. I'm looking forward to seeing him make the jump hopefully sooner rather than later considering that he was such a high level prospect that had a long and apparently successful recovery from TJ surgery in 2018. He seems to be at least on par if not able to exceed expectations of Chris Archer last year. De Leon just showed that he could hold up for 60+ pitches just like he was able to do playing PR winter ball. I think that puts him ahead of at least some of the Twins pack of AAA pitchers. Hopefully the Twins and fans will give him some credit when credit is due as he proves himself, which should include his WBC performances.
  8. sun
    Why did Kenta Maeda pitch live batting practice yesterday instead of facing the Yankees in Fort Myers? Maybe because Rocco doesn't want Maeda to reveal his stuff too soon and let the cat our of the bag about what will be coming down the pipeline when they play. Or maybe Maeda had a better, longer & more productive work out in batting practice. Or could it be both?
  9. sun
    I hope De Leon gets noticed enough to be rewarded with a chance to shine with the Twins. He's got sharp stuff and just needs to stay healthy. He just may be the real deal and is locked & loaded to do battle this year. This year is a big deal for him to make up for lost time due to an injury plagued career. I hope that the Twins don't waste his time if he's ready to pitch & can be an asset. This outing was a big first step. He may very well be the 1st to get called up, ASAP if he's ready.
  10. sun
    The past has shown that the front office knows how to wheel & deal in the MLB meat market. I think that it shows that they're stocking up on players to make moves before the trade deadline. Every team can have injuries & needs as the season progresses that the Twins can capitalize on. Just look at how the Twins needed to make an emergency trade with Cleveland for a catcher last year. I like that he's a veteran player that probably has a sound foundation of baseball fundamentals that won't be as likely to make rookie mistakes like base running blunders and throwing the ball to the wrong base behind the runner. Some foreign players never seem to have been taught properly like Rosario which led to his demise with the Twins. Others seem prone to injuries which may lead to them being traded while they're healthy. You never know what the Twins are up to because it's a meat market, If he can stick with the Twins for a couple of years you never know where he may end up. A .248 lifetime BA is just about as good as most any rookie in the Twins system. Taylor, Kepler & Gallo aren't going to be around forever, There's plenty of teams kicking the tires before deciding who they can use in trade. His nickname is Stevo, so welcome to the Twins Stevo. Maybe Stevo will stick around long enough to see how fast the TC weather changes.
  11. sun
    This is the most thorough report that I could find. I wonder if he was throwing too hard, too soon or hurt himself lifting weights or what? They only report that it's inflammation. https://www.archyde.com/jose-miranda-leaves-the-world-classic-due-to-shoulder-discomfort/
  12. sun
    It might work to his advantage to by #5 in the rotation. Because in theory he would be opposing pitchers that are easier for him to beat which would result in him having a higher win loss percentage. That could work out the best for him & the team as his comeback progresses.
  13. sun
    According to this article, Maeda pitched two scoreless innings today despite the Rays knowing what each pitch would be due to the catcher's earpiece volume being set too loud. When a player in any sport goes on a roll, they can become unstoppable without any explanation. And it's possible that's where Maeda may be heading this season. Sometimes a player just can't do anything wrong. That's just the way that some cookies crumble! Just enjoy it and don't fight it because Kenta's got game! I don't care about his stats as long as he's effective enough to get the outs. The rest will take care of itself. If you ask me I think that he'll be as good as ever because he has the mojo thing going on! Call it Karma or whatever you want. As long as Rocco pulls him out in time and doesn't push him any harder then need be, he will do just fine & will finish the season with a win loss record of about .600 - .650. BTW, afterward when Kenta found out about the earpiece volume he just laughed! The Twins need to get ready to show him the money! I think he's hungry for it! https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/twins-kenta-maeda-pitched-around-big-issue-during-spring-start/ar-AA1890gR
  14. sun
    Another starter who is on the bubble. It's doesn't matter if you call him a long reliever or a starter. Functionally how many innings can he pitch and can he stay healthy while doing it? If we need extra guys who can pitch 3 or 4 innings and he can perform then that's how he should be used. If a guy gets injured by pushing him then the question is easily answered. Pitchers aren't expected to deliver 90 - 100 "effective" pitches anymore so they need to be managed. It seems that sending guys to AAA to be starters only wears them out for when the Twins need them. I don't care if he's called a starter or not. just make sure that he can deliver enough pitches for when we need him to take over a game or spot start, whatever you want to label it. The most important thing is that he's effective for the 3-4 innings that he pitches, either as a starter or a long reliever. Just don't expect too much from guys who are "bubble starters." Forget the longer starts by starters, In order to win playoff games we need guys who can be platooned.. Two of them might get through 6-7 innings because rarely will one be able to do it alone against the big money teams, at least not if the Twins want playoff wins. Maybe they need to be kept stretched out but their pitch counts need to be managed to prevent recurring injuries. If they can't stay healthy pitching 3 or 4 innings in the bigs then they won't stay healthy pitching 5-6 in AAA. There's always next year 4 him..
  15. sun
    IMO we need pitchers in the long relief role who don't make mistakes, have live arms & good action on their pitches. With the pitch clock, the Twins can't afford to have marginal guys as long relievers, or else the game will get away from them. They need to be good like Ober. I'm not confident about Jax pitching more than 1 inning. Sometimes he's got it but other times he doesn't. I wouldn't want guys who have already been passed over as starters. Moran is another guy that I don't have enough confidence in. He's a lefty but doesn't pitch enough strikes. Pitchers that rely on pitches way out of the zone for K's are bound to produce more BB's. Once they start letting guys on base then Rocco will need to go back to the BP which defeats the purpose of long relief in 2023.
  16. sun
    I like his live arm and comparing his stature to Pedro Martinez, Henriquez is still young and may eventually pan out as a starter. But if being a long reliever keeps him healthy & effective, then let him work multiple innings to maximize his assets as soon as possible. If he can shine in that role then that's just as good as being a starter if not better for the Twins. It will be like calling in the cavalry. Let him get some K's without the wear & tear of high pitch counts, and instead of worrying about the weak links when resorting to a chain of multiple single inning relievers.
  17. sun
    That;s great news about Kenta. He Maeda my day!
  18. sun
    I'm not concerned about Polanco's health this year, Last year was an outlier year because he's been such a workhorse while carrying the team in previous years and was being underpaid to boot. The Twins have coverage for every emergency this year, and can even provide 2 IF players with a day off at the same time, & even if one IF gets injured. The AAA prospects need to wait for their opportunity plain & simple. Lewis is my primary interest & I think that Solano may be more of a platoon at 1B & backup at 2B when needed. Any player can end up becoming a rental at the trade deadline depending on where the Twins are in the standings, but I doubt that the Twins will trade Jorge if he's producing like an All Star. The Twins will be a better team with both Lewis & Polanco this year than without them. I just hope that Polanco gets to vest independent of whether he's a trade candidate next year or not. He's generally delivered when the pressure is on like a true pro. If Lewis pans out then IDK how long Farmer will stick either. He's older than Polanco and doesn't switch hit. It depends on whether Lewis can back up SS or not after surgery, and should not be based on how much Polanco will be paid next year if he vests.
  19. sun
    I'm hopeful that he can pitch well enough to get his contract renewed with the Twins. I'll go out on a limb and predict that Maeda will have at least a .600 win-loss record this year., perhaps finishing out between .600 - .650. A fellar can dream right? Maeda said that he feels good enough to go and hit some HR's! What a riot! He's got quite a sense of humor!
  20. sun
    Both Solano and Farmer have some familiarity with NL pitchers that could be helpful in some situations. The same may apply to the ex-Reds pitchers that are now with the Twins, & Maeda too. Since there's more games with the NL this year then knowing a little more about the NL opponents can't hurt.
  21. sun
    Maybe Driveline improvements are one of the reasons why Rocco has vowed to let the starters pitch deeper into games this year. Rocco Wants Starters to Pitch Deeper and Carry Twins in 2023 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/rocco-baldelli-starters-carry-twins/?fbclid=IwAR0beRzsGZ_0nrbHeIq_R6YhTxI8m6VbLEhzHrxQ2_pqF5zmfmhl1JxBPCA
  22. sun
    Yes, Buck does need to stay healthy. But he also needs to be allowed to play to earn his bonus money for plate appearances. Last year he only had 382 plate appearances and didn't earn any bonus money. If Rocco is too conservative with him, then he's going to be disappointed if it's due to Rocco keeping him off the field. As long as he's healthy he should play. And the Twins will have a better chance of winning the Division with him being in the lineup. Plate Appearances $500,000 each for 502, 533, 567, 600, 625
  23. sun
    If he has a healthy season and hits well, Buxton can make big bonus money depending on how many MVP votes that he receives. The shift ban could eventually help to reward him with many millions of $$, so he has plenty of incentive. In the past, he's placed 18th & 16th in MVP voting. Annual MVP Bonuses: 1st: $8M 2nd: $7M 3rd: $6M 4th: $5M 5th: $4M 6th-10th: $3M
  24. sun
    I'm not sure that an ace is even available this year that would take the Twins to contender status. But Rocco is on the hot seat since BARRING INJURIES, if he wants the credit for wins then he needs to also take the blame for losses. He simply needs to find a way to win with the players that we have. We can't blame it on aces that we don't have or necessarily need. We need to win with a combination of good ball play and good moves. Bench the players that don't produce and let someone else play. Rocco needs to act and players need to play like their jobs depend on it. Develop the winning formula, that's how pro baseball is supposed to work without any excuses.
  25. sun
    Did you make one up with Luis Arraez before he was traded?
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