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.

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

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

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

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.

Did you make one up with Luis Arraez before he was traded?

I think it's silly to compare his throws from 2B to throws from 3B because 2nd basemen don't need to throw hard. But his arm from SS was just fine as was his nearly 100 mph throws from the OF. Any SS worth his salt can play 3B. There's not one credible source for the statements that are being made that Nick will never play the infield again. That's pure honkey-tonk. If Farmer, Polanco, Correa or Miranda get injured then Nick can play anywhere in the infield. If any player in the OF gets injured then Nick can play anywhere in the outfield. Why in the world would the Twins trade Arraez if Gordon couldn't fill his shoes and more. The negative comments about Nick's many talents just don't make any sense. He adjusted his swing to provide more power as he was asked to do, and he has one of the nicest swings on the team. And he knows how to bunt and run the bases. IMO too many fans are looking at a gift horse in the mouth. He was a bona fide 1st round pick that had a slow track of development that's finally paying off. Maybe some fans simply don't like that he now displays more talent and durability than some of their favorite prospects. I guess we'll see who produces, plays which positions and gets traded first. I like Nick's hair color and I'm not going to trash him over it it took some getting used to but it grew on me and doesn't bother me any more. I like it more than ever because I realized his talents are worth their weight in gold.

If he can be as effective as he was last year then it would be a good signing. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/handbr01.shtml

I posted these on my wife's Facebook page! You're the Goat You're the best catch I ever made We're a match Maeda in Heaven

I don't know but I doubt that it matters much. Here's his spray charts which shows that he hits a lot of ground balls to the left side that aren't singles. He either improves his hitting with men on base or he doesn't. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/kyle-farmer/14813/spray-charts?position=SS&type=battedball

Prato made 2 highlight reel catches to show that he's not a fluke. The 1st is after the 2:30 mark. The 2nd was when he was in college. Phenomenal effort. Stats: https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/205349/

My main concerns about Farmer are that his "double plays grounded into" seems high & he gets hit by a lot of pitches. Rocco needs to find the best spot in the batting order for him to not hit as many GIDP's, and hope that getting hit by pitches doesn't cause him serious enough injury to miss time when we need him. Double Plays Grounded Into 2021 NL 16 (6th) 2022 NL 20 (3rd) Hit By Pitch 2021 NL 18 (2nd) 2022 NL 16 (4th) https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/farmeky01.shtml

The Twins Bomba Squad beat the Bronx Bombers head to head in a season competition to set the new bomba record. Setting the new record despite having a larger home ballpark was a much more noteworthy accomplishment than winning the playoff round. Setting the new bomba record clearly offsets the playoff loss since the Yankees did not go on to win the world series or even play in it because they lost to the Astros in 6 games. Future generations will long remember the record breaking bomba season as the year that the Twins bested the Yankees and not the other way around. Sometimes losing enough playoff games to the Yankees has its just rewards.

If Kirilloff's choice is between having manageable pain and unmanageable pain again this year, then he could end up becoming just another part time player on the roster similar to Buck with his tendonitis. We can only hope that any promotion is not being rushed before he's allowed maximum time to fully recover. Another big question for this year would be even if his pain remains manageable, could it still negatively affect his hitting and by how much? We probably won't know until he starts swinging the bat somewhere again even if that's in AAA because he's missed so much playing time. Kirilloff will probably need to have an excellent spring training before being awarded the 1B position. And how will Rocco manage him from there, by giving him extra days off or by making him a part time DH? Those are some questions that need to be considered if Kirilloff is to become the everyday starter at 1B. Otherwise he could end up being just another platoon player with unrealistic expectations by the fans, but with an excuse if he doesn't deliver.

Twins sign RH relief pitcher Connor Sadzeck to a AAA contract. He has 36 innings of experience in the majors, mostly in 2019. He's listed as 6' 7" tall. https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-connor-sadzeck-signs-with-minnesota/ Stats: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sadzeco01.shtml

Maybe the Marlins didn't provide him with enough run support. I doubt that the fans expect him to be an ace when the Twins only traded 1 player yet received 3 in return.

I agree to an extent but for the sake of argument I'd say that it's still a matter of properly managing each pitcher individually to keep them stretched out as starters. That could mean 2 pitchers in for about 5 and 4 innings each. Then you save your closer and BP for the next game. If the platooned pitcher doesn't get in enough pitches during that outing then he can throw another 20 pitches in a bullpen session immediately after the game "if necessary." What do they do when a starter needs to be pulled in the 3rd inning because he got pulled? Let's not assume a planned 2 inning scenario when that's not what platooning 2 starters is intended to be about. This is more about managing a different type of pitching based on modern realities of how long starters usually last and piggybacking them. Not for 2 innings, but 4 or 5. Ober & Varland may be exactly those kind of guys. You know that Rocco goes by pitch count. It's about thinking outside of the box to make the best "full use" of the pitchers that are available on the staff, & Rocco gets to choose his staff. The rest can be waiting in the wings in AAA. The Twins signed another guy that might work as long relief or as a backup starter and that's De Leon. AFAIK he's been signed as a "starter type" with limited MLB experience and an injury history but may become ready for prime time. Maybe his injury history will allow him to pitch 2-3+ instead of 5. The point is to manage the BP to last the whole season & to help keep them effective. It's just an idea that I wish they would actually try out using decent pitchers.

In case of injury, there will be a lot of BP depth on the Saints just a phone call away. It's a waiting game to see how this year's depth signings work out. iMulti-mllions of $$$ doesn't grow on trees, and they also need to grow the attendance. Doesn't the MLB still need to fix the TV rights problem?

If Sano were sent to the Saints, then he could get some good press and generate fan support that would follow him back to Target Field if he makes a comeback. If not sent up then the Saints fans would have a slugger to root for. Even if Sano made it back to Target Field,, that wouldn't mean that he couldn't play at the same time as Gallo. Sano would only need to prove that he can make quality at bats & get some hits. Maybe Sano could hit better than Palacios when he came up too. Sano's power depth is insurance as long as his price is right.

I'd rather see extra starters that can be platooned and that can help keep the BP fresh over the course of the season. That could also allow all of the starters to have some friendly competition among themselves which could help set a performance baseline for future contract considerations. Moore had a bounce back 2022 but who knows if he can keep it up.

No one needs to be dropped, not even Ober. They all just need to be properly managed to maximize their opportunities because some will have misfires and/or injuries. Starting pitchers can be platooned instead of parading the same tired bullpen onto the field every night because the starters don't last. Sometimes 2 starters can pitch one complete game instead of watching some of the same circus acts like Pagan blow games. It's mostly a matter of scheduling management and thinking outside of the box. If the fans need to wait for Varland then they need to wait. But maybe having more starters will cut down on injuries to Mahle and the rest. Who really knows how effective any of our starters will be? At least we know Varland's arrow is pointing up & that he seems to already be effective & durable.. The best players are the ones who are available and not out with injuries. Maybe having more starters can give Rocco better options than working with a larger bullpen, & can help to win more games. Maybe Varland can be an option for platooning starters as needed.

I don't know if Varland is absolutely ready or not, but he's fun to watch and seems to get results. If Joe Ryan weren't traded to the Twins then he would have been stuck in AAA which would have been a loss for MLB. Since Varland seems to be an effective enough pitcher then the Twins should find room for him to pitch. If he's close enough to his peak now then winning is up to his personal discipline & fortitude. That's what baseball is about, a team sport where will overcomes the opponent. The Twins should cut out the hanky panky and let him play ball! Maybe his durability & others injuries will be the deciding factor that gives Varland his big break sooner rather than later. After all he's a hometown favorite. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sano should get signed to a minor league deal and I wouldn't even mind if it was with the Twins. He's looking for the best deal that he can find. But his main issue is consistency which is required to remain a pro. If Sano can somehow be more consistent with his bat then he can make it back to the bigs. The Twins know more about his medicals than any other team. If the Twins have any faith in him at all they'll make him an offer. But IIRC after paying him a $3 mil buyout I doubt that they would offer enough to sign him unless all of the other offers are similar. Many Twins fans would probably love to see him make a comeback and be a hero but he's got a lot to prove. He could end up being more productive than Gallo & Jeffers, or he can continue to chase pitches as if he needs eye glasses. That's anyone's guess but I'd want to see what he can do in AAA before moving back up. His buyout was an issue of financial necessity for the Twins, and maybe Sano has some hard feelings But if he still has a house in Minny then maybe there's a slight chance for a reunion of mutual convenience.

He must have an eagle's eye to hit the ball on the 3 spot. The best hitters in history are said to have their dominant eye on the opposite side or across of their batting side. When a switch hitter is as good as Jorge, you know he must be benefitting by having cross eye dominance. It helps to have the eye closest to the pitcher be the dominant eye. Then it's a matter of execution with his bat speed & a great swing & focus due to training.

Whatever the Twins plans are it will happen in steps. Miranda first needed to gain as much speed as possible to be able to hit more doubles. His MLB value is as a hitter and every base counts towards pro success. He wants to be able to keep hanging with Correa in the bigs! There's no room for regression. If Miranda plays 3B then it's probably out of necessity on a game by game basis because every player is only one play away from being injured, or a day away from illness due to covid. Every position needs multiple backups, and pros need to be the best ball players that they can be to make more money. Miranda has a lot of upside and fan appeal. He needs to protect his career by staying healthy and producing results on the field in any position that he plays.