TwinsThompson

Puckett and Mauer are both great players, but what sets the two apart in my head is the "clutchness" factor. I have always thought of Kirby as a more clutch player. Probably because I haven't seen Mauer do anything special come playoff time. Has anyone compared the playoff stats of the two? I see some Kirby stats above, but none for Joe. Also, I don't really believe in the breaking down a playoff series by halves. It seems a bit like cherry picking to prove a point.

I'm a Willingham fan, but there is very little reason to keep him around. Even if he slugs before the all-star break I suspect the trade compensation would be minimal, being a half-season rental and all. Why not deal him now and clear room in the OF for guys like Parmelee, Arcia, and (eventually) Plouffe. Those guys need need the AB's.

I think Miller would be great. Why would the Mariners trade him if they don't see Franklin as a viable SS option? My guess is they wouldn't, and I have little interest in Franklin as a SS project at this point.

Didn't he play for the Indians in the 90's? http://www.brenthanson.net/crtside/wp-content/files/2011/09/majorleague2.jpg Is this the guy?

I like that they are keeping all options open. If this guy is really that good they are going to have to get out the checkbook though. I would imagine other clubs are checking him out as well.

Sporadic power - yes, nothing else is quality - yes, could be a productive player......maybe? He can't really hit with any consistency, strikes out too much, and is a liability in the field. I would say he really only has a shot at being a bench bat somewhere, but that is pretty iffy too. He probably belongs in AAA.

This is a good point. Perhaps they could use a bullpen arm from NB for the stretch run. Dakota Watts? I guess there aren't all that many options.

I agree wholeheartedly. If Pinto looks the part this September he could be a nice insurance policy for Mauer. It looks like we will need one, considering the concussion symptoms that Mauer is experiencing and the possibility of him spending less time behind the plate in future years.

TR's strategy of staying competitive while rebuilding at the same time seems great in theory. But, depending on what year you would view as the start of the rebuild, you could say that his strategy has largely failed. It's one thing to run out mediocre veteran players if they keep you competitive, but we are on our way to losing 90+ games again this year. That's not being competitive. We may or may not be a worse product on the field by moving the veterans out of the way, but at least we will be seeing what we have with the younger guys. How will those players improve as MLB'ers if we are hesitant to give them consistent playing time. This whole strategy feels very non-committal to me, and I think it drags the rebuilding process out a bit longer.