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1985Fan

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  1. 1985Fan
    Falvey is trying to get the Twins name into the hot stove rumors in his new role replacing Dave St. Peter. He knows his hands are tied and he can’t do anything major, or possibly even minor, so he’s trying to generate discussions to keep fan interest going. Let’s face it, the Twins are an afterthought in the Twin Cities media market, overshadowed by the Wild, Twolves, and Vikings. Even the Lynx generate more media buzz than the Twins thanks to their collapse and inactivity at trade deadlines. I think they have the core in place to win, including Correa, so a couple of well executed trades dealing from their surpluses and/prospects would put this roster over the top. Diaz from Tampa would be a huge get for this team. Depends on what it would take, but Tampa is looking to cut payroll(as usual). Definitely not time for a complete rebuild. I think the best move they’ve already made is hitting coach. Hoping he can instill a slight change in philosophy that should make a huge impact. New voice that Lewis listens to and gets him on track would be huge for him and the team.
  2. 1985Fan
    The problem with trying Jax in the rotation is that if it doesn’t work it probably derails the season, or a significant part of it. Moving proven late inning reliever disrupts the BP order potentially costing late inning leads and losses. Until Duran shows that he can lock down leads late, I don’t see a Jax replacement in the BP. Let’s see if Duran is back to his previous form, if Sands or Alcala can step up, and if Topa can be effective. I don’t know why the FO would think there is a need for another starter anyways. SWR proved he was effective and Festa deserves to start the season as #5 SP. Unless they want to start Paddack again and keep Festa at AAA. No need to take unnecessary risk with Jax and the BP unless there is a trade, injuries, or ineffectiveness that forces a move like this.
  3. 1985Fan
    The FO stood pat during last two last trade deadlines. Their message was that the roster already had the talent to go deep into October. I doubt that they have changed their analysis since then. They’ll roll out basically the same roster. I think the FO is betting on this roster to produce and the guys at AAA being ready to contribute later this year. New owner may bring big changes, flush this FO and completely make over the roster. I think Falvey sits tight to wait to see how it shakes out.
  4. 1985Fan
    Good point. I’m giving the FO the benefit of doubt that SWR (didn’t draft him, but can take credit for developing him) and Festa will continue to perform well. And there seems to be enough guys stacked up at AAA & AA that 2-3 will make the big league rotation. But you’re right same standard should apply; until they’ve proven it on the field, no credit to the FO.
  5. 1985Fan
    Sano’s high k rate was a permanent part of his game which limited his big league production and career. I don’t think they’re totally different players. High strike out rate isn’t going to self correct in the big leagues, in fact, it will probably get worse. IMO Erod needs more time to work on his swing and cut down on K’s before he is handed a starting position. Wallner hasn’t improved his k rate at the big league level and it took Larnach two seasons to improve his. Julien and Lewis also contribute plenty of K’s, I don’t think the roster needs more of the same. That has nothing to do with Keirsey having earned his shot at the 4th OF spot. I am arguing that players that have proved it deserve a shot at open roster spots. This FO apparently doesn’t believe the same.
  6. 1985Fan
    This FO doesn’t draft pitchers in high rounds. They draft pitchers low and have a defined development program that seems to be working. Not the same on the position player side. Apples and oranges…
  7. 1985Fan
    I’ve heard this before. Remember how great Sano was? Until ERod proves it consistently on the field, at AAA and MLB levels, I’m not convinced. There’s a lot of swing and miss in his game already. That doesn’t translate well to the big leagues. I know he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I hope the FO does not promote him prematurely. EVERY player should earn their spot on the roster. Thats best for the players and the organization.
  8. 1985Fan
    Twins FO definitely values draft position and prospect hype over actual performance. Thats why Keirsey won’t get a chance. All the ratings from prospect “experts” seems to influence this FO heavily. ERod has 23 unproductive AAA AB’s and he’s already hyped to be a MLB star. I’d rather see the FO reward performance over hype. Make prospects prove it on the field against real competition. Keirsey has done that at the highest MiLB level for two seasons. Give him a chance!
  9. 1985Fan
    I agree with others in adding a proven high leverage LHRP. With the 3-batter rule, there are no more left handed specialist situations, but BP still requires LHRP to face LH hitters that won’t be pinch hit for (Seager, Devers, Soto, etc.). It’s a nice option to have in critical situations. If they want an elite BP, they need to replace Thielbars reliability. I think Funderburk, Moran, or Headrick could develop into a reliable BP piece, but they aren’t there yet. They’ll be good depth for now. Should be able to trade for a quality BP arm by trading Castro.
  10. 1985Fan
    If the FO is set on dumping Vasquez to clear salary, I advise they trade him for MiLB low level prospects. If Camargo is not ready to share catching duties with Jeffers, then sign a cheap, defense first, veteran catcher. A Vasquez only trade may require that Twins include prospects. Ouch! I think they could keep Vasquez and if his bat picks up a bit, he’s a deadline trade candidate. Maybe Jeffers, if his bat rebounds, can share time at 1B with Severino? With salary limitations, the FO may have to get creative with internal resources to fill in holes on the roster. Larnach should also be considered for 1B and Miranda should be a platoon option if he’s not traded. I like the idea of making trades. I think dumping Vasquez now will hurt more than help.
  11. 1985Fan
    Dodgers pitching was three solid starters and a deep bullpen. The arms in the bullpen were effective, not just high velocity. Dodgers BP was deeper and better than Yankees. If the Twins only learn one thing, invest in the BP! It doesn’t cost as much as SP and is a required post season weapon. There are enough starters in the pipeline that should allow FO to go after proven relief guys. Mix in some internal arms so there is depth to withstand injuries and ineffectiveness.
  12. 1985Fan
    Very sad to see a promising career derailed by injuries. Good luck to you AK.
  13. 1985Fan
    It’s not about age. Julien had <1000 AB’s in the minors, including only 138 AAA AB’s when called up. The lost COVID season delayed development for all. Lewis had a total of 131 AAA AB’s by 2023 when playing for Twins. He’s lacking in fundamentals in the field and at the plate and it shows. Kiriloff had very few games at AAA in 2021 when he started his yo-yo up and down travel between Twins and MiLB. Very rare for instant success in baseball. Those players are the exception, definitely not the norm. Need time to learn at AAA to have a base of success to fall back on when the slump comes. Notice a pattern with Julien, Kiriloff, Lewis and others? They all lack AAA time.
  14. 1985Fan
    I hope the Twins don’t rush these kids to MLB. It looks like they promoted Kiriloff, Lewis, Julien, and Lee before they were ready. They need to make sure their prospects are fully developed including defense and base running skills. Make sure they get enough AB’s and prove they’re ready through their play, not their prospect hype. The Twins should be considered a 2025 playoff team and therefore shouldn’t rely on prospects. They have a roster with veteran players that should lead the team. If they’re going to rush prospects, then go into rebuild mode and sell/trade Correa, Buxton, and others and bring on the next wave of prospects. They should be concerned with getting Lee on track, making sure Larnach and Wallner are solid big league players, and trying to salvage Julien and Kiriloff. Let the next wave play full year in MiLB and force their way onto the lineup in 2026.
  15. 1985Fan
    One important note about revenue sharing in MLB is the size of the overall pie, not just percentages. As an example, I read that MLB national TV deals with ESPN, Fox, TBS, Apple TV+, and Peacock average annual total is $2 billion. Compared to NBA recent TV deal that is $76 billion over 11 years, or almost $7 billion annually. Thats a lot more revenue to share. NFL TV deal is also huge in comparison to baseball. Baseball lack of a large national TV deal, as compared to NBA and NFL forces the teams to rely too heavily on local revenue to sustain salaries. Thats where the huge disparity lies. Combine that problem with payroll limits in NFL and NBA and the long term sustainability of baseball, as payroll rules are currently configured, is in serious doubt. NFL and NBA have focused on parity, and they have achieved it. Baseball has been behind the times on parity and a reckoning is coming. The NHL is way behind the other leagues in revenue, but they put in place extremely restrictive salary cap to level the playing field. This would seem to be the model for MLB. I don’t think the players union, the commissioner, or the owners are smart enough or willing to address the problem.
  16. 1985Fan
    Speed isn’t the only ingredient required for base stealing success. The base runner has to be able to read the pitcher to get a good jump, which is probably the most important skill. As others have said here, that is coaching. There also has to be awareness of the optimal count to attempt stealing. Counts that generate breaking balls are when attempts are most likely to be successful. Manager has to call for the steal to get the players thinking and focusing on it as a tool. It’s obvious Rocco does not value base stealing as a part of offense, and I don’t see that changing. There are other base running skills that are lacking. Advancing on pitches in the dirt and passed balls, taking advantage of opponents weak arms, hit and run, etc. All skills that coaches should be able to teach at the minor and major league levels. This FO has not emphasized base running skills and it a shame because it’s a mental aspect of each players game that used to be a mandatory skill. Rocco and FO like the station to station, wait for the long ball, Earl Weaver offense. That can work if you have power. With Santana leading the team with 22 home runs, it doesn’t take a genius to see that philosophy isn’t going to work with this roster. Rocco and Falvey will crunch the numbers and their stats will show to continue what they’re doing because injuries derailed the season. Same excuse for every season they don’t make the playoffs.
  17. 1985Fan
    For all of you certain that a new owner wouldn’t or couldn’t move the Twins, understand that Twins are mid to small market AND compete with Vikings, Wolves, Wild, Lynx, Gophers, and even their AAA team. I don’t think it’s a lock Twins stay here long term.
  18. 1985Fan
    All the fans blaming the Pohlads for on the field problems have forgotten that Pohlads spent the money to win two World Series. That’s better than many teams, including the Padres. They spent the going rate to sign, Hrbek, Puckett, Mauer, and Correa. I blame the on- field problems on the FO, manager, and coaches. Period. Dream on about new owner(s) solving all on-field problems. Not going to move the needle much. I think that MLB has a shrinking fan base generally, and a revenue sharing problem, which creates disparities between teams. Until those problems are solved, I think there will be more teams right sizing payrolls. MLB is different for a buyer than coveted NBA or NFL teams. If I was a billionaire, the NFL and NBA would be first option before baseball, even though I am a baseball fan first and foremost.
  19. 1985Fan
    The biggest needs are a RH bat and a LHRP. The urgency of getting a RH bat depends on how Lewis performs next season and how many games Correa and Buxton play.. Given the limited payroll, I’d bet that means the FO will stand pat there. LHRP is urgent right now given Thielbar and Funderburk did not perform well this season. FO may fall back on Headrick stepping into the void and/or Moran recovering. Headrick wasn’t effective in the one appearance I saw him pitch, but that was first appearance and hard to judge after his injury recovery. Wouldn’t be surprised if the FO goes with these two LHRP even though Moran won’t be ready until later in the season. I propose they target Jake Burger from the Marlins. It looks like Jonah Bride could be their 1B, leaving Burger as a backup or DH. Burger would be a nice RH power bat that could be our 1B. Maybe trade Miranda in a one for one swap. Miranda is a couple years younger, so they may see more upside. He could also be insurance at 3B for Norby, who didn’t look good at all during series against the Twins.
  20. 1985Fan
    This would work if dealing from positions of strength or surplus. I don’t think the farm system has a catcher ready to replace Vasquez, unless they think Camargo is ready to step up. I also don’t think there is enough depth in the system to replace Jax., thus creating a hole in the bullpen. If they absolutely have to unload Vasquez salary, they’re going have to attach a prospect and leave the MLB roster intact to be competitive next year. That type of trade is going to hurt, but won’t leave a hole in the roster. The supposed surplus they have now is pitching prospects. To get rid of Vasquez, they’ll probably have to attach one of those prospects. Going to be painful, but that is the reality.
  21. 1985Fan
    Agree with you about Joe Pohlad, He definitely hurt ticket sales and alienated a lot fans. As you say, he is not a good businessman and business manager. He has damaged the brand. I disagree that that is why this team collapsed. The players they have should perform the same regardless of what Joe Pohlad says or does. Rocco and Falvey are responsible for on field performance. Period.
  22. 1985Fan
    First, I did not defend Griffith; I merely pointed out his strength was talent recognition and player development. Also made some very good trades. Player development is a weakness of Falvey and he certainly has missed on more trades than he has hit on. And if you want to look at facts, Twins had very good teams under Griffith until the 70’s. Current management hasn’t achieved the same success. I didn’t say anything about Tampa or Miami? I noted Cleveland and Detroit have lower payrolls and better teams. It’s not all about payroll! That is an excuse for Falvey and Rocco to hide behind along with the annual injuries excuse. I don’t understand why you want to disparage two WS teams. They played the games and beat the teams that they had to beat and won both titles on the field, not in some fantasy simulation. Games are won on the field, not in Rocco’s spreadsheet or Falvey stats room. You can keep buying into this management, but results are what matter. The collapse is a real event that is Falvey and Rocco’ responsibility. Period. Who buys tickets because of perceived advances by the organization?! I watch the team on the field, and they were horrible.
  23. 1985Fan
    The Pohlad family owned the Twins and won two WS. It was because of player development, a good manager that kept the team focused on fundamentals, and some very savvy trades. It was exciting baseball to watch. I don’t like the Pohlads style, especially the new kid that seems clueless. But the payroll is not the reason this team doesn’t win championships. Cleveland and Detroit have smaller payrolls. They play fundamentally sound baseball and execute. It’s that simple. Falvey and Rocco are responsible for performance of the team, not Joe Pohlad. I lived through Calvin Griffith and as hated as he was, he drafted and developed most of the players that went on to win 87 WS. Blaming the owners is another way for Falvey and Rocco to escape responsibility.
  24. 1985Fan
    I attribute the 2019 season to two main factors; the juiced ball, and clubhouse leadership. Cruz was the leader of that group. He was the one players went to and looked up to. I don’t think the players listen to Baldelli then or now.
  25. 1985Fan
    Don’t like his style of play and I don’t think it wins in the long run. Watching other teams in action against the Twins is a good reference. I see the “old school” managers that use more of their instincts and baseball knowledge than just stats doing pretty well. Every year we fans hear the injuries excuse. I guess we need to hope for zero injuries every year. Good luck with these players getting through a season without injury. They fired the old trainer, but that didn’t change anything. Keeping my fingers crossed that changing the hitting coaches will improve the terrible hitting.
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