AScheib50

I don't have any issue with thinking of Mauer at somewhere other than first or DH. I feel like he could be a valuable asset playing RF even. I've always kinda wished they used him as a Johnny Bench type player. Now I'm just going off Bench's stats, having never seen him play, but he played kind of all over the field....that could have just been due to the fact he couldn't DH? But I feel like Joe's a fantastic athlete and could have been and could be better utilized than just winding up as a DH...just my thoughts. Like do we think Mauer could be a better RF than Arcia if given a few reps out there? If so then wouldn't it make sense to try that and DH Arcia more often on days when Mauer doesn't catch? Just throwing it out there for some conversation, not suggesting the move just yet...

I definitely wasn't advocating Sano going to the OF. Just that I bet he would play the field rather than DH at the age of 22.

I really can't see Sano becoming a DH by 2015. He'd only be about 22 and he's an athlete with a great arm and he runs pretty well for being a big guy. I bet he goes to RF before he becomes a DH. Plus I don't see it becoming an issue as reports have him becoming a serviceable player at third. Unless he really balloons up and outgrows third I bet he stays there for a number of years.

Where does everyone stand on the likes of Lincecum and Josh Johnson? I can't get pumped about either, but at the same time I'd happily take one or both because they have the chance to be GIANT upgrades. Both make you pretty nervous, though, Lincecum because of his drastic drop off over the last few years and Johnson because, well, his ERA was somewhere near 6 this year and he's always hurt. He was striking a lot of guys out though before he got hurt again.

Here's just a little food for thought. Following the origins of this post, I'm not advocating one way of the other just throwing this out there. Take a look at what Manny Machado did in the minors before debuting last year at a 19 year old...Manny Machado Minor League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com

This whole thing really reminds me of a book I just finished, it was called Odd Man Out by Matt McCarthy. He pitched in Rookie Ball for the Angels in the early 2000s. He played with the likes of Alberto Callaspo and Eric Eybar and Joe Saunders. Basically, it covers the year he spent playing minor league ball. It was crazy to hear about their lifestyles and what they had to go through. Especially interesting was the relationship between the "Dominicans" (apparently it was a blanket term for Latin players) and the Americans. So the issue between Lanigan and Sano seems like something straight from this book. The other thing from this book that is applicable is the way Joe Saunders was treated. He was a top 10 pick the same year the author was drafted. He signed a big contract and basically came to Rookie ball getting treated favorably was not making a ton of friends. So I wonder if sometimes these bonus baby types, like Sano, have a hard time relating to the rest of the players or carry themselves a little differently. Long story short. We really underestimate what playing minor league ball is like. It's a grind to say the least and a lot of crazy stuff happens that we don't know the half of.

Come on, now. That's really grasping at straws...steroids certainly aren't like taking an Advil...it doesn't just kick in...this thread is a bit ridiculous if you ask me. Just cuz one friend does something stupid doesn't mean an entire group of people associated with that person will.

Would you trade Sano for that package you mentioned? Cuz that's what you are asking Boston to do for Bogaerts. That kid looks like a stud. Not a lot of value going to Bos and plenty coming back.

I agree, I think that's one thing some overlook with these guys is they get high praise for their work ethic and drive to get better. Some guys buy their own hype and others work their tail off no matter what.

It is true the Royals have had a bad run with their prospects. Some of their draft choices have been big misses ie: Luke Hochevar... It's easy to look at them and get nervous about our future. But what about using the Cardinals as a barometer? They have loads of prospects coming up right now, too. And they are a perennial contenders. They've often done so with the help of young guys coming up and playing well.

I could definitely see where that would make you nervous...a list that includes Joel Guzman, Andy Marte and Dallas McPherson is bound to make people ease up on the Sano love. But If i remember correctly Guzman was all projection. I don't think he ever came close to Sano type numbers. McPherson just couldn't get a handle on making enough contact. Sano has already addressed some of his contact issues as I believe he is striking out less this year.

You gotta think it takes a haul similar to the one the Brewers got for Greinke last year. Not quite the same talent, but he isn't the rental Greinke was either. This means it takes a player of the Jean Segura talent range to start the conversation, I'd bet. Segura was ranked 55 by BA last year. So is it fair the conversation starts with an Arcia or Rosario? Just a guess as to what might get the ball rolling. The Angels threw in their top pitching prospect, too. I don't think I am mentally prepared to start dealing our prospects. I'm just super excited to see what they could all do together. Obviously pitching is a huge need but I wanna see how this group of guys pans out.

Singles hitter? That's crazy talk. Clearly that guy didn't look that hard at the stats. Cuz Mauer is 3rd in ALL of baseball with 24 doubles. He's top 15 in OPS...slugging over .500. How can people be so blind to the greatness we get to cheer for everyday? Would people still hate on him if he wasn't paid so much? I can't remember what it was like before the contract so if anyone else can refresh my memory. I live in Chicago so I watch a lot of White Sox broadcasts and, I know, everyone hates Hawk but he and Steve Stone know baseball and they marvel at Mauer's abilities...I think I will take their opinions...I certainly enjoy watching him play baseball that's for sure.

Hudson Boyd's struggles are a real bummer. I know when he was drafted there was a lot of talk about him being a bullpen arm and so far he hasn't done much to change that perception cuz he seems to regularly get knocked around every 5th day. The thing I notice is that his K:BB ratio is definitely not good. I mean he's young so walks might be something you'd expect as he works on his control but I definitely thought he'd have more K's.

I think more people need to read Seth's summary of Gibson's start. Now, I know not everyone here is as optimistic as Seth, but I think we can all agree with what he said about Gibson being in a better place than he was 6-7 starts ago. I would love for him to be up too, but he is getting better in AAA and I just hope we can all stop beating the dead horse that is the consistency line. Yeah, the Twins said it, but can be let it go away? He'll be up soon. I dunno, I'm not a cynical person so I just don't see Terry Ryan sitting in his office thinking of ways to screw Gibson out of service time. His not being up yet isn't really a sky is falling kind of dilemma. It'll work itself out.

Nice story, it was a fun read. I liked reading the stuff about the off days. I imagine life as a minor league ball player can be a little mundane from time to time so it's funny to hear Melotakis kind of say the same thing. Also cool to hear their thoughts on the memories they will take from the time in CR. I imagine playing on a great team with a great player will be something they can hold with them and tell their kids about years from now.

I think everyone needs to cool their jets on this one. It will happen. A few days aren't hurting him. Also, I don't know about calling up all the guys you mentioned. They still need to field a team in Cedar Rapids. I could see Hicks getting promoted and Rory Rhodes taking his place. I would probably let Polanco stay at CR for now though.

My suggestion would be to go back a week or so and look at the box scores to see the way the rotation plays out then look at the schedule and count it out accordingly. That's how I lined up seeing him last Friday night. CR was going with the 6-man rotation. Things could get a lil tougher with promotions and such happening. Tyler Duffey just got promoted to Ft Myers so that might shake things up some. But yeah, if ya keep an eye on the box scores you can get an idea of the order the rotation is going. Worked for me.

In Polanco's defense, the throw from Goodrum that he dropped was a little low. But no question it shoulda been caught. He just seemed to have a lack of concentration on a few plays that I would have preferred to see him make. On a positive note, Travis Harrison looked okay at third. He didn't have much action but he made the plays hit his way. I was pretty nervous on a harder hit ball to him but he scooped it up and made the throw in time to get the out. Funny watching him next to Hicks and Walker, they are both huge and their power makes sense, but Harrison is a normal lookin dude yet he's been showing great pop.

I was able to catch the Kernels game tonight so I did a write about about what I saw. Berrios, Buxton and the Boys - Blogs - Minnesota Twins News & Rumors Forum

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are in my neck of the woods this weekend so I headed over to watch them face the Kane County Cougars tonight. Jose Berrios was starting so I was greatly looking forward to it. He wound up going 5 2/3 innings and looked pretty good. He only gave up three hits and had four strikeouts. He had a pretty rough start to the game. He issued a walk to the lead off hitter. After recording an out he threw a wild pitch, which left a runner on third with one out. That runner would come home on a single, but would be the only guy to score that inning despite the wheels almost coming off. The next batter grounded to short and Niko Goodrum fed Jorge Polanco for a taylor made double play, but Polanco dropped the throw. There have been some reports about Berrios being rattled easily or perhaps being too emotional. This seemed evident here as he was noticeably upset and the pitching coach immediately came out to calm him down. He then issued another walk to load the bases and was circling the mound and scoffing at a few calls. He then got the inning ending double play he had set up two batters before. After avoiding that train wreck he really settled in. I was thoroughly impressed by his ability to shake off a rough start and work through it. The high amount of pitches that inning might have ended his night a little early as he wasn't able to get out of the 6th, but it was one of those nights where the Box Score doesn't tell the whole story. His fastball was sitting at 92 and he cocked back and got 94 a few times to get strikeouts. His change up wasn't used much but looked interesting. He definitely wasn't afraid to throw the curveball. He threw it a few times in counts where he was behind. The fastball must have some late life on it or something because it was blowing guys away at 92. Watching him I was getting kind of a Johan Santana vibe...maybe cuz of his size or the speed on his fastball but he was pretty overpowering at times. Very fun to watch. Other than Berrios there were some bright spots. One bummer was that Byron Buxton was the DH so I didn't get to see him play the field. But he left an impression still. His speed is unreal. He legged out a fielder's choice then promptly stole second practically standing up and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Watching him run is worth the price of admission. I feel like when he gets on base he has an automatic green light to go whenever he wants. The big standout to me tonight was first baseman, Dalton Hicks. He mashed the ball in each of his at-bats. He had three hits. One was a double. But even his singles seemed to be crushed. He's a beast so it should be very interesting to see his development. I was impressed by him though. If I remember right, he got buckled by a few good breaking balls, which seems to be a constant with young hitters. I am a fan now for sure, though. I was less than impressed with Jorge Polanco's defense. Small sample size obviously. But he had a rough game at second. He did make a spectacular mid-air, between the legs tag on a stolen base attempt. But he botched two double plays and he was part of a trio to let a ball drop in shallow center. I know it's just one game so I'm not too worried but he just had a rough game so I was a little underwhelmed by him is all. I'm sure he's perfectly fine over there and today was an abberation. All in all, this is a great team to watch. So much talent all across the diamond. I could go on from what I saw, but I will leave it with the things that really stood out. But if you get a chance go out and watch the Kernels, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are in my neck of the woods this weekend so I headed over to watch them face the Kane County Cougars tonight. Jose Berrios was starting so I was greatly looking forward to it. He wound up going 5 2/3 innings and looked pretty good. He only gave up three hits and had four strikeouts. He had a pretty rough start to the game. He issued a walk to the lead off hitter. After recording an out he threw a wild pitch, which left a runner on third with one out. That runner would come home on a single, but would be the only guy to score that inning despite the wheels almost coming off. The next batter grounded to short and Niko Goodrum fed Jorge Polanco for a taylor made double play, but Polanco dropped the throw. There have been some reports about Berrios being rattled easily or perhaps being too emotional. This seemed evident here as he was noticeably upset and the pitching coach immediately came out to calm him down. He then issued another walk to load the bases and was circling the mound and scoffing at a few calls. He then got the inning ending double play he had set up two batters before. After avoiding that train wreck he really settled in. I was thoroughly impressed by his ability to shake off a rough start and work through it. The high amount of pitches that inning might have ended his night a little early as he wasn't able to get out of the 6th, but it was one of those nights where the Box Score doesn't tell the whole story. His fastball was sitting at 92 and he cocked back and got 94 a few times to get strikeouts. His change up wasn't used much but looked interesting. He definitely wasn't afraid to throw the curveball. He threw it a few times in counts where he was behind. The fastball must have some late life on it or something because it was blowing guys away at 92. Watching him I was getting kind of a Johan Santana vibe...maybe cuz of his size or the speed on his fastball but he was pretty overpowering at times. Very fun to watch. Other than Berrios there were some bright spots. One bummer was that Byron Buxton was the DH so I didn't get to see him play the field. But he left an impression still. His speed is unreal. He legged out a fielder's choice then promptly stole second practically standing up and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Watching him run is worth the price of admission. I feel like when he gets on base he has an automatic green light to go whenever he wants. The big standout to me tonight was first baseman, Dalton Hicks. He mashed the ball in each of his at-bats. He had three hits. One was a double. But even his singles seemed to be crushed. He's a beast so it should be very interesting to see his development. I was impressed by him though. If I remember right, he got buckled by a few good breaking balls, which seems to be a constant with young hitters. I am a fan now for sure, though. I was less than impressed with Jorge Polanco's defense. Small sample size obviously. But he had a rough game at second. He did make a spectacular mid-air, between the legs tag on a stolen base attempt. But he botched two double plays and he was part of a trio to let a ball drop in shallow center. I know it's just one game so I'm not too worried but he just had a rough game so I was a little underwhelmed by him is all. I'm sure he's perfectly fine over there and today was an abberation. All in all, this is a great team to watch. So much talent all across the diamond. I could go on from what I saw, but I will leave it with the things that really stood out. But if you get a chance go out and watch the Kernels, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

I was at the game tonight watching Berrios pitch. I had never seen him live so I was pretty excited. I was sitting right behind home plate so I had a great vantage point. The first inning was ugly but could have gone terribly awry. Jorge Polanco botched an inning ending double play and Berrios was rattled like some of the reports on this thread have said. The pitching coach immediately came out to calm him down. He ended up getting out of the inning with just one run. But after the first he really settled down, started working quickly and looked fantastic. His fastball was getting swings and misses and he didn't seem to be afraid to throw his offspeed stuff in any count. He ended up only giving up 2 hits. He's got things to work on of course. He is only 19 after all. He worked through a tough first inning and didn't implode. I was impressed. I'll probably do a write up of the whole game but I just wanted to drop in on this thread.

I don't get to see a lot of Twins games in person due to my location, but I was in Milwaukee for the 14 inning game and walked away conflicted by Florimon. It was a one game sample, of course. The first like 7 innings he looked great. Showed good defense and made some great rangy plays. He chased down a fly ball in mid left field that I thought would drop for sure. So I was impressed there. But then the wheels came off late in the game. He botched a double play in the 9th, which actually didn't burn the Twins. Then he made a very questionable play going to third on a GB to short and was gunned down by Jean Segura. His stamp was all over that game, both good and bad. It had me kicking around the idea of a blog post about the Two sides of Pedro Florimon. He showed he definitely has the tools, just maybe lacks focus from time to time.

Curious to see how many games Cedar Rapids is able to squeeze in this weekend. bad weather in the forecast tonight and tomorrow, which sucks cuz I had plans to go see Berrios throw tonight.