Ncgo4

Biggest surprise was Rosario getting called up when he did and performing as well as he did. My 2nd biggest surprise is how easily everyone writes him off as marginal or expendable.

When he came back a few weeks ago, they were going to weigh him and had to go to a truck stop. Needed to get him away from Mamma's home cookin'. As massive as he is, weather it's 260 or 300, he doesn't appear to be obese as much as he just looks huge. I'd really like to hear what his body fat % is.

Joe Mauer was the highest rated QB in the country out of HS. Buxton played both QB and Safety and was All state at safety.

As long as he walks a lot and bats in a lot of runs why does he need to strike out less? If it's a given that he will make an out 65% on the time what difference does it make if 10% or 60% of those are K's? In fact if they are K's he has 0% chance of a double play. I believe it's better if he strikes out while maintaining his fantasy-like production.

Every day TR fails to make a trade I become a happier person. I am more positive that one or two of Buxton, Kepler, Berrios, Stewart, etc. will pan out than will one of TR's 38 YO reclamation projects. Plus this isn't the year anyway, it's more likely that 2017-8 will be our year.

A new era has not begun, it might sometime next year, but it's a long shot. First, Sano is a good bet. But he's coming off a grand total of 80 good games. A fairly good indication, but only that. Second, Park is an OK bet. But he's coming from Korea this makes it a strong iffy at best. Third, Buxton is a long shot at best. He's been unable to demonstrate any ability to hit ML pitching. Plus he's injury prone. Make that a very, very long shot. All of this is compounded by a Twins executive suite that could just do about anything. On the upside, if these three can live up to the Twin's fan's dreams, we could be approaching Nervana.

I have several major issues with this. First, there seems a blind eye to the fact that Sano only played in 80 games. He is still, despite success in 80 games, a major work in progress as a hitter. Now they throw in a new position? Secondly, he weighed in at 260 lbs. last year and some reports it may have been more than that. Is this the weight for a right fielder? Can you say hamstring issues forever? Third, this must pre-suppose that Buxton will be in center to cover for him and I don't know anyone that thinks Buxton has demonstrated that he's ready yet. If not Buxton are they assuming Keppler in center? I'm just not sure where this is all going?

There are more open questions with the Twins than two hours of Family Fued. Let's look at some of them. Who plays: 1. First Base. Mauer, Park, Sano, Kepler, 2. Third Base. Plouffe, Sano. 3. DH. Park, Sano, Kepler, Walker, Mauer 4. Outfield. Rosario, Buxton, Kepler, Arcia, Walker, Sano Of course Buxton, Arcia, Park, Kepler & Walker aren't even on the MLB squad...YET. This is the issue, we have way too many people to fill 6 positions. Overriding all of this is a 3 year $60 million plus contract for Joe Mauer, compounded by a plethora of young highly rated youngsters who could this year demand (via their performance) playing time. First, Mauer and his contract. Joe has under performed his position for two years. He has hit for marginal average with no power. He could come back at any time and be a high average low power 1st basemen. He could continue to deteriorate to become an undeniable liability. I suggest that the Twins consider his contract a fixed cost. Sort of like the electric bill. They signed the contract...pay it. Just don't consider it when filling out the lineup card. The biggest asset the Twins have is a spot in the lineup. If Kepler bats .325 in Rochester while hitting for power, bring him up. If Walker's power continues and his strike out rate drops just a little he has got to be in the MLB line up. Same with Buxton and Arcia. The twins should not let Mauer's contract dictate the lineup. If he needs to be benched do it and eat the contract. The Twins need to get the best available bats and gloves into the lineup. Given the number of young players, the salary level isn't out of hand even with Mauer out of the lineup. Even more interesting will be if Sano opens the season in an extended Sophomore slump or if Park can't hit a slider and a slider is all they throw him. Our guy in the Manager's seat is going to earnn every penny of his salary this year.

This is a miserable, dastardly article based on what a player actually achieved. We know that's not what matters. What matters is what the manager and GM "thinks" might happen next. It's the reason Santana started at SS and ol' what's his name didn't. It's the reason Hunter stayed in right or Pinto....never mind. It's fun is what it is.

Wow! Nice to see. A real classy young man. Wonder if the twins could send him a big check with the proviso that he takes Sano into his home and into his off season fitness program.

Jeeze, a rumor that our 280 lb rookie might have gotten injured playing 3rd base. Who'd a thunk? Silly rumors aside I'll be interested to hear what actually brought him back to the US. Everyone, in my opinion, is waaaaay too optimistic about his 2016 upcoming season. I have no doubt about his sure fire stardom, but 80 games is way too soon to draw conclusions on 2016. It will be, after all, his dreaded Sophomore season. He has a lot more to learn about ML pitching than patience. It scares me to death that they might also put him into a totally strange place in the field. Hopefully this is the GM raising the price on Plouffe.

I understand he's currently at about $500,000 ($ equivalent). He has also expressed, for several years, his desire to prove himself in the good ol' U S of A. Should be a very interesting show in Ft. Myers this spring. Lots of great prospects for just a few available slots and a barn full of disappointing veteran pitchers and a few really good prospects. Next year really could be either a whole lot better or a bunch worse than what might be expected. Coach Molitar, if he's successful, will certainly have earned his salary next year. On the other hand..... Good luck, Coach M. Good luck Twins!

I have a different take on Mauer. I look at his $23 million salary as a Twin's fixed cost, sort of like the bill for watering the outfield grass (except a lot more money). They cannot get rid of it by negotiating a buy out with Mauer (why would he?) and they can't very likely trade it away. The variable expense Joe Mauer presents is a roster spot or at the very least a starting line up spot. if you accept this, then the only question becomes, what gets the most bang into the line up? And the question then is what does it take to move a .270 non power hitting, modestly adequate fielder out of the line up? First, Sano is not going to the outfield. The Twins are not crazy enough to take a very promising 1/2 season rookie just learning to hit MLB pitching and put him into a position where he also must learn a new position. Also if they spend $5 million to $8 million per year on Mr. Park they are not going to keep him out of the line up either. I think the real variables are Buxton and Keppler. If they both do well in spring training and go to Rochester and hit .320, they will be called up and no position us left for Mauer, except to pinch hit. A very good dilemma for the Twins to have. This is true even if Plouffe is traded and Sano becomes a fixture at third base.

There's not much 3rd base talent available in free agency and this should make Plouffe more valuable in a trade. As for Rosario, he's the only left side hitter with any power. It makes no sense to think of Mauer as anything but a .265 hitter with minimal power. That could change, but until it does we need to assume that last year is who he is. That isn't all bad either, but it isn't all star. I just do not see Sano to the outfield right now. He's coming off 1/2 a season and still has much learning to do. I can't imagine the Twins burdening him with the additional task of learning right field.

They WILL sign Park. If not they've peed away $12 million. They will also play him at 1st base. They will not ask him to make the transition from Korean pitching to MLB pitching and learn a new position as well. No GM is that goofy. That puts Mauer at DH and Sano at third or Sano at DH and Mauer in the OF. I cannot imagine Sano starting his sophomore year (after only a half year in the majors) continuing to learn to hit MLB pitching and learning a new fielding position. The real question, as I posted elsewhere, is which Sano shows up at spring training. The larger than life 265 lb DH? Or, perhaps, after a Berrios like offseason a trimmed down 235 lb 3rd base athlete. Finally, God forbid, he goes home and takes to Mamma's home cookin' and shows up at 280 lbs.

The Twins have made a surprising major move in the off-season with Park. I am just going on the assumption that he will be an impact player. Assuming that we've acquired a big time big bopper of a first baseman, the impact on the remainder of the lineup is huge. The first consideration is Mauer. $23 million is committed to a likely .270 hitting, no power local legend. Probably the Twins will think that at this money they should play him. Where? Probably not first base so that leaves DH or perhaps right field. If it's first base, that puts Sano on the field somewhere, most likely third. That in turn puts Trevor Plouffe on the block. They could put Sano or Mauer into the outfield, but that in turn means that Rosario, Buxton, Hicks & Keppler will have a fifth player inserted into the mixup. The question then becomes what does Miguel Sano look like I early March? He left Minneapolis weighing about 255 lbs (give or take 10 lbs). Does he go home to Mamma and come back at the same weight? Perhaps he really takes to that home cookin' and come back at 275. Or does he hop on the Berrios' band wagon, work like a dog and come back at 235 looking and playing like an honest-to-God 3rd baseman? This is a critical off-season for the Twins and Sano. If he really takes his potential seriously and decides to do everything he can to be the best he can be, we could have a real bone crushing middle of the line up. Will he look at the Park deal and decide that the Twins are serious so he should be too? I can't wait for Spring Training.

Let's see now...29 years old. Hits a bunch of bombs. Strikes out a lot. Speaks no English (assumption on my part). Sounds a lot like Walker, except Walker is about 5 years younger and speaks English (also an assumption, I guess). Walker would cost us maybe $500,000 and this guy will cost us about $5 million PLUS a $12 million negotiating fee. Means we now have about $28 million worth of 1st base salary in 2 guys and we don't have a catcher that could throw out Earl Battey stealing 2nd base. You can't say our GM lacks guts. If this works out, he'll look like a genius. If not, the Twins will start giving him random blood tests. Based on his track record, I'm hopeful he's better evaluating hitters than pitchers. Seriously, what do they do with Mauer? With Hicks? With Keplar? HERE'S MY PREDICTION, Kepler and Walker get bundled to someone like the Yankees and it becomes the Twin's version of " The curse of the Bambino!". We take on two first basemen with a combined 63 years of age, one of whom is at least partially disabled and more salary than the position commands. Unless this guy can hit in the majors darned near like he hit in Korea, this makes no sense at all.

Thanks for the great work.

Leadership cannot be overstated in its importance. Lack of it cannot be overstated as a critical missing element. Hunter has it Mauer doesn't. In evaluating these two remember there are 2 things that enter in a decision to have someone taking a roster position. Production & cost. Hunter has a lot of production value, 20 HR's and team leading (or close to it) RBI's plus great intangibles (leadership). Mauer has minimal production value and virtually no leadership value. As to cost. There are 2 kinds of cost, money and a roster spot. The second is the most important and the 1 most easily overlooked. Hunter has zero financial cost if the Twins don't keep him. Mayer has about $20 million of financial cost if they dump him. For this reason alone the Twins management will not drop Mauer. Now let's look at the roster spot. There are 4 outfielders plus DH positions. There are 2 first base plus DH positions. Keeping Hunter costs us 20% of the roster spouts for the positions he fills. Mayer costs us 50%. From the standpoint of performance cost to the Twins it's a very easy answer. They should dump Mauer and retain Hunter. Looking at it more bluntly, they have already pissed away $20 million in next years salaries on Mauer. Whether they keep him or not. The question is, or should be, how many games to we gain if Max Kepler or someone else takes Mauers place on the roster? The answer is several. We gain a bit defensively and we gain a whole bunch offensively. He much would it cost us to do so? About $500,000, the minimum salary that we would probably pay Mr. Kepler. Remember, we will pay Mauer whether he plays baseball or goes fishing. Then finally ask yourself this. Would the Twins right this minute pay $500,000 to have 3 more victories this year? In Minnesotan, "You betcha"!

I think the Twins are about to wash their hands of Arcia. Not sure why I think this but I do. I also think the Twins will live to regret this decision.

Mauer is the highest paid Twin of all time. He is paid because he was an elite athlete. It is absolutely silly to not recognize the value of a rigid training regimen to help an elite athlete maintain his skill level. That said, he has a long term, nearly unbreakable contract and if he chooses to not want to make an off season effort to put in the hours that's his business. Some athletes do it with weights, sweat and a trainer. Some athletes do it with a needle and pills. Others just don't do it. It seems that Joe is a part of the last group, though to be fair, unlike Hrbek an apparently Sano, he at least seem to watch his calories. Enjoy the money, Joe. In baseball it seems you earn it in your early career but you collect it in your declining years. It's just the way it is. I'd buy an island and a big boat, but that's just me.

Sano's has had 6 dingers in his last 10 games. It seems like each of them was a key hit at the time. He keeps this up for another 30 games, and our Mgr. keeps Hunter and Robinson out of the lineup and Mauer... Never mind, it's a long shot, but it's our first shot in years so I'm just going to enjoy it. I'm visiting relatives this week in Houston so I'll be at the game on Friday. I was at Target Field for Sano's first, maybe I'll be there for his then latest.

Buxton has looked absolutely lost at times. Last night was one of those times. Molitor needed to demonstrate to a young hitter that if his mind and focus are not in the game, neither is he. Good move. I'm a Buxton fan, but he's not demonstrated that he's ready to be in the ML's. This is the was he's started every move up. The cost of his performance following THIS move up is too high, though, to keep it unchecked!

Notes on yesterday's game. 1, 2 & 3. Don't make a mistake with an unbelievably patient Sano. He will kill you. 4. Buxton is just barely, nearly, almost starting look like a ML hitter. But he's done this at every level. 5. Suzuki really cannot throw to 2B. Why doesn't everyone run on him every pitch? 6. I hope & pray that our minor leagues develop a few relievers quickly. 7. Oh, yeah, Sano. Don't know what else to say, just wanted his name here again. 8. Buxton + Sano 5-0! 9. How anxious are we to see the Duff's curve ball tonight?

1. Buxton. CF 2. Dozier. 2B 3. Kepler. 1B 4. Sano. 3B 5. Walker. DH 6. Rosario. RF 7. Hicks. LF 8. Suzuki. C 9. Escobar. SS Mauer, Hunter & Plouffe off the bench. Walker behind Sano protecting our rookie who by then will have 25 HR's and 75 RBI's.