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goulik

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Blog Entries posted by goulik

  1. goulik
    I have spent a lot of time reading blogs, posts, articles and comments about the Twins MLB and MiLB rosters, players, stats and More stats. Some comments really irk me. It is very easy to be anonymous on this sight and therefore put up hyperbolic comments like "cut the whole 25 man roster" and "fire all the field staff and the whole front office". Comments like these do not take in common sense of then what? It takes years to build a 25 man roster and MLB franchise. I have also seen many responses like "this isn't football". I agree.
     
    So throwing out the grandiose statements and hyperbole, I pose this question, who do you consider building blocks on the current team, and who isn't. But here is a rule, if someone isn't, give a specific replacement. Play GM. If you are signing free agents there is an additional rule, who are you willing to lose in the rule V draft to make that move? Risk a real prospect here, if you take a spot for a free agent, someone is at real risk!
     
    Let's not get all freaky frustrated and be unreasonable, let's get real about running a franchise.
     
    This includes front office. If you fire TR, who do you hire (give actual names here)
     
    Here are my moves:
    Gardenhire and Anderson are let go. Molitor replaces Gardy, Ozzie Guillen takes Molitors coaching opening. Bobby Cuellar gets his shot at pitching coach and we hire Viola away from Las Vegas as bull pen coach. Viola and Guillen bring old school outside voices into the club house influenced by other organizational models. Guillen also offers Hispanic voice for our young Latin hitters. Molitor with hitting coach Bruno offer different hitting and fielding philosophies while maintaining solid baseball fundamentals.
     
    Yasmani Thomas signed as free agent left fielder taking Parmalees place when I DFA him. I'm going for youth still as this team is building young and for long term. We also have the money and I believe It is time we jumped into the Cuban pool. I also have too make someone available for Rule V with this, and I am risking Niko Goodrum. He's at fort meyers and is not near MLB ready so I will risk him.
  2. goulik
    Last Fall, when the season was over, I began a series of three blogs saying there was no more room in the Inn as players were getting jettisoned and prospects were pushing out the AAA filler in Rochester and at the MLB level. As this year enters the last couple of weeks for the minors and approaches the waiver deadline, it is amazing to consider the sheer volume of names no longer with the Twins or Red Wings. SO, Looking back in retrospect over this past year, here are names no longer with the organisation:
    Starting Pitchers:
    Cole DeVries
    Andrew Albers
    Vance Worley
    Liam Hendricks
    Scott Diamond
    Pedro Hernandez
    Kevin Correia
    PJ Walters
    Nick Blackburn
    Pedro Hernandez
    Brooks Raley
     
    Relievers:
    Matt Guerrier
     
    Infielders:
    Jeff Clement
    Ray Olmedo
    Mark Sobolewski
    Kendrys Morales
    Jason Bartlett
     
    Catchers:
    Ryan Doumit
    Drew Butera
    Danny Lehman
     
    Outfielders:
    Darin Mastroianni
    Clete Thomas
    Alex Presley
    Josh Willingham
    Antoan Richardson
    Brian Dinkelman
    Jermaine Mitchell
    Evan Bigley
    Kenny Wilson
    Jason Kubel
    Sam Fuld
     
    This list intentionally omitted players that never reached Rochester. I also know this list is probably incomplete and encourage additions in the comments. 31 names... That's quite a long list.
  3. goulik
    Growing up during the 70's into the early 80's I did not pay attention to baseball. I knew Minnesota had a team called the Twins but I grew up a 6 hour drive from the stadium. I grew up in Hockey territory in a basketball crazy town and my favorite sport was football. My home town didn't even have baseball past 8th grade so there was not much to inspire me.
     
    I turned 11 in 1980 so the Twins were not inspiring this young man in any way during my early years either. To give an example of my 1975, 6 year old baseball knowledge, I knew the LA Lakers were originally from Minneapolis and had moved. I liked the Lakers, so I rooted for the Other Minnesota baseball team (I couldn't have told you a single players name) the LA Dodgers not realizing the Lakers had left Minnesota. By 1980 I knew LA was in California, but if you asked me my favorite team I still said "the Dodgers" (though still unable to name a single player)
     
    One year at Flaming Pines Youth Camp (The pine trees looked like they were on fire surrounded by the Maple trees every fall) a friend of mine started talking to me about this young baseball player named Kirby Puckett and he caught my interest. In '86 I became a true fan of the game and learned other names like Timmy Laudner and our own Kent Hrbek.
     
    Hrbek was the home town hero to go with our superstar. He made what I considered great plays at first base and hit enough long balls that I rooted for him to get gold gloves and all star nods. Despite his less than athletic looking build, he put up numbers that led to him being OUR all star and my standard of what I want to see from first basemen (though those Yankee biased national media types always overlooked him and Hyped East or West coast players) Hrbek will never be in THE Hall of Fame in Cooperstown but he will always be in OUR HoF here in Minnesota. Kent Hrbek is the standard that Minnesota Twins first basemen will be held up to.
     
    28 years later Joe Mauer has taken over Hrbek's position as home town hero at first base. Joe is the second coming of the hometown guy. Unlike Hrbek, he sat behind the dish, made a superstar name for himself with the national media, and received the awards and praise denied his predecessor. Batting championships, gold gloves, MVP, and regular All Star appearances are all Joe's yet criticism for not being the inspirational leader of the team has dogged him the whole way.
     
    Now Joe has moved to First Base, Hrbek's place. So how can Joe Mauer get past all this negativity? My suggestion is to be Like Hrbek! First, Joe needs to get Healthy and stay on the field. He could accomplish this by spending more time fishing and less time working out. Go on an outdoors show with a local hero and boom, health. Second, he needs to loosen up! Hrbek was known to enjoy some beer, for getting loud and boisterous at times, and for his jovial laughter in the club house after a win or a prank to loosen up the team. Joe is known for being clean cut, quiet, and soft spoken(NO PRANKS). Maybe Joe could finally be the player we all wanted if he had a few before every game. This might loosen him up in the club house, loosen his lips in an interview, and well, no, probably still no pranks but the fans might warm back up to him and become more accepting of his aging body and declining numbers. In fact I think he should gain 50 pounds of fat so he could look more like Hrbek while he's at it.
  4. goulik
    As AA Twins become AAA Twins, Room for AAAA players is becoming more scarce. With many 30 plus "prospects" called up this year, and several more failing to get called from Rochester, there will be many players released into oblivion this off season. Before even considering Free Agents (Please Ryan, Sign some Free Agents) If I was General Manager, I would have to make the following decisions:
     
    Starting Pitching:
    Andrew Albers, Kevin Correia, Sam Deduno, Scott Diamond, Cole DeVries, Liam Hendricks, Pedro Hernandez, Lester Oliveros, Mike Pelfrey, PJ Walters, Nick Blackburn, Kyle Gibson, Vance Worley
     
    See a problem? With Logan Darnell, Trevor May, and Pat Dean already called up to AAA, at least 6 of these need to be cut or moved to the bull pen this off season assuming we do not sign any free agents. (I'm hoping we sign at least two...) So who do we cut?
     
    Pelfrey and Blackburn are already gone. PJ Walters and I believe Cole DeVries are going to be following them out the door as soon as the post season is over.
     
    The obvious keepers are Gibson and Correia. Now you have to fill in the best of the rest. At this point (based on who is and has been here) the best of the rest... Sam Deduno. This is a less than impressive start thus the cry for free agent signings.
     
    Andrew Albers has earned a shot but age is against him. Liam Hendricks has his 30 starts and has not impressed. Worley, Hernandez, Oliveros, Diamond all seem to demand another shot but there is only so much room to go around. If I was a betting man, I would guess that Hernandez, Oliveros, and Hendricks are either gone or pushed into long relief, spot starter jobs in Rochester or gone.
     
    That leaves us with Albers, Worley, and Diamond trying to win two spots this spring. If we sign a free agent, Albers age and lack of impressive stuff probably pushes him out of the organization.
     
    My point? There just is not room to keep all these AAAA pitchers. We lack a true starting five yet have to start cutting in a big way. Thank you gentleman for giving us your best, good luck and good bye!
  5. goulik
    As AA Twins become AAA Twins, Room for AAAA players is becoming more scarce. With many 30 plus "prospects" called up this year, and several more failing to get called from Rochester, there will be many players released into oblivion this off season. Before even considering Free Agents (Please Ryan, Sign some Free Agents) If I was General Manager, I would have to make the following decisions:
     
    Infielders
    When I decided to do this series of three posts I was looking at who played for us this year and who we currently have that will play on the MLB side next year. Everyone is excited about Sano and Rosario getting so close but there are several other Infield prospects pushing up as well. (the big exception being at first base.)
     
    Lets go position by position
    Catcher:
    MLB level: Mauer, Doumit, Chris Hermann, Eric Fryer, and Josmil Pinto.
    Rochester: Danny Lehman and Jairo Rodriguez are both recent promotions to AAA.
    this area of strength has already jettisoned Butera and now the only questions are how many to have on the 25 man roster, Mauers health, and when we trade Doumit. My gut says Pinto and Fryer go back down for more seasoning with Pinto coming back up when Doumit is traded in the middle of next season. (I am praying for Mauers health and expect to see him splitting time with 1B especially when considering 1B options)
    1B
    Colabello and Parmelee are with the Twins and Jeff Clement is at Rochester. I expect Colabello and Parmelee to compete at first next spring. One stays, one goes back down until a prospect rises to push them a aside. The Winner in spring training splits time with other players or rises to his last opportunity and wins our love.
    3B
    This position belongs to Plouffe but the heat is on HIGH. Debinson Romero isn't clamouring for a call up but may get a Spring invite along with Miguel Sano. My guess is they both are at AAA to start the season but Plouffe is not long for 3B. This means when Sano does come up, Plouffe either pushes out Escobar as utility man or Parmelee/Colabello at first. Rochester has already jettisoned Mark Sobolewski and Ray Olmedo is next. Who? Exactly! Inn closed!!
    SS
    There is no one pushing up (for now) so all we have is Escobar, Florimon, and Beresford to choose from. Florimon has won the job for the foreseeable future as we need the defence too much. Beresford was rewarded for his help in Rochester with a cup of coffee this fall but he will soon be cut. Escobar for now is our Utility guy. He is a defensive replacement, pinch runner guy with a light bat and big glove. Useful but not exciting. Rochester will have Danny Santana as SS coming up from New Britain and the prayer here is that he continues to develop and Florimon becomes the Utility man for the Twins some day.
    2B
    I am excited by Dozier and hope he is at second for us for the next 10 years. Rosario will be the Man at Rochester next year. Down the road how they shake out will be exciting for us to watch but for now all it means is Nate Hanson and Eric Farris will be marginalised in Rochester or New Britain until Rosario is called up.
  6. goulik
    As AA Twins become AAA Twins, Room for AAAA players is becoming more scarce. With many 30 plus "prospects" called up this year, and several more failing to get called from Rochester, there will be many players released into oblivion this off season. Before even considering Free Agents (Please Ryan, Sign some Free Agents) If I was General Manager, I would have to make the following decisions:
     
    Part One:
    OUTFIELD
    Currently the Twins have Clete Thomas, Wilkin Ramirez, Alex Presley, Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Parmelee, Josh Willingham, Chris Colabello, Aaron Hicks and Darin Mastroanni listed as Outfielders on the 40 man roster. Currently Rochester has Antoan Richardson, Dan Rohlfing, Brian Dinkelman, and Jermaine Mitchell. Outside of Evan Bigley, there are no strong arguements demanding someone else moves up to Rochester but even without promotions to Rochester, we're looking at 13 outfielders for two teams.
     
    With no-one to replace Morneau, Parmelee and/or Colobello are back to 1B if they are still with the Twins. Neither has shown MLB level need to make room for them in a crowded outfield so I am listing one as MLB 1st baseman and sending the other to Rochester. I am done with the outfield experiment for both of them though.
     
    LF- Josh Willingham's value is too low to trade this off season and he will be taking a roster spot next spring. I doubt he is around the whole season.
     
    RF- Oswaldo Arcia has shown he belongs as a long time fixture in the Twins Right Field future and he will also have a Roster spot.
     
    This Leaves Center Field.
    The Dream is that Aaron Hicks is next years Brian Dozier. This would be ideal but I am not holding my breath. I predict he will be Rochester bound for at least the start of next season.
    Alex Presley was just acquired in the Morneau trade and has shown over 700MLB at bats an average BA and can be at a minimum a decent place holder while we await our future.
    On the other hand Clete Thomas has 700 at bats and is not average. With his age, He is the first off season cut I make with a thank you for helping out in a time of need. I rooted for him but he is gone.
    Wilkin Ramirez has similar stats to Pressley but with a smaller sample size. I think he should be given a chance to compete with Pressley. My prediction is that he joins Pressley in the OF until Hicks pushes one of the two out.
    Darin Mastroianni also has a smaller sample size but his stats are more along the lines of Clete Thomas. I do not think there is room for him any more and I think he will be the second off season cut. Why not back to Rochester?
    Antoan Richardson, Brian Dinkelman, Dan Rohlfing, and Jermaine Mitchell are already there and with Hicks probably also going there and Buxton (or even Bigley) pushing up from below, there is no room left for AAAA players.
    In fact, Someone else will need to get cut. If Richardson was not called up this year, I don't think he will be back next year. He will be my AAA OF release of the fall with Dinkelman pushed out early next year when Buxton, Bigley or someone else just makes the outfield too crowded.
     
    Twins: Arcia, Ramirez, Pressley, Willingham
     
    RedWings: Hicks, Mitchell, Rohlfing, Dinkelman
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