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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    I saw the number 3 starter and wondered what crystal ball you were looking at. Pick a number one and two from Ober, Bundy, Dobnak, Thorpe... He is the default number one right now.
  2. mikelink45
    Good look at one of the true victims of this negotiation nightmare. And I am skeptical of the negotiations, which in fact could have been done during the last season.
  3. mikelink45
    That was really enjoyable. Very nice presentation.
  4. mikelink45
    Yes - but, it might make it possible to trade him as a DH to the NL. If that is the case the extension is a good thing. But we have to start moving players - Kepler and Sano are high on that list for me - if anyone wants them. Both are extended and by MLB standards they are affordable with some true value in the right place. If might be interesting to list the potential surplus - players for whom we have a replacement and that have some trade value as well as a list of what another team would see and who would want them. The old conundrum - we want to trade someone - but we need someone to want them.
  5. mikelink45
    Mid winter dreams keep getting around to the same stars (Story) and a mix of questionable acquisitions that, at best, block the Twins from trying out another young arm. I am waiting, done speculating, frustrated with the current situations in MLB and Twins. But please let's do better than mediocre or leave the rotation to develop itself.
  6. mikelink45
    So the premise is that we take what we got for Berrios (close - not exact) who we traded because he had only two years of control and trade them to Oakland for a pitcher who has only two years of control? That we go backwards and sign Odorizzi (who Houston did not trust to start in the playoffs) and Pineda which would be a continuation not a backwards signing. No thanks. I have no reason to believe that Ober and Ryan will have the same success in 2022 or that Bundy can return to his partial season level. Just start the merry-go-round and lets see what the arms we have can deliver.
  7. mikelink45
    Nicely done. There are many of us who just do not get enough baseball content and you really stepped in and filled that need with great quality. Thank you.
  8. mikelink45
    This is a pitcher I am really excited about, but see my note on Rice University pitchers. I just hope he breaks through the curse because I would love to see him get a dozen starts for the Twins this year.
  9. mikelink45
    You made me think about this - here is a 2011 article with that same theme , "The theme "Rice pitchers get hurt" seems definitely true. Over a 20-year-period, the only Rice products who have done much at all in the majors are Jeff Niemann and David Aardsma, and neither of them had smooth development paths. " J. T. Chagois is another Rice pitcher that we drafted. He has had an injury plagued career. "Jul 09, 2021 · Diamondbacks release injury-prone pitcher Jon Duplantier Former Rice baseball player Jon Duplantier is featured. USA Today " Not conclusive, but I see where the statement comes from.
  10. mikelink45
    That is a fun exercise because it points out that we are a last place team if this is the reality for 2022. Kc and Detroit would love it,
  11. mikelink45
    We have Miranda coming up - No to both of these.
  12. mikelink45
    And Law says about Austin Martin our highest ranked Twin on his top 100 (Martin is 25) " In the field, he’s athletic enough to play almost anywhere, certainly to be a plus defender at third base, but he’s had throwing issues since the start of his junior year and at this point is probably going to end up in centerfield or at second base. " Miranda (96) "The Twins have tried him at several positions, including second, first, and left, but so far he’s looked best at third base, where he’s still only fringe-average and may not get better given how much he’s filled out. " No one else in the top 100 except Balazovic Lewis is not in the top 100 any more, but he is number 4 on the Twins list by law and Law says,. "he’s always been better suited to center than shortstop, where he was below-average the last time we saw him." There are no other SS in Laws Top Twenty for the Twins.
  13. mikelink45
    Kiley McDaniel on ESPN has Lewis as the number 56 prospect on his top 100 list and says this, "The most likely outcome here is a super-utility player every good team needs" Not what has been expected. He has Austin Martin at 57 and lists him as a 2B. "He now looks to be a bit overmatched at shortstop and will be on an upper-minors Twins utility merry-go-round with Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda and Spencer Steer." "I think second base is Martin's best long-term fit" He looks at Miranda at 3B and says,"Miranda has migrated from a primary second baseman as an amateur to now fitting best at either third base (where he's fringe-average) or first base (where he'll go if he regresses at third base)." For top 100 prospects those are not glowing statements. What is really apparent is that no one outside the Twins sees them as answers at SS. I have no idea who Kiley McDaniel is, but it is still interesting to read.
  14. mikelink45
    I am hoping Kepler's contract is low enough to entice another team to trade for him. I think he peaked for us and now can be a good trade chip to maybe bring in another pitcher.
  15. mikelink45
    The essay brings up a question for me - which is harder on a pitchers arm - pitching out of the bullpen 3 - 4 times a week (including warmups) or starting once a week? I do not know the answer, But I do know RP are very erratic and few can match a Nathan for consistency from year to year. I do hope Duran can start. I can never subscribe to modular pitching so I will pass on that. But if it is to be the BP I fine, but I do hope he is up this year and producing for us.
  16. mikelink45
    I hope you are right
  17. mikelink45
    For two years in Detroit it looked like Niko Goodrum was the best SS the Twins had developed, but his last two years were not good at all. Can Cavaco make it? Can Noah Miller? They are too far off and at their stage Gordon, Lewis, and Polanco looked like future SSs. Of course so did Austin Martin and no one talks about that anymore.
  18. mikelink45
    Smalley would have been good, but he did not come out of our system. Like Cristian Guzman he was a trade acquisition, as was Nick Punto and Gagne. Got to go back further.
  19. mikelink45
    I am seeing this list under a very different lens than the TD listers. When I read the 'What's left to work on" section I think this is not a top ten guy. He has too much to prove yet. Another pitcher that I would put Winder ahead of. I hope he fulfills the expectations. I am slowly beginning to understand that these lists are so different from the last few years because of all the players who are no longer eligible because they have been called up. So in the past I was looking for the next one to take Target field and in this list I am seeing more wait and see and hope with the exception of a few arms I still hope to see this year.
  20. mikelink45
    Too high - as usual I prefer to see some minor league performance before giving a top 10 ranking unless they are one of the no minor league phenoms and Petty is not. The list of hazards is too long to list. Right now he does not belong about Winder and others who have shown that they are progressing. Good luck to him, but I have no expectations at this point which is the difference between prospects and potential.
  21. mikelink45
    Rated too low. I think he is ready if his injury is behind him. Why not both Winder and Balazovic in the rotation?
  22. mikelink45
    I had to look up how much he played - 48 games in three years and 32 were in CF. I know we all expected a lot from him. He was in 15 seasons as a major leaguer.
  23. mikelink45
    let us hope that Buxton plays out his contract and we can take our time sorting through the prospects for CF. In the beginning it was Lenny Green (61 - 62) to Jimmie Hall (63 - 65) - Uhlaender (66 - 69) - Tovar (70 - 71) Bobby Darwin (72) Larry Hisle (73} Steve Brye (74 ) Dan Ford (75, 78) Bostock (76 - 77), Landreaux (79 - 80), Mickey Hatcher (81) Bobby Mitchell (82) Darrell Brown (83) and then Puckett and the group in this essay. Comparing both ends the Puckett to Buxton is the best, but Lenny Green was really played for us six years and had a line of 270/359/384 - 743. Jimmie Hall started out like a HOF and then had a power outage and a downward trend after being hit on the cheek by Bo Belinsky. (Like Morneau we can only wonder what he would have been without the injury). Larry Hisle and Lyman Bostock were both good and Bostock became another tragic what if story when he was shot and killed during the baseball season while playing with the Angels. His line in three years with the Twins was 318/366/446 - 812.
  24. mikelink45
    I am reluctant to jump on the band wagon, but do appreciate the profile. We have had so many SS prospects that just did not make it into the bigs and from HS to MLB is a long road to travel. If he does it I will be really happy, but until I see a couple minor league seasons I cannot become as enthusiastic as many of you prospect listers. We once saw Polanco as the SS of the future and now their is weeping and gnashing when he is suggested for playing there again. WIth all the anticipation of Lewis we keep reading he might not be a SS, same with Austin Martin. We drafted Gordon high and SS might be his best position, but is not good enough for the major leagues. miracleb mentioned Levi Michaels. Wander Javier seemed to flame out, Cavaco is all promise and no results. I remember when we brought up Palacios way to young, way to early and yet it looked like a sign - which of course meant he went away and then we got him back as a minor league free agent. Thus my reservation about SS excitement. Thanks for the enthusiasm, now keep us informed as he progresses.
  25. mikelink45
    I can agree up to a point, but think about a career like Griffey's (I know he is exceptional). He was traded to Cincinnati at age 30 and his career from that point on was not the HOF track that he had had in Seattle. My point is that players who make it young provide potential for longer and more productive careers and those who come later can still be outstanding. Hoyt Wilhelm did not begin his HOF career until he was 29 so age is not the full determinate. My comments refer to potential of prospects which I look at as their major league contributions. Just some thoughts - not an argument.
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