mikelink45

Not when they are Rockies

I think he was potentially a HOF CF, but I have repeatedly brought up Pete Reiser who was also a potential HOF OF. Pete played like Byron and he was magnificent except he could not make it on the field. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reisepe01.shtml If you do not know him, watch this - Pete Reiser you tube. Please watch this YOUTUBE. He was great and so is Byron. I know we have talked about HOF - I would put Pete in.

My first response is sign him. My second response is - who has left Colorado and done well elsewhere?

My answer is NO, but that is hardly an interesting post. I think we should try to sign Warren Spahn, wait he is dead, and some other ACE who is past his prime. My answer is because we are not in a position to win next year and these former ACES are not being signed because they are at the end of their careers. Please do not do this. Remember when we signed HOF pitcher Steve Carlton? If the Dodgers who have plenty of SP questions do not want to give Kershaw a qualifying offer we should not either.

The bench coach is still something I don't understand but I thought it was a counterweight to the manager. Someone who could get along but still challenge what the manager was thinking or doing. This doesn't seem to fit that profile and his success in San Diego seems to put a big question mark over his abilities as far as our needs are concerned. So maybe he'll be a wonderful addition and we will suddenly see the twins playing a more exciting and new form of baseball, but I doubt it.

I posted this on my Forum - Golden Age HOF, but wanted to add it to this thread too. "I have come to the place where I am not interested in long dead players being resurrected for election. When Buck O'Neil was denied his election while he was alive it was heartbreaking because we all know he will get in and his acceptance speech would have been a classic. Now I look at Kaat and Oliva and we have had them so close for so long that I want them in while they are alive - I want the pleasure of their satisfaction and their recollections."

I find it hard to rate like you've done that takes a lot of work so thanks. Of course I don't agree with all the rankings and that's easy to do when you don't have to start from scratch. The biggest takeaway I have is that the twins based on history get two of the players in your 50 and they're probably going to be in the range of 25 to 35. Who they are I don't know but I think that they will spend money but not going to spend outrageous money and I don't blame them. I see the top shortstops aging and moving to second base. The best thing we can do is get a young shortstop from our own prospects and also avoid old arms like Verlander and Scherzer. We need to build for more than one year.

I am in except for Kepler

Kaat's average innings pitched is misleading in that his last three innings he was a relief pitcher and spot starter. Without those years he averaged 198 innings per year!

When I watched this team there was no one that was consistent over the enjoy season. ERA is not a stat I look at in RP. If they come in and give up the runners on base, then get three ours they have a 0.00 era even though they cost the team two runs. If they put runners on and the next pitcher gets outs without letting them score they have an era of 0.00. I want dependable and durable. Colome is released, but he had two different seasons - beginning and ending months were very different, but I did not like seeing him come in and now he has been released. Duffey was our most reliable over the year, but TD articles consistently talked about how much he lost in his best pitches yet he would get my best grade and not an A. Minaya was a shooting star. He looked great for part of a season, but so did Colome. No I would not give any A's to members of this years pen.

I have been seeing Mauer's name pop up more and more in articles about Posey. That must be a help to him because it creates a recognition that could carry over to the HOF vote. I would put both in as catchers. Mauer was hurt by the concussion in more ways than changing position and it has to be considered when the vote is made. It is not Mauer's fault that he could not continue catching until the end of his career.

Nobody on this team deserves an A or any version of an A. Nothing destroyed the season more than the pen and a short term good performance does not merit a full season A. This group was bad and the best of the group gets a C.

I hope not, but bad teams seldom release good players if they intend to improve.

If I am not mistaken the Rangers were another losing team. By WAR (fangraphs) Texas only beat out Arizona with a total of 4.5 We were 24th, five above the Rangers. I thought bad teams raided the good teams, not the worse teams.

Good essay that is sure to spark a lot of controversy (it should). I think Larnach can reclaim and prosper, but after his second half plunge he needs time to regain his confidence. But then who? I don't know. Can Miranda play in the OF? Can Celestino play LF? Not Rooker and his glove and K's. Not Arraez who never was an OF candidate. This is a weakness that is seldom discussed. Thanks for bringing it up. But please - not Cave or Refsnyder or Garlick.

I agree, but the players on this all-star team do not have the feeling of future MLB stardom except for Miranda and a couple pitchers and of course a few pitchers would really make a difference. In fact, since the Tampa Bay team is always a model - they do not sign FA, they keep bringing up young pitchers and succeed.

That was really good. I am disappointed to see Drew Maggi the top SS. We need a SS, but a player who will be 33 and never a MLB starter is not what I am hoping for. Overall it is not a strong group until you get to pitching and I really like what the arms look like. Other than Miranda we will have to wait on the bats, but Miranda looks like he might be the real deal for the Twins and if we have one big bat make it that will be a success as long as those pitchers come through.

I can only say no. Amazing isn't it that we try to sign someone who is as good as Berrios - let's just sign Jose again.

Kiriloff - too short a season, another injury prone player. I can only give him a C - your grade is based on hope. Buxton a B- and that is generous. I know we project that he would have a complete season like his 61 games, but we have seen players flirt with 400 for half a season. It is not unknown to have fabulous half seasons - Buxton had a fabulous 1/3 season. It is hard to give a complete grade for an incomplete year. Kepler D. It is time to produce. His RF defense can be replaced. His OBP is terrible and he was leadoff the first half of the season. We hope for him, but he has had one great season - again, many players had one season that stood out. We should expect multiple seasons of good production. Luis Arraez C. You made the case when you said, "When he’s not roping singles or walking, it’s hard to justify keeping Arraez in the lineup. He can be a liability defensively with very little power." Larnach C. That is for effort, for the fact that he was called up before he was ready, But I am tempted to drop this down because he showed not ability to adjust after the pitchers adjusted to him. Rooker D. I agree with your right up, but not sure where the + came from. Cruz A. This is a no doubter, but I have a hard time thinking of him as an OF. Astudillo B. Not that he is a good player, but he is a good team players. He would do whatever was asked. He tried and played with spirit. He also made some surprisingly good plays in the field. I see him as a utility man, not an OF so if he is graded just in OF I give him a D. This does not mean he makes next years team, but we tend to undervalue these fill in pieces. My grades are lower than yours with the exception of Astudillo and he really does not count. The low grades are a reflection of the fact that the team stunk as a whole and the OF with Refsnyder, Garlick and Cave none of whom are graded on your page was a contributing factor to the losing season.

I talk Wallner over Sabato. Steer is the only one on this list that I really like. I am looking for a pitcher to join Wallner nad Steer on my list and hope that one of the prospects really jumps ahead of the competition.

Yes, I will be disappointed. I just do not see the great glove that the metrics claim. I saw a player who was indifferent at times, who missed opportunities that would not show in the statistics. I still use the eye test, and he failed my vision.

Nice choices. I will add that to see ex=Twins in the playoffs which made them much more interesting.

Wallner has left Sabato in the dust - not just here, but all season. The others do not look like real prospects to me.

It is a fun article and the team looks good. Of course I have things I don't like - Kluber! I would see our rookies being better than him. Finally I would have Miranda in the lineup.

It depends on what is offered. For me, anyone can be traded if the team improves by the trade. I only question his value to other teams - who would want him and how much would they give. His BA slipped this year, his fielding is average, and the league is power hungry. I do not see much return even though I personally like him a lot.