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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    Great Post - I love these discussions with some research being conducted. I will accept your premise. But now I need to see someone besides Jeffers come from our ranks.
  2. mikelink45
    I love it when we bring baseball into the world of literature and language - here is an AI definition from Google for a baseball pipeline: "The concept of a baseball pipeline refers to the structured system and process through which amateur players are identified, developed, and advanced to the professional Major League Baseball (MLB) level. It encompasses all the stages a player goes through from early identification to their MLB debut." But in the long run, our semantical exchange still comes back to the question of whether the Twins have a product at the end of the pipeline or a drip. Since Falvey has been here and ignoring Jeffers and Vasquez we have always had a catcher at every level, but regardless of origin the next Twin up we have had Gaspar and Pareda in 2025, Camargo in 2024, Sanchez, Leon, and Godoy in 2022, Garver and Rortvedt in 21. Avila and Astudillo in 20. We have not called up Winkel or any other minor league catchers. We have continued to reach out. So I am waiting to see a flow from our internal pipes.
  3. mikelink45
    Maybe our sneaky FO can pull off a trade and get the Dodgers to take Kreidler in a trade for Fitzgerald and we can applaud them for doing something. By the way, this is an aside, but I have a hard time spelling Kreidler. I keep hearing my teachers of more than half a century ago saying i before e except after C.
  4. mikelink45
    There goes his HOF plaque!
  5. mikelink45
    True and that what writing is all about.
  6. mikelink45
    That is not a pipeline. We traded and grabbed catchers to fill our rosters. A pipeline means a steady flow from within, not a patchwork from without.
  7. mikelink45
    Sano did not start out as a large guy - he was a SS when we drafted him. I won't argue with your premise but it does not change my apprehension.
  8. mikelink45
    I hope that is the case, but many times players are rated too high. I need a prove it and I am happy to let him try MLB to do that. Just my opinion that he is overrated. I hope I am wrong and he is a star. However he has a little Sano in his profile.
  9. mikelink45
    Success in the international draft is elusive for everyone. Always hopeful, but 17 year olds have a long road and lots of changes - physical growth, mental challenges as they change nations and languages, and baseball challenges as their tools and abilities are torn apart in minute detail that allows the pitchers and teams to prepare for the player in ways that never used to happen. Rodriguez SO rates worry me. I do not have him rated as high as many do. I am looking for Walker to emerge - not that he is international, but he might block Rodriguez.
  10. mikelink45
    This is a tough column - it exposes the Twins big moves. It provides too much reality.
  11. mikelink45
    We are desperate. We scrape the bottom of the barrel and hope for a mushroom to appear for one year. Meanwhile the first place Brewers just did this higher. Wise? I don't know if he crashes like Twins Falvey will be happy to be off the hook for one year.
  12. mikelink45
    The biggest question mark is whether the big league coaches can actually coach the prospects through the changing approaches and challenges that are part of becoming a major league player. Our record at sustained success has not been good.
  13. mikelink45
    I would have Ryan number 1 - his trade value is high, his quality pitching is high, and he has show more durability than our other pitchers. I see Walker's trade value as really high but until he is on the field in MN and producing I cannot see him as number 1. For your overall list I see the biggest argument to be Jeffers. Fangraphs has him #7 in batting and #61 in fielding. Not great, but who is next in line? Jackson, Gaspar, Paredes? His value is going up as the new strike system is being implemented. So for trade value - the offense plays higher and a lot of teams could use his bat at catcher.
  14. mikelink45
    These lists are always a good place for discussion and debate. Might be take away is that so far THIS IS NOT A ROSTER that looks like a winner. At least not this year.
  15. mikelink45
    I will be a take a different tack. I think Lee is going to surprise. I was really a Wallner backer, but his glow has worn off and I am not sure I expect him to be as good as we had hoped. Royce is an enigma - grand slam super star, a man who doesn't do slumps and a pouty brat - take your pick. I think he will be average. Now the real questions for me - was Keaschall's production sustainable or will he follow the Lewis path? He has shown an injury potential and he has given us great hopes and expectations. Will he meet them? Our Big Three questions are: Can Jeffers sustain his production - maybe even improve or will additional catching demands wear him down? Can Buxton have two years in a row of full season production? Can another rookie emerge and getting us excited again? (Rodriguez, Gonzales,, Walker) And a bonus question - will any of our accumulated 1B/DH signings make a difference?
  16. mikelink45
    Not sure why anyone thinks Royce is the most likely to succeed. He was a shooting star that seems to have burned out - even though he doesn't do slumps.
  17. mikelink45
    The real international signings already happened with the White Sox, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Houston and we missed out. As we saw this year our best international players come from other organizations who seem to have a much better track record than we do. When I look for international players now in the Majors most were signed as free agents. I am not sure how that works. Julio Rodriguez seems to be the best signing from the draft. I guess it is a nice event but I have very low expectations.
  18. mikelink45
    Yes - it is the Ground Hog Day movie every year. We will compete, but we have to adjust the budget - DOWN! We are committed! To what? You fans have to sympathize with us. Pohlad family $3.8B 2015 America's Richest Families Net Worth They paid $44 million for the Twins and could have sold them for 1.5 Billion. We are a small market team - oh woe is us List of the top 10 wealthiest owners in MLB. Steve Cohen (New York Mets): $16 Billion Rogers Communications (Toronto Blue Jays): $11.5 Billion John Malone (Atlanta Braves): $6.6 Billion Lawrence and Paul Dolan (Cleveland Guardians): $4.6 Billion Lerner Family (Washington Nationals): $4.5 Billion Charles Johnson (San Francisco Giants): $4.4 Billion William O. Dewitt Jr. (St. Louis Cardinals): $4 Billion Jim Pohlad (Minnesota Twins): $3.8 Billion Ilitch Family (Detroit Tigers): $3.8 Billion Hal Steinbrenner (New York Yankees): $3.8 Billion Did I read that right - we are richer than Steinbrenner? My tears are welling up, I have to stop. Poor Pohlads and their small market team!
  19. mikelink45
    This is always a difficult ranking for me. I really do not understand the parameters, but I like it more than the speculation about who we should trade for. Jeffers is tops for me and higher than this group. Have you seen how difficult it is to have a good catcher? I just read today that if Phillies can't get Realmuto signed they should go after Jeffers. So he is the top. Marek - who knows, it is a wish listing. Ober might be toast - I can not rank him until I see. My hope is that he does a Thielbar and far exceeds one down year. Prielipp reminds me of McCarthy for the Vikings - great arm, can't stay on the field so who knows - I wish this list was stronger in the last five of your 20. Lee? Another McCarthy? I don't know. I just remember all the glowing articles before he got here. You entertained me - thanks
  20. mikelink45
    And we cut Fitzgerald because? And then we have The moves this FO makes just keeps me popping the New Years Champagne!
  21. mikelink45
    I believe the Twins will take credit for letting their fans snooze and celebrate the holidays from Halloween to New Years without disturbing them with big news like the amazing trade they pulled off to start the year. Thank you Twins!
  22. mikelink45
    Another amazing addition. Poor defense - check, a position already filled - check, a DFA candidate - check, remove from the 40 man a player who can field an important position - check. Wow this fits our profile.
  23. mikelink45
    I can't see a player we haven't drafted and with no minor league experience as nunber one and I am not buying into Soto and Quick. Hill will be there as number one and Tait number two. I do like Houston and think he will be three. But then I think we will still have a carryover from our current five. And then we will know who gets drafted.
  24. mikelink45
    I think Larnach goes only if he is included in the trade. They seem to want to hang on to him, Kriedler and Julien will not be missed. What minor prospect will be the first to appear?
  25. mikelink45
    Me too! He has earned the position. I also hope Culpepper forces his way mid season and we bid good-bye to Julien. I am hoping Marek Houston does advance quickly and is a force for 2027. Kriedler, Clemens, Bell should be gone by then. Walker, Gonzales, Rodrigues cannot get here quick enough. Only Buxton is a fixture and Outman needs to be gone. Thanks for a thoughtful article. Let's hope this gets more complicated with a move that is more exciting than Outman, Kriedler, and Jackson.
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