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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    this is a great minor league surplus - will they become Twins or trade chips? I want young guys on the team.
  2. mikelink45
    Nice write up on this complex position. I think the revolving door will continue because the ultimate long term solution is in Javier and Lewis and Polanco and Gordon should be demonstrating their talents for the FO to use them in some key trades. I have heard comments in the past that prospects are accumulated to trade, but for me it is a different process. Develop them, debut them as their times come up and trade them for more strategic value. We have some key young prospects and I like to see them move into the lineup. If their maturation follows their potential we will have Romero and Grandol in the rotation, Lewis and Javier in the infield with Rooker, and Kiriloff in the OF. It is a nice future and it might be starting in the infield since we have already speculated that Mauer and Dozier might be playing their last season in our uniforms.
  3. mikelink45
    The Twins front office has shown that it is not sentimental - ask Dozier - unless it is a front off cheer leading job - Cuddyer, Hunter, etc - so Joe will stay if they see him as a vital cog. I love the idea of Rooker forcing his way to mlb because that represents the future. It is a disappointing ending for a career that was a guaranteed HOF track before the concussion. Good luck Joe - have a great season. If Sano staying at 3B is a concern, we have more reasons for concern there - physically I can guarantee that metal parts do not make you bionic (personal experience) and he has some big challenges (maybe big was the wrong word there). He also has maturity issues off the field. I am confused by what is happening and cannot imagine the commissioner making a stand this late in the spring. The FO is setting a path that is fascinating and I cannot project their moves. They could trade Sano, they could convince Mauer to go to 3B. They could trade Mauer and convince him that a nice warm environment would be good for his aging Minnesota body. The real recipe for fans is to enjoy 2018 with Mauer and all the pieces on hand and know that Dozier, Mauer, Romero, Rooker, Sano, Pineda, Santana will provide a lot of fodder for next years TD commentators and fans.
  4. mikelink45
    As the unofficial fan of bringing in the young players I would love to see Romero displace Gibson. If it requires some BP first, fine, but this is our best arm, our best shot at the future.
  5. mikelink45
    It looks good, but the Rule V pick is my question. I do not see Kinley having a talent that exceeds what we already have so why does contending team block off one of its roster positions? Like you, I prefer Granite, I want a player with speed who can also give good defense. I think our outfield defense is one of our greatest assets and I do not want to see it compromised so Grossman can get a walk.
  6. mikelink45
    Weight is an issue for everyone. I fight it and so do the majority of people. Of course I am not in Sano's league, but it is a difficult problem to address - the decision requires a special commitment, discipline, and diet - more fun to eat a pizza and ice cream. For now he is okay, but as we age it gets more difficult and the impacts add up. His operation should have given him incentive. But I was curious about baseball players and their weight. Of course the NFL has the biggest players, but in baseball I found that Walter Young at 322 pounds is the largest recorded baseball player who played for the Orioles in Sept, 2005. Walter Jumbo Brown was a relief pitcher "He led the National League in saves in 1940-41. He also posted ERA’s of 3.42 and 3.32- the 2nd and 3rd best of his career." https://superbaseball2020blog.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/heaviest-baseball-player-of-all-time/ Of course CC Sabathia, before his recent weight loss might have pushed for this record if the teams really listed their actual weight. And Jonathon Broxton of the Reds - at 300 pounds on a 6' 4" frame. ​And then there is Pablo Sandoval who also plays 3B and Prince Fielder and his dad, who burned out young at 1B. Adam Dunn was another power biggy - at 287. He had a 14 year career which is nice for any player. And I did not realize that former Twin - Carlos Silva was 280 pounds. I do not remember any articles about him and his weight. https://www.sportingcharts.com/articles/mlb/top-10-heaviest-players-in-the-mlb.aspx Baseball can forgive fatness, but the heart and body eventually pay a price and that is the most important thing to remember.
  7. mikelink45
    I think a bullpen is stronger when it does have a "novelty" pitcher. A change of arm angle, a knuckleball, anything that throws off the opposition is good. Neshek is a good example and has created an excellent career.
  8. mikelink45
    I really enjoy these write ups. So much history and wonderful stories - thank you.
  9. mikelink45
    It is a nice off season - but I am even happier with the look of our minor league options. As an advocate for youth, I like the talent that we have and I need to see a philosophy that keeps us competing, while having a method for integrating the young prospects into the major league roster. I still want Romero and Gonsalves, and I am anxious to see Lewis and Rooker step up to the majors. Its nice to have so much talent, but it is also a challenge for the FO to establish a plan that keeps us both young and aggressive.
  10. mikelink45
    I am most happy that it is a one year deal. Next year it is Pineda's spot and I still want Romero and Gonsalves in the rotation. I also suspect that Santana will be gone after this year.
  11. mikelink45
    Your opening caught me - I am one who is tired of launch angle, not because it is bad, but because we are caught up in a trend and seeing one fix all for every batter. You mixed in comments about shifts - which continue to grow because teams refuse to use strategy to beat them. ​In football if either defense or offense changes, there is a compensatory alteration on the other side of the ball. If batters get more control on their swing they can go to the wide open side of the diamond. If they learn to bunt better they can drive the defense and the pitcher crazy. There needs to be a strategy - for example if I was playing against Jon Lester I would have every fast player bunt and see how his bounce pass to first base plays out inning after inning. Joe Mauer takes pride in his bat control, but he has an amazing amount of DPs in his career. He should adjust launch angle with players on first. Think about hit and run against a shift if the player can put the ball on the side of the one infielder. Bring back strategy, create worry about a stolen base. I want more than just pitch and catch.
  12. mikelink45
    I understand that these three teams are poor, but I hesitate to underestimate them. KC is plugging holes and might have a chip on its collective shoulder. They have never been a team of superstars, just players to worked really well together - remember that even in their best years projections underestimated their win totals. Maybe Ned Yost is more of a genius than everyone gives him credit for. Detroit has Gardy - what else do they need? The White Sox could be the big surprise. Let their young players catch fire and they may not realize that they are supposed to be bad! I like young players. Our surge from the dregs to playoffs came when we let our young prospects step up. My hope for the Twins is that we stop the FA follies and bring up our young arms and let youth lead us to a better record.
  13. mikelink45
    I just do not see those pitchers doing what we all dream. I want Romero and Gonsalves and hopefully more from the minors - soon. Develop our own arms - put them in and get them the seasoning they need. If we keep signing okay guys we block potential and I like potential much more. Remember we have Pineda coming next year so the rotation gets more congested.
  14. mikelink45
    This was a good recap, but without Royce Lewis in the conversation it misses a key component of the plan. Polanco and Gordon better shine because I see Royce rising quickly and he has the potential to reach the WAR numbers of Dozier. The real question is between Polanco and Gordon - which do we really expect to stick and shine? There are more changes ahead.
  15. mikelink45
    It seems as if Rodney lives on the edge and the question that comes to mind is his age and what impact that will have on the edge. A small change can be a catastrophe. I hope they are watching closely.
  16. mikelink45
    Well, if you have followed my posts you know my response - don't do it. Why is a player from another team always better than what you already have? Lynn would have been great a few years ago - now he is not a true upgrade and we continue to pile up contracts that present more obstacles than are needed for the young arms. Hughes is back next year, Pineda is supposed to be ready next year. Add Lynn and there are three big contracts behind Berrios. I liked adding one arm this year from outside and one from inside. I want to see Berrios and Santana on the top and either Gibson or Mejia filling out the rotation. Thrylos covered the details and makes a great argument why we should have run the other way when Lynn turned down their offer. If they really want him - one year is all I would offer and tell him to pitch so well that he can clean up as a FA next year.
  17. mikelink45
    Berrios and Odorizzi are locks - Santana will be back by June. Mejia and Gibson seem to be given spots, but I still hold out hope that Gonsalves and Romero move into the rotation and we build rather than plugging in Lynn and others who at the moment would be fillers. We would hope that Lynn will improve from his TJ - well I hope Gonsalves and Romero improve with opportunity and move to a higher level that they are capable of.
  18. mikelink45
    It really is not about what Mauer wants. Nice story, glad he is back from his concussion, wish him well, but - the Twins FO has to assess the team not the player. Do we have the next 1B ready to step in? If not extend Mauer for 2 years, if we do, extend one year??? The FO does not have the old Twins angst about moving players. And this has to extend to Joe - the business of baseball has to prevail, just as players are learning in FA this year. I hope we see an amazing Joe this year, I will enjoy and appreciate it, and I will set that aside from watching the FO work. Based on their non-talks with Dozier who is our most productive hitter, I think we can begin to understand how the Twins approach is changing - not necessarily better, but different.
  19. mikelink45
    I remember when Tom Kelly was here there was a general belief that AA was the key and AAA was not necessary. A good prospect can make the leap from AA to the majors and I am ready to push the envelop and go for the really good arm. Keep Romero until he proves he does not belong. Since it is not my team and not my dollars I am ready to drop any of those who have less talent and block his way. Can anyone tell me Mejia has a higher ceiling than Romero? This quote - "The top prospects generally jump from AA to the majors and skip over AAA completely. It seems like the once a guys masters AA baseball, teams deem them ready to play in the majors if they have a long term opening. They don't want to move this top prospect to AAA because they have their former major leaguer there in his position. They don't want to release the former major league player from their system in case they need him. Teams also want guys playing everyday, so that they are ready to come up when needed." describes what I think about the AAA promotion. http://baseballguru.com/bunko/analysisbunko22.html
  20. mikelink45
    I am always about moving pitchers quickly, using their young arms in the majors before they blow out. I would love to see Romero and Gonsalves pitch with the Twins this year. If it needs to be June, fine, but get the young arms in.
  21. mikelink45
    I would hope that Sano's next position (if he cannot play 3B) is DH and that we get a more athletic first baseman who can also hit - Rooker.
  22. mikelink45
    The biggest question mark is Sano. I think we've begun to see what everybody else has to contribute and we know the potential that Sano has. But his health and his desire to cut down on strikeouts remains a serious question. If he can be an intrical part of the infield and the batting order I think the team has their lineup in great shape. If we look at the players who had Up Kicks last year we can expect a few will fall backwards but hopefully not so much that at all make a big difference when we still have some who may just make a jump forward. It's really hard to predict young players. It took a long time for Dozier to make a transition to the player that we've seen the last few years. Maybe the most important question Beyond Sano is Mauer. It would be great to think that he turned his corner to being a walking 300 hitting player again.
  23. mikelink45
    The Question I have is not whether we should have dropped these players, but whether there was anything that should have been done before this to either maximize their talent - a reflection on coaching, or if there was some way to minimize their injuries. That is a lot of injured talent and we need a medical staff that does more than react after the fact. Maybe none of this could have been changed, but we have an awful lot invested in our players at all levels and the FO has made major changes in the coaching. Have they done anything with the medical staff and trainers?
  24. mikelink45
    Nice story, but we all know the first 2 weeks of ST mean nothing. I hate to see injuries take away a players career or even damage it (Mauer and Morneau).
  25. mikelink45
    I am not sure how I feel. It is not a bad pickup, but I need to see the 25 man roster and understand long range plans before this can be judged.
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