mikelink45

I liked Julien a lot two years ago, but he really lost it last year and that was bad timing with Lee and Keaschall coming quickly. Had he kept up his rookie production 2B would be his. Now he is AAA or bench and I would be looking to package him with Paddack and see what we could get. Lee has too much potential, has had a good track record and projects much better than the other options. So the question is not this year - it is next years competition with Keaschall.

Don't underestimate the potential for a recession and the impact of tariffs and ICE for a league that is looking to expand internationally and depends on lots of international stars. Even billionaires look at economic forecasts and it might be that the value of the team is dropping. How do the Pohlads respond to all this news? And how does MLB in its quest for a salary cap? Stay tuned there is a lot more than the Twins team sale coming during the season.

I know you want to really drive home your point, but I did not compare Wallner to Clemente - I said a strong throwing arm is the best weapon for RF as proven by Clemente. I can take disagreement and we obviously have it, but be accurate. I still like Wallner and I think his arm is a real weapon.

Let's get a full season from him before we start dreaming of Cy Youngs. I will be content if he is a stud in the rotation.

I am a believer. I like his strong arm in RF which since Clemente has been recognized as a key to good fielding in that position.

I will be delighted if Buxton stays healthy and stays in the field, but reading the essay I find it a little less optimistic than I would like if this is the best position we have - you note that Buxton's range and defense seem on decline and he might be DH a lot - that is not good news. Then we have Bader fielding the position, but his bat is in decline. And behind him I have no faith in Martin, Castro is a good utility player but not a full time CF option. Keirsey is the only one listed that seems to project both Bat and glove - I would take him over Bader but I know the team will not. So let's just hope the metrics are off and our eyes tell us a better story with Buxton in CF for more than 100 games.

These are interesting but everyone - including TD periodically reminds us the ST number don't mean anything. I do not know how the evaluations are done, but this is an interesting collection of statistics.

No surprises - some disappointment with Canterino. Not that I expected much from him, but he has had a horrible medical career in MLB

I am fine with most decisions but from the players listed Gaspar and Martin are the two I am least pleased with. And I would love to see Keirsey. I am also torn on Paddack, but have no real reason if he is doing well. I just like the younger players.

I really like the top three - and I am delighted to see the number of pitchers ranked this high - hopefully because they are that good and not because we ran out of position players to rank. Of course that is not true - I have been touting DeShawn Keirsey for the last two years and hope the Twins actually let him be in MLB with us or with another team - Wade, Rooker, Gil, Wells, and Cano would welcome another Twin prospect to the big leagues. Sometimes it just takes another opportunity. And that brings up my most underrated - Eeles. I would have him competing for 2B this year - I love the Altuve/Pedroia vibe he brings to the game.

I had another of those sleepless nights where my mind travels into distant lands and I can only follow. This time I was thinking about the Central division and if I had to pick my all-star best at each position. And then where do the Twins land on this list because the projections I have been seeing have the Royals and Tigers ahead of them and maybe the Guardians. Why? Start with Pitching: The best rotation (not just the best pitcher) - Detroit because Skubal, Flaherty and Jackson are really studs (I know Jackson is a rookie) and Mize and Manning or Reese fills out the rotation. Second - KC has Ragans, Bubic, Lorenzen, Wacha and Lugo - and I would have them tied with the Twins Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR and I guess Paddock Relief pitching: The Guardians led by Clase are the best. The Twins need Duran to be what he was in the past and the others to live up to our twincentric projections, but KC and Detroit also have the potential to be as good or better than us. Catching KC's Salvador Perez is the man. Jeffer's is second best individual and then we wonder what Vasquez will do Teel for the Sox has potential and the Guardians Naylor and Hedges could be the second best combo. 1B This one is tough, but I cannot put France this high Is the Guardians Santana (our old friend) the best? I don't think so. I will take Pasquantino for KC. Santana second, Vaughn of the Sox third. Detroit's 1B combo is as mixed up as ours. 2B KC got India and they got the best of the division Gleyber Torres and Keith give the Tigers a good combo and Torres has proven he can produce. We are third - but Lee and Julien have the potential to rise or fall. The Guardians and the Sox are out of the discussion SS KC wins here - as much as I like Correa - Bobby Witt is the best After these two I can only laugh when I think of Baez 3B There is no contest - the Guardians Ramirez is one of the two best position players in the division (Witt is the other) After that there is no discussion - no one else stands out LF Detroit wins - Riley Green is a star Steven Kwan of the Guardians would be second And we can hope that Larnach will come in third CF Buxton wins this one for us if he is on the field Luis Roberts of the Sox is next in line Then it is a coin flip RF I really like Wallner but Kerry Carpenter of Detroit has already risen as a star Those are my top two DH I do not know - there is no outstanding DH - position players rotate through for all of these clubs. Manager Hinch is my choice But Vogt did great last year for Cleveland Quatraro and Rocco follow and Venable is an unknown So where does the leave me? I don't know. I think I lean towards KC and Detroit but not by much. In other words - the division is up for grabs.

The intangible I see as the extra significance in Correa is that he will play between two of our highest rated assets - Lewis and Lee and he can mentor and work with them. Imagine if all three played at the top of their potential.

We seem to specialize in injury prone players - is that part of our job descriptions?

Hurry up spring - we are desperate for speculation. Let's see some production before we start annointing.

I think we are all dreaming of Keaschall. Hopefully he is going to be as great as we hope - he seems to have it all.

To many connections and assumptions. We got rid of Donaldson - if the trade did not happen could we have dumped him? Who knows. We have a linear path in this essay, but I do not think that is always the best solution. Did we win the trade? No. Texas got what it wanted and they got a WS title - and that is the ultimate goal of all maneuvers. If you stretch - like you did - and make Correa the final answer - we still do not have a WS title with him. I like him, but this analysis is fun speculation, but is not an accurate and final summary.

Looking at the rank - expected to be 22/30 looks really bad. I agree with Washington - 1B is under rated. Players with a glove like Hernandez (the best) of even Hrbek make a difference. What player other than catcher handles the ball more than 1B? 1/3 of the batters are left handed - making the right side of the diamond important and " The league average batted ball distribution in 2019 was 21.4% line drives, 42.9% ground balls, and 35.7% fly balls. The 2020 season saw virtually identical numbers: 21.6 LD%, 42.7 GB%, and 35.7 FB%" according to Rotoball. Which means the 1B most likely touches the ball on 43% of hit balls - not counting possible line drives caught or holding the batter or popups (10%). I hope for the best and hope Miranda steps forward.

I agree with you assessment. This is a weakness going forward next year and the two new pickups are not the shiny baubles we need. Jeffers really disappointed at the bat last year. He has shown ability for many stretches, but while the young players struggled at the end of the season, he was the veteran and needed to do more. Vasquez is not the answer and is only here because we are overpaying him. Not sure how they tried to negotiate trades, but I can only hope he will be motivated for his free agent year. I always thought Winkel was under rated and wonder where Cossetti ranks - I have had higher expectations for him than the rankings show so far.

Sorry it is only ST game three - the only thing that counts is if they are getting in shape and not injured

I am not a Martin fan - we have some good prospects I would rather see get a chance - Never understood the excitement - I know we just wanted to show we did well with the trade, but as I saw the headline I looked for Michael Rand as the writer.

Some names I have not followed at all and a few I am really excited about. My curiosity goes to McCusker and Eeles - will they be given a chance? Nice independent ball finds. Of course Winokur, Keaschall, Walker and Beltre remain the prospects that I am anxious to follow. Emmanuel Rodriguez gives me that Minnesota Twins injury list chills. Please get and stay healthy. Doncon was a pleasand MiLB surprise and I do expect him to prosper and soon which of course means somewhat of a logjam with all the other players I mention in this post.

Sometimes being a fan can be painful. We can read, listen, comment, but not change a damn thing. We can wait for FA to end, for ST to conclude, for the trade deadline to pass and then only react to one another. Pohlads don't want to talk to us. Sports writers want to tell us what they think and yet - if we do not watch - there is no ratings. If we do not listen Danny has to tell his stories to his old motorcycle buddies. But no ratings - no ads, no ads no TV contracts (when we can find one) and no tv and Mr Soto might pump gas like old Bronko Nagurski did in International Falls. So we debate HOF, All-star, 40 man rosters - among ourselves and have to choose between two forms of WAR. Well what about us? What is your fandom WAR? And how is it calculated? Let's think of the elements : Do you buy and wear the team logo and the hundred different versions they create to increase sales? Do you have season tickets? And do you use them? Do you watch every game? Do you listen to every game? Do you watch the minor league games? Do you read TD daily and if so do you comment? Do you follow the team on the Athletic, ESPN, MLB.com? Do you get emotionally involved? Does it matter than Johann Santana is not in the HOF? Do you listen to Gleeman and the Geek? Ten items - there must be more. How do they compare and how do you compare? I am less than a complete homer so that grades me down. I don't attend games, I listen to them. I read TD everyday (a questionable attribute) and somehow make it all the way through Gleeman and the Geek but cannot figure out why I want to go on Patreon. So I guess I see myself as a 1.0 WAR guy.

And the Twins fans just sit in the bleachers and try to figure out the score. Perhaps being a fan is the most difficult position in any sport.

If someone wants them.

Just when ST was going to start giving us something positive we get the Twins downer! Oh well, we have France, Coloume and Bader to keep us excited.