mikelink45

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.

Especially Dave - I think he was drafted in NFL and NBA as well as MLB. Joe was good athlete - not sure he was pro prospect in any other sport.

Shohei Ohtani is the number one talent in MLB and will be as long as his body does not fall apart – Last year he had 59 SB and 54 HRs – and he batted 310. He had 9.1 WAR. In 7 years he has maintained a 282 BA, and in seven years he has accumulated 43.8 WAR. Plus what gets him on this list is that he was a two way players – a Pitcher (not last year) and a Hitter. And his pitching stats are 38 – 19 with a 3.01 era. Not the greatest pitcher, but ready to be number one on 2/3rd of the teams. So is he the best? Well there is another guy that seems to have made a name for himself – even a candy bar. Babe Ruth with 182.6 WAR – Shohei has a ways to go here. 714 HRs, and he had 123 SB – although that was not his forte’. His career slugging was 690. Shohei had a monster year last year and had a 646 Slugging. And that Ruth guy could pitch too – which he did in 10 years – he did not want to pitch more but he could have. His record was 94 – 46 with a 2.28 era. So beyond recency bias how does Shohei rank number one in this rare category? And then there is a third entry into this list – a man who went 34 – 5 in one season, then had his arm go dead so he switched to the OF. Smoky Joe Wood was not in the same category as Ruth and Ohtani, but he did gain 40.2 WAR. 117 – 57 2.03 are pretty dramatic numbers, and a 283/357/411 slash line is not a bad one. That is the end of that list but as I tossed in bed with a brain that would not stop I then though there are other means to go two ways: Bo Jackson – played 8 years of major league ball. He only accumulated 8.3 WAR but for four years he was mister excitement, but the trouble was he was doubling up with professional football and those four seasons with the Raiders injured him too much for either sport. Deion Sanders was another NFL/MLB cross over. His 5.5 WAR over 9 years tells you he was not a star in MLB, but he was HOF in NFL and had one really exciting season in the majors. Looking at cross overs I have to rate Jim Thorpe the best – Olympic Champion in multiple events, in six years in the majors his line was 252/286/362 – not exactly all-star. But in the NFL he was named on the 1920s Hall of Fame team. One MLB/NBA cross over was Gene Conely who played for the Milwaukee Braves and the Boston Celtic. 91 – 96 career on the mound 3.82 era. No one knew how to deal with such a tall pitcher in those days. He played 6 years in the NBA, but took off six to concentrate on BB. He averaged 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds as a power forward. Danny Ainge played in Toronto three seasons and accumulated a -2.0 WAR – not a star. But in over 1000 games in the NBA he averaged 11.6 points per game But crossing over is not easy – ask Michael Jordan. I tried looking at other sports and HOF John Smoltz also was a pro golfer and was in nine tournaments. In Hockey Smoltz teammate Tom Glavine played Hockey before BB but not the NHL although he was drafted by the LA Kings. Justin Morneau only played in a single exhibition game, playing for the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL in 1997. And luckily for the Twins turned to BB. But there was actually one player who was both professional baseball and hockey - James Riley is the first player to ever play both professional baseball and professional hockey. He played 17 games in the NHL, 90 games in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and won the Stanley Cup with the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917. In addition, Riley played professional baseball for small parts of twelve seasons, from 1921 to 1932, with the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators. That is as far as I can go – football was always a two way sport up through Chuck Bednarik of the Eagles so now they are considering some two way players again, but it is not as dramatic as baseballs. And naturally NFL has many kickers who have been pro soccer players. We know many of these athletes had skills that could have led to other sports, but it was always considered better to concentrate on one sport or one skill. In baseball there might have been other pitcher/batters if the DH had existed. Bullet Joe Bush hit .325 in 1921 and .326 - 1922 and 339 -1924. For his career a 253 average. Wes Ferrell would have been a better example. He was often a pinch hitter as well as batting in his own starts - His 38 career home runs are the all-time record for a pitcher (not named Ohtani). two seasons with an OPS better than .950, and two more above .800. He also won 193 games in a 15-year career.

Just to get my vote in - I do not know what the team will decide but I still trade Paddack and I have SWR and Festa as regular rotation starters.

Too early. I agree with others that we need to revamp the MLB coaching to help rookies adjust - too many with real potential hit mlb and stagnate while clubs like the Orioles see their rookies come in adjust and prosper.

Has Varland been stubborn about the BP in the past? I see it as the only viable option for him now. SP depth is only growing larger and longer with SWR, Festa, Zebby followed by Morris, Raya, Lewis. We know from the past some of those - best BP in the majors arms are going to fail and he needs to jump into the opening.

Let's hope the changes and the invitees make a difference. Today the Athletic ranked the Twins #20 and by the rankings we would be fourth in the division.

Let's hope we do not go below #4. The season would be good then. The lowest ranked player of interest to me in Winkel. I feel like he has been overlooked and might be better than the three listed behind Jeffers and Vasquez.

The issue isn't the signing - it is Baldelli making statements ahead of production. Letting competition decide the positions is good. Going into the spring with a decision already being stated is not.

I am excited that baseball is starting. I am ready to root for the Twins, but none of these acquisitions add to my excitement. Lee over Martin - Martin has not shown the promise that all the hype expected. Julien should prove it in St Paul. Gaspar and Ford should not make the team. I hate how 1B defense is so overlooked. I watched a section on MLB.com on Keith Hernandez and then had to watch this youtube video. Yes he belongs in the HOF. He was the Ozzie Smith, Brooks Robinson of 1B and it makes a difference. An average 1B has 1200 put outs and 100 assists per year and are part of 100 DPs per year. (I am taking this from Baseball reference and rounding off the numbers.) With all the left handed hitters in the league this is a great place for someone with range. And it does not include taking pick-off throws.

No. I see a Skenes, Wheeler, Ohtani, Skubal, Sale, Lugo, Burnes, Valdez, Gilbert, Webb, Nola, King, Kirby, Cease, Snell Ragans, Cole, Fried and a few more as aces. I am content with Lopez/Ryan/Ober all as number 2's. And I hope that we have some arms coming up that might rise to that - Festa? Raya? It is a rare and wonderful thing to have an Ace but they only pitch every five days. I want bevy of good arms even if one does not rise to HOF level which is where I put ACEs today.

It is true that there are very few Aces anymore. Pitching is a spinning wheel with multiple arms in every game. No more Spahn, Marichal, Koufax, Drysdale, Maddox, Johnson... I miss them.

I believe I will listen to Abbott and Costello - who's on first - it makes as much sense as the Gaspar/Ford/France/Miranda/Julien situation. It does say a lot that our biggest discussions are 1B and Bench. I cannot see them sending out Lee. I think that they made enough of a commitment to him that they do not want to upset him and have things go backward. If we can expect Lewis to regain his form we can believe Lee will continue to improve.