Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

DocBauer

Old-Timey Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    12,400

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    60

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by DocBauer

  1. DocBauer
    BTW, if we could just create our own scenario, I'd rather put Dozier at 1B with Mauer retired or turned in to a bench/role player, Polanco at 2B, Escobar or acquisition at SS and Sano at 3B
  2. DocBauer
    I don't WANT Polanco at SS, though I sure wish he could be the answer there. And to be honest, SSS and work may show he's better there than expected. BUT, I like him better at 2B for sure, and not sure I want him as the utility guy. But if Dozier was NOT traded, I could see Polanco and Escobar fight for SS and the "loser" would be the utility guy and probably still play a lot between 3 positions. Not a bad problem to have. All assuming, of course, the Twins kept BD.
  3. DocBauer
    I think we all agree trading Dozier, grudgingly perhaps, for real pitching help is the Twins best option at this point. But if the market/return is just not there, or, for whatever reasons the new FO has for not trading Dozier would be at this time, then you play Polanco at SS. I'm not saying it's best position, or he should stay there for good, hut as stated previously, he's not awful there. His bat does somewhat make up for average-ish defense. Further, getting a chance to play the position full time, work at it instead of being bounced around, will assist him in getting better.
  4. DocBauer
    There is no easy or immediate way to fix the rotation this one offseason. I think we all get that. And I don't mean to make Allen the fall guy, but I think a different, hopefully more experienced pitching coach could help. Better health wouldn't hurt either. I don't believe we've seen the best of Gibson yet, though I know not everyone agrees with that. Healthy again, I doubt May is ruined, but from a viable experience wise, he has been delayed. I also agree on at least one quality RP, even a 1 year deal, to stabilize roles and audition all these young arms that are ready, or so close. Someone doesn't perform, option him for the next man up. Let's say Dozier brings back one good, quality, ready arm with additional upside. Let's say Santana is moved for something. You then have NEW GUY, Gibson, Santiago, Berrios and May as your most likely rotation. Duffey could thrive in the pen, but with better fastball control could still make it. Give Wheeler a shot just to see. Mejia may not be ready immediately, but and Gonsalves could be mid season. Is this great? But it's something not terrible to work with. But just stay away from the FA class unless you feel really good about bounce back or unmet potential. Please!
  5. DocBauer
    Agree. Overall, minors and majors, he's shown power potential and the ability to still take walks for a quality OB. I can live with power and OB with a few SO's and mediocre BA. He's still relatively young, has reportedly worked hard on adjustments, and it's just too soon to tell what you really have unless/until you give him a legitimate shot at consistent playing time. By 2017 you may have Walker or Palka ready to take over. But you still have to see what you have here in Vargas.
  6. DocBauer
    While I don't want to trade him, and remain unconvinced that he couldn't still be part of the next winning Twins team, you have to hope to sell high on Dozier for SP help. Not so sure about trading Santana. The FA market is not good this season, and it's very possible a team needing SP help could see real value in acquiring him from the Twins. But if the best offer is an A level player, you might just have more value keeping him and see what the trade deadline brings. I totally agree Mauer is a 300-350 AB role player at this point. Due to injuries that seem to constantly flare up as well as diminished offensive production. But good defense, and a LH bat with quality OB can still help. IN WITH THE OLD: I'm still campaigningredients for a quality veteran 4th OF. Someone who can fill in, be a solid bat off the bench, and hold a place for someone like Palka or Granite. I don't think you want them only playing occassionally or part time at this point. A veteran allows them to play daily and continue their growth while deepening the Twins overall. I also wonder about an experienced closer, perhaps someone on bounce-back or near the end. It could help stabilize the entire pen, allow the younger arms to really embrace their various roles, and allow guys like Chargois to slide in to the closer role without having the pressure of doing so straight out of ST. And I wonder about one more veteran role player. Grossman could be the team'should 5th OF and could PH and DH at times. But what Plouffe? Or someone similar. If Plouffe, or similar, could be signed on the short and cheap to be a bench bat and multi position role player, would that be so bad? Look, I'm all about the kids and the rebuild taking place. And the starting OF and most, if not all the infield when you discuss Vargas, could also be relatively young. And I dont want to take AB away from the kids. But why not a veteran 4th OF instead of relegating a Granite or Palka to the bench most days? If Escobar and Polanco start, where is your utility guy or bench role player? Point is, it could be good in the long run to bring on a veteran or two for the short and relatively cheap to firm up the club and buy developmental time for others. They might even be flippable at the trade deadline.
  7. DocBauer
    Been a big follower of Gonsalves and Melotakis since they were drafted. Not a big surprise since they are pitchers, and obviously both LH. I would not be surprised to see both with the Twins at some point. I've also felt for a while now that Garver might turn out to be a nice catching option, a solid all around player. After the season he's had, I'm really looking to see if he can maintain his success in the AFL as a springboard to the 2017 season and, hopefully, time with the Twins.
  8. DocBauer
    Agree very interesting take and cant/won't disagree in principle. But I will argue with you as to the totality of your cuts. For instance, just to pick a name, Pressly. He's not really all that old, has decent stuff, and pitched well the majority of the year. Also, being a RP, he's not as "old" as a starting pitcher, if that makes sense. The team is in a rebuild mode, though no-one from the Twins has ever used that word. And I like the team still getting younger and making room for more top prospects. But I don't think you can arbitrarily just say to cut everyone over a certain age, especially when some of those guys could not only help you, but potentially help you for several seasons.
  9. DocBauer
    I want the Twins to win as much as possible come 2017. But I also dont want them to go "buy" a team in FA with the youth movement taking place. I'm still in favor of a veteran closer from somewhere, or Kintzler if you believe in him enough, but not both. I thought Pressly and Roger's acquitted themselves nicely last season, as did Chargois. Not as sure about Tonkin, but not sure he was used correctly. This should be the year where guys like Reed, Hildenberger, Jones and others finally get their foot in the doorway if opportunity, (along with others). And the great thing is, should someone get injured or need more AAA time, you're going to have another 3-4 guys just waiting to come up.
  10. DocBauer
    I like Garver going to the AFL to get more time and continue to grow and showcase. I still would have liked him up for September, but I also get taking a good hard look at Murphy. Problem is, they didn't look long or hard enough at Murphy in September IMO. Garver's age doesn't bother me that much. He's not exactly pushing 30, can clearly hit a bit with gapped and some HR power and has a good arm. He's also playing a position that sometimes takes a little time to learn. My question is could he really be ready to start next season. If not, I'd think Rochester to start the season rather than sit on the bench. I kind of like Centeno as the backup catcher for 2017.
  11. DocBauer
    Smart and accurate post. Coaches and instructors at any level, inclouding the ML level, are there to massage player egos...not in a bad way, but to calm, nurture and build up...and offer tips and suggestions, as well as reminders. Yes, sometimes they do Korea than that; they teach a new grip, or in some cases a new pitch, (splitter instead of a traditional change for instance), or help find a timing mechanism that aids recognition or power to a batter. And this is NOT the old, worn out Ortiz arguement, or reference to the So-Cal homesick Nolasco who recently enjoyed some success, but to other players currently on the Twins, but it almost feels like the coaches have been meddling too much. After a series of poor starts, the super talented Berrios was FINALLY told to relax, have fun, and just throw. Santiago is not a super control pitcher. He's not outstanding, but solid and effective. He stunk after coming over and the Twins were attempting to make him a control pitcher. It appears the coaches backed off both players and suddenly Berrios looked better and so did Santiago when just asked to throw. I don't know if this is a direct result of the Twins ML coaches or not, but since his most recent promotion, Buxton has appeared much more relaxed, and has even talked about being so, having more fun, relaxing, etc. You build a team with different players with different skill sets. To try to make somebody be something else they aren't is seldom a good idea. We all thought Buxton was supposed to be a high BA, high OB stolenough base machine with decent power who might develop more power eventually. (Not unlike a young Puckett) But what if he is truly a good AVG, decent to good OB power hitting player with speed? Doesn't mean he can't be a dangerous and effective leadoff hitter if that's where he fits best in your currently constructed lineup, but maybe he's really more of a natural #3 hitter? I'm just saying, you need to find the strength of a player and build on that instead of force feeding him to be something else. And I'm starting to believe there's been some of that going on.
  12. DocBauer
    I agree on a new pitching coach with history and track record. Allen could be very good in a certain role, I just don't know what that is. But for whatever reason, things haven't clicked for him here. The Molitor topic is somewhat different, but for the sake of this post topic, yes to change. Gibson is, frankly, a much better pitcher than he showed this season. As is Duffey, who claimed his fastball command was the issue this season. That's pretty big! Messing with Santiago and the entire Berrios situation shows a lack of communication, IMO. I dismiss the Nolasco turnaround and comments.
  13. DocBauer
    Yeah, probably the worst ever, though debatable and not necessarily relevant. Bad is bad. Moves and lack of moves by the FO were aweful. Some of Molitor's handling of young players and lineup construction is indefensible, though I do wonder at times if FO interference and mandates had an effect there. Not to sugarcoat things, but talent wise, this is not the worst team, and IMO, this team is not as bad as it appears. Blame injuries, youth, management and coaching, or what have you, but the simple truth is there were a lot of kids playing this season and taking their lumps collectively, as is often the case with young players. Rosario and Sano are the most tenured of the prospects and each has slightly more than a year and a half service time at the ML level. I guess that's the glass is half full position here.
  14. DocBauer
    Poor Thorpe. What more can this kid have happen to him. If there is such a thing as Karma, he's due nothing but health and prosperity at this point. Really looking forward to seeing him bounce back this season. Healthy, he may have reached AA this past season. Hopefully Hildenberger's injury was as mild as it sounds. Losing his last month hopefully won't set him back much.I wonder how quickly we may see him in the Twins bullpen. He is very intriguing, throws hard and from the side. A completely different look for the opposition. I probably paid more attention to English over Granite. That has certainly changed. I'm still a little concerned about pop in his bat to keep opposing pitchers and defenses honest, but he could make for an excellent 4th OF/PR. And if he keeps this up, I wonder about him pushing Rosario, who I like a lot, for the starting LF spot and hitting at the top of the order, pushing Buxton and/or Polanco down a spot in the order.
  15. DocBauer
    I don't care which combination works, Gordon at SS and Polanco at 2B, or Polanco at SS and Gordon at 2B. I just know I really want one of these options to work, and ASAP. This young OF, Sano, and these two guys makes for a he'll of an interesting lineup.
  16. DocBauer
    You're right of course, there is no guarantee Santana will have greater trade value next July. I guess my point is, while there is always some risk involved, I saw nothing from Santana this season to expect sudden regression or disappointment next year. Therefore, IMO, his trade value could/should be at a maintainable level. And his value to the Twins would be two-fold: a quality starter to help lead the rotation while others develop at Rochester, (Gonsalves and Mejia) or possibly rehab (Hughes). I liked what we saw out of May in 2015, his stuff, potential and progress. I still maintain he should have stayed in the rotation and we have,nun fortunately, lost development time with him. But I'm excited for him to be a starter again as well as still having faith in Berrios. I'm also in the pro Gibson camp and still believe he hasn't hit his ceiling yet. Can a new pitching coach get him there? Not a huge fan of Santiago, but I've come around on him and think he should be kept for now. He's LH,under 30yo, has had an OK career to this point, and has looked much better since they just left him alone instead of trying to remake him. Should the team trade for a high end SP via a Dozier trade, the squeeze could be on somewhat. But it would be a good problem to have, and the Twins could, potentially, have a mid season trade asset or two from their rotation. I know that sounds crazy to say, but it's very possible.
  17. DocBauer
    Interesting read, but not sure how the Cubs situation plays to the Twins status at this time. Other than maybe some NOT to do items, such as big FA contracts. At least not now. Of course there really isn't a big name SP that would help the Twins this year anyway. he really has two major things to accomplish at this time, and neither affects the on the field product directly One is to make a sound choice at GM who shares his vision, (who WILL have an affect on the on the field product), and then to do a wholesale review of the analytics, scouting and milb departments. I believe changes need to be made, and very probably additions made as well. Personally, I don't believe any portion of the Twins are being run by a collection of stooges or keystone cops, but there do appear to be disconnects here and there from scouting to preparation. Remember, the Twins minor league side of things is and has been well regarded in reference to prospects. And the Twins don't and can't tell anyone what to think or how to rank. They do that themselves. But there does seem to be a disconnect in preparation at all levels.
  18. DocBauer
    This portion of the list, I believe, could be accurately described as "who the heck knows, but look at the collective athleticism of these kids!" Cabbage and Vielma are the 2 that stand out to me, no disrespect to the others on the list at all. Despite a not so great year from Cabbage, all we've heard since he was drafted was great athlete, strong arm, real power potential. Especially since we're talking about 3B and not 1B or OF, that captures my attention. Vielma had a down year compared to last season no question. Im sure some of that is due to his injuries. But based on all the reports about his defense, I sure hope he can hit at the ML level, at least a bit. He doesn't need real power, just enough to be something other than punch and judy. That and decent speed could make him at least a non-liability. Boy do I wish he had been healthy all season.
  19. DocBauer
    Read that in another post. I could be in favor of him if the cost of a trade wasn't expensive, and if we could set ourselves up for a 2nd year or option year.
  20. DocBauer
    My belief, guess and opinion is Santana should be shopped...especially due to such a depressing FA market...but will have greater value come July for a contending team. Further, by July, Gonsalves, Mejia or an unexpectedly well recovered Hughes may/should be ready. The Dozier move makes sense, even though I don't want to lose him. But assuming we can find a true, high end ML SP to plug in right away, it makes sense. Polanco plays 2B. But my concern then becomes SS. I like Escobar and everything he showed us in '14 and '15, but if we're going to lose BD's offense, in an attempt to fix the pitching staff, I think Escobar should remain a quality reserve and a true, high end defensive SS should be brought on board. Problem is, I'm not sure who to target there.
  21. DocBauer
    Really, for most of the guys on this list the only "problem" is youth and service time. Seems like half of these guys were signed/drafted in just the past couple of seasons. But there does appear to be some real potential there. I'm kind of a sucker when it comes to LH pitching, so Melotakis and Rosario are two guys I have my eyes on. If Melotakis could pull a Chargois like season out and be with the Twins for all or some of the second half of '17 that would be awesome.
  22. DocBauer
    I also love these lists. Sort of a short but in depth bio of guys I've read about and seen in the milb seasonal coverage, and a precursor to the handbook as well. There's a couple guys here with obvious questions due to age, injury and the such. But there's also a couple guys here who could be top 20 in a year or so. Whitefield seems like a very interesting guy to watch.
  23. DocBauer
    First and foremost, he's not going to fix the Twins rotation. His GM will do most of the heavy lifting there. So the first order of business is a forward thinking GM that works well with him. Second is a hard look-see at the milb system and personnel; that includes scouts, field staff, coordinators, etc. I don't for a second think the entire organization is filled with bums at all. But there seems to be some disconnect that needs to be addressed. This might be his biggest influence on the organization.
  24. DocBauer
    Energy. That might be the best thing he can initially bring.
  25. DocBauer
    Honestly, the 100 losses doesn't mean too much to me. When you start off as poorly as the Twins did, and are eliminated after the first month (2 weeks?) the number of losses becomes a bit moot. (With the exception of earning the top pick in the next draft, etc) But I admit to being strangely excited about this season, despite all the disappointment and frustration. I believe there is real change taking place within the organization from the top down. And it was simply time for this to happen. After waiting so long to see top prospects arrive, last year and this, they have! Now, there have been mixed results to be sure, but to actually see Rosario, Buxton, Kepler, Sano, Vargas, Polanco, Berrios and Chargois actually playing for the Twins instead of being on prospect and watch lists is gratifying.
×
×
  • Create New...