DocBauer

Where is the real Pelfrey? What have you done with the real Pelfrey? Can we keep this version of Pelfrey instead? OK, so I said the same thing in a blog elsewhere. I liked the comment. Lol I caught most of the game and was genuinely impressed. And I saw some of this wicked split fingers. And just when I thought he'd implode, he didn't. No guarantees, but I still think he has the right stuff to MAYBE re-invent himself as a quality bullpen arm: throw hard, mix in pitches, and only have to face a couple hitters,mor go through the lineup once. I just don't trust him. To me he's that friend or cool uncle who is a really neat guy, who everyone likes and roots for, who always has the best intentions...but who always lets you down in the end.

Gonsalves for Cy Young! Mmmmmm.....maybe a little premature?

Seems like a great kid who works hard and just "gets it". We could have a potential steal on our hands here. As in, a nice, solid, all around ballplayer who does most things well, does the little things, and can fit in as a nice roll player if nothing else. I'm curious though, why no trial at 3B? He played it in high school and college, at least some. He's a good enough athlete to bounce between 1B and OF while getting a look see at catcher, but not a good enough athlete to at least take a look at 3B. Ditto for Herrmann, and we've heard about his athleticism since day 1. He's even played some CF in the minors. But after playing 3B in high school and college the Twins just abandon any shot of him at 3B? Harrison was actually drafted as a 3B, and except for a few appearances, pretty much switched to the OF permanately last season. Christensen was an All Big 10 SS. Now he plays OF and 1B, but no looks at 2B OR 3B. Now, I know that everyone isn't cut out to play 3B at the higher/highest levels, BUT, I don't understand in the minors, especially the lower minors, of at least not experimenting with these kids more. Gaetti had hands of stone when he arrived to the Twins, and probably stopped as many balls with his body as his glove. But he turned in to a Gold Glover. Koskie seemed to have limited range and a too stiff body when he came up. He too became a high end defender. (Some of this will probably be true for Sano when he first arrives as well) Maybe it's just so very obvious with some of these guys that it wouldn't work. I don't know. But we try things like Rosario at 2B, and a few years ago the Twins tried a young 2B at catcher, (name escapes me now) and we've even experimented with Ss's at C. But guys with some bat potential who have played 3B in the past we don't even look at for 3B? I just find that odd.

Where is Mike Pelfrey? What have you done with him? And can we keep this guy instead?

I don't know what WILL happen...but what SHOULD happen is moving Pelfrey back to the pen. I'll be the first to say he pitched a nice game Wednesday night against KC. In fact, it might have been the best game he's pitched in a Twins uniform. However, history would indicate this good game is not the norm. And Pelfrey is not part of the future of the club, unless it would be as an effective, re-invented reliever. After years of Pimo and Walters and others being shuffled out to the mound in shackles and bowed head over and over and over, how could you possibly tell a top prospect like May thanks but no thanks, we'll call you sometime.

Dear ML baseball, For the Twins 1st round pick this season in the upcoming draft, I would like the Twins to acquire a potential top of the rotation LH starting pitcher. I would prefer him to be a college pitcher vs a high schooler to accelerate his path to the majors. But a high schooler would be OK too. I promise I've been a good boy this year. Thank you Doc

On a serious note or two... Unless the Twins plan for Arcia to plant himself permanently in LF, the move of him, a career RF who actually showed improvement last season, to LF was not only misguided...but...sorry...it was stupid. Hunter is signed for 1 season. One. The veteran, Hunter, needs to make the move to LF, and should have right away. Hopefully, it's not too late. Hicks could be promoted up I guess. But if we ever really want to see if he can cut it, it's time to be fair to not only him, but the Twins themselves in regard to any potential value and just let him stay at Rochester, rebuild confidence and approach and work on that new leg kick of his. There's a lot of ways to make a team and improve a team. I am leaving that poor dead horse carcass to push up daisies in peace and talk about the NOW instead of mistakes of the off season. The Twins have one of the absolute best, top farm systems in all of baseball. And hey, I'd like to keep every single prospect as long as I can too. But to not make a move as obvious as acquiring help for the team in CF is downright disrespectful and insulting to the members of the team as well as the fans. Trading a solid prospect or two, in a farm system this deep, does not diminish your talent level or your future. And nobody is saying, or expects, the team to trade for a big time, expensive all star and unload 4 of their top 20 prospects. We're talking about a solid prospect or two for a solid ML ballplayer who can play CF without embarrassment, and then can assume a 4th OF role when Buxton is ready. Acquiring this solid, ML caliber CF would in no way block Buxton when ready. And no matter how much we want it to happen, the odds of Buxton being ready for the majors two months from now is just not realistic. So you do nothing and tell your team, (especially your pitching staff) and your fans; "Tough. Deal with it. We've totally screwed up this key position for a couple years now but, so what. Eventually we'll get better." Make the move. There are solid and interesting options listed here already. I'm sure there are others. The infield is OK. You absolutely do not give up on the talented Santana at this point. But you continue to work in the deserving Escobar as well.

How to improve the defense? A) One of those giant "we're #1" foam fingers to function as a glove for Arcia. A seeing-eye greyhound in CF to help Schafer track balls. (It would help if the dog could hit a little too) C) An ACME series 4, turbo powered scooter for Hunter. Optional grenade launcher might be considered a luxury, but if it works in the budget, why not splurge.

Did you just hear that? It was a giant, collective sigh of relief from Twins nation after Meyer's start,

I agree with a comment Seth made in another thread, I think it's possible he pitches at three levels this year. That would put him on pace for AA to begin '16, and a chance to reach the majors at some time that season. He and a healthy, recovered Melotakis could bode very well for the port side DH the pen in the near future. (Though there are others as well such as Darnell and Thielbar) I also think we get too wrapped up in ages as well. For every kid we reached the majors at 21-22-23 and has a nice to great career, there are just as many who quickly flame out or never develop fully. I really don't think there is any sort of formula to follow.

Considering just how bad the team hit and played defense the first week or so, I don't see any more reason to single out Santana than anyone else. Moving pieces around the lineup makes sense. And a day off here and there is normal for anyone and everyone. But demotion or benching after this short a time after a good '14 and a good ST would be counter productive and reactionary.

For the most part, been very impressed with the SP so far this season. The large number of SO's produced has got to have the Twins milb on some sort of record pace.

Hu and Go-Go......WOW. Right there with you on Gonsalves as top Milb pitcher in the organization this season. My pick also.

Meyer showed last season he was very, very close. Now he's made one start this season and it wasn't good. People are already looking for tall bridges. Time to relax and take a deep breath. The sky may be falling over Target Field, or anywhere the Twins have been playing thus far, but it doesn't mean it's falling everywhere else.

Love your enthusiasm SD, and love the article as a whole. I don't agree on pushing Sano and Buxton so agressively, I just can't. It's just too much too soon after all that happened last season. Pretty much agree with everything else you've stated here. How great is it that we are soooo spoiled on the milb and prospect level that we hardly even know the kids at low A CR despite their talent and their great start? One of these days, all these kids from Rochester on down will finally get their shot, and the Twins will be back on top, with more on the way. We'll win out 3rd WS plus, and win consistently, and forget the past 4-5 years. The winning could begin as early as 2016. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that it will begin in 2015.Even if we break the season in to halves.

Robinson is, quite frankly, a AAAA-ish player who is a 5th ML OFer with some usefulness. Not being mean...just accurate based on his career thus far. Schafer is a quality athlete who plays a nice LF and can provide great base running and SB's, but has done nothing to indicate he could do anything at the ML level..ever...until the last 2 months of last season. Again, not a knock or being mean. I was impressed and was hoping for more this season. But that is not a resume for handing over a ML roster spot, period, much less a starting CF job! With so much young bullpen talent available, I struggled all off season with the signing of a past proven veteran, a Hawkins-type let's say, who could provide experience and leadership and a challenge to Fien, and hopefully hold the 8th inning for a year while all those young arms transitioned to more important roles at the ML level. They had ability and experience, just needed a bit more. And dare I say it again? This is what we get? I didn't think Stauffer was a good signing. Wish he'd prove me wrong, don't believe he will. Thought Boyer was signed as a dart in the dark and AAA help.Still think that's what he is. Felt Pelfrey had a shot to re-invent himself as a reliever. A shot. Honestly, I sort of get the first signing. I can almost get the second signing if it was ONE year. But track history now shows Pelfrey with one good year, one decent year, and all other ML seasons...overall, forgetting moments or short periods...as poor or awful or injured. But he's in the rotation for what reason? Because the Twins are so desperate for someone to take the ball every 5th day on a rebuilding team that they turn to a failed starter rather than gamble on one of their prospects? Blow up the bullpen. Make the moves NOW...another week at most. Awful and over matched isn't a bad day...it's bad days and bad weeks going all the way back to ST. A bad SP Pelfrey is still a bad SP Pelfrey. OMG....I'm about ready to have an aneu....aneury.....stroke!

What is Jason Tyner doing these days? You think I'm joking? Look, the poor damn horse has been pushing up daisies for some time now. So while I want to feel bad for kicking his dead carcass, I just can't, because he's long gone, but the stench remains. Once upon a time, up until just a couple years ago, the Twins...even the bad Twins teams...usually played at least OK defense. But one thing you could count on since the early '80's, nearly 35 years straight, was that the Twins had someone of quality to play CF and lead the OF. For a brief time, there was Eisenreich, who looked like a young phenom before falling apart due to a nervous condition. (he at least eventually had an OK career) This helped bring about a warranted rush of Puckett to the majors, and the Twins were blessed for many years by his ability and presence. Then came Hunter. A HOF All-Star supplanted by another All-Star and possible, at least borderline, HOFer. (and if any of you recall a piece I wrote several months back, I spoke half tongue-in-cheek and half serious about how the downfall of the Twins actually began slowly with the loss of Hunter) We blew the Santana trade not only because...by all "believable" reports, the Twins could have more talent by just accepting less...but because the ONE really good player they got back they rushed and gave up on too quickly in the name of a one year rental on a SS. (ouch!) But out of that mess came Span. And it (he) was good. And then came Revere, and it (he) was different but good also. But TR gambled big time on Hicks, traded both Span and Revere, for a pair of potential RHSP studs, thinking CF would be at least OK. Don't blame him for the trades. It was the kind of gamble, frankly, the Twins needed, and may still pay off nice to big. And don't blame his faith in Hicks. Hindsight is easy! Top pick, top prospect, top 100 prospect, coming off his best ever season, remember? Blame TR for the past TWO years. I mean, really? Hicks wasn't ready and it turned out to be a mess so the next year the only thing you do is hand him the job again? I mean, you have a AAAA journeyman and another semi-AAAA journeyman coming off injury as the only competition and fall back plan? OK...so surely we've learned our lesson for year THREE of no proper CF to play defense and lead the OF right? NOBODY expected the Twins to shell out big bucks or top prospects for a bona fide stud CF this off season. Why would you when you had Buxton on the way...hope Hicks would still amount to something...Rosario as a possibility...and the OK, better than expected Santana as a fill-in/backup option? But this is what we get? FA wasn't filled with options. And TR didn't/doesn't want to trade top talent. But A) who said we had to trade top talent for a stud, and who said we had to trade top talent for an OK option out there who could translate to a nice reserve?

I know the whole "but look how young he is" thing gets old. But in regard to Arcia, its not old yet. Still a long leash there. No worries on Gibson after one poor start. I understand the move of Pe lfrey to the rotation. But I dont like it or get it, not at this point and all we have seen. The bullpen to me...I dont get it. I dont get it at all. If Graham wasn't a rule 5 he wouldn't be there. This is the best they could do with the young arms available? I cant even touch CF again without blowing a blood vessel. Hunter was not my preferred choice. But I didn't expect what has happened thus far. But, knowledge, experience and last season...not going to call for his head yet So how long? Pinto within a week, two max, as he appears healthy. Pe lfrey and the pen? I'd like to see May begin, and changes with it. This is just....yuck. It is my sincere hope that TRY and Molly knew the start was dicey, hoped for better, but were planning on youngsters getting that month or two before reshaping the roster.

Fernandez might have the furthest to go but with the highest upside. More than a few guys on that list I could see moving up.

JEALOUS! My father and I are hoping for a trip there this summer. With a little luck, might be a weekend a few fellow TDers are there as well. Hadn't really heard about Booser until I saw him mentioned somewhere during the off season. With his velocity and quality second pitch, could he be on the fast track this year the way guys like Burdi and a few others seem to be?

Go-Go Gonsalves! This year's "Berrios-like" fast riser"?

Pinto is very debatable. Should he have been brought along regardless? Or does his limited innings and AB's during ST...along with a solid ST from Herrmann...indicate it to be more prudent to give him some time to recoup, get AB's, and get ready to come back soon? I'm asking. Because in this case, I can see management's decision actually making sense. As to Nunez...get off his back. (MHO) Why do people need a scapegoat? Poor pitching is the number one reason for 4 straight bad seasons, followed by lack of offense and clutch offense...at least until last season. You can argue reasons 3 & 4 etc as much as you want, in what ever you want. Nunez, the last man on the bench, versatile positionaly with mediocre to OK glove, decent bat with some pop and decent speed, is NOT the reason this team lost 90 games the past few seasons. A little perspective in your frustration folks.

TC Bear just went out to the woods to share what he thinks of all of this.

Whooooooaaaa! Wait a minute. Its April 3rd!

What Stringer said. I like Herrmann, and always have. I'm in the "if he had hit better when brought up to the Twins previously as he flashed In the minors you would like him too" club. And I would absolutely love to return to an 11 man staff and keep the extra bench player, Herrmann in this case. But the roster is unsettled just enough, primarily due to CF, that Nunez is a more important piece at this point.