ChrisKnutson
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Article: Twins Bullpen Overview by the Numbers
ChrisKnutson replied to Jamie Cameron's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Sign me up for Joe Kelly, that man’s stuff is crazy nasty and could become an elite reliever if he could harness it. Other than him, I’d also be perfectly fine with any of Britton, Wilson, Herrera, Kimbrel, Ottavino, Phelps, Ramos, and Allen. -
Please do not expect the FO to go all in this offseason, you’ll only be disappointed. Besides, it’s not like we’re in a good position to go all in anyways, I mean we are looking for a new manager, right?
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“Pay up” for Kimbrel, and then “pay down” for Allen.
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Article: An Offseason of Intrigue
ChrisKnutson replied to Ted Schwerzler 's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Next to the bullpen, our infield should be our biggest concern. For starters, we have no other 3rd base options beyond Sano, so we should probably sign/aquire an alternative option just in case. And depending on whether or not Sano actually moves to 1st next year, Tyler Austin could be our starting 1st baseman, which is something I don’t feel comfortable about. Same goes for the middle infield, as we need a stopgap at either 2nd or SS, depending on FO’s confidence in Polanco’s glove. Obviously, signing FA is most conventional way of shoring up a roster, but with the unpredictability of this young team we shouldn’t ‘just’ throw money at the problem, we should be out on the trade market monitoring players that teams are looking to “dump” in favor of younger players or a FA like Machado. Free Agents: Jose Iglesias Freddy Galvis Josh Harrison Jordy Mercer Trade Options: Justin Smoak Aledmys Diaz Maikel Franco Dee Gordon -
Why worry about Buxton and the OF when our system is already covers that pretty well, our biggest worry should be our razor thin depth at the hot corner because it’s just flat out reality that Sano won’t be the long term solution at 3rd base (1st/DH is inevitable).
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Article: Twins Manager Paul Molitor Fired
ChrisKnutson replied to John Bonnes's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Of Alomar Jr., Beltran, Guillén, Baker, or Ibanez, who ya got?? -
Twins Developments Worth Watching
ChrisKnutson commented on Ted Schwerzler 's blog entry in Off The Baggy
Bad. Sure Mollie ‘might’ not be a horrible manager or even leader at that, but I see no chemistry between him and the players, which believe or not is actually a very important component when it comes to the concept of leadership. Personally, I feel there’s a whole lotta lack of communication going on between Mollie and the players, I don’t know if that’s because of Mollie’s awkwardness or that no one dares to question a HOF’er, but I firmly believe that of the amount of team or 1v1 discussions that take place, a majority of them are one-sided where no feels comfortable enough to speak out.. If so, this explains why a lot of the players lean on Rudy and Rowson so much... -
Understandable I guess, but I do think there’s a case to be made about Ramos, just as long as he stays healthy, which shouldn’t be too much of a problem going forward the further he separates himself from his knee injury and recent hamstring pull. Wouldn’t even have to catch full-time considering how good he can be with the bat, especially with Garver/Astudillo on the roster. And when it comes to Cruz, I actually believe he should be our biggest target this offseason. Not only because he’d provide some actual leadership for this young roster (especially for the young Latin group), but most importantly because Cruz would provide legit ‘(star) power’ and I think we all know that’s an area the Twins lacked in this year with all the immense struggles of Morrison/Dozier/Sano. With Andrus, at this point one can only hope (and pray I guess) that he opts-out because damn would he be a good fit on this team.
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I’ll give you three, Nelson Cruz, Wilson Ramos, and maybe Elvis Andrus (if he chooses to opt-out).
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Any of Machado/Donaldson/Escobar would be great and all, but maybe the Twins should take a more realistic approach and make a deal for a 3rd/SS (Maikel Franco, Starlin Castro, Aledmys Diaz, J.P. Crawford, Ketel Marte, etc).
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Going into offseason with a “finish the job” mentality while we’re still in this purgatory, that’s between “rebuilding” and “contention,” in my opinion is very counterproductive. Especially when taking extensions for Berrios and Rosario into consideration. Now this doesn’t mean I’m afraid of slightly ‘overpaying’ for any of Cruz, Ramos, plus Ottavino, because I’m not, my problem is with ‘overspending.’ Which is why our FO needs make trades as well. And while guys like Starlin Castro, Maikel Franco, J.P. Crawford, and Ketel Marte come to mind, I honestly would be very content with just Cruz and Ramos, not only because of the impact they make on the field and the payroll, but the impact they have in the clubhouse. Just look the all the teams they’ve been on, you can tell by just watching the game, their interviews, and their interactions with teammates that they really set the tone in the clubhouse. And with prospects like Rooker, Gordon, Kirilloff, and Lewis coming up soon, creating a winning environment is very important, in my opinion more important than “finishing the job,” when in actuality; we’ve only begun. And because I understand that the FO may not have the same approach, I’m now sorta warming up to the idea of signing more FA, particularly Galvis, Escobar, Murphy, and Harrison.
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The ‘Mendoza Line’ comment was more of an exaggeration, but even if that was the case, I could live with that just as long as Rooker’s SLG% is above .400 and Gordon’s OBP is above .300. Also, I think it’s important to understand that most rookies aren’t prepared for the majors anyways, despite all the AAA seasoning in the world; So why not let both Rooker and Gordon take their licks and make adjustments early in the year.
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Well, considering the roster decisions the FO has made so far, it’s actually not that crazy if you think about it... Also, I wouldn’t see as inconsistent (even though it is), I’d see it as attempt in maintaining a ‘safe’ balance between a “rebuild” and “contention.” Where a team can in rebuild mode, yet still able to bring in impact players without crippling the team’s payroll. And while I could be wrong, I really doubt that both Gordon and Rooker would hit below the Mendoza Line, which is why I think they should be promoted, because they could very easily surprise us like Stewart, Cave, and Astudillo have. Add Cruz, Ramos, and the rest of the core to mix, and the Twins could very easily surprise baseball (again) like the young & talented Braves did, by winning the division.
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Because the pitching staff, and pitchers in general, are always unpredictable, I typically find it much easier to project the starting lineup and our bench instead. Although I think it’s pretty obvious that when it comes to ‘absolutes,’ the Twins FO ‘absolutely’ need to bring in a relief ace and other bullpen arms. Other than that, here’s what I hope our opening day roster looks like: CF- Byron Buxton SS- Jorge Polanco LF- Eddie Rosario DH- Nelson Cruz 3rd- Miguel Sano C- Wilson Ramos 1st- Brent Rooker 2nd- Nick Gordon RF- Max Kepler Bench: Ehire Adrianza/Josh Harrison Lamonte Wade/Jake Cave/Tyler Austin Mitch Garver/ Willians Astudillo
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Although, in order to actually make deal, I gotta imagine that any of Cave, Vasquez, Gonsalves, Thorpe, Wade, etc are gonna have to be on the table.
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Not sure if this season was due to the spacious AT&T Park, or him just making adjustments. Either way, a lefty duo of Watson/Rogers (maybe Moya??) in the pen would be very strong on paper. Which is why I wouldn’t lose sleep over giving some like Jake Cave for him.
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Alright then, but instead of signing a middle infielder, I’d much rather see the Twins trade for one; Starlin Castro, Aledmys Diaz, Ketel Marte, etc.
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Oh yeah, I almost forgot Arraez existed; he’s another option as well.
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As long as Gordon/Adrianza can field their position we won’t need to worry about being burned by that decision, especially if we sign big bats like Cruz, Murphy (as a 1st baseman), and Ramos. Also, we can always sign Eric Sogard, or someone like that, to a minor league deal.
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Still not a 100% on board with signing multi year deals, but I’m warming up to it. Especially, if it’s established bats like Cruz, Murphy (1st, not 2nd), and Ramos.
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That’s a valid point, and I understand it, but how much of a difference do you really think that’d make?? And let’s say Gordon actually does really well in spring training, then what? Would you still bury him behind a FA (or two), Adrianza, maybe even Lewis? C’mon, at least give Gordon a fair shot, he’s still a 1st rounder, who’s most recent success was as recent as this year in Chattanooga. Besides, the money you all want spent on either Iglesias, Murphy, Galvis, etc could actually be better utilized in going after big league bats like Nelson Cruz and Wilson Ramos.
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Here’s a thought; Instead of going out an signing a FA SS in the offseason, why not give Gordon a shot (deserved or not) and have him Adrianza share time at SS to start the season.
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Look at Watson’s splits, he’s no closer, but he ain’t no LOOGY. And given that San Francisco might be looking to into shedding payroll this offseason, I think the Twins might have a shot at Watson. Although it’d probably take both Vasquez and Cave to aquire 2yrs of control over Watson for $7M.
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Sign Adam Ottavino, trade for Tony Watson, and then let the bullpen situation play itself out.
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Instead of McMahon, how about Wilmer Flores? He’s got some playoff experience, positional flexibility (1st/3rd/SS/2nd), and is a decent bat who’s capable of taking a walk.
