nytwinsfan

Check out this video of highlights from today's Ceder Rapids game, featuring Nick Gordon going 3 for 5 and making multiple fantastic defensive plays. Especially look at TWO fantastic defensive play (including the no-doubt plus arm) by Gordon at 4:08 and then again on a game ending double-play at 5:24. He also has a nice double at 0:20. I will say that although the tools are clearly there, his frame still looks like a teenager. I think that is good news, as it suggests in a year or two as he matures he could really increase the power.

Ok, fair enough, but Plawecki is also 24 and has the tools and minor league record to suggest there is a decent chance his offensive output will increase over the next few years. Plus, he may be easier to trade for on the margin, in light of his struggles for just this reason. Now is the time to get him. I'd trade Polanco or Walker + Arcia straight up for him, or something like that. The Mets might do that, or maybe it would take a little more (I don't know exactly where the market is at - none of us do). Obviously, if the Twins scouts don't see the tools for improvement, then don't do it. But if they do, he might be the kind of guy you take a shot at. There are no sure thing prospects, and especially sure thing catching prospects. That's why you need a farm system that has 2 or 3 guys with potential upside, even if individually each has less than a 50% chance of being a major league regular.

http://images2.dallasobserver.com/imager/u/original/7093833/nocountryforoldmenpic8.jpg

Kind of amazing that Ryan hasn't done anything about this, either in the short term or long term picture. The Pinto concussion was unexpected, but that was pretty early in the season, leaving plenty of time for a trade or signing. And while Turner and Garver have a shot in the medium to long run, they were never going to be ready this year, and definitely not the caliber of prospects you can count on to turn into regulars in the medium to long run. It really looks to me like there has been close to no planning for catcher, short or long-term. I know some people will respond, well young, controllable catchers and/or upside catching prospects are expensive and hard to pry loose. Granted, but, first, they can't be that hard to acquire, especially with a farm system full of quality non-catching prospects for which the Twins have a surplus (outfield, middle infield). For instance, Polanco, Gordon, Stewart, Gonsalves, Arcia, and/or Walker. Heck, even Kepler if the catcher has enough upside. And second, even if quality young or prospect catchers are really that hard to trade for, then there is always the option of drafting one in the first or supplemental round. I know, I know, BPA. I generally subscribe to that too. But if quality catchers and catching prospects are really so rare and hard to acquire on the trade market that they come at a steep premium, then maybe GMs, including Ryan, need to start putting their thumbs on the scale when drafting catchers. If supply is low, then price goes up on the market. And if price goes up on the market, then the value of drafting something that is overpriced goes up too.

Agreed about finding such a catcher, but disagreed about Plouffe's value. Someone will give up value for him, but not clear it will be a catcher or good reliever, where we could benefit the most.

Ahh, I see, I forgot that. ****. Ok, in that case, what the hell. Give him a shot at starting DH.

I guess I agree with both of you guys on everything except Arcia. While I am totally in the camp of NOT GIVING UP ON ARCIA, I don't understand the idea of starting him on the 25-man next spring. He really needs to prove his head and bat are in the right place next spring, so unless he is on fire in spring training, I would start him at AAA. Vargas or Kepler can start at DH. And if that doesn't work, there is always Nunez for DH.

LOL. Obviously everyone realizes Buxton is going to have to hit (and walk) more. Yes, he might need to start at AAA next season, but obviously that wouldn't be "just like Hicks." Hicks was 25 when he had his third trip to AAA. Buxton will be 22.

Berrios had notably better BB rates, was at least 2 levels higher, and Gonsalves was just decent at Fort Myers, where his K rate noticeably declined. Don't get me wrong, Gonsalves is an intriguing top-10 prospect, but he's not Berrios.

You have zero data to back this up. It is just pure conventional wisdom and rhetoric. For instance, last year, Alex Gordon provided 2.6 WAR from defense alone, according to Baseball Reference. The Mariners were 2 games behind KC in the Wild Card. So it is actually quite possible, if not more likely than not, that if you had replaced Alex Gordon with a replacement level defensive outfielder that had the same hitting profile as Gordon (which was also quite good), the Royals would not have made the playoffs and therefore the WS. Obviously CF defense matters more than either corner outfielder's defense (although together both corners' defense matters more). See here: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2013/12/12/5200348/visualizing-outfield-defense-and-positional-adjustments But that is a far cry from meaning that corner outfield defense, especially when you combine the value of both corner outfielders, doesn't matter. In the end, everything is a trade off. If you have a really good hitter who provides no or negative defensive value, and a decent hitter that also provides decent defensive value (e.g., Rosario) then you have to compare the two and see which provides more value on the margin. But just because CF tend to provide more defensive value and corner outfielders tend to provide more offensive value, there is no reason a team should prefer to get its defensive value from CF and its offensive value from corner OF. Obviously all that matters is maximizing overall value over some time horizon (season, decade, whatever). EDIT: I see Dantes929 made a similar post that while I was writing mine. I completely agree with him. I think we are on the same page.

To be fair, although hitless, Kepler also had 4 walks in the last two games, so not exactly worthless games at the plate.

Well, maybe if the Twins trade Plouffe they can move Sano to 3B, Mauer to DH, and Kepler to 1B, with him also being the subtitute OF on days when Hicks, Buxton,or Rosario need a rest. Neither Rosario nor Hicks (at least at age 22) did what Kepler has done at Chattanooga.

Even as a reliever it would be a bad move. If we are going to sign another reliever, sign someone who has (1) pitched as a reliever before, and (2) strikes out hitters once in a while.

He is doing great. I have exactly 0 worries about him now that I didn't have when he was picked. Of course there is always risk turning a reliever into a starter, but the key stats are: FIP: 1.96 BABIP: .360 His ERA, which is mostly based on a high opposing batter BABIP, will come down. And although he walked a few extra batters at the beginning, he has reduced those walks, with only one BB in his last 7 starts. And as Turd Furgeson pointed out, his K/9 rate of 10.9 is quite good.

Travis Blankenhorn is one possible option. He's cooled off of late, but shows potential for just having turned 19. Maybe not in 5 years, but in 6-7 Wander Javier if he doesn't stick at SS. But yeah, I think C next year and the next four years after that is a much bigger hole than 3B.

You spelled "Hunter" wrong.

That was a really beautiful bare-handed play by Plouffe. Wow.

Not sure the full significance of this, but seems relevant:

This is probably a dumb question, but why do some of the zones have 4-4 or 2-4 instead of a slugging %? Also, any thoughts from a mechanical or strike-zone judgment perspective on how he can have such a high BABIP? I know he won't be able to maintain this, but it does seem like every time he hits the ball it is a line drive or fly ball. He rarely if ever hits grounders or pop ups. Is that part even remotely sustainable?

So who would be the third outfielder? Because Hunter has been much worse than Buxton lately. Robinson? I can see an argument, but his upside is limited. If Buxton does find his stride, he can provide much more, and if he doesn't, he is pretty close to Robinson. I'd say upside dictates going with Buxton. Unless Kepler is an option (which right now he's not), I'd stick with a Rosario, Buxton, Hicks outfield.

The difference between Sano and Buxton at the major league level versus at the minors (where they put up comparable numbers - obviously Buxton hitting many more 2B and 3B than HR) is really confounding. Some of it is probably small sample size, and some if it may be Buxton being affected more by nerves (which Sano seems completely immune from). Buxton just seems scared up there and like he has no plan. I'm not sure where his lack of confidence comes from . . . other than maybe the thousands of additional people watching each game and the pennant race. The question then is whether you leave him at the majors to work through the nerves. I don't think he's hurting the team much, especially with Hicks and (apparently) Kepler not being options right this second, so I think you let him play through it. If he finds his stride, the upside could still be huge. And frankly, it will probably take a huge upside from a guy like Buxton to give the Twins a chance of going anywhere in the playoffs. So I say roll with him and try not to get down on him too much (he seems to be doing that plenty to himself).

Yup, Suzuki had a particularly horrible night framing the ball. I noticed at least three pitches where his glove jerked outside the zone at the last second. He really did Duffy no favors.

Every ****ing borderline strike call is going against the Twins. Jesus H. this ump sucks.

Why the F is Molitor putting in a leftie to face 3 straight right handed batters, including Abreau? Seriously, wtf? Does Cotts have reverse splits or something?