Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

EGFTShaw

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    394

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 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

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by EGFTShaw

  1. EGFTShaw
    I wrote to a friend of mine who is a baseball nut in a good way, that with Gallo/Kepler the Twins have two great defensive outfielders and one good hitter. LOL. This is a conundrum. AK is too good to say he is washed up yet as a hitter. Some how got to make sure that wrist is OK to really see what we have. Buxton is staying Gallo is staying given we just signed him Wallner needs to play his way on to the team or go to St Paul Larnach is the same as Wallner. Celestino - man I am with you here. Just not sure what we have. If we trade Kepler, Celestino has to stay as the backup to Buxton. Gordon stays as he is Super Utility+ in that he can play the outfield and the infield. Kepler; Love the defense he brings. This can't be understated. But how has he not learned to improve his hitting? I don't understand this. So, by reckoning: Buxton, Gallo, Gordon, Celestino and one of Larnach, Wallner, AK with Kepler being packaged for something good otherwise we keep him. Not an easy sorting to be honest. I would like to see: Buxton, AK, Wallner, Larnach, Celestino (but Gallo has to stay. If he can just improve his BA and reduce his SOs this could be a fantastic signing, but he hasn't proven that ability yet)
  2. EGFTShaw
    I think the issue, at least for me, is that can Pabloe Lopez become a #1 on the staff. We would be trading for him so I would want to significantly improve our staff. I like Lopez, but it needs to be the right deal. A lot of people want to trade Arraez, but he is going to hit .300+ every year. Rod Carew likes him. The ability to hit at the level in the majors shouldn't be taken lightly. It is far easier to improve a player's fielding than it is to improve their hitting. I think your idea as a lot of merit, but what will it take to pry him away from the Marlins.
  3. EGFTShaw
    We can't know the strategy. So, I am ok with giving/not giving them credit. But patience, I can give them on this. Not patient in they thought it was going to happen, but patient in the fact they waited to C4 was SIGNED with another team. That is NOT an easy thing to do knowing your fans/team/owner are probably wanting to see something done. Now, we will see if there is more to their offseason plans. Do they attempt to back it up with a trade or two to try to get a true #1? Supplementing the MaleCattleWaitingArea is an area to watch but there are a couple of good guys still available as FAs.
  4. EGFTShaw
    But the staff full of NRs might scare you because each one would plunk you at the plate. LOL I am not as scared with this staff as I was in 2021 and the beginning of last year. No more reclamation projects hope to strike lighting multiple times in a bottle. Top 5 pitching staff? No. But I think they are going to be good from 1-5+
  5. EGFTShaw
    Agreed. Not a good arm, but top of rotation arm. This is not going to be cheap. BP - I'll OK with Fulmer and Andrew Chaffin. A solid experienced R/L relief pitchers to go with The Heat. I do expect Lopez to bounce back, perhaps not to All Star level but better than most of his stint with us. I am assuming the Twins, with no lockout, have been working with Pagan during the offseason. I truly hope that the pitching coaches and trainers are blunt in their assessment of Pagan. Raw Stuff is NOT going to do it. At some point, he has to put the rubber to the road and PROVE it.
  6. EGFTShaw
    I think the idea behind this article is not simply to trade some players, but if we are going to add the new pieces to improve our team these are the most likely candidates. Taken with that thought it mind, you will have to give something up to get something. I don't see us finding a piece, (PITCHER, PITCHER, PITCHER), that will improve this team. For something smaller, RH hitting OF I don't think we swap any of these. For Lopez, not trading Gray for sure. I don't feel at this point Lopez improves our team this year. I understand the under-control aspect vs Gray/Maeda.
  7. EGFTShaw
    I think Gray will step up his innings pitched assuming the new training staff does its job. Maeda definitely will need to have some innings covered as he comes back from TJ. Mahle is a crap shoot until he proves is health, but should fall in between Gray and Maeda.
  8. EGFTShaw
    Safe to say, Health is a top priority... ? But I think we are deeper than previously. Last year we had ridiculously bad luck when it came to injuries. You are spot on when saying a lot of the potential is dependent on returning to health and it is understandable to be gun shy when your team resembled a M*A*S*H unit. Pitching will be deeper. The position players are deeper. The younger guys got some experience, and they should get more this year. Let's sacrifice some Mascots to ensure a healthy year...not the TC Bear, but Philly Fanatic, the Presidents that run at Nats Park, etc...
  9. EGFTShaw
    Enjoyed this article. Many valid points offered up already. 1) we have options. C4 signing brings in a lot of possibilities. 2) Royce/Lee do not have to become SSs and if they do C4 can slide to 3rd. 3) Pagan - I would like to see if they can fix him with a full spring training. Lopez too. 4) I would like to see the possible signing of Fulmer and Andrew Chaffin for the BP 5) With the young guns coming up, trading some veterans Polanco/Kepler for example are options. 6) Triple sacrifices to the Baseball gods that AK and Buxton are healthy for a full year. 7) I also hope that pitching stays healthy, no soft tissue issues, and that one of the staff takes the next step. Maeda is back to 2020 form or Ryan takes the next step forward or Mahle evolves into what everyone has expected. Next offseason is going to be VERY interesting.
  10. EGFTShaw
    What I think got it done, (but remember none of this would have happened if SFG/NYM hadn't balked at the physical), is the FO's ability to be flexible. It helps having a ton of salary space. But they basically took a $35M "date" last year and found it that a long-term relationship had potential. I like this signing for many reasons I have already espoused on this site before. Leadership Defense Hitting Solidifying our long running SS problem. Sliding Farmer into a super utility role. RH bat Now if the Baseball Gods, (and they are fickler than Loki himself), smile upon the health of the Twins we should be a fun team to watch. I am not penciling us in to Win the division, yet, but the Central Division maybe the easiest division to win. TC Bear: "Skol"
  11. EGFTShaw
    Nice opine...but my opinion is it is not that black and white. While there is larger context to the fact the Twins will not be considered a market for the upper echelon FAs to sign until after they splurge BIG on someone. I was hoping they would go through with a deal for C4. But $285/10yr was never going to get it done. Oddly it may now given the concerns over his ankle. Different thread tho. Nelson Cruz was a good signing. Lance Lynn was not. Due diligence on not only the player's performance and health, but also on the player's character and professionalism. Even longer than 1-year deals can sour as shown by the JD historic signing and later dump to NYY. C$, given what everyone in the club house has said, would be a good person to make that splurge. Not sure if XB or DS would have been. TT and the Slide Machine would have been, but he was East Bound and Done, Loaded Up and Trucking to the east coast. I am not sure that Rodon would have been the good signing, but I do like me a lefty top the order pitcher.
  12. EGFTShaw
    First, looking forward to seeing how they progress. ? What I think a lot of people in this offseason have forgotten with the collapse in September, is this: "Last season we saw the Minnesota Twins race out to an early season lead in the American League Central division." I am on record for wanting C4 back, but he was not the reason for this jump. Sure he helped with is presence, approach, his work on the field. But this team as we have it now are the same bunch essentially, (swapping a few players), as the one that led the division until September with some extra potential if everyone is reasonably healthy, (dear god we had a lot of injuries and yet still led the division for that long), and Maeda coming back (SP or RP he is a plus addition). So, count me in as a thinking they can be contenders again in the division. That bar is not nearly as high in the AL Central as it is in the AL East or NL East/West.
  13. EGFTShaw
    Very true but remember this past year he was a rookie. I think he has the right mentality, maybe competive-ness is the right word, to be a #1.
  14. EGFTShaw
    Sano's power!!! I just wish he had panned out with his health and improved his swing a bit. But D@MN could he hit the ball a MILE and a HALF.
  15. EGFTShaw
    Cal was the person I was thinking of, but I think he is anomaly. How does he compare size-wise to C4?
  16. EGFTShaw
    @Nick Nelson Thanks for putting this together. Thoughts on where you would put Mahle? E. Julien? I understand these are value of our assets, which means despite his injuries, Buxton is always going to be high on these. His value, his production (WAR) in relationship with his contract will always scream high value. EVERYONE, not just Twins fans, would love to see a 140-160 game season from BB.
  17. EGFTShaw
    I agree.?
  18. EGFTShaw
    The top performance is why I believe Ryan has the right mentality to be that #1 on a pitching staff. remember last year was his first year in the majors. I think his rookie was excellent. Not outstanding or great, but definitely excellent. combine that with his fire, and hopefully improvement in pitching (skills, knowledge) I do see a #1 sonny gray is firmly established as a #2 or #3. Ober has shown flashes so I think easily a #3 perhaps a #2 Maeda showed what is possible. And we haven’t even touched on SWR or Varland. for once we have actual pitchers that are not off the K-Mart Blue Light Special End of the Year Everything Must Go bargain heap. it is nice not to see them picking up a reclamation project to see if they can strike lightning in a bottle But all of this is dependent on a avoiding the Liriano Factor. Taking a potentially awesome pitcher and derailing it with injuries
  19. EGFTShaw
    This is a position, (bandwagon), I've been on. Would have I liked to get C4 back? Absolutely, with my second choice being TT and the Slide Machine. What XB got was far too much and I was never on the DS bandwagon. Would have I liked one of the very few true #1 pitchers available via FA? Sure. But neither of these happened. Lowering our ceiling at this time. We have 5-7 good pitchers but no one who has stepped up to be that losing streak stopper. But they have good depth in the SPers. I like our young upcoming players. The AL Central is the division with most opportunity for a team to step into the role of division champs. I can see a few minor additions, maybe to our RPers and RH bat for depth. But I am looking forward to seeing what our current Young Guns can do... :)
  20. EGFTShaw
    True, but they did offer a 10-year contract based on what they knew. But this, "Those actuaries can mess up what others seem to think isn’t a big deal", is spot on. There are people behind the people who have input on these contracts that we aren't aware of.
  21. EGFTShaw
    I dunno. You make some good observations. I think the observation was made by @Ted Schwerzler about the Twins saw the same medical reports last year. I think C4 would return and would be happy. I really think he/they (Boras), were trying to set some contract records to help down the road. Remember Soto is coming up after 2024 I think it is. Hence the reason he went with the 13 year and then 12 year contracts. I honestly still believe, assuming C4 was genuine when he was here and I have no reason to think otherwise, his best overall place to play would be here. I think he becomes the DeFacto leader along with Buxton of the Twins with guiding the young talent (and the Twins have a lot of it), on how to be a professional and how to prepare every day during the season and also what to do in the offseason. But at this point, purely speculative and I am trying not to think of it any other way. Been a Twins fan far too long to get my hopes too HIGH...LOL
  22. EGFTShaw
    What I think, and take this a few grains of salt, some lime and tequila, is that this is a bump in time. If, (and look at the LAD), these big spenders win a WS then they might compete against each in the stratospheric spending world. But with all their spending in from 2010 to now, LADs won only one world series. KC won one in that time. SFG won 3. A baseball nerd friend of mine and long die-hard fan of the NY Metropolitans told me; NYM may have an awesome collection of talent, but not necessarily the best team. He's not sure the signings have made them a better team. If this spending guaranteed a trip the WS then maybe it would be more embraced by the owners. But it doesn't. I don't remember who wrote this, (maybe one of our illustrious Twins beat writers on The Athletic), but you can have a very good regular season team with a pitching staff made up of all #2 and #3 pitchers. But come the playoffs, the team that has a clear cut #1 who can shut down the opposition will fare better in the post season. So, I am amused the Cohen has outspent the NYYs. I would love to see these two teams go at each other in the free market. I am also amused at the SD Friars spending regardless of their needs because of their obsession with the LAD. All this does point to something needs to balance it a bit more. Maybe Hard Floor and a Soft, (But more punitive), Cap. Maybe a % of the new contract gets paid to the former team, (ala the Japanese posting). Something. I think the Braves are smart, paying their young talent more when they are most productive.
  23. EGFTShaw
    If this is the list, then I feel the FO did their job. none of these really moved the needle enough to warrant the risk. I like Rodon but for fewer years and it really sounded like he was crushing on the Yankees so it would have taken more, probably much more to sign him.
  24. EGFTShaw
    BINGO We Have A Winner Winner, Winner, Chicken Parmigiana Dinner i know it’s huge for every team, but if we focus on Health I really believe in this team’s potential. PS - just to spin everyone up, C4’s physical with the Mets has caused a pause. ?? PPS - I still take him tho
  25. EGFTShaw
    And the Gagne family agrees. ?
×
×
  • Create New...