jimv2

I read an article that says Cederoth wants seven figures. Someone else here may have better info, but if that's right, given that slot is 700k, we'll need to free up a lot more than most of Cutura's slot. I'm guessing, though, that the Twins wouldn't have drafted him at third if they hadn't already negotiated a rough outline of a deal and figured out how to come up with the money they need.

Count me in the happy third. I'm all for BPA, but when it's not clear who that it--i.e. it's essntailly tied--then take whoever is part of that tie that fills the biggest need. And looking ahead, SS is our biggest need.

"What they could use: better starting pitching; more offensive threats." Sounds a bit like the parent club.

DO 10 and 5 rights have any real meaning when you already have a no-trade contract?

This is a spectacular article. I wish there were a way to pin it to the front page of TD because it is the answer to people who keep asking why so and so hasn't been promoted given that his ERA/OPS/whatever stat you pick is so good. The answer is that's not what the Twins are measuring. They're measuring (for starting pitchers anyway) all the things Kohl is talking about, things that don't really show up in the box score and really don't show up in season-long stats. It seems clear from this that Kohl understands what it will take to succeed and where he needs to grow--at least for the first year or two. He'll be given more things to learn as he progresses up the ladder. And I really liked the emphasis on the challenges inherent in going from a high school season to a pro season, you sort of have to train your arm to deal with the far more frequent use. I imagine that not everybody's arm can make that adjustment--another risk factor in evaluating players.

I think the Twins were quoted as saying he'd start in Ft Myers to work the rust off and they'd put him in AA once the rust is all gone.

This is a spectacular article. I wish there were a way to pin it to the front page of TD because it is the answer to people who keep asking why so and so hasn't been promoted given that his ERA/OPS/whatever stat you pick is so good. The answer is that's not what the Twins are measuring. They're measuring (for starting pitchers anyway) all the things Kohl is talking about, things that don't really show up in the box score and really don't show up in season-long stats. It seems clear from this that Kohl understands what it will take to succeed and where he needs to grow--at least for the first year or two. He'll be given more things to learn as he progresses up the ladder. And I really liked the emphasis on the challenges inherent in going from a high school season to a pro season, you sort of have to train your arm to deal with the far more frequent use. I imagine that not everybody's arm can make that adjustment--another risk factor in evaluating players.

Given his history, signability becomes a concern at that point--if not earlier.

Sounds like a golden opportunity.

I agree--very good stuff. The thought occurs to me that high opposing BABIPs can be caused by poor fielding--poor range especially. When you have two pitchers with extraordinarily high opposing BABIPs on the same team, that may be a bit of indictment of the NB defense. OTOH, I'm not convinced that any of the non-pitchers on that team are in the Twins' long-term plans.

Problem is none of the stats quoted in this thread really address the key question: Does he have a hole in his swing that major league pitchers are good enought to exploit and minor league (or at least AA) pitchers in general aren't? We don't know that, but his coaches do. If he doesn't, then I'd think they'd want to promote him up to AAA at midseason, although I can also see a possible argument that says keep him where he is so that NB isn't completely bereft of offense. And in that event and if he keeps on performing the way he has, I think there's a chance that he comes up in September just to get a taste of major league pitching and an idea of things he needs to work on to have a chance for a "permanent" promotion. But if he does have a hole, then the question becomes what environment is best for him to work on correcting the hole, and I have no idea as to the answer to that. I guess another question would be whether he's gained enough maturity that his past "troubles" won't recur when he has the freedom and money of a major leaguer. It's not just talent that allows one to be successful in the bigs--it's also self-discipline.

THe actual Rock Cats score was 11-1, and the actual Red Wings score was 7-0. The scores shown above were presumably left over from the prior day, although the narrative is, of course, current.

Thanks. I was going to write that, but you said it far more clearly than I would have. But as long as we're on this derailed thread, granted that interstate commerce includes almost everything, do you think that Federal law would apply in this case to a Colorado farmer who grows pot for his own personal use, and for use of other citizens of Colorado who smoke on his premises? (Really a theoretcial question, I think, since I can't imagine the Feds wasting time on a situation like this.)

I lived in both Davenport and Des Moines, IA. Davenport is very much a National League city, with the vast majority of allegiance being to the Cubs, and most of the rest to the Cards. Not much interest in White Sox, even though they're technically the closest team, and Twins are an afterthought (and, I think) geographically more distant than those other three teams. Even back in the day when Davenport was the Twins' low A affiliate--Mauer played there, nobody really cared about the Twins. Des Moines is the long-time home of the Iowa Cubs--the AAA affiliate. Putting a AA team in CR isn't going to change their loyaties. And it may be a blip, but Drake is in Des Moines, and Drake has a much larger proportion of North SIde of Chicago residents than it does Minnesotans. Somebody mentioned HIghway 20. My expereince is that once you get NOrth of 20, there's far more interest in things Minnesota than anywhere else in the state. And I think it goes well beyond sports.

Hmm. Sounds like bilateral arm weakness to me.