Shane Wahl

Luke Hughes is probably better off in another organization. He is at a dead end with the Twins. Consider: If Morneau gets hurt, Chris Parmelee, Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit, and Trevor Plouffe are better all-around players to fill in at 1st and DH. If any of the other infielders gets hurt, Dozier is up immediately (if Valencia, Carroll moves to 3rd). If any of the outfielders get hurt, anyone from Revere to Mastroianni to Carson to eventually Tosoni or Benson are filling in. Luke Hughes doesn't actually hit lefties particularly well. What role does he fill?

Clearly with the likes of Francisco Liriano and Anthony Swarzak, this team might need 13 pitchers. Swarzak will prove his true colors this year. He just isn't good. I am sick of seeing him starting. Ever. Scott Diamond and Jeff Manship are better options. I really don't think it will be Butera. I don't think they have figured out what they are going to do yet. I think everyone from Nishioka to Carson could be options.

Um, just read in this thread for all you need to know.

A pitching staff of: Pavano-Blackburn-Hendriks-Marquis-Diamond and Swarzak, Manship, Burnett, Duensing, Liriano, Perkins, Capps might be able to be good enough. Maybe Bowden and Slama are involved too.

A: He wasn't claiming that the Twins organization is racist. Such subtlety is lost on you, apparently. It is a legitimate question to bring up and it wasn't totally unsupported. B: A and the proposal of calling up Sano weren't presented as NEWS. You, quite bizarrely, actually, introduced a believable piece of information and actually tried to attribute it to somebody. You were lying.

Wow. Morneau is back.

They are going to need 13 pitchers in this game . . .

13 pitchers cannot be what the plan is for more than a few days at most. I assume, that somebody is likely head for the DL. By the way, Luke Hughes is not a good hitter. FYI. I would not be surprised if he makes it to Rochester. That said, I find 12 pitchers to already be gratuitous. Jeff Gray? This means Dozier is coming soon.

What the hell was Thome expecting?

I am going to ignore the Wimmers thing because I choose to not panic about the entire pitching personnel throughout the whole organization at the moment . . . But, sorry, have De Los Santos and Dolenc at the top of the lineup coming to the plate the most is not going to produce as many wins as otherwise. I was taken aback when I saw the lineup. I would probably go with Hicks and Florimon at the top.

The game on the 12th was almost painful to watch as it just looked awkward--it's like he is falling towards third before he has released the ball.

Option Burnett to Rochester or other: send Jeff Gray to Rochester and not care either way if he is claimed.

Idiots judge based on September call-ups and spring training stats. It is NO surprise that Parmelee hasn't lit it up with the Twins this year given his SEASONS' long performances each year in the minors.

OK, the point is to develop players to win the most game with them when they are ready to play everyday. This is a long-term view. If Parmelee is basically going to play like a replacement player now with the Twins, it is BETTER for total wins over time to let him develop into a better player by playing everyday in AAA and REPLACING him with a replacement player to win the same number of games with the Twins. Matt Carson, Aaron Bates, etc.

Yeah, this seems to be pretty spot on. Something is amiss in general with pitchers (back to the weights . . . lifting doesn't make ligaments and tendons stronger as compared to muscle . . . ) but with regard to relievers, I am consistently bothered by the (in the regular season) overuse of pitchers in terms of the warming up/pitching situation. They simply throw too much doing nothing instead of being valuable in games.

Doctors aren't idiots, people. Some things just really are more difficult than some of you want to make it out to be. Anyway, yes, go away Baker. There is no reason to bother with him for more than $1 million. Maybe they could get half a year of goodness out of him before he breaks down again.

This has been a few years in the making, and until now I have been completely against it because his value as a starter seemed so immense when he was on, but now it is time to move Francisco Liriano to the bullpen. Here are the reasons: 1. Aside from 2010, he has been marginally good to pretty bad as a starter for the past 4+ seasons. 2. Starters who move to the bullpen generally throw harder given that they are amped up for one or two innings as opposed to 6-9. 3. Given 2, a 94-95 mph fastball coupled with a very good slider and good changeup would be devastating in high leverage situations. 4. The Twins have an issue with the entire pitching staff and a great shaking up is needed. 5. A Duensing-Liriano-Perkins LH bullpen provides great depth and situational value, (esp. in the playoffs which is where the Twins will be by 2013 if they make this move). 6. Given 5, either Liriano or Perkins will emerge as the closer by the beginning of 2013 at the latest (the other will be the lefty setup man). 7. Money. Moving Liriano immediately to the bullpen is going to make him cheaper to sign. Maybe he will be totally pissed and not want to play for the Twins . . . but then the Twins can given him more money (for his role, but along the lines of this year's salary) if this works out as expected (Perkins is signed already). 8. The guy has talent but loses his head when starting. Something is visibly amiss. There is little reason to think that he won't be fairly dominant in this role. 9. Given 8, let's remember something: Liriano in 2006 was fantastic . . . starting the season as a reliever and dominating. That confidence after dominating meant something for him as a starter. That confidence was shattered with his injury. This is the last chance to get that confidence and dominance back. 10. I doubt the trade value is going to be on the Twins' side. No selling low of Francisco Liriano is acceptable. Hopefully this starts a good discussion.

This has been a few years in the making, and until now I have been completely against it because his value as a starter seemed so immense when he was on, but now it is time to move Francisco Liriano to the bullpen. Here are the reasons: 1. Aside from 2010, he has been marginally good to pretty bad as a starter for the past 4+ seasons. 2. Starters who move to the bullpen generally throw harder given that they are amped up for one or two innings as opposed to 6-9. 3. Given 2, a 94-95 mph fastball coupled with a very good slider and good changeup would be devastating in high leverage situations. 4. The Twins have an issue with the entire pitching staff and a great shaking up is needed. 5. A Duensing-Liriano-Perkins LH bullpen provides great depth and situational value, (esp. in the playoffs which is where the Twins will be by 2013 if they make this move). 6. Given 5, either Liriano or Perkins will emerge as the closer by the beginning of 2013 at the latest (the other will be the lefty setup man). 7. Money. Moving Liriano immediately to the bullpen is going to make him cheaper to sign. Maybe he will be totally pissed and not want to play for the Twins . . . but then the Twins can given him more money (for his role, but along the lines of this year's salary) if this works out as expected (Perkins is signed already). 8. The guy has talent but loses his head when starting. Something is visibly amiss. There is little reason to think that he won't be fairly dominant in this role. 9. Given 8, let's remember something: Liriano in 2006 was fantastic . . . starting the season as a reliever and dominating. That confidence after dominating meant something for him as a starter. That confidence was shattered with his injury. This is the last chance to get that confidence and dominance back. 10. I doubt the trade value is going to be on the Twins' side. No selling low of Francisco Liriano is acceptable. Hopefully this starts a good discussion.

Bowden is so obviously the right decision.

I posted before I saw what Chris Colabello did for New Britain tonight. I am impressed with that guy.

I actually doubt that. I would choose either Bates or Carson. Bates will hit well enough (a Dinkelman+) and Carson can slug. This would provide some situational depth with Clete Thomas. Parmelee should not be used for situational depth.

And yes, while I never thought this was the case before, I do think that Liriano should move to the bullpen. And immediately. Look at Glen Perkins (not now, but in general) and what the move did for him. Pitchers pitch better as relievers and gain velocity. Maybe Liriano can be put into high leverage situations and suddenly he is hitting 94-95 with a good slider that doesn't have to be overused or underused in a relief role.

I am surprised that no one in this thread questioned the move of Maloney in for Liriano. Adding another lefty, and one who kinda sucks at that in a close-ish ballgame is pretty ridiculous. Jeff Gray in the third makes the Yankees make some moves. Instead it was meatball time and a few more runs. Gray could have got them to the 5th.

Lester Oliveros might end up being a better value than Delmon Young. Full stop.

Lifting weights too much? I would like to see a study comparing pitchers at varying degrees of weight training amounts and see how the injury rates compare. That has to be the biggest change between now and 20+ years ago (in all sports, although the ACL tear growth in basketball might be related to the way athletic shoes are not at all natural or good for human bodies to walk/run with).