USAFChief

Not corner the "DFA'd 33 year old reliever" market and call it "done and done?" In reality, they've been a little unlucky. But it does show the preposterousness* of ever assuming there's a log jam of talent, or someone is "blocked" in AAA. They traded for Michael Tonkin for the specific purpose of getting 2 innings in an April game in Detroit. DfA'd before the box score was printed. *possibly not actually a word, but it sure as heck should be

It's quite apparent the plan for Santana was, and is, full time first baseman. Stupid plan.

The overflowing bullpen is low on water as well.

Correa to 10 day IL. Tonkin DFA'D. Camargo and Bowman recalled. Woods-Richardson 27th man for today's doubleheader. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/twins-place-carlos-correa-on-10-day-il-designate-michael-tonkin.html

The difference being, "They'll be in 3rd place by June 1st" is now what the ceaselessly optimistic crowd is saying.

Yes. /obligatory

I'm hoping the Twins can avoid getting swept this weekend.

Well i hope so too, but as I said...IMO pitching machines are only so useful.

But Rocco has been doing the middle inning PH thing for years. SItuation has little or nothing to do with it. He PHs with 2 out and nobody on. I recall you calling him out on it last year, for example.

It's tough to find enough LH pitchers to even give LH hitters much live BP. You can set up pitching machines to mimic LH breaking balls, but IMO pitching machines are only so useful.

One of the greatest things about TD is Riverbrian. Never change, my friend.

A couple thoughts: 1. platoon advantage is real, has been since the first baseball game was played. It's simply easier to hit pitches breaking toward you than breaking away. I also believe it's easier for humans vision to pick up the ball from opposite handed pitchers. 2. I think right handed hitters suffer less from the platoon disadvantage because they see way more RH pitching growing up than LH hitters see LH pitching. They get more practice. And the Darwin theory starts to eliminate right handed hitters whi can't hit RH pitching long before they progress to higher levels. 3. I often post "reverse splits are a mirage." It's sort of a joke, but mostly not. I'm very skeptical that true reverse splits are actually true, and not a statistical quirk that will correct itself over time. As for Rocco: I don't have a problem with using platoons. It's a simple and financially feasible way to squeeze some extra offense out of your roster. And as we can see, most LH bats never turn into good LH hitters against LH pitching. If Tony Oliva, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau suffered against LHers, do we really need to give Wallner or Julien hundreds of ABs just to learn what we already knew? My problem is PHing a RHed bat for a 1 AB platoon advantage in early or middle innings. That spot in the order is coming around again, maybe more than once. And there's a huge chance it will be against RHed pitching. You're going to be giving up the platoon advantage in at least one of those ABs. I'd rather let Julien face a lefty in the 5th and RH relievers from then on, over getting Farmer an AB against that lefty in the 5th, but then face those same RH relievers from then on. I truly believe teams have been intentionally putting Rocco in position to remove his best hitters.

Ditto. And due to the velo at which I threw said BP, the last pitch is just now reaching home plate.

How about that...Rocco doesn't remove Julien in the middle innings for a 1 AB platoon advantage. Baby steps.

If he's not making plays others don't make, his defensive impact from CF sucks, too. The entire point of having him play is, having him be better than others. MLB is played at the edge of human performance. Trying to play at 90 percent is futile. Uou won't win, and you're not even guaranteed to stay healthy.

Why is this thread already in the archives?

Seriously? Then what's the point of playing him?

Heh. Paddack. Awesome start.

All reverse splits are a mirage. All of em

Makes zero sense to me. Rocco can't wait to PH when a LH reliever enters, but now he's going to let 1 week of results remove his best LH hitters from the lineup? When did he stop believing in the platoon advantage? Pretty substandard manager.

I doubt Tonkin gets enough plate appearances to make much difference.

I think, 4 games into the first homestead of the season, it's a little early to make sweeping statements about attendance. That said, I don't know what more the Twins could have done this past winter to reduce enthusiasm about their product. Follow up your first postseason success in decades by almost immediately announcing a huge payroll slash? Check. Show zero interest in bringing your fan favorite and CY runner up back? Check Load up on obscure bullpen pieces nobody has heard of as your offseason strategy? Oh by the way, coincidentally spend the MLB equivalent of nothing doing so? Check Trade long time Twin Polanco for nothing? Coincidentally, reduce payroll as the only benefit visible to fans? Check Add nothing of any real value all winter to the lineup? Check Pinch pennies like scrooge all winter? Check Make one ham-handed, insult-to-fans, "we know better than you rubes" statement after another all winter? Check. So yeah...at the risk of making sweeping statements 10 days in, I think payroll likely is, and will have, a negative effect on attendance. It certainly was a topic of discussion here.

Concur. The qualities the Twins see in Tonkin: 1. Warm body, at basically zero cost 2. Immediately available, at basically zero cost 3. Basically zero cost

I was really lucky. Had 2 of em

Season over.