Twodogs

It might have something to say about how much they are trusting Pineda right now??

I mean the thing to me is they probably could have got him with a minor league deal and a spring training invite?? Doesn't really seem like anyone was pounding on his door?

Hector Santiago??

I like the idea of taking a flier on Holland? He has had great success in the past.

I remember back on those teams when people would do their pre-season batting orders they would be penciling in Cuddyer as the full time 2Bman so they could get other supposed better options out on the field.

I think Hildenberger has been figured out, I think he was deceptive and he was overused and is no longer that deceptive. Hopefully Reed can bounce back. But someone said it earlier that the bullpen is really a reflection of the starting staff. So now everyone is worried about how the starter does the 2nd and 3rd time through the order etc.... Well if your bullpen averages 4 innings every game that means that your bullpen will pitch 648 innings over the course of the year. If you divide that by 7 pitchers, because every team out there hopes and prays that they can have at least a 4 man bench not including the DH then those 7 relievers will average 92.6 innings per season. So if your 5 starters average 5 innings each that means that each of the starting pitchers will avearge a little over 160 innings each. So it is an innings issue directly related to the starting staff. In a day and age where 200 inning starters are getting really hard to find it is putting direct pressure on the bullpen. If all 5 of your starters can average 6 innings that means that all 5 of them would have to pitch 194.4 innings per season!!! When was the last time we have seen a staff with 5 guys all over 190 innings pitched?? However if that was the case, then your relief staff would have to pitch 486 innings on the year which would add up to about 70 innings per pitcher for a 7 man bullpen. It's really really hard not to over use these guys in an era where we are pulling starters after 5 innings all the time. So I had a little idea, not sure if it would work or not, but with the situation of the Twins and you have a lot of young starters that are trying to build up innings every year such as Romero, Mejia, etc... What if you went with a starting staff where your top 3 pitchers start 32 games each and the last two spots in the rotation are manned by 3 guys, Pineda, (not sure how many innings he can go after TJ), Mejia, and Romero all combine to start 22 games each. If they can average 6 innings per start that would put them at about 130 inning on the season each, then since they will be starting only like every 7th or 8th day maybe they could get another 30 innings each out of them in the bullpen?? That would put all 3 of them at about 160 innings and if your top 3 can get like 200 out of Berrios, and Gibson and maybe 180 - 190 out of Odorizzi then those 6 guys will have pitched 1070 innings which would leave 388 innings for the other 6 guys in the bullpen which would put them all at about 64 - 65 innings pitched for each of them?? I would get rid of Hildy and replace him with Ottavino or Allen, and I'd probably get rid of Magill and replace him with someone like Gonsalves or Little etc... In case one of Pineda, Romero, or Mejia fail then that guy can come in and be in that 4th 5th 6th starter rotation?? Have to have one of your bench guys with options so you can send them down for a week here and there for when you need to add a 13th pitcher to your bullpen like a Curtis, Vasquez, etc.... Under current methods the bullpen is always going to be overused I feel that this will even happen moreso with the new opener methods being looked at. So bullpens are always going to be over used and it actually might be one of the reasons there are a lot of free agent RP's? Their former teams probably know something already.

Get a good reliever and save the rest of the cash for extensions for young guys and to have a lite cushion if they get someone big at the deadline.

Not sure if that means what it really means because Oakland and Seattle have even more pitcher friendly parks than Anaheim and they play a ton of games in Oakland and Seattle. Maybe he just pitches better at home. I guess if it is broken down by park and he did well in Oakland and Seattle but say got bombed in Boston then that would make more sense.

What happened to Greg Holland? He was a beast for about 4 years straight then last year he did nothing. Just curious if he still might have what it takes to close out games. I guess Allen would be another good option but they better do something quick as they are falling off the board fast. I think one good guy to close out games is all they really need to start the season. I'd rather they go with the guys they have for their staff and see if they can make it work. I really think if the lineup responds that they will win more games this year. If they do, then they can make a big splash for a front line starter at the trade deadline rather than go for some other #3 or #4 type starter right now. They would have the money available come the trade deadline and they have the prospects also. Just get that guy that can finish the games for now. JMO

In the long run we all hope Sano hits .270 - .280 and mashes 30 bombs. I keep wishing the Twins will get back to the World Series!!!

My only thing when I see stuff, and I criticize also, but before I post one I try to read it and see if it can be taken as sort of a light hearted joke or if I can complement something at the same time that I am criticizing something. But my point is that these players are people too, so my only thing is try to remember that when you post, someday it may be your kid or relative that is being lambasted for making a bad play or whatnot and it will make you feel sick to see a bunch of people post hatred towards your loved one. Back before the internet became the norm most articles were written and read in the newspaper, and some of those columnists would criticize players or coaches and whatnot, but I really believe that they were sort of careful of what they said because they needed to have a relationship with the team and players in order to continue to do their job. People on these boards have no one that they need to keep a relationship with so often times they just let the negativity fly. I'd say we as people need to view these guys also as people before we get too harsh. Don't get me wrong they throw the ball into the dugout from 2B and we the people will be critical about that and how it may have affected the game, but I'm pretty sure any player would understand that. What I'm saying is that we need to watch it and not get personal with those guys and the team we all cheer for. And to think this is the Twins board, imagine what those guys over in Philly probably have to see on their boards. Ha ha. So our guys probably have it a little easier than other places: Philly, New York, Boston etc... Thats the only thing that I'd add to this story. I remember how critical everyone got with Rosario a couple years back. I thought that was crazy, beyond baseball a lot of these guys are just good people doing their best. So be critical, but I always say just don't make it personal, where we are criticizing a person's character and being extra harsh and whatnot.

Great job! Nice work.

Not to mention he made improvements against lefty's last year. So it seems like he tries to make adjustments to get better, which means he's listening and working to get better. It doesn't always work out but I'd always place my bets on guys like that, who seem willing to work to get better rather than guys like Oswaldo Arcia who never seemed to change his approach.

Hard to tell, but he doesn't look over weight. His legs look skinny though?? But the picture could be deceptive?

Well Jackie Bradley had a pretty defined role on the World Champion Red Sox team and he is a career .230 hitter, if JD Martinez was a similar hitter to Jackie Bradley would he still be in the Majors??

IDK, they really aren't the same player. Jackie Bradley Jr is a career .230 hitter, in Boston, with a monster lineup around him, but he still struggles at the plate, but Boston keeps him in the lineup for obvious reasons. If JD Martinez hit like Jackie Bradley Jr he wouldnt stick around too long. Byron Buxton when healthy offers a few more things than Sano does. If Sano clicks and he clicks for a good 10 years or more, he will put up the prettier HOF type of numbers, but if he doesnt click, he's more expendable than Byron is. Normally speed and defense doesn't get you in the HOF, power and hitting does, but speed and defense plays a role that a guy like Sano doesnt have. For instance, the twins have never played around with moving Buxton to different positions just in order to get him in the lineup, but they have with Sano, and people still talk about it with the Cruz signing that Sano might have a tough time getting at bats.

Look at Nelson Cruz's production as a 25 and 26 year old. Everyone thinks he's the bomb and all but we constantly pick on guys like Kepler, Rosario, etc.... Sure some guys don't figure it out, but when you have the tool set these guys have you have to let them try and figure it out. Cruz didn't perform till he was 28. So let these guys like Kepler, Rosario, Buxton continue to develop as long as they are putting in the work, give them a chance, quit writing them off. Now it's different when you have a guy with all of the tools like Sano and it appears that he doesnt want to work hard. Then you have more reason for doubt. Plus those other guys are multi tool guys, speed, defense, etc... Also play into the equation. Aaron Hicks is another good example, hit 27 Hrs this year? Turned 28 this year. Some of these guys need to get that experience and delvelop.

Well the way for teams to handle that is by not offering those guys anything, that as a result will drop the value of their offers from those west coast teams because they won't have any competition for those players and soon they won't like the value of their offers anymore. Let them corner themselves out of the market. I mean if we all already know they won't sign, why bother?

I think the Twins have put themselves in a spot where they can go in either direction and be in ok shape. For instance if the core players like Buxton, Sano, et al. all figure it out and with the new additions the Twins have a great season then it would appear that they have a nice stockpile of players that they could trade to get a nice deadline deal that could put them over the top. Also if everything falls apart again like last year then again they have some good depth and talent that looks to be close to ready to start implementing a transition to a new wave of potential players ready to take the reigns. To me now it's just up to the players to determine which route that management will have to go.

It would be nice to still have Pressly because of this situation now. But I don't see a reason why both Romero and Mejia couldn't split the #5 spot in the rotation along with both spending time in the bullpen? Both could throw 100 to 125 innings and that would add up to one real good pitcher??

DH seems like his best fit.

Bottom line is they need one good starter and one good reliever added to this roster to compete. The lineup; eh I could look at it as the glass is half full or the glass is half empty; but instead I choose to look at it as, "hey, the glass (is only) half empty." Which means there is still half to go. Anyway, imagine if the Young guns all step forward and have a consistent season, not great or spectacular, but consistent. Everyone of them have shown flashes of greatness, so we all know that good is possible. 1. CF Buxton .265 .320 25 2B's 18 Hrs 90 runs 35 SB 2. SS Polanco .275 .310 25 2Bs 15 Hrs 80 runs 65 RBIs 20 SB 3. 3B Sano .250 .330 25 2Bs 30 Hrs 80 runs 90 RBIs 4. LF Rosario .280 .320 30 2Bs 25 Hrs 85 runs 80 RBIs 5. 1B Cron .250 .315 30 2Bs 20 Hrs 75 runs 75 RBIs 6. 2B Schoop .270 .300 25 2Bs 25 Hrs 80 runs 70 RBIs 7. RF Kepler .260 .330 30 2Bs 20 Hrs 75 runs 65 RBIs 8. DH Austin .250 .300 20 2Bs 25 Hrs 60 runs 70 RBIs 9. Castro/Garver .240 .290 25 2Bs 20 Hrs 60 runs 60 RBIs Rest of bench combined 100 runs total. I think that would put the lineup at about 775 runs. Modestly better than last year at somewhere around 740 runs or so. It would probably be enough to win 10 - 12 more games with the right pitching. Early on it seemed like the Twins lost a lot of 1 run games. These are all potential seasons for these guys and hardly any of those seasons get them on the all star team.

I assume that Romero is no longer considered a prospect? I know he got some starts last year but so did Gonsalves? Just curious, I am also assuming that Romero will most likely be a top candidate to grab one of the last spots in the rotation?

I saw on the mlb channel that the Whitesox may be going for Machado and or Harper? That would probably change the dynamics of the central a little bit?