tmerrickkeller

I may be dis-remembering this, but it struck me at the time that we accumulated a lot of talent for Rick Aguilara under this same philosophy. Trade him for prospects once the season revealed its underbelly, and then sign him again in the winter. Rinse and repeat. If Kurt feels both the joy of playing for this team and the promise of its future, he will understand the motives behind a move and come right back at season's end. It is a win-win-win - we get a prospect or two during a rebuilding year, we get to see extended time for his potential replacements, and he is right back on the team for a market contract a few months later. Clearly, there are risks involved - he gets a good deal from another team in free agency that we can't/won't match, or we find that Josmil is ready for the show and don't want to pay starter money to Kurt S for multiple years to back him up, but the underlying premise is sound. It is based, purely, on relationships, and I'm in no position to judge his relationship to the front office or their allure to him.

Totally agree with Bark's Lounge. This team has had worse players on its "good" rosters. TPlouffe is a big upgrade off the bench from what we have trotted out over the years and have right now, both as a utility player (with experience at several positions, which hasn't been the case for several others), or as a regular in lieu of an injured starter at several positions. He's not the defensive stalwart of LNP (who many here, for many years, vilified as a sure out), but he's versatile, has some pop, and is young and experienced at the same time. And cheap (did I mention cheap?) which, regardless of what many yearn for, still stirs the pot at HQ.

Kris has, rather quietly, worked his way back into the conversation about potential Twins rotation prospects. Many on this site expressed concern over his leisurely pace in his single big-league start this season, but his most recent effort, a 2-hit, 1-walk, 7-inning complete game on Sunday, July 6, was completed in a tidy 1:40. It should be remembered, too, that although he gave up 4 hits and (gulp!) 6 walks in his 4 1/3 innings on May 1 against the Dodgers, he did not allow an earned run. His most recent gem came at a good time for an overworked bullpen for the Red Wings. Kris is now 8-4 on the season in 16 starts, giving up 78 hits and 38 walks, to go along with 83 strikeouts in 98.1 innings. That's averaging over 6 innings per outing. While no one wants to see a repeat of the past few seasons, where AAA pitchers were forced to fill out a depleted starting corps, Kris remains a viable, left-hand option should injuries or continued struggles force consideration of change in the rotation. He's had 7 quality starts in his last 10 outings. See his stat line here: http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t534&t=p_pbp&pid=453241

In looking at the rotation, it gets difficult to justify removing Nolasco when there are no less than two candidates ahead of him in the "don't we have better pitchers in the organization?" race. KC's numbers on the year are horrid, and no one (on this site or in the organization) really believes he is "turning a corner" with his last outing. Samuel - love him, but even at his best (which we haven't seen all season) he gives you six tumultuous innings and puts extra pressure on your bullpen to win his games for him. So Sam to the bullpen, end the Matt Guerrier experiment/gift, and bring up May now and Meyer later when KC is gone, or Yohan Pino, or my adopt-a-prospect again, Kris Johnson. I understand not opening up a 40-man roster spot for Deibinson, even though that move makes more sense than Pedro's return (given that we already have 3 shortstops in our lineup, playing various positions, all of them at least .150 points over Florimon's expected OBP).

A guy can't lose his 4th decision of the year in the first loss he's had since his second start of the season.

Move Deduno back to the bullpen, release Guerrier (who is also not part of the long-term plans). Bring up May with Matty's roster spot. I like Sam, too, but he hurts bullpens with short starts, and always makes short starts - quality short starts, but short. Keeps potential starter in the bullpen and handy, showcases KC to maximize (any) value, gives May a shot, gives fans a new face to cheer for, and clears two hurdles - gets May up and gives a second path for Meyer when KC is gone. If May implodes, go back to Sam, and move up a reliever, or straight out swap Meyer for May, as we'd be past super-two by then.

Romero/Fuld for Kubel would be fine with me. I think the best chance at sustained pretty-good-or-better comes when we have a rotation of Nolasco, Meyer, Hughes, May and Gibson, move Deduno (love him but you know that the best you can hope for is 5-6 innings per start) to the bullpen to replace Guerrier. Yes, I also hold out hope for some position player advancement later in the year, but I think we're pretty tapped out right now for position players in the high minors ready to help. But with Mauer, Dozier, Escobar, Plouffe, Hammer, Hicks, and Arcia, Suzuki and Pinto, with bench of Romero/Fuld, Parmelee, Santana, and Nunez....we could stay relevant. It is going to take Buxton, Sano, Rosario, Vargas, or some FA help before we really turn the corner and turn up the juice on Target Field.

Big news today, as Tuesday's rainout forced a scheduled double-header for Thursday, May 1 between the Twins and Dodgers. Kris Johnson was selected to be the 26th-man-for-a-day and will start the late tilt for the local nine. This is a very exciting day for Kris, off to a good start in AAA and who last tasted the big leagues for Pittsburgh in late August/early September, 2013. At this point, the twinbill will feature the Twins' Mike Pelfrey squaring off against the Dodgers' Dan Haren in the early game; Kris Johnson will face Josh Beckett for the defending National League West champs in the 6:10 local time nightcap. It will be the first game started by a left-handed pitcher for the club this season. Johnson was selected from a strong Red Wings rotation, including fellow port-siders Logan Darnell and Scott Diamond. (Darnell started Sunday, and fan favorite Alex Meyer pitched Monday). Other possibilities for that spot start included Trevor May, and current long reliever Sam Deduno.

Kris Johnson made his 4th start of the season for the Rochester Red Wings tonight, and had another fine outing. Kris gave up a single unearned run on 3 hits in 6 solid innings at Pawtucket (his former team from 2009-2011). On the season, the left-hander, obtained over the winter in a swap for Duke Welker, who was part of the original return for Justin Morneau (doesn't it all sound like horse breeding sometimes, "Johnson, from Morneau, out of Welker") has started four games and sits at 2-2 on the year. He's gone 5, 5, 6, and 6 innings, giving up a total of 18 hits, 20 Ks (6 tonight), and 8 walks (4 tonight) in those 22 frames, for a splendid 1.18 WHiP. Johnson has also kept the ball in the ballpark thus far, and in the small sample size of the early season, has been tougher on righties than lefties. Overall, opponents are hitting a paltry .217 against the 6-4 Wichita State product. Johnson's start completes a terrific recent run through the Red Wings' rotation (May, Meyer, Diamond, and Darnell, in addition to Kris Johnson). In the last five games, starters have tossed 29.2 innings while giving up only 4 earned runs and claiming three wins. Tomorrow's game features Trevor May against top prospect Matt Barnes, who will be making his season debut for the Paw Sox, before the Wings head South to take on Charlotte starting Saturday.

We were 18-17 last year? How did we win 18 games?

Hoping that my man Kris would have his first start of the season today, but rain in New York changed all that. I will post his starts and achievements throughout the year, and hope to make contact with my adopted Twin son. But this week, I'm off to my 30th college reunion in Durham, North Carolina (Go Duke!) with my lovely wife. I just want to wish the best to Kris this year and look forward to watching his season unfold.

sorry, all - I thought I was just editing a sentence, and this ended up being posted twice. I'm new at this. Anyone tell me how to remove one of these so there's only one left? Thanks.

2014 is Kris Johnson's first in the Minnesota Twins organization. He will begin the season as part of a potent Red Wings starting rotation in AAA. The 6'4" lefty starter came to the Twins as part of the Justin Morneau deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but even that is misleading. The initial deal between Minnesota and Pittsburgh sent Morneau to the Bucs in exchange for outfielder Alex Presley (since released and claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros) and a PTBNL. That PTBNL ended up being reliever Duke Welker, but the Twins sent Welker back to the Pirates for Kris Johnson on November 19, 2013. Kris Johnson is a 29-year-old, born in West Covina, California. He'll turn 30 after the season, so he's hitting the upper limits in age for a minor-league starter to make the transition to the majors. He attended Wichita State and was a 1st-round pick by the Boston Red Sox following his sophomore season for the Shockers. He rose and fell in the Sox minor leagues, from his draft year of 2006 until his release following the 2010 season, including limited time in the big leagues in 2008 and 2009. Kris spent 2011 with the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association in independent baseball, but was picked up by the Pirates organization and ascended quickly to AAA Indianapolis for the Bucs by 2013. That 2013 campaign was very successful, including selection as a mid-season all-star for Indy. Johnson posted a 10-3 record as a starter, and led the International League with a 2.16 ERA in those starts, ending 4th in the league in WHiP. That led to an August call-up in the midst of Pittsburgh's playoff run. Johnson was returned to AAA before season's end. Johnson sports a fastball in the low 90s, and while he has not been overwhelming (career 6.2 K/9 in 9 minor-league seasons), he has been steady. Kris made 4 appearances for the Bucs in 2013, including one start. His 2013 debut was a solid 6 innings of relief in which he gave up 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 5. He was tagged in his lone start for Pittsburgh in 2013 by the Cards, just completing 2 innings with 5 runs on 7 hits. Johnson is a rock-solid mid-rotation lefty, who could easily make the transition back to the big club, and gives the Twins additional quality depth in their starting rotation that they haven't enjoyed in several seasons. He joins a solid Rochester rotation alongside Trevor May, Alex Meyer, Scott Diamond, and Logan Darnell. Unlike the big league club, Diamond, Darnell, and Kris Johnson are left-handed, and it will be interesting to see which of those three rises to become the top left-handed starting prospect in the system.

My takeaway from the first series is: 1) Way too many mental errors and fundamental mistakes. I cringed way too often (see 9th inning yesterday; instead of 2-outs no one on, we have 1-out man on 3rd with bad play in the field and then a throwing mistake that put the guy 90 feet away) 2) Hoping much of that can be blamed on the weather (to me, it was much more about the wind than the temps) (see 9th inning yesterday) 3) Pleased to see the starts from a lot of guys - Kubel, Colabello, Suzuki, Hicks, Arcia, Pinto, Plouffe. I'm not worried that Dozier or Mauer won't hit. Even Hammer getting on base helps because I do worry he might be more susceptible to frustration and believing the "am I too old? Is it really over?" doubts. 4) We at least won one. Big difference between 1-2 and 0-3, especially against CWS. 5) But the biggest thing for me, that hasn't been said, is that I am so much more optimistic about Pelfrey and Gibson starting the next two games than I ever was about our 4th and 5th starters at any point in the last 3 years. I think those guys can line up against the 4th and 5th guys of other teams and give us a solid chance to win.

Can't speak for everywhere, but most of Eastern South Dakota (Midcontinent Cable) carries FSN. I remember when the Twins tried to create their own network a few years ago, only one small local cable company carried the new service, so there was no television broadcast for most in the Sioux Falls area. That lasted until early May, if I remember correctly, when a deal was brokered, the Twins network died, and the team was back on Midco. We've also been very fortunate in that at least one Sioux Falls station has carried the games on the radio (right now, 1140 KSOO, but it was also a different sports radio network at some point). The best news is that 570 WNAX out of Yankton has been a Twins station - that radio signal reaches far and wide throughout the state. They carried the Cubs for a few seasons, but have been consistent Twins broadcasters for most of the past decade. I remember when the season schedule also (customarily) included a list of regional radio affiliates. I often wander the 5-state area for business or pleasure, so it is always handy to have that list in my car. I do subscribe to MLB, but only the radio version (but when I'm way out of market, or in my office during day games, that works great). Thanks for the discussion on this topic.