Lonestar

I don't completely agree, despite fangraph's article on Marco Estrada. If his arm slot and arm speed is the same and the pitch has [let's say] plus action and above average control, how is it different than a slider with the same attributes?

I applaud your willingness to sell high. I would be more intrigued with your proposal to trade Dozier and Gibson if you mentioned the trade targets. Eddie Rosario only played 18 games at 2B in 2014. I think that idea has expired. It would certainly degrade the defense. Why degrade 3B and LF defensively by playing Sano and Plouffe in those positions respectively when you can degrade only one by moving Sano to LF.

The Twins have to make a decision on Santana anyway. He will be out of options. Is he good enough to be the utility infielder on a team competing to go to the World Series? I'm not sure what Polanco does that's better than Escobar. I'm pretty sure it's not play shortstop. Polanco is ticketed for AAA so he is not yet blocked. He is more likely blocked by Dozier than Escobar. Is he really blocked by Dozier in terms of true talent? I think Dozier is very tradeable, but that would make an interesting discussion now. I suspect that Escobar would be very tradeable, but I can afford to wait a year to find out/commit.

I would wait at least 1 more year. I could wait 2. But Gordon coming out of A ball and Velma coming out of A+ ball are not the reasons not to extend.

Help me understand that.

I understand that when we disagree we are supposed to disagree without being disagreeable, but Luis Rivas was never competent.

Bat Joe 9th so he can set the table for the top of the order. Give him until the sometime next year when Vargas or Kepler force the Twins hand. If he's not good enough to hold them off, bench him. Ask Joe if he is willing to back up RF and LF. Maybe 3B. He can't be worse than Nunez.

I don't think they can if he gets the same present value.

Have the Twins said whether he will resume catching?

Who would you say is blocking him? There's 5 spots in the lineup. There would only be Buxton, Arcia, and some organizational soldiers, IMO.

Cut the kid some slack. No point comparing him to a Hall of Famer who at the same age put up a .319/.374/.478 line in AA.

Well said. Jettison Boyer, Fein, and Pelfrey and restore May to the rotation. Put Duensing on a short leash in light of the last season and two/thirds. Listen to offers because Rodgers can replace him. Trade for a good set up man at a price less than the Astros paid for Kazmir. Promote Tonkin, Duffey, Oliveros (if healthy) and Achter in that order, as spots become available. That means you don't have to wait for the trade. Let's see what we have for the future. Use O'Rourke strictly as a LOOGY. Call up Berrios and Rodgers on the last day to be playoff eligible.

Tom, did you look here. It says Under Construction, but it's a good place to start. You can see Rule 5 eligibility and the number of options left. http://twinsdaily.com/organization-chart.html

Use Graham. May would be good as a reliever, but he is likely our 2nd best starter. Tonkin and a healthy Oliveros are better than Achter and Pressly. I think they are better than Fien and Boyer. Duffey and Berrios should be considered. Get rid of Fien, Boyer, and Pelfrey. Put Duensing on a short leash. My two cents worth.

I would, too. And I think it could have happened. We can still have have someone in the organization emerge as the 8th inning set up guy. But we would maximize our chances of making and winning in the playoffs if we get get someone proven now.

Improve starting pitching. Replace Pelfrey with May.Improve catching production. Acquire Pierzynski and have him split duties with Suzuki.Improve shortstop production. Make Escobar the regular and demote Santana.Improve LHB production. Replace Robinson with Arcia and platoon him.Optimize Graham's spot. Use him in higher leverage situations or return him to Atlanta or trade for him (and option him).Improve LHP production. Replace Duensing with Rodgers.Replace Boyer with Tonkin. Give Tonkin the same chances you gave Boyer.Trade for elite set up man.

I really like the additions of Benoit and Pierzynski. And the starting lineup lists to the right, so Arcia should start against all RHP's. I agree that May is one of the top 4 starters and should be starting. I am surprised there has not been more mention of adding a front-line starter [to go with Gibson]. I don't think Danny Santana should be on the 25-man roster, let alone starting. I don't see the Twins giving up Nunez. Until after they sign him to an extension. [Reading between the lines: I don't think Nunez will keep this up as the sample size expands.] I don't know why so many think Pelfrey should be a set up man. He doesn't have the repertoire, the command, or the ability to miss bats. I don't think Duensing, Pressly, or Achter have any place on a championship roster. Tonkin, Oliveros, Duffey, Graham, and/or Rogers might fit. Give Tonkin the reps the team has been giving Boyer. So - replace Duensing with Rogers. Get a proven set up man to replace Pelfrey. Add 1 of Tonkin, Oliveros, Duffey or Graham to replace Pressley and Achter, freeing up a spot on the bench for Vargas.

Buxton was not ready when he came up. Option him to AAA as soon as he comes off the DL so we don't burn any more service time. A side benefit of that might be that he would be eligible for Rookie of the Year next year. See if he's ready in September.

With all due respect, I’m not sure some of you understand the difference between RBI + Run Scored and Run Created. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runs_created This article is about team stats and individual strikeouts (not an individual’s strikeouts). An individual strikeout is pretty much like any other out (except a double play). Team strikeouts are essentially irrelevant when calculating Runs Created. That’s because there’s a relevant range for team K rates. There’s nothing like ABW’s 37% and the effect it would have on Hits and BB’s. ABW hits HR’s like Dave Kingman and Rob Deer and strikes out sort of like them too. The problem is he doesn’t walk like them. So he is not going to get on base often and he’s going to make a lot of outs. Getting on base is good. Making outs is bad, whether they are K’s or not. Remember, teams get roughly the same number of outs per season. ABW figures to create many more outs per 500 plate appearances than most. BABIP is meaningful for pitchers. They all have the same normal range (more or less). Anything outside of that range is luck and/or bad defense. BABIP doesn't work like that for hitters. We don’t know what ABW’s true BABIP is. What we do know is that it won’t be .369 like it is now, regardless of intangibles. His BABIP in his first three years against inferior competition is less than .310. The thing is, ABW’s K rate is keeping him from taking advantage of his BABIP and limiting his OBP/Iso D. We are all Twins fans and we are pulling for Adam Brett Walker II. Some of us are more optimistic about him than others. Has anyone looked for major leaguers that had a K% of 30%+ and a BB% of 7.3%-?

Lost in the massive regression that was June is that the two Eduardos put up the following lines: Nunez .298/.339/.509/.847 in 57 AB's Escobar .271/.323/.508/.831 in 59 AB's In that same month, Danny Santana put up this line in AAA Rochester: Santana .328/.354/.525/.879 in 61 AB's I'm not saying that Escobar is going to put up a .831 OPS from now on, but he is the better defensive SS of the 3 and I think should be the regular SS for the time being. My two cents worth.

FWIW, Finnegan started 43 games in his career at TCU. He went straight to A+ ball and started all 5 games there. Then they promoted him and moved him to relief. Didn't TCU go to the CWS in Finnegan's last year. That means Jay will have relatively more rest. With the information I have, I would do the same thing the Royals did with Finnegan.

DFA Nunez, move Escobar to bench unless he reverts to 2014 form, call up Polanco DFA Duensing to get to 7 man bullpen and 4 man bench, call up Sano for 1B, bench Mauer DFA Stauffer, replace with Zach Jones Opton Pressly, call up Meyer DFA Robinson, call up Buxton trade for Graham, option him, call up Berrios or Jay Option Milone, activate E. Santana

If you are a futurist, not a presentist, would you not jetison Stauffer and Duensing? Would you not have Vargas in the lineup? If you are a futurist, could you not see Santana getting ready for the future in Rochester where he can work on pitch recognition, plate discipline, and defense while saving his service time for the future?

I respectfully diss Daz Cameron. What does this mean? "Right or wrong, blood lines matter." Tell that to Pete Rose Jr. Or NICK GORDON. One of his virtues is polish. That's what the minors are for. He is less athletic than his dad and much more likely to be ticketed for RF sooner than later where his bat won't play up nearly as well. Kyle Tucker does what Cameron does (and more with the bat) and is much more affordable short-run and long-run without the Boras baggage.