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KirbyDome89

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Everything posted by KirbyDome89

  1. It's hard to call it a complete turnaround when the most glaring issue that plagued the Twins prior to Falvey's arrival continues to haunt them this season. Look, I'm on board with a good amount of what this FO is doing and/or has done, but there is a constant rush to prematurely anoint this duo.
  2. I'm not sure how a complete lack of knowledge as to why an arbitrator would reduce the suspension is compelling evidence but the rationale offered by Pineda, the timing, and the drug he tested positive for all casting suspicion is tenuous. We're all speculating. The arbitrator's decision isn't direct or clear evidence of anything. We know Pineda tested positive in season. We know the statement he gave, and we know what the drug is used for. One explanation is much more simplistic than the other. Scenario 1: He took a prescription diuretic to mask PED use and was caught The only point of speculation is that the drug was masking PEDs Scenario 2: He decided he needed to lose weight a month before the postseason started An associate just so happened to have pills that would help him do that Despite pitching professionally for 12 seasons Pineda and fully understanding the implications of taking substances outside team approval he ingests the pills The pills either happened to be, or contain trace amounts of hydrocholorthiazide and Pineda was entirely unaware An arbitrator rules that Pineda couldn't have known he was taking a banned substance and reduces his suspension from 60 to 40 games. You're speculating that he didn't know what he was taking, that his decision not to involve the Twin's medical and training staffs was innocent negligence, and that a reduction to 40 games affirms each of the previous assumptions. I would say Occam's Razor actually supports my leaning. IMO the morality issue becomes blurry and extremely arbitrary when we start arguing over who is a "cheater," who is forgiven, whose success is suspicious, ect.
  3. The fact that supplements aren't well regulated isn't news to me, but falling back on the "I took a supplement and didn't know it contained X," is equivalent to "I didn't hit send on that tweet, my account was hacked." If we agree that hydrochlorothiazide doesn't just appear in his system unless he's seeking out a diuretic, and we agree that he made the conscious decision not to go through the team, does his intent really matter? Like I said, he's been pitching professionally in the US since he was 18; he's 30 now. He absolutely knows the protocol. I'll do him the favor of assuming he was intelligent enough to understand what he was doing, and unlucky enough to get caught. Personally I think he was trying to mask something. As I said before, the timing, his story, and the drug all cast doubt on it being an innocent mistake.The real issue is that Pineda knowingly ingested a substance without team approval. IMO the level of anger shouldn't change based on whether you believe it was to mask PEDs or simply an extreme lapse in judgment.
  4. I can't imagine you believe that Pineda was trying to reduce his body weight per team instruction and a friend just so happened to have prescription diuretics on hand. You aren't running across this drug, or any analogues, unless you're looking for them. Whether he specifically sought out hydrochlorothiazide or would've taken any diuretic isn't particularly important, he made a conscious effort to obtain and ingest the drug. He purposefully forfeited the opportunity to utilize world class training facilities and medical attention in favor of taking pills a supposed associated handed him. You're right, we don't have all the pieces to the puzzle, but based on what Pineda said, and what's known about the drug he tested positive for, I think there's enough to get a sense of what was going on.
  5. Are we really supposed to believe that Pineda was so concerned about his weight in season that he reached the point of seeking out prescription medication but never once thought to bring his concerns to the team that employs him and has access to cutting edge fitness centers & consultants, or to physicians associated with the team that could easily and safely prescribe medication if it was a viable option? The drug he tested positive for has nothing to do with actual weight loss, and it's prescribed, not purchased over the counter. He's also been pitching professionally for the last 12 years. At age 30 did he suddenly forget that taking pills that an "acquittance," gives you isn't a wise decision? If the argument is negligence, then it wasn't just one bad decision, it was a slew of them, and if you buy into Occam's razor it seems to be an unlikely defense.
  6. They're going to need to score a ton to win a playoff series. The best route is getting the WC in the ALDS then NY in the ALCS. I like the Twins offense matching up against the Yankee's starting pitching. Since that won't happen, I hope Houston gets the WC and gets knocked off while MN gets NY in the ALDS. Houston is a nightmare matchup for the Twins.
  7. He's also missed 3 entire seasons and a good chunk of a 4th due to serious arm injuries....
  8. The Twins should want Pineda back, but IMO it needs to be in the same role he has filled this season; back end starter with front end upside. If MN goes into next season with Pineda penciled in atop the rotation they're asking for trouble, and the hunt for offseason arms went horribly wrong. I'm fine with Pineda on a 2 year deal although I agree it seems unlikely he'd sign one in MN barring another IL stint to end the season. Between him, Odorizzi, and Gibson he certainly has the most upside, but he's by far the least durable. I'd hesitate on giving him 3 years, but I could be swayed if the numbers weren't crazy. There's no way I'm handing him 4 years.
  9. In other words, Martin Perez has been.....Martin Perez.....since the beginning of June.
  10. A three run lead and they only needed to get three outs against one of the worst offenses in baseball. I can't fault Rocco for trying to get by without using Rogers for a 3rd straight day.
  11. NY went out an signed Ottavino and Britton this offseason. The Twins claimed Blake Parker off waivers. The Yankees have one of the best set of late inning arms in baseball (Chapman, Britton, Ottavino) while MN has Rodgers and some other guys. To say NY was/is as desperate for impact arms isn't remotely true. I'm so tired of hearing "team X didn't get this player so the Twins weren't going to either," or "if team Y showed interest it wasn't somebody MN should've targeted." The Twins opted to ignore adding bullpen arms over the offseason. The internal shuttle isn't the answer and they've had to move outside of that to make waiver claims on journeymen arms. There's really no excuse for this team to be in the situation they're in now. If the idea was to "see what they had," before adding then the FO had to know they'd pay a premium at the deadline. Period. If there was never any intention to add the kind of arms this bullpen needs, they should've signed 2 lower tier pitchers during the offseason and potentially saved prospects and/or added a few games in the standings, especially in July.
  12. I'm sure they were higher than MN would've liked, but that's the situation they put themselves in. Again, they had to know prices were going to be higher at the deadline.
  13. They were available. The FO chose to wait until the deadline to address the bullpen. They had to know they were bound to pay more.
  14. So maybe don't put all your eggs in the trade deadline basket then?
  15. Acceptable as in the back end is better now? Yes. Acceptable as in they acquired at least one impact arm, or did enough to feel decent about the pen making a playoff push? No.
  16. Overall it's an underwhelming deadline for the Twins. "Better than nothing," wasn't exactly the bar I was hoping to clear. The bullpen improved, but that needed to come from the top down, not the bottom up. 3 weeks ago a Romo + Dyson deadline wouldn't have been met with much fanfare. The near hysteria over potentially only acquiring Romo shouldn't mean any move the FO made todays pushes the deadline into acceptable territory.
  17. I don't think it's likely to happen either, but it's what they've needed since the offseason. Lowering the bar on expectations is one thing; giving the FO a pass on failing to adequately address the bullpen after doing essentially nothing through the winter and first half of the season is something entirely different. I'm resigned to the 1st, but can't do the 2nd.
  18. Acceptable is different than "like." They can rearrange low leverage guys all they want, and probably improve the pen to an extent, but that's shuffling deck chairs. They need arms (multiple) that are on par with Rodgers, or a starter + impact bullpen arm, if they're serious about solidifying the staff for a playoff run. There's still time, but I also don't see the need to celebrate the Romo addition as moving the needle in any significant way.
  19. Express "interest," and pat themselves on the back for offering a below market value deal. Add back end pieces and reap praise for "savy," additions that can supposedly be turned into elite performers. Sell the financial flexibility, sustainability "wait and see," company line. Rinse, wash, repeat....
  20. "He's clearly better than our worst reliever." That's why the move isn't popular. The goal is to improve the bullpen. The easiest way to do that is to add to the top and push everybody down, not vice versa. Sure, they have a few more days to add actual impact arms, but that doesn't mean anybody needs to like the Romo addition. If nothing else the deadline continues to creep closer and the Twins have yet to make a significant move.
  21. In fairness a large portion of that "good," sample size came before his TJ surgery. We were debating whether to extend Kyle Gibson in the midst of his run at this time last year too. It isn't a perfect comp, Lynn has the better performance track record but Gibson certainly wins when it comes durability. If Lynn was a FA in the offseason it'd be a different story. This team needs pitchers, especially starters for next season. Personally I'd rather see the Twins go after a higher tier/more reliable arm than buy high on Lynn with the hopes he turns into a bargain.
  22. I absolutely thought it was after reading the headline.
  23. Meh, as a back end starter he isn't high on the list of concerns. I wasn't expecting a ton from him this season either. I'd certainly rather have Pineda than Tommy Milone or Bartolo Colon but we're setting the bar pretty low there...
  24. I can't give an exact number but I'd guess a fair amount. I can't imagine it's much different than something like drinking, where some start in high school and others wait until they're out of the house/adults. Buxton isn't responsible for random teenagers. I've always pushed back against the notion that baseball players are responsible for those watching, and I probably always will. Those kids have parents or other role models in their lives. It isn't Buxton's duty to parent strangers through a tv screen. He isn't perpetuating any idea. He's not endorsing or condemning the use of tobacco. He's making a personal choice, and it's one he should be allowed to make. I don't chew, and I don't have particularly strong feelings about it being banned either. If MLB decides they don't want their employees doing it, then they have the right to implement that rule, but until then players shouldn't be shamed for opting to use a substance that's within their rights.
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