Jump to content
Our free agent ranking is up to 100 names, and now you can filter by player position! Click here to check it out! ×
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

jorgenswest

Old-Timey Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    8,284

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    9

 Content Type 

Profiles

Minnesota Twins News, Rumors & Analysis

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospect Rankings

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Minnesota Twins Trade & Free Agent Rumors

Minnesota Twins Fan Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by jorgenswest

  1. jorgenswest
    I see the at bats even when everyone is healthy. He can go in for Sano, Cron, Cruz or Schoop against a right handed pitcher. He can go in for Rosario and Kepler when facing a lefty. They ought to be able to find him 5 starts a week without compromising anyone’s regular playing time.
  2. jorgenswest
    His usage changed after the first half of 2018. When Correia was out in August the manager was giving time to Bregman at SS. There was at least one game last August with both Correia and Altuve out where Gonzalez was not used in either spot. Instead Gurriel was at 2B, Bregman at SS and Davis at 3B with Gonzalez in LF. I find it very odd that Hinch would shuffle his infield around like this if Gonzalez was a capable SS. Davis could have played LF. At SS Gonzalez had a UZR150 of -30.6 and an Rdrs/yr of -22. Those metrics can easily be dismissed due to sample. When coupled with his reduced use at SS starting in late July I think there is reason to wonder if SS is not a position that he can play at an adequate level. This is a good signing at two years. It probably just doesn’t reduce the need for another SS on the team. I will be watching to see if Schoop gets any SS innings this spring.
  3. jorgenswest
    Did the reporters follow up asking why he significantly reduced playing Gonzalez at SS after July 25 and used Bregman to replace Correia instead? There was a game in August where he started Guriel at 2B, Bregman at SS and Davis at 3B while starting Gonzalez in LF. Davis played OF last year in both the minors and Houston. He could have easily played his defensive infielder at SS, kept Bregman at 3B and played Davis in LF. No manager plays their best defensive infielder in LF when he is so desperately needed in the infield with both Altuve and Correia out. I think the manager’s action weigh heavier than his words here.
  4. jorgenswest
    No team is going to base a decision on stats in a sample of 6 starts. He may no longer be a good pitcher but the data above in that sample is meaningless.
  5. jorgenswest
    I don’t see the market. You need to find a team that wants to trade a good starting pitcher. They need to be contending or they wouldn’t want a return of a guy already in arbitration. If they are contending why not just go out and sign a Gonzalez or Jones? If they are not contending why not go after prospects? During the season a deal like Lawton for Reed might be feasible but even then the supply of left fielders is going to be greater than the supply of starting pitching.
  6. jorgenswest
    He has really only played LF. He has never started a game in CF or RF so playing him in LF means moving Rosario off of his best spot. I like the flexibility they will have next offseason as they need to fill 2B. They can slot him in at 2B or they can slot him in at 3B and move Sano to 1B if Gordon or Arraez step up. As for SS, the Astros did not start him very often later in the season. Instead after July 24 Bregman was most often moved to SS when Correia wasn’t in the line up. It is possible his utility will be as a 2B-3B-LF. Still valuable but not the guy he was two and three years ago.
  7. jorgenswest
    Hopefully at two years the Twins don’t pay for too much of the decline. If he can still play a passable SS a three man bench of Gonzalez, Astudillo and Garvin is the best in years. I don’t see anyway Reed makes the team as a fourth OF now. I would remove him from the 40.
  8. jorgenswest
    After they sign Gonzalez they still need a SS on the bench. Shouldn’t the Twins be comparing his bat to the bats of Cave and Astudillo?
  9. jorgenswest
    Is Gonzalez still close to a passable SS? I am not so sure. If not he isn’t taking Adrianza’s spot. He is competing for time with Cave and Astudullo as well as Austin if he can play RF. I am not confident he is a clear upgrade this year in that bench role. His 2017 was awesome but out of line with the rest of his career. One year. I am in.
  10. jorgenswest
    I would be concerned about year 3 with a bat that declines to below league average, a glove that fits best on a corner and a salary too high to let go. The Twins need to find or develop the next Escobar or Gonzalez. The current Gonzalez is a risky three year commitment. I am all for risks for players that enter their 30s well above league average. They have space to decline.
  11. jorgenswest
    It depends heavily on whether they are pitching against the top of the order or the bottom half.
  12. jorgenswest
    The challenge with the opener is expecting a reliever to get through the teams best hitters at the top of the order. It is going to take a very good reliever from a deep bullpen to make it work.
  13. jorgenswest
    Nice analysis. This should get it done.
  14. jorgenswest
    Many relievers are failed starters. Romero hasn’t failed as a starter yet. Do we trust our staff to foresee that failure and change course before he gets there or do we need to see a failure with our own eyes?
  15. jorgenswest
    On the 3 batter minimum... I have been trying to find a game from last season stuck in my memory for being killed by pitcher changes the last 3 innings. June 3: Cleveland at Minnesota. Twins are losing 4-3 as we enter the bottom of the 7th. Starter Mike Clevenger faced 1 batter. Tyler Olson faced one batter Neil Ramirez faced one batter Oliver Perez cam in and finished the inning The Twins took the lead 5-4 for anyone who somehow kept following the game through all of the stoppages. The Indians had two other pitchers this game that faced 2 or fewer batters. The Twins had one. Four other relievers were used in the game. Nine relievers. 25 batters faced. 16 outs. Killed the flow of the game. While this game had 5 occurrences of a pitcher facing two or fewer batters, it wasn't the most. It might be typical of a close game that otherwise should be the kind of game that brings people to the ballpark. Last year I found 2293 occurrences of a pitcher facing two or less batters. In 1988 there were 1006. Baseball can help here. Make it a 3 batter minimum orAllow only 1 mid inning pitcher change per inning orNo more coach mounds visits of any kind orNo warms on mound for relievers. They have options. The very best games of the year are being killed by constant interruptions from the 7th inning on. Do something.
  16. jorgenswest
    Romero has a good fastball and promising slider. He has worked for years trying to develop an adequate third pitch trying yet another new change up grip during last year. Maybe it is time to put his energy into making his two fastballs very good and his promising slider a solid option. Constant work on the change up takes time away from refining what he has the potential to do well. The Twins need starters long term but I am not sure it makes sense to send Romero to AAA at 24 in hopes that he will finally find that third pitch. It might be time to take what he does well and make it better.
  17. jorgenswest
    If Austin can RF at the below average but not bottom of the league level of Grossman, he helps in the same way. He can provide a good bat against left handed pitching to spot in for Kepler or Rosario. Players like this on the short side of the platoon will always be on the fringe of the 25. It is on teams to figure out how to utilize their strengths and minimize the exposure of their weaknesses.
  18. jorgenswest
    With the good range of Laureano and Pinder I think he will be fine a few times a week in a platoon role. The league as a whole only had one qualifying right fielder with a UZR above 0. When taking the 50 players with the most innings in RF only 7 had a positive UZR. Grossman ranked 34 of 50. If Grossman puts up an OBP of .371 as he did in his three years as a Twin, the A’s will find away to utilize that skill. The A’s will probably do a better job of platooning him and giving him a greater percentage of playing time against left handed pitching where his OBP has been much better.
  19. jorgenswest
    Thanks. To add... If players aren’t performing they don’t get a continued opportunity the first year. There is a bias in the group towards players performing above their skill level and mean. It is only natural that the group will trend towards their mean in year 2.
  20. jorgenswest
    I am not at all worried about blocking prospects. Nothing stops them from trading Kepler, Rosario or prospects should a blockage occur. The Twins absolutely should continue to extend the control of their core.
  21. jorgenswest
    I hope he still believes in himself as a starter and is working towards that role. Seth paraphrased the quote but might have added this bit that followed his bullpen comment. “I’ll be ready to do my job in any situation and any role that they want me to be.”
  22. jorgenswest
    In Cave’s case it could simply be random variation due to sample. If our perception of Cave’s ability is significantly influenced by slash stats in a partial season then we don’t start with a very reliable picture. He could perform this year at the same skill level and put up a very different slash of 250/305/410. Some will wonder what happened. It would look like a slump but I think it is more likely the variation of slash stats driven by several factors out of the batters control.
  23. jorgenswest
    Astudillo
  24. jorgenswest
    Algorithms don’t lie thought a reader’s understanding of their meaning vary greatly. The Bill James similarity score as reported on reference is simply a comparison of counting stats and position. The player with the most similar counting stats and position at the same age is listed. No claim is made that the players are on the same career path. If there is a lie it comes from those claiming and interpreting the number means anything more than these two guys happened to have pretty similar stats at the same age.
  25. jorgenswest
    I would hope Austin has been working his tail of getting ready to show the Twins he can play corner OF. I think it is his only path to a significant major league career.
×
×
  • Create New...