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RJA

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Everything posted by RJA

  1. RJA
    This was a painful game to watch. This team either scores 8-10 runs or 0-3 runs. They can't seem to get all aspects of the game going at the same time. When they hit, they don't pitch, when they pitch, they don't hit, or make fielding mistakes. The series with the Astros, Red Sox, Giants and Yankees will make or break this team. I know they have a lot of games with Cleveland and Chicago, but if they get too far behind after the coming run of games, it is going to be very difficult to come out ahead. Two additional thoughts. First, please release Pagan. Second, I am a big Correa fan but I thought he would "be the straw that stirred the drink" on offense, especially in big situations, but that certainly has not been the case this year.
  2. RJA
    Good article. I would add a 4th--poor choices on round one draft picks. I think both Cavaco and Sabato were very questionable picks. Interestingly, they are opposite types, with Sabato being a college power hitter with no defensive position, and Cavaco a toolsy player who was all about projection. Neither choice has worked out (neither did Brent Rooker). Yes, I know players have different development trajectories (Miranda for example), but I think we should expect much more from first round picks. If these two were knocking the cover off the ball, our farm system would look much better. As is, at this point in time, they are not showing a lot.
  3. RJA
    Seeing how Jose Rodriguez is performing this year, I could see a Twins lineup in a few years featuring Jose and Emmanuel Rodriquez. Actually, they both play much better than their years which is always a good harbinger of future success.
  4. RJA
    Miranda, Duran, and Ryan in that order. Miranda is an everyday player and has come up with big hits on a regular basis. He has kept the offense afloat since he came back up. This is no slight to Duran, as his contributions have been great as well. To me, it is like the MVP award--it should go to the best position player with the Cy Young going to pitchers. Maybe there should be two awards--rookie of the year for position players, and rookie pitche of the year.
  5. RJA
    Good summary, Andrew, thank you. I have three comments. First, it was nice to see Adams have a successful start. Sometimes it takes a bit for players to adjust when they are moved up due to nerves, a new setting, etc. Hopefully, he will settle in. Second, Strotman has looked better the past month. Maybe he is starting to figure out what he needs to do to be successful. Finally, and most importantly, Balazovic finally had a decent outing. I think we would all feel better if he closed the season with a strong run of starts. I have not read a lot about why he has struggled. When I watch him, his stuff looks good, but he is erratic and does not seem to have control of the strike zone. Does anyone know why he has stuggled so much this year? Injury? Mechanics?
  6. RJA
    Good article. The Twins seem to be following the Tampa Bay approach to pitching, with short starts and a lot of bullpen usage. I am not a fan of this, but if that is their plan, they need an abundance of bullpen arms as you cannot continue to pitch the same guys over and over without wearing them down. Tampa handles this by having a lot of extra arms in AAA that they bring up as needed. The Twins don't have that depth, and also don't seem willing to pull the plug on relievers until they have cost them 3 or 4 games. It made no sense to rely on Pagan as he has no success after his first year, and Duffey and Smith who were clearly in decline. Yes, Alcala's injury hurt, but injuries have become a predictable part of baseball over the past few years and teams have to plan for it. Finally, how can we be into mid August with all these bullpen innings and still not realize we need a long man in the bullpen? That amazes me.
  7. RJA
    Both sides lost this trade, but at least San Diego got a good early season from Rogers. The FO here thinks they can "fix" and improve guys when others cannot. Sometimes they have, but sometimes they haven't, and this is a case of haven't. The real frustration I have is that, whether it be hubris or stubbonness, it takes them so long to realize it isn't working and move on. What is the definition of insanity?
  8. RJA
    The Guardians have a history of being strong down the stretch. Still, it is there for the taking if they play well. I think it is 50-50.
  9. RJA
    Good article, Cody. With respect to Bundy, to be a devil's advocate, I am not convinced that the Twins will have an abundance of starters next year. Given the number of injuries hitting all pitching staffs, teams need to have at least 8 or 9 starters. The Twins used at least 11 this year I believe. It looks like the rotation will be Mahle, Gray, Ryan and Maeda as you suggest, but after that it is not so certain. Plus, we have yet to see Maeda pitch this year and Ryan has not looked sharp since coming back from Covid. Since June 1 he has given up 12 home runs over roughly 52 innings. The league may be adjusting to him as they see him more. Paddack is coming off TJ and will at best have an innings limitation. Ober has been injured as well. Winder and Dobnak have significant injury histories. Canterino is out all year. Smeltzer might qualify as a spot starter. Balazovic does not appear ready. Still, there is no way I would pay Bundy 11 million given his erratic history. Having said that, I am still concerned about our pitching depth next year. But, let's try to right the ship this year and worry about next year this offseason.
  10. RJA
    Welcome to the site worn smooth. I too am an old retired guy. I started getting into analytics a couple years ago and once I knew a little more about them, I came to appreciate them as one tool to help evaluate players but certainly not “the” way to evaluate them. I still check RBI’s and ERA’s and other traditional stats when looking at players. To me, analytics have increased my enjoyment of the game, though the current trend of home runs or strikeouts has taken a lot of the strategy out of the game. Again, welcome!
  11. RJA
    Great article, counselor. It is another "behind the scenes" gem. I always knew about the mics, but had no idea about the extent to which the sounds of the game are monitored and controlled by an audio guy. I agree with Chris that there is nothing like the sounds of a baseball game, be they experienced live at Target Field or on the network. They add so much to the enjoyment of the game. The only other sport that comes close IMHO is hockey, but it is still not like baseball. Good job Melissa, and good job "Tweeter."
  12. RJA
    I think you are a little rough on Miller. He is a high school kid in his first year of professional ball. He was doing great until a month or so ago when he tailed off. I am willing to give him a pass this year as it is a huge jump from playing a few high school games every year to playing a full season of professional baseball. I am guessing that he is worn down. I think the potential is there for him to be a fine MLB player. Will he realize that potential? I don't know. But I wouldn't throw him to the wolves based on his first year in professional baseball. Let's withhold judgment for a year or so and see how he adjusts.
  13. RJA
    Boy, we have five pitchers coming off surgery or chronic injury issues, another in Ryan who has not looked good since his illness issues, and two guys who have one year left on their contracts. Not exactly an abundance of pitching IMHO.
  14. RJA
    I agree. I don't think he has been at the top of his game since he was out sick. Right now, he is looking much more like a number 4 or 5 starter, than a number 2 or 3. Either the league is catching up with him, or his stuff isn't the same since he has been sick, or both. Whatever the problem, I hope he and the pitching coach figure it out soon. Where is Wes when we need him?
  15. RJA
    Sano is the ultimate example of "Oh, what might have been," I agree with others who have mentioned that he never really seemed to go "all in" on getting in shape, and adjusting his approach. But, goodness, what natural power he has. I really thought he was going to be something special but it never happened. The promise of a "new and improved" Miguel every year really never came to fruition, until in the end, it became painful to even watch him at the plate. But, life can be strange. Maybe he will catch fire elsewhere.
  16. RJA
    I agree with all three of your points. Good article. The bright spots in all of this for me are the performances of Miranda and Gordon. Gordon has established himself as a real asset with his clutch hitting, energy, and position flexibility. Miranda looks to be one of those players who is at his best when games are on the line. He reminds me a bit of Miguel Cabrera, and will be an all star player in the coming years IMHO.
  17. RJA
    He is a great kid with great perseverance. It is impossible not to pull for him. He has developed into the consummate utility player--plays many positions well, hits for a good average, has some power, and hustles. To think I thought Austin Martin would replace him sometime this year. My bad.
  18. RJA
    Good article, David. The cupboard isn't bare even with the loss of Povich, Hajjar, and Gipson Long. I am pulling for Sanchez to get another shot with the Twins. He has worked hard to make a comeback and looked good in his one start. I think he may be better than Bundy, but I have not seen enough of him either in person or on MiLBTV to be real confident in that opinion. We'll see how it plays out. BTW, the Cobbers have two really talented young men coming into the tennis program this fall. Roll Cobbers.
  19. RJA
    Like Julien, Severino is another kid I would like to see moved up. He has really hit his stride the past 6 weeks. Palacios is putting himself in a position to become a valuable utility player, and backup for Lewis should that be required next year. I admire this kid for continuing to plug away to realize his dream. He is playing great right now. I suspect if the Twins don't keep him, he will find a good opportunity somewhere next year. Good for him.
  20. RJA
    I like what they did across the board. They got two pitchers with control beyond this year, and a rental who will definitely help this year. Even Leon was a good addition as he is a quality defensive catcher. I guess I am a little like Seth and some others on this site as I really enjoy watching the prospects develop, and we lost some good ones. I hope they all do well in their new surroundings. We dealt CES and Steer from a position of strength with Miranda, Arraez, Polanco, Lewis and soon Lee to form a great infield nucleus for the foreseeable future. Povich and Hajjar are a loss, but we managed to keep Raya who I think may have more potential than either of those two, and we have hope that Winder, Canterino, Alcala and others can get healthy and contribute next year. Plus, Prielipp may be as close to the bigs as either Povich or Hajjar. If the Twins want to compete this year, these moves had to be done. The question is: do they have enough to win the division and make noise in the postseason? I am not sure they do, but they have a heck of a better chance today than they did before these trades. Now we have to wait and see and enjoy the race.
  21. RJA
    I will leave the medical diagnosis to the doctors and trainers as I simply don't know enough to determine if he will ever be pain free, or what the exact problem is. I will just say, during his time at St. Paul this year, after the cortisone shot I believe, he looked great. I saw him live a couple of times and on MiLBTV a lot, and he was driving the ball. So, he clearly can hit when he is pain free. I hope they find a way to solve the injury/pain issue because this kid--yes, like Kubel--could be real special.
  22. RJA
    One of the first things I look at when I pull up minor league pitching stats, especially for relief pitchers, is walks. McMahon does a good job of limiting free passes. I haven't been able to find much scouting report info on him. Does anyone know what kind of stuff he has?
  23. RJA
    I would love to see Julien get a shot at AAA this summer. I think he has earned it.
  24. RJA
    It looks like the Twins decided to trade from a position of strength, infielders, to get a front line starter. I agree with those who think Mahle is better than he has showed due to the crazy numbers he had at home. I would think he is a solid number 2. He is a positive addition. From the Twins point of view, with Miranda, Polanco, Lewis, Arraez, Urshela (for now) and soon Lee, and a bit down the road Rodriguez, they are still in good shape in the infield, even when Correa departs. What concerns me most is losing Povich, Hajjar, and the two young arms in the Lopez trade. But, at least the FO is working to get better, and they have improved the team next year as well.
  25. RJA
    Generally, I think it is a mistake to trade high end prospects for deadline acquisitions as you are eating your young, and unless you have an incredible farm system, that catches up with you. But, if it is a year when you have an opportunity to make noise in the postseason, it makes sense. I am not sure it makes sense this year precisely for the reasons you note. The FO sat on their hands during free agency while the Rays, Rodons, and Gausmans went elsewhere. Instead they traded for Gray--a good move in my opinion--and Paddack--a risky move given his injury history--hoping that they would allow them to contend. They were expecting/hoping that one of the young guys like Winder, Balazovic, or Canterino would make the jump. They were trying to be Cleveland. It didn't work. Besides, Cleveland develops pitchers and trades them as established starters for prospects. Now, they are stuck with a roster that needs major additions to have any hope of contending in the postseason. At this point, the future of the Twins depends on this front office developing their pitching pipeline. They are trying, but if they can't do that, then the only option is to go to free agency, and as you note, it is very unlikely the Twins would do that. So far, most of their best pitching prospects--Winder, Balazovic, Canterino, and others have either underpeformed, been injured, or both. This offseason, they better find a way to solidify their pitching, or they will probably be in the same or a worse situation at this time next year. It would be a shame to waste the best years of Buxton, Polanco and Arraez waiting for a first rate pitching staff. Maybe I am just feeling a bit pessimistic, and next year Winder, Canterino, Balazovic, Povich and others will be injury free and moving into prominent roles with the Twins. If that is the case, I will have my crow medium rare, please.
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