Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

RJA

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    737

  • Joined

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by RJA

  1. RJA
    The 13th Amendment has nothing to do with this situation, This would be governed by breach of contract law. Specific performance of employment contracts is rare as it is considered bad policy to force someone to work with someone with whom may they have issues. But, specific performance can be granted if the party to the contract has a unique skill--say Picasso painting a portrait, or if there are other extenuating circumstances which make specific performance necessary. One could argue that leaving a team in mid season during a pennant race when finding a substitute is nearly impossible is an extenuating circumstance, especially when LSU is not currently in season. He could effectively recruit while he was employed by the Twins if the Twins permitted it--which I am confident they would have. But, if that is not the case, the party would still forfeit his salary, and in a lawsuit the party would be liable for damages including for any harm caused by his breach, especially if the Twins including the difference in salary if a replacement is hired at higher salary, as well as any other damages the Twins could prove. The reality of the matter is that whatever remedies exist at law are not relevant as the PR fallout of pursuing a remedy by the Twins would be disastrous. But, it still does not mean he was not legally and morally bound to honor the terms of the contract. If he had a clause allowing him to leave, that would be a different matter. Enough of this topic. It is too esoteric for a baseball site :).
  2. RJA
    The question is what is another industry. If being a pitching coach at LSU is another industry, he may not be subject to lateral move restrictions. Though if he had a written contract and he walked away midseason, specific enforcement is a possibility, and certainly an action for damages though the politics of doing that are not good :).
  3. RJA
    Thanks for the comment. I fear there is. Actually, professional baseball players are bound to their team for the specified number of years of their contract. Those that refuse to report and demand to renegotiate have no legal right to do so. It is simply external pressure that causes teams to cave, as the law is on their side. For example, some teams, the Vikings for example, refuse to let coaches take other positions if it is a lateral move. Employment contracts are fully enforceable. I think you are thinking of at will situations. I presume Johnson had an employment contract that restricted him in some way. Maybe not.
  4. RJA
    Thanks for the response. I have heard some things to the contrary, but have no personal knowledge. I appreciate you giving me a heads up.
  5. RJA
    I have two comments about his leaving. First, I understand that employees move to other positions for a variety of reasons--unhappiness in current position, family issues, chance for more compensation, looking for a change, etc. This is perfectly understandable. Many, many people look around for better opportunities. This is fine, ASSUMING they are not under a contract that binds them to the team for a specified period of time. I don't know if Johnson had a contract for the whole year, and whether he had the right under that contract to leave at any time. If he had the right to move midyear, then what he did is perfectly fine. But, if he did not have a clause allowing him to move, then my second comment is this: what he did is completely unprofessional. If what is being reported--that the Twins were totally unaware of his conversations until Saturday--then at a minimum his behavior is questionable given the current situation with the team. One would expect a higher degree of transparency from someone who claims to be professional. But, if he has a contract binding him to the team for the year without an escape clause, what he did is bush league. It all depends on the facts and I don't know them.
  6. RJA
    The real question is who among the top prospects already in the major or close the Twins would have to give up. If the Twins are serious about netting a top end starter like Castillo or Montas, none of the players mentioned will even tilt the scales. Teams are going to ask for Larnach, Kirilloff, Miranda, Winder, Canterino, etc., especially for players with a year and a half of team control. There will always be lottery tickets and second pieces added but teams are going to want player/s in the top 5 or 10 with lots of years of control.
  7. RJA
    Thanks for the summary, David. Boy, I hope the Raya situation is simply a sickness issue and not an injury. The kid has so much promise. Bentley is really doing well. I am going to dig into his background a bit more as he is not someone I have been following. Cave is trying his best to earn a promotion!
  8. RJA
    Great summary, Ted. Three thoughts. First, Steer continues to impress, which adds another legitimate prospect to move up and/or use for trade capital for pitchers. I suspect in the next month we will lose a few prospects. Second, it was nice to see Balazovic make it through 3 decent innings. I confess I am having doubts about him even with his incredible stuff. Finally, I think if I were the Twins, I would move Wallner up to St. Paul as he is pounding the ball at Wichita.
  9. RJA
    This draft is so hard to predict that I think outside the top 3 or 4, there may be some surprises. I agree with Dman that we don't need another DH type, or someone with defensive issues. The nice thing about drafting shortstops is that they often can transition to other positions defensively if need be so long as the hit tool is there. Actually, while it is important to have players who can drive the ball, I think Arraez is proving that having players who use the whole field and take great at bats is just as important if not more important than hitting the ball over the fence. So Neto's lack of big time power is not an issue for me. I think we may see teams adding these types of players in the next few years as they try to add balance to their offenses. IMHO, it would make the game more interesting.
  10. RJA
    Good article. I had my doubts when he was selected, but he is making me a believer. He has hit a bit of a rough spot in his hitting, but that is not unusual for a young hitter experiencing his first full year of professional baseball--it can wear young players down a bit physically. However, he has never let his defense slide, and he has a great eye at the plate. I like his future.
  11. RJA
    Boy, tough night on the farm. I am not going to read too much into the pitching failures, especially for those guys who have been throwing well this summer. And, Gipson-Long was probably a bit nervous about his first start at AA. I think Winder will be fine long term--he has good stuff, and has performed in the past. But, Balazovic is not right, whether due to injury or lack of control, he really is not throwing well. If it is his leg, that would explain his control being off, but it is certainly a concern. He has always been a prospect whose potential seems to outpace his performance. Hopefully, he will start realizing his potential. I still think Canterino is the closest to ready if he ever gets healthy.
  12. RJA
    If the Twins add a starting pitcher, it only makes sense if he is truly a number 1 starter. Trading for another starter similar to Gray and Ryan does not make a lot of sense as Ober is a pretty decent number 3 as it stands now. To get a true number one is going to cost a ton, probably too much, and if the FO was interested in that they should have signed somebody in free agency. At this point, I would accept the fact that Ryan can be very good for 5 innings, maybe 6 on a good day, Gray is good for 6, and Ober is good for 5. Smeltzer may also surprise. Instead of overpaying for a starter, I would try to add a couple of top quality bullpen arms--mayber even 3--to add to Duran, Jax and Thielbar, and maybe Smeltzer and Archer, to create a lockdown bullpen that will protect leads. That is somewhat of a Tampa Bay strategy, but I think it could make sense for the Twins with the hitting they have. If the bats go totally cold, nothing can be done about that, but adding another bat beyond Kirilloff makes no sense to me. We have to believe this team can hit even in big games.
  13. RJA
    I agree with Jeremy that this draft is really going to be full of surprises. With so many injured players, and so many players that have great skills but also some flaws, I think the top 10-15 are going to be really unpredictable. I think there will be a lot of variation in how teams value some of these prospects, meaning that there will be players taken in the top 15 that will cause some people to shake their heads. With all its picks, Baltimore could really shake things up if they draft to save money. I actually think this draft will be an absolute blast to watch.
  14. RJA
    Great summary as usual, Seth. Couple of comments. Sisk has been lights out in Wichita this year, especially against left handed hitters, many of whom almost appear lost at the plate. My goodness, they are hitting .082 against him. IMHO, he could be a left handed specialist at Target Field later this summer if all goes well for him. Second, it was great to see Soto promoted. Everyone raves about him as a teammate and a teacher. Do you think the Twins will add him to the coaching staff somewhere in the minors when he finishes his playing career? Third, Festa continues to impress--BTW you have two lines for him in the prospect summaries :). I have not seen him live or much on MiLB TV. Do you see him as a starter or reliever long term? Thanks again for all your work.
  15. RJA
    Obviously, Correa is everyone's first choice. If he doesn't stay, I would give Palacios a shot for a year. If Kirilloff is healthy--it looks like he is--the lineup will have enough punch with Buxton, Arraez, Polanco, Kirilloff, Miranda, Larnach, Urshela, Celestino, Kepler and maybe others coming up to allow Palacios to play even if he doesn't hit a ton, and I think he might do ok at the plate anyway. Also, we have Steer in the mix that could also factor sometimes. Even if the Twins end up trading one of the prospects for pitching, there will still be plenty of offense. The question long term with Lewis is if he will still have the same athleticism after a second major surgery on the same knee. I think he will, but it is not a slam dunk that he will. I would stay away from free agent shortstops at this point.
  16. RJA
    I think in order to be a regular catcher, he will need to make some significant adjustments at the plate as he chase way too much, and simply can't drive the ball with any consistency. I hope I am wrong, and as others have suggested, he still has time to develop, but I think he is going to be a platoon catcher, starting maybe 60 games and playing against teams that don't run much and against pitchers he can handle. I think his DH days are over.
  17. RJA
    Great summary of the situation, Sherry. I would be open to trading prospects for the right pitcher, but I would not trade Kirilloff as I think he, like Lewis, is a special talent. I don't think the FO is going to trade away the farm for Montas, and if the A's demand Kirilloff, I think the deal will not happen. We do have an abundance of position players ready for the majors, so I suspect they will be willing to part with one of them and others farther away if the A's are open to that. My guess is the A's will ask everyone for their best offer and take their pick. If Gray, Ober and Ryan return and are healthy in the next few weeks, and with Smeltzer showing well, I think they may focus on bullpen additions. This might be a year to make additions as this team has shown incredible grit, and looks like it is ready to play with the big boys in the East.
  18. RJA
    I hope Canterino only has a short setback and that the Rodriguez injury is less severe than it looks. Hate to see young players fighting injuries. The Twins do have a talented bunch of young hitters--Lewis, Larnach, Kirilloff, Miranda, Steer, and Celestino. Now that Wallner is starting to rock, and with CES showing great promise, it looks like more are on the way. The young pitching also looks great with Ryan, Ober, Winder, Duran, Jax, Alcala, and Canterino, but five of them are injured. The future looks bright so long as they can get and stay healthy. I do think at least one of the young guys will be traded for pitching by the deadline.
  19. RJA
    I often question Rocco's game management skills, but frankly the bullpen does not give him a lot of options, especially when the starter can't get to five innings. With Paddack, Gray, Ober, Maeda, Dobnak, and Ryan all out of action, the starting pitching is in shambles, and that puts pressure on the bullpen which is also short handed with Stashak, Alcala, Coulombe, and WInder all out, and, therefore, not uber-talented. If you go Duran in the 7th, then what do you do in the 8th and 9th? I have very little faith in Pagan, so that leaves Smith or Duffey for the 8th and Pagan for the 9th. If the Twins can stay relevant until they get some players back on the field, that would be an accomplishment given the injuries.
  20. RJA
    Spencer is another example of the quality of young men the Twins are drafting, not just in terms of baseball ability, but also in terms of maturity and character. He has worked hard, improved his game, and should be at the MLB level either this year or the next. I think as the game seems to be evolving away from homerun/strikeout craziness, his ability to make consistent contact while still hitting with power will serve him well in the bigs.
  21. RJA
    Thanks so much for the response. Great thoughts. I totally agree about placing young players too high and moving them too quickly. I think Steer is a good example of allowing a prospect to have success at each level before you move him. He started in the APPY League and progressed step by step through the ranks, becoming a better ballplayer in the process. Prospects will tell you by their performance when it is time to move them, and I think building confidence is a big part of long term success. Thanks again for all you do to provide us with information. Go Jackets.
  22. RJA
    Great summary. You spoil us, Seth. What is your take on Martin? I keep expecting him to break out but he has not looked good, especially the past week or 10 days. It is interesting how prospects heat up--like Rodriguez--and hit slow periods--like Miller. It all goes to prove that player development is not linear. Actually, I think it is good for them to have some struggles on the way up as it contributes to their growth as players.
  23. RJA
    I have to disagree. First, I am not suggesting that they trade him for 50 cents on the dollar as Sixel suggests, I am simply suggesting that he has not shown a lot in the field or at the plate this year. He now has almost a year's worth of at bats in the minors, and this year his BA, OBP, SLG, and OPS are all lower this year than last. His OBP has gone down since he was in the Toronto system, and there is no way he will maintain that in the bigs as the walks will be harder to come by as he climbs the ladder. He has 35 total extra base hits in 634 plate appearances. It is not secret that Toronto had concerns about how his game would translate to the pros, and the Twins have already announced that they are trying to get him to drive the ball more so that he can be successful in the majors. He is not doing so as yet. Arraez has a great on base perecentage but it is based on his ability to work counts and get hits, not simply by drawing walks. Look at the difference in batting averages. Finally, if you have watched his defensive performance at all this year and think he is doing well I have to disagree. I am not sure he has a defensive home, much like Arraez. I am not suggesting Steer is better, but I do not think the Twins would have promoted him over Martin if they thought Martin was ready. So, personally, I think Martin has a lot to prove before we say he is another Arraez.
  24. RJA
    Honest question. I am curious what your take on Martin is. I have watched a lot of his games on MiLB tv and he has not impressed me, either defensively or offensively. Do you think there is more there, and if so, what do you think needs to be done to get him playing better and driving the ball more? I admit I am beginning to question whether he is a top prospect.
  25. RJA
    What yesterday's results show is that the Twins have a lot of great young position players either in the majors--Miranda, Celestino, Lewis, Larnach, etc.--or the minors--Kirilloff, Steer, Wallner, etc.--who are major league ready. I would not be surprised to see them move one of them and/or one of the younger guys for pitching at the deadline as I think they need both bullpen and rotation help. They also have a lot of younger guys like Miller, CES, Rodriguez, and Cavaco that are showing promise. Throw in Sabato if he continues to improve and there are a lot more bats looking like they could help in the future. This is a fun year for the big league club and the farm system.
×
×
  • Create New...