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RJA

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  1. RJA
    Three excellent points, Nick. Pagan's 9th was Fernando Rodneyesque. I hope this is not a sign of things to come. I agree the game has become boring. I think the whole steroid era with massive home run numbers and increased fan interest really started to turn baseball away from the small game and toward the homerun/strikeout rut we are in now. With the increased velocity we see with pitchers, shifts, and absent steroids (thank goodness), I don't think this path is sustainable. I hope some teams begin to build a different model, looking toward more Arraez style players to complement the big boppers, and bringing back some of the strategy that made the game interesting. I think both Martin and Lewis could bring some of that old style baseball back. Let's hope.
  2. RJA
    Joe Nuxhall pitched first game at age 15! Isn't baseball and baseball history great?
  3. RJA
    Amen. And for us old timers, Al Kaline won the batting title in 55 as a 20 year old and hit .340 that year.
  4. RJA
    For heaven's sake, I hope Grandpa doesn't read stats from this year to the kid. He will have horrible nightmares.
  5. RJA
    Great article. And, I really enjoy Seth's interviews with prospects. This is one prospect who could rise quickly if he continues to show plate discipline. There will be ups and downs this year as development is not linear, but he has the tools to get to Target Field quickly. I see these kids at 19 dealing with the pressures of professional ball and I am amazed at how well many of them handle it, especially those kids coming to a new country and having to adjust to language issues, the culture change, etc. I couldn't have done it at 19.
  6. RJA
    This is a great question, and really the heart of the matter. Given where the game was at, I would probably have used Winder for multiple innings and then looked to Pagan to close if Winder faded. If we needed somebody behind Winder, I would have then considered Coulombe or, yes, Duffy. I am not saying that is better, just an option. WInder is a rookie, so the wheels might have fallen off his wagon as well. If Duffey had been lights out, we wouldn't be discussing the topic at TD. Overall, I don't think Rocco does a great job of managing the bullpen, or the game. I would put him in the middle of the pack of all managers. I think his strength is in his relationships with players, motivating players, and handling the media. These days, those tasks are crucial IMHO. And, I think he does that beautifully. The real problem is what Rocco currently has to work with. You can't play aces when your highest card is a 9. He can only play the hand he is dealt.
  7. RJA
    I feel like I am piling on, but I believe Duffey has blown 10 of the 14 save opportunities he has had in his career. With diminished stuff, I don't see how that record is going to get any better. I would prefer Minaya over him, or maybe even give an opportunity to Cano or one of the younger arms at Wichita. Once again, by acting like blue light K Mart shoppers in signing relievers, the FO is left trying to piece together a bullpen on the fly.
  8. RJA
    I do believe the Twins have a great group of young pitchers in the minors, but the bullpen reflects their unwillingness to spend any money on significant free agents. If you are planning to trade Rogers (your best bullpen arm by a substantial margin) if the opportunity presents itself, you might want to add one significant free agent in the bullpen. The worst case scenario is that you end up with two quality arms and the worst case scenario is that you still have one top flight reliever to lead the pen. Plus, Rocco is not the world's best bullpen manager. His choices seem really odd at times. Maybe Duffy does steady the ship later in the season, but what good does that do if the team digs itself into a hole early in the season like last year?
  9. RJA
    I love Tommy Watkins but he has been a real liability as the third base coach. We brought in a bench coach to help Rocco manage games, but it has not seemed to help. HIs bullpen decisions are odd to say the least.
  10. RJA
    Great detailed summary, Seth. Thank you. Two thoughts. I remember last year when some folks were saying Rodriguez had so much swing and miss in his game that he would have trouble moving up in the organization (even though he was just a young kid in professional baseball for the first time and was so excited and anxious to do well). This is proof positive that we should not rush to judge prospects. He is going to be a great player IMHO. Second, I will say it again--the pitching depth in this organization is really special. I wish people would forget about rating prospects as potential 1's or 2's or 3's, and just let the development process work. We don't know who will be 1's or 3's or 5's until these kids have time to work on their game. The best way to develop top of the rotation pitchers is to have a system filled with quality young arms. We have that methinks.
  11. RJA
    I agree with those who would leave Lewis where he is so he can gain confidence and get the necessary reps at short. The Twins lineup is underperforming all across the board, so I don't think adding Lewis would solve the problem anyway. What the Twins lineup needs is professional hitters who learn and adjust instead of the swing and miss group they have now--Sano, Sanchez, Kepler, Jeffers, etc.--and for Correa and Polanco to get on track and Buxton to get back. If the Twins bullpen continues to struggle, it will be interesting to see if one of the relievers at St. Paul--Cano, Minaya, etc.--gets the call. I suspect they will make some kind of change if the bullpen doesn't turn around soon.
  12. RJA
    Good summary of where things sit. Great job, Nick. I have four reactions. First, on the positive side, Ober and Ryan are looking like the real thing. I think both of them are confident and composed while looking like they have the stuff to be rotation anchors for a long time. Second, on the negative side, Kepler looks like a player that simply cannot learn--the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results--and is a consistent weak link in this lineup. Why Rocco would bat him cleanup is beyond me. Why not see what Contreras could do? He is as good or better than Kepler in the field, and with time would bring more to the plate than Kepler will. Third, Correa will be fine. He missed so much time that it is going to take a few weeks for him to hit his stride, but he will hit without a doubt. Finally, I wonder sometimes what in the world the FO is thinking. They sign Cotton and give him a direct path to the bullpen and then cut him. It is like they make frantic short term decisions on players trying to correct things, but never seem to make the necessary long term decisions to really correct weaknesses--for example, adding a legitimate bullpen arm or two, or signing one quality starter in free agency. Their logic escapes me sometimes.
  13. RJA
    There was a lot to like in this update. What really interests me is the performances of guys that are below the radar like Headrick, Stankiewicz, Contreras and our old friend Smeltzer. The depth of this farm system is outstanding. I really think Contreras in a lot better prospect than people give him credit for. I know there is a righty/lefty issue and a 40 man issue, but his defense alone is so good I would prefer him over retreads like Garlick and Cave, especially if Buxton sits for 10 days.
  14. RJA
    Good thoughtful article. I think developing a pitching pipeline and supplementing the current rotation to make the team competitive are two separate issues. I do think the FO is doing a good job of developing young pitchers--though Ryan was actually acquired in a trade--but thus far we have not seen most of them make a mark in the majors, so the jury is still out. But, they do look like they have a lot of potential. I favor an approach that blends cultivating your own pitchers with signing a free agent to add experience, skill and leadership to the staff. That type of pitcher could be a cornerstone to build on for 4 years. The Gray trade was good, but imagine if we also had a Gausman type along with him. Even the Paddack trade is a case of the Twins acquiring a "potential" quality starter as he has yet to show that he can have sustained success in the bigs. I am not critical of the trade. I am only pointing out that he is a development project not an accomplished starter. I think there might just be a little too much hubris in the FO thinking that they can do what others cannot in "reclaiming" pitchers like Happ, Shoemaker, Bundy, and Archer. Sometimes it is better to sign one sure thing instead of multiple projects. Still, I like what they are doing in the minors. I just wish they were a little more flexible in looking at quality free agents.
  15. RJA
    Good article. I agree that struggling a bit at the start of a season is not fatal, but an early season collapse like last year is impossible to overcome. Actually, the starting pitching has been better than expected, but the offense looks out of sync. It is remindful of last year--we tend to get 10 runs in one game and then don't score much at all in the following two or three games, and then score 10 again and repeat the cycle. The swing and miss on this team seems to prevent it from stringing too many hits together. We did lose two of our most professional hitters from last year, Cruz and Donaldson, so I hope Correa and Polanco really hit their stride soon (Sano??) or the feast or famine is likely to continue.
  16. RJA
    Steer really has come into his own the past year or so. Unfortunately, he plays third, second and short, so his route to the majors is likely going to be tough. His splits show he hits lefties really well. Maybe the Twins should give him some reps at first and in the outfield to see if has potential to be a utility player in the bigs. It will be interesting to see how he does when he is bumped up to St. Paul.
  17. RJA
    I think he lost so much weight that he is emaciated ;). Actually, he has such a consistent pattern of being feeble at the plate for the first month or two, only to do better the rest of the season, that one wonders if he lacks confidence early on or feels pressure to perform, and only overcomes it after having a decent game or two. Maybe he needs a sports psychologist to work with him. If it truly is a case where he needs a 150 plus at bats before he is comfortable, if I were the Twins, I would play him every inning of every spring training game, and/or have him play in the back fields a few days a week where he could lead off every inning just to help him get his timing back through repetition. I honestly think he is trying as demonstrated by coming in 25 pounds lighter. That is why I think it is a mental thing.
  18. RJA
    Great update, Jeremy. I like your top 10. I would be comfortable with any of these ten for the Twins, though in terms of need, I would prefer a SS or catcher over third baseman. But, if Berry is truly the best pure hitter in the collegiate ranks, he would be a fast mover. Holliday is definitely moving up, so it will be interesting to see where all these folks end up in your final rankings.
  19. RJA
    Absolutely agree this is confusing. If it was clear last fall he had to be shut down, the Twins knew he was still having issues before the lockout. He should have been rechecked at that time. And, if he was still having pain through the winter, why didn't he bring this up as soon as the lockout was over, and why didn't the Twins talk to him and send him back to doc at that time? I just don't get it, but as you suggest, we are not on the inside so maybe there are things we don't know.
  20. RJA
    Wow, no rays of sunshine to be found anywhere right now. What is confusing to me is why in the world Kirilloff's wrist was not reexamined when he was shut down last fall, and if he has never been able to swing pain free since the original injury, why is it now only being addressed once the season has started? If this is a chronic problem, his career is about to take a much different path.
  21. RJA
    Boy, not a good day on the farm, or in the majors. It seems in the Twins system, teams either score a bunch of runs, or struggle to get base hits. There is no in between. Swing and miss baseball is really boring IMHO.
  22. RJA
    Good summary, Steve. Nice to see Povich off to a good start. Martin really looks out of sync, but I think he will be fine when he settles down. Cavaco had two hits again, so maybe a good start will help him get on a good development track. He has great natural ability. I can't wait for the games tonight with Sands, Canterino, Mooney and Hajjar all on the mound. Should be a lot of K's tonight.
  23. RJA
    Great summary, thanks loads. I have three take aways. First, it would be interesting to find out if any Twins minor league players have started the season with as much "bang" as Encarnacion-Strand has this year. Amazing start. Second, it is great to see Rodriguez showing good plate discipline. I agree he could be a fast mover. Finally, I agree with a post I saw on this site that wonders if Martin is feeling pressure at short. I sometimes wonder if they are trying to establish him at short to improve his trade value rather than as a long term plan to keep him there. From everything I have seen, it looks like his future may be in the outfield or at second base, or maybe third if his throwing works out.
  24. RJA
    Good discussion. If the trade is pretty much even already, and the player to be named is a nonprospect prospect, why not just name the player now rather than waiting a month? As the Twins have been looking for pitching trades since last fall, I can't believe they are not pretty familiar with the Padres' farm system. After all, they have been trying to acquire Paddack forever. It would make sense if the person cannot be traded yet which would include some of the names mentioned. Good info. Why do you think there is a delay in naming the player? I would think they know the Padres' minor league system pretty well, so why not just name the player now? I would appreciate your thoughts on this Otto von Ballpark.
  25. RJA
    Thanks for the comment stringer bell. I don't think whether someone is on the 40 man determines his prospect status as that can change quickly. As for his age, Rooker is 27 and we put him on our prospect lists right up until the trade. Every player has a different development trajectory. I am not suggesting he is Royce Lewis, but Garlick is not on the roster and neither is Cave, and if the Twins need a 4th outfielder (probably won't if sign Upton) I would take him over the other two. Actually, Ted Schwerzler had a nice article about him on this site you might enjoy.
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