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RJA

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  1. RJA
    I love the draft, so your article is right in my wheelhouse. What is you take on DeLauter? When he faced better pitching, he looked a bit overmatched. If he doesn't see that quality of pitching on a regular basis, I can understand that he may require some adjustment time, but it raises the issue of just how good his competition is. I agree completely on Parada--I think his hit tool is legitimate. Thanks for the article, Jeremy. Keep them coming!
  2. RJA
    I know I am a broken record (or the digital age equivalent) on this, but I think Emmanuel Rodriquez has a higher hit tool ceiling than Steer or Urbina, Cody. What number would you assign to his future hit tool? Thanks for the article. Always interesting to speculate on prospects.
  3. RJA
    I hope he responds, but I fear I am skeptical. If Wes Johnson hasn't been able to crank up his velocity, I am not sure moving to the bullpen will help. But, that is the beauty of the sport--you never know what's going to happen and players can rebound.
  4. RJA
    Just sent my subscription to paypal, Guys. I hope I am around for many renewals :). Thanks for all you do.
  5. RJA
    If we take the Cincy FO at their word that they will not trade Mahle or Castillo, this leaves Montas and Manaea as the only available top line pitchers which is going to drastically increase the cost of their acquisition since Minnesota, New York, Chicago and others are in on the hunt. I heard that on a radio show out of Denver that one of the Colorado Rockies insiders who knows Story says that he has told the Twins that he won't sign unless he perceives they will be competitive as he is sick of losing. That will put additional pressure on the Twins if that is the case. IF they get Montas, I think it will cost Martin, Lewis or Kirilloff, plus one of the Twins top minor league arms, plus one or more in the top 30. That would beg the question: why in the world did they sit on their thumbs last fall when so many great pitchers were available? Just asking.
  6. RJA
    Given the age of three of these possibilities, perhaps another Chinese horse proverb is appropriate--"An old horse knows the way." I am like many other fans. I don't know for sure what is going on as I don't see the Twins signing any relievers which I would have thought they would do no matter what happens with their search for a shortstop and starting pitchers.
  7. RJA
    Boy, this article wasn't really a day brightener. Sorry, Cody. If this group were to open the season, we are in real trouble. This year of all years it makes no sense to predict rosters as SO many players remain available and so much can change. I expect 2 or 3 more additons/subtractions at least. If that doesn't happen, well, watching the minor leagues is a blast :).
  8. RJA
    I am not going to review this movie until I see the end. Depending on what happens next, the FO will look like geniuses or fools. Now, one plan may be to trade for Montas and Andrus and fill two needs while eating one bad contract in Andrus. Taking on that contract may lessen the cost in prospects. Or, they sign Story and trade for Montas to fill the two spots. But, Montas will come with a big price tag in terms of prospects. There are a few more starters who might be available--including Mahle and Castillo in Cincy if they continue to clean house, and Paddack in SD, and probably a few others. One is left to dream--what if they had signed Ray, added Gray, and then signed Story. Throw in Pineda and we would have had a starting five of Ray, Gray, Ryan, Pineda and Ober. What might have been.
  9. RJA
    Great update, Jamie. Parada is definitely of interest. I noticed BA just bumped him up their list as well. He sounds a bit like Ryan Jeffers when the Twins drafted him as he too had question marks as to whether he could stay behind the plate. Now with Jeffers being the last man standing among Twins catchers (Sanchez--I just don't know), I suspect the Twins will be looking to draft some players who don the tools of ignorance this year. But, it is still early and many will rise and fall as we get closer to the draft.
  10. RJA
    I agree with four of your selections, but I would put Emmanuel Rodriguez ahead of Cavaco by a pretty substantial margin. Cavaco has something like 4 or 5 homeruns in his career and is older than Rodriquez and has many more at bats. Rodriguez hit 10 last year in somewhere around 125 at bats. I know a lot of prospect sites have Cavaco as a 55 and Rodriguez as a 50 in power, but in my humble opinion those ratings are not correct. But, I might be missing something, Cody. What do you think of Rodriguez?
  11. RJA
    I agree. More is coming, and until we see the final product, we should wait and see what happens. If nothing happens, we will have plenty of time to complain--a whole season! Actually, the Twins could add Story and another bat if they wanted to and still be in good shape budget wise. They currently have very little on the books for the next couple of years. Plus, if they sign Story, it is possible Martin or Lewis would be dealt for more pitching.
  12. RJA
    I think I will wait until the FO is finished making deals before I comment on this trade. I think more is coming as losing two good bats--Donaldson and Garver--without adding anyone makes no sense. Two thoughts. How about Bryant and Story? They have so little on the books in the next two years that they could afford that. Second, if Story is added, it is possible either Martin or Lewis and Urshela/Sanchez may be on the move for more pitching.
  13. RJA
    I like the trade for both teams as each have different goals. For the Reds they are looking to cut the budget and build for the future. If Petty develops well, they will have he and Hunter Greene to anchor the rotation. For the Twins, they receive a quality starter without giving up any of the top prospects close to breaking into the bigs. Now I would like it more if they had signed Ray and then added Gray, but at least they are working to improve. I find it interesting that the Twins received two young Dominican players as additions to these trades. As the Twins really work the Dominican hard, I suspect they have been on these guys for awhile and saw something in each that they liked.
  14. RJA
    Count me in the group that likes this trade. Petty is a great prospect, but when he was drafted we all admitted that high school pitchers are a high risk category. I think he has a future, but one never knows. Frankly, I thought it would cost more to get Gray as Petty is a few years away at best, but the Reds are interested in cutting costs and building for a future in 2 or 3 years the way it looks. Is Gray a Robbie Ray? Of course not. We all wish the Twins would have signed a free agent AND added Gray and one other pitcher to have a quality rotation. But they didn't. Now the question will be "are the Twins finished?". Rumor has it they are not. Right now they still have Larnach, Martin, one of the young pitchers, Arraez, Kepler, Miranda and a few others to dangle in a trade so the cupboard is not bare. If they trade for one more and add Pineda, the rotation would look MUCH better. I also liked that they added some young pitchers in both trades--can't have too many pitching prospects.
  15. RJA
    Great response. Thank you for your thoughts. I too go back to the 50's and 60's!
  16. RJA
    I am a traditionalist old guy so messing with the game is not something I like. But, I like the improved safety aspect of the larger bases, especially so as to avoid first base collisions. If it increases stolen bases, that would be an added benefit. Good article.
  17. RJA
    Great job getting a scouting report out in less than 24 hours! Will be fun to see how this kid develops.
  18. RJA
    Good analysis, Ted. I think the Twins FO knows this is a transition year, and things would have to break extremely well in order to compete in 2022. I really believe their focus is on getting ready for 2023 while still trying to get better for this year. Kiner-Falefa is an excellent defensive shortstop that clearly outperformed Simmons at the plate last year, and has much more potential at the plate than Simmons going forward. He is a good addition. Plus, if they are committed to seeing how the young arms are going to do this year, having Polanco, Kiner-Falefa and Buxton up the middle definitely provides some defensive support for the young guys. I also think we overestimate what Garver can bring in return for established pitching as some are suggesting. I love him and respect him, but he comes with injury concerns, and his biggest year was 2019 and we all know those numbers don't mean a whole lot. Just look at the number of players who had career years in 2019 and have not approached it since--Kepler for example. I am not sure teams were standing in line to acquire him. The A's for example, are going to want young/inexpensive players in return for pitching, so I don't think Garver would have been of great interest to them. Plus, I think Jeffers needs to "be the man" behind the plate for us to really see how he develops. Splitting time with Garver makes no sense, so one of them had to go in my humble opinion. I think both teams did well in this trade. If the Twins acquire pitching, I think we should be prepared to lose Arraez, Martin, Lewis, Miranda, or other young players as that is what it will cost.
  19. RJA
    This is a good trade for both teams. The Twins get a SS who is excellent defensively and also has position flexibility as he is a Gold Glove third baseman and emergency catcher. He has two years of control so the middle of the defense will be set with Jeffers, Polanco, KIner-Falefa, and Buxton. As for adding a pitcher, I am inclined to think they are not done. Also, there is some risk with Garver (I love the guy, and will miss him so not dumping on him) based on injuries, and the Twins need to give Jeffers the full time job as splitting it hindered his development. Plus, the Twins get a decent prospect. For the Rangers, they instantly improve their catching situation and add a bat to go with their recent additions. They have enough shortstops for gosh sakes, and I am not sure Kiner-Falefa has enough bat to be a full time third baseman, so they are trading from an area of strength. I would have made this trade if I was in the Twins FO, but as with all trades, it will take a couple of years to see if anyone "won" the trade.
  20. RJA
    Good article, Jeremy. I like the draft and follow and can see how a team with great scouting and analytics departments could use that to their advantage. Likewise with the 20 round draft. There will be nowhere near as many players drafted, so there will be a few hidden gems available to sign after the draft for those teams that have the ability to identify them. After all, Smoltz, Griffey Sr., Piazza, Keith Hernandez, Buehrle, Kenny Rogers, and many others were drafted after the 20th round. What is your best guess on whether we will have an international draft?
  21. RJA
    Great article, Sherry. So often, all we know about spouses of professional athletes, whether they be male or female players, is a brief camera shot of them in the stadium or arena. Sometimes we forget that they have careers every bit as challenging as their spouses. Also, I really enjoy the human interest aspect of sports, and your article fits the bill perfectly. Thanks.
  22. RJA
    I agree with tony&rodney that these weren't horrible picks as even Parmalee has a little time in the bigs. Revere is a strange pick as he was so limited both defensively and offensively. His arm was so bad that even with his speed and coverage in CF, he was a defensive liability. Offensively, he had no power whatsoever. The other three picks were good but not great.
  23. RJA
    Seth, this article is why people depend on TD to bring us the news. Great access to front office, detailed article on what was said, and a good review of where we sit. Nice job. Reading between the lines, it sounds like they are very confident in their young pitchers, so I would suspect they might add one good pitcher by trade (or Rodon), sign Pineda and another mid-rotation type, and look for the young arms to assert themselves by midseason, or maybe earlier. It should be an exciting few weeks all around the majors, most especially with the Twins.
  24. RJA
    Great information, Parker, and great to hear! Thank you for sharing your expertise on this. I LOVE following the Minnesota/Upper Midwest kids in college and the pros, and I am happy to hear that D1 schools are more heavily recruiting our young men. That is great news for the players, schools, and fans.
  25. RJA
    If I were with you, I would give you a hug. Great news. And, thanks for staying on this and keeping us informed.
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