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RJA

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  1. RJA
    Let's hope Martin is finding himself a bit. It is always a bad sign when the story lead is that Martin hit his second home run of the year! Hopefully, home runs won't be as noteworthy of mention next year. SWR's year is ending well. I would suspect if he performs well early next year at St. Paul, he will get an invite to Target Field. Great stuff. Varland and SWR may end up being the best of our young pitchers--pray for health. Finally, Julien is remarkable. He is 0 for 3 but has two walks. He has an insane ability to get on base. He is another guy that could move up next year. I love our young position players, now if the pitching could catch up and everyone could stay healthy, we could have some fun.
  2. RJA
    Good article. I love Ryan but I don't think he will ever be a front end starter unless his secondary stuff improves, both in quality and location. Given the fact that they were desperate to have quality starters on the team, fans rushed to annoint him a star last year based on a few games. Now that the bloom is off the rose a bit, some fans are disappointed in him. Even if he doesn't improve his secondary offerings, he will still be a quality part of the rotation. Let's hope he develops into more, but appreciate his talents even if he ends up as a 3 or 4.
  3. RJA
    Owning baseball teams is a rich person's hobby, not a business. But, I have a question for you Major League Ready, if Pohlad bought the Twins for let's say 25 million, and it is now worth approximately 1.4 billion, has his net worth increased? It astounds me that people continue to ignore capital appreciation when looking at team payrolls. Yearly income is not the reason rich people buy sports franchises, and if they run them to maximize yearly profits they are insulting the fans given how much they make on yearly appreciation.
  4. RJA
    Bean5302 is spot on. The Twins are much different than other teams and refuse to get off this third time through the order bugaboo. I also believe that by routinely limiting pitch counts in the minors in the interest of avoiding injuries (how has that worked out??), you are essentially preparing these pitchers to pitch a maximum of 5 innings in the majors. It is a self fulfilling prophecy. If you are used to throwing only 60-70 pitches, you are going to create a psychological barrier and you will tire out after 60-70 pitches. I actually think by babying pitchers, we are doing them and the team a disservice.
  5. RJA
    Dyson clearly didn't have any red flags. He just turned out to have been dishonest with himself and/or his teams. Maeda had some issues, but he seemed to have a pretty good history, so I am not sure anyone could have predicted his surgery. On the other hand, everybody and their unce knew Paddack wasn't right, so that was not a wise move, especially since he had already had one TJ surgery. I suspect if he recovers, it will likely be 2024 before he is "whole" again. Why make this trade when you want a pitcher to help you this year? It makes no sense. Mahle did not have as big of a red flag, but when a pitcher has arm shoulder issues in early July, the chance of it acting up again is significant. If you are making a deadline deal, why take a risk that the player you desperately need is going to be on the IL? And, he did cost significant prospect capital IMHO. Do I want the FO to sit on its thumbs at the deadline? No, I want the FO to sign a good free agent pitcher to avoid being in the position to have to give up prospects for someone at the deadline. Or, if you are going to add someone, don't focus on players with a history of injuries or one who has had arm or shoulder issues early in current season, even if the acquistion cost is higher. Penny wise and pound foolish methinks.
  6. RJA
    The best news last night was Ober pitching and pitching well. It would help for this year and next year if he could get back in the rotation yet this fall. For whatever reason, one time Smeltzer looks unhittable and the next time he can't get anyone out. With his stuff, it is all about command. Williams is quietly having quite a year--27 homers and 84 RBI (I know, old time stats) in 98 games. It will be interesting to see if he builds on his success next year.
  7. RJA
    A player making his major league debut is one of the coolest parts of baseball. I can only imagine the butterflies he must feel especially debuting in the Bronx. It will be a blast to watch. Development is a highly individual thing. If you had asked me in spring training who would most likely come up as a starter, I would have thought Balazovic would be the guy, but Varland passed he and SWR up this summer. Let's hope the local kid does well.
  8. RJA
    Interesting idea. The AFL is a blast to visit--kind of like spring training as you are close to the action and can access players and listen in on conversations by scouts in the stands. Teams usually send a mix of prospects, from their elite guys to guys that are earlier in their development stage. I am not sure if expanding the concept would enhance development or whether it would be better for most players to work on things individually like Varland did in the offseason. I am not close enough to the details of offseason training to give this a yea or nay.
  9. RJA
    I think Varland has a chance to be a good starter, but Dobnak and Smeltzer will end up in the bullpen at best next year IMHO. Balazovic has been horrible this year, so I suspect he will need most or all of next year to reestablish himself as prospect. Maybe injuries bothered him, but the times I have seen him he simply has no command of the strike zone. He is not pitching the way you would like a top prospect to pitch. Winder I simply don't know about. I think he has good potential, but he is up and down, and injured. As TwinsDr2021 notes, none of these guys are getting any younger. Frankly, I think Prielapp may be the best of the bunch. I can't wait to see him pitch. I presume Varland or Winder will be called up to replace Mahle and maybe Gray.
  10. RJA
    I think Martin needs to relax and play the game. I am not sure if he is trying to adjust his approach due to coaching suggestions, or is just putting pressure on himself, but he has to follow Baldelli's advice to the Twins before the win streak started and just go out and play and forget everything (ok, I cleaned it up a bit). It may be a situation like Buxton experienced when everyone was trying to tell him what to do and he finally just said the heck with it, and did his own thing. If he is still struggling next year, then I will worry. Balazovic looks totally out of sync, whether it is injury related or in his head, he needs to start fresh next year and try to build momentum. He has great stuff. Canterino will be fine. Surgery actually overdue. But, there is no denying that they all have been disappointments in their own way.
  11. RJA
    Your post is interesting. Thank you. I would tend to look at season long statistics, or those that are most current--last 3-4 weeks--as every player/pitcher has up and down periods with respect to their performance. The thing every manager would like to avoid is starting a pitcher who is struggling currently, hence the most recent data is relevant. This in no way detracts from your premise about Bundy--I have been a critic and I agree with you that he has done better than he is given credit for.
  12. RJA
    I don't think he offers much. I suspect the FO signed him as insurance in case Buck is out longer than they think.
  13. RJA
    Three thoughts. It was nice to see Henriquez pitch well. His stuff is better than his stat line, and we have to remember he is still only 22 years old and pitching in AAA, so he has time to develop. He is one of those players who could put it all together and have a breakout year. Second, I wish stolen bases were still an important part of baseball. I am old enough to remember Maury Wills and his chase for 100, and Ricky Henderson causing chaos on the bases, and of course, our own Rod Carew stealing home. Maybe if shifts are restricted, stolen bases will come back. I think the game would be richer for it. Finally, Stewart and Boyle are what minor league baseball is all about. Young guys working their tails off, experiencing injuries and disappointments, and have the character and strength of will to fight back. I am looking forward to interviews with these guys in the offseason. I am in their corners.
  14. RJA
    Oh my, Cody, I was hoping for a better comparison than Gallo! But, the reality is you might be right. He has struggled while at St. Paul which is usual for him when he moves up a level, but he only has 3 homers in 30 some games and is not making consistent contact, Like Gallo, he walks a lot, has prodigious power, and has trouble making contact. He is not the defensive player Gallo is despite his great arm. And, as others noted, he is older than many prospects. I like the kid and am pulling for him, but I am not sure that he will be able to adjust to the great sliders and off speed stuff at the next level. Let's hope so.
  15. RJA
    I agree with your comment. And, what has impressed me since he has been at St. Paul is that he has improved his walk rate--something like 3 in 17 innings. If he could maintain that, with his stuff, he could do well at Target Field.
  16. RJA
    I hate to be a cynic, but this year looks like it is game, set, match. I know Seth is thoughtful in his defense of Rocco, and while his game and pitching decisions are "curious", I don't think any manager could win with this lineup. Gleeman's summary of why the team is losing in the Athletic today is spot on. Correa is not having a good year but what is really frustrating is that he should be the guy that comes up with the big hits, and timely homeruns, and he has been next to inept in that role this year. Maybe he put too much pressure on himself trying to create a championship culture, and is struggling to make it happen. But, one thing is clear, the Twins need to make some changes in the offseason and address the catching situation, Kepler, the bullpen (Lopez has looked shaky since coming over), the starting rotation, etc. There is a good core with Miranda, Polanco, Buxton, and Arraez, but who knows if Kirilloff will ever be healthy, Lewis will make a full recovery and be the player he was, and Larnach will prove himself. Kepler needs to be replaced with a solid corner right handed hitting outfielder. On the pitching side, even if Paddack and Maeda are back, how will they perform? Going into next year, given the inevitability of injuries, they need to add one top starter and bullpen help. And, they need catching help. I hope the FO is up to the challenge.
  17. RJA
    I hope this is the last year we have to watch Kepler's ineptitude at the plate. His defense does not make up for his lack of offense. For the past few years, I keep expecting he will adjust his approach, but outside of brief stretches, he continues to hit ground balls for outs and double plays. Rocco is Rocco. He is not going to change his approach. Going forward, if Rocco stays which I assume he will, the Twins better have a deep and quality bullpen because he is going to use it a lot. I would like to think the Twins could bounce back and make a run, but with Buxton out and with the lineup they put out there, I just don't see that happening.
  18. RJA
    Great questions. I think there need to be big changes this winter, which is a topic for another day. I think these three players (assuming Lewis recovers from a second surgery), together with Miranda, Larnach, hopefully Kirilloff, Arraez, Buxton, and Polanco should make a pretty good core, and should happen sometime next year. Julien is an exciting prospect. They should give him a hard look next spring, and even if he goes to St. Paul, he should arrive sometime next summer. He has the makings of a professional hitter--good power, great eye, and drives the ball consistently. Plus, he has great speed and steals bases. I know, I know we shouldn't look to next year, but.....
  19. RJA
    Yes. Simple answer. Let's see whether he can be a reliable bullpen piece next year. And, more importantly, he could help this year. Does anyone really believe he would do worse than Pagan has for the past 4 years?
  20. RJA
    I would like to see Williams get a shot with the Twins. He strikes out a bit (who doesn't these days), but he gets walks, has a decent BA, and has hit 24 homers. He certainly can't do any worse than Cave and Sanchez, and he has some position flexibility.
  21. RJA
    I think Rocco's reaction indicates that he is feeling the pressure as he watches his team's chances dwindle by the day. The injury bug has certainly hit the Twins hard, but even before Buxton went on the IL, he, Correa, and Polanco, who should be the heart of the order, were not doing much at all. Plus, having Duran, Jax, and Lopez in the bullpen doesn't do much good when you are constantly behind. If things don't take a significant turn in the next week, I fear it is lights out for the season. At this point, I don't think they have the horses to make a stretch run. I hope I am wrong and a phoenix rises out of the ashes, but I don't expect it.
  22. RJA
    There is something missing with this team IMHO. Maybe it is a lack of leadership, maybe there are some issues in the clubhouse that we are not aware of (hence Gray's comments), maybe Rocco's decisions are questionable, or maybe they just plain aren't as good as we think. I do know Correa has been a disappointment, and Buxton's injuries seem to have taken some fire out of his belly, but they just seem listless so much of the time. When your best clutch hitter is a rookie, that says a lot. Where is the homer hankie when you need it? Where are the players only meetings to address the lack of clutch hitting? Where is, for the lack of a better term, the passion to right the ship? This is a crazy year for sure, but I don't think I am close enough to the team to know exactly what is going on. But I do sense something is not right with this group.
  23. RJA
    I agree with you on this. He is an interesting prospect. It seems like his biggest issue is control--too many walks and command that comes and goes. But, I am going to start paying more attention to him. Even if he turns out to be a bullpen arm, it looks like he might be able to add value.
  24. RJA
    Great analysis, Nick. Duran is clearly one of the best relievers in baseball and actually looks to be getting better as the year progresses. I think he should be "the" closer if the Twins settle on such a designation. I think Lopez as the set up guy would be perfect. Hopefully, Rocco will let starters go a little deeper into games so that Duran and Lopez are not overused. Looking ahead, IF Acala gets healthy, having Duran, Lopez, Jax and Acala in the bullpen would be a good start next year.
  25. RJA
    Interesting article, Cody. I think SWR has the potential to be as good as Berrios if not better, but until he gets to Target Field and produces for a couple of years, it is a difficult comparison to make. I think SWR has great stuff, but the key for him will be limiting walks, improving command, and being consistent. One of the great things about baseball is you can watch players develop in the minors, discuss them, rate them, and dream on them. Such is the case with SWR. It makes being a baseball fan loads of fun.
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