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ToddlerHarmon

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Everything posted by ToddlerHarmon

  1. ToddlerHarmon
    I tend to agree that Polanco is the obvious bait, but that he might not be enough. Maybe by July, Polanco looks good enough and the Reds look bad enough. All that said, I think Polanco means more to beating the Yankees than another starting pitcher, even a Game 1 starter. It's becoming clear why the front office values the flexibility of Polanco in the infield and Kepler in the outfield, so much so that they were the first extensions handed out. They each play the role of "utility starter", that is, an above average two way starter, who can slide to any other position in the infield and outfield, thus allowing you to have serious bats Arraez and Rooker as "bench" players who actually play frequently, and just cause Polanco and Kepler to move around. It's smart roster construction, and the Twins don't have any replacement for Polanco that allows it until Lewis is ready.
  2. ToddlerHarmon
    I would remove Thorpe from your list, but otherwise I agree
  3. ToddlerHarmon
    Lol, no. If Broxton makes the team, it is as a defensive backup CF. Which we do need. (Plus, there's the 420 feet of not quiet from yesterday)
  4. ToddlerHarmon
    A few nice things to see in that exit velocity top 10: - 8 different players - 6 of whom will be in the starting lineup - that's without Sano - yet
  5. ToddlerHarmon
    TFFL got it in one. Duffey is the fireman already, according to Geek's LI articles
  6. ToddlerHarmon
    It's a trick question, because 1) Rocco doesn't care what I think, and 2) there will not be just one leadoff hitter. That said, I would love for it to be Arraez the most, followed by Polanco. This keeps Donaldson and Cruz at 2 and 3, and puts the two other high on-base guys at the plate as often as possible. Kepler and Buxton have not demonstrated the ability to hit for a high enough average to lead off. An intriguing question is, if you start with Arraez-Donaldson-Cruz, isn't Sano your best bet at cleanup? I know, three righties in a row, but when Sano js hitting, that's three absolute beasts. And can you really say that Kepler or Polanco would be a better choice?
  7. ToddlerHarmon
    Arraez not taking any outfield reps does indeed sound like Kirilloff is the starter in LF. It also sounds like Rooker is the on the roster, and the preferred 4th outfielder. I always assumed "out of left field" meant the ball coming in to the plate to surprisingly prevent you from scoring. Like playing slow pitch catcher and having runners stunned that I had the ball in my glove after that single landed in front of our Division II left fielder.
  8. ToddlerHarmon
    Did they address the lack of baserunners? I'm optimistic about the season, but I worry that we rely on hitting mistake pitches. They are hard to come by in a short series against the top of a playoff staff.
  9. ToddlerHarmon
    Fourth outfielder seems like the biggest hole in the roster right now. Sure, we have Cave, Larnach, and Rooker ready to let Max shift over if Buxton goes down, but that hasn't worked well in the past. Plus, an actual center fielder providing speed off the bench would be great.
  10. ToddlerHarmon
    40 man is getting tight. On the bubble would seem to be Smeltzer, Gibault, Tortuga, Blankenhorn
  11. ToddlerHarmon
    Given what the FO values, this is a good move. I just wish they valued plate discipline a bit more
  12. ToddlerHarmon
    Let's break it down by position vs that 2002 team, per my completely arguable eye test: SS Guzman < Simba C AJ/Prince > garver/jeffers CF Hunter < Buxton 2B Rivas < Polanco 3B Koskie > Donaldson RF Mohr < Kepler LF Jones > Kiriloff 1B Mientkeiwicz > Sano So with all the caveats about age and injury (which Heavily favor the 2002 team), the 2021 team is probably worse in 5 positions, but probably better in 3 of the 4 most important. And the 2021 team plays in a more defense-friendly ballpark with more data-driven approach. So, this team has the potential to be the Twins best since 2000, but I don't think I would bet on it.
  13. ToddlerHarmon
    Love this signing. It's the only thing I've been saying all off-season. I haven't seen this mentioned, but it could also allow for some time with Arraez at first, thus allowing a bit more shifting versus righties. When facing pull-hitting sluggers at Target Field, this could be useful. Also, someone wagged about Cruz could play left with all the defensive protection. Good line, but this seriously makes things easier for 2021 Rookie of the Year Alex Kiriloff.
  14. ToddlerHarmon
    I also wonder why Arraez is being considered expendable by some. Especially considering the Twins' struggles to get on base, even when we were Bombas.
  15. ToddlerHarmon
    SIMMONS! Seriously, Simmons at SS and Buxton in CF would already be unfair. With Donaldson, Kepler, and Jeffers, that's a darn good defense
  16. ToddlerHarmon
    We are starved for on-base guys. Why would we drop Arraez? IMO, fill the *real* hole, shortstop defense, with Simmons, and play either him or Polanco as a super sub while waiting for Lewis.
  17. ToddlerHarmon
    Agreed re "Non-tendered placeholder", and I'm hoping it's Simmons. I might also correct the (excellent) OP slightly with: Archetype #2: Starting Pitchers Recovering from *Surgery* Hill and Pineda had already had surgery for their issues, and were taking expected recovery time while being free agents. I'd worry about signing a pitcher who has missed time, but has had no intervention or other reason to expect a robust recovery
  18. ToddlerHarmon
    I almost stopped reading when you failed to label the third group WHOA NELLY. Talk about opportunity cost
  19. ToddlerHarmon
    This works if we have a quality bat in the super utility position. Maybe that guy is both cheaper and more useful than a full time mashing DH
  20. ToddlerHarmon
    Happy Birthday! Love the memories
  21. ToddlerHarmon
    I wonder whether certain players exemplify this more than others, and how much a few key players altered the overall stats. Sano, Kepler, and Garver all had struggles, but they all looked a little different. Did they contribute the bulk of 1, 2, and 3, respectively?
  22. ToddlerHarmon
    Thanks for asking the question. I agree that it's not about scouts v. stats or old-school v. analytics. Balls in play are just plain more fun. A couple possible fixes, which start to stretch into the ridiculous: Reduce rosters. Fewer pitchers means more times through the order, and less ability to rely on just heat. Plus same-sided batters might swing more defensively? The impact of this might be marginal Move the fences out/up. We do live in an era of stadiums that are easier to hit home runs in, and where it's a feat to produce a triple Remove/modify the foul-bunt strikeout. Make the bunt a palatable option again, force teams out of the shift. Deaden the ball further 8 fielders? 80-foot baselines? No mound at all? Over the fence is a double?
  23. ToddlerHarmon
    Let me preface this by saying I love Cruz, and I value known production. But. Not signing Cruz, in addition to saving money for other needs, would also make it possible to find room and playing time for all of our MLB-ready hitting prospects, plus both catchers, while also leaving room on the roster for glove-first utility players. Thus it could improve our defense, our lineup flexibility, and our player development. One could imagine the following hitters on the roster: Rooker Garver Sano Arraez Donaldson Polanco Kiriloff Buxton Kepler -- Jeffers Larnach Lewis/FA (note Lewis could play good defense at either CF or SS) Gordon/FA
  24. ToddlerHarmon
    If bad calls decline every year for 12 years, then: 1) there are skills that can be learned to be more accurate 2) those skills are being learned by MLB umpires
  25. ToddlerHarmon
    I would love to say bring up Lewis and let him play all over. He profiles as a good defender at short, and possibly fantastic at third or in center. But it appears that his bat isn't ready, and we don't want to miss out on the potential of an all around star. Sigh
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