ewen21

Absolutely. If Dozier plays well, flip him if you can. Let Polanco fill his shoes at 2nd. Then you have a nucleus of Polanco, Kepler, Buxton, Sano, all about in the same age range. All under team control for a while.

I'm with Brock and others. Who here is listening to what he says anymore? But that is the problem........ Was Terry Ryan ordained to be the GM of this team in perpetuity? He sure speaks like it...and there is the problem right there. This organization is incestuous. Bringing him back and then bringing Gardenhire back shows you all you need to know. Tom Kelly's outdated ideals and beliefs are still the footings on which this team is built. (I heard him in the booth a couple of years ago. He actually said, "These Latin players do things too fast. You gotta slow them down") With regards to this year, Ryan's first problem was he thought what he put together this year was going to work. He didn't take note that the division improved, he didn't accept that the team played over their heads last year, he put too much stock in guys with little or no track record, he assumed Plouffe and Dozier would be pillars in the lineup, he figured guys like Hughes and Gibson would pitch well, he thought Glen Perkins would bounce back, etc...etc....etc....I know a lot of people felt this team was moving in the right direction, but i did not. His second problem is he is shocked at how bad this team is. I am not. Last season was a mirage. Plouffe and Dozier started to fade badly last year and they came into camp acting as if they were in charge of hospitality and recreation. THere was a lot made of the "laughter" in Twins camp this spring. As if that were the prescription for something. Moving Sano was disastrous. it killed his confidence in meant that Trevor Plouffe really needed to have a big year to justify the move. That blew up. Dozier is not an all star, but the Twins think he is. The guy is streaky and he doesn't make adjustments. He was signed right after he had a surge and it was done to ensure they didn't need to go through the arbitration process. What is it with Ryan and his fear of the arbitration process anyway?? Signing Park was dumb, because he was an awkward piece. We had enough 1B types that DH already. Not having a little more depth in the outfield was dumb as well. Buxton's got issues with his bat and the Twins have been forced to go with him. I thought trading Hicks for JR MUrphy would help, but that has not worked out (for either team, really). Apart from that I literally HATED everything Ryan did this offseason. Everything he did made this team a little bit worse. He signs horrendous veteran pitchers who have no nuts to them, too. The Twins just never seem to be able to draft and raise starting pitching. Can anyone name one active pitcher somewhere in the majors starting for another team that was drafted and raised by the Twins? All this happened on his watch and he has been here since the mid-90s (save a few years where he cowered in the background). Now he wants to tell everyone after five years back he needs to figure this out? That we shouldn't "blow this out"? That we "need to stay the course"?? Why does he have any say in anything?

The question here isn't whether or not he has been "solid" over the last few years. The question is....what can we expect from him now? I honestly don't know after he collapsed for the second straight season. He getting into his mid-30s and his career trajectory is likely on the downward arc. This was the problem I had signing him to that extension. By the time the team got good he'd be toast

How can he be "solid" given his terrible second half performances?

The Twins signed him to that extension and acted as if they really had something. Some people were saying he was an "elite closer" and that is a term that just makes me shake my head. THere have been so few of those, imo. They are so streaky year to year. Yet the Twins wouldn't consider a deal even though having a "closer" on a last place team is completely useless. Worse still, Perkins never closed an important game in his life. He had some nice short runs as a closer, but when the dust cleared, he's been awol during the second half the last couple of seasons.

I think of Jose Reyes. A guy who had to use his legs to be successful. It got to a point where injuries started to take over when he hit 30. That is what happens to a lot of "speed first" guys. When he hit a triple last year he was running real fast, but he was running out of control. That will catch up to him

Sounds silly, but I have talked with a number of people who believe his speed and defense already makes him a star.

Eh. His defense is strong, but he will never be an elite player if he doesn't learn how to hit major league pitching. He could have all the speed and defense in the world. If he can't hit then he isn't a very good major leaguer. I hope the Twins don't start looking at him like Willie Mays Hayes...have him use his legs to get on base. If that's what we end up with then so much for all the hype

If he's a man he will

Working on a farm is the family business. Your dad makes those decisions. The analogy doesn't work in this case. Even worse, LaRoche set a HORRIBLE example for his son in the end. By not getting his way, and quitting as a result, he sends a terrible message to his son. Drake had an uncommon privilege. He got to chill with major leaguers. How is that teaching him ethics and resiliency? It's actually stunning to read some of the analogies presented here. doing farm work for your family vs. chilling in a major league clubhouse with your millionaire daddy?

I don't think how the White Sox handled it should be the issue. I think the issue is how much "rights" does an employee have to take their children to a place of employment. I am not talking about a situation where it is a family business and children come to help. LaRoche is just an employee of the White Sox. You are right. We don't know what the deal was....however, that isn't the issue. This is WHY did LaRoche expect that much? What about the "rights" of the other players to prepare free of this distraction? TO what level is a player allowed to do this? I had never heard of anything like this. LaRoche's needs were excessive. Pure and simple

You are mischaracterizing the situation. This is not about a kid spending "some time" with his father at work. This is about a kid who was a fixture as his dad's job. http://deadspin.com/it-looks-like-a-bunch-of-white-sox-players-had-a-proble-1765924819 It IS bizarre for a kid to spend that much time tagging along with his dad at work. There are no analogies that fit. This is an annoying sense of entitlement given to this kid. In days of yore children worked when they were out of school. This is a totally unique situation which only can be compared to other players around the league. It makes you wonder.....how many other kids are this present in major league clubhouses? I have never heard of such a thing. This is wayyyyy excessive. What is it with baseball players expecting to be treated like royalty? LaRoche put his own ego before the team. Having his son around as much as he was is an unnecessary indulgence. If players and staff complained about the kid interfering then good for Williams. He was the fall guy in this situation and he actually protected the privacy of the players who complained. No more information is necessary. LaRoche took this too far. He and Drake need to go to Disneyland. Good bye and good riddance

No, it is not. The discussion about the White Sox honoring this "agreement" means virtually nothing. The issue is WHY is Adam LaRoche so special? Is it now OK for all major league dads to have their children tag along? If so do we need to take a step back and look at the situation thanks to this? Drake was present for 120 games. He had his own locker, practiced with the team, was on chartered flights. Don't LaRoche's teammates have the right to complain about this? LaRoche and his son made this an issue. Pure and simple This idea that it is really the White Sox fault is absurd. It's LaRoche. He took things too far. He was given a special privilege and took it to the extreme.

You are pulling your children from school during important farming seasons Your children are actually WORKING to help the family business. That is entirely different than Drake LaRoche tagging along with his daddy at work. Drake LaRoche is an indulgence which is a lot different that your example. Drake's presence is completely pointless other than to give LaRoche personal satisfaction. He's an interference, a distraction and serves no purpose.

It doesn't matter because I disagree with LaRoche's unreasonable demands IN PRINCIPLE. The whole premise of bringing a kid to work as much as he did is an abuse and it creates an awkward situation for all involved. I really could give two bleeps about what the contract says. To make those kinds of stipulations are over the top. The other thing is you cite a contract which is unknown. I am saying I don't even care what the contract says. In principle, (absent any consideration of what the contract says) I think this demands were ridiculous if he required his son to be that much of a presence. It's unheard of. It's BIZARRE

Williams could have handled this better, but the point is why did this guy take his privilege so far? To me it went beyond. It's workplace.

There is no need for additional information. We already have enough information. This whole story is a dead issue. The White Sox were right for ending their relationship with Adam and his son Drake. This is not the "Courtship of Eddie's Father" here. This is a professional baseball. What some people fail to understand is that although LaRoche was given the thumbs up initially on this PRIVILEGE of having his sidekick son tagging along, a PRIVILEGE is not an unconditional thing. This business about the White Sox lying to him is bunk. The problem is Williams scrambled to make an excuse for his decision and he really didn't need to--no matter how unpopular. For LaRoche and certain White Sox to expect this arrangement to be completely unconditional is absurd. It was a privilege and apparently the White Sox felt after a year letting it play out it was too much. And it was too much. This kid has lived this odd life for years, apparently. LaRoche actually believes that rather than being among peers and developing like a normal child his son is better off under his wing to the point where stipulations needed to be made. That is not only absurd, it is borderline nuts. I am not telling him how to raise a child, but this whole thing is bonkers. What in the world gives LaRoche the right to expect and demand such special treatment? He has tried to sell him as a "family first guy" and I think that is hogwash. He is a ME FIRST guy. He chose his own special demands over the team. The fact that Chris Sale and Adam Eaton are rushing to support LaRoche makes me shake my head. It only goes to show how these players don't want any special privilges taken away no matter how nuts they are. LaRoche is a guy who quit on himself and on the team. This is a guy who had a horrendous season and probably deep down realizes he isn't capable of playing to that contract. Instead of bowing out gracefully or listening to his boss he chose to make this into a big issue. He put his own special interests above the team. What in the world is with Eaton, Sale and the other Sox players? Move on already. Are they trying to say LaRoche was disrespected? Really?? He got more than any other able bodied employed person could ever hope for. He preformed horribly, had his son by his side (at his behest), and earned 13 million dollars on the way. Shut up and move along. The strange thing is, we have not heard a dissenting voice. I am hoping they come forward. I would guess a few players weren't comfortable with the arrangement. How could there not be? However, given way it's played out they can't for fear of being made to look like the bad guy or a voice that divides the clubhouse. THe work environment is not a place for children. A baseball clubhouse is not a place to rear your child. LaRoche's misguided comments about a baseball clubhouse being better than school are absurd. This support he has gotten is equally absurd. The White Sox were favored by some to do really well this season. I don't see how they can be given what has played out. And when they have a sideshow to talk about this year they can credit LaRoche for all of it. Sure, Kenny Williams could have done a better job, but that is not the issue. THe issue was initiated by LaRoche making these insane stipulations. If he were a family first guy he'd have retired after the last season. I gotta imagine there were plenty of awkward moments in that White Sox clubhouse because of him. How could there not have been?

Didn't Phil Mackey do a rundown of Ryan's FA starting pitcher signings last spring? It's an atrocity. What's worse is the starting pitching this team has raised on Ryan's watch. Name me one starting pitcher that has done anything (that came through our system) since Garza was called up in September of '06. Go look around the league and get back to me. Ryan's record in this area is brutal.

Nope, you can't say that if you are talking to me. You don't know what I thought of the deal right away. I hated it. I hate signing veteran FA stop gap pitchers as a policy. Ryan does this almost obsessively and it is no way to go, imo

The reasoning behind signing Pelfrey was "it's his second year off Tommy John" I'd like to know his reasoning behind signing this guy. If there was any at all

A more blunt and laconic statement works even better. Thanks for that!

Is it fair for me to say Ryan's track record with starting pitchers is brutal?

I think this is as much about Terry Ryan as it is Nolasco. Nolasco was demoted to the pen at the end of the 2013 season and he already strung together a number of weak seasons before he even arrived in LA. What does Terry Ryan do? He dumpster dives for yet another subpar free agent pitcher. I don't recall anyone actually supporting this signing from day one. Ryan needs to catch heat for this one. Under his watch the Twins have not produced a decent starting pitcher in about a decade AND he has made some horrendous FA pitcher signings. And yet.....the media praises the man. It's actually insane

I don't like the fact that he played 3rd for a few years and now suddenly he has to play the outfield. My question is..... Is Trevor Plouffe THAT good in order to cause this move? and 2 Shouldn't they have seen this coming if they liked Plouffe so much?? Sano is the best prospect we have had and on the surface this seems rather cavalier. Plouffe is OK, but if he has a down year and Sano does badly in the outfield this year then this bad move on paper is a even worse.

It's almost high treason to suggest Mauer does anything wrong in some circles. In my opinion, his biggest failing is what he does during the off season. He doesn't seem to understand that building strength and stamina is priority #1 for a ballplatyer over the winter. You can't do it during the season, so you must during the off season. To me, he really needed to do better with this over the course of his career. Am I a bad guy for thinking this? This was not a rash conclusion drawn based off a few minor details. This is something I have watched unfold over the course of his career. I am an obsessive fan who follows this team EVERY DAY. It took me years to come around on this one and yet I am seeing folks insist that this conclusion is baseless. Souhan's article today was on point. And I am no Jim Souhan fan