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nicksaviking

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Everything posted by nicksaviking

  1. nicksaviking
    I want the Twins to do better with international players as well, though I don't know that I'm going to get too upset about not getting Hinojosa. I'll save that for other non-signings later this offseason. From your post I thought there may have been a report that the Twins refused to sign him. In actuality the Red Sox signed him at $4.25 million. As the big market Red Sox paid $4.25M the Twins would not have gotten him for $4M. It may not be fair, but if you're going to get a free agent away from a big market winner, you're going to have to offer more than they do, maybe quite a bit more. That being said, many people think this guy is a reliever. He's got an 88-91 MPH fastball. Now that doesn't mean he can't strike guys out, but that velocity certainly doesn't get my juices flowing. I'm done with soft-tossing back of the rotation arms. I would have been happy to take a chance on something Cuban, but this guy doesn't look to be much to get excited about.
  2. nicksaviking
    I would agree if this was a different club, but the Twins managerial staff has been hired and fired in piecemeal for decades. The only way I see wholesale changes is if Ryan gets canned and a new GM, from outside the organization comes in a blows everything up.
  3. nicksaviking
    Probably, but that is a complete BS. I like Molitor and I like him around the players. I think he should be a candidate for a managerial position, but if this is a preemptive move to keep the old boys club intact and stall change despite the obvious need for outside voices, Ryan needs to go. Molitor or any other current employee cannot be given de facto status while we are staring at all this incompetence, it is a huge slap in the face to fans who want to think there is hope this club will someday join the 21st century. Ryan needs to stop insulating this club from the rest of the baseball world.
  4. nicksaviking
    Players at all levels are much more likely to succeed with a high strikeout rate than they are with a low OBP.
  5. nicksaviking
    Especially considering that 20-year-olds in Low A have historically struggled to regularly hit the strike zone. Additionally, the league HR leader generally gets pitched around, you'd think this extra likely after the promotions of Buxton and Hicks.
  6. nicksaviking
    Cocaine adds strength and helps helps the body rapidly recover? I got to see that study. I too am curious why Molitor is suddenly a fit. I like the move but am also frustrated they dipped back into the old boys club. It just strengthens the notion that Ryan refuses to leave his comfort zone.
  7. nicksaviking
    Clearly, but since when are free agent pitchers paid what they are worth? I think he gets less than 12.5M per year but it will be much higher than 6M I suspect. If you want pitching, you have to overpay or develop it yourself. It's just the rules of the game, and unfortunately the Twins aren't able to develop it themselves.
  8. nicksaviking
    Jon Heyman says they will give him the qualifying offer: Giants to make qualifying offers to Pence, Lincecum; they won't accept - CBSSports.com Obviously he could be wrong, but he usually has a pretty good feel for this stuff.
  9. nicksaviking
    The Astros have retired nine numbers. I remeber going to a game, which was before Bagwell and Biggio had retired and thinking it was kind of embarassing that the Astros had six numbers retired and only Nolan Ryan was anything close to an all time great. Similarly aged franchises like the Royals and Mets have only retired three numbers, the Brewers only four, the Rangers one. Wade Boggs and pre-steroid Roger Clemens haven't even gotten their numbers retired by the Red Sox. Radke wasn't elite, he was never close to elite, he was just very good. I'd be embarassed if we as Twins fans retired his number, basically telling the rest of the baseball world, "This is the best we've contributed to our sport." I think the notion that he spent his entire career with one club isn't a very good qualifyer for this distinction. After all, it's not their fault that Kaat, Perry, Viola and Santana got traded. They were all better players and if Radke got his number retired, it would mean the Twins would need to retire about a dozen more that are better than him.
  10. nicksaviking
    I'm in the same boat, but I didn't think any club would give hiim more than two years regardless of what Lincecum wanted. Now when he gets a qualifying offer and insists on one year he looks even worse. Who wants to give up the 2nd round pick for one season of Lincecum in a Twins uniform in 2014?
  11. nicksaviking
    He didn't sign until the second week of December, and because the Twins signed him neither early nor late, they were FORCED to overpay him. The Cubs went out and set the tone for the off season by being quick to sign Baker and Feldman. I want the Twins to be proactive and make a statement early, that will change how fans, and more importatnly, free agents, view this team. I'd argue that the Twins over-paying of a zero upside arm weeks after other clubs signed similarly, or in most cases higher regarded pitchers, was instead a reactive move which ended up stinking of desperation.
  12. nicksaviking
    For the league, or just the White Sox? Either way, Alexei Rameriz has been a steal for Chicago. His orignial deal was 4 years for $4.75 million. It was a different time, but he was a known commodity, that was just the going rate for most Cuban bats. His new deal pays him about $30 million for four years. What a bargain for a plus defensvie and plus offensive shortstop. Dayan Viciedo hasn't done a ton yet, but he did hit 24 HR as a 23-year old. The White Sox may not be the Dodgers, but they seem to have a better feel for this Cuban game than the Twins do. In my opinion, if the Twins don't know how to proceed with Cuban free agents, just go after the guys that the other succesful Cuban chasers are going after. It's not a sin to acknowledge another team may know more than you in a particular area.
  13. nicksaviking
    The Twins have enough money to spend that I'd like them to do what the Cubs did last year. Go out right away and overpay for a guy. Set the bar high and let the other teams curse the Twins for doing so. It would also be a sign to all free agents that the Twins are serious which would probably make other guys more willing to come, particularly the few bargains that are left hanging at the end of free agency for what ever reason.
  14. nicksaviking
    Sure but everyone wants those kinds of pitchers, that's why they get nine figure contracts. I'd give Haren a shot, but I doubt he gets three years from any team. Lincecum also probably only gets a two year deal, not sure I want to give up a draft pick for the kind of pitcher whose question marks will likely limit him to a short term deal though.
  15. nicksaviking
    I don't understand the argument. Arroyo will not and should not be considered for number retirement. Ever. Radke got exactly two HOF votes. He is not an all time great player.
  16. nicksaviking
    I for one was never sold on Hrbek getting his number retired. I wasn't against it, but it seemed as much to do with his status as a hometown hero as anything else. However, he was a better player than Radke. At the very least, he was a vital cog of the World Series teams. I want the elite numbers retired, the guys who fans of other teams would also revere as great players. Basically Hall of Famers or those that we may view as close enough for consideration.
  17. nicksaviking
    I think great is pretty exaggerated. I love Radke, but a guy who is off the HOF ballot after his first year of eligibility isn't great. He was very good but had an ERA under 4.00 only four times. I'm not sure how proud I would be of retiring the number of guys who are the "epitome of a Twins pitcher," that's not very high praise. I might even call it a derogatory statement. That's why #57 will be the next number retired by the Twins. Santana was definitely not the epitome of a Twins pitcher, that's why he was two-time Cy Young winner. If Kaat and Viola aren't getting their number retired, Radke shouldn't.
  18. nicksaviking
    Kramer's buddy Bob Sacamanto posted a video he took of Jorge at the FIL. That delivery stinks. Doesn't use his lower half, tiny stride toward home and all the effort is in his shoulder. The Twins don't seem to instruct (or sign) pitchers who take long strides (which usually limits velocity) but I'm surprised the Twins haven't changed this delivery yet.
  19. nicksaviking
    The qualifying offer will be worth $14.1 million. A 2 year deal at $7-8 million would make no sense to Lincecum. You'd need to double that to get considered. 2 for $24-28M is more like it.
  20. nicksaviking
    I'd assume he has MLBTR bookmarked. It summerizes and links to all kinds of articles.
  21. nicksaviking
    No kidding. I could be convinced, but I just don't think Lincecum is worth it anymore. I can't see him getting more than 2 years, especially from the Twins. So then is two years of Lincecum, one of which will almost certainly be another uncompetitve year, be worth the 2nd round pick? Maybe, though it is a deep draft with a ton of hard throwing HS kids.
  22. nicksaviking
    Walker is going to struggle with these rankings as long as he has trouble getting on base in Low A ball. I think we all love his power but he's not going anywhere if he can't learn to take a walk from a bunch of 20-year-old pitchers who have trouble consistantly hitting the strike zone. He was the league leader in HR by 30% yet only had an OBP of .319. That is a monsterous red flag.
  23. nicksaviking
    The Giants have implied they will be giving him a qualifying offer since he isn't interested in talking extension. I don't think I'm in for giving away a 2nd round pick* for him at this point, he just doesn't look like a top of the rotation guy anymore. Without the compensation I'd go for him, but at this point I'd rather go for the likely draft pick free Josh Johnson and Dan Haren. Maybe if the Twins have already signed two rotation upgrades** and Lincicum is still sitting out there in February because no one wants to part with the draft pick, his price will drop. If that happens and he ends up being the third new rotation upgrade for the Twins then I'd be interested. At that point the Twins would have three pitchers superior to what they currently have now and I'd actually expect them to be somewhat competitive. Losing the pick would then be worth it. * Though if next year's #2 choice is another low ceiling Ryan Eades type I'd change my mind. ** Upgrade refers to what a normal baseball team would consider a free agent pitcher, not what the Twins traditionally acquire.
  24. nicksaviking
    As the draft is eight months away, I think it's unlikely that the top four will be Rodon, Hoffman, Turner and Kolek. The Twins will likely have their choice of a couple of these guys at #5 assuming they still remain top picks.
  25. nicksaviking
    I would tend to think the Twins go for the low risk, less flawed guys. At least toward the top of the draft. Gibson wasn't thought to have flaws other than injury concerns, same with Wimmers. Berrios was a mechanically sound prospect, his concern was his size. In the middle rounds the Twins seem to get the guys with flaws, but really, don't all pitchers have them at that point? Sounds like they already helped Gonsalves work out some kinks from HS. On the other hand, what ever flaws they "fixed" with guys like Summers, Melotakis, Baxendale, Duffy, Boer and Boyd sapped a ton of strikeout potential despite having strong pitches and pre-draft beliefs that strikeouts would be their major attribute.
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