Article: When Is It Time To Take Action?

[chopper0080]

 

Would the prospects be better or worse. Well, you can probably say NOT ANY WORSE!

 

Personally, I have felt Arcia needs more time at AAA and should be on a shuttle back-and-forth, back-and-forth. But...you have no one else to play out there. Really, you don't. The Twins needed to sign one more offensive player in the off-season, someone who could play the corners, maybe first base. A Chris Parmelee that deserved a $6-87-8 million salary.

 

We lost our #1 starter. Now Hughes has to face the #1 from another team. Nolasco, well, no one knows. I have never been a total Gibson fan. I would've traded him this off-season if he had value to anyone. He may have had his most value ever in 2014. He has to be better than a Blackburn or a Slowey, but sometimes I wonder if he really is.

 

Bring up the young guys, at some point, but what point. 

 

Here's another question. Let's put Robinson and Staufer and Herrmann and Schafer and Boyer in the minors, at Rochester. Would they be doing their thing at a plus-AAA level? Is the difference in play that much different?

 

April is a do-or-die month for the Twins, lots of games against their own division. The front office has to be sweating if they can sell all those plastic cups full of Bloody Mary mix and day-old pizza for $19 before the pizza really goes bad, kinda like the team on the field you might say.

 

Two Questions!

 

What should the Twins do to make you, a member of the Twins blog-o-sphere,more excited about the team that you will spend money to watch them in person, buy things labeled "Twins" and say good things about them on a day-to-day basis?

 

What should the Twins do to excite the common fan, the one that has a spare $30-50 in their pocket and have to decide between an evening live with the Twins, a dinner and bar-hop with friends, a visit to the Saints? How do you get them to watch you on television in the least. What do you do to make them talk favorably about the team, rather than drive by the new Vikings stadium and have high hopes for the football team.

 

Us ahrdcore Twins fans will never go away. We will fume, but still watch. But right now, the Brand is suffering BigTime!

I expect the Twins to execute a plan and stick to it.  I expect them to be professional enough to not cave into public pressure when their crap roster of players plays like crap.  I'm not excited about this team, and haven't been for years, but that is what happens when the team is ok being awful while they wait for prospects who may, or may not, develop.

 

What I want...I want this team to try and win.  I want this team to invest in solid baseball players that are worth watching.  I want this team to adapt, adjust, evolve, and compete every year.  I want this team to be embarrased to put an awful team on the baseball field.  Essentially, I want them to operate like the St. Louis Cardinals.  However, the Twins do not seem interested in doing so, and so I will see if they do what I expect of them rather than what I want.

[benji21]

I think the action that needs to take place is putting stubborn, outdated, antiquated Terry Ryan out to pasture. This guy's finished. He's got no good ideas left and baseball has passed the man by. He has not adapted to change in the game and has been trotting out the same tired crap year after year after year. Say that he built the system back up all you like but I could have done that too given those high picks and done a better job by not committing an entire draft to a bullpen I won't ever use. This guy is poison to the team. There's a reason bad teams stay bad. Bad front office.

[jimmer]

'When Is It Time To Take Action?'

 

About two years ago, at least.  When an injury plagued season was followed up by a really bad season.

[IndyTwinsFan]

 

Would the prospects be better or worse. Well, you can probably say NOT ANY WORSE!

 

Personally, I have felt Arcia needs more time at AAA and should be on a shuttle back-and-forth, back-and-forth. But...you have no one else to play out there. Really, you don't. The Twins needed to sign one more offensive player in the off-season, someone who could play the corners, maybe first base. A Chris Parmelee that deserved a $6-87-8 million salary.

 

We lost our #1 starter. Now Hughes has to face the #1 from another team. Nolasco, well, no one knows. I have never been a total Gibson fan. I would've traded him this off-season if he had value to anyone. He may have had his most value ever in 2014. He has to be better than a Blackburn or a Slowey, but sometimes I wonder if he really is.

 

Bring up the young guys, at some point, but what point. 

 

Here's another question. Let's put Robinson and Staufer and Herrmann and Schafer and Boyer in the minors, at Rochester. Would they be doing their thing at a plus-AAA level? Is the difference in play that much different?

 

April is a do-or-die month for the Twins, lots of games against their own division. The front office has to be sweating if they can sell all those plastic cups full of Bloody Mary mix and day-old pizza for $19 before the pizza really goes bad, kinda like the team on the field you might say.

 

Two Questions!

 

What should the Twins do to make you, a member of the Twins blog-o-sphere,more excited about the team that you will spend money to watch them in person, buy things labeled "Twins" and say good things about them on a day-to-day basis?

 

What should the Twins do to excite the common fan, the one that has a spare $30-50 in their pocket and have to decide between an evening live with the Twins, a dinner and bar-hop with friends, a visit to the Saints? How do you get them to watch you on television in the least. What do you do to make them talk favorably about the team, rather than drive by the new Vikings stadium and have high hopes for the football team.

 

Us ahrdcore Twins fans will never go away. We will fume, but still watch. But right now, the Brand is suffering BigTime!

I agree 100% with the last paragraph.   As a diehard myself, I'll almost always watch, given a reasonable opportunity to do so.   But until the Brand begins to turn itself around, it's not always going to be an enjoyable experience.

[dxpavelka]

I have no problem with Hicks and / or Rosario replacing the current clown show in CF.  Hell I'd even run Pinto out there rather than current duo.  He can't be any worse defensively in CF than he is behind the plate, can he?  As far as Arcia, sending him down would most likely result in him putting up monster numbers in AAA and the fans howling about the fact that you sent him out in the first place.  Just kidding about the Pinto bit.  Maybe?

[savvyspy]

 

Have you looked at Aaron Hicks' splits?  Yes, he has an OPS of 1.024.  But he also is hitting for a .154 average lefthanded with a .522 OPS. 

 

So nothing has changed from the past two years when he was a failure! 

Which is why you use him as a platoon player against LH pitching instead of Schaffer and Robinson who both are HORRENDOUS against lefties.

 

Its like this team doesn't get that its not mandatory for a player to be equally effective against different pitchers. That's why platooning works for small markets because the guys that hit everyone are expensive and the Twins refuse to spend money on elite talent.

 

So you have a philosophy that demands its players to be elite while not giving its young players the leash to play in the majors and refuse to sign elite free agents.

 

A real solid plan. But maybe next year we can do the exact same thing and this time it will work. 

[troyhobbs]

When you have the worst MLB squad and the best farm system in the game the time should be very soon. Hicks is a bust in my mind but he should still be on the MLB roster. He should be getting used to the pitchers he's going to face for however long his career lasts, not AAA pitchers that will bounce back and forth that he'll never get a good feel for anyway. BUT I hope Rosario gets first crack if they're only going to bring 1 up, then Hicks can replace Hunter or at least platoon with Arcia until after Torii Hunter bobble head day.

[Secondary User]

 

 

I understand wanting to get that extra year of control over our young guns by starting them in the minors but that idea is so old way of thinking. If the kids are good, pay em and if they prove themselves sign em long term. Forget setting up the ability to control and low ball future contracts. Put the best 9 on the field, and stop with the mediocre talent place holders already. It cheats the fans in so many ways. 

 

Tell that to Theo Epstein and Kris Bryant

[DocBauer]

I know the whole "but look how young he is" thing gets old. But in regard to Arcia, its not old yet. Still a long leash there. No worries on Gibson after one poor start.

 

I understand the move of Pe lfrey to the rotation. But I dont like it or get it, not at this point and all we have seen.

 

The bullpen to me...I dont get it. I dont get it at all. If Graham wasn't a rule 5 he wouldn't be there. This is the best they could do with the young arms available?

 

I cant even touch CF again without blowing a blood vessel.

 

Hunter was not my preferred choice. But I didn't expect what has happened thus far. But, knowledge, experience and last season...not going to call for his head yet

 

So how long? Pinto within a week, two max, as he appears healthy. Pe lfrey and the pen? I'd like to see May begin, and changes with it. This is just....yuck.

 

It is my sincere hope that TRY and Molly knew the start was dicey, hoped for better, but were planning on youngsters getting that month or two before reshaping the roster.

[brvama]

I think the FO needs to stay the course for a while longer, no matter how awful that might be. We need to see if some can change their direction. And we need to see if the replacements can be at least replacements to be called up. That will take a few more games than just 7.

 

I also believe that Ryan should be willing to cut bait, starting with the bullpen because there good options available there. Losing game 2 at Chicago was really disheartening. I also think that shuffling some of the younger sister down to straighten them out should be done.

 

And finally, it is absolutely imperative that Molitor eliminate the horrible play we've witnessed so far. For example, Santana's boot against KC was inexcusable and led to a huge inning. There many other examples from the whole team. I can tolerate a lot more if they are playing good baseball.

 

Let's see what a couple more weeks brings us. No improvement and I think changes begin or should, at least the obvious ones.

[Riverbrian]

When is it time to take action?

 

In regards to OF defense... The time is right now. 

 

You wont know when its time to address the bullpen or starting pitching if balls keep dropping in the OF that nearly every other team catches. Pitching stats will be skewed to the negative. 

 

The OF defense can only get marginally better as is. I don't think it can be better enough. 

 

OF D needs immediate attention. 

[Craig Arko]

Now playing center field for the Twins; number 19, Kennys Vargas!

 

He intimidates the balls back to the infield.

[bluechipper]

 

So sick of watching Arcia. Beer-gut at 23, can't field, can't throw, can't hit and nothing about his body language says that he even gives a sh*t. He's just not a major league player.

I completely disagree. I think Arcia is one of the players who shows the most emotion and joy for the game of anyone on the roster. This is also a guy who hit 20 homers in only 103 games last year, so patience is the key.

[Mike Sixel]

I would play every player on the roster under 25 every day.....so I would keep putting Arcia out there, working with him on all parts of being a MLB player. Same with Gibson, just keep sending him out there. 

[stringer bell]

Regarding the guys in AAA, Pinto had four hits today and now is hitting .364, while Hicks was 0-6 and is now hitting .222. Pinto has shown that he can hit AAA pitching, so unless his defense or his health are an issue, bring him up!

 

IMHO, Hicks hasn't mastered Triple A and the splits remain troubling. If the Twins want a better-fielding Bombo Rivera or Pedro Muñoz, they can call him up and platoon him. I hope he "gets it" against right handed pitching or his value will diminish to platoon/fourth OF.

 

BTW, if an outfielder goes, it wouldn't surprise me if it were Schafer ahead of Robinson. Robinson is what he his--this year's version of Jason Repko--fine fielder at all three spots, limited hitter. I haven't seen all the games, but it is my understanding that Schafer has been pretty bad in center.

[prouster]

 

Totally agreed, except for Gibson, who I think should be given a much longer leash.

 

Agree. I think Nick is correct in general, but it seems strange to me that Gibson is included when many of us were harping on Terry Ryan et al. for delaying his callup to the Majors just a season and a half ago. Of course, Nick hedges this by saying Gibson deserves a longer leash than others, though I think Gibson and Hughes should be the only rollover starters whose spots are guaranteed. In other words, no need to worry about Gibson, especially after a single start.

Edited April 15, 2015 by prouster

[chopper0080]

 

I would play every player on the roster under 25 every day.....so I would keep putting Arcia out there, working with him on all parts of being a MLB player. Same with Gibson, just keep sending him out there. 

 Agreed.  If there was a way I could put two athletes in the outfield with Arcia, I would play him every day and his defense would not look nearly as bad.  There is nothing to do with Hunter IMO.  He amplifies Arcia's lack of range on defense, is a 5 or 6 hitter, and will not be happy taking on a lesser role.  If I believe Hicks is better defensively at CF than Shafer or Robinson, I call him up, and tell him I just want defense, don't care about offense.

 

The bullpen is crap, and I rotate them out with some AAA players.  If Burndi and Reed show well, they are fast tracked.  I move Meyer to the MLB bullpen as well.

 

So, in theory.

 

Arcia-everyday

Hicks-CF (defense, don't care about offense)

Tonkin-RP

Oliveras(sp?)-RP

Meyer-RP/Long relief

 

If either Rosario or Buxton get, I also bring them up even if it is for a little bit.  I stay patient with Sano and Berrios unless I trade Plouffe or a spot start opens up and he is throwing well.

 

[Secondary User]

 

2015 splits:

vs. RHP: .154/.214/.308, 5Ks and 1 BB in 14 PAs

vs. LHP: .500/.600/1.250 3Ks and 2 BBs in 10 PAs"

 

Couldn't we platoon Hicks and Arcia then? Arcia plays against righties and Hicks against lefties.

 

In the long run, that is a fall back.  But if the belief is that he can turn into an everyday guy, then he needs to get at bats from the left side in order to do that

[TheLeviathan]

 

Now playing center field for the Twins; number 19, Kennys Vargas!

 

He intimidates the balls back to the infield.

 

We've seen worse CF plans......

[Mike Sixel]

I don't agree on Hicks....he has a track record here, imo, and should be in AAA. He can't hit against RH pitching, and his fielding has been effected by that up here. If he could REALLY FIELD, I'd call  him up, but that has not been the case. I'd give him time in AAA.

 

Oddly, if he doesn't figure out how to hit, but does field, i'd call him up and platoon him, and use him as a defensive OF, but I'd make that clear to him, and have him working on fielding like crazy. He should be a very good fielder with his speed and arm. If he can't learn to hit, make sure he can field.

[Mike Sixel]

 

We've seen worse CF plans......

 

sadly, that is actually true

[Willihammer]

7 games in, 6 games back. Of two teams. When's the time for action? How about today. Get a freaking win. Against a division rival, while fans still give a damn.

[Vanimal46]

 

I think the action that needs to take place is putting stubborn, outdated, antiquated Terry Ryan out to pasture. This guy's finished. He's got no good ideas left and baseball has passed the man by. He has not adapted to change in the game and has been trotting out the same tired crap year after year after year. Say that he built the system back up all you like but I could have done that too given those high picks and done a better job by not committing an entire draft to a bullpen I won't ever use. This guy is poison to the team. There's a reason bad teams stay bad. Bad front office.

 

 

No doubt about it, Terry has made countless errors in judgment over the last 4-5 years since he reclaimed his GM title. When you think about it, he spent the vast majority of his career scouting, selecting, and signing low-ceiling "pitch-to-contact" pitchers. When the philosophy changed 3-4 years ago to acquiring power arms like Meyer, May, etc. the organization has not been able to adapt and develop these guys.

 

There has to be a younger candidate OUTSIDE of the organization that can come turn this around. You would think it would be an attractive opportunity with the prospects we have, and more high-end prospects to come this June, and June 2016.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

The architects of the 1-6 start are the same people making the decisions on Alex Meyer. 

 

So here's an action we can take immediately: Call up Meyer and let him pitch out of the bullpen. We need to get his head right and bringing him to the majors will do that. 

[SwainZag]

 

The architects of the 1-6 start are the same people making the decisions on Alex Meyer. 

 

So here's an action we can take immediately: Call up Meyer and let him pitch out of the bullpen. We need to get his head right and bringing him to the majors will do that. 

 

Will bringing him to the majors help his control against better hitters than he has been facing in AAA? Counting today he has walked twice what he has struck out and damn near thrown as many balls as strikes, I don't see how calling him to the majors fixes any of that. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

Will bringing him to the majors help his control against better hitters than he has been facing in AAA? Counting today he has walked twice what he has struck out and damn near thrown as many balls as strikes, I don't see how calling him to the majors fixes any of that. 

What you say makes sense, but I'm betting his problems are psychological or attitude, not the result of poor mechanics or some gritty at-bats by opponents. 

 

Meyer used to throw 100 mph with several pitches he could throw for strikes. Now this. What the Twins are doing isn't working, so I'm proposing something different. Let Meyer be with the team and throw a low pressure inning out of the bullpen from time to time. 

[Kwak]

 

Will bringing him to the majors help his control against better hitters than he has been facing in AAA? Counting today he has walked twice what he has struck out and damn near thrown as many balls as strikes, I don't see how calling him to the majors fixes any of that. 

After this season, if Meyer can't find the strike zone, it's time to banish him to the bullpen--probably at AA--and write-off the Span trade as a total loss.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Will bringing him to the majors help his control against better hitters than he has been facing in AAA? Counting today he has walked twice what he has struck out and damn near thrown as many balls as strikes, I don't see how calling him to the majors fixes any of that.

yeah, everyone knows they just get better when they get called up

 

Meyer didn't make it out of the 4th today. I'm really curious why his walk rate skyrocketed between AA and AAA, but it's looking like more of the same and quite possibly a long stint in NY if things don't change. I'd like to believe they have him working on throwing certain pitches for strikes, but who knows.

[gbg]

You know it's bad when Nick is despondent!

 

I can't see cutting bait on Gibson and his potential after one, or even two, rough starts. He's way too talented to say "He stunk last week, so move on."

 

The sample size is simply way too small to be talking wholesale changes at this point. I would bring Pinto up as he's obviously got himself back in playing shape, but let's be honest, Herrman has not been the problem so far!

 

Small sample size Exhibit A: Hicks' "OPS over 1.000" just dropped 200 points in a single game. Let's see how a few weeks pan out.

 

The current Twins lineup is bad, but it isn't THIS bad. I can't believe that we'll continue this putrid play and record over the next three weeks. 

[DocBauer]

What is Jason Tyner doing these days?

 

You think I'm joking? 

 

Look, the poor damn horse has been pushing up daisies for some time now. So while I want to feel bad for kicking his dead carcass, I just can't, because he's long gone, but the stench remains.

 

Once upon a time, up until just a couple years ago, the Twins...even the bad Twins teams...usually played at least OK defense. But one thing you could count on since the early '80's, nearly 35 years straight, was that the Twins had someone of quality to play CF and lead the OF. For a brief time, there was Eisenreich, who looked like a young phenom before falling apart due to a nervous condition. (he at least eventually had an OK career) This helped bring about a warranted rush of Puckett to the majors, and the Twins were blessed for many years by his ability and presence. 

 

Then came Hunter. A HOF All-Star supplanted by another All-Star and possible, at least borderline, HOFer. (and if any of you recall a piece I wrote several months back, I spoke half tongue-in-cheek and half serious about how the downfall of the Twins actually began slowly with the loss of Hunter) 

 

We blew the Santana trade not only because...by all "believable" reports, the Twins could have more talent by just accepting less...but because the ONE really good player they got back they rushed and gave up on too quickly in the name of a one year rental on a SS. (ouch!)

 

But out of that mess came Span. And it (he) was good. And then came Revere, and it (he) was different but good also. But TR gambled big time on Hicks, traded both Span and Revere, for a pair of potential RHSP studs, thinking CF would be at least OK. Don't blame him for the trades. It was the kind of gamble, frankly, the 
Twins needed, and may still pay off nice to big. And don't blame his faith in Hicks. Hindsight is easy! Top pick, top prospect, top 100 prospect, coming off his best ever season, remember?

 

Blame TR for the past TWO years. I mean, really? Hicks wasn't ready and it turned out to be a mess so the next year the only thing you do is hand him the job again? I mean, you have a AAAA journeyman and another semi-AAAA journeyman coming off injury as the only competition and fall back plan?  OK...so surely we've learned our lesson for year THREE of no proper CF to play defense and lead the OF right? NOBODY expected the Twins to shell out big bucks or top prospects for a bona fide stud CF this off season. Why would you when you had Buxton on the way...hope Hicks would still amount to something...Rosario as a possibility...and the OK, better than expected Santana as a fill-in/backup option?

 

But this is what we get? FA wasn't filled with options. And TR didn't/doesn't want to trade top talent. But A) who said we had to trade top talent for a stud, and who said we had to trade top talent for an OK option out there who could translate to a nice reserve?