Twins vs Red Sox, 08-05-2012, 12:35pm

[notoriousgod71]

He hasn't made that many bad pitches and at least since coming backs looks like he could contribute as a 5th/6th pitcher next season. (instead of dumping the 5.5 million)

Dave, I'm not going to lie. Your apparent "love" for Blackburn is more baffling to me than Dan's irrational hatred of Mauer.

[DaveW]

Dave, I'm not going to lie. Your apparent "love" for Blackburn is more baffling to me than Dan's irrational hatred of Mauer.

Gotta stick with my fellow Okies.

[DaveW]

Revere's arm is so freaking bad.

[greengoblinrulz]

Blackie sure has turned the corner in his 4 starts since the return 15er in 24 IP for a 5.63ERA. About what he's been for the past THREE years

[greengoblinrulz]

Depth, the potential to fill in as a #5 guy instead of taking guys like Duensing out of the pen to fill in. Hell you can even live with his 4.49 ERA from 2011 as a #5.

 

Ideally the Twins have 5 superior pitchers at the start of 2013, just hope that when the time comes Blackburn can at least contribute a 4.50 ERA or so.

Im fine with Blackie contributing depth to next yrs team as a 4/5 starter.......in AAA only that is

[etspaceman]

Depth, the potential to fill in as a #5 guy instead of taking guys like Duensing out of the pen to fill in. Hell you can even live with his 4.49 ERA from 2011 as a #5.

 

Ideally the Twins have 5 superior pitchers at the start of 2013, just hope that when the time comes Blackburn can at least contribute a 4.50 ERA or so.

What do his stats from a year ago have anything to do with what you're arguing (that he looks good enough right now to be a 5th/6th starter)? His start today was a 7.20 ERA, which is right around how he's performed all year.

 

He provides depth? Everyone on the roster provides depth. If he qualified, he'd have the worst ERA in the majors right now. You can't seriously tell me that he actually has value as a starter based on his recent performances.

[DaveW]

Blackie sure has turned the corner in his 4 starts since the return 15er in 24 IP for a 5.63ERA. About what he's been for the past THREE years

2 very good starts

1 bad start (today)

1 horrendous start

 

Who else does that remind me of..hmm..

[JB_Iowa]

Nishioka. Well, this should be interesting.

[DaveW]

What do his stats from a year ago have anything to do with what you're arguing (that he looks good enough right now to be a 5th/6th starter)? His start today was a 7.20 ERA, which is right around how he's performed all year.

 

He provides depth? Everyone on the roster provides depth. If he qualified, he'd have the worst ERA in the majors right now. You can't seriously tell me that he actually has value as a starter based on his recent performances.

First of all when I posted the orginal post he was in the 5th inning with only 2 runs given up, I noted that it would be nice if he could get his 3rd QS in 4 starts since being recalled, I thought maybe he had turned a bit of a corner as he had a couple nice starts since then.

 

More than likely he didn't turn a corner and will continue to be the suck, however it would be nice if he could get back to his old ways and become a decent #5 again. The money is already owed to him next year anyways, I'd rather they avoid brining in the next Marquis, Livan to fill out the rotation in 2013.

 

Ideally though the Twins have 5 superior options to start the season with.

[notoriousgod71]

Gotta stick with my fellow Okies.

 

Gardy?

[notoriousgod71]

Nishioka. Well, this should be interesting.

Valencia= bad trade for this alone.

[DaveW]

Gardy?

Blackburn was from Oklahoma as well.

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Nishioka. Well, this should be interesting.

I had a feeling he was going to get the call. His numbers have been pretty abysmal at AAA this year, but I guess the Twins should try to get some kind of return on their $15 million investment. Looks like Carroll is at third until Plouffe gets back.

[Guest USAFChief]

How to tell, if you're Danny Valencia, that your former employer really, really didn't want you around any more: They'd prefer to play a light hitting 38 yr old at 3b, giving yet another opportunity to Alexi Casilla (who couldn't keep his second base job over said 38 yr old), and they'd prefer Nishioka on the 25 man.

[Guest USAFChief]

Hell of a catch, Revere-zee.

[greengoblinrulz]

Ben can play some gold glove CF........but he's not allowed to because it'll 'devastate' the current CF

[stringer bell]

Somehow I don't think Denard catches that one. Hey, Ben got it to second on one hop!

[jokin]

I had a feeling he was going to get the call. His numbers have been pretty abysmal at AAA this year, but I guess the Twins should try to get some kind of return on their $15 million investment. Looks like Carroll is at third until Plouffe gets back.

I had the opposite feeling. My son asked me to guess who just got called up and Nishi was the last possible name I could come up with, and even then I was aghast when told it had happened. Nishi's sunk cost is entirely unsalvageable unless they can get a buyout deal/coupled with a return to Japan.

[stringer bell]

How to tell, if you're Danny Valencia, that your former employer really, really didn't want you around any more: They'd prefer to play a light hitting 38 yr old at 3b, giving yet another opportunity to Alexi Casilla (who couldn't keep his second base job over said 38 yr old), and they'd prefer Nishioka on the 25 man.

Well, I don't know if they really prefer Nishi on the roster to Danny V, but they got some return for him, so there's that. It will be interesting to see what happens when Plouffe comes off the DL. They could send Nishi back, they could DFA Casilla, they could send a pitcher to Rochester. In the big picture, it doesn't matter much, but the Twins have to decide who to cut ties with, who to showcase, and who to give chances to. Of course, there could be more waiver deals to clear more 40-man space.

[stringer bell]

Ben can play some gold glove CF........but he's not allowed to because it'll 'devastate' the current CF

It certainly isn't imminent, but I've said for awhile that the Twins should move Span. Putting Revere in center is one reason, getting an extra base bat in a corner OF position is another, and the fact that their best prospects in the high minors are OFs all figure to be reasons to move Denard, probably in the offseason.

[J-Dog Dungan]

Honestly, I don't have a problem with the Valencia deal. He hasn't been performing for the Twins, and any chance to get rid of a headcase like him I will take, especially if we can get a return like we did. Yes, the guy is a 21-year old OF in a league that usually only holds 18-20 year olds, but he was signed late in 2011 and has been raking so far in the GCL. Now, we will see if his stuff translates to the higher minors. By the way, unless his bat comes along with him, his ceiling appears to be a Mastro-type player.

 

The problem I have right now is that the Twins aren't scoring any runs today, and they are giving up too many. Blackie should be taken out of the rotation, but I don't think the Twins have anyone to replace him.

[stringer bell]

It took roughly a week for Valencia to play himself out of the lineup again.

It took roughly a week for Valencia to play himself out of the organization.

[stringer bell]

It's really apparent that teams don't respect Mauer behind the plate anymore.

I would attribute almost all of the stolen bases to the pitchers. However, I don't see the snap on Mauer's throws that I saw through 2010 (he hardly caught last year).

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

I had the opposite feeling. My son asked me to guess who just got called up and Nishi was the last possible name I could come up with, and even then I was aghast when told it had happened. Nishi's sunk cost is entirely unsalvageable unless they can get a buyout deal/coupled with a return to Japan.

Yeah, it's not the move I would've made....I just figured the Twins were probably going to try to get him back up here at some point. I agree with you about trying to buy out his contract though....the Twins need to do everything they can to make that happen.

[Scheherezade]

Ben's limp noodle arm gunned a doubled play from the warning track. 19 game hitting streak. Soon to be near the top of the AL batting title.

 

Where are your tears now?

[JB_Iowa]

Yeah, it's not the move I would've made....I just figured the Twins were probably going to try to get him back up here at some point. I agree with you about trying to buy out his contract though....the Twins need to do everything they can to make that happen.

Didn't Nishioka have a bit of a "hot streak" at some point recently? I seem to recall some tweets and Dick/Bert talking about some good hitting games. May have just been very temporary.

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Didn't Nishioka have a bit of a "hot streak" at some point recently? I seem to recall some tweets and Dick/Bert talking about some good hitting games. May have just been very temporary.

I think it was more of a lukewarm streak.

[stringer bell]

Well, that put a little fear in the Sox. The two runs allowed by the end of the bullpen guys ended up deciding the game. Also, the Twins had a runner on second with zero outs three times and once with one out (the Mastro pickoff) and only got him home once.

[DaveW]

Ben's limp noodle arm gunned a doubled play from the warning track. 19 game hitting streak. Soon to be near the top of the AL batting title.

 

Where are your tears now?

He still has an awful arm. I like the rest of his game though.

[ashbury]

By the way, unless his bat comes along with him, his ceiling appears to be a Mastro-type player.

The problem with such a ceiling is such players are readily available on the waiver wire or as minimum wage free-agents in the offseason. Outfielders lacking power, infielders with a glove but no stick, pitchers possessing only one above-average pitch - unless something else about them stands out, a trade for them is kind of pointless. I hope the Twins see a higher ceiling in Pineda than that.