These guys?

 

RP1- Ryan Vogelsong Justin Haley
•RP2- Michael Tonkin Craig Breslow
•RP3- Matt Belisle
•RP4- Buddy Boshers Tyler Duffey
•RP5- Taylor Rogers
•RP6- Ryan Pressly
•RP7- Brandon Kintzler

 

I'll keep Pressly and Rogers, no one else would stop me from putting the vets in the pen and rolling with Berrios and Mejia in the rotation.

 

Wow, this team just looks so bad. Not that I'm disagreeing with your predictions. If they're going to lose, at least let me watch the young guys. April is going to be almost unwatchable waiting for the young guys to get another shot.

 

Yep, it's going to be frustrating to say the least.... And, don't forget, there's no room to promote 24 year old Nick Burdi, about to be 26 year old Mason Melotakis, and 26 year old Trevor Hildenberger. 

I don't see JT on the list either....

 

Yep, it's going to be frustrating to say the least.... And, don't forget, there's no room to promote 24 year old Nick Burdi, about to be 26 year old Mason Melotakis, and 26 year old Trevor Hildenberger. 

 

There'll be plenty of room. You basically use up the old guys, cut or trade them and install the kids. 

 

I don't see JT on the list either....

 

On the "just missed." You could easily put him on the roster instead of Duffey with Duff starting at Rochester. I love Chargois. 

 

Right.  But an average is brought down by players like Buxton and Sano who are only 22 or whatever.  That doesn't tell you "the lineup was very young overall"... it really is just telling us the average is low because a couple of guys were very young. 

 

 

I'm just nitpicking the statement "virtually the entire lineup was very young last year".  It wasn't.  Sano, Kepler, Buxton were very young... but half the lineup was 29+

 

It's a weighted average. It does exactly what it's supposed to. The important players in the lineup were young last year, and got a ton of plate appearances.

 

There'll be plenty of room. You basically use up the old guys, cut or trade them and install the kids. 

 

Like they did last year when they called up, um, 1 player before September they had drafted who had not been up before? 

 

Like they did last year when they called up, um, 1 player before September they had drafted who had not been up before? 

 

Chargois was the only one beating the door down, and he got his ass kicked the first time around. The vets are a house of cards, but you need guys like Burdi/Reed/Hildy to force their hand. Hildy should have been up, but got hurt. 

 

There'll be plenty of room. You basically use up the old guys, cut or trade them and install the kids. 

 

I'm trying not to kill the messenger here, believe me. The Twins signed Belisle/Breslow/Kintzler to get 1-2 months of work out of them and cut bait? 

Just saying, it's skeptical at best.... I'll withhold my pitchfork until there's real evidence from the new regime.... It would be a welcomed approach compared to the past, where veterans only get cut if they were truly awful. And still they would have a spot as mop up guy for another month. 

 

Chargois was the only one beating the door down, and he got his ass kicked the first time around. The vets are a house of cards, but you need guys like Burdi/Reed/Hildy to force their hand. Hildy should have been up, but got hurt. 

 

Fair, we probably disagree some on the veteran thing and how ready a RP needs to be. No biggie.

 

To me the blunder has been repeatedly filling the RP corps with guys w/o options, then being unwilling to move one and send guys back and forth. But, across the league, pitching is getting younger....except here, where a guy has to be perfect in the minors to get a chance. On a rebuilding team.

Belisle and Kintzler are actually pretty good. Breslow is a roll of the dice. 

 

Fair, we probably disagree some on the veteran thing and how ready a RP needs to be. No biggie.

 

To me the blunder has been repeatedly filling the RP corps with guys w/o options, then being unwilling to move one and send guys back and forth. But, across the league, pitching is getting younger....except here, where a guy has to be perfect in the minors to get a chance. On a rebuilding team.

 

It isn't clear to me how ready guys are for the Royals before they come up. Do they ease them in? I mean they have put together some really good pens, but not exactly conventionally. Hochevar and Davis were bad starters. Holland didn't move exceptionally quickly. Herrera moved exceptionally quickly through the system, though. 

I'm still in denial about May. 

 

That said, tell me what it is about Vogelwhatever that gets him love here?  I'm not seeing the reason to block Mejia or Berrios over him.  I'd give one a shot, and I don't care whom at this point (baring of course a Dozier trade). 

Fifth starter is barely used early in the season so you want someone who can help you as a swingman but doesn't need to have too rigid of a routine. In other words a house of cards to be bowled over by Mejia and/or Berrios. 

 

Same goes for Hector -- though to a higher degree, I guess -- as he's FA eligible after season's end. And also somehow has the lowest career ERA of the five possible starters. 

 

Fifth starter is barely used early in the season so you want someone who can help you as a swingman but doesn't need to have too rigid of a routine. In other words a house of cards to be bowled over by Mejia and/or Berrios. 

 

Same goes for Hector -- though to a higher degree, I guess -- as he's FA eligible after season's end. And also somehow has the lowest career ERA of the five possible starters. 

 

Fine, then that would be Hughes or Santiago I'd think...  (and I'd lean towards Hector)

Tommy Milone was the 5th starter last season, no? And he started 4 games in April... Not sure I agree that they're barely used. 

 

Tommy Milone was the 5th starter last season, no? And he started 4 games in April... Not sure I agree that they're barely used. 

 

Because they were slavish to the rotation. That's not required with scheduled off-days, though. 

Plus not all calendar years are scheduled the same, of course.

For instance, a fifth starter wouldn't be "needed" in theory until Monday the 17th if they wanted to keep everyone on schedule. That'd be the 13th game of the season.

I don't disagree, but my theory is this: you can go from oldies to the kids. You can't do vice versa.

The likes of Ryan Vogelsong won't be available later?

 

For instance, a fifth starter wouldn't be "needed" in theory until Monday the 17th if they wanted to keep everyone on schedule. That'd be the 13th game of the season.

 

Molitor! Outside the box thinker for sure....

 

The likes of Ryan Vogelsong won't be available later?

 

During the season? No. 

Vogelsong should not make the team. If he doesn't want to go to AAA, it's over. He's what my dad used to have a "has been." I hated when he said that but Vogelsong has zero redeeming value at this time in hs career and to use him in April or at any time would be games lost without real intention of winning them. The Twins need to attempt anyway to start out strong in April. No to the Bird Song.

 

These guys?

 

RP1- Ryan Vogelsong Justin Haley
•RP2- Michael Tonkin Craig Breslow
•RP3- Matt Belisle
•RP4- Buddy Boshers Tyler Duffey
•RP5- Taylor Rogers
•RP6- Ryan Pressly
•RP7- Brandon Kintzler

 

I'll keep Pressly and Rogers, no one else would stop me from putting the vets in the pen and rolling with Berrios and Mejia in the rotation.

 

Wow, this team just looks so bad. Not that I'm disagreeing with your predictions. If they're going to lose, at least let me watch the young guys. April is going to be almost unwatchable waiting for the young guys to get another shot.

 

I'd hesitate to call a team that features Buxton, Sano, Kepler, Polanco, Dozier, Park etc. unwatchable. That pitching staff though.....yuck. Give me Chargois in there at the very least. 

If the Twins add Breslow, Vogelsong, Park and Gimenez - one more person has to be taken off the 40 man. You have one spot with May going on 60 day and two spots with Tonkin and Santana DFAed. Who else gets taken off?

Because they were slavish to the rotation. That's not required with scheduled off-days, though.

Pretty sure present day MLB practice is to NOT skip the 5th starter.

During the season? No.

You yourself projected him in the bullpen originally, no? He would be available there. If we cut him and he signed a minor league deal elsewhere, he would likely be available by his opt out date.

 

Not to mention, if you really want guys like Vogelsong, Santiago, Hughes, etc., they are almost certainly a few guys like that available midseason if we are willing to pick up some salary.

 

If the Twins add Breslow, Vogelsong, Park and Gimenez - one more person has to be taken off the 40 man. You have one spot with May going on 60 day and two spots with Tonkin and Santana DFAed. Who else gets taken off?

 

 Probably O'Rourke. 

During the season? No.

Same argument used to roster a lot of middling vets who became available by midseason...

 

 Probably O'Rourke. 

I would think Santana and O'Rourke would have a good chance of getting claimed. Santana because he is still young and O'Rourke because he got lefties out well last year. 

Also, if having Vogelsong is such a rare, important opportunity to warrant an opening day rotation spot, what exactly will happen midseason to make him expendable? Berrios and Mejia won't necessarily have any more MLB experience by that point.