Game Thread: Twins vs. Royals, Friday 9/10, 7:10 PM

[wsnydes]

Nice rebound inning for Jax.

[Squirrel]

3 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Looks like Sano is answering the bell when it comes to the "do I have a spot on the team" competition for next year. Refsnyder, maaaaaybe. Rooker, not so much. You guys think that Kirilloff goes to LF next year so that Sano can play 1B, Donaldson 3B/DH with Arraez doing the same? It's not like Larnach or Rooker has made a case to take the LF job for next year, that's for sure. Refsnyder as 4th OF and we again pray the Kepler will figure out how not to pop the ball up and actually hit .250 with 25 HRs?   

I think Arraez gets traded ... honestly, I thought he should have been traded 2 yrs ago ... not a popular opinion, I'm sure

[wsnydes]

4 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

I think Arraez gets traded ... honestly, I thought he should have been traded 2 yrs ago ... not a popular opinion, I'm sure

I agree.  Like him as a hitter, not at all as a defender.  Polanco is a 2B, not a SS.  So, Arraez has no position on this team.  Seems inevitable.

[Squirrel]

Just now, wsnydes said:

I agree.  Like his as a hitter, not at all as a defender.  Polanco is a 2B, not a SS.  So, Arraez has no position on this team.  Seems inevitable.

Gordon is looking like the super utility guy, so ... yeah ... I mean, there are arguments to be made that he should be able to get at bats when others are rested, but I just don't know ... he just seems like the odd man out

[Nine of twelve]

Arraez can DH.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

11 minutes ago, Nine of twelve said:

Your kids are in bed at 7:40? On a Friday? You da man!

Mine…. Are not… but we are in process 

[LVTwinsfan]

1 minute ago, Squirrel said:

Gordon is looking like the super utility guy, so ... yeah ... I mean, there are arguments to be made that he should be able to get at bats when others are rested, but I just don't know ... he just seems like the odd man out

You could DH him, it doesn’t always have to be about home runs

[LA VIkes Fan]

Not sure why we'd trade Arraez unless we could get some good pitching in return and I just don't think that's in the cards. He's still cheap - pre-arb until 2023 and not a free agent until 2026 -  and he can hit for average/OBP. I know he doesn't have a regular position but he can get 50-75 games at 3B for Donaldson, 20 at 2B for Polanco, and another 50 at DH. That's 120-130  games and we can give him more if we're willing to be adventurous in LF or let him back up at 1B. He may be surplus if Miranda comes up and rakes but that hasn't happened yet.  Gordon hasn't established that he can hit and he can play in the OF - he's Tortuga's replacement.

We have no one to replace Arraez hitting .300 with a .375 OBP. I think he has a spot on this team until one of the young guys displaces him. And that just hasn't come close to happening yet. 

[stringer bell]

10 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Looks like Sano is answering the bell when it comes to the "do I have a spot on the team" competition for next year. Refsnyder, maaaaaybe. Rooker, not so much. You guys think that Kirilloff goes to LF next year so that Sano can play 1B, Donaldson 3B/DH with Arraez doing the same? It's not like Larnach or Rooker has made a case to take the LF job for next year, that's for sure. Refsnyder as 4th OF and we again pray the Kepler will figure out how not to pop the ball up and actually hit .250 with 25 HRs?   

Sanó won't be given away for free, most likely is 1B/DH. Donaldson, Arraez and Kirilloff all play most of the time unless Luis is traded. Kirilloff can shuttle between left and first and Arraez can play second, third and maybe left field. 

No on Refsnyder returning. Since his super hot streak, he's been below ordinary and he's 30 years old. Give me Celestino or Garlick before him. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

2 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Not sure why we'd trade Arraez unless we could get some good pitching in return and I just don't think that's in the cards. He's still cheap - pre-arb until 2023 and not a free agent until 2026 -  and he can hit for average/OBP. I know he doesn't have a regular position but he can get 50-75 games at 3B for Donaldson, 20 at 2B for Polanco, and another 50 at DH. That's 120-130  games and we can give him more if we're willing to be adventurous in LF or let him back up at 1B. He may be surplus if Miranda comes up and rakes but that hasn't happened yet.  Gordon hasn't established that he can hit and he can play in the OF - he's Tortuga's replacement.

We have no one to replace Arraez hitting .300 with a .375 OBP. I think he has a spot on this team until one of the young guys displaces him. And that just hasn't come close to happening yet. 

120-130 if no one has any extended IL stints. There’s plenty of room for Arraez

[wsnydes]

3 minutes ago, LVTwinsfan said:

You could DH him, it doesn’t always have to be about home runs

Agreed on the HRs.  I wouldn't be opposed to DHing Arraez, but I think I'd rather move Sano there.  Assuming he's still here anyway.  That's more to make room for Kirilloff (1B) and Larnach (LF) though.

[stringer bell]

BTW, why can't we play the Yankees when they are sucking? Of course, seeing Twins unis will probably right the ship for them on Monday.

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, stringer bell said:

BTW, why can't we play the Yankees when they are sucking? Of course, seeing Twins unis will probably right the ship for them on Monday.

Didn't that very scenario play out earlier this season?

[Squirrel]

3 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

BTW, why can't we play the Yankees when they are sucking? Of course, seeing Twins unis will probably right the ship for them on Monday.

Don't we have one more game to play against them?

[wsnydes]

Just now, Squirrel said:

Don't we have one more game to play against them?

I hope so! 

/s

[stringer bell]

1 minute ago, Squirrel said:

Don't we have one more game to play against them?

Monday. 

[Squirrel]

2 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

I hope so! 

/s

You must be drinking tonight

[wsnydes]

Just now, Squirrel said:

You must be drinking tonight

Why, I never!

/s

[LA VIkes Fan]

8 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Sanó won't be given away for free, most likely is 1B/DH. Donaldson, Arraez and Kirilloff all play most of the time unless Luis is traded. Kirilloff can shuttle between left and first and Arraez can play second, third and maybe left field. 

No on Refsnyder returning. Since his super hot streak, he's been below ordinary and he's 30 years old. Give me Celestino or Garlick before him. 

Celestino might be an answer IF he can hit but he did hit .177/.286.466 in this year's try-out. Refsnyder isn't great, but he's not so bad,  but we NEED a RH hitting OF to play some. Better if he can play CF. Kepler can't hit LH pitching, Garlick can't play CF, and the rest of the hopefuls are either LH hitters (Larnach, Contreras), or haven't shown they can hit (Rooker). I wouldn't mind Miranda as an OF to try out his bat. I think Refsnyder and Celestino are in the mix for that 4th OF spot next year.    

[Squirrel]

5 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Celestino might be an answer IF he can hit but he did hit .177/.286.466 in this year's try-out. Refsnyder isn't great, but he's not so bad,  but we NEED a RH hitting OF to play some. Better if he can play CF. Kepler can't hit LH pitching, Garlick can't play CF, and the rest of the hopefuls are either LH hitters (Larnach, Contreras), or haven't shown they can hit (Rooker). I wouldn't mind Miranda as an OF to try out his bat. I think Refsnyder and Celestino are in the mix for that 4th OF spot next year.    

This year's try out was out of necessity only , not out of 'he's ready let's try him out', because he wasn't ... we've seen that before when we bring up CFers from AA too soon ... now that he's been in AAA, he's been doing well ... next year if/when he gets a call up, I bet he's much better and closer to expectations

[wsnydes]

So much for the lead...

[Squirrel]

It was bound to happen

[stringer bell]

The game has changed dramatically in the last few years. 13 of the 15 outs on balls put in play in this game have been hit in the air. Three more fly balls have left the yard. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

3 hours ago, ashbury said:

Does not bewieve this cwaim.

Brownian motion is where it's at!

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Not sure why we'd trade Arraez unless we could get some good pitching in return and I just don't think that's in the cards. He's still cheap - pre-arb until 2023 and not a free agent until 2026 -  and he can hit for average/OBP. I know he doesn't have a regular position but he can get 50-75 games at 3B for Donaldson, 20 at 2B for Polanco, and another 50 at DH. That's 120-130  games and we can give him more if we're willing to be adventurous in LF or let him back up at 1B. He may be surplus if Miranda comes up and rakes but that hasn't happened yet.  Gordon hasn't established that he can hit and he can play in the OF - he's Tortuga's replacement.

We have no one to replace Arraez hitting .300 with a .375 OBP. I think he has a spot on this team until one of the young guys displaces him. And that just hasn't come close to happening yet. 

So, he's very valuable, but not a good trade chip?

[stringer bell]

C'mon. Four runs from the first four batters and six innings later, nothing?

[Longdistancetwins]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Monday. 

Yeah, I’m going to that game against my better judgment. 

[RpR]

That was an odd put-out.

 

[Danchat]

Alcala's last 10 outings: 13 IP, 15 Ks, 2 BBs, 7 hits, 1 ER. And all mostly in high to medium leverage situations... he may be turning a corner here. And it's about time, too!

[stringer bell]

4 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Alcala's last 10 outings: 13 IP, 15 Ks, 2 BBs, 7 hits, 1 ER. And all mostly in high to medium leverage situations... he may be turning a corner here. And it's about time, too!

The entire bullpen has pitched much better as of late, even against the good teams. Nice to see Alcala coming back from the IL and really looking sharp.