Game Recap: Cleveland 7, Twins 4

Having a bad offense and the worst bullpen in baseball is a surefire combo to have a bad team. 

But, but, but ,,, we had such great exit velocity!

 

Maybe this team is built to maximize "advanced statistics" but not to win baseball games? 

If the 8th inning was supposed to be a low leverage situation for Colome to start regaining his confidence I don't think it worked.

Colome was gifted that K to start the 8th as well. The guy just can't be anywhere near games that are close at this point. The Twins don't have the luxury of finding out whether he can regain some semblance of a major league pitcher. 

Not sure our bullpen could be much worse - it is a slow painful torture to even watch them pitch.  

It doesn't matter how many mental gymnastics I do, I will never be able to comprehend the decision-making behind what transpired in the 8th inning.

2-13...2-13!!

 

Maeda can't throw first pitch strikes and Stashak can't throw strikes when he needs to? They're supposedly control pitchers.

 

We keep using Colomé in close games? Our 'closer' now has an ERA of +8.00. Why not try something different instead of continuing to bang the same broken drum?

 

We had Civale on the ropes a number of times but couldn't get it done again? This is like a scratched record for this iteration of the Twins.

 

I know this is rant-like, but come on. That is some very pathetic baseball being played and I'm not seeing any glimmers of shimmering samite from the players or staff to lift our spirits based on the games we've played recently. This team is very bad; it is being managed badly, and it doesn't seem to display any sort of grit. Can it be turned around? Maybe, but as Yogi Berra once said, "It's getting late early."

 

****Ranting now finished***** (at least until tomorrow)

Man, Colomé is basically unusable right now. I came across a stat from Aaron Gleeman saying that his WPA before tonight was the worst ever after a pitcher's first eight appearances for a new team. He's apparently the only pitcher in MLB history to be under -2.0 WPA in that span. I'm sure it's even worse after tonight.

 

I don't know what you even do with him. I guess stash him away and only use him for mop up duty. Honestly some of the worst relief pitching I've seen watching the team for 25+ years.

 

 

 

not returning until someone is fired or Colome is DFA'd

The Twins at full strength this weekend?

 

Well, first off.......

 

Catcher. We need one. Not only someone who can hit, but also call a game. Maybe Astudillo needs to be our go to guy. Anyone on the market> Jeffers needs time at AAA.

 

I would rather see Kirilloff at first everyday than Sano. What to do with Sano.

 

I can live with Arraex Simmons and Donaldson everyday in the infield. Polanco is the reserve. No need to go out of the way to find him playing time.

 

Can Buxton play in three straight games? What to do with Kepler, but he is better than most anyone else. Are we really excited about the return of Klye Garlick and has Jake Cave kept himself on the roster? Rooker is going back to AAA.

 

Drobnak needs to start at AAA. Bring back Smeltzer if you need a long man, and decide if you want to make Thorpe a bullpen arm or stretch him out as a starter.

 

Berrios is it. Pineda is here for the year. So is Shoemaker and Happ. If any of the three pitch well, they can be traded. Maeda needs to lower his pitches...fast.

 

The bullpen.

Who can strike out batters. Stashak, Alcala.

Who should be striking out batters. Duffy.

Who strikes out batter but allows inherited runners to score: Thielbar and everyone.

Can anyone get a ground-ball out (Kintzler, but he's elsewhere).

 

The Twins need one or two guys to pitch as openers.

 

Who do they jettison to make room on the 40-man and potentially on the 25-man. Colombe? Garlick? Cave? You can't bring guys up unless you have roster spots for them, or people getting COVID.

 

What to do with Sano? Garver? 

 

I end by asking: who on the current 40-man roster do you want to see in a Twins uniform in 2022. We should start with that thought in mind and do moves accordingly!

 

 

It so easy to manage when your club is hitting 307 home runs. Beginning last year, Rocco actually had to start the process of learning how to manage in the majors. It hasn’t really gone well. He’s gone from anything works to nothing works. Most of this predicament is on the players (and FO). But, Rocco...oh my!

Breaking News!!  In an effort to get Colome "going" in a less stressful high leverage situation......trusted sources are reporting that Bal-dummy has chosen Colome to be our opener tomorrow!!  

 

In some parallel universe Seinfeld world-------this would be called, "the Costanza"---just to do the opposite!!  If every instinct Baldelli has had has proved wrong, then doing the OPPOSITE has to be the answer...right? 

 

Well, at least his spreadsheet support this move.

 

 

The Twins at full strength this weekend?

 

Well, first off.......

 

Catcher. We need one. Not only someone who can hit, but also call a game. Maybe Astudillo needs to be our go to guy. Anyone on the market> Jeffers needs time at AAA.

 

I would rather see Kirilloff at first everyday than Sano. What to do with Sano.

 

I can live with Arraex Simmons and Donaldson everyday in the infield. Polanco is the reserve. No need to go out of the way to find him playing time.

 

Can Buxton play in three straight games? What to do with Kepler, but he is better than most anyone else. Are we really excited about the return of Klye Garlick and has Jake Cave kept himself on the roster? Rooker is going back to AAA.

 

Drobnak needs to start at AAA. Bring back Smeltzer if you need a long man, and decide if you want to make Thorpe a bullpen arm or stretch him out as a starter.

 

Berrios is it. Pineda is here for the year. So is Shoemaker and Happ. If any of the three pitch well, they can be traded. Maeda needs to lower his pitches...fast.

 

The bullpen.

Who can strike out batters. Stashak, Alcala.

Who should be striking out batters. Duffy.

Who strikes out batter but allows inherited runners to score: Thielbar and everyone.

Can anyone get a ground-ball out (Kintzler, but he's elsewhere).

 

The Twins need one or two guys to pitch as openers.

 

Who do they jettison to make room on the 40-man and potentially on the 25-man. Colombe? Garlick? Cave? You can't bring guys up unless you have roster spots for them, or people getting COVID.

 

What to do with Sano? Garver? 

 

I end by asking: who on the current 40-man roster do you want to see in a Twins uniform in 2022. We should start with that thought in mind and do moves accordingly!

 

This is more the Maeda that you will see. But 6 homers in 2 games? I hope not that. Last year was a lucky hot streak. Still can't believe how people were anointing him ace and even how the management took away Berrios' opening day start for 2 hot months from the new guy.

 

Relief. Both Thielbar and Alcala come in and can't get the first batter out. Thielbar just throws it right down the middle and it only took one pitch. 

 

Free Colome. Release him immediately. Can you imagine being a teammate and having to look at him everyday? Torture. I'm not a bandwagon guy. I hated the signing.

Will need to put some more time into researching this, but for tonight I'll tackle this by listing the players on the current 40-man roster, I don't want to see for 2022:

 

C:  Garver:  Only making $1.875m this year and ARB 1 eligible next year.  He's proved that his 2019 productive season was a complete aberration.

 

Infielders:

SS- Nick Gordon:  No explanation needed

Lin & Riddle:  see comment on Gordon

 

OFers

Cave:  Like Garver, not making much, but ARB 1 eligible.  He's proved why he's nothing more than a below average 4th OFer with his abysmal season:  .182 avg with only 2 RBI in 66 ABs with an awful OPS of .538.  

Garlick:  Looking more and more like a ST wonder.  Waffle iron for a glove

Rooker:  Unless Twins find a buyer for Sano in offseason, which is highly unlikely as he's due $9.25m next year, I don't see where he fits.  His glove and arm are worse than Garlick

 

SPs

Shoemaker and Happ:  Pretty easy decision.  Making $10m this season combined. Got to think $10m could be used to find 2 veteran bullpen arms that have some life left in their arms

 

RPs

DFA tomorrow------Colome.  Pohlad won't enjoy eating his $5.6mill due for next season, but this needs to be done now!

Thielbar:  Nice story of his comeback, but he's shown the jig is up.

Shaun Anderson:  Won't be missed.  Really wonder why he was added to 40 man roster to start with.

Smeltzer:  Seems to need a change of scenery.  Respect his tenacity and fight back from cancer, but he's been given opportunities and seems to be no better than a AAAA pitcher.

 

By my count that's 13 players who could/should be gone off 40man roster heading into 2022.  Others sure to depart-----Cruz and Simmons------both unrestricted FA's next season.

 

A lot of work to do for Falvey-Levine, but hopeful that several on the current 40 man roster, namely-----Balazovic, Chalmers, Colina, Duran and Ober--------show enough in minors this season to be key pieces in 2022 or 2023.  Others on 40-man that I hope to see enough improvement from this season to contribute next year would be Ben Rortvedt © and Gilbert Celestino-OF.  Kind of surprised that Trevor Larnach isn't on current 40, but hope that he'll show enough to be in line for starting LF slot to start next year.

New manager and hitting coach please

Please for the love of God don't send Kirilloff back down once the COVID players/Sano come back from the IL. Watching him have ABs is really the only thing worth watching this team for right now. Well him and Buxton I guess. 

Ahhh ... Waking up to being a fan of officially the worst team in MLB with a nice .318 winning percentage.

 

According to Dick and Roy, it's only April, that one cutter that Colome threw to Roberto Perez looked pretty good and the Nationals were 19-31 in 2019, so it's all good.

 

Bwahahaha!!

But, but, but ,,, we had such great exit velocity!

 

Maybe this team is built to maximize "advanced statistics" but not to win baseball games?

 

I'm not saying that analytics are bad and should be ignored but we can't over look the most important stat which is wins and losses. There are strong indicators in the past that show we win about 2/3 of our games when Buxton is in (lately this is not accurate) and we lose about 2/3 of our games when Cave is there. Yet they say Cave is a viable replacement, much like they said that Polanco was an all star starting SS. I'm not knocking Cave or Polanco they're good to very good players at their appropriate positions.

 

What I'm saying and will continue to say is Cave will not transform himself into a adequate CF. We need Broxton on the field available at any time to replace Buxton. Not only this but also to PR and a defensive replacement in a crucial game.

 

I know last game there's nothing you can do to defend against HRs. This solution is to help limit our loses down the road and hopefully be one solution to one problem that gets us on a winning streak.

8 for 34 (.235) no walks and 6 strikeouts today. Anemic.

After the lads exhausted themselves getting eight hits scoring four yesterday, I think everyone deserves a day off. How can they be expected to play a day game after all that baserunning and stuff? 

 

Also, maybe it is time to let the pitchers hit and DH for the catchers. They can't do any worse.