stringer bell

Anything>Nishi's MLB career.

OK, here's my take. While pitching is infinitely riskier than picking position players, the payoff for getting an ace (Verlander, Strassberg, Clemens) is worth the risk. The Twins look like they will have an excellent crop of young positions players in the next 2-3 years. If they don't get much improved pitching, they still are a long way from contending.

I really like Fien and I also like Perkins, but I think if the Twins can get a good deal for either they should pull the trigger.

Actually, I like the lineup. Packed with LH bats, perhaps someone will find the short porch in RF, maybe a few someones.

I also think the discussion has to be broadened. First of all, 90 losses three years in a row is unacceptable. Secondly, the ownership and front office have to figure out how to get out of this mess and proceed with a plan. Perhaps the plan is already in place--the minor league teams are chock-full of talent. Pitching needs to be acquired and developed and that has to be the number one priority for each transaction going forward. Can Gardenhire be part of the solution or is it better to interrupt the continuity and "start fresh" with the big club? I don't think the manager can gripe about the long run he has had ending with three straight non-contenders.

The Twins must bring back pitching, and really not command and control types. I have said repeatedly that Doumit can and should go. I think Devil Eyes is worth a hard-throwing relief prospect.

I would hope that any major league players acquired in trade are pitchers. I'm leaving one spot blank in the bullpen and one in the starting rotation as trade proceeds. I expect the Twins to sign one hitter and one pitcher--right now I'm going to say Josh Johnson, since his stock and price have dropped. 2014 should be a ramp-up year with true contention coming in 2015. Pitching--Gibson, Hendriks, Diamond, Worley, Johnson, Burton, Tonkin, Duensing, Thielbar, Hernandez + two from trades. Catcher--Mauer, Pinto, Herrmann Infield--Plouffe, Florimon, Dozier, Parmelee, Carabello, Parmelee Outfield--Hart (FA), Willingham, Arcia, Hicks,

A great example of someone being promoted to the majors too early is Carlos Gomez. He had floundered for years and finally at age 27 has "found it" and became a deserving All-Star. It messes a lot of things up to promote too early. The arb and free agency clocks are started early, guys run out of options, and some guys are non-tendered mostly because they've started their clock too early.

Here's the Twins lineup: Minnesota Twins: 1. 2B: Brian Dozier 2. 3B: Jamey Carroll 3. C: Joe Mauer 4. DH: Trevor Plouffe 5. 1B: Chris Parmelee 6. LF: Oswaldo Arcia 7. CF: Aaron Hicks 8. RF: Clete Thomas 9. SS: Pedro Florimon SP: Mike Pelfrey

Doumit has been my trade chip of choice. I still think the Twins should move him.

I think the pony tail completes the look quite well.

I agree that keeping Mauer behind the plate would be optimal, but I think he might be a more effective hitter longer if he got relief from catching. That might include more power and I am sure that he would be a fine fielder at first. There really is no way to know if my assumption is correct.

Looking thru the Rochester box score, I see that Hendriks had a real strong game. It looks like his arm and his confidence are back at least when pitching for the Red Wings. I also noted that the venue for the game was "PNC Field"--I guess that isn't the same as the park in Pittsburgh.

Days off for Plouffe, Parm, and Dozier? That is three of the guys I've been watching with particular interest. Oh, well! I won't be watching the game and forgot to DVR it.

I agree that Rosario will get second base when he shows he is ready in the minors, probably sometime in 2014. I also concur that Dozier has the skills to be a major league average shortstop defensively. I think he could be slightly better than average offensively. It seemed to me that Dozier pressed when he was promoted in 2012 and it showed as much in his defense as in his at-bats. Hopefully, a season of relative success will allow Dozier to make the transition back to shortstop.

That may work out. Diamond is scheduled to pitch on Friday in the Bronx and if he's hit hard again, he could be sent out when Thielbar returns. With the All-Star break after that, the Twins wouldn't need a starter until the following Monday at the worst.

I've been surprised how low Tonkin has been rated as a prospect. I think he has an excellent chance to be a high-leverage late-inning guy.

Mauer is, in fact, a fine catcher. However, the question also has to be asked, is catching this much good for Mauer? The Twins have invested in him heavily and for a long time. If catching at 30 saps him of his power and also makes him more slump prone, is it worth it? I think that Joe needs to transition (slowly) to first base. This dovetails with my belief that the Twins would be better off with the current Justin Morneau playing somewhere else. Having someone with positional flexibility at first base works better with making Mauer a part-time or half-time first baseman.

Brian signed baseballs for me the last two years of Spring Training. Seems like a nice young man (yeah, I'm old) and I like that he has enough power to keep pitchers and fielders honest. I've said this before but I'll repeat it--my pet peeve is seeing major league players who can't under (almost) any circumstances reach the fence. It especially galls me to see outfielders cheating in to the point that an average runner can't score from second on a single. The Twins have had a succession of these guys--Al Newman, Jeff Reboulet, a whole host of middle infield suspects, and Ben Revere and Jamey Carroll.

The splits are narrowing, too. Good game for Hicks.

Nothing to do with Super 2. Everything to do with walking after exactly six years of service. Meanwhile Arcia will not be a free agent until he completes his seventh season.

Morneau is not "just another player". That seems to be the theme of many that are posting here. It is my theme, too, but with a totally different point. As a ten-year vet, former MVP and fixture in the middle of the lineup (when available) I don't think Morneau would "go gently into the good night" of being a platoon guy or batting somewhere else in the order. He has stated repeatedly he doesn't want to DH, so he doesn't probide any positional flexibility as Mauer transitions more and more to being a first baseman. I can imagine Morneau creating a bit of a distraction by thinking he should always be in the lineup hitting fourth. His performance this year and last is not that of a cleanup hitter.

Cuddyer is a former teammate to each of the All-Stars. No one else played with all of these current All-Stars. Ortiz left after 2002 and Hardy was only here for 2010.

I'm looking forward to Josmil playing at Rochester and hope they recall him on Sept. 1, if not before. While he hasn't been as red-hot as he was early, from checking the boxscores, it looks like there are very few o-fers and usually when he's hitless, he has drawn a walk. For a catcher to sustain his excellent hitting has to bode well for his future.

I have said since the beginning of the season that 2013 was about not-quite-rookies development--Florimon, Dozier, Plouffe, Parmelee--and the rookies (Hicks and Arcia). I haven't abandoned hope for any of them and Plouffe certainly has done well.