stringer bell
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Everything posted by stringer bell
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The Twins again started the season with a new tandem in the middle infield. The two guys this year, Pedro Florimon and Brian Dozier. In 2012, Dozier and Florimon were both shortstops with Dozier playing the middle portion of the schedule as the regular shortstop and Florimon finishing the season, approximately the last third of the schedule, as the primary shortstop. The decision was made to move Dozier to second base. He opened 2013 spring training as the favorite to secure the position and did become the Opening Day second sacker. Florimon was awarded shortstop. Nearing the halfway point of the season, both players' numbers are underwhelming. My question as a thread topic is, which of these two will have the longer tenure as a regular with the Twins? Here are some particulars: Dozier turned 26 in May. He hit a disappointing .234 in 2012 with a .603 OPS. He didn't field well at short and was demoted in August and didn't return when rosters were expanded. Dozier has opened eyes as a second baseman, but his hitting is pretty much the same--.230 BA and .624 OPS. Dozier has no prospects behind him in Rochester, but Top Ten prospect Eddie Rosario looms in New Britain. June has been Dozier's best month so far, hitting .297 with an .894 OPS. Florimon is also 26. He received his first extended major league time in 2012, hitting .219 with a .579 OPS in 54 games. He has demonstrated good range and an extremely strong throwing arm at short, but has been a bit inconsistent in the field. Florimon started 2013 by hitting relatively well, but in June, Pedro has fallen off--hitting just .114 with a .388 OPS. In addition, his defense has taken a bit of a downturn. Overall, Florimon is hitting . 227 with a .632 OPS. There doesn't appear to be a prospect on the horizon to replace this year's incumbent. Obviously, the tougher defensive position is shortstop and offensive production from a second baseman needs to be higher in order to maintain a spot in the lineup. I think that Dozier's offense and defense will end up being better than Florimon. I expect that Dozier will remain a Twins regular until Rosario arrives, probably 2015. I don't think Florimon lasts as a regular through 2013.
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Having a guy a first, third, left, right and DH with RH power who can move around the field isn't a problem. It is the kind of luxury the Twins haven't had in a long time. I guess Cuddyer before he established himself in RF would be an example of that kind of utility player.
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Sano's ETA? I'm pegging 2015, with a chance at midseason 2014. I think another year with Plouffe at third may show us more conclusively what his value really is. Of those I thought needed to establish themselves, he was closest to established and if he has a rest of the season in line with what he has done (and avoids further injury), we will then know whether Trevor is a mainstay or not. He could be a mainstay as a "tenth" regular or a regular at any of the infield or outfield corners (plus DH).
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You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1897-Thoughts-and-Players-to-Watch
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I think Plouffe has matured into a corner guy and couldn't be more than an emergency replacement at second or short. I think he has the necessary skills to be a good 3B or 1B. I don't know how he would play in right or left, but he has enough speed and arm. If Sano remains at third, his place on the Twins could be first or perhaps as a regular fill-in at first, third or an outfield corner. I wouldn't abandon Plouffe at third until it is clear that Sano is going to be the Twins third baseman for sure.
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The Twins have played the fewest games in the AL (along with the White Sox) and after 66 games they are about what I thought they would be at this point: fourth in their division and are within sight of everyone but Detroit. Big picture: fine with me. I want to see this team sell at the trade deadline, but I don't want them to be dreadful. What is not fine with me is that the players I want the Twins to sell just aren't performing that well.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Ryan Doumit (.288/.405/.692), Justin Morneau (.341/.379/.720) and Josh Willingham (.352/.411/.763) are all well below last year's results which implies their value has also diminished. It has been discussed all over Twins Daily, but Morneau's lack of power has lowered his OPS from last year, even though his BA is up. On the pitching side, I think the Twins need to hold on to whatever effective arms they have. Perkins has done well and has a nice team-friendly contract. Despite a couple hiccups lately, Burton is a good late-inning arm. I suppose the club could deal one of those guys while they have good value. Starters Correia and Pelfrey might have some value. Correia has been the Twins most consistent starter but he epitomizes the mostly discredited "Pitch to Contact" approach and his innings could go to somebody currently toiling in Rochester. If the Twins can get anything of value for him, I say sell. Pelfrey, on the other hand, seems to be getting stronger. He's throwing harder, getting more Ks, and pitching deeper into games. Perhaps the Twins could sign him for another year at a bargain rate rather than selling and seeing him thrive for someone else. There are several players whose box scores I check no matter what. Mostly I'm looking at players who can help the Twins in the next year or two. That includes some on the major league roster and some in the minors. Also included: any left-hander who can get batters out - there never are enough lefties! Here's a list of possible keepers, with a thumbnail of their seasons so far and the reasoning why they might stick around: Chris Parmelee--could/should be Morneau's successor at first base. Young enough to be a key player when the next wave arrives. Parm is hitting .223 with a .648 OPS. He failed to secure a position last year and is on his way to ceding a spot in the Twins future. The bright spot has been surprisingly good defense in right field. He might be slotted as a bench player (RF/1B/DH) despite his poor hitting. Brian Dozier--for a franchise with so few good middle infielder options, having a potentially capable middle infielder is important. Dozier had a good game today and currently is hitting .230 with a .624 OPS. Dozier has fielded his new position surprisingly well, but he has to hit more to secure a spot for 2014 and beyond. Dozier's June numbers are encouraging: a .297 BA and an OPS over .800. Pedro Florimon--he is important for the same reasons as Dozier. The bar for Florimon was set very low going into the season and he hit surprisingly well early on. His overall offensive numbers mirror Dozier's--.227 BA with a .632 OPS, but June has not been kind to Florimon. For June, entering today's play, he's hitting .119 with a puny .388 OPS. His defense has slipped as well, so that I don't think Pedro is guaranteed anything more than continued play into next month. Finally on, Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe has had injury issues, but his numbers are ....well, good! Plouffe has an obvious successor playing in the Twins' system, but if he can hit to an .800 OPS, he'll have a job with the Twins, or with someone else. Plouffe has the necessary skills to be a decent 3B and enough hitting prowess to be a regular somewhere in the Twins' lineup. Good health, Trevor! In the Twins' top two minor league teams, I watch the catchers because I believe it is in the Twins' best interest to have Joe Mauer catch less. Very encouraging numbers from Josmil Pinto give me hope the Twins can have a young receiver splitting time with Mauer behind the plate. Pinto's offensive numbers at New Britain are outstanding: .321 BA and .957 OPS and reports have him being capable as a defender. "Utility catchers" Chris Herrmann and Dan Rohlfing look like guys who could fill a third catcher role, play in the outfield and perhaps field an infield corner. Herrmann did very well for the Twins in 16 plate appearances and Rohlfing has been outstanding as a C/OF for the Red Wings after putting up OK numbers in New Britain. Beyond the catchers, I look at AA-New Britain shortstop Danny Santana, who is hitting a low-power low-OBP .280 and has 20 errors at shortstop. Daniel Ortiz, who was a consistent performer early, has also slipped a bit. He's a corner outfielder with a .769 OPS. Finally, right-handed reliever Michael Tonkin has impressed. He started in New Britain, and has moved to Rochester. He has a good WHIP, opponent's BA and strikes out more than one per inning. I think Tonkin will fit in as a late inning option for the Twins as soon as this year.
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The Twins have played the fewest games in the AL (along with the White Sox) and after 66 games, they are about what I thought they would be at this point: They are in fourth in their division and are within sight of everyone but Detroit. Big picture: Fine with me, I want to see this team sell at the trade deadline, but I don't want them to be dreadful. What is not fine with me is that the players I want the Twins to sell just aren't performing that well. Doumit (.288/.405/.692), Morneau (.341/.379/.720) and the Hammer (.352/.411/.763) are all well below last year's results which would indicate that their value has diminished. It has been discussed all over TD, but Morneau's lack of power has lowered his OPS from last year, even though his BA is up. On the pitching side, I think the Twins need to hold on to whatever effective arms they have. Perkins has done well and has a nice team-friendly contract and despite a couple of hiccups lately, Burton is a good late-inning arm. I suppose the club could deal one of those guys while they have good value. Starters Correia and Pelfrey might have some value. Correia has been the Twins most consistent starter, but he epitomizes the mostly discredited "Pitch to Contact" approach and his innings could go to somebody currently toiling in Rochester. If the Twins can get anything of value for him, I would sell. Pelfrey, on the other hand, seems to be getting stronger. He's throwing harder, getting more Ks, and pitching deeper into games. Perhaps the Twins could sign him for another year at a bargain rate rather than selling and seeing him thrive for someone else. There are several players whose box scores I check no matter what. Mostly I am looking at players who can help the Twins in the next year or two. That includes some guys on the major league team and some in the minors. Also included, any left hander than can get batters out--there never are enough lefties! Here's a list with a thumbnail of the season so far and the reason why they could be players for the Twins: Chris Parmelee--could/should be Morneau's successor at first base. Young enough to be a key player when the next wave arrives. Parm is hitting .223 with a .648 OPS. He failed to secure a position last year and is on his way to ceding a spot in the Twins future. The bright spot has been surprisingly good defense in right field. He might be slotted as a bench player (RF/1B/DH) despite his poor hitting. Brian Dozier--For a franchise with so few good middle infielders, having a capable middle infielder is important. Dozier had a good game today and currently is hitting .230 with a .624 OPS. Again, Dozier has fielded his new position surprisingly well, but he has to hit more to secure a spot for 2014 and beyond. Dozier's June numbers are encouraging, with a .297 BA and OPS over .800. Pedro Florimon--He is important for the same reasons as Dozier. The bar for Florimon was set very low going into the season and he hit surprisingly well early. His overall offensive numbers mirror Dozier's--.227 BA with a .632 OPS--but June has not been kind to Florimon. Going into today's play, he's hitting .119 with a puny .388 OPS. His defense has slipped, as well, so that I don't think Pedro has guaranteed anything more than continued play into next month. Finally on the roster, Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe has had injury issues, but his numbers are ....well, good! Plouffe has an obvious successor playing in the Twins system, but if he can hit to an .800 OPS, he'll have a job with the Twins or somewhere else. Plouffe has the necessary skills to be a decent 3B and enough hitting prowess to be a regular somewhere in the Twins lineup. Good health, Trevor! In the Twins top two minor league teams, I watch the catchers because I believe it is in the Twins best interest to have Joe Mauer catch less. Very encouraging numbers from Josmil Pinto, give me hope that the Twins can have a young receiver splitting time with Mauer behind the plate and hitting. Pinto's numbers at New Britain are outstanding: .321 BA and .957 OPS and reports have him being capable as a defender. "Utility catchers" Chris Herrmann and Dan Rohlfing look like guys who could fill a third catcher role, also able to play in the outfield and perhaps an infield corner: Herrmann did very well for the Twins in 15 plate appearances and Rohlfing has been outstanding as a C/OF for the Red Wings after putting up okay numbers in New Britain. Beyond the catchers, I look at NB SS Danny Santana, who is hitting a low-power low OBP .280 and has 20 errors at shortstop. Daniel Ortiz, who was a consistent performer early, but has slipped a bit. He's a corner OF with a .769 OPS. Finally, Michael Tonkin has impressed. He started in New Britain, and has moved to Rochester. He has a good WHIP, opponent's BA and strikes out more than one per inning. I think Tonkin will fit in as a late inning option for the Twins as soon as this year.
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The Twins have played the fewest games in the AL (along with the White Sox) and after 66 games, they are about what I thought they would be at this point: They are in fourth in their division and are within sight of everyone but Detroit. Big picture: Fine with me, I want to see this team sell at the trade deadline, but I don't want them to be dreadful. What is not fine with me is that the players I want the Twins to sell just aren't performing that well. Doumit (.288/.405/.692), Morneau (.341/.379/.720) and the Hammer (.352/.411/.763) are all well below last year's results which would indicate that their value has diminished. It has been discussed all over TD, but Morneau's lack of power has lowered his OPS from last year, even though his BA is up. On the pitching side, I think the Twins need to hold on to whatever effective arms they have. Perkins has done well and has a nice team-friendly contract and despite a couple of hiccups lately, Burton is a good late-inning arm. I suppose the club could deal one of those guys while they have good value. Starters Correia and Pelfrey might have some value. Correia has been the Twins most consistent starter, but he epitomizes the mostly discredited "Pitch to Contact" approach and his innings could go to somebody currently toiling in Rochester. If the Twins can get anything of value for him, I would sell. Pelfrey, on the other hand, seems to be getting stronger. He's throwing harder, getting more Ks, and pitching deeper into games. Perhaps the Twins could sign him for another year at a bargain rate rather than selling and seeing him thrive for someone else. There are several players whose box scores I check no matter what. Mostly I am looking at players who can help the Twins in the next year or two. That includes some guys on the major league team and some in the minors. Also included, any left hander than can get batters out--there never are enough lefties! Here's a list with a thumbnail of the season so far and the reason why they could be players for the Twins: Chris Parmelee--could/should be Morneau's successor at first base. Young enough to be a key player when the next wave arrives. Parm is hitting .223 with a .648 OPS. He failed to secure a position last year and is on his way to ceding a spot in the Twins future. The bright spot has been surprisingly good defense in right field. He might be slotted as a bench player (RF/1B/DH) despite his poor hitting. Brian Dozier--For a franchise with so few good middle infielders, having a capable middle infielder is important. Dozier had a good game today and currently is hitting .230 with a .624 OPS. Again, Dozier has fielded his new position surprisingly well, but he has to hit more to secure a spot for 2014 and beyond. Dozier's June numbers are encouraging, with a .297 BA and OPS over .800. Pedro Florimon--He is important for the same reasons as Dozier. The bar for Florimon was set very low going into the season and he hit surprisingly well early. His overall offensive numbers mirror Dozier's--.227 BA with a .632 OPS--but June has not been kind to Florimon. Going into today's play, he's hitting .119 with a puny .388 OPS. His defense has slipped, as well, so that I don't think Pedro has guaranteed anything more than continued play into next month. Finally on the roster, Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe has had injury issues, but his numbers are ....well, good! Plouffe has an obvious successor playing in the Twins system, but if he can hit to an .800 OPS, he'll have a job with the Twins or somewhere else. Plouffe has the necessary skills to be a decent 3B and enough hitting prowess to be a regular somewhere in the Twins lineup. Good health, Trevor! In the Twins top two minor league teams, I watch the catchers because I believe it is in the Twins best interest to have Joe Mauer catch less. Very encouraging numbers from Josmil Pinto, give me hope that the Twins can have a young receiver splitting time with Mauer behind the plate and hitting. Pinto's numbers at New Britain are outstanding: .321 BA and .957 OPS and reports have him being capable as a defender. "Utility catchers" Chris Herrmann and Dan Rohlfing look like guys who could fill a third catcher role, also able to play in the outfield and perhaps an infield corner: Herrmann did very well for the Twins in 15 plate appearances and Rohlfing has been outstanding as a C/OF for the Red Wings after putting up okay numbers in New Britain. Beyond the catchers, I look at NB SS Danny Santana, who is hitting a low-power low OBP .280 and has 20 errors at shortstop. Daniel Ortiz, who was a consistent performer early, but has slipped a bit. He's a corner OF with a .769 OPS. Finally, Michael Tonkin has impressed. He started in New Britain, and has moved to Rochester. He has a good WHIP, opponent's BA and strikes out more than one per inning. I think Tonkin will fit in as a late inning option for the Twins as soon as this year.
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Torii has fallen to fourth among AL outfielders and the vote at Comerica is over. While I am a Hunter fan, Torii Hunter doesn't have All-Star numbers. Bautista, Gordon, Crisp, Nelson Cruz and a half dozen other guys have better overall numbers than Torii Hunter.
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I voted Davis, Cano, Hardy, and Miggy in the infield. Machado will be there for sure. He's a great player, but we can't deny the Triple Crown winner. In the outfield, Alex Gordon, Trout, and Bautista. My DH vote went to Ortiz. BTW, I voted for Cuddyer as an All-Star in the NL. He doesn't have quite enough at-bats to qualify (5 short), but he would be in the top five in both OPS and Batting Average.
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Just caught up with the game thread. It looks like Torii got his homer--yeah--and clinched the game in the ninth.
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Most teams don't need three catchers, but most teams don't build their lineup and their team around their catcher. The Twins have used one of their catchers at DH more than any other position. It matters, but not so much that they can't go with just two catchers. Three catchers where at least two play other positions isn't too much of a drain on the bench. In 2014, I've envisioned a scenario where Mauer splits his time between catcher and 1B, and where the 25th spot could go to a really versatile guy who catches. I see Pinto as the guy to catch most of the games that Mauer doesn't. I'm not ready to award a roster spot to Herrmann or Rohlfing, but I think their performances when promoted have improved both their confidence and improved their stock with Twins' management.
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If Mauer remains as the Twins primary catcher, maybe the Twins have some candidates who can fill the role of backup catcher or third catcher. Josmiel Pinto has had a terrific year in New Britain, leading the club in all three triple crown categories and OPS. At Rochester Chris Herrmann, after a nice couple of weeks with the Twins, had a pinch hit single to raise his average to .243. Dan Rohlfing, called up to replace Herrmann, is hitting .392 with a .996 OPS in more than 50 plate appearances. He hit over .270 at New Britain. Rohlfing has played first and outfield as well as catcher, while Herrmann has played a lot of outfield and was taking ground balls at third for the Twins. Pinto is only a catcher and has served frequently as the Rock Cats DH. These players progress should make Doumit expendable or probably Drew Butera.
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They walked Pinto, the guy behind Sano, twice and hit him once, so the 3-4 hitter got six free passes.
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Two people not going that well--Burton and Flori-moan--however the 5-4-3 DP off the bat of Peralta makes it pretty comfortable.
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I believe Trevor Plouffe is 27 today, so maybe that changes things slightly.
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Another thought: Justin Morneau has the fifth best slugging percentage of today's starting lineup. He has a higher SLG% than Parmelee, Thomas, Dozier, and Florimon (aka Murder's Row).
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What happened to Florimon's numbers? I know they are diminishing, but have they totally disappeared. Aside: All it took was Dickbert to comment that Florimon's numbers had consistently stayed between .240 & .260 for him to exceed .260 for a day and now slide to their current level. .228 BA with a .635 OPS.
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As of today, Pinto is fourth in the league in batting average, RBI, and OPS and sixth (tied) in home runs. He leads the Rock Cats in all of those categories. I would presume he is a lock to be an Eastern League All-Star, and after the All-Star game should go directly to Rochester. The EL All-Star game is in New Britain and it isn't played until July 10, so I guess that means another four weeks in Connecticut for Pinto.
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I buy most of what you're saying John. Parmelee, so far, just hasn't hit enough to justify continued playing time. I guess my gripe is putting Doumit in right has shown itself to be costly. I just read that Hammer is having knee issues necessitating that he DH, so if the formerly hot Doumit was to be in the lineup it would have to be in the outfield. Compounding all of this is the insistence of Morneau to play every day and at first base. I wonder if Morneau could or should be DLed and that an ongoing injury has robbed him of his power. BTW John, how and why did you change the name of this thread? I actually typed in four asterisks, not profanity.
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Me too! Of course, that might get me banned if I pointed out a mistake by Rocketpig.
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After two straight disappointing losing seasons, the Twins are rebuilding, but they won't admit it. I guess I understand why--new stadium and $23M catcher--but the presence of Mauer is why they aren't totally tearing the team up and playing eight rookies (I think). The club was very good in 2010 (until the postseason) and destroyed by injuries in 2011, compounded by a few of the most regrettable transactions in Twins' history. I don't hate the shrinking of the payroll, in and of itself, and I'm not a lifelong fan of some of the guys I want to see playing. I fail to see consistency in some of the Twins' moves this year. I'm not sure if Gardy is following orders by playing who he is playing or if he really thinks this is the best chance for him to keep his job. Playing Jamie Carroll at third (and leading off), Ryan Doumit in right and continuing with a powerless Justin Morneau just isn't rebuilding. I want to see Kyle Gibson get more than a cup of coffee for the Twins this year. I want to know about all of the players in their first full year of starting and I would like to see the dead wood cleared out of 40 man roster.
