Danchat

I actually thought we were going to see Polanco get called up, but it's okay that he hasn't. I also thought Vargas would be a Sept. call up but now it looks like he's cemented his spot in the lineup before September even started (at least for now. It's a bit early to be drawing conclusions.)

I wouldn't worry about this. He just needs to get rid of the nerves he has. Kyle Gibson went through a similar situation and just needed some experience to get used to it. May will mature over time and will get better.

I have to give it to our font office - we've really recovered since the Bartlett fiasco. Trading Morales was good... we'll see in September is Pyror is any good. The Fuld claim and trade was brilliant... and we'll see Milone in a few days. And now May coming up and Correia going bye-bye. I can't argue with any of these moves. I think it's safe to say that TR is doing a good job since his return. Antony, however, should definitely not be the next Twins GM.

It's really hard to judge how much a coach affects each player. For Anderson, there are several arguments for and against. He's had a lot of underachieving starters but has been superb when it comes to the bullpen. When it comes to Diamond, he never had the stuff it took to be great. That's why we got him as a Rule 5 draft pick. His one good season was all luck. If Diamond can somehow turn around as a #4 starting pitcher or higher for a MLB team, that team must have a miracle worker there. I wouldn't put that on Anderson. However, when it comes to Worley, I'd blame our pitching staff if he continues to pitch well.

Gardy already said in an interview that Hicks will need to face AAA pitchers before he gets back to the majors. So that means Schafer may have to start for a little bit. Two weeks is okay but it better not be the length that Clete Thomas ended up playing in CF last year.

I don't want to change the topic, but I do wonder whether it'll be May or Milone with the next start. Also, I wonder who will be sent down when they have to do that.

I can't say this is a bad move because it might mean less SSs in the outfield. Perhaps Schafer will click with our hitting coaches and bat a little better. If not, say goodbye and send him away. He's stolen a lot of bases, so he'll be a great pinch-run option. I do wonder who we'll send down to AAA. Colabello maybe?

To the people who want Pino and Johnson DFA'd... These guys are the depth for our starting pitching. Starting pitchers get hurt. Look how many teams in the MLB have hurt starters. There is no reason to DFA these two guys. They should be in AAA during 2015 so we can use them if/probably when a starter gets hurt. However, I agree with dumping Correia and Burton. Neither will be here in 2015, so there's no point to be here now. At this point, Correia is blocking our young starters. Pino and Johnson aren't blocking them because they can be sent down at any time. The only thing blocking May and Meyer is the person who could call them up.

$6M a year is fair. I love the part about the 2017 option only being based on PAs. However, something inside me tells me this move is not OK. We should be rebuilding, but we're not. We're continuing to play aging veterans which includes Suzuki, who will probably fall to a .250 batting average eventually. They aren't giving Pinto enough opportunities. You guys have already seen my frustration about May and Meyer. I really, really want to see Pinto play. And he could work at DH, but the problem is, that's Vargas's spot for now, and maybe next year Sano will get some DHing, and we'll also probably bring in an old veteran to play DH (a la Kubel/Willingham this year). There isn't room for Pinto. And that ticks me off because 2014 is about finding out what our minor leagues have in store for us instead of filling spots with old players. I have nothing against Suzuki, and I think his defensive capabilities and durability will make the deal a fair one. I just worry that eventually he'll be another black hole in this lineup, just like almost every other batter on this team.

The Twins rarely make deals at the deadline. I'm happy enough with Fuld, though I wished we moved Suzuki. Maybe he'll sign an extension later.

Hopefully he'll reach AA by the end of the season. But it's too early to call up him in September - they won't want to add him to the 40 man roster this early in his career. Knowing the Twins, they won't start his clock yet.

Yeah.... the Twins don't get the concept of a rebuild. It's not about playing aging veterans and holding back young prospects... Here are the Twins players on pace for having their rookie season: Josmil Pinto, Danny Santana, maybe Eric Fryer (not sure if he's already had his rookie season or if he'll play enough games), Yohan Pino (if he gets 25 more innings), possibly Michael Tonkin, and Kris Johnson if he can get more starts. (Gardy said that he's going to be in the second half rotation for now.)

The answer is Pino. He's replacing himself. They just called him back up.

Uh, Clowney is a guaranteed top 2 pick at worst. Houston is basically taking him, and if not, somebody is trading up to get him. Outside of that, the only complaints I would have is WRs Benjamin and Matthews being in the first round. Bortles probably won't fall that far, but if he does, I would expect the Vikings to try and nab him. It'd be a shame if the Jags actually got a good QB.

Give this guy until the end of May and on June 1st, look at the numbers. If they stay bad, then it's time to DFA him. I still believe in Burton, but he's gotta prove he can still pitch.

It's time for the predictions for the Twins pitching staff! Here's the format of my stats: ERA/K per 9/ BB per 9 Ricky Nolasco 2013: 3.70/7.4/2.1 2014: 4.53/6.0/1.7 Nolasco had a career year and cashed in with the Twins. His career ERA is 4.37 and that's 100% in the national league, and that's gonna go up with the Twins. He does have the capability to go past 6 innings, so in the end he will make the Twins more competitive. Phil Hughes 2013: 5.19/5.7/1.9 2014: 4.07/4.9/1.8 If the ballpark factor comes into play, Hughes will be our best pitcher. He's given up 59 HRs over the last two years, but hopefully that will shrink at Target Field. I am concerned about his strikeout rate, and it'll probably drop thanks to our pitching staff, but either way, Hughes will be a huge step forward from what we saw in 2013. Mike Pelfrey 2013: 5.19/6.0/3.1 2014: 4.98/6.4/3.1 Odd. Pelfrey had the exact same ERA of 5.19. Very odd. Coincidences aside, Pelfrey is now on year 2 of his recovery from TJ surgery, meaning he should be better. If you read my first blog, you know I turned off the TV whenever Pelfrey pitched. Ironically, the one game I saw at Fort Myers this year was watching Pelfrey pitch. He isn't spectacular, but I think he will improve. Kevin Correia 2013: 4.18/4.9/2.2 2014: 4.80/4.9/2.7 Everyone was surprised when Correia pitched well last year. Looking at his K/9, I'd say he won't be able to keep up his 4.18 ERA. But I'm no sabermetrics wizard, so I can't guarantee you anything. Expect he'll be mediocre, of course. Kyle Gibson 2013: 6.53/5.1/3.5 2014: 2.97/6.7/3.0 Yes. That's right. 2.97 ERA. Are you taking me seriously? No? My big prediction of the year is Gibson's emergence as our best pitcher. I wouldn't bet money on this, but I just have that feeling. He's got over his anxiety of being a rookie under pressure. He's further removed from TJ surgery. The stars have aligned. My predictions may look grim at times, but here is a shining light for all to see! (please, Gibson, prove me right. I will look like an idiot if you pitch as bad as last year.) Sam Deduno 2013: 3.83/5.6/3.4 2014: 3.61/7.7/4.0 Let's face it. When one of the five guys above gets injured, it's probably Deduno time. I predict he will start half of the games in the season, so maybe 16 starts. In the bullpen, his strikeouts should increase, but I fear his walks will grow too high. I'm worried for his health, but other than that, he will kick butt. Here's to hoping he won't fizzle out like Scott Diamond did. Anthony Swarzak 2013: 2.91/5.8/2.9 2014: 3.91/6.1/2.6 Compare Deduno's 2013 numbers with Swarzak's. Pretty similar, right? Well, Swarzak was in the bullpen, but their numbers are freaky close. Clearly the bullpen is the place to be, but he will regress after a fantastic 2013. He's going to be moving to the 7th inning role, which he won't be as good at. Still, don't worry about him. Brian Duensing 2013: 3.98/8.3/3.2 2014: 3.55/8.0/3.3 Duensing is still a bit of a mystery. After flaming out as a starter, Duensing found his value as a reliever. He's unpredictable, but his 8.3 K/9 was pretty radical. He won't get over 8.3 again but he's a solid lefty in the bullpen. Glen Perkins 2013: 2.30/11.1/2.2 2014: 3.00/9.2/2.4 Just gaze at those 2013 numbers. Keep looking. Man, what a year. He'll never be that good again, however, he'll live up to his new extension. At Fort Myers, he blew away the batters with his pitches. I couldn't help but smile. Perkins might just be my favorite current Twin right now. (Until Buxton makes the roster.) Jared Burton 2013: 3.82/8.3/3.0 2014: 2.73/8.1/2.5 Burton regressed last year, and in the setup role, blew every tie game he had. He won't do that again this year, and he'll return to his 2012 form. He is getting to the age where he could decline permanently, but let's not talk about that. His 8.3 K/9 clip looks pretty good and should remain there. Caleb Thielbar 2013: 1.76/7.6/2.7 2014: 3.66/7.9/2.6 I hate agreeing with the consensus, but Thielbar cannot possibly be as good as last year. That won't prevent him from having an overall postitive year, as a 3.66 ERA isn't bad for a former St. Paul Saint pitcher. Casey Fien 2013: 3.92/10.6/1.7 2014: 3.15/9.8/2.4 It just isn't right when you have a SO/BB of 6.08 (that's high) and your ERA balloons up almost 2 points. ERA is not the greatest stat and it's not close, and I don't believe it's super-accurate. However, if Fien pitches like he did last year, it will go down. I'm a fan of Fien and I hope he continues his dominant run in the bullpen. He could become the setup man. Michael Tonkin 2014: 2.37/10.9/3.7 Tonkin will come into the big leagues exactly how Thielbar did. He will dominate everyone and have a basement-deep ERA. He won't repeat these stats in 2015 but he's on his way to one day becoming the closer. That should be it, but I have one more bold prediction, and it's not pretty. Look away, optimists. Alex Meyer 2014: 6.73 ERA/8.5/4.5 I'm sorry if I upset someone. Just think about it. Nobody thought Kyle Gibson would have an ERA north of 6. And nobody thinks Meyer will struggle this bad... except me, the pessimist. I like him, but knowing our luck, he'll get hurt and keep pitching. I'm sorry if I poisoned your mind with grim predictions, but our pitching staff is getting much better. Please, leave a comment and I will respond back. I will analyze my predictions at the end of the year. Let's see if my big 2 predictions will come true!

I kinda forgot Jason Kubel, even though I don't think he'll last long. DH/OF Jason Kubel 2013: .216/.293/5 Prediction for 2014: .198/.281/4 Last year was bad for Kubel, but at least his final season will be with Minnesota. I don't think he'll bat well, especially in Target Field, a pitcher's favorite. Good luck hitting HRs here, Kubel.

Now that the 25 man roster is finalized for the Twins, I'm going to publish my predictions here and then analyze them at the end of the year to see if I guessed anything correctly. -Stats I'm going to use- Batting Average/On base percentage/HRs C Kurt Suzuki 2013: .232/.290/5 Prediction for 2014: .240/.297/7 We all want Pinto to take over. Suzuki has severely declined over the last two years. As much as it seems like Pinto will take over, I think Suzuki actually has a decent year and gets his batting average up a bit higher. C Josmil Pinto 2013: .342/.398/4 Prediction for 2014: .266/.310/12 Insert *He's not possibly going to play as well as he did last fall* argument here. This is going to be the beginning of a great career for Pinto. Let's just hope he doesn't go down the Parmelee path. 1B Joe Mauer 2013: .324/.404/11 Prediction for 2014: .329/.406/16 Everyone is predicting an increase in Joe-Joe's batting average. I'll give him a small bump in BA but I do think he'll hit 5 more HRs, if that means anything. Don't expect him to get much better at the plate. 1B/Utility Chris Colabello 2013: .194/.284/7 Prediction for 2014: .222/.302/8 I've heard a lot of positive clamor about Colabello, but his numbers look pretty bad. His strikeouts (58 in 181 PAs) happened way too often, but if you're looking for positives, his 20 walks shows some upside. With experience, I think he will improve, however, at age 30, this is the best year he's going to have. 2B Brian Dozier 2013: .244/.312/18 Prediction for 2014: .263/.326/10 It was good to see Dozier break out of his slump around halfway in 2013 and pull out a good sophomore year actually a weak rookie season. Batting leadoff, his BA will go up but his HRs will suffer, but that's fine as long as he's getting on base for Mauer. SS Pedro Florimon 2013: .221/.281/9 Prediction for 2014: .202/.260/6 If I've learned anything from watching tons of baseball and football, it's that injuries nag players and can wreck seasons even when the player seems to have recovered from the injury. This is a wild guess here... but I'm going to speculate that Florimon won't be 100% after his appendectomy and he'll play through it. He already can't hit, and even though I hate to project regression, I think he won't do very well. 2B/SS Eduardo Escobar 2013: .236./282/3 Prediction for 2014: .256/.291/7 I'm aboard the Eddie 400 train. I hope Escobar gets at least 400 ABs because I think he has some potential. He had a hot streak last year but he lost his groove quickly. His bat can come alive when he's hot, but when he's not, he struggles at getting walks. I'm looking forward to watching Eduardo play this season. 3B Trevor Plouffe 2013: .254/.309/14 Prediction for 2014: .239/.288/15 I'm not a fan of Plouffe. He's basically Danny Valencia (who I liked) except... okay, I can't come up with a good reason why. It's mostly his defense, but his hitting is so inconsistent and could have hit more HRs last year. I hope he surprises me and has a solid 2014, but I just don't see it. LF Josh Willingham 2013: .208/.342/14 Prediction for 2014: .211/.319/9 I really like Willingham. But there isn't much hope for him. Just take a gander at his stats in spring training. As Pat Reusse said, he's finished. I really want the Hammer to succeed, but I don't see it. He can only hit pop-ups, strikeout, or walk. And he walks and takes pitches like a boss. But that's it. 2012 was a great year, Josh. I'll always remember that year with him mashing 35 HRs. CF Aaron Hicks 2013: .192/.259/8 Prediction for 2014: .229/.285/14 OK, Hicks, let's forget last year even happened. It was bad. People point out that he walked 24 times, and then I'll reply that he struck out 84 times. Dang. It will be a long road to earning that CF spot, but I think he improves, and in 2015, he'll crack .250 and 15 HRs. RF Oswaldo Arcia 2013: .251/.304/14 Prediction for 2014: .279/.328/22 I like Oswaldo. He's on his way to becoming a really good player. He's like Jason Kubel on steroids. Hopefully will cut his strikeouts away, though it will take a long time for him to work on it, in the long-term, his kid is going to go down as a great Twin. He gives me hope for this 2014 team. Coming soon, the pitching predictions for 2014.

Man, I sure hope we don't re-sign Pelfrey. Sure, he's a #5 pitcher but so is everybody else except for Nolasco. I think we need one more arm in the rotation and it sure better not be Pelfrey. Plus, how in the world is he worth $8M a year? I know everything is inflated but nobody is going to burn that kind of money signing him... right? We need a solid #2 pitcher to complement Correia, Deduno, Nolasco, and whoever goes in that final spot. And it sure better not be Mike Pelfrey.

This is my first blog post... so bear with me, folks. It's not hard to make a report card type of blog, so I'm going to focus on my own analysis of the players and the improvement they've made. And for many, regression that has happened. So, without further ado, let's take a look at how our pitchers did this season... get your barf bags ready. SP Kevin Correia, 4.18 ERA, 4.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 I chose these specific stats because that's what I will analyze for these players. Believe it or not, Correia had has 2nd best season of his career (as a starter) and surpassed my expectations. He's raised his strikeouts slightly and also had his lowest walk rate ever. He did what he was signed for, and no matter how this $10 million was spent, they got what they could out of him. SP Mike Pelfrey, 5.19 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 So which Pelfrey are we going to get... the one who can go 6 innings and give up 1 run? Or the one that implodes in the 2nd inning? ESPN nominated him for the midseason Cy Yuck and they had good merit. Pelfrey is a last resort #5 option in the rotation and I want nothing of him next season. Although he was capable of strikeouts (getting a career high 6.0), he rarely ever escaped the 6th inning and isn't capable of many innings. He clearly regressed, but he was coming off Tommy John surgery and entered the American League for the 1st time. SP Scott Diamond, 5.43 ERA, 3.6 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 I don't want to repeat what everyone else is saying. Yeah, he was bad. But holy mother of pearl, 3.6 K/9??!?!? No wonder he was a punch bag for these batters. After an impressive rookie reason, Diamond followed it up with a complete clunker. So which Diamond are we going to get? Unfortunately, I'd bet he's just as bad next year. SP Sam Deduno, 3.83 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 Wow, we could call him Deduno 2.0. How in the world did he manage NOT to strike out over 6K/9 innings? At least they lowered his walk ratio to around league average, but I think he has some unearthed potential. If the Pirates got their hands on this guy, they could make him better than Liriano right now.... but the big problem is Deduno's health. He should be ready for next year, but he's a glass cannon. He is clearly the most improved of the starters. SP Pedro Hernandez, 6.83 ERA, 4.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 My gosh.... how in the world does Hernandez qualify as the 5th starter? This is seriously worse than last year. That atrocious ERA is backed up by his other stats, like the revolting 1.82 WHIP he had. If you're not going to strike anyone out, his BB/9 should be under 3.0 at least! There is no reason for him to pitch for the Twins ever again, and if he does, please, let it be in the bullpen. SP Andrew Albers, 4.05 ERA, 3.8 K/9, 1.1 BB/9 Well, if you're going to refuse to throw strikeouts, at least he doesn't walk anyone. There's nobody close to him on this team with a 1.1 BB/9. However, I don't buy his 4.05 ERA. He's extremely flukey and is reminiscent of Scott Diamond. I would welcome him into the rotation next season but I suspect he'll decline. SP Kyle Gibson, 6.53 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 Everyone was excited to see Gibson pitch... and now we understand why he wasn't rushed. These stats couldn't be more disappointing for him (except maybe the next guy on the list).There is nowhere to go but up and I hope that applies for his K/9. I do expect him to throw less walks. I also suspect the pitching staff is responsible for his failures. He has so much talent, so how can he flop like this? SP Vance Worley, 7.21 ERA, 4.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 Words can not do this justice. Worley's regression from Philly is astounding beyond measure. His ERA increased from 3.50 to 7.21, faster than that guy on the Supersize Me movie could gain weight. His K/9 plummeted from a respectable 7.7 to 4.6. And worst of all, his Hits/9 went from 9.0 to 15.2. YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING A GUY OUT WITH A PITCHING MACHINE. That is all for the starters. Hendriks, Walters, and De Vries are so bad/meh/unimportant that they don't need to be mentioned. CL Glen Perkins 2.30 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 What a phenomenal season from Perkins. Every stat shows he was incredible, and while he likely won't be able to keep up these stats, it looks like we have a reliable closer for the future. He probably had the best season of his career. 'Nuff said. RP Jared Burton 3.82 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 I have a thing for Burton, he's one of my favorite pitchers on the team. (maybe because he's semi-competent, like few others?) However, it seemed whenever there was a tie game in the 8th inning, Burton would come out and blow it. He somehow lost 9 games this way. His stats looked pretty good, and I think his ERA will drop next year. I'd say he had a slight regression, but it was unlikely he was going to repeat last year's campaign. RP Josh Roenicke 4.35 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 5.2 BB/9 Not sure what to think of this guy. I thought Tim Wood or Alex Burnett would take this spot from him, and he held it the whole year. He's hittable, OK at strikeouts, and walks way too many guys. Yet he had a sub-4.00 ERA most the year, inflated by a couple really bad outings. He had a great season, but it sure looks like he can't possibly keep this up. I expect him to find a job elsewhere. RP Casey Fien, 3.92 ERA, 10.6 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 Fien topped last season with an even better year. He was elite and shut down several games, winning 5. When he gave up runs, it was typically in non-important situations. The Twins found him with a minor league deal and now have a menacing reliever who strikes out over a batter per inning. Just look at that juicy BB/9 ratio. Nice! He won't keep those numbers up next year, but I think he'll continue his dominance. Kudos to the Twins management for finding this gem. RP Brian Duensing, 3.98 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 I think the perfect adjective for Brian Duensing is "meh." He's hittable, gives up runs, and is a specialist. His ERA is low in my opinion, and he's likely to regress next year in my opinion. He's hit his ceiling and it might be time to move on. Perhaps we can trade him after he signs his RFA deal. I'd like to see someone like Tonkin take this spot. RP Anthony Swarzak, 2.91 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 Three cheers for the best long reliever in baseball! Hip hip.... OK, maybe he's not the best, but he just had his best season (probably in his career). He isn't as hittable as before (8.3 H/9) and is very important for the (seemingly daily) game where the starters can't make it past the 5th inning. Sign this guy up because until we have a reliable starting staff we'll need this doctor to stop the bleeding. RP Ryan Pressly 3.87 ERA, 5.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 Who expected this guy to make the team? Who expected him to pitch the whole season? The Rule 5 pick out of Boston's minor leagues looked really good early in the season and slowly has declined. In his rookie season, Pressly looks like a future Duensing or Swarzak to me. I love that the Twins have a surplus of guys who can throw in the bullpen, but I fear the time they'll move him to the starting rotation. Hopefully he stays in the pen and continues his success. RP Caleb Thielbar 1.76 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 Speaking of surprises, Thielbar has sure been a welcome addition. Another rookie, Thielbar has looked dominant and I seriously see little reason for his numbers to decline. I know that 1.76 ERA is bound to increase, but he passes the eye test (at least my eye test) and gets strikeouts and key outs. I forsee him having a key place in the bullpen one day. Phew... that's all for now. Expect the batters on Wednesday. Feel free to comment or agree/disagree on anything.

It's a pretty good article. I still find it ironic how when we finally became one of the "richer" teams, we went completely downhill one year afterwards. It's not about the money.... However, the philosophy about pitching to contact needs to go. NOW. We can't go forward with the Plefreys, Correias, Diamonds, and Marquis pitchers. I'm not saying we should spend 50M or more on a starter, but we have to do something to find reliable starters.

Yeah, I agree with you here. Benson isn't going to be good here and needs to get a fresh start in Texas. I don't buy the 'personality' stuff.