NoCryingInBaseball

Say it's so...JOE!!!

I may have criticized Sano during Spring Training…but that was a hellava Homer!

OK, Opening Day....Giddy-Up!!!!

As each starting day rolls around each year, I take interest in roster projections. There hasn’t been a great deal of different opinions other than the 5th starter, DH, Relief pitching and bench. What I find curious is that Sano has been presumed as a lock at 3rd base by anyone putting together a roster projection. I listened to Reusse interviewing Twins GM Thad Levine earlier this week and when he was answering a question about Polanco needing to show improvement at short stop, he provided an unsolicited comment about Sano. Levine stated that both Polanco and Sano need to be “complete players” and that “if they can’t, they won’t stay on the left side of the infield”. Considering that Sano has a lot to be desired both defensively and behind the plate…IMHO, the front office should do more than issue Sano idle threats. As each starting day rolls around each year, I take interest in roster projections. There hasn’t been a great deal of different opinions other than the 5th starter, DH, Relief pitching and bench. What I find curious is that Sano has been presumed as a lock at 3rd base by anyone putting together a roster projection. I listened to Reusse interviewing Twins GM Thad Levine earlier this week and when he was answering a question about Polanco needing to show improvement at short stop, he provided an unsolicited comment about Sano. Levine stated that both Polanco and Sano need to be “complete players” and that “if they can’t, they won’t stay on the left side of the infield”. Considering that Sano has a lot to be desired both defensively and behind the plate…IMHO, the front office should do more than issue Sano idle threats. I have had my doubts about Sano for about a full year now. • I questioned his seriousness as I watched him last spring from the right field stands at Hammond Field when he was attempting to play right field and he would interact and joke with Hispanic speaking fans in the stands during the game. • Star Trib columnist Jim Souhan wrote this morning when discussing clubhouse chemistry wrote “Miguel Sano was once projected as a leader, but he spends most of his time on his phone” • There clearly is not a shortage of comments posted or articles written about Sano’s inability to get serious about his weight. His “Sea Food Diet” hasn’t worked…he’s see’s food, he eats it! • I watched Sano strike out 3 times today dropping his spring average below .200 with about half of those at bats with strike outs. I recognize that Sano, along with Buxton, represents the Twins best prospects and hope for a future playoff caliber team, but that doesn’t mean that coaching staff and front office simply keep sending him out there as he continues to digress. Last year it was painful watching Buxton look terrible at the plate, but after a few visits to triple-A, he began to show improvement. Just saying that maybe Triple-A wouldn’t be the worst thing for Sano.

Assuming Sano is with the team the entire year.

...and we had an opportunity to see many pitchers.

Guess I tuned in late...missed another park HR!!

Glad to hear that you're better Halsey! Missed your observation posts!

Pretty sure Halsey meant J.T. Chargois...

Lot backs here, but that's Park with the black leggings.

Should have little trouble identifying Hughes....

I'll try it again....here is the infield practice....and 1st base is actually Garver.

Feb 6 Make no doubt about it, there are Twins players and prospects starting their respective seasons. Didn’t see a bullpen session, but Phil Hughes, Michael Tonkin were doing some tossing in an outfield before going into the weight room. There was an infield exercise that many of the position players participated then there was a batting practice made up of about three groups of four batters before most of the players heading into the weight room to finish out their day. Could pick out players like Mitch Garver, Travis Harrison and Lamonte Wade, but perhaps a little surprising was Byungho Park participating as if he has every intension of being part of the Minnesota group. I enjoy the camaraderie of the small group of spectators who do our best at attempting to access our face recognition tools to figure out who the unidentified players are, and then sharing whatever information we know or heard from another spectator. Sure no one could figure out who one of the four participants was in the first group of BP, but sometimes we nailed it! Of course Halsey Hal was there as usual and he encouraged me to start this post. He did promise to contribute, he just didn’t want to start it….post started!

I was looking for him last night at Twinsfest, but didn’t see him. Wanted to see for myself what kind of shape he is in….judging by the photo in this morning’s Star Trib, he seems to have put better effort in than last off-season!

OK, that’s fair, let me try again. TwerkTwonkTwins made a list of 11 that could be cut or simply let walk. My 5 or 6 include Suzuki (who is the FA), Plouffe (a trade would be nice, but let him walk if that can’t happen), Albers, Dean, an outfielder (either D. Santana or Schafer), and Centeno (if the organization is going after a FA Catcher). I seem to having difficulty sticking with the point of my initial post. I was simply trying to figure out approximately how many prospects are in danger of Rule 5 if they’re not protected on the 40-man roster. This morning The Wise One mentioned 8 names earlier this morning; Garver, Turner, Vielma, Granite, Felix Jorge, Fernando Romero, Lewis Thorpe and Wheeler. That’s a lot of names to protect.

"free agents that won’t be offered any type of extension, have options or could be traded"...maybe I worded it incorrectly. I meant "free agent" and guys that can be traded (or simply let go)...clearly there are more than 5 or 6.

Of the 44 names on this list, there are at least 5 or 6 that are free agents that won’t be offered any type of extension, have options or could be traded….taking this list easily below 40. Of course, a trade would add one or two, but the more important question is who are edible for Rule 5? Where can I find that list?

While the season didn't go as planned, I enjoyed sharing much of it you good folks on TD! It's been ....interesting, let's get better!!

Winnah!!

Dozier!!

It's great that Dozier hits the HR.... but I really don't think the team has room on the roster.... I wa not him to be trade bait at this point...

Guess not...

Another series win!

A Triple-A LH pitcher with a 2.81 ERA...color me impressed!

I don’t have a list, but I do have an observation. Having just finished listening to the Gleeman & the Geek podcast, the “list” includes most valuable Twins, in light of this week’s trade deadline….not the most valuable players. The biggest take-away from listening to the podcast and reading Seth’s list, is how little the current list of Twins veterans have value, in terms next year’s team. It becomes even more evident when you remove current players that were prospects as recent as of a year ago. Of the veterans on the Twins current squad, Dozier, Duffy and May made the top 10 (May fell out of the Top 10 on Gleeman’s list), while Buxton, Sano and Kepler, were all prospects last year (and in the minors). Other veterans (Santana, Rosario and Gibson) fell short of the top 10 list. Half of everyone’s list -Berrios, Gordon, Jay, Polanco and Gonsalves, fall into the “prospect” list (6 of 10 on Seth’s list), even though this is a most valuable Twin list (in terms of trade value). After reading these lists and thinking about what this means to the team, I now have a clear understanding why so many TD writers and participants have a strong desire to bring up the young prospects and let them play on the major league club.