NoCryingInBaseball

Was going for the Cycle?

Here's a fun thought....Sweep Cleveland this weekend and with a series between Detroit and KC this weekend, would put the Twins in 2nd place regardless if a split or sweep in Detroit.... Better yet...Detroit sweeps KC, Twins sweep Cleveland and then Detroit and on Thursday are in sole possession of 1st place....man, I may have jinxed everything

Interesting......

TTThhhattts gonna leave a mark....

Probably indicative of how the Twins have started this season, but I spend far too much attention to these daily reports. That being said, there are a lot of bright spots on these teams!

JB_Iowa, on 13 Apr 2015 - 6:58 PM, said: And on another light note, Rochester Red Wings‏@RocRedWings· 8m8 minutes ago Aaron Hicks knocks in two more...this time with a triple and the Wings lead 5-1 mid 4. Hicks is 3 for 3 w/ a 2B, 3B & 4 RBI. Let's also note that Buxton went 4 for 6 with a double and a triple.

That's the game. The Twins showed a terrible defense...but an even worse bullpen. I was encouraged by May's performance though.

how about another strikeout?

Hey Halsey...Plouffe just hit a dinger!

Just joined you guys....nice catch by Arcia....but they just showed Stauffer warming up....so now theTwins are in real trouble.

Besides the slow start from Buxton & Sano, so many of the top prospects are really coming out of the shoot fast & furious. I think the sow start for the top two prospects is on account of the inactivity in 2014 and that they will be leading the others soon enough.

AWWWWW...Just logged in and now very bummed!

Enjoyed your report Stringer!

Halsey provides good directions and observations to fellow TDers....thanks Halsey!

Glad to hear that Stringer made it to ST with his brother!

Something I haven't thought about much before the Spring Training began is what if Escobar outshines Santana at Short? He has made a fast start at the plate and already has a homerun. I have agreed with the commitment to keep Santana at Short, but if Hicks, Schafer, Robinson or Rosario are not preforming at the plate and Santana is showing similar stats as last season, wouldn’t his presence in the lineup be more valuable in Center?

I have been reading about Sano's weight and it concerns me as well. Obviously Plouffe has 3rd base covered for now, but by the time Sano is ready for the big league he may not be the "flexible" enough for the range needed for infield hits between SS and 3rd or bunts. Since Mauer can's be traded until after 2018, maybe he should learn another position.

I like the categories and your lists Stringer, but I would add Buxton, probably to the last group that will have plenty of chance to impress.

Seth, how many prospects came up in 2014?

My blueprint evolution Constructing Twins off-season blueprint has been an interesting exercise the past couple of years. There have been many needs to fill and the team tried to fill those needs with multiple trades and acquisitions. It is my humble opinion that the Twins limit their FA acquisitions & trades to one big transaction for each year for the next three years. The two obvious positions wind up on most everyone’s blueprint this off season would be corner-outfielder (left field) and staring pitching. I would limit the big move for the 2014-2015 offseason to a left fielder. I’m not saying that staring pitching has less of a need, far from it, this team desperately needs good starting pitching to be competitive, it’s just that a quality FA starter would most likely only consider a team with playoff potential and that will not be the Twins in 2015. 2014-15 My 14-15 offseason would focus (big splash) on a FA acquisition for Left-Field. While I am hopeful that Rosario or Hicks become major league contributor, although I have lost faith in Hicks’s potential comes around, Centerfield remains open until Buxton takes ownership of the role. I would limit the off-season acquisition(s) to outfielders (or infielders in need of extending their careers) by waiting for the high price position players get their contracts and then make a deal with who’s still available. I’m not as interested in adding a lot of arms to the rotation because there seems to be a lot of starters that need major league starts. Sure I would like Scherzer, Shields or Lester, but even if management was willing to spend the large salaries they can demand…they probably wouldn’t come to Minnesota because the team won’t be a playoff team come October. It seems that the front office is looking at Justin Masterson and South Korean Hyeon-Jong Yang, but I’m questioning where all the starting arms will find playing time. 2015-16 The big move for this offseason would be a trade for a young pitching prospect. If Sano is major-league ready and is promoted in mid-summer to fall call up, then Plouffe is tradable. If Hicks or Rosario aren’t competing (or controlling) a position and still possess marketable skills then one of them is also tradable. Maybe Rosario is playing better than Dozier (unlikely) and there is enough outfielders…then Dozier is marketable. The organization should start to have a better understanding of how their starters are doing and which of them should be on the staff for the next couple of years. There could be a log-jam with Hughes, Gibson, Nolasco, Mays, Meyers, Berrios and possibly Kohl Stewart being in the Rotation Sweepstakes. And there may be more starters in the mix by the end of 2015 if the team picks up a starter and they haven’t been traded away starters during the season. Hughes’s contract will expire after the 2016 season, so maybe the Twins trade him or resign him to a contract extension. Trade individually or trade as a package, just get top pitching prospects (top five prospect of an organization) in return. Hopefully no lower than Double A. 2016-17 The disinterested Free Agent pitching dilemma the past few years should no longer be an issue this year, if the prospects have begun to show their respective talent and the team will begin to look like a contender team. Trouble is that is still in need of top talent pitching. I would like to go after a true ace after the 2016 season and Stephen Strasburg would be a free agent that off-season….so why not field a team with Strasburg leading the rotation?

The Twins and free agent catcher Kurt Suzuki are in agreement on a one-year deal, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The deal is pending a physical, which is scheduled to take place later today.

Tomorrow is June and I started thinking about the July trade deadline which means what to do with Morneau? His batting average has returned to a respectable .294, but he lost his homerun power swing with only two for the year. It's his contract year and the prevailing sentiment at the beginning of the year was to let him go because Parmelee's natural position was 1st base and he was a power hitter. Then Parmelee went into a funk and has only recently started showing signs that he might be having more respectable plate appearances. Morneau is making $14 million through this contract and may not be willing to accept a significant cut. So what does the Twins organization do, trade him now for a prospect or try to lock him in with a less amount of salary?

Tomorrow is June and I started thinking about the July trade deadline which means what to do with Morneau? His batting average has returned to a respectable .294, but he lost his homerun power swing with only two for the year. It's his contract year and the prevailing sentiment at the beginning of the year was to let him go because Parmelee's natural position was 1st base and he was a power hitter. Then Parmelee went into a funk and has only recently started showing signs that he might be having more respectable plate appearances. Morneau is making $14 million through this contract and may not be willing to accept a significant cut. So what does the Twins organization do, trade him now for a prospect or try to lock him in with a less amount of salary?

...with an accent.

Ohhh, You meant Boston.