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Kwak

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Everything posted by Kwak

  1. Kwak
    Your entire point is flawed. No one is advocating "Kings ransom" in return for Santana--and definitely not me! But to just toss him off for salary relief is foolish. I don't care if Pohlad saves money by reducing his payroll--but I sure don't want a repeat of a rotation of Deduno, DeVries, Albers, Corriea and any other garbage plucked from the dumpster as Ryan did before. I (and I believe most fans) have no interest in watching a team tank to 110 losses in order to save on payroll and hope that the 1st or 2nd player in the draft (rather than 3rd to 5th) will transform the Twins into a consistent winner. The Twins will lose plenty enough the next year or two to get good draft position without simply punting on the seasons.
  2. Kwak
    Trade Santana--for what I ask? I read "...a "good" return." What is that!? If I knew, I could formulate an answer to the offer. But, so far I haven't heard the specifics of any offer. The Twins will need a rotation of five. So far most are simply candidates who will likely be on a merry-go-round to Rochester (or in May's case--the bullpen). I can envision 2 to 3 candidates for the rotation needed for every slot open on the rotation. Therefore, retaining Santana is a likely option--unless there is a ​very good offer for Santana.
  3. Kwak
    I'm guessing other GMs are simply waiting for the Twins to waive players and then swoop in if they actually have any interest. There is no need to actually exchange any "value" for someone who will be dumped on the street corner with a "free" sign taped on him.
  4. Kwak
    Change? Only if an outside GM is hired. I am curious to see what the WAR chart would be all the way back to 2000. In that way the focus moves from just Deron Johnson as scouting director to the entire group of scouts. It may be that the problem is much deeper than one man--who might just be a figurehead anyway.
  5. Kwak
    Discussing (championing?) the acquisition of a few, successful, bit players only serves to amplify the failure. Ryan's assignment was to right the ship, turn things around and build a consistent winner. It was clear when he was named "interim GM" that the minor league cupboard was bare and that there was much work to be done. The big decision he missed was "keeping the gang" (management) intact. The Rule 4 draft hadn't provided much for many years (including during his first tenure as GM). This was the perfect time to "shake the tree" and inject new people (and thinking) into an organization that had failed. These aren't multi-million dollar players--no, they are eminently affordable staffers, scouts, and instructor/coaches. There was plenty of money available for that change. The performance of the "first wave" (or is it two waves?) of talent hasn't come close to what was promised. Sure, there were some decent, bit players acquired--BIT PLAYERS. These aren't the guys that turn things around--nor should anyone stand on a pedestal and shout about some minor good decisions. It's the big decisions that make the real impact--and the jury has rendered its verdict of "Guilty". Now we wait to see if the ownership committee makes the right decision for the next GM.
  6. Kwak
    Certainly people should not infer that Ryan was a hopeless fool--he had ability and tangible good (or very good) results. An article highlighting (some) of the good results is definitely in order. But to quote the article: "These five low-key decisions dating back to the end of last season, all worked out better than anyone would have expected." I respond: low-key decisions are the small stuff. One big decision that is correct can surpass many "low-key" decisions that ended badly--and conversely, one big decision that is wrong can surpass many (more than five!) low-key decisions that ended above expectations. "...better than anyone...[else]". Hopefully Ryan did expect this outcome since he made the decision. The ""anyone elses" might mean little more than fans who post their opinions. Summing up, it's the big decisions that make the difference, not the "low-key" decisions. It was the "lack of success" on the big decisions that ultimately led to Ryan's downfall.
  7. Kwak
    "Tanking"? If you mean playing to lose (which has happened in other sports), I don't think you can pull it off. But, if key veterns are traded (or benched) to play "prospects" then the Twins might lose like crazy (see '11). The net effect is he same (if they lose)--but then there is the possibility that they win like crazy! Some opponents won't care all that much, the "prospects" are super motivated, and opponents haven't learned the players weaknesses yet. In short, a youth movement could go in any direction--even if losing in '16 was the desired end result.
  8. Kwak
    As for a highly qualified candidate already employed with a winning team considering a promotion to GM with the Twins--it's the age old question: "would you rather serve in heaven or rule in hell?" Anybody who spurns the GM job because of that thinking ​is the wrong candidate.
  9. Kwak
    So much for Dozier and "defensive prowess". I wish that there was a ranking for Plouffe as well--I am a skeptic of his defense. There are only 4 shortstops with a positive ranking? Wow! That's unexpected. Given the stated numbers I see why other teams are uninterested in Twins regular position players.
  10. Kwak
    Trade Santana--yes, but for players who might amount to more than something! Ryan was quoted as being amenable to "including money" for a better player. Great! I would seek two at Class A instead of one at AA who is higher on the prospect list. There are many positions that can be classified as need. Many posters are "tickled pink" with Sano moved to 3B--but is he a long-term solution at 3B? Or, is this a short-term proposition? Catcher is still a bleeding ulcer on this franchise, and the prognostication is bleak. There are many candidates for 1B/DH (especially after Mauer's contract expires) so there isn't much need there. As for the 2017 season? We saw what happened when most outcomes are above projections last year--and it still wasn't enough. A .500 finish to 2016 shouldn't sway decisions--unless mediocrity is your goal. As configured the Twins are still a 70-something win team without "Murphy's Law" or "Luck". the skill level of the team must be improved until the Twins are at least an 83 win team given "normal luck" of outcomes. Trade Santana if two or more reasonable prospects can be obtained--and forget about being a .500 team next season. Seek to build a .600 team instead even if some more patience is required.
  11. Kwak
    Since this thread has moved into a FO discussion I would like to address some of those issues (if I may...). Let us recall the dark days after the '11 season and consider what were the stated reasons for removing Bill Smith and what was likely proposed for recovering from that season's disaster. Injuries, bad luck, and bad decisions by Smith were the main reasons cited for the 2011 fiasco. (I wish I had a $1 for every negative Smith post on ​TD). ​​​What promises were made by Ryan with respect to correcting that fiasco. It seems to me that first, the team just needed to reload the minor leagues and add some healthy pitchers who threw strikes. So much was touted of the MiL system that winning would soon follow. Both Sano and Buxton were projected to be superstars and would surpass the M&M brothers in performance. Ryan was expected to rebuild the rotation (and bullpen) on a shoestring. Fast forward to Winter 2016 finds that the entire franchise is still relying on Sano and Buxton to carry this team (ala` Puckett) to success. The rest would fill in the spaces with youthful enthusiasm, athleticism, and the hunger for success. Piranhas II so to speak. Comments like "imagine everything working" could be countered with "yes, we saw that last year after the month of April." Envisioning many things going wrong (like 2011) should have been built into this season's projection. But no, it appears that management preferred to believe that 2015 would repeat sans April '15 plus everybody would be just a bit better. When I read Ryan's statement about "...figuring this out..." causes me to react that the spin machine is revving-up and excuses being provided for this failure. Smith got fired and trashed for 2011 debacle, I wonder what the outcome of the 2016 debacle will be. I earnestly hope it's the "R" word with a concomitant slash in payroll, golden boys, and "The Twins Way".
  12. Kwak
    I read things a bit differently: "Oh poor me! Everything and everybody ganged-up and conspired against us." Reality is that the players weren't as good as envisioned and the trust built into them (and the whole team) was unwarranted. Hunter was clearly over-the-hill at the end of '15. The Twins also have to live on a budget (and this season's is >$ 100MM), clearly some cuts have to be made to accommodate everyone. Hunter is rich and taking a big cut to accommodate the Twins wasn't happening. The level of trust in J.R. Murphy was unwarranted--disappointment should not have been unexpected. Park was "buying a pig-in-a-poke". True, it might have been a spectacular success--but failure should not have been unexpected. Hughes and Perkins falling apart should have been expected, there was plenty of evidence pointing to that outcome. Placing faith in Milone? Arrogance! Jepsen came to the Twins because he was a miserable failure in Tampa. A similar fate should have been anticipated for him in Minnesota. Rosario was a flash-in-the-pan. Hunter (teammates and a winning record) kept his feet on the ground. His failure should have been predicted. Duffey? The Twins "suggested" he acquire a "good" change-up [he didn't!] his failure was anticipated, but apparently not built into predictions for 2016! Plouffe and Dozier. Both known to be very streaky, dead-pull hitters. They weren't compensated for consistency--and both embraced that psyche. Their "cold streak of April and May should have been part of the plans. In summary, all evidence pointing to failure was discarded and only the rosiest outlook was presented. If Pohlad doesn't want to ask the tough questions and play the devil's advocate--he needs to find (and trust!) someone who will embrace that role. While blaming players, circumstances, and "bad luck", they should look in the mirror and accept that they had a significant role in this year's disaster.
  13. Kwak
    Buxton on the bench leads to Oakland's third run--Santana can't throw straight from the OF to save his soul.
  14. Kwak
    I classify this as buying a lottery ticket and collecting on insurance vs the cost of surgery. It might work, but I'm skeptical.
  15. Kwak
    I knew people who used to call in "sick" when they found a better way to spend their time than working. Just sayin'...
  16. Kwak
    Trade Dozier? The Twins made him the new face of the team. I find it impossible that they would trade Dozier until a "new face" has been designated.
  17. Kwak
    This. Posters can complain about Nolasco, Hughes, and Santana all they want--but they need to have 5 in the rotation. We have found that etching names in stone is pointless. Every prospect has his own cheerleader squad but that doesn't make him a fixture on the staff. Basically everyone that gets promoted is soon followed by "whatinhell did people see in this bum?"
  18. Kwak
    Dozier is just having a good streak--it won't last. He learned that MLB pays for HRs--so he concentrates on hitting them. If the Twins hadn't constructed that monstrous wall in RF, there would be some reason for a RH batter to hit to RF on certain pitches. I think the Twins should encourage him to hit HRs, wait for a strong stretch (year?)--then trade him for one useful player (relief pitcher) and 2 or so low-level minor leaguers who fit a profile consistent with a "good" Twins player. I think Dozier would fit nicely with NYY and they could part with a "top" set-up guy (who becomes the Twins closer!) plus two lottery tickets in Class A.
  19. Kwak
    I forget, what did the Twins get for Ortiz?
  20. Kwak
    Absolutely! Dozier refused a contract extension beyond his first year of potential free agency--he wants out unless the Twins choose to place him in a golden cage. Even then, he will have acquired financial independence for life and the chance to play for an every year contender for the World Series will likely be a powerful issue in his decision. The Twins will not be an every year contender, and Dozier knows that!
  21. Kwak
    Trade Plouffe--it's so easy to say--but when the whole world knows it, then trading is difficult. Recall Livan Hernandez in '06?--that kind of difficult. Maybe he gets selected in August waivers? if not, non-tender him in the off-season. Sano at 3B? For this season, sure because then we can see that his real position is DH. Park? Rochester is nice this time of year (I lived there for 3 years). Next year? OH MY--well that's someone else's problem and it can wait. Nunez? He's this year's Punto, though with much more hitting than Punto ever hit! Fallback for 3B at worst. He should be around until he gets too expensive or (hope!) somebody makes a nice offer for him.
  22. Kwak
    I think the Twins need to change their progression methods. Top prospects should be advanced quickly to a high level (like AA) where the guy struggles--then see if he can work it out, even if he stalls for 2-3 years. Allowing top prospects to slowly progress has two negative results: the prospect has it too easy and doesn't adapt to adversity and other franchises see him pile-up success and thus he must be added to the 40-man roster earlier than necessary.
  23. Kwak
    Sano in RF was a failure--though would not have been so glaring if all concerned (Sano, Plouffe, and Park) had hit to "expectations". Plouffe's 3B defense will never be confused with "Gold Glove", his lack of hitting would make him a "non-starter" on a team that fancied itself a "contender". I expect the next roll of the dice will be with Sano at 3B. Eventually, we will conclude Sano really belongs at either 1B or DH. I hope that realization is made before the end of October 2016 so "adjustments" can be made before another season is flushed.
  24. Kwak
    Releasing Arcia is simply one step to "the Rebuild". Removing major league players that aren't in the future but are potentially blocking the advancement of those that might have a future is a necessary step--and one that has been advocated many time even by some of those complaining about this necessary move.
  25. Kwak
    The problem isn't that Arcia was DFA'd--it's that it should have happened earlier! It was clear that Arcia has negligible value on defense. There can be no future for that type of player with the Twins given that the Twins are committed to play Sano someplace in the field. Someone else could have been signed (even Grossman!) in the off-season to provide some kind of a safety-net if one of the "planned OFers" failed.
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