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RJA

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  1. RJA
    I agree with four of your selections, but I would put Emmanuel Rodriguez ahead of Cavaco by a pretty substantial margin. Cavaco has something like 4 or 5 homeruns in his career and is older than Rodriquez and has many more at bats. Rodriguez hit 10 last year in somewhere around 125 at bats. I know a lot of prospect sites have Cavaco as a 55 and Rodriguez as a 50 in power, but in my humble opinion those ratings are not correct. But, I might be missing something, Cody. What do you think of Rodriguez?
  2. RJA
    I agree. More is coming, and until we see the final product, we should wait and see what happens. If nothing happens, we will have plenty of time to complain--a whole season! Actually, the Twins could add Story and another bat if they wanted to and still be in good shape budget wise. They currently have very little on the books for the next couple of years. Plus, if they sign Story, it is possible Martin or Lewis would be dealt for more pitching.
  3. RJA
    I think I will wait until the FO is finished making deals before I comment on this trade. I think more is coming as losing two good bats--Donaldson and Garver--without adding anyone makes no sense. Two thoughts. How about Bryant and Story? They have so little on the books in the next two years that they could afford that. Second, if Story is added, it is possible either Martin or Lewis and Urshela/Sanchez may be on the move for more pitching.
  4. RJA
    I like the trade for both teams as each have different goals. For the Reds they are looking to cut the budget and build for the future. If Petty develops well, they will have he and Hunter Greene to anchor the rotation. For the Twins, they receive a quality starter without giving up any of the top prospects close to breaking into the bigs. Now I would like it more if they had signed Ray and then added Gray, but at least they are working to improve. I find it interesting that the Twins received two young Dominican players as additions to these trades. As the Twins really work the Dominican hard, I suspect they have been on these guys for awhile and saw something in each that they liked.
  5. RJA
    Count me in the group that likes this trade. Petty is a great prospect, but when he was drafted we all admitted that high school pitchers are a high risk category. I think he has a future, but one never knows. Frankly, I thought it would cost more to get Gray as Petty is a few years away at best, but the Reds are interested in cutting costs and building for a future in 2 or 3 years the way it looks. Is Gray a Robbie Ray? Of course not. We all wish the Twins would have signed a free agent AND added Gray and one other pitcher to have a quality rotation. But they didn't. Now the question will be "are the Twins finished?". Rumor has it they are not. Right now they still have Larnach, Martin, one of the young pitchers, Arraez, Kepler, Miranda and a few others to dangle in a trade so the cupboard is not bare. If they trade for one more and add Pineda, the rotation would look MUCH better. I also liked that they added some young pitchers in both trades--can't have too many pitching prospects.
  6. RJA
    Great response. Thank you for your thoughts. I too go back to the 50's and 60's!
  7. RJA
    I am a traditionalist old guy so messing with the game is not something I like. But, I like the improved safety aspect of the larger bases, especially so as to avoid first base collisions. If it increases stolen bases, that would be an added benefit. Good article.
  8. RJA
    Great job getting a scouting report out in less than 24 hours! Will be fun to see how this kid develops.
  9. RJA
    Good analysis, Ted. I think the Twins FO knows this is a transition year, and things would have to break extremely well in order to compete in 2022. I really believe their focus is on getting ready for 2023 while still trying to get better for this year. Kiner-Falefa is an excellent defensive shortstop that clearly outperformed Simmons at the plate last year, and has much more potential at the plate than Simmons going forward. He is a good addition. Plus, if they are committed to seeing how the young arms are going to do this year, having Polanco, Kiner-Falefa and Buxton up the middle definitely provides some defensive support for the young guys. I also think we overestimate what Garver can bring in return for established pitching as some are suggesting. I love him and respect him, but he comes with injury concerns, and his biggest year was 2019 and we all know those numbers don't mean a whole lot. Just look at the number of players who had career years in 2019 and have not approached it since--Kepler for example. I am not sure teams were standing in line to acquire him. The A's for example, are going to want young/inexpensive players in return for pitching, so I don't think Garver would have been of great interest to them. Plus, I think Jeffers needs to "be the man" behind the plate for us to really see how he develops. Splitting time with Garver makes no sense, so one of them had to go in my humble opinion. I think both teams did well in this trade. If the Twins acquire pitching, I think we should be prepared to lose Arraez, Martin, Lewis, Miranda, or other young players as that is what it will cost.
  10. RJA
    This is a good trade for both teams. The Twins get a SS who is excellent defensively and also has position flexibility as he is a Gold Glove third baseman and emergency catcher. He has two years of control so the middle of the defense will be set with Jeffers, Polanco, KIner-Falefa, and Buxton. As for adding a pitcher, I am inclined to think they are not done. Also, there is some risk with Garver (I love the guy, and will miss him so not dumping on him) based on injuries, and the Twins need to give Jeffers the full time job as splitting it hindered his development. Plus, the Twins get a decent prospect. For the Rangers, they instantly improve their catching situation and add a bat to go with their recent additions. They have enough shortstops for gosh sakes, and I am not sure Kiner-Falefa has enough bat to be a full time third baseman, so they are trading from an area of strength. I would have made this trade if I was in the Twins FO, but as with all trades, it will take a couple of years to see if anyone "won" the trade.
  11. RJA
    Good article, Jeremy. I like the draft and follow and can see how a team with great scouting and analytics departments could use that to their advantage. Likewise with the 20 round draft. There will be nowhere near as many players drafted, so there will be a few hidden gems available to sign after the draft for those teams that have the ability to identify them. After all, Smoltz, Griffey Sr., Piazza, Keith Hernandez, Buehrle, Kenny Rogers, and many others were drafted after the 20th round. What is your best guess on whether we will have an international draft?
  12. RJA
    Great article, Sherry. So often, all we know about spouses of professional athletes, whether they be male or female players, is a brief camera shot of them in the stadium or arena. Sometimes we forget that they have careers every bit as challenging as their spouses. Also, I really enjoy the human interest aspect of sports, and your article fits the bill perfectly. Thanks.
  13. RJA
    I agree with tony&rodney that these weren't horrible picks as even Parmalee has a little time in the bigs. Revere is a strange pick as he was so limited both defensively and offensively. His arm was so bad that even with his speed and coverage in CF, he was a defensive liability. Offensively, he had no power whatsoever. The other three picks were good but not great.
  14. RJA
    Seth, this article is why people depend on TD to bring us the news. Great access to front office, detailed article on what was said, and a good review of where we sit. Nice job. Reading between the lines, it sounds like they are very confident in their young pitchers, so I would suspect they might add one good pitcher by trade (or Rodon), sign Pineda and another mid-rotation type, and look for the young arms to assert themselves by midseason, or maybe earlier. It should be an exciting few weeks all around the majors, most especially with the Twins.
  15. RJA
    Great information, Parker, and great to hear! Thank you for sharing your expertise on this. I LOVE following the Minnesota/Upper Midwest kids in college and the pros, and I am happy to hear that D1 schools are more heavily recruiting our young men. That is great news for the players, schools, and fans.
  16. RJA
    If I were with you, I would give you a hug. Great news. And, thanks for staying on this and keeping us informed.
  17. RJA
    I would have to say Stewart was the biggest swing and miss as he was the highest pick that didn't make it of the group, and there were others taken after him (in first and comp rounds) in addition to Judge that have made it to the majors and performed well--Austin Meadows, Hunter Renfroe, Tim Anderson, Sean Manaea, Corey Knebel, etc. Tyler Jay would be a close second.
  18. RJA
    Thanks for the info. If he has character issues, it will be interesting to see where he ends up in the draft.
  19. RJA
    Great article as usual. I am just excited for the chance to see both these young men perform this year. Both of them have very high ceilings, and if they were to reach them in the next year or two, we can all imagine how good our lineup would be with Buxton, Polanco, Kirilloff, lewis, Martin, Garver and Miranda. Let's get this lockout over and start playing baseball.
  20. RJA
    If the American teams perform about the same this summer as last summer, and if there is a 12 team playoff structure, the Twins would likely have to win 90-93 games to be a wild card entry. That means they will have to find about 20 additional wins this summer. If you look at the roster, they will be short Berrios, Cruz, part of a season of Maeda, possibly Pineda, and a few others like Simmons and Colome who won't be missed :). Berrios is obviously the big loss. They should have more Buxton (we all pray that is the case), more Kirilloff, more Ryan, more Ober and hopefully more Taylor. Now if they had signed a Ray, Gausman or similar top arm, and added Pineda and one more solid arm through a trade, with the young kids coming up, I could see them closing the gap. But, unless they sign Rodon and trade for a second arm, I don't see how the young kids will be able to carry them to 20 more wins. I hope I am wrong.
  21. RJA
    It was not a college highlight, but the Druw Jones homerun during the chants was SOOO cool! I had seen it on another site, but the sound didn't work so I missed out on hearing the chant. It is great hearing the chant followed by the clink of the aluminum bat and everybody oohing and aahing while the pitcher puts both hands on his head in frustration. Classic moment. I am mostly watching to see how the college bats do as I think that is the most likely route the Twins will take. Lesko looks like a winner, but I don't think the Twins will take another high school righthander in the first round. You have put me on to this Joyce kid so I will definitely follow him. A 101 mph slider at the knees should be illegal! Thanks for the updates and the work you put in on them.
  22. RJA
    For a cold weather state, Minnesota has produced a lot of good ball players. Brody grew up in good baseball country--there is a lot of good town ball in that area running from Marshall south and east through Gaylord, New Ulm, Mankato and into Chaska. Plus, Minnesota State University, Mankato definitely recruits the high schools in the area well. It sounds like Brody has a good combination of stuff and deception so I sure hope he can make the bigs. You have given me another name to follow and cheer for this summer! I will watch for him on MilB TV.
  23. RJA
    Thank you for the kind response. This is a difficult issue for the reasons you outline. I grew up with no shifts, many fewer bullpen changes, no pitch clock, and more strategy. I actually liked that game better. This strikeout/homerun craziness has severely limited many of the beautiful aspects of the game--like bunting, the hit and run, base stealing, etc. Plus, the sheer number of pitching changes and the batters and pitchers taking so much time between pitches has added so much time to the game that the pace has become unbearably slow. The only reason I favor a "generous" play clock is that the games have become so long that I think something must be done to move play along. I hope it does not end up being a deal with the devil ;).
  24. RJA
    It seems like I just said the same thing about Jason Kubel, but boy, what a big "if only" attaches to Liriano due to his injury. He was absolutely devastating in 2006 and was every bit Santana's equal. Absent the injury, he would have had perennial all star attached to his name. Add me to the list of fans who think with a healthy Santana and Liriano, 2006 would have played out differently. Good topic. It is enjoyable to delve into Twins history, especially during this crazy labor negotiation. Nice job.
  25. RJA
    Travis Lee, now there is someone I haven't thought about for a long time! What a mess that situation was.
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