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Darius

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Everything posted by Darius

  1. Darius
    This is unbelievable. People can make all the excuses they want, but this comes down to the Pohlads, right? I refuse to believe, if Falvine is actually doing their job, that they couldn’t have reached a deal for a couple of these marginal middle relievers at minimum. There is no explanation that makes this an OK trade deadline.
  2. Darius
    I hope the next homestand starts out with a healthy round of boos from the crowd as the team takes the field.
  3. Darius
    No way I’d include Buxton or Sano in a trade right now. Buxton won’t win MVP by any stretch, but given the Twins record with/without him, he’s got an argument for most valuable player in baseball. Sano, even including his abysmal first month, has the second highest slugging percentage ever for a 26 year old third baseman (credit Puckett’s Pond). That’s right, second highest ever, only behind Nolan Arenado. In his las 25 games he’s slashing .321/.412/.714 with 9 HR and 22 RBIs. He’s basically the best hitter in the game over the last month and change. You won’t get requisite value for either of them right now. Noah Syndergaard is not a better price long-term than those two, IMO. I’m definitely not throwing additional prospects in. Terrible trade.
  4. Darius
    I agree that building through the draft is really the only way a team like the Twins can get a championship core in place. At some point you have to supplement that core with MLB ready talent from elsewhere. Nobody has won with a roster sourced 100% from their farm club. Even the Astros and Royals traded for Verlander and Cueto. We have the core. It’s time to top it off and win something for once.
  5. Darius
    I’ve read of concerns about how his at would play once he saw advanced pitching more than once. Not saying it’s right or wrong, but there were some prognosticators out there who saw the dip in production coming (or guessed it was coming). Now, it goes without saying that injuries could be cause. Especially wrist-related injuries. Is it a bad idea to hang onto him with the hopes that he breaks loose again once fully healthy? No. Is it a bad idea to trade home for the appropriate return in the hopes of winning a World Series? I don’t think so. Is Kirilloff going to be such a transcendent offensive force at 1B that he couldn’t be replaced by Larnach or Wallner (or Sano or Garver on extension)? So far ahead of any other option that it’s not worth a run at a World Series right now? The more I think about it, the more I’m OK with letting him go if we’re getting someone like Syndergaard back.
  6. Darius
    I feel the same way. I fear Romo is all we’ll get. The old FO seemed to like to after people with low-ball offers (mostly in free agency), then point to the reports of the discussion as “trying to get a deal done.” Hopefully all of these rumors aren’t as disingenuous as those.
  7. Darius
    Stroman grew up less than an hour from where the Mets play. I’m guessing the Blue Jays asked him where he would like to go. The deal they were offered from them was probably comparable to what anyone else could offer, so they obliged Stroman’s preference (I’m guessing he wasn’t chomping at the bit to come to Minnesota, being a New Yorker). Also, he goes to the National League as opposed to the same league, or even the same division (Yankees, etc.). Maybe they just liked the Mets package of pitchers better.
  8. Darius
    Really good read. You can’t get stuff like this anywhere else without paying. I think Kepler is a little under appreciated nationally. I think he’s getting there, but if he played for the Yankees he’d be a huge star right now (and can you imagine his numbers in that bandbox?).
  9. Darius
    I think a lot of the franchises willing/able to spend (Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, maybe a few others....Mets apparently) would willingly trade 6 years of a potentially mid to back-end back end guy for one year of a front-line guy. First, you’re getting known for an unknown. Second, teams like that can grab a mid-rotation guy in free agency every single year. They don’t care about the cost. They don’t need to delay arbitration and think about the future. They don’t need to wait in the hope that prospects for one small window at s World Series. They want to win, and they want to win now. They want to win every year. They often do also.
  10. Darius
    This is certainly an unusual move. But, I’m guessing the Mets acquired him with the intent to sign him. They have exclusive negotiating rights now, and don’t have to go to auction in the off-season for someone. Stroman grew up there. Im guessing he had some input as well. I guess I don’t find as crazy as some do. Many seem to really be stuck on one idea of why trades are made (only those competing this year). What’s most interesting is what this could mean for Thor. Are they replacing him? Does this mean he’s staying and they are really going for it next year? DeGrom, Syndergaard, Stroman is one hell of rotation.
  11. Darius
    It’s not illegal to extend a guy after trading for him. You’re not necessarily locked into trading him on his current deal. Example: Trade for Stroman, sign him for three years, he has a great second half and first half next year, and his value is through the roof (relative to what you traded for). Not likely, but FOs are thinking outside the box these days. If you have confidence in your evaluation infrastructure, you can take advantage of things like that. Worst case, you have Stroman for three years. The Astros could do that Presley. They got him low. They extended him. If they traded him now (if having a down year, hypothetically), they would get a haul. If they’re competing (reality) they found a lights out reliever. Only Twins fans are scared to pay a player.
  12. Darius
    The chances Lance Lynn ends up here, if possible, would be less than zero. It’s absolute zero.
  13. Darius
    I don’t know if they are necessarily going for it this year, but 2020. If you can get a quality controllable asset, why not? I wish the Twins would be that aggressive sometimes. Even when we have World Series aspiriations, supplementing the roster beyond the minor leagues in like pulling teeth. We’re just always kicking the can down the road talking about some year in the future that never actually comes. Not only that, but if you can buy low on a guy as a reclamation project, and flip him in the offseason or next season, its like trading prospects for better prospects. That’s a pretty ingenious way of sourcing assets for a future run, IMO.
  14. Darius
    A lot of talk going around about how the Indians are taking advantage of a weak schedule and that’s why they are where they are. Well, we lost our last series to the White Sox in June. We got swept by the Mets. Now, we’re in danger of splitting a four gamer to one of the worst teams in baseball without two of their three best players (Anderson, Jimenez). Unacceptable. It’s time to place responsibility where it’s due. The Indians are playing bad teams, sure. But, that’s not why this lead has evaporated. I’m getting tired of that cop-out excuse. The lead is gone because the Twins have been playing bad, error-ridden baseball for two months. It’s the Twins fault for not taking care of business. They’re not beating the teams they need to be beating. They’re blowing it. Choking, if you will. I’m sure the Indians are quaking in their cleats at the thought of now having to face Sergio Romo’s 88 mph fastball down the stretch. If they split with the White Sox, this division race will be as good as over in my mind.
  15. Darius
    What an uninspiring trade. People are excited about adding a FIP near 4 to the back end of an already unstable pen? Mike Morin’s was 4.20 (Morin actually has a higher WAR on the season - .2 to .1). Meanwhile, the lead is down to one single game. Not only is this move not enough, it’s way too late (I guess we had to wait for the market to get set on Sergio freaking Romo?). There better be more coming. Also, Diaz was OPSing .950 at AA while being nearly 2 years below average age. This wasn’t really a throw away guy like some are making it seem. Rule 5 is a valid point if they couldn’t make room, but he’s looking like a real nice player.
  16. Darius
    Wait, we’re back to trading Buxton again? I thought we were trading Sano. It’s really hard to keep track from week to week. In all seriousness. Buxton isn’t going anywhere. I like the aggression on this one.
  17. Darius
    I don’t necessarily agree on Larnach. There is a reason why sellers are focusing on him from the Twins system (according to some reports). Is Kirilloff really a better hitter? He’s getting chewed up in AA this year (.730ish OPS). During his meteoric rise, there were some services that had serious questions about how his bat would play as he got closer to the majors. Waller hasn’t left E-town yet. I’m not sure we really know what we have there yet. Not saying Kirilloff has busted. But I’m not convinced he’s better than Larnach. I don’t know if other FOs are either. In addition, Larnach could possibly be a corner OF, 1B, or DH. Cruz and Cron will be gone. We aren’t going to pay all of Rosario, Kepler, and Sano. Not to mention injuries that are frequently shifting people around already (namely to Buxton). I don’t think he’s necessarily as “blocked,” as some are portraying. Things could look a lot different at this time next year. I do agree on Stroman and Giles. I wouldn’t break the bank for that package. Especially with both of their recent injury issues and Giles bad (but small) playoff track record.
  18. Darius
    I’m not concerned about the rotation. Berrios is a legitimate piece. The way Pineda has been pitching, he looks like a solid piece down the stretch. I really like Gibson’s stuff, he can be as good as anybody when he’s on. Eggs and Perez have unsurprisingly crashed back down to earth. But, if those are you biggest rotation issues on the back end, you’re in pretty good shape. I don’t see the point of bringing anyone in (especially if it’s going to take away from addressing the bullpen) unless you’re bringing in Syndergaard, and I don’t see that as particularly realistic. I’d be all for Lewis and some change, but with his struggles who knows if that gets it done. Also, I don’t think Falvine would pull the trigger on that or that the Pohlads would cough up the cash (the PR machine claims they are, but I’ll err in the side of historical precedent until it’s proven otherwise - not buying the lip service). I’m not particularly high on MadBum. It’s seems like there are a whole lot of what-ifs and hopes that he may turn things around like Verlander. What people seem to forget about Verlander is that he battled arm injuries in his last years with the Tigers that they apparently misdiagnosed, costing him potentially years of being effective. MadBum is just an average pitcher, and has been for years now. The peripherals support that. Additionally, that’s in the National League. I wouldn’t be particularly excited about running MadBum out in a game 1 in Houston or New York. In conclusion, don’t overthink this. Allocate all resources to the bullpen at this point. That’s where it’s needed most, and this bullpen will kill us in the playoffs (if it doesn’t keep us from making the playoffs all together).
  19. Darius
    Larnach may pass Kirilloff in the prospect rankings this offseason. He’ll certainly be a top 100 guy, right?
  20. Darius
    That was a satisfying offensive performance. We needed a win like that. How freaking good is Sano lately. He’s now OPSing .940 over his last 30 (aka, more than a month). For reference, Alex Bregman is OPSing in the neighborhood of the low .920s over the last two years (his best two by far). Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, Vlad Guerrero, Miguel Cabrera, and Edgar Martinez have career OPS in the .930s. Sano is playing like a superstar right now. Not saying he will, but if he can keep this up, he’s one of the top 5-10 hitters in the league. It sure looks to be for real, though. Everyone is always so concerned about where he plays defensively. If he keeps hitting like this it doesn’t matter, just get him in the lineup.
  21. Darius
    The season is slipping away. We just had 3 series at home against the Mets, As, and Jankees (two of which were massive series for playoff positioning, the third against the Mets should’ve been an easy sweep without seeing Thor, DeGrom, or even Wheeler), and we couldn’t win one of them. We even got swept by the Mets at home. It’s unbelievable how far off the rails this has gotten (I believe we may be under .500 since June 1 now, or dangerously close to it), and people still think we’re a contender and things are fine (cue dog in burning house meme). Bremer said on multiple occasions, “two of the best teams in the American league squaring off.” We were outclassed by the Yankees in that series despite the close games, IMO. They needed a hit, they got one every time. People need to wake up and realize this isn’t the team we saw in April/May anymore. We’re not even one of the top 5 best teams in the AL right now (Yankees, Astros, As, Indians, Red Sox, and maybe even the Rays are just flat out better teams right now. The Angels are getting hot riding the Skaggs emotion). It’s soul crushing, really. Just when you start to think it’s our year. This is squarely on Falcine for their refusal to address the bullpen (whether offseason or trade). They’ve even traded away a dominant reliever. It’s time to stop giving these guys a pass. In any market serious about baseball (New York, Boston, St Louis, etc), these guys would be getting roasted. Here, we can’t seem to shower enough praise on these guys for nothing other than taking Terry Ryan’s core and watching them mature and installing a few more 10 keys in the office.
  22. Darius
    The way this team is pitching, the 96% number to make the playoffs is way too high. 90% to win the division while being 2 up on Cleveland (after we lose another to the Yankees tonight)? Who is coming up with these statistics? My prediction: We get the second wildcard behind Oakland and get steamrolled out of Yankee Stadium. Same old story.
  23. Darius
    Falvey, I’m sure as a result of the considerable and deserved backlash for their gross mishandling of the bullpen, spoke in regards to the Twins plan at the deadline today. IMO, reading between the lines of purposefully convoluted GM speak, he’s basically saying don’t expect any high-end arms. They’re going after depth, and the current roster is good enough to propel this team to where they want to go. This approach, as a lifelong Twins fan in his 30s, has gotten so exhausting. How much fun can it possibly be when we know this is over already? Without supplementing this roster with trades/free agents, we stand no chance. I wonder if the Brewers have comparable season ticket packages and prices. At least they aren’t scared to go after it. I’m really tired of griping on here. But this inaction is infuriating. We have a Workd Series lineup and solid starting pitching that will be largely disbanded after this season. We have a real shot at a title. It’s dissolving in front of our eyes. The most frustrating part to me is that ownership is making a killing this year. I’d understand if the place was still empty. At least the Vikings, maybe the only team in the State that has ownership willing to take a risk to win, start soon.
  24. Darius
    You must have missed Chapman and Ottavino getting inches off the edge despite not being able to locate in any way. Meanwhile, Kohl’s Stewart got the zone pinched (I can think of two of his pitches that were strikes on the bottom half that were uncalled). Roy Smalley even commented on a few of these calls. I know the pen blew it, but it’s the story of the game for me. There is a reason why the entire bench was nearly ejected. We’re at home and getting and ump treatment like that? Might as well roll up the tent now, because that can swing an entire playoff series.
  25. Darius
    This does not amount to only grapes. It’s a fact a legitimate gripe. I sat and eat the Yankees relievers get calls that the Twins didn’t in huge situations last night over and over again. Two come to mind as particularly egregious. Look at strike 1 to Rosario vs Chapman. I don’t recall who was up against Ottavino. But, he was given multiple gifts when he couldn’t find the strikezone, one up and away that was clearly not a strike (Roy Smalley even commented, “not a strike, that’s up and away.” Did the Twins bullpen suck? Sure, they’re a disaster. That doesn’t change the fact that the Twins win that game if balls/strikes were called evenly on both sides. These two things aren’t mutually exclusive.
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