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nicksaviking

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Everything posted by nicksaviking

  1. nicksaviking
    I really want Bard back and I didn't like that he was unprotected, but Kinley had nothing to do with losing Bard. The Twins went into the Rule V draft with four open roster spots. No player needs to be blamed for losing Bard but if someone wants to point fingers, they should probably be at Rodney, Reed and Duke.
  2. nicksaviking
    I agree, it's possible they do actually like Kinley over Busenitz. I'd think Busenitz is a better pitcher, but I'm removed from the situation, like any of us know how they really feel. It could also be that despite it being 2018 and everyone and their mom strikes out a batter an inning, the Twins bullpen nearly to a man still struggle in that department. Maybe they don't think Kinley is the better overall pitcher, but they want someone who can miss a bat when there's one out and a man on 3rd. I think the discussion about who should be the 25th man is always a fun, even if a pointlessly heated debate. I think the claim that the team isn't trying to win if one's preferred option isn't the choice is complete hogwash.
  3. nicksaviking
    I could find a place for the money if the players and the team can't figure this out themselves.
  4. nicksaviking
    I think Busenitz's smoke and mirrors last year was a bit of smoke and mirrors itself. His peripherals last year weren't good, but I think that was almost entirely because his strike out rate didn't match his outcomes. I think that was a bit fluky and he will miss a bunch of bats with a larger sample size. I'm really excited for the new young crop of relievers. Last year the pen succeeded because of, not in spite of Hildenburger, Rogers, Busenitz, Moya and company. With all the vets and the Rule V pick, it probably means the youngsters will all be yo-yo'd up and down this year, but after last season's relatively quick trigger execution of poorly performing arms, I'm fairly confident that the players who cannot be optioned are basically only getting the one chance.
  5. nicksaviking
    I don't know why it can't be both. I don't think the answer to whether this team will compete this year rests on who is the 25th man vs the 26th man on a 40 man roster, nor do I think the correct choice is as black and white as it's being made out to be. It's quite possible that there is no wrong choice. Or that there is no right choice.
  6. nicksaviking
    While I like Busenitz, the other young guys in the system and I still have my fingers crossed about getting Bard back, they don't have guys hitting 99 MPH. I'd say that alone demonstrates considerable upside. Busenitz hasn't been lighting it up in spring training either. Why do you think it's wasting a 25-man spot? Kinley hasn't shown he's incapable this spring and whomever gets the job is almost certainly not going to find themselves in a position to cost the team any games; this is the mop up guy.
  7. nicksaviking
    I'd think all the free agency moves indicate they are. With all the new vets in the pen whomever gets the last spot is almost certainly going to be used exclusively in low leverage situations. I don't see the problem with keeping the Rule V guy. And I'm a big Busenitz guy. Nothing against Rodney, Reed or Duke, but I'm excited for the big young arms take their jobs and I hope it happens sooner rather than later.
  8. nicksaviking
    Maybe Duffey can finally work on getting a 3rd pitch down in Rochester. His curve had lost it's effectiveness the past two years because he was a one trick pony. With his assignment and with so many harder throwing young guys, Duffey might be near the top of the list of most likely to be removed from the 40-man. Hope he gets that 3rd pitch.
  9. nicksaviking
    Bad news for Cleveland you mean! They're going to have to rename the award to Rooker of the Year.
  10. nicksaviking
    And for all of our bickering in this thread, Polanco has done exactly that. He's taking responsibility.
  11. nicksaviking
    This is offensive to anyone in baseball who fought for a clean game and derided Bonds, McGwire and company, and that is a whole lot of people. Yeah, I'm sure Erick Aybar feels terrible that he has a job this year at the expense of a guy who cheated in an effort to keep one away from him. MLB tried and couldn't get the union to agree to tougher testing, stop laying this at the feet of MLB. They do some greedy stuff, but this isn't one of them, painting them as a villain here takes away from any argument where they actually are at fault. To get the union to agree to any testing conditions took a literal act of congress. This is on the players and the argument I'm hearing basically boils down to people are cheating but it's not fair for the DR players because they aren't as good at cheating. If you want to even it out, take it up with the MLBPA; let the league test these guys monthly and for any and all substances; the league will do it.
  12. nicksaviking
    I would understand it more if he were a 16-year-old getting busted. As it were he's 24 and had already secured a 750K signing bonus as a teenager. He may have been impoverished back in the day, he wasn't when he took the PEDs.
  13. nicksaviking
    At my job there are plenty of things I could do, illegal or immoral, which would help inflate my productivity and secure a bigger piece of my company's bonus and a raise. If I were to get caught doing something prohibited, I'd surely be fired, not simply suspended.
  14. nicksaviking
    How is the system for cheating players in baseball any diffrrent than the reward process for just about every other industry that incentivizes the best work? Should no company be allowed to award bonuses or commission because it might encourage the more unethical employees to break the rules and/or the law?
  15. nicksaviking
    Were all of those hamburgers medium rare or well done? I prefer them juicy myself. And lots of them.
  16. nicksaviking
    That seems incredibly offensive to all the DR players who don't test positive.
  17. nicksaviking
    Escobar struggled defensively at SS in 2016 but when he played there last year he was fine. I don't think there's really much debate that Escobar gets the job until he proves he can't do it. It's not like he's replacing Andrelton Simmons, Polanco had the 2nd worst UZR among the 20 qualified SS last year and there wasn't any immediate talk about replacing him.
  18. nicksaviking
    As long as he keeps using his four seamer to try to miss bats and limits his sinker usage like he did at the end of last year, I'll be satisfied that we've seen the best possible pitcher he can be. If it still doesn't work out with that changed approach they can cut ties with him and not have to wonder "what if?"
  19. nicksaviking
    Also Molitor showed a lot of faith in Hildenberger giving him quite a few late inning looks last year. They might not want to give Molitor two guys who he is going to be inclined to hide. Speaking of, I'm cheering for Kinley-Busenitz-Moya in that order, this bullpen is largely devoid of top end velocity. Also I'm cheering against Duffey (sorry Tyler, nothing personal) but I want it to fall upon Hughes to be the long man so as not to clog up the 5th rotation spot when it becomes a regular need and one of the young guys can have it.
  20. nicksaviking
    I've been harping on the fact that he doesn't have off speed pitches, and I still don't like it. I do like that he's very aware of that and owns it completely. Seems like a fun guy, hope it works out.
  21. nicksaviking
    I like the personality and the attitude.
  22. nicksaviking
    I'm just fine with 1 year deals. More than fine actually, they tend to be great gambles. This offseason my number 1 concern was that I wanted a front line starter. To get out of the play-in round of the playoffs and advancing far enough, the Twins hopes now rest almost entirely on Berrios developing into a top 10 pitcher or so. I also think good pitchers will be available at the trade deadline. Unfortunately the Twins are almost certainly already at their max salary position; they're not going to be able to afford 2018's version of Justin Verlander now. And while I'm just fine taking a flyer on Lance Lynn for one year, I don't think he's probably going to have his best year. I can't see any way a guy is going to do any better than he already has when he doesn't have an off speed pitch. If he was coming up through the system today he would have been moved to the bullpen before he got to AA. His repertoire is severely limited; think Tyler Duffey but instead of the curveball, just different kinds of fastballs. I'm not raining on any parades, it was a fantastic off season.
  23. nicksaviking
    Moderator note: We have multiple threads to continue this line of discussion in the sports bar. This article is discussing the 3B position and Sano's ability/inability to play it. If anyone instead wishes to talk about due process vs. the rights of the public, please take it to the more appropriate threads instead of derailing this one.
  24. nicksaviking
    I take Darvish. I only care about this team being formidable in the playoffs and I don't have any faith in Lynn or Odorizzi matching up with the top of the other rotations in the AL. That said, they couldn't/didn't get Darvish. The front office was active and bold. I don't like all the players brought in, but they made splashes unlike any other year. I'm glad for the effort and the deals are short, they can try again next year.
  25. nicksaviking
    Not bad. One year deals are winners in my book. Hard to screw them up.
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