The Minnesota Twins had their game against the Tampa Bay Rays called short yesterday afternoon due to rain. The game was called in the top of the fifth inning as the Twins held a 3-0 lead.
Boof Bonser pitched three scoreless innings while striking out three before Nick Blackburn pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning. The Rays got another good performance from Edwin Jackson, pitching three scoreless innings of his own, before Al Reyes gave up all three of the Twins runs in the fourth inning.
Denard Span lead the way for the offense with a 2-3 performance with his first extra base hit of Spring Training. However, despite his great game, his stats will not count towards his total stats from spring training. That doesn't mean that Ron Gardenhire (or the rest of the coaches) won't take this game into consideration for the center field competition.
Mike Redmond drove in the first run of the game with a single to right field which scored Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer, Redmond and Garrett Jones all scored while going 1-2 at the plate.
Today, the Twins will send Kevin Slowey to the mound to face Ian Kennedy of the Yankees. The first pitch is scheduled around 12:05 (CT) and remember that the game is on ESPN for all of you that are hoping to get a glimpse at some of the newest members of the Minnesota Twins in action.
And for those of you who may be wondering, it's supposed to be partly cloudy and in the upper 60's around game time. So at least it doesn't look like there's any chance that this game will be rained out. But then again, weather men (or women) are not the most reliable professions out there. But hopefully, they're correct and we get to watch some good baseball.
Francisco Liriano update
Francisco Liriano threw his fourth throwing session since he arrived in camp last week, and it was his second time throwing live batting practice. He reportedly had no pain in his newly repaired elbow and all indications are that he will make his Spring Training debut this Friday when the Twins face both the Red Sox and Blue Jays in two split-squad games. It's not known which team he'll face.
After throwing around 45 pitches in his session on Tuesday, Liriano said, "I didn't feel any pain, any soreness at all," Liriano said. "I feel real good."
He also admitted to holding back a little bit on his slider. "I feel a little different with my slider, like I'm sacred to throw it, let it go," Liriano said. "I'm going to take it easy and keep working on it to get better."
However he has been working more and more on his change-up which will (hopefully) allow him to use his slider as an out pitch instead of making it a common pitch in his repertoire, like he did in 2006.
Unless he experiences any soreness before the game, this will be a big step for him, however I'm sure after all that he's gone through over the last 18 months, it's probably just another baby step in a very long process to get back from surgery.
Finally
Perhaps I've been out of the loop, but I didn't know that Kevin Slowey had his own blog. Call me crazy, but I haven't seen that before. Definitely check it out.
March 5, 2008
March 4, 2008
Looking at 3 years from now
Hello everyone. Yesterday, the Twins played two games. The "B game" was against the Red Sox in the last game against the defending World Champions (at least for a little over a week). The two teams tied, meaning the Red Sox won the series 2-1-1.
The "A game" was against the Reds and the Twins made a late-surge to send the game into extra innings and the team eventually won on a 2-run home run by Chris Basak. Randy Ruiz sent the game into extra's with his own 2-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. Joe Mauer stayed hot this spring with another 1-3 outing where he drove in his first RBI of the spring. Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla were menaces on the base paths stealing 3 bases, 2 for Casilla, one for Gomez. Both also drove in a run as well. Casilla and Brendan Harris helped the team turn 4 double plays on the afternoon.
The team will play the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at noon and will face the Yankees tomorrow afternoon at 12:15. The game will be aired on ESPN, so make sure to watch it. According to Kelsie Smith, Mauer, Delmon Young and Justin Morneau will be held out of the game against the Rays, which makes one only assume that they'll play against the Yankees. Gomez may also get the game against the Rays off, after starting two consecutive games, which may make him a probable against the Yankees. Either way, it's going to be a lot of fun to get to watch Twins baseball again, regardless of who is playing.
Now onto my thoughts. I read an article on Carlos Gomez the other night and he was talking
about leading off and whatnot, and he had this to say:
My guess, is that Ben Revere will be competing for a spot in the outfield at that time and could push for the lead-off spot.
I can realistically see a lineup as follows:
1) Ben Revere - CF
2) Carlos Gomez - RF
3) Joe Mauer - C
4) Delmon Young - LF
5) Justin Morneau - 1B
6) Michael Cuddyer - DH
7) Deibinson Romero - 3B
8) Trevor Plouffe - 2B
9) Alexi Casilla - SS
Now, I don't expect Gomez ever beating out Young for the right to bat third, even in three years. However, I can see Mauer finally developing more power to make him a more desirable #3 hitter than he is right now. If that happens, I could honestly see Gomez hitting second, in front of Mauer and hopefully his Carl Crawford comparisons will be accomplished, which would make him a very desirable #2 hitter infront of Mauer. Imagine a 9-1-2 with Casilla, Revere and Gomez on the basepaths. They all have potential to steal 40+ bases per season, however I may be putting too much stock into Revere considering he only has 191 at bats through 50 games in the Twins system, all with the GCL Twins in the rookie league. However, many predict Revere to have a very good career, and I'm one of those who believe he will as well. I don't know how the Twins would be able to justify having Trevor Plouffe play shortstop over Casilla. All indications are that Casilla has better defense, and his speed/range is not even a comparison. I see Trevor Plouffe at second base. DJ Romero is a fast-rising prosect through the Twins system who many believe is on the "fast-track" to the major leagues. He has a potential big league bat, which could make him a solid addition to the middle-of-the-lineup.
Wilson Ramos is another guy who could compete for a spot on the roster, however having him in the lineup would likely mean moving Joe Mauer, and I'm not going to get into that discussion right now. It's too early for me to predict Mauer's future behind the plate. However, if he is forced to move (injury reasons or because of Ramos or another prospect), third base, first base, left field, and DH are all possibilities. I guess I'm just not that high on Ramos just yet, however he definitely is one of the guys I'm most excited to see how he does this season.
As for the rotation, there should definitely be many options available, as the Twins pitching in the farm system is full of guys very capable of someday starting in the majors. I personally see the rotation like this:
1) Francisco Liriano
2) Deolis Guerra
3) Kevin Slowey
4) Tyler Robertson
5) Kevin Mulvey
I think Liriano will re-gain his 2006 form eventually, however I'm not sure he will this season. But by 2011, he should. Guerra is another very high-potential pitcher who would be 22-years-old in 2011, but will likely already have a solid amount of starts under his belt before 2011. Mulvey is potential #3 starter, with Robertson & Slowey potentially having front-of-the-line stuff. They could have many challengers with Jay Rainville, Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzak, Oswaldo Sosa, Alex Burnett, Michael McCardell, and David Bromberg to name a few. And don't forget guys like Boof Bonser and Scott Baker who both aren't eligible for Free Agency until 2013 and guys like Philip Humber, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, and Glen Perkins who are all fighting for spots in the rotation right now.
Lets just say, the Twins have PLENTY of options for the rotation for both now, and in the near future.
How does your 2011 lineup/rotation compare to mine?
The "A game" was against the Reds and the Twins made a late-surge to send the game into extra innings and the team eventually won on a 2-run home run by Chris Basak. Randy Ruiz sent the game into extra's with his own 2-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. Joe Mauer stayed hot this spring with another 1-3 outing where he drove in his first RBI of the spring. Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla were menaces on the base paths stealing 3 bases, 2 for Casilla, one for Gomez. Both also drove in a run as well. Casilla and Brendan Harris helped the team turn 4 double plays on the afternoon.
The team will play the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at noon and will face the Yankees tomorrow afternoon at 12:15. The game will be aired on ESPN, so make sure to watch it. According to Kelsie Smith, Mauer, Delmon Young and Justin Morneau will be held out of the game against the Rays, which makes one only assume that they'll play against the Yankees. Gomez may also get the game against the Rays off, after starting two consecutive games, which may make him a probable against the Yankees. Either way, it's going to be a lot of fun to get to watch Twins baseball again, regardless of who is playing.
Now onto my thoughts. I read an article on Carlos Gomez the other night and he was talking
about leading off and whatnot, and he had this to say:"In two, three more years, I won't hit leadoff. I have to use my speed now. When I get older, I want to hit third."Obviously, I think it's everyone's dreams to hit in the third spot of the lineup, especially one as (potentially) good as the Twins. But it got me thinking of some of the players who may be viewed upon as a lead-off batter at that time. Ben Revere should be about ready in three years, especially if he doesn't hit a snag in his development in any of his stops in the minors. Joe Benson has a lot of upside, but he still needs to prove that he's not just all hype and needs to produce this season to lay some of his critics to rest. However, Benson (like Gomez) has potential to have a "big bat" that could allow the team to bat him second, third or anywhere else in the order. Denard Span and Jason Pridie are both possibilities, I suppose, but many expect Gomez to have center field locked in by then, and Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer both expect to be around at that time as well, and both will be older than many of the other younger candidates.
My guess, is that Ben Revere will be competing for a spot in the outfield at that time and could push for the lead-off spot.
I can realistically see a lineup as follows:
1) Ben Revere - CF
2) Carlos Gomez - RF
3) Joe Mauer - C
4) Delmon Young - LF
5) Justin Morneau - 1B
6) Michael Cuddyer - DH
7) Deibinson Romero - 3B
8) Trevor Plouffe - 2B
9) Alexi Casilla - SS
Now, I don't expect Gomez ever beating out Young for the right to bat third, even in three years. However, I can see Mauer finally developing more power to make him a more desirable #3 hitter than he is right now. If that happens, I could honestly see Gomez hitting second, in front of Mauer and hopefully his Carl Crawford comparisons will be accomplished, which would make him a very desirable #2 hitter infront of Mauer. Imagine a 9-1-2 with Casilla, Revere and Gomez on the basepaths. They all have potential to steal 40+ bases per season, however I may be putting too much stock into Revere considering he only has 191 at bats through 50 games in the Twins system, all with the GCL Twins in the rookie league. However, many predict Revere to have a very good career, and I'm one of those who believe he will as well. I don't know how the Twins would be able to justify having Trevor Plouffe play shortstop over Casilla. All indications are that Casilla has better defense, and his speed/range is not even a comparison. I see Trevor Plouffe at second base. DJ Romero is a fast-rising prosect through the Twins system who many believe is on the "fast-track" to the major leagues. He has a potential big league bat, which could make him a solid addition to the middle-of-the-lineup.
Wilson Ramos is another guy who could compete for a spot on the roster, however having him in the lineup would likely mean moving Joe Mauer, and I'm not going to get into that discussion right now. It's too early for me to predict Mauer's future behind the plate. However, if he is forced to move (injury reasons or because of Ramos or another prospect), third base, first base, left field, and DH are all possibilities. I guess I'm just not that high on Ramos just yet, however he definitely is one of the guys I'm most excited to see how he does this season.
As for the rotation, there should definitely be many options available, as the Twins pitching in the farm system is full of guys very capable of someday starting in the majors. I personally see the rotation like this:
1) Francisco Liriano
2) Deolis Guerra
3) Kevin Slowey
4) Tyler Robertson
5) Kevin Mulvey
I think Liriano will re-gain his 2006 form eventually, however I'm not sure he will this season. But by 2011, he should. Guerra is another very high-potential pitcher who would be 22-years-old in 2011, but will likely already have a solid amount of starts under his belt before 2011. Mulvey is potential #3 starter, with Robertson & Slowey potentially having front-of-the-line stuff. They could have many challengers with Jay Rainville, Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzak, Oswaldo Sosa, Alex Burnett, Michael McCardell, and David Bromberg to name a few. And don't forget guys like Boof Bonser and Scott Baker who both aren't eligible for Free Agency until 2013 and guys like Philip Humber, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, and Glen Perkins who are all fighting for spots in the rotation right now.
Lets just say, the Twins have PLENTY of options for the rotation for both now, and in the near future.
How does your 2011 lineup/rotation compare to mine?
March 3, 2008
Spring Training Notes
Here are a few news/notes coming out of Spring Training:
• Livan Hernandez had a solid first outing for the Twins yesterday as he allowed 1 run over 2 innnings while the Twins faced the Boston Red Sox. The reason I clarify it as a "solid first outing" is because of the fact that he faced many of the key members of the Red Sox lineup, while sporting a low-velocity repertoire of pitches. In fact, according to Joe Christensen, the home run ball hit by Mike Lowell was clocked at 83 mph.
He also impressed Ron Gardenhire:
• Craig Monroe has a strained calf muscle. He hopes to get back into the lineup sometime early this week, but I just hope that any injury doesn't prolong throughout the season like another former Tiger's did last year.
• Francisco Liriano had another bullpen session yesterday and was pitching much better than in his previous two sessions. He also left a good impression on pitching coach, Rick Anderson:
• Brian Buscher has been steadily increasing his stock so far in the teams first few games. He's hit the ball very well and has made a few nice digs on defense as well. He's also playing some first base as well to increase his chances of making the club as a reserve for both Mike Lamb and Justin Morneau. That of course is if he isn't starting over Lamb. Anything is possibly I guess, although given the contract the team just gave to Lamb, I'd be surprised if he wasn't starting come opening day.
• The Twins are encouraging Delmon Young to take a lot of swings at pitches this spring and he's been showing better discipline than ever. In Tampa, he was being encouraged to take more balls and he'd end up swinging away. In fact, he lead the league in swings in at bats last season. I'm really excited to see what this guy is going to do for our team.
Here's what Ron Gardenhire has to say:
• Joe Nathan does not have a new contract, however Jim Souhan explains why he's worth the big money.
• Ron Gardenhire is also very impressed with Carlos Gomez thus far, he likes the way he plays the game and loves the excitement he brings while he's on the field. Over the weekend, he stole second base off of Jon Lester of the Red Sox and was safe by a longshot. The team is very encouraged with his speed and athleticism on the field. But at the plate, they know he still has a lot to work on. Here's what hitting coach Joe Vavra had to say:
• Here's how the center field competition looks so far (through 4 of 31 games):
Denard Span - 2-7, 2 runs, 1 SB, 1 assist
Carlos Gomez - 1-6, 1 K, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 assist
Jason Pridie - 3-8, 2 K's, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 SB,
I'm happy this looks to be like it's going to be a good competition. I definitely can't wait to see how this thing plays out.
• Here's a good quote from Ron Gardenhire:
• Livan Hernandez had a solid first outing for the Twins yesterday as he allowed 1 run over 2 innnings while the Twins faced the Boston Red Sox. The reason I clarify it as a "solid first outing" is because of the fact that he faced many of the key members of the Red Sox lineup, while sporting a low-velocity repertoire of pitches. In fact, according to Joe Christensen, the home run ball hit by Mike Lowell was clocked at 83 mph.He also impressed Ron Gardenhire:
“There wasn’t much of a strain out there. Just flipping it out there, not afraid to throw any pitch at any time, and that’s kind of why we signed him. So that was kind of a refreshing day for a starter. Looked like he fit right in. That was good stuff.”
• Craig Monroe has a strained calf muscle. He hopes to get back into the lineup sometime early this week, but I just hope that any injury doesn't prolong throughout the season like another former Tiger's did last year.
• Francisco Liriano had another bullpen session yesterday and was pitching much better than in his previous two sessions. He also left a good impression on pitching coach, Rick Anderson:
“That was outstanding,”La Velle E. Neal III also said that Liriano's expected to have another bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to make his Spring Training debut on Thursday or Friday of this week.
• Brian Buscher has been steadily increasing his stock so far in the teams first few games. He's hit the ball very well and has made a few nice digs on defense as well. He's also playing some first base as well to increase his chances of making the club as a reserve for both Mike Lamb and Justin Morneau. That of course is if he isn't starting over Lamb. Anything is possibly I guess, although given the contract the team just gave to Lamb, I'd be surprised if he wasn't starting come opening day.
• The Twins are encouraging Delmon Young to take a lot of swings at pitches this spring and he's been showing better discipline than ever. In Tampa, he was being encouraged to take more balls and he'd end up swinging away. In fact, he lead the league in swings in at bats last season. I'm really excited to see what this guy is going to do for our team.
Here's what Ron Gardenhire has to say:
"All the on-base percentage [stats] and all those things -- he's dangerous when he lets that thing fly and gets fastballs," Gardenhire said. "We're going to want him to swing this year more than taking a lot of pitches and watching them go by."
• Joe Nathan does not have a new contract, however Jim Souhan explains why he's worth the big money.
• Ron Gardenhire is also very impressed with Carlos Gomez thus far, he likes the way he plays the game and loves the excitement he brings while he's on the field. Over the weekend, he stole second base off of Jon Lester of the Red Sox and was safe by a longshot. The team is very encouraged with his speed and athleticism on the field. But at the plate, they know he still has a lot to work on. Here's what hitting coach Joe Vavra had to say:
This is what Ron Gardenhire had to say about him:"You're thinking, 'How many swings can he make like that without breaking down?' " Vavra said. "Because he puts a tremendous amount of torque on his back, and if you do that too many times, boy. You try not to be so violent in your approach but try to be aggressive."
"I really think he swung so hard that the bat broke before the ball got there," Gardenhire said. "... He's a little bit of a free spirit."
• Here's how the center field competition looks so far (through 4 of 31 games):
Denard Span - 2-7, 2 runs, 1 SB, 1 assist
Carlos Gomez - 1-6, 1 K, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 assist
Jason Pridie - 3-8, 2 K's, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 SB,
I'm happy this looks to be like it's going to be a good competition. I definitely can't wait to see how this thing plays out.
• Here's a good quote from Ron Gardenhire:
"Hey, we lost the cannons," (in regards to losing Johan Santana, Carlos Silva and Torii Hunter) Gardenhire said, smiling. "But we've got more bullets."
February 29, 2008
Twins lose opener & Tidbits
Hello everyone. Yesterday afternoon, the Twins lost their first Spring Training game of the season against the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1. Glen Perkins and Rickey Barrett both gave up 3 runs apiece as the offense was nearly non-existent in the first game of the Grapefruit League Season. Scott Baker pitched 2 scoreless innings and Matt Guerrier, Pat Neshek, Casey Daigle and Julio DePaula all added a scoreless inning of relief of their own.
Besides the pitching being fairly strong besides two appearances, the offense was "dead" for pretty much the entire game. Joe Mauer chipped in with a single, as did 4 other players. Carlos Gomez went 0-2 in his debut for the Twins. However, he did make a diving catch from center field on a short fly ball by Ryan Freel of the Reds. Gomez covered a lot of ground on that play and he definitely showed his speed/range is as good as advertised. Jason Pridie came in later in the game and went 0-2 as well.
Tonight, the Twins play their first game back in Ft. Myers against Diasuke Matsuzaka and the Boston Red Sox. I'm sure there will be a horde of media outlets at the game, so we'll see how some of our young players handle the attention (which won't necessarily be on them). Boof Bonser is set to start for the Twins. Besides that, I'm not sure who else is scheduled to play. I'm expecting to see a little bit of a mix from yesterday's lineup with guys like Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, Adam Everett, Nick Punto, Mike Redmond and Denard Span, but your guess is as good as mine.
• Peter Gammons who I generally am not enthused about reading, mainly because of his bias of being a Red Sox fan and his love for larger market teams, and despite his connection to the Red Sox, he had a good piece on Torii Hunter in his blog yesterday. One part of the article that I particularly liked was:
I don't always agree with Hunter on the things he says, and the way he does things, but he truly is a good guy and I think there should be more players like him in the league.
• Make sure to check out the new Twins-Territory.com! I got the privilege of checking it out a couple days ago and they truly did a great job with the new site. I recommend everyone checking it out.
Besides the pitching being fairly strong besides two appearances, the offense was "dead" for pretty much the entire game. Joe Mauer chipped in with a single, as did 4 other players. Carlos Gomez went 0-2 in his debut for the Twins. However, he did make a diving catch from center field on a short fly ball by Ryan Freel of the Reds. Gomez covered a lot of ground on that play and he definitely showed his speed/range is as good as advertised. Jason Pridie came in later in the game and went 0-2 as well.
Tonight, the Twins play their first game back in Ft. Myers against Diasuke Matsuzaka and the Boston Red Sox. I'm sure there will be a horde of media outlets at the game, so we'll see how some of our young players handle the attention (which won't necessarily be on them). Boof Bonser is set to start for the Twins. Besides that, I'm not sure who else is scheduled to play. I'm expecting to see a little bit of a mix from yesterday's lineup with guys like Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, Adam Everett, Nick Punto, Mike Redmond and Denard Span, but your guess is as good as mine.
• Peter Gammons who I generally am not enthused about reading, mainly because of his bias of being a Red Sox fan and his love for larger market teams, and despite his connection to the Red Sox, he had a good piece on Torii Hunter in his blog yesterday. One part of the article that I particularly liked was:
A "bad" contract to a good and generous man is worth a great deal more than a "good" contract to a mediocre and selfish man.Hunter has been known as being an outspoken player who plays with a lot of heart and energy. And it's good to hear about all the good things he does for people who aren't as privileged as some of us are. I also like Hunter's response of "I say, 'Do something'" in response to players complaints of only 8 percent of the Major League's players being African American.
I don't always agree with Hunter on the things he says, and the way he does things, but he truly is a good guy and I think there should be more players like him in the league.
• Make sure to check out the new Twins-Territory.com! I got the privilege of checking it out a couple days ago and they truly did a great job with the new site. I recommend everyone checking it out.
February 28, 2008
First Game
The Twins face the Cincinnati Reds this afternoon in their first Grapefruit League action this season. The Twins will send out a young lineup, where Carlos Gomez gets the first shot of taking center field, unless of course you include their game against the Concordia on Tuesday.
Here's the lineup:
1. Carlos Gomez, CF.
2. Brendan Harris, 2B.
3. Joe Mauer, C.
4. Michael Cuddyer, RF.
5. Jason Kubel, LF.
6.Craig Monroe, DH.
7. Mike Lamb, 3B.
8. Garrett Jones, 1B.
9. Alexi Casilla, SS.
A little 'head scratcher' in the lineup probably comes at shortstop, where the 23-year-old Alexi Casilla has been dubbed the future second baseman of the organization. Yet, Ron Gardenhire said :
And the pitchers are scheduled to be:
Scott Baker (Starter)
Glen Perkins
Matt Guerrier
Pat Neshek
Casey Daigle
Rickey Barrett
and Julio DePaula
I'm excited to see how Baker, and the rest of the starters, do in spring training. Our rotation competition is one of the most intriguing story's in baseball this spring, at least to me (probably because I'm a Twins fan). But reason being, is that none of the pitchers are really "locked" for the rotation. There are a few such as Baker, Boof Bonser and Livan Hernandez who have probably earned to have the mentality of "it's my job to lose" compared to the many other pitchers who are trying to push them out of a spot with a mentality of, "I have to prove myself to them." That's not to say that Baker and the others don't need to prove themselves, because they do, but they don't have to prove themselves as much as a say a guy like Nick Blackburn or Philip Humber who haven't proven themselves to be even an asset to a major league ball club yet. It should be interesting to see who makes the rotation, and who doesn't. I think we can all make our best guesses, but without guys like Johan Santana who are definite locks, then it makes the competition that much more interesting.
I'm excited to see how the Twins do this afternoon, in our first "official" spring training game of the season.
Here's the lineup:
1. Carlos Gomez, CF.
2. Brendan Harris, 2B.
3. Joe Mauer, C.
4. Michael Cuddyer, RF.
5. Jason Kubel, LF.
6.Craig Monroe, DH.
7. Mike Lamb, 3B.
8. Garrett Jones, 1B.
9. Alexi Casilla, SS.
A little 'head scratcher' in the lineup probably comes at shortstop, where the 23-year-old Alexi Casilla has been dubbed the future second baseman of the organization. Yet, Ron Gardenhire said :
"I'm going to move him around and have him play some short and play some second as we go along here," Gardenhire said. "As we start breaking things down, we'll probably use him a lot more at second base on a rotation basis. But I've got to move everybody around right now; I just have too many infielders."He also praised Casilla for being better in drills this season, which should give some optimism as he was in Gardy's doghouse last season for not delivering on routine plays.
And the pitchers are scheduled to be:
Scott Baker (Starter)
Glen Perkins
Matt Guerrier
Pat Neshek
Casey Daigle
Rickey Barrett
and Julio DePaula
I'm excited to see how Baker, and the rest of the starters, do in spring training. Our rotation competition is one of the most intriguing story's in baseball this spring, at least to me (probably because I'm a Twins fan). But reason being, is that none of the pitchers are really "locked" for the rotation. There are a few such as Baker, Boof Bonser and Livan Hernandez who have probably earned to have the mentality of "it's my job to lose" compared to the many other pitchers who are trying to push them out of a spot with a mentality of, "I have to prove myself to them." That's not to say that Baker and the others don't need to prove themselves, because they do, but they don't have to prove themselves as much as a say a guy like Nick Blackburn or Philip Humber who haven't proven themselves to be even an asset to a major league ball club yet. It should be interesting to see who makes the rotation, and who doesn't. I think we can all make our best guesses, but without guys like Johan Santana who are definite locks, then it makes the competition that much more interesting.
I'm excited to see how the Twins do this afternoon, in our first "official" spring training game of the season.
February 27, 2008
Too soon to look at 2009?
Hello everyone.
Last night I was shuffling through some different sites, reading up on some baseball news (as I always do) and I when I went to MLBTradeRumors.com, I saw a post that I saw a few months ago, but it got me thinking again. The post was a list of players who are scheduled to hit the free agency market in 2009. Now, before I go any further, I don't want anyone to get the impression that I am throwing in the towel already on 2008 and that I don't think we have a chance, because on the contrary I do still hold a slight ray of optimism that we'll be challenging the rest of the American League Central for the Divisional Title.
But I did have to think about where we could be next year at this time, and what players were available to perhaps improve our team. The hard part of looking at this list is that anything can happen in 2008. Nick Punto could explode back onto the scene, making people look at him locking down second base for the next 5 years, Mike Lamb could self destruct and we may have to look for a new third baseman, or we could have a very ineffective bullpen that ranks near the bottom in the league. Are these likely? Probably not, but it does make predicting something like how players will do, a lot harder.
I have to imagine that the Twins will likely be looking for a relief pitcher (not necessarily a closer) and a short stop next winter. Besides that, your guess is as good as mine. It'd probably be nice to think about an upgrade at third base, but we haven't seen Lamb play yet and he's signed for 2 years of guaranteed money. So I find it hard to imagine that the Twins would cut him or put him on the bench.
Here are a few of the noticable free agents that are set to hit the market next winter:
I think that Adam Dunn will be the main attraction, as will Sabathia, Teixeira and Rodriguez probably will follow those two. Dunn, as much as it'd be nice to see the Twins add (another) legit 40 home run threat to the lineup, but I think his price tag will be too much. Also, he plays left field and the Twins hope to have left field locked up for the next 10+ years with Delmon Young. Designated Hitter is a possibility, but his contract demands could break the bank (as could Teixeira). Neither I view as likely fits for the Twins.
Like I said before, shortstop will likely be a position that the Twins explore in free agency. Here are a few shortstop's that could be intriguing additions:
Renteria could be a possible buyout, but after one of his best career year in 2007, he could be in Detroit for longer than just one year. But if he does regress, I wouldn't mind throwing a 2-year deal at him worth somewhere around $16 million.
Renteria or Cabrera would be great additions to add to our young lineup. Both are normally #2 hitters and this season, many think that Ron Gardenhire will stick Joe Mauer in the #2 spot. And I think that if he does that, and Mauer succeeds, he'll likely stay there for the foreseeable future. But both of these shortstop options would be great additions to the 7-9 spots of the lineup as well.
Of course, I may be thinking wishfully as the Twins are more likely to add a player such as David Eckstein or merely just re-sign Adam Everett. But you can't blame me for dreaming.
I think we could all agree that it'd be great to see a lineup like:
CF - Gomez
C - Mauer
LF - Young
1B - Morneau
RF - Cuddyer
DH - Kubel
SS - Renteria
3B - Lamb
2B - Casilla
Again, I don't want to jump the boat on 2007, and all of my predictions are very arguable. For all we know, Trevor Plouffe could erupt this season and be ready by the end of the season to start full-time. Anything is possible, I am just looking into the future the best way that I can.
Sorry for the rambling.
Last night I was shuffling through some different sites, reading up on some baseball news (as I always do) and I when I went to MLBTradeRumors.com, I saw a post that I saw a few months ago, but it got me thinking again. The post was a list of players who are scheduled to hit the free agency market in 2009. Now, before I go any further, I don't want anyone to get the impression that I am throwing in the towel already on 2008 and that I don't think we have a chance, because on the contrary I do still hold a slight ray of optimism that we'll be challenging the rest of the American League Central for the Divisional Title.
But I did have to think about where we could be next year at this time, and what players were available to perhaps improve our team. The hard part of looking at this list is that anything can happen in 2008. Nick Punto could explode back onto the scene, making people look at him locking down second base for the next 5 years, Mike Lamb could self destruct and we may have to look for a new third baseman, or we could have a very ineffective bullpen that ranks near the bottom in the league. Are these likely? Probably not, but it does make predicting something like how players will do, a lot harder.
I have to imagine that the Twins will likely be looking for a relief pitcher (not necessarily a closer) and a short stop next winter. Besides that, your guess is as good as mine. It'd probably be nice to think about an upgrade at third base, but we haven't seen Lamb play yet and he's signed for 2 years of guaranteed money. So I find it hard to imagine that the Twins would cut him or put him on the bench.
Here are a few of the noticable free agents that are set to hit the market next winter:
- Adam Dunn
- Carl Crawford (option)
- Carlos Delgado (option)
- C.C. Sabathia
- Manny Ramirez (option)
- Mark Teixeira
- John Lackey (option)
- Francisco Rodriguez
- Vladimir Guerrero (option)
- Chipper Jones (option)
- Pedro Martinez
- Ben Sheets
I think that Adam Dunn will be the main attraction, as will Sabathia, Teixeira and Rodriguez probably will follow those two. Dunn, as much as it'd be nice to see the Twins add (another) legit 40 home run threat to the lineup, but I think his price tag will be too much. Also, he plays left field and the Twins hope to have left field locked up for the next 10+ years with Delmon Young. Designated Hitter is a possibility, but his contract demands could break the bank (as could Teixeira). Neither I view as likely fits for the Twins.
Like I said before, shortstop will likely be a position that the Twins explore in free agency. Here are a few shortstop's that could be intriguing additions:
- Orlando Cabrera
- Rafael Furcal
- Edgar Renteria (option)
Renteria could be a possible buyout, but after one of his best career year in 2007, he could be in Detroit for longer than just one year. But if he does regress, I wouldn't mind throwing a 2-year deal at him worth somewhere around $16 million.
Renteria or Cabrera would be great additions to add to our young lineup. Both are normally #2 hitters and this season, many think that Ron Gardenhire will stick Joe Mauer in the #2 spot. And I think that if he does that, and Mauer succeeds, he'll likely stay there for the foreseeable future. But both of these shortstop options would be great additions to the 7-9 spots of the lineup as well.
Of course, I may be thinking wishfully as the Twins are more likely to add a player such as David Eckstein or merely just re-sign Adam Everett. But you can't blame me for dreaming.
I think we could all agree that it'd be great to see a lineup like:
CF - Gomez
C - Mauer
LF - Young
1B - Morneau
RF - Cuddyer
DH - Kubel
SS - Renteria
3B - Lamb
2B - Casilla
Again, I don't want to jump the boat on 2007, and all of my predictions are very arguable. For all we know, Trevor Plouffe could erupt this season and be ready by the end of the season to start full-time. Anything is possible, I am just looking into the future the best way that I can.
Sorry for the rambling.
February 25, 2008
A little of this, a little of that
Hello everyone. Hope your weekend went well.
• The Twins are set for their first set of action today as they face the University of St. Paul Concordia. According to Phil Miller, the Twins will send out a lineup where Denard Span will lead-off, followed by Matt Tolbert, Brian Buscher and Garrett Jones, with Drew Butera rounding out the lineup while calling the game from behind the plate.
• Miller also mentioned that Delmon Young will be moving from right field to left field, which means that Michael Cuddyer will man the other corner. I'm sure if Cuddyer needs a break, Young will be used if Monroe or Kubel play left.
• Kevin Slowey may have a bit more velocity, after his great live-batter session on Sunday he had batters shaking their head and impressed batters such as Cuddyer, Young and Denard Span who said:
---
Slowey was a bit modest of his performance and claimed that batters were just used to facing coaches and are not used to facing pitchers just yet.
I'm very excited about Slowey this season. I think that his success in the minors is not just based on his off-speed pitches and that he'll be a great major league pitcher. He locates his pitches as well as anyone his age and if his velocity truly is improving, then that's even better.
• Joe Christensen reported what Ron Gardenhire had to say about the middle of the lineup this season:
---
This would make it fairly sensible to assume that he'd be penciling Joe Mauer in the #2 hole, while separating he and Morneau with either Delmon Young or Michael Cuddyer. It looks like Cuddyer would likely start the season after Mauer while Young bats #5 behind Morneau.
I like this lineup to a degree, and I guess that it probably is the most sensible as Mauer is probably the most logical option in the #2 hole, but I'm very intrigued to what Jason Kubel could do if he had 200-300 at bats batting before Mauer in the order. Last season, Kubel hit .328/.409/.586 with 3 home runs and 11 RBI's in 58 at bats while hitting in the 2-spot. If we could expand that to a full season of at bats, I think he could realistically hit .315/.390/.550 with 25 home runs and 75 RBI's. I truly believe that Kubel will explode this season, but I think a lot of it will have to do with where he's batting in the order.
If Kubel does not bat before Mauer, I just hope that Gardenhire doesn't bat him before Everett who is likely going to be hitting in the last spot of the lineup. Kubel's numbers were dreadful in the bottom of the order last season and his numbers weren't horrible while batting 6th. I think that batting him ahead of either Mike Lamb or Brendan Harris would be a good decision by the club, of course unless they choose to stick him in the #2 spot.
I personally think that out of all the batters on this team, both Kubel and Delmon Young are the two guys who I see as potential #3 hitters, with Mauer a #2, Morneau a #4, and Cuddyer a #5. Of course, I don't think that Gardenhire will allow 3 left-handers bat lead-off, which may mean that Kubel's spot in the lineup could depend on who wins the center field competition as both Denard Span and Jason Pridie are left-handers. Gomez on the other-hand is a right-hander.
• Francisco Liriano is not expected to report to camp until Wednesday, but according to La Velle E. Neal III (via Twins officials) he recently threw 97 mph (twice) and consistently hit in the 92-95 mph range in a recent bullpen session down in the Dominican Republic.
The report makes me assume that 1 of his 5 points on his checklist can be crossed off right now in Liriano's progress to make it back to the rotation. The other 4?
• And finally, for those of you who have been wondering what the Twins did to make room for Livan Hernandez, well Seth Stohs reported on Sunday that the Twins outrighted Darnell McDonald to Triple-A Rochester which opened up room on the 40-man roster. McDonald is still at camp.
• The Twins are set for their first set of action today as they face the University of St. Paul Concordia. According to Phil Miller, the Twins will send out a lineup where Denard Span will lead-off, followed by Matt Tolbert, Brian Buscher and Garrett Jones, with Drew Butera rounding out the lineup while calling the game from behind the plate.
• Miller also mentioned that Delmon Young will be moving from right field to left field, which means that Michael Cuddyer will man the other corner. I'm sure if Cuddyer needs a break, Young will be used if Monroe or Kubel play left.
• Kevin Slowey may have a bit more velocity, after his great live-batter session on Sunday he had batters shaking their head and impressed batters such as Cuddyer, Young and Denard Span who said:
---
"I couldn't figure out his arm motion. I didn't even see that changeup."---
Slowey was a bit modest of his performance and claimed that batters were just used to facing coaches and are not used to facing pitchers just yet.
I'm very excited about Slowey this season. I think that his success in the minors is not just based on his off-speed pitches and that he'll be a great major league pitcher. He locates his pitches as well as anyone his age and if his velocity truly is improving, then that's even better.
• Joe Christensen reported what Ron Gardenhire had to say about the middle of the lineup this season:
---
“I would like to have him in that 4-spot,” Gardy said. “I think that’s where he belongs.”---
“No, I wouldn’t assume that,” Gardy said. “I think that sounds really good, but don’t assume that. I like that. I think [Mauer’s] an on-base percentage guy, and I’d like to have a righthanded bat in between them. … So it makes sense, if we can find a leadoff guy, and if we can find a third hitter, all those things.”
“Anything’s possible,” Gardenhire said. “You better have somebody behind [Morneau] who can hit a little bit. Or they’ll pitch around him all day long, and then he expands, and that’s no good. So there’s all kinds of things we can think about with this lineup.”
This would make it fairly sensible to assume that he'd be penciling Joe Mauer in the #2 hole, while separating he and Morneau with either Delmon Young or Michael Cuddyer. It looks like Cuddyer would likely start the season after Mauer while Young bats #5 behind Morneau.
I like this lineup to a degree, and I guess that it probably is the most sensible as Mauer is probably the most logical option in the #2 hole, but I'm very intrigued to what Jason Kubel could do if he had 200-300 at bats batting before Mauer in the order. Last season, Kubel hit .328/.409/.586 with 3 home runs and 11 RBI's in 58 at bats while hitting in the 2-spot. If we could expand that to a full season of at bats, I think he could realistically hit .315/.390/.550 with 25 home runs and 75 RBI's. I truly believe that Kubel will explode this season, but I think a lot of it will have to do with where he's batting in the order.
If Kubel does not bat before Mauer, I just hope that Gardenhire doesn't bat him before Everett who is likely going to be hitting in the last spot of the lineup. Kubel's numbers were dreadful in the bottom of the order last season and his numbers weren't horrible while batting 6th. I think that batting him ahead of either Mike Lamb or Brendan Harris would be a good decision by the club, of course unless they choose to stick him in the #2 spot.
I personally think that out of all the batters on this team, both Kubel and Delmon Young are the two guys who I see as potential #3 hitters, with Mauer a #2, Morneau a #4, and Cuddyer a #5. Of course, I don't think that Gardenhire will allow 3 left-handers bat lead-off, which may mean that Kubel's spot in the lineup could depend on who wins the center field competition as both Denard Span and Jason Pridie are left-handers. Gomez on the other-hand is a right-hander.
• Francisco Liriano is not expected to report to camp until Wednesday, but according to La Velle E. Neal III (via Twins officials) he recently threw 97 mph (twice) and consistently hit in the 92-95 mph range in a recent bullpen session down in the Dominican Republic.
The report makes me assume that 1 of his 5 points on his checklist can be crossed off right now in Liriano's progress to make it back to the rotation. The other 4?
- Is his velocity back?
- Is he mentally ready?
- Is his arm durable enough to start a game?
- Is his command there?
- And possibly the most important, is his arm 100% recovered?
• And finally, for those of you who have been wondering what the Twins did to make room for Livan Hernandez, well Seth Stohs reported on Sunday that the Twins outrighted Darnell McDonald to Triple-A Rochester which opened up room on the 40-man roster. McDonald is still at camp.
February 22, 2008
Competition: Starting Pitcher
Hello again everyone. Like I mentioned earlier this week, I'm going to be gone this weekend (going to Milwaukee) so unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you see it) there won't be any posts this weekend.
Yesterday I gave my thoughts on the center field competition, and to my surprise (alright, not really surprised) I got a couple e-mails saying how wrong I am about Carlos Gomez and that Jason Pridie should be the starting center fielder, and should be given the job. I didn't choose to reply to the emails, as they didn't just rip on the post, but also the site, so here's my response as I didn't feel like getting into a jarring through e-mails. Besides the fact that it's all speculation and I don't really see a right or wrong answer, I do think it's wrong for a team to just hand over a position to a prospect without them having to earn the spot. I don't know how anyone can justify just handing the position over to a player without them deserving it, at least to one that has not proven himself at this level. Both Gomez and Span would probably benefit from at least another 1/2 season of AB's in AAA, but it's not going to stunt their development if they don't. Pridie is not that much farther along than either of the other two players competing for the spot. I think it's a joke to hand the position over to one player, and not just Pridie, but Span and Gomez as well.
Now, back to today's post. This off-season, the Twins completely turned this franchise around as they lost key players such as Carlos Silva, Torii Hunter, and Johan Santana, they gained a few guys who will definitely help this team out not only this year, but for the future. Those players include Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Carlos Gomez. And as you can tell, the Twins lost their two best pitchers from a year ago, making a fairly strong rotation, into a weak one. The team has one starting pitcher over the age of 26 and he (Livan Hernandez) has never even pitched in the American League before.
So without further ado, here's this years candidates for the starting rotation:
Livan Hernandez is the Twins "annual" veteran pitcher signing that should provide veteran leadership to our young rotation, while holding down one of the other 4 options down from making the team. I don't mean to be critical of the signing, as I do like it to a degree, but I just wish we signed him, not at the expense of holding another pitcher back from claiming a spot. He should give the Twins over 200 innings, as he's topped 200 innings for the last 8 years. And in fact, if you'd like to think about it as well, he was only 1/3 of an inning away in 1999 from making it 10 straight season of over 200 innings. And in fact, his lowest season besides 1999 was in '07 when he pitched 'just' 204 innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The one big downside of the signing (besides holding down another player) is that he's never pitched in the American League and as we all know, the American League lineups are better than the National League, and he'll definitely have a hard time proving himself in the A.L. this season. He's a very emotional pitcher who (in that aspect) could remind Twins fans a lot of Carlos Silva. Unfortunately for Hernandez, he's never had a high strikeout rate and always had problems with his control. That is one big reason big reason that his .278 career batting average against may balloon this season, especially when it was a career high .308 in 2007. I think that he'll provide veteran leadership, but if he doesn't produce, hopefully he keeps his cool and continues to be the mentor that this team brought him in to be.
The problem was his weight, and the Twins set up an off-season goal for him to lose 25 pounds. He's reportedly lost around 30 pounds since the end of last season. He hired a nutritionist, and he just maintained a healthy diet. It was apparent as he was seen eating an apple before he signed autographs at Twins fest. Hopefully he doesn't just stop at 30 pounds and continues to be a "workout warrior" as I think the better shape he's in, the better he'll pitch. The season could potentially be make or break year for the 26-year-old Bonser as the Twins have some great, young arms close to reaching the majors. I am excited to see what he has this season and hopefully he'll put up some good numbers and eat up some innings. It's unclear whether he'll start in the Twins rotation, the Twins bullpen, or in Rochester's rotation. A lot will depend on how strong his arm is in Spring Training.
The Twins got some great numbers from Baker in just 143.2 innings last season. He started out strong for the Twins, nearly pitching a complete game shutout in his first start of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers. After that, he hit a big road block after giving up 20 runs over his next 4 starts or 18.2 innings. He regained his true form in August (although had a few good streaks in between) and was great the rest of the season. 2008 will also probably be a make or break year for Baker as well and I am optimistic that he too will have a good season for the Twins, however I also think that if he fails again, he'll be gone by the trading deadline in July.
He exploded in 2007 to be one of the best pitchers in the Twins organization. After a sub-par career, he won 10 games and compiled a 2.54 ERA in 148.2 innings between New Britain and Rochester. He struggled with the Twins, however in 11.2 innings, he really was shelled in 3 of the innings which made his ERA look horrid. But he did show a bit of promise, however I think he'll need a great Spring Training to crack the rotation. But the Twins may keep him on the roster to help with long-reliever duties and spot-starts.
He's the only pitcher on the list that's not on the 40-man roster, and he's the only one who has not had any major league appearance. He's a solid pitcher, although he doesn't project more than a back-end starter in a rotation. Of course, I do want to see him pitch before I make a proper assessment on him, as I'm just going off of written reports of him (although I did see him on FSN this season when they had the "Red Wings Rewind" although it was just clips of him pitching). He's got the lowest chance of making the rotation.
Slowey has had a great career in the minor leagues posting a career 1.93 ERA in 354.1 innings. He also has compiled a very good 8.7 K/9 ratio, which is good considering he's considered more of a control pitcher. He struggled in the majors in 66+ innings this season, although he showed a lot of potential and I think the Twins have something special in Slowey. He's been compared to the likes of Greg Maddux for his great control and at the age of 23, that's a very high praise. I hope that he continues to progress as I see him being a potential top-of-the-order starter at some point in his career.
Liriano's a guy the Twins wish they knew what they were getting in as he returns from Tommy John Surgery that he underwent last fall. If he was healthy, it would've made the Twins decision to trade Johan Santana a lot more easier as he's a potential ace, but his injury brings concern to the Twins front office of whether if he'll ever come back to the same form as he had in 2006 when he was probably the best pitcher in the league before he went down with the injury. All the reports of his progress through rehab have been very promising and Twins fans should feel optimistic about his return, but they shouldn't be naive as well. There are a lot of things working against Liriano in his return to greatness and they have to understand that it may take a year or two for him to regain his full form, if he ever does at all. Of course another thing to be optimistic about his return is the fact that his rubber ligament that he had implanted in his left elbow should allow him to pitcher pain-free and may even give him more velocity on his fastball which before his injury topped out at about 98 MPH.
Here's what Ron Gardenhire had to say (just yesterday) on Liriano and his velocity:
Philip Humber (pronounced umber), was acquired along with Gomez, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey in the Johan Santana trade a few weeks ago. He is another pitcher who recently has gone through Tommy John Surgery, however he's already one step ahead of Liriano, he's had a healthy season since then. Humber's numbers in AAA last season were not magnificent by any means, but he was effective and generally speaking, the first season returning from that particular surgery is usually considered a wash. He did strike out a lot of batters, which is a positive as that's what he's best known for and before the surgery he was also reaching the mid-upper 90's with his fastball. Right now, his velocity is improving and last season he reportedly was averaging a 93 mph fastball last year which touched 96 a few times. But besides the amazing ability to put gas behind his fastball, Humber's been known to possess (one of) the best curveball in the minor leagues which makes batters look silly at times.
Nick Nelson believes that Humber could thrive in the bullpen.
Perkins is a hometown favorite, with solid numbers throughout the last 5 seasons, going back all the way to his days at the University of Minnesota. Primarily a starter, he's been used as a middle reliever for the Twins in limited time the past 2 seasons. His major league numbers are great, however the Twins would like to work his arm into the rotation as he possesses middle-of-the-rotation potential. He may open the season in the Twins bullpen, but I hope they start him in Rochester's rotation and work him into the Twins rotation at some point during the season.
Other guys we'd have to at least consider, but I see having little chances of making the club: Brian Bass, Zach Day, Randy Keisler, and Casey Daigle. I don't think that Kevin Mulvey is ready, as he has only pitched 6 innings in AAA, but I know someone will mention him if I didn't, so I guess he's a consideration.
I think that there's really going to be no surprises as far as who is in the rotation. I don't see guys like Brian Duensing or Nick Blackburn making it over someone such as Kevin Slowey or Francisco Liriano. Here's my prediction as of right now:
1) Livan Hernandez - Workhorse, Twins will like having him at the top of the order, but how will he handle the American League?.
2) Scott Baker - Needs to prove more if he wants to keep himself in the Twins long-term plans in terms of pitching.
3) Boof Bonser - Make or break year, he's going to need to show that he can last into the 6th or 7th innings every 5th day to help the wear and tear on our bullpen.
4) Kevin Slowey - He's young, but he can't rely on good run support to get wins this season in the majors, I have high hopes for him this season.
5) Francisco Liriano - I think that Liriano will ultimately win a rotation spots, the Twins don't want him in the bullpen and it's not an ideal situation to send him to Rochester where he'll be battling with bad weather for the first month or two.
But just because one of the other guys such as Glen Perkins or Nick Blackburn don't make the rotation, that doesn't mean they won't be on the roster. Gardenhire also shared his plans to go with a 12-man pitching staff when the season opens:
???
Dennys Reyes
Juan Rincon
Jesse Crain
Pat Neshek
Matt Guerrier
Joe Nathan
Who could that "???" be? There's a few options listed above that may handle the position. Glen Perkins is a possibility as he's already experienced success in the bullpen and is also a lefty. Nick Blackburn could also help the team in the bullpen as he'd be able to handle long relief. The same can be said for Humber. Other guys such as Julio DePaula and Bobby Korecky could aslo make a run for the spot. But a "dark horse" candidate that should be considered is Jason Miller. Miller had a brief call-up with the Twins last season, and in 3.2 innings of work he did quite a good job, before he was shelled for 8 runs in 1/3 of an inning in his last appearance with the team. He's been used as both a starter and as a reliever in the minors and has faired quite well. He has a career 3.41 ERA with 544 strikeouts in 593 innings. He's also a left-hander which makes him have more of a chance to break spring training with the club. The only thing that's really against him is that he's currently not on the Twins 40-man roster and the team would need to make some sort of roster move to make room for him.
What are your thoughts on the Twins 2008 rotation and bullpen? Have a great weekend!
Yesterday I gave my thoughts on the center field competition, and to my surprise (alright, not really surprised) I got a couple e-mails saying how wrong I am about Carlos Gomez and that Jason Pridie should be the starting center fielder, and should be given the job. I didn't choose to reply to the emails, as they didn't just rip on the post, but also the site, so here's my response as I didn't feel like getting into a jarring through e-mails. Besides the fact that it's all speculation and I don't really see a right or wrong answer, I do think it's wrong for a team to just hand over a position to a prospect without them having to earn the spot. I don't know how anyone can justify just handing the position over to a player without them deserving it, at least to one that has not proven himself at this level. Both Gomez and Span would probably benefit from at least another 1/2 season of AB's in AAA, but it's not going to stunt their development if they don't. Pridie is not that much farther along than either of the other two players competing for the spot. I think it's a joke to hand the position over to one player, and not just Pridie, but Span and Gomez as well.
Now, back to today's post. This off-season, the Twins completely turned this franchise around as they lost key players such as Carlos Silva, Torii Hunter, and Johan Santana, they gained a few guys who will definitely help this team out not only this year, but for the future. Those players include Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Carlos Gomez. And as you can tell, the Twins lost their two best pitchers from a year ago, making a fairly strong rotation, into a weak one. The team has one starting pitcher over the age of 26 and he (Livan Hernandez) has never even pitched in the American League before.
So without further ado, here's this years candidates for the starting rotation:
Livan Hernandez
Livan Hernandez is the Twins "annual" veteran pitcher signing that should provide veteran leadership to our young rotation, while holding down one of the other 4 options down from making the team. I don't mean to be critical of the signing, as I do like it to a degree, but I just wish we signed him, not at the expense of holding another pitcher back from claiming a spot. He should give the Twins over 200 innings, as he's topped 200 innings for the last 8 years. And in fact, if you'd like to think about it as well, he was only 1/3 of an inning away in 1999 from making it 10 straight season of over 200 innings. And in fact, his lowest season besides 1999 was in '07 when he pitched 'just' 204 innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The one big downside of the signing (besides holding down another player) is that he's never pitched in the American League and as we all know, the American League lineups are better than the National League, and he'll definitely have a hard time proving himself in the A.L. this season. He's a very emotional pitcher who (in that aspect) could remind Twins fans a lot of Carlos Silva. Unfortunately for Hernandez, he's never had a high strikeout rate and always had problems with his control. That is one big reason big reason that his .278 career batting average against may balloon this season, especially when it was a career high .308 in 2007. I think that he'll provide veteran leadership, but if he doesn't produce, hopefully he keeps his cool and continues to be the mentor that this team brought him in to be.
Boof Bonser
He had a disappointing 2007 season after a promising '06 season. The Twins stuck with him for most of the season in the rotation, but after his demotion to the bullpen late in the season, the Twins management determined what may be the problem. The 6 foot 4, 260 pitcher may have lost his "second wind" during the 5th and 6th innings in which he was shelled by apposing batters. In fact, he started looking a lot like the David Wells, and that's not meant to be a good thing.The problem was his weight, and the Twins set up an off-season goal for him to lose 25 pounds. He's reportedly lost around 30 pounds since the end of last season. He hired a nutritionist, and he just maintained a healthy diet. It was apparent as he was seen eating an apple before he signed autographs at Twins fest. Hopefully he doesn't just stop at 30 pounds and continues to be a "workout warrior" as I think the better shape he's in, the better he'll pitch. The season could potentially be make or break year for the 26-year-old Bonser as the Twins have some great, young arms close to reaching the majors. I am excited to see what he has this season and hopefully he'll put up some good numbers and eat up some innings. It's unclear whether he'll start in the Twins rotation, the Twins bullpen, or in Rochester's rotation. A lot will depend on how strong his arm is in Spring Training.Scott Baker
The Twins got some great numbers from Baker in just 143.2 innings last season. He started out strong for the Twins, nearly pitching a complete game shutout in his first start of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers. After that, he hit a big road block after giving up 20 runs over his next 4 starts or 18.2 innings. He regained his true form in August (although had a few good streaks in between) and was great the rest of the season. 2008 will also probably be a make or break year for Baker as well and I am optimistic that he too will have a good season for the Twins, however I also think that if he fails again, he'll be gone by the trading deadline in July.
Nick Blackburn
He exploded in 2007 to be one of the best pitchers in the Twins organization. After a sub-par career, he won 10 games and compiled a 2.54 ERA in 148.2 innings between New Britain and Rochester. He struggled with the Twins, however in 11.2 innings, he really was shelled in 3 of the innings which made his ERA look horrid. But he did show a bit of promise, however I think he'll need a great Spring Training to crack the rotation. But the Twins may keep him on the roster to help with long-reliever duties and spot-starts.
Brian Duensing
He's the only pitcher on the list that's not on the 40-man roster, and he's the only one who has not had any major league appearance. He's a solid pitcher, although he doesn't project more than a back-end starter in a rotation. Of course, I do want to see him pitch before I make a proper assessment on him, as I'm just going off of written reports of him (although I did see him on FSN this season when they had the "Red Wings Rewind" although it was just clips of him pitching). He's got the lowest chance of making the rotation.
Kevin Slowey
Slowey has had a great career in the minor leagues posting a career 1.93 ERA in 354.1 innings. He also has compiled a very good 8.7 K/9 ratio, which is good considering he's considered more of a control pitcher. He struggled in the majors in 66+ innings this season, although he showed a lot of potential and I think the Twins have something special in Slowey. He's been compared to the likes of Greg Maddux for his great control and at the age of 23, that's a very high praise. I hope that he continues to progress as I see him being a potential top-of-the-order starter at some point in his career.
Francisco Liriano
Liriano's a guy the Twins wish they knew what they were getting in as he returns from Tommy John Surgery that he underwent last fall. If he was healthy, it would've made the Twins decision to trade Johan Santana a lot more easier as he's a potential ace, but his injury brings concern to the Twins front office of whether if he'll ever come back to the same form as he had in 2006 when he was probably the best pitcher in the league before he went down with the injury. All the reports of his progress through rehab have been very promising and Twins fans should feel optimistic about his return, but they shouldn't be naive as well. There are a lot of things working against Liriano in his return to greatness and they have to understand that it may take a year or two for him to regain his full form, if he ever does at all. Of course another thing to be optimistic about his return is the fact that his rubber ligament that he had implanted in his left elbow should allow him to pitcher pain-free and may even give him more velocity on his fastball which before his injury topped out at about 98 MPH.
Here's what Ron Gardenhire had to say (just yesterday) on Liriano and his velocity:
"He's letting it fly," Gardenhire said. "He threw two innings at the [Twins' Dominican] academy and they said he was averaging 93 and throwing it up to 96. Free and easy."If that doesn't make a Twins fan feel good, then I don't know what will. Besides a championship, obviously.
Philip Humber
Philip Humber (pronounced umber), was acquired along with Gomez, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey in the Johan Santana trade a few weeks ago. He is another pitcher who recently has gone through Tommy John Surgery, however he's already one step ahead of Liriano, he's had a healthy season since then. Humber's numbers in AAA last season were not magnificent by any means, but he was effective and generally speaking, the first season returning from that particular surgery is usually considered a wash. He did strike out a lot of batters, which is a positive as that's what he's best known for and before the surgery he was also reaching the mid-upper 90's with his fastball. Right now, his velocity is improving and last season he reportedly was averaging a 93 mph fastball last year which touched 96 a few times. But besides the amazing ability to put gas behind his fastball, Humber's been known to possess (one of) the best curveball in the minor leagues which makes batters look silly at times.
Nick Nelson believes that Humber could thrive in the bullpen.Glen Perkins
Perkins is a hometown favorite, with solid numbers throughout the last 5 seasons, going back all the way to his days at the University of Minnesota. Primarily a starter, he's been used as a middle reliever for the Twins in limited time the past 2 seasons. His major league numbers are great, however the Twins would like to work his arm into the rotation as he possesses middle-of-the-rotation potential. He may open the season in the Twins bullpen, but I hope they start him in Rochester's rotation and work him into the Twins rotation at some point during the season.
Other guys we'd have to at least consider, but I see having little chances of making the club: Brian Bass, Zach Day, Randy Keisler, and Casey Daigle. I don't think that Kevin Mulvey is ready, as he has only pitched 6 innings in AAA, but I know someone will mention him if I didn't, so I guess he's a consideration.
My Thoughts
I think that there's really going to be no surprises as far as who is in the rotation. I don't see guys like Brian Duensing or Nick Blackburn making it over someone such as Kevin Slowey or Francisco Liriano. Here's my prediction as of right now:
1) Livan Hernandez - Workhorse, Twins will like having him at the top of the order, but how will he handle the American League?.
2) Scott Baker - Needs to prove more if he wants to keep himself in the Twins long-term plans in terms of pitching.
3) Boof Bonser - Make or break year, he's going to need to show that he can last into the 6th or 7th innings every 5th day to help the wear and tear on our bullpen.
4) Kevin Slowey - He's young, but he can't rely on good run support to get wins this season in the majors, I have high hopes for him this season.
5) Francisco Liriano - I think that Liriano will ultimately win a rotation spots, the Twins don't want him in the bullpen and it's not an ideal situation to send him to Rochester where he'll be battling with bad weather for the first month or two.
And what about the staff as a whole?
But just because one of the other guys such as Glen Perkins or Nick Blackburn don't make the rotation, that doesn't mean they won't be on the roster. Gardenhire also shared his plans to go with a 12-man pitching staff when the season opens:
"We're going to take the best 12, and if it gets down to two lefties, great," he said. "We just want to get one lefty here Reyes] and go from there."And with that, one would have to assume that 11 of the spots are already 'locked down', barring injuries.
???
Dennys Reyes
Juan Rincon
Jesse Crain
Pat Neshek
Matt Guerrier
Joe Nathan
Who could that "???" be? There's a few options listed above that may handle the position. Glen Perkins is a possibility as he's already experienced success in the bullpen and is also a lefty. Nick Blackburn could also help the team in the bullpen as he'd be able to handle long relief. The same can be said for Humber. Other guys such as Julio DePaula and Bobby Korecky could aslo make a run for the spot. But a "dark horse" candidate that should be considered is Jason Miller. Miller had a brief call-up with the Twins last season, and in 3.2 innings of work he did quite a good job, before he was shelled for 8 runs in 1/3 of an inning in his last appearance with the team. He's been used as both a starter and as a reliever in the minors and has faired quite well. He has a career 3.41 ERA with 544 strikeouts in 593 innings. He's also a left-hander which makes him have more of a chance to break spring training with the club. The only thing that's really against him is that he's currently not on the Twins 40-man roster and the team would need to make some sort of roster move to make room for him.
What are your thoughts on the Twins 2008 rotation and bullpen? Have a great weekend!
February 21, 2008
Competition: Center Field
Hey everyone, well on Tuesday, I shared my thoughts on the second base competition in my first of three posts of different competitions in Spring Training. Today, I will be sharing my thoughts on the center field competition.
Denard Span likely is viewed as being a long shot of winning the position, but I do think that he's going to give the other two a run for their money. He knows that this might be his last shot of starting with the Twins as they have a strong group of outfielders both competing with him, and in the wings that perhaps provide more to the team than he does. I think he's going to be a great competitor this spring and I think he's going to surprise many doubters. He has good speed and a strong glove. He doesn't utilize his speed effectively on offense, but can cover quite a bit of ground on defense. He feels his base stealing is his weakness and if he can improve his instincts and can continue to develop gap power, he could be a fine outfielder.
If you'd like some of his thoughts on Spring Training, make sure to check out his short interview at Twins Territory in which he says:
Carlos Gomez was the centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade and is viewed as the future center fielder for the Twins. At just 21 years old in 2007, injuries forced him to have a short stay in AAA which was not what the Mets had planned. And as he struggled in his first trip to the majors, many think he could start the season back in AAA to help his development. However, I think that Gomez is the kind of player who will benefit more from seasoning in the majors. He reminds me a lot of Carl Crawford a lot and I think he'll likely progress the same way Crawford did as the Rays gave him more and more seasoning in the majors, despite the fact that he may not have been ready at first. Something else that may make you take another look at just how close Crawford and Gomez truly are, their minor league stats are very close:
Scouts rave about Gomez's defense and speed. He has gold glove potential and may steal 50+ bases per season. The one critical thing that scouts are unsure about is his bat. Despite the fact that he's 6'4'' and has a solid 200 lbs. frame, he does possess great power, at least not yet. Phil Miller explains that his bat speed is what has truly impressed him is not just his speed while covering the outfield and running the bases, but his great bat speed at the plate. The thing the team wants to work on him with is improving his on base percentage while getting more extra base hits. He's a very exciting player who could some day make people (at least somewhat) forget about Johan Santana.
Jason Pridie is another newly acquired outfielder who came along with Delmon Young and Brendan Harris in the Matt Garza trade early this off-season. He was actually drafted by the Twins in the 2005/2006 Rule V Draft but was returned to the Rays after he failed to make the Twins roster out of Spring Training. Upon his arrival back the the Rays, he struggled mightily in 2006 in AA. But 2007 he broke out and put together a great season where he hit .303/.352/.487 with 32 doubles, 11 triples, 14 home runs and 66 RBI in 524 at bats between stays in AA and AAA. He's viewed as being the most ready to take on the load of being an everyday player in the majors and could be the front runner as Spring Training begins.
Like I said, I think it's going to be a great battle with hopefully everyone deserving of the job. I personally think that the Twins will be so impressed with Carlos Gomez's potential and the fact that he's so exciting to watch, that they will choose him to start the season as the starter. If he starts, I think that Pridie makes the roster as well as he doesn't really have anything left to prove in AAA and would be a very good bench player.
But honestly, as long as it's a good competition, I really don't care who wins as long as the one who shows the most, wins the job.
• At Twinkie Town, there's a poll wondering who will become the Twins new clubhouse leader. I chose Michael Cuddyer, who did you choose?
• Josh Taylor gives us his Pre-Pre Season Predictions for the AL Central. I think that they are pretty accurate, but of course I'd love to see a different outcome.
• Seth Stohs is asking for readers to ask him questions, and he'll be answering them as the week goes on. He also proposes a re-alignment in the divisions.
• La Velle E. Neal III gives us some interesting bits of information on a few players.
• And yesterday, I told readers to make sure to check out both Neal's and Joe Christensen's blogs while I totally bypassed telling readers to make sure to check out Phil Miller's blog as well.
• Speaking of Christensen's blog, he posted a part of an article from the St. Petersburg Times which has Carl Crawford calling out ex-teamates Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes. I think he's right in some of his accusations and I don't think that they are all bad things. I too believe Young will mature more and become a better player now that he's out of Tampa Bay.
Denard Span
Denard Span likely is viewed as being a long shot of winning the position, but I do think that he's going to give the other two a run for their money. He knows that this might be his last shot of starting with the Twins as they have a strong group of outfielders both competing with him, and in the wings that perhaps provide more to the team than he does. I think he's going to be a great competitor this spring and I think he's going to surprise many doubters. He has good speed and a strong glove. He doesn't utilize his speed effectively on offense, but can cover quite a bit of ground on defense. He feels his base stealing is his weakness and if he can improve his instincts and can continue to develop gap power, he could be a fine outfielder.
If you'd like some of his thoughts on Spring Training, make sure to check out his short interview at Twins Territory in which he says:
"I'm ready to compete with whomever, whether it be Pridie or Gomez. I expect it to be a war in spring training because I gotta believe that they are just as hungry as I am. I know for a fact that I have a bigger chip on my shoulder because neither of those guys have been disrespected or slapped in the face like I've been by others and the Twins this off season."I expect this to be a great competition. Hopefully they all come out and give it their all.
Carlos Gomez
Carlos Gomez was the centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade and is viewed as the future center fielder for the Twins. At just 21 years old in 2007, injuries forced him to have a short stay in AAA which was not what the Mets had planned. And as he struggled in his first trip to the majors, many think he could start the season back in AAA to help his development. However, I think that Gomez is the kind of player who will benefit more from seasoning in the majors. He reminds me a lot of Carl Crawford a lot and I think he'll likely progress the same way Crawford did as the Rays gave him more and more seasoning in the majors, despite the fact that he may not have been ready at first. Something else that may make you take another look at just how close Crawford and Gomez truly are, their minor league stats are very close:
Crawford: .295/.336/.400, 17 home runs, 27 triples, 134 stolen bases
Gomez: .278/.339/.399, 18 home runs, 20 triples, 141 stolen bases
Jason Pridie
Jason Pridie is another newly acquired outfielder who came along with Delmon Young and Brendan Harris in the Matt Garza trade early this off-season. He was actually drafted by the Twins in the 2005/2006 Rule V Draft but was returned to the Rays after he failed to make the Twins roster out of Spring Training. Upon his arrival back the the Rays, he struggled mightily in 2006 in AA. But 2007 he broke out and put together a great season where he hit .303/.352/.487 with 32 doubles, 11 triples, 14 home runs and 66 RBI in 524 at bats between stays in AA and AAA. He's viewed as being the most ready to take on the load of being an everyday player in the majors and could be the front runner as Spring Training begins.
My Thoughts
Like I said, I think it's going to be a great battle with hopefully everyone deserving of the job. I personally think that the Twins will be so impressed with Carlos Gomez's potential and the fact that he's so exciting to watch, that they will choose him to start the season as the starter. If he starts, I think that Pridie makes the roster as well as he doesn't really have anything left to prove in AAA and would be a very good bench player.
But honestly, as long as it's a good competition, I really don't care who wins as long as the one who shows the most, wins the job.
Tidbits
• At Twinkie Town, there's a poll wondering who will become the Twins new clubhouse leader. I chose Michael Cuddyer, who did you choose?
• Josh Taylor gives us his Pre-Pre Season Predictions for the AL Central. I think that they are pretty accurate, but of course I'd love to see a different outcome.
• Seth Stohs is asking for readers to ask him questions, and he'll be answering them as the week goes on. He also proposes a re-alignment in the divisions.
• La Velle E. Neal III gives us some interesting bits of information on a few players.
• And yesterday, I told readers to make sure to check out both Neal's and Joe Christensen's blogs while I totally bypassed telling readers to make sure to check out Phil Miller's blog as well.
• Speaking of Christensen's blog, he posted a part of an article from the St. Petersburg Times which has Carl Crawford calling out ex-teamates Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes. I think he's right in some of his accusations and I don't think that they are all bad things. I too believe Young will mature more and become a better player now that he's out of Tampa Bay.
February 20, 2008
Site Update
I was planning on posting my post on the competition in center field for Wednesday, however I didn't manage my time well enough and am studying for an exam. I'll make sure that the post is up on Thursday morning with the starting pitching competition coming Friday.
In the mean time, make sure to check out both Joe Christensen and La Velle E. Neal III's blogs for live updates from spring training.
Also make sure to check out one of Christensen's posts which he gets quotes from Ron Gardenhire on the Joe Nathan contract situation:
It makes one think that Gardenhire might know something that Nathan doesn't as he said "I think we're close." Gardenhire does not normally comment on issues such as these, so him being optimistic and saying what he did must make Nathan feel at least a little optimistic.
In the mean time, make sure to check out both Joe Christensen and La Velle E. Neal III's blogs for live updates from spring training.
Also make sure to check out one of Christensen's posts which he gets quotes from Ron Gardenhire on the Joe Nathan contract situation:
“I think we’re going to sign him,” Gardenhire said. “… I think we’re close, and I think there have been some good offers out there, and good offers on the table, and I’m not even thinking about him not being here. Call it naive, call it what you want, but I refuse to go there.”He sounds a lot more optimistic than Nathan as he said that he hasn't had any contact with the Twins about a contract extension within the last "12 or 13 days."
It makes one think that Gardenhire might know something that Nathan doesn't as he said "I think we're close." Gardenhire does not normally comment on issues such as these, so him being optimistic and saying what he did must make Nathan feel at least a little optimistic.
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