Twins Spring Training

[sdbballfan]

Pitchers and catchers report today for the Twins. I don't really have a reason, but I am excited for this season. With everyone having one more year of experience, I am looking for good things from the Twins in the last season of the dome. This is one of the days I look forward to most during the year. I don't know if they will make the playoffs or not, but I am really expecting right around 90 wins this year. Any other predictions?

[Jacks-02]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Pitchers and catchers report today for the Twins. I don't really have a reason, but I am excited for this season. With everyone having one more year of experience, I am looking for good things from the Twins in the last season of the dome. This is one of the days I look forward to most during the year. I don't know if they will make the playoffs or not, but I am really expecting right around 90 wins this year. Any other predictions?

I'm happy with the starting rotation and offense, but their bullpen really scares me going into the season. The GM did absolutely nothing to strengthen it this offseason and I'm afraid it will be the downfall of the team.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Pitchers and catchers report today for the Twins. I don't really have a reason, but I am excited for this season. With everyone having one more year of experience, I am looking for good things from the Twins in the last season of the dome. This is one of the days I look forward to most during the year. I don't know if they will make the playoffs or not, but I am really expecting right around 90 wins this year. Any other predictions?

I don't share your optimism as Bill Smith the GM has done absolutely nothing to make the team better. Last time I checked the Twins still need an everyday third baseman with some power and a 8th inning set-up man. The only signings to date are Nick Punto to a new contract as the starting shortstop and Luis Ayala who had over a 5.0 ERA last year. They will start with a payroll of just 60 million which is low for even the Twins. Most of the other teams in the division have improved themselves. I think they should have signed Casey Blake to solidify third base. Will be interesting to see if they make a serious play for Crede.

[Jacks15]

Re: Twins Spring Training

the relative inactivity of the twins really scares me. hopefully they can make an offer that crede likes. we still have a log jam in the outfield and are in desperate need of settup relief. i just think we need to get some value for one of our outfielders, whether that would be a trade of Cuddyer, Young or one of our young outfielders.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Love the rotation. I think a Buscher/Harris platoon at 3rd for basically nothing is better than signing some sh*tty veteran for 5 million. The Twins inactivity = a good thing. Look at what the "activity" the last couple years has netted them: Bautista, Rondell White, Hernandez, Ponson, ect.

Sitting on their hands is better than the FA signings the last couple years.

[sdbballfan]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Love the rotation. I think a Buscher/Harris platoon at 3rd for basically nothing is better than signing some sh*tty veteran for 5 million. The Twins inactivity = a good thing. Look at what the "activity" the last couple years has netted them: Bautista, Rondell White, Hernandez, Ponson, ect.

Sitting on their hands is better than the FA signings the last couple years.

I agree. I am okay with Buscher. I think there is potential there. Not huge power numbers, but he can hit for a good average. I think the bullpen bounces back from last year. I think Crain will have a much better season and can fill that 7th or 8th inning role. Also, I think that the starters can and will pitch deeper into games, hopefully taking some pressure off of the bullpen. One of the Star Tribune blogs said that the Twins are sounding like the team Crede will go with. I just don't know about a history of back problems playing on turf. That scares me.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Love the rotation. I think a Buscher/Harris platoon at 3rd for basically nothing is better than signing some sh*tty veteran for 5 million. The Twins inactivity = a good thing. Look at what the "activity" the last couple years has netted them: Bautista, Rondell White, Hernandez, Ponson, ect.

Sitting on their hands is better than the FA signings the last couple years.

For once it would be nice if they went out and filled a need with a veteran in his prime rather than 3-4 has beens. Activity can be a good thing if your not targeting the left overs. They could have signed one good free agent instead of spreading the same amount of cumulative money to guys beyond their prime.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Love the rotation. I think a Buscher/Harris platoon at 3rd for basically nothing is better than signing some sh*tty veteran for 5 million. The Twins inactivity = a good thing. Look at what the "activity" the last couple years has netted them: Bautista, Rondell White, Hernandez, Ponson, ect.

Sitting on their hands is better than the FA signings the last couple years.

They should just tell Cuddyer he is playing third and that is the end of it.

[sfjacksfan99]

Re: Twins Spring Training

The rotation should be the strength of the team. A little longer in the tooth will help as the youngsters started to run out of gas toward the end of the year.

Speaking of running out of gas, that was the 2008 bullpen. One of the Twins strengths in the 2000's without Neshek just got blown up toward the end of the year because they logged too many innings. Nathan's still top three in baseball.

Why they gave Punto that money kills me. Just think two years ago when he was given the job before spring training. Horrible, just horrible. A platoon and making him fight for a job makes him better. That SS/3B side of the infield in the achilles heel of the team. One of the worst in baseball on that side. I like the idea of telling Cuddy he's playing 3rd, so tough because it is best for the team. Either that or trade Young for A-Roid.

Outfield could use more power guys, but the guys the Twins have are a great bang for their buck. That's where Young comes in. He needs to bring back the Rays days and start hitting the ball out of the park more.

M&M boys. Love 'em. One negative is they were pretty un-clutch in the last two weeks of the year last year.

The Twins can be a frustrating team to cheer for because of their dust-filled checkbook, but they seem to be contending more than not and when you look past the cheapness, they are a pretty fun bunch to cheer for.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Twins Spring Training

I agree. I am okay with Buscher. I think there is potential there. Not huge power numbers, but he can hit for a good average. I think the bullpen bounces back from last year. I think Crain will have a much better season and can fill that 7th or 8th inning role. Also, I think that the starters can and will pitch deeper into games, hopefully taking some pressure off of the bullpen. One of the Star Tribune blogs said that the Twins are sounding like the team Crede will go with. I just don't know about a history of back problems playing on turf. That scares me.

Plus he's a terrible defensive 3rd basemen as well. Cuddyer also is a terrible defensive 3rd basement apparently, according to a lot of different metrics and scouts.

Also, if you guys are looking for a really, really well done Twins blog that is updated regularly, try http://www.aarongleeman.com/ . He writes for RotoWorld and really knows his stuff.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Twins Spring Training

The rotation should be the strength of the team. A little longer in the tooth will help as the youngsters started to run out of gas toward the end of the year.

Speaking of running out of gas, that was the 2008 bullpen. One of the Twins strengths in the 2000's without Neshek just got blown up toward the end of the year because they logged too many innings. Nathan's still top three in baseball.

Why they gave Punto that money kills me. Just think two years ago when he was given the job before spring training. Horrible, just horrible. A platoon and making him fight for a job makes him better. That SS/3B side of the infield in the achilles heel of the team. One of the worst in baseball on that side. I like the idea of telling Cuddy he's playing 3rd, so tough because it is best for the team. Either that or trade Young for A-Roid.

Outfield could use more power guys, but the guys the Twins have are a great bang for their buck. That's where Young comes in. He needs to bring back the Rays days and start hitting the ball out of the park more.

M&M boys. Love 'em. One negative is they were pretty un-clutch in the last two weeks of the year last year.

The Twins can be a frustrating team to cheer for because of their dust-filled checkbook, but they seem to be contending more than not and when you look past the cheapness, they are a pretty fun bunch to cheer for.

They could never afford A-Rod.

As for Michael Young:
"During the past four seasons his OPS has declined from .898 to .815 to .784 to .741, and those marks are also hugely inflated by Texas' extremely hitter-friendly ballpark. Young has hit just .279/.323/.404 on the road during his career. For comparison, Brendan Harris is a career .269/.330/.408 hitter. Beyond that, Young winning the Gold Glove last year was totally undeserved, as he's consistently rated among the league's worst defensive shortstops in most advanced metrics."
- AaronGleeman.com

Also. Young has never been and never will be a power hitter. The Twins are shopping him hard this offseason. What a terrible trade that turned out to be.

[Jacks-02]

Re: Twins Spring Training

They should just tell Cuddyer he is playing third and that is the end of it.

Cuddyer was horrible defensively at 3B when he played it, and that was 3 years ago already. Harris and Buscher will be just fine over there.

[sdbballfan]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Aaron Gleeman does have a very good blog. Aside from baseball, I love the Link-O-rama every Friday. But he has lots of good info and stats on the Twins and doesn't sugar coat things. I understand the arguement to move Cuddyer to third. I would rather have his bat in the lineup everyday than Harris/Buscher. None of them are good defensive third basemen, but that would eliminate the glut of outfielders. I don't know what any of their minor league options are, obviously Cuddyer is out of options to be sent down, but the other two I don't know on. Maybe one of them starts the year in the minors and see how things go. I believe that Cuddyer's future is in the outfield and that third would be a temporary situation. That being said, I don't see Gardy moving him there. And to give Punto that money and the starting job is just plain crazy. Look at the years he has had to play for a job and the one year he was given it. He isn't a starter, a great utility man, but not a everyday starter. I agree with the theory he is Gardy's long lost son!

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Twins Spring Training

They could never afford A-Rod.

As for Michael Young:
"During the past four seasons his OPS has declined from .898 to .815 to .784 to .741, and those marks are also hugely inflated by Texas' extremely hitter-friendly ballpark. Young has hit just .279/.323/.404 on the road during his career. For comparison, Brendan Harris is a career .269/.330/.408 hitter. Beyond that, Young winning the Gold Glove last year was totally undeserved, as he's consistently rated among the league's worst defensive shortstops in most advanced metrics."
- AaronGleeman.com

Also. Young has never been and never will be a power hitter. The Twins are shopping him hard this offseason. What a terrible trade that turned out to be.

To clarify, my last sentence was talking about Delmon Young and not Michael Young. Delmon was projected to be a power hitter but he never lived up to it.

[Lakesbison]

Re: Twins Spring Training

Twins Spring Training

March 3-5.

3rd row behind twins dugout sporting NDSU jersey, see ya there!