A.L. Central Smack Talk 2014

[Fountain City Blues]

Morales looks great compared to this Rios signing. We could have spent the $11m on a starting pitcher. Can't wait to see what they do, unless they think that Pino kid is the golden arm nobody saw coming, lol.

Well, if the projected budget is correct, they are done in FA- only thing left is in-house moves or trades. This can only end badly with Dayton Moore at the helm.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Just Started on this site so help me out fellas.

First thing I want to say is that My Tigers biggest competition this year will be the Indians/Whitesoxs

With the Loss (as of now) of James Shields you have to take away around 5-10 forsure wins from Big Game.

Also I love the trade between The Red Soxs (Cespedes) and Detroit (Porcello) but I hated the trade to the Reds for Simon. I watched the prospect they sent to the Reds and he was throwing 93 and had a great breaking ball in single A. I see him as getting good either in their rotation or bullpen for the Reds.(Jonathon Crawford)

You forgot to mention that the Twins are going to dominate this division for the next 10 maybe 25 years

 

[gvsulaker82]

Starting in ten to 25 years. We saw how long it took the royals to develop. Prospects are never a sure thing, unless they are tigers.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Starting in ten to 25 years. We saw how long it took the royals to develop. Prospects are never a sure thing, unless they are tigers.

That's why its good we have about 10 goods ones. Only need like 6 to pan out!!!

Good thing is 3 of them are already well on there way!!!

Gonna be nice in 2016 having 6 guys dropping 20 plus homers!! We never have that!

 

[Fountain City Blues]

lol

I certainly don't agree with him, but our 5th starter is... Finnegan? I can't think of who it would be unless you rush a guy from the farm up. Binford likely needs tie in AA, Finnegan probably isn't quite ready either, Manaea needs to master AA and AAA, and Zimmer needs duct-tape so he can actually... pitch. So who's our 5th starter? It suspiciously looks like a replacement value guy which is a 3-5 win drop. Lot of prospects could be called up in the 2nd half to fill said holes though so we will see.

 

[ducky]

That's why its good we have about 10 goods ones. Only need like 6 to pan out!!!

Good thing is 3 of them are already well on there way!!!

Gonna be nice in 2016 having 6 guys dropping 20 plus homers!! We never have that!

Man are you overrating the Twin's system.

We have two good hitting prospects in the entire system right now in Sano and Buxton. After that they have nothing else of note. Who are you even talking about as position prospects?

Rosario is looking like a good single A player but has struggled since making the jump. Walker strikes out too much to ever think he will get out of the minors. Kepler can't even hit minor league pitching. Santana looks like a good middle infielder but he isn't going to hit much. Same is probably true of Pinto at C.

So who do you think the Twin's have coming?

The Twin's need a couple of their big pitching prospect to pan out and be studs and for their top prospects, Buxton and Sano, to be legit ML stars in the making for this team to have any chance to really compete in the next 3-5 years IMO.

And having the AL Central go back to the early 2000's when everyone kind of sucked would sure help too.

 

[da55bums]

Man are you overrating the Twin's system.

We have two good hitting prospects in the entire system right now in Sano and Buxton. After that they have nothing else of note. Who are you even talking about as position prospects?

Rosario is looking like a good single A player but has struggled since making the jump. Walker strikes out too much to ever think he will get out of the minors. Kepler can't even hit minor league pitching. Santana looks like a good middle infielder but he isn't going to hit much. Same is probably true of Pinto at C.

So who do you think the Twin's have coming?

The Twin's need a couple of their big pitching prospect to pan out and be studs and for their top prospects, Buxton and Sano, to be legit ML stars in the making for this team to have any chance to really compete in the next 3-5 years IMO.

And having the AL Central go back to the early 2000's when everyone kind of sucked would sure help too.

Danny Santana?

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Man are you overrating the Twin's system.

We have two good hitting prospects in the entire system right now in Sano and Buxton. After that they have nothing else of note. Who are you even talking about as position prospects?

Rosario is looking like a good single A player but has struggled since making the jump. Walker strikes out too much to ever think he will get out of the minors. Kepler can't even hit minor league pitching. Santana looks like a good middle infielder but he isn't going to hit much. Same is probably true of Pinto at C.

So who do you think the Twin's have coming?

The Twin's need a couple of their big pitching prospect to pan out and be studs and for their top prospects, Buxton and Sano, to be legit ML stars in the making for this team to have any chance to really compete in the next 3-5 years IMO.

And having the AL Central go back to the early 2000's when everyone kind of sucked would sure help too.

lol no shit you are going to think it is overrated if you are naming the guys no one is looking towards or counting on lol.

Arcia is a perennial 25-30 home run guy. If god forbid he ever translates his AAA batting average to the majors he may be the best of the bunch.

Santana is very, very good with the bat idk where you get "average" from. Especially considering the position he plays.

Vargas is also a monster with the stick. Like the other 2 plate discipline is the only real issue. For all 3 it should come.

Rosario has always hit except for this past year after the suspension. But has hit again here in the off season leagues. He is more than likely trade bait anyways.

Buxton and Sano obviously. Then Berrios and Meyer from the mound. So there are 7 guys who are MLB caliber starting players.

Stewart, Gordon, Pinto(very distant at this point, can hit but can't catch), Hicks(1 last chance), Harrison, Polaco and May. These are all long shots or in the case of Stewart/Gordon long ways away.

But core of Buxton, Sano, Arcia, Vargas, Santana, Meyer and Berrios is a about as good of a 7 24 and under group you will find.

Pitching is still filled with what ifs. And competently run organization is a longer shot than Hicks being an All Star...but pieces are there in bunches.

 

[da55bums]

Well, if the projected budget is correct, they are done in FA- only thing left is in-house moves or trades. This can only end badly with Dayton Moore at the helm.

Well I know I bashed him for Melky and Francour and they panned out, at least for 1 year as better, Santana had his career year, Vargas has been better than expected...who knows.

 

[MotownMagic]

I certainly don't agree with him, but our 5th starter is... Finnegan? I can't think of who it would be unless you rush a guy from the farm up. Binford likely needs tie in AA, Finnegan probably isn't quite ready either, Manaea needs to master AA and AAA, and Zimmer needs duct-tape so he can actually... pitch. So who's our 5th starter? It suspiciously looks like a replacement value guy which is a 3-5 win drop. Lot of prospects could be called up in the 2nd half to fill said holes though so we will see.

What part didn't you agree with?

 

[MotownMagic]

You forgot to mention that the Twins are going to dominate this division for the next 10 maybe 25 years

Funny, Now I do have to say they have a good Farm System but I don't think they will be good for a couple days. Byron Buxton is going to be Legit!

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Funny, Now I do have to say they have a good Farm System but I don't think they will be good for a couple days. Byron Buxton is going to be Legit!

I'd be fine with a couple of days!!!

But yeah offense is almost set(will just keeping getting better) pitching still needs work. I am hoping this year is ike the Royals 2013. Things come together and then next year we go for blood.

 

[MotownMagic]

I'd be fine with a couple of days!!!

But yeah offense is almost set(will just keeping getting better) pitching still needs work. I am hoping this year is ike the Royals 2013. Things come together and then next year we go for blood.

And I appreciate that you are a true Twins fan, not a Homer switching over to the Cubs because they are getting a ton of good players this offseason. As long as the tigers win the Series this next season I'd be fine seeing the twins do the same thing as the Royals

 

[da55bums]

And I appreciate that you are a true Twins fan, not a Homer switching over to the Cubs because they are getting a ton of good players this offseason. As long as the tigers win the Series this next season I'd be fine seeing the twins do the same thing as the Royals

Well, then the Twins would go the WS.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

What part didn't you agree with?

5-10 forsure wins

Shields never was such a player. A good pitcher, yes, but he was worth 4-5 wins in his best years. He is not of the same ilk as the Felix Hernandez, Klubers, etc. And based off of last year, it's probably closer to 3 wins than 5- and poised for significant decline going forward as his changeup no longer makes hitters from both sides miss as it did in the past, but that's really a sidenote at this point. I would be on the bandwagon to trade for Niese and add back 1-2 wins if the price is right from the Mets.


At least, that is my opinion of it. I still think the Royals' upside is good enough to challenge for the WC2 spot in a crowded AL field, but I wouldn't predict anything beyond I think the team will be above .500.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

In Moore's defense I do think Rios and Morales will play better than they did last year, it's more or less the money committed that is more bothersome. I would have much rather acquired Masterson, McCarthy, Santana, or Anderson before Morales. Rios I can tolerate even if it is a overpay being that it is for one year, it's the giant gaping hole in the rotation which bothers the crap out of me right now. There are prospects, good ones, but are they ready? I doubt it.

 

[broncosmitty]

Losing Shields will hurt the bullpen as much as the rotation, IMO. He eats up Valueable innings. Not a single guy in that KC rotation can be counted on for anything over 190. Great bully last year for sure, but you can't rely on it to pitch 1/3 of the innings for a season and expect continued excellence.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Losing Shields will hurt the bullpen as much as the rotation, IMO. He eats up Valueable innings. Not a single guy in that KC rotation can be counted on for anything over 190. Great bully last year for sure, but you can't rely on it to pitch 1/3 of the innings for a season and expect continued excellence.

That's true that whoever is starting in the #5 has a very low chance of replacing the IP of Shields, I suspect that is what Frasor and Hochevar were signed for to provide something that really wasn't there most of last year- depth outside of HDH. I remember Joseph giving up what, 9 runs vs Detroit in the 9th inning to make it a game?

Guthrie and Vargas eating more than 170 seems reasonable based on previous work, might not be pretty sometimes, but I think that is reasonable to expect. It's Ventura and Duffy that concern me in their ability to eat innings more. Ventura actually pitched over 200 IP once you count the playoffs last year.

 

[broncosmitty]

I saw what happened to Bonderman when he was overworked at such a young age. Hope Ventura doesn't get overworked after the workload he got last year. He definitely has a bright future.

(I think Vargas can be counted on for 190 if he stays healthy.)

 

[Nosferatu]

And I appreciate that you are a true Twins fan, not a Homer switching over to the Cubs because they are getting a ton of good players this offseason. As long as the tigers win the Series this next season I'd be fine seeing the twins do the same thing as the Royals

Unless the Tigers make a major move or two (Which could happen) their window is closed.