Twins Off Season Commentary

[powerchord86]

I know a lot of people are skeptical of Mauer after last season but he could have a big comeback this year since he should be at full health at the beginning of the season. If he can maintain maybe he could provide some firepower as well.

 

[buckamania]

Yup, Joey is the talk right now. I know he's a really good player with a ton of potential but he is not worth that enormous contract, not close. I understand the circumstances as well, but that was then, and this is now. He has to be moved to 1B to maximize his time on the field and at the plate. This is not Mauer's call, it is mgmt's. If they can't rein Joe in the stuff he pulled last year will go on and on.

If Joe comes back 100 % he will hit .310-330 with some power. That's good but not acceptable given that contract and his size. If the Twins come in last again in 2012 look for them to trade him to get out of the contract. Cleveland did it with Thome. It's done all the time.

If Joe moves to 1B, hits 30+HR's with 100+ rbi's for the next 5-yrs he's done what was expected and we are all comparing him to Tim Tebow, but if the team doesn't win and they can't draw full-houses they won't be able to get new, young, talent because of Mauer's contract. Then, he really wasn't the magic-bullet after-all. Either way, the Pohlads will probably never sign a contract like that again!

To be truthful, PC. I just can't get a read on who Mauer is deep down inside. That is maddening to me.

 

[powerchord86]

Royals picked up Mijares. Hopefully we can get as many runs off him as he gave up for us and more.

 

[buckamania]

They can have the "woodtick," as I used to call him. He's about at the end of the road.

 

[powerchord86]

Twins, Jason Marquis Nearing Deal

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [December 21 at 9:18pm CST]

The Twins are nearing a deal with free agent starter Jason Marquis, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). ACES represents the 33-year-old right-hander.

Marquis made 23 starts for the Nationals and Diamondbacks this past season, finishing the year with a 4.43 ERA in 132 innings. His rate stats (5.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 55.1% ground ball rate) were right in line with his career averages (5.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 50.4% ground ball rate) and his average fastball checked in at 89.3 mph.

Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing and Anthony Swarzak are options for the Twins' rotation in 2012. Liriano may be able to bounce back from an up-and-down 2011 season, but the Twins will need improvement from others as well if their rotation is to become respectable in 2012. Twins starters finished the 2011 season with a 4.64 ERA (26th in MLB) and 5.8 K/9 (28th in MLB) in 961 innings (21st in MLB).

The Mets also had interest in the New York native this offseason. Marquis signed a two-year, $15MM contract with Washington when he hit free agency after the 2009 season.

 

[SandyBeach26]

Well, guys....assuming Minnesota stays healthy, this seems to be what we will be looking at come April....

C-Mauer/Doumit
1B-Morneau/Mauer
2B-Casilla/Nishioka
3B-Valencia
SS-Carroll
LF-Revere
CF-Span
RF-Willingham/Doumit
DH-Willingham/Doumit/Mauer

Bench:
Plouffe, Hughes, Tolbert, Benson, Tosoni

Rotation:
SP1-Baker
SP2-Liriano
SP3-Pavano
SP4-???
SP5-???

Pen:
Closer--Capps
8th --Perkins

Mid/Long Relief
Blackburn
Duensing
Swarzak
Hendriks


I suppose some of the mid relief pitchers COULD make the rotation, but that doesn't look overly promising. I still say Minnesota needs to land at least one starter (preferably two), and maybe one more solid bullpen arm.

Twins still have time of course to also add or subtract from the regular fielding lineup....in fact, they almost HAVE to have a contingency plan as health could very well be an issue and all the hoping "things will go right" in the world won't help them.

Honestly, the Central isn't that tough a division to climb back into contention in. Could be worse. Minnesota could have been seated in a divison like the AL East or NL East, where there are at least 4 teams who have a shot at the division.

Sure, the Tigers will be the team to beat in the Central, but even they are not without their own flaws and questions marks...and some pretty big too.

Royals? Please...until they show me something, I won't be buying that they are contenders anytime soon. Yea, yea....they have "pieces"....and some very good ones at that...but they've had "pieces" for years...and every year, it's supposed to be "their year", and that never pans out.

Indians? Nope. They haven't done anything all off season to suggest they will be any better than the team they finished with last year. They got rid of some players who weren't working out for some unproven players.

White Sox? If the Twins do well, I wouldn't be surprised if Chicago ends up at the bottom of the division. Seems Ken Williams is having his off season fire sale, and the team is going all out with younger players. That spells rebuilding mode. That means they are willing to take their lumps for the next 2 or 3 seasons in order to be at the top shortly after that again.

 

[buckamania]

Sandra - Very good synopsis, very good indeed! Too soon to predict the starting lineup I think, however. Ryan will do more, maybe a lot more, right into the early part of the Season.

You are definitely "itchin'" to talk baseball and I really like that about you! Yup, it is just the Central Division, we can thank "you-know-who" for that! Right now I don't delude myself with thoughts of a Central Div. pennant, but, anything can happen in the Central. Keep the wheels turnin'! I'm a fan of yours!

P/s - What's with the new avatar? You got a sports-writer's job on the line?

 

[powerchord86]

Sounds like the Twins have struck a one-year $3MM deal with Jason Marquis.

You're right buck, the winter isn't quite over yet. Still some things to happen before we are all set and ready to grin and bear it.

 

[powerchord86]

So it looks like Marquis will be thrown in the mix with Liriano, Pavano and Baker. Then we still have Blackburn, Duensing and Swarzak to look at for a possible 5th starter.

All of these guys need to bounce back after last season. Would like to see these guys come out firing but I guess we'll see what they look like come spring. I'm counting on you to be my eyes out there at ST buck.. lol

 

[powerchord86]

They are saying that the Twins probably still have $1-2MM left to get another reliever.

 

[buckamania]

PC- Who is this Marquis-guy, anyways? The only Marquis I ever heard about last's name was De Sade, or something like that. Funny, I can't remember the Team, though....

Maybe you or the BeachBaby can help me out here.

 

[Hauvster]

See? You guys are starting to sound like me. I knew if I hung in there I could win you over. Time to go younger, take our lumps, then get good again. But since they have decided to keep Morneau and Mauer, it may take a couple years. But if Mauer doesnt step up in a (hugh) way, I think he will be gone by next season. But alas, if we arent going to win, then lets atleast be exciting and play the game right. I can accept that.

 

[powerchord86]

PC- Who is this Marquis-guy, anyways? The only Marquis I ever heard about last's name was De Sade, or something like that. Funny, I can't remember the Team, though....

Maybe you or the BeachBaby can help me out here.

Here ya go buck..

Jason Marquis Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

 

[SandyBeach26]

Here ya go buck..

Jason Marquis Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

Yea, buck...Powerchord got you the statistics and that should give you an idea of how he's done numbers-wise over the years.

However, beyond the stats:
He basically is a pitch-to-contact pitcher (think Carl Pavano), who will rely on his fielders to get the bulk of his outs. He WON'T overpower anyone (I believe his fastball tops out at about 89-90 or so), thus he will look to locate his pitches, mix his pitches, then surprise hitters with the 89 mph heat....

He has had good runs as both a starter and reliever, but also some pretty bad lows. As long as he can command his pitches, he should be successful, despite the lack of velocity.

Hopefully, pitcher friendly Target Field will work to his benefit.

He has had some elbow issues recently (yea, I know, just what the Twins needs...another ambulance case), however, he seems to be in good health and did start quite a few games with no problems for both Arizona and Washington last year. Though he ended last season on the DL, it wasn't due to the elbow problems, but a broken leg bone after getting hit by a line drive.

So unless his elbow acts up on him, or he breaks something else, he should be good to go.

And finally, from what I was able to read about him, and from reactions from his former teammates, he is a team first guy. Goes about his business without complaining, and just doing what is asked of him...whether starting or in relief...and always seems to put full effort into whatever he does.

 

[JohnRandle]

It sounds like status quo for the Twins then..
Small ball, get hits and get on base.
Play fundamental defense..
Not the most exciting, but still fun to watch, if you like good defense.

 

[SandyBeach26]

It sounds like status quo for the Twins then..
Small ball, get hits and get on base.
Play fundamental defense..
Not the most exciting, but still fun to watch, if you like good defense.

Funny you should mention small ball, John...as I've been saying for quite awhile now that Minnesota should build their team much like the Cardinals did in the late 80's early 90's...and the Mets did in the late 90's and early 2000's...

Those teams were built around a solid defense, contact hitting (not necessarily HR's), and pitching that ranged from just decent to great...depending on who they had at the time.

Bottom line being, the Twins need to build to their own PARK. Granted, if you can get a guy who can really mash it (Morneau for instance if he is fully healthy), then by all means, you have that guy in your lineup....
But it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for the Twins to have a bunch of singles and doubles hitters, with a triple thrown in here an there from guys like Span and Revere.

In fact, if you think back from about 2005-2007, the Twins were built just that way....in homer friendly Metrodome no less....and they were very successful. Teams didn't take them seriously, next thing you know, they are singling you to death, bunting you to death, stealing second, stealing third, gobbling up EVERYTHING on defense, and the pitching needn't even be dominating...just competent (though having had a guy like a Santana or Liriano when he first came up helped tremendously).

Sounds Piranha-like eh? Hehehehehe....ask Ozzie Guillen....he HATED when the Twins did that to his White Sox.....mostly because the Twins would win more often than not that way.

Seems to me the last two seasons, Minnesota has sorta tried to "force" the long ball....and in a park like Target Field which is very unforgiving to power hitters, that just won't do.

Look, they no longer have guys like Kubel, Thome, Young, even Cuddyer, who all have their pluses, and certainly quailify as power hitters, however, simply DO NOT fit the mold of the prototypical player that should be playing in the cavern known as Target Field.

I give Kubel credit for being able to be more consistent in the mashing department of the above mentioned guys at Target Field, but even he has had long outs that would've been HR's back at the Dome.

If the Twins begin to draft and develop guys from single A on up to be the kind of players that would best thrive in their current ballpark, then they will be MUCH better off......and they should also taylor their free agent signings accordingly as well....

But you know, I suspect a guy like Terry Ryan knows this, so don't be surprised if the Twins move more in that direction in the coming seasons. And unless a guy can really hit it into orbit on a consistent basis, he won't be making the cut on future Twins lineups.

 

[buckamania]

This is , Lena, (Buck's beautiful bride, of course) Buck has disappeared and I don't know what to do. Unfortunately, I can't call the cops for reasons I can't discuss at present. Buck said he was going over to Fox??, to talk to some people he knows. I don't know where that is but maybe some of you do. If you could go over there (Fox) and find out what's going on (yeah, yeah, Marvin Gaye did it first, I know that!) Anyway, maybe there are some clues or something over there. It would be a big help!

 

[JohnRandle]

God save his soul...

 

[powerchord86]

God save his soul...

Agree! lol

Kind of a situation where you have to cut the loss and save yourself..

 

[powerchord86]

Was watching the GIBBY’s on MLBN over the weekend and saw they gave the play of the year to Ben Revere. It was for the amazing catch he made in center while running into the wall. Very cool!