Twins Baseball 2014

[MafiaMan]

Anyone else think that they should have tried to send Gordon home last night? I think he would have gotten out but it would have been close. I think he had a better chance at scoring on that play than hoping for a second hit in a row off of Baumgarner.

Had Gordon sprinted out of the batter's box immediately instead of assuming he was going to have only a single and trot the bulk of the way to 1B...and had he not glanced over his right shoulder to LF halfway to 3B and instead kept his eyes on his 3B coach AND kept the afterburners on...well, there may indeed have been a play at the plate. How fun would that have been?

[choyt3]

Anyone else think that they should have tried to send Gordon home last night? I think he would have gotten out but it would have been close. I think he had a better chance at scoring on that play than hoping for a second hit in a row off of Baumgarner.

  

Said the same thing to my wife. Should of sent him especially with free swinging Perez up and Bumgarner on the mound.

  

Had Gordon sprinted out of the batter's box immediately instead of assuming he was going to have only a single and trot the bulk of the way to 1B...and had he not glanced over his right shoulder to LF halfway to 3B and instead kept his eyes on his 3B coach AND kept the afterburners on...well, there may indeed have been a play at the plate. How fun would that have been?

He looked gassed, but the SS was quite a ways out into the outfield and it would have taken a hell of a throw to get him at home. That said, if I'm coaching third there, my team is not losing the World Series on that play at the plate. One out, send him. Maybe it's different if you can still bowl over the catcher, too. Tough call.

[Blackheart]

Had Gordon sprinted out of the batter's box immediately instead of assuming he was going to have only a single and trot the bulk of the way to 1B...and had he not glanced over his right shoulder to LF halfway to 3B and instead kept his eyes on his 3B coach AND kept the afterburners on...well, there may indeed have been a play at the plate. How fun would that have been?

I think the better team won, but I sure wish the Royals had pulled it out.

[Shawn-O]

Said the same thing to my wife. Should of sent him especially with free swinging Perez up and Bumgarner on the mound.

I said the same thing as well, would've sent him

[I Ranger]

I said the same thing as well, would've sent him

It's easy to say after the fact now but could you imagine the outrage fans would take against the third base coach had he sent him? I think he did the right thing but since we now know they couldn't get him in to score maybe taking that chance would have been worth it. Although you never want to make the last out on the base paths.

[Oxbow6]

I said the same thing as well, would've sent him

 

 

As it was happening live I was yelling "send him", but after seeing a replay he had just taken a step past third when the SS got the relay throw...he would have been out by 20+ feet with any decent throw from the SS.  Holding him at 3rd was the right play especially with a guy batting .350 so far in the WS coming to bat.

[MafiaMan]

As it was happening live I was yelling "send him", but after seeing a replay he had just taken a step past third when the SS got the relay throw...he would have been out by 20+ feet with any decent throw from the SS. Holding him at 3rd was the right play especially with a guy batting .350 so far in the WS coming to bat.

Agree totally that as it developed, he would have been out by a mile. Had Gordon bolted out of the batter's box and been sprinting towards 3B without the shoulder peek, he may very well have been bearing down on home plate as the SS was receiving the relay throw.

[SiouxScore]

Looks like Molitor will be named new Twins manager on Tuesday.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/11808250/minnesota-twins-offer-manager-contract-paul-molitor

[MafiaMan]

Looks like Molitor will be named new Twins manager on Tuesday.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/11808250/minnesota-twins-offer-manager-contract-paul-molitor

 

Homer pick.

[Sodbuster]

My wife just read on Facebook that Torii Hunter has signed a one year contract with the Twins.

[jdub27]

My wife just read on Facebook that Torii Hunter has signed a one year contract with the Twins.

1 year/$10.5 million.

Terrible.

[MafiaMan]

1 year/$10.5 million.

Terrible.

$10.5 million? WTF?

[jdub27]

$10.5 million? WTF?

Fangraphs has his play valued at less than $2 million last year.  He still has some pop left, but his defense has fallen off so much that it more than negates anything he does at the plate.  Overall, he was barely above a replacement level player as an everyday player.  And you don't give someone that kind of money to sit on the bench.  This will end up clogging up the DH spot.  Plus, he's not the clubhouse guy the media makes him out to be.  

 

Terry Ryan and Co. are likely thinking that this will please the casual fan.  Unfortunately, I think they may be right: Big name (plus glory days kicker) + big contract = progress in the eye of the casual fan.  I'd probably be more concerned if they actually were bumping up against their payroll limit but they have come near that in the last few years.  And it's a one year deal, at least they didn't lock him in any longer.

[fightingsioux4life]

$10.5 million? WTF?

And people wonder why fans are cynical about the Twins.  Hunter is as old as the hills in baseball years but hey, it is a "small market" franchise so this is just how it is, right?   Funny, that wasn't the song they were singing when they were begging for public funds for Target Field.

 

Look for new record low attendance figures at Target Field in 2015.  Maybe that will send ownership and management a message about how crappy the product is.

[sioux rube]

Hunter will put butts in the seats. That honeymoon won't last long though. He will be trade bait in July.

[jodcon]

1 year/$10.5 million.

Terrible.

 

I guess grossly overpaying Mauer wasn't enough, for a team that preaches money all the time they make a lot of crap financial decisions.

[MafiaMan]

And people wonder why fans are cynical about the Twins. Hunter is as old as the hills in baseball years but hey, it is a "small market" franchise so this is just how it is, right? Funny, that wasn't the song they were singing when they were begging for public funds for Target Field.

Look for new record low attendance figures at Target Field in 2015. Maybe that will send ownership and management a message about how crappy the product is.

Who were they bidding against for his services? Good grief, maybe they can get Ichiro for $9 million and talk Alfonso Soriano out of retirement for $8 million and REALLY solidify the outfield, LOL.

[Ray77]

Who were they bidding against for his services? Good grief, maybe they can get Ichiro for $9 million and talk Alfonso Soriano out of retirement for $8 million and REALLY solidify the outfield, LOL.

 

Expected to play right field with Oswaldo Arcia moving over to left in 2015, the popular Hunter also drew solid interest from his hometown Texas Rangers. The Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants also had interest in Hunter, who spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Tigers, reaching the postseason both times.

 

[jdub27]

Hunter will put butts in the seats. That honeymoon won't last long though. He will be trade bait in July.

With how his skills have diminished, he's going to have to get off to a pretty good start at the plate to be worth anything.  Even if they do trade him, no way they will get anything other than minor league fill-ins, it will be a cost saving move.

 

 

I guess grossly overpaying Mauer wasn't enough, for a team that preaches money all the time they make a lot of crap financial decisions.

Outside of last year, Mauer's be worth near what he's been paid.  Hunter won't come near being a $10 million player (which is roughly what Mauer was last year).

[SiouxScore]

Fangraphs has his play valued at less than $2 million last year.  He still has some pop left, but his defense has fallen off so much that it more than negates anything he does at the plate.  Overall, he was barely above a replacement level player as an everyday player.  And you don't give someone that kind of money to sit on the bench.  This will end up clogging up the DH spot.  Plus, he's not the clubhouse guy the media makes him out to be.  

 

Terry Ryan and Co. are likely thinking that this will please the casual fan.  Unfortunately, I think they may be right: Big name (plus glory days kicker) + big contract = progress in the eye of the casual fan.  I'd probably be more concerned if they actually were bumping up against their payroll limit but they have come near that in the last few years.  And it's a one year deal, at least they didn't lock him in any longer.

He will play RF and play very little DH as Vargas should be in that spot most of the time. Hunter will still be an improvement defensively in the OF compared to what they had at times the past couple years with Willingham out there. The Twins offense should be solid especially if Hunter can put up the same type of numbers he had last season. I thought the money was kind of high but apparently the other teams after him offered similar contracts as well. I don't mind Hunter but I was really hoping they would go after Nick Markakis to fill the corner OF opening.  

[Oxbow6]

1 year/$10.5 million.

Terrible.

 

 

Can't think of worse 1 year deal given to any player by any team over the past few years.

[jdub27]

He will play RF and play very little DH as Vargas should be in that spot most of the time. Hunter will still be an improvement defensively in the OF compared to what they had at times the past couple years with Willingham out there.

Disagree. Hunter is not an upgrade in the outfield.  Moving Arcia to left doesn't help anything either, especially since Willingham only played 53 games in the outfield last year, so he's not really the one being replaced.  Though Willingham has long been an issue in left field with his knees.  My problem is that DH is the only spot that he might be worth a portion of what they gave him, though doubtful the Twins will admit it and pull him from the outfield.  Again, I guess they are paying him so the casual fan can feel warm and fuzzy about bringing him back and they aren't going to come close to spending their full budget so it doesn't really hurt anything in payroll, just blocks some younger guys from getting playing time.  The "clubhouse guy" narrative is already being played up.  Not sure how Hunter has the media wrapped around his finger, but he's far from the guy they make him out to be. 

 

Twins Daily:

Every stat that measures range has painted him a liability in right field. Ultimate Zone Rating dismisses him wholly as the worst among qualified right fielder. Revised Zone Rating dinged him for not making plays in the accepted right fielder zone that are typically made. Inside Edge’s video scouts agree, saying he has caught 98% of all plays deemed “Almost Certain” (99% conversion rate average) and made 88% of all plays, third worst among right fielders.

 

Aaron Gleeman:

Combined between 2013 and 2014 he graded out 22 runs below average in Ultimate Zone Rating, 25 runs below average in Plus/Minus, and 28 runs below average in Defensive Runs Saved. And in 2014 alone he rated as poorly as any outfielder to receive regular playing time. Surely the Twins will insist their scouts disagree with the numbers and perhaps they're right to an extent, but he's a bad defensive corner outfielder and that's one area that screamed out for them to improve.

 

Instead, with Hunter in right field, Oswaldo Arcia sliding over to left field to accommodate him, and a center fielder to be determined later the Twins have almost no chance of avoiding being a well below average outfield defensively and could easily rank among the very worst in baseball. For a low-strikeout pitching staff in a spacious ballpark that's a recipe for runs-allowing disaster, as we've unfortunately already seen for the past few seasons.

[SiouxScore]

Disagree. Hunter is not an upgrade in the outfield.  Moving Arcia to left doesn't help anything either, especially since Willingham only played 53 games in the outfield last year, so he's not really the one being replaced.  Though Willingham has long been an issue in left field with his knees.  My problem is that DH is the only spot that he might be worth a portion of what they gave him, though doubtful the Twins will admit it and pull him from the outfield.  Again, I guess they are paying him so the casual fan can feel warm and fuzzy about bringing him back and they aren't going to come close to spending their full budget so it doesn't really hurt anything in payroll, just blocks some younger guys from getting playing time.  The "clubhouse guy" narrative is already being played up.  Not sure how Hunter has the media wrapped around his finger, but he's far from the guy they make him out to be. 

 

Twins Daily:

 

Aaron Gleeman:

I'm not saying Hunter is gonna be a great or even a good defensive outfielder and I really don't see much if any improvement in outfield defense but I also don't think it is gonna be any worse. Guys like Parmalee and Nunez that were thrown in the outfield some last season aren't any better defensively than Hunter. I do think Hunter will be an upgrade offensively compared to the production they have got the past couple seasons from guys who he will be replacing. I do like the look of their lineup offensively but I still think they need a CF and pitching needs to improve.

 

SS-Santana

2B-Dozier

1B-Mauer

DH-Vargas

3B-Plouffe

LF-Arcia

RF-Hunter

C-Suzuki

CF-Hicks/Schafer

[MafiaMan]

Sorry, Ray77, but no way do Seattle, Baltimore, Toronto, Kansas City, or San Francisco throw $10 million at Torii Hunter.

[Blackheart]

I'm not saying Hunter is gonna be a great or even a good defensive outfielder and I really don't see much if any improvement in outfield defense but I also don't think it is gonna be any worse. Guys like Parmalee and Nunez that were thrown in the outfield some last season aren't any better defensively than Hunter. I do think Hunter will be an upgrade offensively compared to the production they have got the past couple seasons from guys who he will be replacing. I do like the look of their lineup offensively but I still think they need a CF and pitching needs to improve.

 

SS-Santana

2B-Dozier

1B-Mauer

DH-Vargas

3B-Plouffe

LF-Arcia

RF-Hunter

C-Suzuki

CF-Hicks/Schafer

I still see about 90 losses with this lineup. No pitching!