Reassessment: What Is the Twins Biggest Need?
by Jesse on Jul 30, 2009 7:00 PM EDT
in Quick Hits
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With less than 24 hours to the trade deadline, it's a good time to see if you think the organization's priorities have changed.
Last week we asked this same question, with middle infield taking 45 percent of the vote. Bullpen followed with 30, rotation 18 and bench depth just four percent.
Middle Infield - Still no moves outside of Mark Grudzielanek, although both Orlando Cabrera and Marco Scutaro have been tied to the Twins.
Bullpen - Joe Nathan, Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier and fine, and Jesse Crain has been better his last couple times out. Bobby Keppel has been a bit more vulnerable and R.A. Dickey's fastball is simply R.A. Dickey's fastball. Is this still one of Minnesota's biggest red flags?
Rotation - Kevin Slowey is down for the season, but Anthony Swarzak has been reliable in his absence so far. Scott Baker's season is starting to come under control, and outside of his last couple of starts Nick Blackburn has been a god-send. But if you can get a starter, whether it's just a reliable innings eater with whom you know what you're getting, or something a bit better, is this the move you make?
Bench Depth - When all of your middle infielders are hitting around the Mendoza line, you can't hide them on the bench. They have to start, and they hurt your offensive production. Even if it's just a hitter you can keep on the bench to step in and take a couple of plate appearances a week away from these guys later in the game, it'd be an asset this team doesn't have and one this team could use.
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Bobby Keppel has been a bit more vulnerable
LALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU LALALALA
by RandBall's Stu on Jul 30, 2009 7:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Bullpen
I think more than anything we’ve been spoiled in the past to have 2 or even 3 setup guy relievers. With Juan Rincon, J.C. Romero, Neshek, Guerrier, Crain at his best, Hawkins. We’ve always had a shutdown guy and right now we still have some good setup guys that have been reliable in Guerrier and Mijares. That with the combination of Neshek coming back next year and hopefully Delaney and Slama coming up we should again have a dominant bullpen. This years hasn’t been half bad, we’ve just grown to expect more over the years.
I’m all about MI, we don’t have anyone right now that is a top performer there and no one coming up is terribly exciting.
Peyton's good but have you ever heard of Jeff George?
by halfchest on Jul 30, 2009 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
+1
I can’t find a solution for our MI woes in our minor leagues but I can find a glimmer of hope with our starting pitching in the minors and I am not concerned about our BP. We aren’t used to not having a shut down BP but our guys are really not bad in the grand scheme of things + what we can work out through our minor leagues.
by dctwin on Jul 30, 2009 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rotation
If they don’t add depth in the rotation, the bullpen is going to be a big problem whether or not they add someone on the backend.
by TMW on Jul 30, 2009 8:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Exactly!!!
I don't suffer from insanity...I relish every moment of it!
by the Dragon on Jul 30, 2009 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Count me in
I thought we needed someone else before Slowey went down for the season. I still don’t trust Perkins and Liriano for obvious reasons (hint: look at their ERA’s). Blackburn might be hitting another second half slump (like last year). Swarzak has about 9 or 10 career MLB starts. And Baker? He seems to be trending the right way, but he can’t get through more than 5 or 6 innings a start.
As of right now, though, I haven’t heard ANY rumors linking the Twins to a starting pitcher via trade. I know I suggested Washburn last week, but that was my own suggestion, not a rumor from anyone with sources.
by Sheldon on Jul 31, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree 100%
I don’t see how rotation is not winning this poll. Have the past few weeks taught us nothing? We had 3 (I think 3, maybe only 2) starters that couldn’t go more than 5 innings at most. Perkins lasted 3. That’s really not ideal.
Strikeouts are boring - besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. More democratic. -Bull Durham
by fischean on Jul 30, 2009 9:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gota go with middle infield
I’ve demonstrate this elsewhere, but the Punto/Casilla combination is the worst middle infield in Twins history. They can’t hope to win by standing pat there.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
by cmathewson on Jul 30, 2009 9:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
what if our biggest need
is a competent GM.
We have 3 major holes in this team right now, two of which were known problems in the offseason. Signing Punto and not addressing the pen were just horrible decisions. If we address those in the past offseason, the only real void we have is the rotation.
by guinness junky on Jul 30, 2009 10:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think that is a bit of creative revisionism.
Might not be, specifically to you Guinness, as I don’t know what you said or thought last offseason, but I think a strong argument can be made that there were three holes which included third base, MI, and bullpen – not the starting rotation.
3rd base: resolved with Crede. can make the argument it was resolved by default and luck, or resolved but still lacking, all fine with me, but resolved nonetheless.
Bullpen: resolved with Luis Ayala, R.A. Dickey, and knowing full well Mijares was waiting. certainly can argue that Ayala was a bust, Dickey and Mijares moderately helpful. I even complained about Ayala even before the season started, but that does not equate with “unresolved”
The middle infielder argument is a bit disingenuous as well. I’m sure most people believed Casilla would regress…but THIS far? I dont think anyone believed Casilla would be a wasteland. And a Harris Punto Buscher platoon at SS/3rd/2nd isn’t that bad a deal If Crede and Casilla are holding their own.
So I think jumping all over Smith’s sh_t for leaving gaping holes over the last off season is unrealistic. Not suggesting for a second that he has done a great job, just disagreeing with the premise that he sat on his hands and left stuff unresolved.
by montanatwinsfan on Jul 31, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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