tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post7668817566837046284..comments2023-12-19T20:25:36.069-06:00Comments on Nick's Twins Blog: Position Analysis: Starting PitcherNick N.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00848574337121154690noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-5355407840383908312011-03-29T09:29:25.121-05:002011-03-29T09:29:25.121-05:00I am not at all in love with the Twins pitching st...I am not at all in love with the Twins pitching staff, and obviously would love to trade it for the Giants or Phillies rotations. However I do think they are underrated. In 2010, the Twins gave up 671 runs. Although this is a fairly simple stat, that is 9th in the league and 3rd in the AL. Now the starters, of course, aren't fully responsible for this, but they do contribute the majority. This happened with Black, Bake and Slow all having average to mediocre years. I'm an optimistic person when it comes to the Twins, but overall i'm pretty happy about our Starter situation.whistler1217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-77245847983702384502011-03-28T19:26:24.289-05:002011-03-28T19:26:24.289-05:00First of all, the Twins are never out of it at the...<i>First of all, the Twins are never out of it at the deadline. Secondly, you don't get to be the best by trading your best players, you trade several younger prospects for established stars.</i><br />First of all, every year is different. Don't just think the Twins are "automatic" competitors.<br />Secondly, smart, not rich teams, trade players at maximum value and add top notch prospects. The Rays have been competitive in a division the Twins can't even sniff at (hey, they've yet to prove they can compete with the AL East at ANY time under Gardy...).<br /><br />If they're out of it, I hope they move Liriano. I'm no expert, but that delivery looks like it strains the hell outa that elbow/shoulder. With his often sloppy mechanics, he's an injury waiting to happen.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10984504525577892812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-228452731560223732011-03-28T16:31:11.324-05:002011-03-28T16:31:11.324-05:00I never understood why Blackburn was chosen over S...I never understood why Blackburn was chosen over Slowey. So here's Ray Flowers' article who says it better than I could:<br />http://baseballguys.com/2011/03/28/2011-player-profile-kevin-slowey/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-43093234097068679552011-03-28T15:33:15.642-05:002011-03-28T15:33:15.642-05:00Nick, glad to see you're finally starting to s...Nick, glad to see you're finally starting to see the light. <br /><br />However, good news: a few more days and then the FO can step back and let the players play, and we won't have to watch Bill Smith make another baffling move (or lack thereof) until at least the trade deadline.Ed Bastnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-21420983948038975232011-03-28T15:03:54.190-05:002011-03-28T15:03:54.190-05:00How much more proof do we need: this front office ...<i>How much more proof do we need: this front office has no idea what they're doing.</i><br /><br />I'm rapidly losing faith. Another totally baffling move to add to an offseason that's been full of them.Nick N.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00848574337121154690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-42872039894720780732011-03-28T14:50:29.887-05:002011-03-28T14:50:29.887-05:00Wow, so, the Twins just traded one of their only h...Wow, so, the Twins just traded one of their only hard-throwing prospects for a guy they could have had for free. This after they traded one of the best SS in the AL for relief prospects who did not make the team.<br /><br />Memo to Bill Smith: MIDDLE RELIEF DOESN'T MATTER! STOP TRADING GOOD PLAYERS/PROSPECTS FOR IT!<br /><br />How much more proof do we need: this front office has no idea what they're doing.Polish Sausagenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-24963960960335107602011-03-28T14:36:59.187-05:002011-03-28T14:36:59.187-05:00"If the Twins are struggling at the deadline,..."If the Twins are struggling at the deadline, will they move a top talent with HUGE injury questions for the future (Morneau, Liriano)?"<br />First of all, the Twins are never out of it at the deadline. Secondly, you don't get to be the best by trading your best players, you trade several younger prospects for established stars.<br />Thirdly, the Twins won 94 games last year with this pitching staff (even with Blackburn, Baker and Slowey injured for parts of the year), how is that a weakness?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-3811001125542494472011-03-28T12:34:20.543-05:002011-03-28T12:34:20.543-05:00If the Twins are struggling at the deadline, will ...<i>If the Twins are struggling at the deadline, will they move a top talent with HUGE injury questions for the future (Morneau, Liriano)?</i><br /><br />Can't see them trading Morneau. If they're truly out of it at the deadline I could definitely see them trading Liriano.Nick N.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00848574337121154690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-38736692170420408592011-03-28T11:40:49.824-05:002011-03-28T11:40:49.824-05:00Thanks for summarizing what is easily the most ind...<i>Thanks for summarizing what is easily the most indigestion-inducing part of being a Twins fan for me.</i><br />He hasn't summarized the bullpen yet...<br /><br />If the Twins are struggling at the deadline, will they move a top talent with HUGE injury questions for the future (Morneau, Liriano)?Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10984504525577892812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-14716137376349552702011-03-28T09:17:35.936-05:002011-03-28T09:17:35.936-05:00Scruffy,
You ask, "Can we compete without to...Scruffy,<br /><br />You ask, "Can we compete without top-of-the line pitching?"<br /><br />The answer is: Within our mediocre division, yes; with the rest of the league, no. Same answer for the past 10 years or so. <br /><br />For some reason I'm holding out hope that the club makes a significant acquisition at the deadline. But this organization has made it clear year after year that they believe they can win with these starters, ignoring 12 straight playoff losses, so there's really no reason for that optimism. But oh well, I guess I'm just a hopeless optimist.Ed Bastnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-33390070706292084832011-03-28T08:33:01.312-05:002011-03-28T08:33:01.312-05:00As Shakespeare might say after reading this: "...As Shakespeare might say after reading this: "Ay, there's the rub" (though since he's been dead for several hundreds of years he'd probably just say "Brains!" but that's beside the point.)<br /><br />Thanks for summarizing what is easily the most indigestion-inducing part of being a Twins fan for me. I trust our hitters, our trust our fielding, but as optimistic as I try to be, I have a hard time seeing our pitching reaching a level where it compete against the beasts of the East. It seems as though we can get a couple great months out of young, unproven pitchers that our opponents haven't scouted yet...but once they become veterans the secret's out and we're forced to rely on stuff with mixed results (see Blackburn, Slowey, Baker, etc.).<br /><br />Can we compete without top-of-the line pitching? Is there anyway to get that without ravaging the farm system for a trade or investing umpteen million in a free agent risk? (Could we just clone Johan?)ScruffyRubehttp://heavenlypeanuts.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com