Comments on: Explaining the Minnesota Mentality: Part Three http://twinsfix.com/2009/01/06/explaining-the-minnesota-mentality-part-three/ Just another Sports Blog Net weblog Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:43:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Twins Notes « SethSpeaks.net http://twinsfix.com/2009/01/06/explaining-the-minnesota-mentality-part-three/comment-page-1/#comment-915 Twins Notes « SethSpeaks.net Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:44:19 +0000 http://twinsfix.com/?p=303#comment-915 [...] ·         Dan Wade posted Part 3 of his series on the Minnesota (Twins) Mentality. [...] [...] ·         Dan Wade posted Part 3 of his series on the Minnesota (Twins) Mentality. [...]

]]> By: usuk http://twinsfix.com/2009/01/06/explaining-the-minnesota-mentality-part-three/comment-page-1/#comment-914 usuk Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:15:41 +0000 http://twinsfix.com/?p=303#comment-914 Problem number one is (1) If you add someone, you have to subtract someone. Often it's easier to egt rid of minor leagues guys on the cusp (need to 40-man next season) than fool around with the present, although the Twins basically have Humber/Boof/Korecky, Macri, Pridie/Young available for immediate trade or removal, if the right replacement player comes along. I also look at one BIG problem for the Twins. Who's on first. If soemthing happens to Justin for a month or two, who is that guy at first. Cuddyer? Works if you have the Big Five, but otherwise...no one to even halfway hold down the fort at AAA and Buscher isn't the stopgap (rememebr Mike Lamb basically costing the Twins a couple of games last season at first?). I sometimes wonder, too, how much stock you must put into potential for the next season, rather than just blowing out bucks for the better possibility -- would $16 million to Pat Burrell be better than keeping Jason Kubel, for example? No player these days is written in ink on the team roster. I'm sure the Twins look at arbitration, free agency and the ilk for their Big Five pitchers, all of whom could be repalced in the next 1-3 years by the likes of Sarzak, Duensing, Manship, Hunt and maybe even Robertson...although if he comes abck strong, Liriano will be the guy getting the long-term big contract (not Baker). The Twins do need AAAA guys...sufficient backups if soemthing goes wrong, even temporarily, at the majors. Who plays second or shrot if Punto or Casilla get in injured/tank. Who picks up bullpen pieces if Guerrier/Crain aren't effective and Boof/Humber just flat out stink worse than a Sidney Ponson signing? Should the Twins enter the Glavine/Smoltz sweepstakes? Do they need Kenny Rogers back? Would Andy Pettite be a gas in a Twins uniform? Do we need Beltre, Wigginton or anyone, making Buscher/Harris true backups rather than starters? Problem number one is (1) If you add someone, you have to subtract someone. Often it’s easier to egt rid of minor leagues guys on the cusp (need to 40-man next season) than fool around with the present, although the Twins basically have Humber/Boof/Korecky, Macri, Pridie/Young available for immediate trade or removal, if the right replacement player comes along.

I also look at one BIG problem for the Twins. Who’s on first. If soemthing happens to Justin for a month or two, who is that guy at first. Cuddyer? Works if you have the Big Five, but otherwise…no one to even halfway hold down the fort at AAA and Buscher isn’t the stopgap (rememebr Mike Lamb basically costing the Twins a couple of games last season at first?).

I sometimes wonder, too, how much stock you must put into potential for the next season, rather than just blowing out bucks for the better possibility — would $16 million to Pat Burrell be better than keeping Jason Kubel, for example?

No player these days is written in ink on the team roster. I’m sure the Twins look at arbitration, free agency and the ilk for their Big Five pitchers, all of whom could be repalced in the next 1-3 years by the likes of Sarzak, Duensing, Manship, Hunt and maybe even Robertson…although if he comes abck strong, Liriano will be the guy getting the long-term big contract (not Baker).

The Twins do need AAAA guys…sufficient backups if soemthing goes wrong, even temporarily, at the majors. Who plays second or shrot if Punto or Casilla get in injured/tank. Who picks up bullpen pieces if Guerrier/Crain aren’t effective and Boof/Humber just flat out stink worse than a Sidney Ponson signing?

Should the Twins enter the Glavine/Smoltz sweepstakes? Do they need Kenny Rogers back? Would Andy Pettite be a gas in a Twins uniform? Do we need Beltre, Wigginton or anyone, making Buscher/Harris true backups rather than starters?

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