I strive to keep this blog as a positive place for Twins recaps and analysis. No matter the situation, I try to keep things in perspective and always search for the upside amongst the clouds. Not today. No, today I think it’ll be therapeutic to rip this team a new one (so to speak). After another (4th this season) sweep, this team needs to make some changes…now. No more Mr. Positive (for today at least), it’s time for some tough love.
Recap:
I’m not even going to waste space recapping a debacle of series – just know this: the Twins were stymied by CJ Wilson in game one, made a valiant comeback but rally killers Sean Burroughs, Justin Morneau and Alexi Casilla couldn’t deliver in crunch time.
Game two saw Francisco Liriano be utterly hittable, giving up 4 runs in what was deemed a ‘good’ outing by reporters. Journeyman Jerome Williams stymied the Twins (there’s a theme here) holding them to only 3 hits and 0 runs.
Game three – Jared Weaver pitched a no hitter. Liam Hendriks, Matt Maloney & Alex Burnett were terrible. That’s all there is to write on that one.
One Small Rant:
I’ve heard a lot of whining and complaining coming from the Twins front office over the past six months about attendance figures and revenue. For 2012, the Twins are average 5,000 fewer fans per game than in previous years and they aren’t sure why.
Allow me to clue you in.
This. Team. Is. Bad. There you go, mystery solved. The 2011 Twins were possibly one of the worst versions this franchise has ever put out on the field (until, perhaps, this season’s team). How did the front office respond? Well, they cut the payroll of course.
Wait…they did what?
That’s right, the team responded to their worst season in a long while by slashing payroll and standing pat during much of the offseason; passing up opportunities to sign better starting pitchers and bullpen help and allowing Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer to walk. The also resigned Matt Capps, the face (fairly or unfairly) of the Twins failures last season. Capps is not a fan favorite – we don’t trust him and all we see when he takes the mound is a bad trade.
Perhaps they overspent last year and needed to get payroll down to a reasonable level. (This was their reasoning to knock down the payroll). The front office and owners have to realize the way that approach appears to fans, however. This team lost 99 games – and you cut payroll. From a fan’s perspective, not only are you not trying to improve the team, you’re mailing in the coming season as well. Why would I spend my hard earned money on a ticket to a team you don’t even have faith in?
I wouldn’t. Fans aren’t. There’s no mystery here. It’s a bad team and fans don’t want to watch bad baseball.
A small caveat here in defense of the Twins front office. They are well aware of the talent they have in the minors. They feel that much of that talent is about one year away. Next season, Brain Dozier, Joe Benson and Ben Revere could be everyday starters. The following season, Miguel Sano, Aaron Hicks and Kyle Gibson are likely to be in Minnesota
Essentially this team is one to two years away from a massive youth movement – and is one to two years away from being competitive once again. That fact, combined with the Tigers big spending spree likely encouraged the Twins to be money wise and simply let this season go where it may – save the free agent dollars for next season. After all, the following arms are free agents next season:
Current Twins players have notes with estimations about what the Twins will do with them. Targets I think the team could be most interested in are bolded.
Scott Baker (Twins have a 9.25MM option, they’ll likely decline. May try to resign at a lower amount, given his injury history)
Cole Hamels
Edwin Jackson
Colby Lewis
Zack Greinke
Francisco Liriano (If he continues pitching like he has been – he’s out)
Carl Pavano (May get a short term offer from the Twins)
Brandon McCarthy
Anibal Sanchez
Joe Saunders
Joel Pineiro
Ryan Dempster
Joe Blanton
Jorge De La Rosa
Zach Duke
Jeff Francis
Kyle Loshe
Jason Marquis (Thanks for being a stopgap starter. So long.)
Shaun Marcum
Jake Peavy
Jake Westbrook
Carlos Zambrano
(There are others, but guys like Dan Haren, Ervin Santana and Fausto Carmona have team options that are likely to get exercised).
So, to put it simply – there are options out there in the coming season. The Twins front office knows this and they know there is little in the way of quality pitching on its way up from the minors. With the expiring contracts and a large free agent market, this team is in place to spend. Why tie up payroll for pitching this season when you knew next season was the year to make all the changes?
While it’s frustrating right now, if the above theory is the one the Twins front office is employing, I can understand the payroll cut. Just don’t complain about bad attendance numbers. You brought this on yourself.
Now, on to fixing this mess.
First And Foremost:
Designate for assignment the following players:
Matt Maloney (Ineffective, erratic, not a quality long reliever)
Clete Thomas (16 strikeouts in his last 19 at bats – he doesn’t have plate discipline, instead he just swings for the fences every time he’s up. There are better options within the Twins system for RF. Let Thomas go)
Jeff Gray (He may have ‘great stuff’ but if it never hits the zone, how is it ‘great’?)
Demote the following players:
Alex Burnett (utterly hittable, showing signs of being the ineffective pitcher he was last season).
Drew Butera (He was clearly called up for depth with Morneau’s possible injury. If Morneau is back, Butera is an extra catcher the team doesn’t need).
Call-up these players:
Anthony Slama (Slama has been effective in AAA this season and is a strikeout reliever. He would fill the roll that Burnett is currently in much more effectively)
Scott Diamond (With a miniscule ERA and great control, Diamond has been the team’s best starter – at any level – this season. Give him a shot in the big leagues).
Brian Dozier (The team needs middle infield help, Dozier is their best infield prospect – give him a chance).
Joe Benson (Benson deserves a chance in the big leagues after years of doing time in the minors. The team needs an everyday RF who won’t strikeout all the time).
Darin Mastroianni (While Mastroianni has been mainly at 1B in Rochester
Adjust the lineup:
1. Give Carroll some time off, he’s played every game this season. While he’s been great defensively, we cannot expect to keep him to last an entire season as the everyday shortstop.
2. Move Liriano & Hendriks into the bullpen. Liriano is ineffective and tends to leave his pitches up and over the heart of the plate. With an ERA hovering around 10, Liriano clearly is not equipped to be a starter at this point in time. Move him to spot relief (1 to 2 innings at a time) and let him work out his issues. As (if) he gets things under control, move him to long relief and then back to the rotation.
Hendriks has struggled over his past two starts. He has the ability to be a solid starter, but his confidence may be shaken after being obliterated in his last two appearances. Shift him to long relief for now.
3. Promote Diamond to the starting rotation.
4. Promote Duensing to the starting rotation. (Because…SOMEBODY has to start).
New Lineup:
C: Mauer / Doumit
1B: Parmelee / Morneau / Mauer
2B: Casilla / Dozier
SS: Caroll / Dozier
3B: Valencia
LF: Willingham
CF: Span
RF: Benson / Plouffe
DH: Morneau / Doumit / Mauer
Bench: Doumit, Dozier, Plouffe, Mastroianni
Starters:
Pavano
Marquis
Diamond
Duensing
Bullpen: Liriano, Hendriks, Slama, Burton
Are these moves aggressive? You bet. Will the team make these moves? Never in a million years. The Twins are conservative to a fault when it comes to calling up young talent from the lower levels. That being said, it’s very clear that this team, as presently constructed, is the worst in baseball. If Gardenhire wants to keep his job and the team wants to sell July, August & September tickets, they need to compete.
The Twins don’t need to make ALL of these movs, but some of them do need to be made and they need to be made soon.
The Twins have a day off today, followed by 3 games with Seattle
Go Twins!
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