SB Nation User Blog: 33MorneauMVP

CarterHayes 2009 Twins.

33MorneauMVP — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:04:41 -0000

I talked to my brother, CarterHayes, for a long time last night about the Twins. We talked about next year and his impressions on what the Twins would probably do and what he would like to happen. I will give a quick rundown of his 2009 Twins.

FA Twins next year:

Punto - 2B/SS

Dennys Reyes - LHP

Adam Everett - SS

He doesnt see the Twins bringing back any of these players. He says they are now expendable and we can upgrade.

CarterHayes doesnt expect the Twins to bring in any good 3B such as Garrett Atkins. However, he would like to see the Twins bring in another outfielder. You might be saying: What? Why do we need ANOTHER outfielder with Gomez, Span, Young, Kubel, and Cuddyer?

CarterHayes predicts that Gomez will start the year in AAA to learn a little discipline before coming up in probably late June if he proves himself. Span, meanwhile, takes over CF with Cuddyer in RF and Young in LF, and then Kubel spells either Young or Cuddyer from time to time.

Which outfielder do we bring in? He at first said that he would like to see Raul Ibanez get picked up by the Twins. I disagreed with him because I did not like to see a lineup stacked with LH bats which would get mowed down by LH relievers. Then, he noticed Pat Burrell on the FA list.

Pat Burrell is a right handed hitting DH/OF/1B who brings a lot of pop in his bat and a good OBP (his last four season he has posted a OBP of .388 or better and five of his last seven season, Burrell has had a 120 OPS+). He sometimes gets ripped for having a low average but makes up for it by getting on base. But if you look at his average it usually hovers around .260-.280 which is a good BA for a power hitting DH. DH would be primarily his position. He would bat 5th behind Morneau in order to give him a little protection. Five out of his last seven years, Burrell has hit more than 25 homers with RBI counts generally around 80+....Perfect fit behind Morneau wouldnt you say? I would sign him to a 2-3 year deal worth about 10 million a year....

So, now we have our everyday DH problem settled. Then, CarterHayes said he would look at Orlando Cabrera for SS. Cabrera brings a decent glove with a strong arm. Mostly, it is his offense that he gets credit for. Cabrera is a fast runner and hits a lot of doubles (as we have seen whenever we face the ChiSox). CarterHayes says he would have Cabrera bat 9th in the order to maintain the speed at both top and bottom. So we now have Cabrera plugged in at short and I asked if there was any chance we would go out and trade/sign a 3B. He said he wouldnt because he wouldnt be willing to give up the talent for 3B and the only decent 3B on the FA market is Crede who consistently is battling back problems. He says he would rather stay with the Buscher/Harris combo.

So lets take a look at our lineup:

1. Span - CF

2. Casilla - 2B

3. Mauer - C

4. Morneau - 1B

5. Burrell - DH

6. Cuddyer - RF

7. Young - LF

8. Buscher/Harris - 3B

9. Cabrera - SS

Solid lineup with speed at both top and bottom and the two deadly power hitters hitting 4th and 5th.

I then asked him about the rotation. He said that he would keep it the same and just turn it around a little bit. I imagine something like this:

1. Baker

2. Liriano

3. Slowey

4. Blackburn

5. Perkins

As we have seen this year, there is no need to go out and sign a vet in order to "calm" these young arms down after a long inning. They all have the potential to be 15+ winners next year and with the new revamped offense I can see it.

Bullpen? He said that Eddie would most probably stay and finish his career with the Twins. Neshek will be returning next season. Nathan of course will be holding down the ninth with Guerrier, Breslow also in their for their innings. He sees Crain getting let go as he just doesnt see a need for him anymore. I had to disagree there but it is CarterHayes and he does know what he is talking about. He also would like to see the Twins take a chance with Mark Prior. He does have arm issues it seems but it appears he is coming back after battling those since his great season with the Cubbies in the NLCS. Prior would then fill the long man role and if he does go down with an injury we always have Mulvey/Humber in the minors.

Nathan - Closer

Eddie - 8th inning

Guerrier - RH Reliever

Breslow - Loogy

Prior - long relief

Uncertain who takes the 11th man role but with many pitchers in our Minor League system, we can always find somebody. (oh, forgot to add Neshek to that pen, my bad).

Bench? He predicts the Twins pick up Reddogs .95 MM option. He didnt go very far into the bench players so I will have to pick up the slack here.

Redmond - backup Catcher

Harris/Buscher - 3B player combo

Tolbert - 2B/SS backup

Not sure who the final bench player would be but probably somebody with a little pop in their bat who can come off the bench in late game situations and drive in runs, maybe say a Randy Ruiz or some player like him.

So, as you can see, we do not sell any of our players, let a few go, and sign better ones. I really like my brother's ideas and would just die if the Twins signed these players (especially Pat Burrell). We really need a power bat batting behind Morneau to protect him and Burrell would fit that mold perfectly. Kubel has done an adequate job but its nice to have the "Real Deal", a player who has proved himself in those situations.

Lets Get It done Billy!!!

(Please leave comments if you dont think Burrell should be signed)

Poll

Would you sign Pat Burrell?

Atkins Shopped in Off-Season?

33MorneauMVP — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:10:46 -0000

Atkins Shopped in Off-Season?

With Ian Stewart developing at third, Garrett Atkins could see his last days in Coors.

Manny Corpas placed on Waivers

33MorneauMVP — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:20:24 -0000

Manny Corpas placed on Waivers

Manny Corpas was just placed on waivers today by the Rockies. Corpas struggled through April and May but has turned it around. Corpas has a 2.50 ERA with a 8.67 K/BB ratio since the beginning of June. I hope the Twins will not let this fish slip through their fingers.

Bill Smith: 0 Waivers: 2

Remember that Billy. Bullpen needs help and you have lost out on two good relief pitchers.

David Weathers Clears Waivers

33MorneauMVP — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:14:00 -0000

David Weathers Clears Waivers

Why did the Twins not put in a claim for David Weathers?

This season Weathers owns a 3.33 ERA and more importantly he owns a 2.52 ERA from the beginning of June. He is owed only $610K.

Bill Smith: 0 Waivers: 2 - (Bradford, Weathers)

Huff, Millar, Payton clear waivers

33MorneauMVP — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:46:54 -0000

Huff, Millar, Payton clear waivers

Would the Twins be interested in either Huff or Millar who both can play 3B and both have decent power.

Huff is at 25 HR already this season and Millar should reach 20 HR by the end of the season.

Interest????

Your 2009 Twins?

33MorneauMVP — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:21:35 -0000

What will our 2009 Twins look like as they play their last season in the dome which has won them 2 World Series?

I think we will see the return of many current Twins and maybe see some moves.

Returning Position Twins:

Morneau, Mauer, Casilla, Gomez, Young, Span, Cuddyer, Kubel

Returning Pitching Twins:

Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Blackburn, Perkins, Nathan, Crain, Guerrier, Breslow, Neshek

We will see the departure of some of the fan favorite and most beloved Twins:

Mike Lamb, Adam Everett, Brian Bass, Boof Bonser, Nick Punto

So, let us review the positions that we must fill for 2009. I think a power hitting third baseman is a must this coming year. Lamb was supposed to be an improvement but he never really adjusted to the AL and playing everyday. So now, it is time to sign a power hitter that plays everyday and has a good track record. We also will need to fill the role of SS/2B. In 2009, Casilla could either be at SS or 2B but my guess will be SS. We would probably have to make a trade for a 2B since there arent any blockbuster names coming into FA for 2009. And finally, I think we need one more GOOD arm in the bullpen. We have seen what has happened this year and last year. Neshek wore out from overuse in 2007 and Guerrier is being overworked here in 2008. We need another sure arm in the bullpen that we can unload some of this work on. Granted, having Neshek back next season will be a huge plus to this team and having Guerrier back will also be a good plus. But we need a Heath Bell or some such arm in the pen.

What is available?:

FA 3B: Casey Blake, Hank Blalock, Nomar Garciaparra, Wes Helms, Chipper Jones, Dallas McPherson, Joe Crede

FA 2B: Ray Durham, Mark Grudzielanek, Mark Ellis, Orlando Hudson, Tadihito Iguchi, Jeff Kent, Felipe Lopez, Mark Loretta, Aaron Miles, Jose Valentin

FA SS: Orlando Cabrera, David Eckstein, Adam Everett, Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra, Cesar Izturis, Felipe Lopez, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Omar Vizquel

FA (eye catching) RP: Brandon Lyon, Will Ohman, Chad Durbin

Among those free agents, there are quite a few to pick from.

For

3B: Crede - he would be the best, although injury prone, he is a power hitting third baseman with good defense. If injured, we can always call upon the Buscher/Harris combo.

2B: Orlando Hudson - he would be the cream of the crop there. He will be expensive and often goes on the DL. But, gold glove caliber 2B with high avg and decent power for 2B.

SS: Nobody - which is why Casilla plays SS

RP: I would personally go with the young Brandon Lyon. He is young yet and although it would seem that he hasnt been lights out this year, he has a decent track record. Or else we could go with the former minor league Twin, Chad Durbin, who appears to be lights out this year.

If I was in the front office, I would most assuredly sign Joe Crede. He is the best option out there for FA and also among 3B in general. Garret Atkins could be on his way out of Coors though with Ian Stewart stepping up so maybe we could shift a trade for some low level prospects for that 3B.

2B: I dont think I would sign Hudson unless we had a guarantee that he would stay healthy. But you can never guarantee that so I would give 2B to Luke Hughes or Plouffe.

SS: Play Casilla there

RP: If I cant get Heath Bell or a Carlos Marmol type, then I sign Brandon Lyon.

In terms of who comes back to sit the bench for the Twins, I see: Tolbert, Harris, Span, Morales/Redmond

Lineup:

1. Gomez - CF

2. Casilla - SS

3. Mauer - C

4. Morneau - 1B

5. Crede - 3B

6. Cuddyer - RF

7. Kubel - DH

8. Young - LF

9. Hughes - 2B

Is that what our lineup looks like in 2009? I sure hope it is something along those lines. The more I think about it, the more I like Crede in a Twins uniform. He would protect Morneau in the lineup (somebody we have needed this season) and would be excellent defender so Gardy wouldnt have to keep on hyping about how defense wins a game.

Rotation:

1. Liriano

2. Baker

3. Blackburn

4. Perkins

5. Slowey

A nice YOUNG rotation with no old washed up vets to keep any young pitcher from his rightful spot in the rotation. And if one of them fails early in the season, we have Swarzak, Humber, Mulvey down in AAA.

Poll

Do you want Crede?

Free Randy Ruiz

33MorneauMVP — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:56:08 -0000

This is a post calling for the freeing of Randy Ruiz. Ruiz is absolutely killing the AAA pitching staff. And, Bill Smith's favorite saying is, "There is no point to send him [Slowey] down to dominate down there....we have to give him a challenge." Would not the same thing apply to Ruiz? and Liriano, but finally, it appears that Liriano will be called up today with the DFAing of Hernandez (see DedicatedFollowerofFashion post).

So, my argument is for the freeing of Ruiz, since he is ripping up AAA staff and should have a little challenge at the big league level.

Here are the Ruiz stats:

416 AB, 58 R, 133 H, 33 2B, 3 3B, 17 HR, 68 RBI, 23 BB, 116 SO, .320 Avg, .366 OBP, .536 SLG, .902 OPS

His splits:

111 AB, 17 R, 35 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 11 BB, 30 SO, .315 AVG, .386 OBP, .495 SLG, .881 OPS -- vs. LH

305 AB, 41 R, 98 H, 27 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 12 BB, 86 SO, .321 AVG, .359 OBP, .551 SLG, .909 OPS -- vs. RH

194 AB, 48 R, 62 H, 12 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 58 RBI, 9 BB, 54 SO, .320 AVG, .361 OBP, .500 SLG, .861 OPS -- with RISP

The only main cause for concern is the number of strikeouts that Ruiz has. It seems like every time he gets out, it is via strikeout. But, why not give him a challenge and see if he can succeed at the big league level. I call for the freedom of Ruiz!!!! Ruiz could easily replace either Lamb or Monroe. I prefer him replacing Lamb since then we will have at least two relatively good power bats on the bench. Monroe isnt as much a power threat but still pitchers must be wary of how they pitch to him. Ruiz, of course, it is unsure how he will produce at the big league level, but if he can keep his AAA numbers in the big league level, pitchers will assuredly not want to tap into our bench!!

FREE RANDY RUIZ!!!!!!

Poll

Should we Free Randy Ruiz?

Dead Weights

33MorneauMVP — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:36:20 -0000

Twins have a few dead weights that they can cut. Those dead weights are: Mike Lamb - .227 avg, 1 HR, 28 RBI. Adam Everett - .177 avg, 1 HR, 7 RBI. Craig Monroe - .202 avg, 9 HR, 29 RBI.

That is only the position players. So who would replace these guys on the bench?

Randy Ruiz - .320 avg, 17 HR, 68 RBI in AAA - replacing Mike Lamb

Matt Macri/Matt Tolbert - replacing Adam Everett

Pridie/McDonald/Jones/Waiver Wire - replacing Craigsy

Ruiz is especially the guy who should be up here. He can replace either Craigsy or Mike Lamb.

Pitching staff could also use a little fat trimmed. According to La Velle, the Twins are going to cut Hernandez to make room for Liriano. That cuts a lot of fat *wink*. Also, though, Bonser and Bass could use a little demotion. Who replaces them?

Liriano replaces Hernandez

Korecky replaces Bass

Gomez replaces Bonser

Lets get it done Twins!! Cut at least Hernandez, Everett and Lamb. Call up Liriano, Ruiz and Macri/Tolbert.....GET IT DONE!!!!

Poll

Cut?

Manny to LA; Bay to Red Sox

33MorneauMVP — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:38:20 -0000

Manny to LA; Bay to Red Sox

According to SI, Boston traded Manny to LA and Bay is going to the Red Sox and the Pirates are getting 4 prospects....

Twins Contact Seattle about Beltre

33MorneauMVP — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:32:55 -0000

Twins Contact Seattle about Beltre

Twins recently contacted Seattle about Adrian Beltre, a gold glove third baseman with decent power. How deep the discussions went is uncertain but at least something has started.