The Jim Thome Saga Ends

[Balta1701]

Span, cf; Mauer, c; Morneau, 1b; Thome, dh; Cuddyer, rf; Kubel, lf; Hardy, ss; Harris, 3b; Punto, 2b.

That's one Hell of a lineup.

[caulfield12]

They have some other options that would make their line-up even more potent.

 

Putting Cuddyer back at 3B, for example, even though his defense over there is atrocious, that takes the second weakest bat (Harris) out of the line-up.

 

There's some thought they might re-sign Crede (3B)/Orlando Cabrera (for 2B) or go after Orlando Hudson and/or Felipe Lopez. I think there really will be some serious concern around here if they were to ALSO bring in Orlando Hudson at 2B, that would be a helluva line-up with O-Dog added to the mix with his skill-set.

 

If they somehow can take Punto out of the starting line-up and put him back in his super-sub role for a superior offensive player, they're really going to be a team to be reckoned with.

Edited January 27, 2010 by caulfield12

[jphat007]

This sucks

[bmags]

Didnt have internet for 2 days and missed all the fun.

 

seriously, i missed all the fun, because this season will be hard as hell to watch.

[RockRaines]

Well now that this is clearly not a Sox thread, shouldnt this be moved?

[RockRaines]

They have some other options that would make their line-up even more potent.

 

Putting Cuddyer back at 3B, for example, even though his defense over there is atrocious, that takes the second weakest bat (Harris) out of the line-up.

 

There's some thought they might re-sign Crede (3B)/Orlando Cabrera (for 2B) or go after Orlando Hudson and/or Felipe Lopez. I think there really will be some serious concern around here if they were to ALSO bring in Orlando Hudson at 2B, that would be a helluva line-up with O-Dog added to the mix with his skill-set.

 

If they somehow can take Punto out of the starting line-up and put him back in his super-sub role for a superior offensive player, they're really going to be a team to be reckoned with.

If only their pitching staff wasnt total garbage compared to us and Detroit. Adding a LH pinch hitter doesnt make them more dangerous to us at this point. Adding O-Dog would however. They still cant match up with our arms though.

[Balta1701]

If only their pitching staff wasnt total garbage compared to us and Detroit. Adding a LH pinch hitter doesnt make them more dangerous to us at this point. Adding O-Dog would however. They still cant match up with our arms though.

Do they still have Pavano?

 

Baker

Slowey

Pavano

Blackburn

Duensing

Liriano

 

Isn't a threat to us with the guy at the top, but that's not exactly a bad rotation there.

[RockRaines]

Do they still have Pavano?

 

Baker

Slowey

Pavano

Blackburn

Duensing

Liriano

 

Isn't a threat to us with the guy at the top, but that's not exactly a bad rotation there.

If that was the Sox rotation you would be calling for 65 wins. Its not good.

[Balta1701]

If that was the Sox rotation you would be calling for 65 wins. Its not good.

You are correct, they were towards the bottom of the AL last year in starter's ERA. And yet, they still won the AL Central. And IMO, there's reason to believe continued development/improvement of it is possible. Most of them other than Pavano are 28 or younger. Slowey finished only 1/2 the season last year.

[RockRaines]

You are correct, they were towards the bottom of the AL last year in starter's ERA. And yet, they still won the AL Central. And IMO, there's reason to believe continued development/improvement of it is possible.

Ah, improvement and development by the other teams, but probably career lows for the Sox.

[Balta1701]

Ah, improvement and development by the other teams, but probably career lows for the Sox.

I'm not one of the ones expecting career lows by the Sox. My problem is...what is required for this team to be an above average offense is career highs from at least 3-4 key people. If Teahen, Rios, Pierre, and Alexei hit their career averages, Konerko and AJ hit just below their career averages (which wouldn't be surprising given their ages) and the Jones/Kotsay platoon hits its average of the last few years, we're in rough shape unless Q goes for 40+.

 

For our offense to work, we need legit improvement from Teahen, Rios, Alexei, continued growth from Beckham, and for Jones/Kotsay to not wind up being a black hole. That's my worry; if we got off years from people or if Q gets hurt then of course we're in trouble, but even if we just get average years from a lot of guys, we're still in trouble. If the Twins get average years from all of those guys, their offense can win the division again, just by putting up its averages.

[caulfield12]

If that was the Sox rotation you would be calling for 65 wins. Its not good.

 

 

They also have Swarzak, Manship and their prize possession who will move fast in Kyle Gibson, who's predicted to be their #1 starter in 2012 or 2013.

 

The Twins were active acquiring talent all summer. With the 22nd overall pick in June, they drafted Missouri righthander Kyle Gibson, a projected top-10 pick choice who was available because he had a stress reaction in his right forearm. Gibson signed at the Aug. 17 deadline for $1.85 million, marking the first time Minnesota took a premier talent who slid and paid him a seven-figure, above-slot bonus.

 

In another first, the Twins paid the highest bonus on the international market in 2009 and the highest for an international player in franchise history when infielder Miguel Sano signed in September for $3.15 million. Minnesota had kicked off the international period by signing German outfielder Max Kepler for $800,000, the largest bonus ever given to a European position player.

from baseballamerica.com

 

The Twins are going into an all-new stadium, they're not messing around.

 

 

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

They also have Swarzak, Manship and their prize possession who will move fast in Kyle Gibson, who's predicted to be their #1 starter in 2012 or 2013.

 

The Twins were active acquiring talent all summer. With the 22nd overall pick in June, they drafted Missouri righthander Kyle Gibson, a projected top-10 pick choice who was available because he had a stress reaction in his right forearm. Gibson signed at the Aug. 17 deadline for $1.85 million, marking the first time Minnesota took a premier talent who slid and paid him a seven-figure, above-slot bonus.

 

In another first, the Twins paid the highest bonus on the international market in 2009 and the highest for an international player in franchise history when infielder Miguel Sano signed in September for $3.15 million. Minnesota had kicked off the international period by signing German outfielder Max Kepler for $800,000, the largest bonus ever given to a European position player.

from baseballamerica.com

 

The Twins are going into an all-new stadium, they're not messing around.

Great post. And they're serious about Mauer too. I think they'll keep him.

 

These are the new Twins, and they plan on kicking our asses through the next decade. Hopefully Kenny and Ozzie wake up.

[caulfield12]

Great post. And they're serious about Mauer too. I think they'll keep him.

 

These are the new Twins, and they plan on kicking our asses through the next decade. Hopefully Kenny and Ozzie wake up.

 

 

It's amazing the difference a year makes in baseball. I guess I haven't been as excited as I was last off-season simply because of the way the season ended...not quite like 2007, but disappointing nonetheless.

 

I guess we'll just have to hope that Hudson, Flowers, Mitchell, Viciedo and Danks all become regular contributors with the big league club, and you know the likelihood of that happening is about 3-5%.

 

As far as Mauer goes, if they make the playoffs again (and you know he'll enjoy having Thome in the clubhouse, just like Konerko and Dye did), it's hard to imagine him leaving for New York. They lost Santana eventually and managed to get a horrible return, but I think Mauer is cut out of a different cloth, he's a Twin Cities native and he just seems very comfortable playing for the Twins. With the new field, there's not as much concern about his health, although over time you'd have to think they would try him at 3B (like Johnny Bench) or 1B/DH to preserve his knees.

 

No doubt there will be a full-court press from the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox. But I still think of him like Ripken and Gwynn, one of those franchise players that will end up playing for the Twins his entire career.

 

A lot of Twins' fans don't believe they'll be able to keep him, they've witness the penurious ways of the Pohlad family for too long there, but with the son in charge and all the excitement and momentum of a new stadium, I think the odds are 75-85% that they end up keeping him and breaking open the bank to do so.

 

 

[chetkincaid]

Great post. And they're serious about Mauer too. I think they'll keep him.

 

These are the new Twins, and they plan on kicking our asses through the next decade. Hopefully Kenny and Ozzie wake up.

 

 

I ain't scared. Do you think that KW will just stand by and allow the twins to run all over the Sox? Nope...

 

Old twins new twins who cares... In Kenny I trust...

[Quin]

If that was the Sox rotation you would be calling for 65 wins. Its not good.

 

Heck, the Royals could have a better rotation with Greinke and Meche at the top. They have a better rotation than the Indians, but the reason they win games is because they have the M&M boys. While the Sox rotation is made of 1's and 2's (and Freddy), the Twins have a rotation of 4's and 5's and maybe a 3 in Duensing.

 

 

[caulfield12]

Heck, the Royals could have a better rotation with Greinke and Meche at the top. They have a better rotation than the Indians, but the reason they win games is because they have the M&M boys. While the Sox rotation is made of 1's and 2's (and Freddy), the Twins have a rotation of 4's and 5's and maybe a 3 in Duensing.

 

 

Baker has the stuff to be a legit 2 starter, although he regressed last season.

 

Slowey is more like a Sonnanstine type who profiles as a 4/5 but pitched like a 2/3 in 2008.

 

Blackburn is a 3/4, although he has had his moments against us and has really been their "big game" pitcher.

 

Perkins, if he can stay healthy, has a "plus" arm.

 

Pavano was suprisingly good for them, he could be anything from a 3-5. He pitched much much better than his ERA of around 5 would indicate because of one or two really terrible outings, the rest were basically "quality" starts.

 

Yes, it's a far cry from Santana/Liriano/Radke/Garza, but they got the job done last year.

 

Then you throw other names onto the list like Liriano, Manship, Swarzak, they have a lot of depth. That's at least 9 starters. We have six, unless you count Torres and Hynick as 7 and 8.

 

 

[Quin]

Baker has the stuff to be a legit 2 starter, although he regressed last season.

 

Slowey is more like a Sonnanstine type who profiles as a 4/5 but pitched like a 2/3 in 2008.

 

Blackburn is a 3/4, although he has had his moments against us and has really been their "big game" pitcher.

 

Perkins, if he can stay healthy, has a "plus" arm.

 

Pavano was suprisingly good for them, he could be anything from a 3-5. He pitched much much better than his ERA of around 5 would indicate because of one or two really terrible outings, the rest were basically "quality" starts.

 

Yes, it's a far cry from Santana/Liriano/Radke/Garza, but they got the job done last year.

 

Then you throw other names onto the list like Liriano, Manship, Swarzak, they have a lot of depth. That's at least 9 starters. We have six, unless you count Torres and Hynick as 7 and 8.

 

Blackburn would be the guy I'd bet one turning into a #2, which is why I was surprised when I saw his statistics.

 

However, they don't have a #1

[Steve9347]

"A guy like Jim, he's not going to just come off the bench," Gardenhire said. "We'll get plenty of at-bats for him. Kubel's my DH, and Delmon's my left fielder, and we all know that going into it, and Jim's going to play a role off the bench and spot play at DH."

 

Translation: "Jim isn't going to come off the bench, he's going to come off the bench."

[NorthSideSox72]

I'm starting to think more and more that Blalock will continue to fall through the cracks, and we'll sign him for cheap just before ST starts. LH bat for DH, occasional relief at 1B and 3B.

 

[Steve9347]

I'm starting to think more and more that Blalock will continue to fall through the cracks, and we'll sign him for cheap just before ST starts. LH bat for DH, occasional relief at 1B and 3B.

 

IIRC Mr. Blalock can hit a jack in a big spot at the Cell!

[PeavyTime]

why indeed I am, sir. It only adds to the excitement of a new stadium, the team adding some serious pop to the lineup. Or did I miss the point and you're saying that Thome's not a big name?

 

Hahahaha this is comical. New stadiums sell tickets. You don't have to add a old, breaking down, once-a-week DH to sell more tickets.

[PeavyTime]

Give Delmon Young a day (or week) off in the outfield and you can have a lineup that goes: Span, cf; Mauer, c; Morneau, 1b; Thome, dh; Cuddyer, rf; Kubel, lf; Hardy, ss; Harris, 3b; Punto, 2b.

 

I'll start that one against Zack Greinke or Justin Verlander five times a year.

 

I wonder if this reporter realizes that Thome can hardly touch a Buehrle fastball anymore, let alone one from Grienke or Verlander.

[MHizzle85]

Well now that this is clearly not a Sox thread, shouldnt this be moved?

That.

 

It also seems that some of ST is ready to hand over the division to a team that made a minor move. Yes, it's a minor move because he won't be playing as much as some of you think he will.

 

I like Thome too, but we need to stop acting like this guy was the second coming.

[daa84]

IIRC Mr. Blalock can hit a jack in a big spot at the Cell!

and it was off of guy who was in the midst of saving 70 something in a row