Comments on: More injuries for Twins, as Jim Thome and Jason Kubel hit the disabled list

By: purdueman

purdueman — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:25:59 +0000

schrut… What’s puzzling (at least to me anyways), is why Target Field seems to have psyched out both Morneau and Mauer. Thome? He could hit a home run out of any park, including even Petco Park in San Diego (where home runs routinely die in the moist ocean air coming off the bay and turn into routine fly ball outs).

Injuries aside, what’s not being written enough about this season is how miserable the made-over Twins bullpen has been thusfar. Both Tampa Bay and the Twins lost something like four or five veterans to free agency last offseason, but Tampa Bay has clearly done a much better job of retooling their pen.

The news doesn’t get any better any time soon for the Twins beleaguered bullpen either, as I’m sure that they’ll let Capps walk as a free agent at the end of this season (if he’s not traded first of course), and I don’t see the Twins picking up Nathan’s $12M option either.

I can see Nathan returning though at a reduced price, but of course a lot of that will have to do with how he finishes this season as well as what the market shapes up to be for closers (and I realize that he’s not closing now, but I’d equate his situation to that of JJ Putz’s last season), should the Twins decline his pricey team option.

By: schrutebeetfarms

schrutebeetfarms — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:51:12 +0000

However their home record last year was incredible.

Also, the Yankees, Blue Jays etc. don’t have any problem hitting home runs at Target Field, so small ball isn’t really necessary.

By: purdueman

purdueman — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 05:55:29 +0000

Unfortunately if the Twins decide to go into rebuilding mode, even good guys like Jim Thome wind up getting released. Thome’s salary is modest enough for the team to cut him in order to give a youngster some experience and a shot at the Show.

Certainly I want to see Big Jim achieve 600 career home runs, but I can’t help but remember how desperate Fred Mc Stiff was to hang on for just seven more home runs to reach 500 for his career, and it was a very sad way for him to go out.

I have the utmost respect for the Twins organization, but the bald faced reality is that Target Field has radically changed the ideal way to put together a competitive roster. Sure, the Twins have been snakebit by injuries, but surely not to the extent of their thusfar dismal record. If I were the Twins, I’d do as the Padres are doing and start to retool their roster to play more “small ball”, because Target Field simply plays a lot bigger than the old Baggydome.

By: whatagreatfootballmind

whatagreatfootballmind — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 04:51:48 +0000

Why can’t the struggling Twins afford to carry Thome that long? Do you honestly think the Twins are going to make a magical run the last 4 months of the season? It’s a lost season already, let Thome get #600 here. Then trade him, trade Kubel, trade Frankie, trade Delmon, trade everything and everyone and blow this team up and start over and compete in 2015,

By: purdueman

purdueman — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:05:21 +0000

Big Jim’s done; stick a fork in him.

It would be great to see him hit his career goal of 600 career HR’s (now just 4 short), but I don’t know if the struggling Twins can afford to carry him that long.

By: missthemexpos

missthemexpos — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:21:09 +0000

Any correlation between the Twin’s injuries this year and the collapse of the Metrodome roof over the winter? This injury epidemic for the Twins is really getting out of hand.

By: sknut

sknut — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:56:59 +0000

At least Revere will get some AB’s. I am hoping we see Joe Benson this year, not sure it will happen but might as well look to the future.