Gomez wins center field job; Tolbert makes roster [UPDATED WITH LINEUPS]
Posted on March 24th, 2008 – 8:05 AMBy La Velle
The Twins optioned four players to Class AAA Rochester this morning - Philip Humber, Denard Span, Brian Buscher and Jason Pridie.
Righthander Casey Daigle was reassigned to the minor league camp.
That means that Carlos Gomez, who’s batting .286 with a homer, 6 RBI and 10 stolen bases this spring, will be the Twins’ starting center fielder on Opening Day.
Pridie batted .295 this spring with 4 RBI and was 5 for 7 in attempted steals. He felt he did everything he could to make the club but knew going in it was going to be tough to make the club with so many outfielders in camp.
Span took the news hard. He really felt he had a good chance to make the team and believed he gave Gomez a stiff challenge for the job. He choked up a few times while he spoke with reporters.
The final cuts are never easy. For some reason, there was no music playing in the clubhouse this morning, which made things worse. Players (and the media) look around the room to see who’s packing up and then figure out when the right time is to approach the guy who’s just been cut.
Buscher being cut indicates that Matt Tolbert will make the team as an extra utility player. Who saw that one coming at the beginning of camp?
There are 29 players left in camp. Catchers Drew Butera and Eli Whiteside won’t make the team. Outfielder-first baseman Jon Knott won’t make the team. So here’s your 13 position players:
Catchers (2): Joe Mauer, Mike Redmond
Infielders (6): Justin Morneau , Brendan Harris, Adam Everett, Mike Lamb, Nick Punto, Matt Tolbert.
Outfielders (5): Delmon Young, Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Craig Monroe.
The are 13 pitchers left in camp. Indications are that Fransisco Liriano will open the season in the minors, meaning Brian Bass will make the club.
So these are your 2008 Minnesota Twins.
Here are the lineups:
Cardinals: Shumaker, Duncan, Barton, Ankiel, Ludwick, Kennedy, Jimenez, LaRue, Izturis. Pitching: Brad Thompson.
Twins: Go-Go, Red Dog, Cuddy, Canadian Clubber, D.Y., Monroe (DH), Lamb, Harris, Tolbert. Pitching: Bassman, followed by The Big Sweat.
Minor leaguers added today: LHP Ryan Mullins, RHP Kyle Waldrop, INF Steve Tolleson, INF Yancarlos Ortiz
279 Responses to "Gomez wins center field job; Tolbert makes roster [UPDATED WITH LINEUPS]"
The only surprise here is that Humber was sent down i really thought he had a shot at making the rotation.
I’m excited about Gomez being the CF. I think he’s going to make this lineup really exciting. I also really like that they kept Tolbert around. I’ll bet anything that a month into the season he takes over as the starting 2B, given their complete lack of talent at the position with Harris and Punto.
Good for Tolbert. I love it when a dark horse makes the team.
The cuts give us some quality options in Rochester this year. It seemed last year that there wasn’t much at any position at AAA.
I guess they want Tolbert to sit the bench so Buscher and Jones can get at bats in Rochester. Makes sense but you hate to see some guy like Tolbert make the team when he doesn’t even deserve it.
With Liriano in Triple-A, how do you see the Twins’ rotation? Who would have thought that Boof could open as the No. 2 and Slowey as the No. 3?
Now we can get this thing started.
Go Twins
how long is liriano going to be in the minors
its not definitie about liriano yet- they are waiting to decide the pitchers
Makes sense but you hate to see some guy like Tolbert make the team when he doesn’t even deserve it.
Except he earned it. What did Buscher do this spring to help his case?
I’m absolutlye PUMPED that Gomez was able to fight his way into the starting 9. This probably means Span will never see the majors as a Twin. But with his play this Spring, he may be worth something to another team.
Unless the Twins think either he or Pridie may be valuable next year (depending on Monroe’s performance)
Your 08 Lineup:
Gomez (CF)
Mauer (C)
Young/Cuddyer (LF/RF)
Morneau (1B)
Cuddyer/Young (RF/LF)
Kubel/Monroe (DH)
Lamb (3B)
Harris/Punto (2B)
Everett (SS)
I can get behind that!
Does Span have trade value? Seems a shame to have him stuck at age 24 behind Gomez, who looks like he’ll be our CF’er for another five years (until Scott “No Extensions” Boras takes him on the open market). Pridie will be a serviceable backup CF.
Humber will be in the rotation at some point before the season ends. Speaking of Humber, I sure am glad we got him and Mulvey from the Mets instead of Pelphrey and Lutz. Pelphrey gave up 13 hits in four-plus innings yesterday and has an ERA this spring of way over 10. Lutz got knocked around yesterday too.
If Liriano starts in the minors, BLACKBURN makes the team.
Bass is on the team already.
The twelve pitchers are
Liriano/Blackburn, Livan, Bonser, Baker, Slowey,
Bass, Nathan, Neshek, Crain,
Rincon, Reyes, Guerrier
Speaking of “insted ofs”…
I’ve been trying to follow a few former Twins as they enter their first springs with their new teams.
I’ve heard Hunter’s doing well, and can’t imagine Santana doing anything less than being himself.
But how about Carlos Silva? He was the big “WTF” contract this year with Seattle. How has he looked over in their camp?
Wow, possibly no lefty on the staff to start the year and Tolbert makes it. The battle for 2B goes on. Interesting to see if Punto gets starts at 2B or if it is just Harris and Tolbert.
Goodness I hope twins fans can handle Gomez and his rawness. Span outplayed Gomez and I think this is just a case of the Twins thinking that they need a guy on the roster from the Santana trade. Gomez is not ready and Span would have been the smarter option to start the season, he is just more fundamenatlly sound. If we struggle to start the year, then bring up Gomez.
you hate to see some guy like Tolbert make the team when he doesn’t even deserve it.
Tolbert earned this. They were trying to hand the job to Jones, and he couldn’t take it. Then they tried to hand the job to Buscher and he choked on it. Tolbert was the only extra infielder who played well all spring. He won this job, and if he keeps playing well and Harris and Punto keep playing like they did in spring training, he could by your starting second baseman by midseason.
As for Span, if he can play in AAA like he played in spring training, he’ll have a lot of trade value. But why trade him? Go Go is one head-first slide from going on the DL.
rick,
Jones is not even on the 40-man roster any more. I don’t think he is in Twins plans at all unless he wows them at AAA.
David,
Who is Lutz? Is that Kunz?
IMO, if Casilla tears up AAA, Tolbert will be a short timer in MLB.
La Velle–
What’s up with Gardy starting Monroe against another right-hander. Isn’t the idea of a platoon….a platoon? Why do I have this nauseous feeling in my stomach that Kubel won’t get 500 ABs this year?
Everett,
Reyes is LHP.
I think it will be good for liariano to start in AAA where he can continue to get extended out and strengthen his arm, as for Span I can see many teams showing alot of interest by his ST numbers as long as he doesn’t take it to hard (being sent down) and totally stink in AAA. Pridie seems to me to be more of a corner outfielder (arm strength) & Humber should be in the majors very shortly (not all our pitchers are going to shine this spring). If Punto doesn’t put up at least .250 numbers I can see him gone before the all star break.
- oops, sorry Reyes
[…] to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Carlos Gomez (acquired via the NY Mets in the Johan Santana deal) has won the Twins’ […]
Fred, Kubel wouldn’t even get 500 ABs in a true platoon situation, so I’m not quite sure why you would get that feeling in your stomach. Maybe Gardy just wanted to get Monroe a few more at bats.
What is all this nonsense about Kubel and 500 ABs? Try getting hot once early Kubel and earn the ABs.
Please please don’t let Kubel get 500 at bats this year. When are you people gonna realize hes a bust? He’s had short stretches the last 2 years where he’s hit well but for the most case he’s an automatic out, extremely slow when he does get on base, and absolutely horrible in the field.
Did anyone see those Gopher Hockey boys this weekend? haha, kidding. Back to Twins talk. Yeah, I personally think the surprise roster spot is Punto. I don’t fully understand economics, but there must be something in his deal (or a veterans contract for that matter) that says even if you’re cut the organization still must pay a nice chunk of change. Otherwise they would have kept Tolbert/Harris and either Buscher/Jones and cut Punto - One would think that that move would have saved them a ton of money this year too! Maybe it was a clubhouse move, Punto is said to be a great clubhouse guy (but at something like $3M/year - hell, I’d sign up to tell jokes and keep the guys lively and uptempo for $30/hour! and i wouldn’t take up a roster spot eitehr)
AJH–
I was merely saying that gardy has professed the idea of a platoon, which would indicate they split time. My opinion is that Kubel should get 500–even though I know gardy won’t let that happen.
Exactly….it’s spring training. Gardy wants to see how Kubel hits against lefties and how Monroe hits against righties….why wouldn’t you want to know? Better to find out in Florida then in Cleveland.
I’m suprised because I thought they wanted Tolbert to be an everyday player in a year or two so I’m suprised that he made the team, although Buscher just was in a slump for about two or three weeks.
I was criticle of Gomez two weeks ago but he really stepped it up in the past 10 day or so. And he got so many double’s and triple in his hits… and 10 stolen bases is incredible.
So let’s make sure we’re all thinking the same rotation…. it’s Baker, Bonser, Slowey, Blackburn, Hernandez? With Bass as the long reliever?
Fred, this is spring training so I feel that Gardy wanted to see how well Mornoe would do besides figuring 162 games with 4 1/2 at bats per game (4-5 at bats per game) you would only have 729 at bats so you actually think Kubel should get 500 AB’s I’d think if he gets 380-400 AB’s he’ll be lucky (injuries, days off etc.). No disrespect for Kubel or Mornoe here but this is just the math & also Gardy will shake it up a bit depending on how hot/cold the players are at any given time.
T,
Silva has a 9.20 ERA and has given up 28 hits in 14 2/3 innings. Much of that was from his last start where he gave up 9 earned runs on 13 hits including 7 consecutive. They say he was working on a new pitch, a cutter. The start before that was 5 scoreless innings on 7 hits, all singles.
Kubel sucks, he really really sucks
It is an interesting roster.
Positives:
Young has potential to be great, M&M are both very good, Cuddeyer is about average and Gomez will be exciting (when he manages to get on base). The bullpen looks great. They have a lot of #3 starters. Everett should be a good glove.
Negatives:
Gomez may not be on base enough to be exciting. Harris/Punto combo looks pretty weak right now, and we have no idea if Lamb can make it through a full season. They have a lot of #3 starters. Livan is on the roster instead of Humber or some other young pitcher. Monroe is on the roster instead of a cheaper and as good option meaning Kubel will not bat as much as he should.
Overall the roster isn’t too bad, espectially considering they lost their top 3 starting pitchers and their CF (and best hitter).
I’d anticipate that Garza is a better pitcher than Young is a hitter this year, and that fans will be annoyed with that trade for this year. However, Young has a super high ceiling so it will hopefully wash out over the long run. (boss colling, gotta go)
Rood Dog,
You are right.
And if Monroe can hit righties, the Twins could trade Kubel for an infielder and bring back Span to MLB.
Twins currently have 38 on the 40 man roster….
LOL, you’d be lucky to trade Kubel for a diet coke.
Silva has an era over 9 this Spring.Yikes.
I think the Twin’s have showcased their young talent very well this spring and other teams will take notice so I can see some of these guy’s being trade bait possibly for another starting pitcher (experienced) or 3rd baseman of the future.
“I’d anticipate that Garza is a better pitcher than Young is a hitter this year”
Really? Cause I never saw this “ace” stuff in Garza. I saw somebody who REALLY struggled under pressure (which was why he was 0 for his first 9 in trying to win a game at home and most of them were his fault). And I think Garza thinks he’s better than he really is. However Delmon Young is a beast. He fished second in the rookie of the year voting! He’s shown everything u want in a hitter… and he’s only about 22 years old
Dave–have you ever seen Kubel’s minor league numbers? Or considered the fact he’s been recovering from a blown out knee?
He’s a talented hitter. Just let him hit.
When will you announce that Punto will be optioned to single A..then we can start the season…
.139
To bodly: Thanks for the Silva update. From the sound of it he’s still as inconsistent as ever.
To Tye: “I think this is just a case of the Twins thinking that they need a guy on the roster from the Santana trade”
Except that Gomez’s speed is a HUGE force at the top of the lineup. Just in the few games I saw him running the bases it was clear that he was getting into pitcher’s heads.
He’ll work out his edges in the big league camp with guys like Cuddy and Redmond around. The Santana trade is a non-factor in the decision. (Though I imagine the same fans claiming it was would be equally upset if somebody from the trade hadn’t made the roster…so really it’s a no-win for the Twins)
To mike wants wins:“I’d anticipate that Garza is a better pitcher than Young is a hitter this year, and that fans will be annoyed with that trade for this year.”
I actually think Garza is going to be brought back down to Earth quickly and rudely this season. He’s in the AL East now, which means he’ll have a number of starts against the Boston and New York juggernauts comparred to last season in the Central.
I wish him the best, but I don’t expect it to be pretty. At worst, Garza/Young will appear to be a wash this year and then look like a win next season. One of Harris/Pridie will turn out to be equal to Bartlett in the long term…and it’ll be a LONG time before we can tell if the other is better off than Morlan.
Fred, he blew that knee out over 2 years ago. And minor league numbers don’t mean anything. The minor leagues are full of stars that never make it in the majors.
punto and span to a’s for mark ellis?
“Silva has an era over 9 this Spring”
Silva’s ERA was terrible last year in ST. Then he went out in the regular season and earned a $48 million contract.
Conclusion -
Spring Training is Spring Training.
Liriano has to make the rotation; with 1 Lefty in the pen, and all righties in the rotation the Twins would be in trouble against some teams (but fortunately not against AL Central teams, which traditionally hit lefties better than righties…)
I agree with mike wants wins; Gomez is undoubtedly an exciting talent. Getting on base consistently at the big league level is another story. For all he does right, you can see areas where he needs work. In a year where expectations are pretty modest (3rd place finish by most accounts?), why rush him up here to fill a spot then? Now, he may prove me wrong and hit .300, steal 50+, rack up 80 rbi and be an all-star. But my guess is he will consistently be…well inconsistent. That means incredible diving catches and stolen bases, an occasional double or triple, mixed with a lot of growing pains (i.e. missing cut-off men, striking out too often because of over-aggressiveness, sliding into first!, failing to get a bunt down etc).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited as heck about this kid…I just don’t see the need to start him up here just yet. June seems more right.
As for Liriano, he of all people needs to take this year slower than others. There’s no need for him to rush up here and try to regain the form/velocity/nastiness of 2006. This kid could be great and needs to take things slow, especially in a season where there’s no urgency.
Both Gomez and Liriano would be served well by joining the team in June rather than April.
Dave, I feel sorry for you if you don’t think minor league numbers mean anything. I guess we just got luck with Mauer and Morneau when they got to the majors?
A torn ACL and other ligament damage takes time to recover from. He overcompensated with his other knee in 06, and his true form started to show in the second half of 2007.
Post ASB 2007:
.303/.379/.511 with 6 homers, 15 doubles, and a K:BB of 33:23
And that’s in 178 ABs.
Do you really want the same guy deciding Francisco “The Franchise” Liriano’s future who thought Nick Punto could be an every day player? Did he go to the Tom Kelly school of minor leaguers? Honestly, why do the Twins participate in the amateur draft?
Silva was a much better pitcher than anyone in this market gave him credit for. Everyone seemed to think he should be as good as or almost as good as Radke and Santana. In fact, he was a very good number 3 pitcher.
Span can have a future in the team. Cuddyer will probably not be around after his contract expires (same with Monroe). Even though the most likely replacement for Cuddyer is Revere, Span might fulfill that role also…
Fred, for every Mauer and Morneau, there are dozens of Brian Buchanons
Lol, how about J.D (the real deal)Durbin, according to his minor league numbers, he should be a major league star.
T,
You don’t think that Garza’s power pitches will overpower the Yankee and Red Sox hitters?
Who were the other sure fire major leaguers? Adam Johnson?
Span did not earn the starting job over Gomez. They both played equal its just that Gomez gives the Twins a leadoff batter who will occassionally hit for power and into the gaps where Span is just a slap hitter. Span will be the first outfielder called up in case one of the big 3 get hurt or if Gomez can’t hit Uncle Charlie.
Span isn’t going to sit at AAA for the next four years and wait for Cuddyer to expire.
From what I’ve read everywhere about Liriano, Friday’s start will determine everything. Also, he said yesterday that if he can’t go for some reason, he would rather stay in Fort Myers where its warm.
If Liriano doesn’t make the team and they go with Blackburn its a bad move. Don’t get me wrong, Blackburn is fine, but hasn’t Humber been better?
Dave, Kubel was the team’s best hitter in the second half last year. His OPS for August and September last year was something like 950. He is a notoriously slow starter. But when he gets going, he has proven that he can hit in the majors. I think Gardy will play the hot hand there, and split their at bats. But if Kubel gets hot, he could easily end up with 500 at bats.
I like the looks of the roster. I don’t mind having Punto on the bench. We have to be honest here…would you rather have him sitting htere all year and not getting a lot of playing time or some young guy going to waste…I think Young has the potential to be SuperStar! We have talked about for the last few years that the Twins never have traded for a good hitter..well now we have so let’s see what happens!
I think the only things holding Garza back this year will be:
Tampa just seems to lose
He has to face NYY and Bos a lot
He will pitch half of his games in a hitters’ park
However, I’ll stick by my belief that his adjusted numbers will look as good or better than any Twins’ starter this year. Heck, I think his raw numbers will look better.
Anyone that doesn’t think he has the stuff isn’t paying attention to all those scouts you all love so much. Opinions are universal that he has the stuff. Opinions are not universal that he is mature enough (funny, he’s never been suspended for throwing a bat an ump….yet none of you seem to fear Young’s makeup now that he is a Twin). All reports out of ST are that Garza is ready to assume his role as a legit major league pitcher with very good stuff.
Dave, I’m sorry to break it to you, but hitters are much, much different than pitchers. So far you’ve named two pitchers.
i hope the leash gardy has on kubel is alot shorter than puntos….we have been waiting 3 years now for kubel to recover from injuries, and i understand that, but reality is there are two kids in AAA that are mlb ready, so i would think if kubel does not produce, he would not hesitate to go to span or pridie - the same could be said for monroe, but i have more faith in monroe, as i feel he is going to just have a monster year…jmho
Wow, once a guy gets a reputation on these boards, it is impossible to shake.
Repeat after me: Kubel was the Twins’ second best hitter after the all star break last year. Kubel was the Twins’ second best hitter after the all star break last year.
Did only some people actually pay attention at that point?
I hope your right, I hope Kubel does turn out to be a very good hitter. I really do, as a Twins fan, that would be great for the Twins. Unfortunately, when I see Kubel come to the plate with 2 outs, I know I can change the channel. Specially if there are runners in scoring position. And his fielding is horrible, and if he does get on base with less than 2 outs, your only going to move him one base at a time because he is slower than Boof Bonser running from 1st to 3rd.
I admit that I was one of those down on Span and thought he would never demonstrate he could be the player they thought they drafted. Granted, he’s not at that level, but he did show a much improved version of himself this spring and I thought he turned his work ethic around 180. Gomez is exciting, but I think he could benefit from a little more time in the minors while giving Span a shot and perhaps raising his trade potential and letting him go somewhere where he can be the every day guy. I think they went with Gomez because they feel they had to show they got at least one starter in the Santana give-away.
Actually, no, after the Twins traded Louis Castillo when they were only 6 games out just so they could save $500,000, then I stopped watching. I was too disgusted. Most of you fans let the Twins off way too easy. We are not a small market team, we are the number 17 market, which makes us midmarket. Both Hunter and Santana could have been signed much much cheaper last spring than they signed for after the season. The Twins never had any intention of signing either.
I’m happy with the bullpen and bench along with the starting lineup.
I just hope the Twins don’t “over-baby” Liriano. He said he feels fine, and I know he lied about that last year, but there has to be a point when you gain trust that he is really fine. If he pitches well on Friday and they still send him down, it’ll be a stupid move.
With that said, if the rotation is like this on Opening Day, I’ll be even happier than I was today to see that Tolbert and Gomez got in.
Livan Hernandez
Boof Bonser
Kevin Slowey
Francisco Liriano
Scott Baker
Happy to see Gomez get the nod, I think he is going to be a fun player to watch. He’s not the perfect lead-off hitter, but with his speed he could really be a game changer. Span did nothing for me and still needs a lot of work with the bat. I think they want to get Humber some innings, he will be a factor by mid-season.
[…] Minneapolis Star-Tribune is flowing with info today. With Johan Santana no longer in the Twin Cities, this team […]
I thought span was going to make the team, figured he has had a decent spring, and that the team would reward him with starting job. Plus I thought it’d be better to give Gomez a little bit more seasoning at AAA
Gomez is still considered a rookie, correct?
Lavelle…
Didn’t see you clarify the starting 2B job in that recap…Do we know yet?
Twins fans deserve to know if we need to stage a Punto Protest outside of Gardy’s home!!!!!
How long is “Kubel is recovering from an injury” going to be an excuse? He has had plenty of chances to prove himself and failed miserably. We need to get rid of him and give someone else a shot.
Yes, Gomez is still a rookie.
So Dave, you quit watching just before Kubel turned his season around, and now you’re the expert on him who is here to inform those of us who DID watch him AND have looked at his numbers that he is a bust? Do you wonder why most people disagree with you? He’s by far our best option at DH right now, and as a young player on a non-contender he should be allowed to hit in any situation. Craig Monroe has been bad for years. I don’t know why we’d take at-bats from a promising young player and give them to a guy like that.
More to the point, I could not be more irritated with this center field situation. Gomez’s swing and approach at the plate could both benefit from a complete overhaul. He’s 22, so there is time to perform such an overhaul. But instead, the Twins put him on the MLB roster before he is ready, so that his service clock can start up NOW, meaning that we will only have him until he is 27 (he’s a Scott Boras client). This way, we can impede his development AND miss half of his prime. This is a great way to minimize the return for Santana, limit Gomez’s growth, and possibly make the team worse in 2008 (Span or Pridie are better, IMO, or at least not much worse).
Sigh.
Does this mean Jesse Crain made the roster? I haven’t heard or seen anything on him lately, so I thought he was out of the picture.
” I think they went with Gomez because they feel they had to show they got at least one starter in the Santana give-away.”
The Twins could have kept Humber if that was a factor. The Twins were(are) not impatient to show results for the Santana trade. The Twins have been patient to a horrible fault (protect Santana’s/Liriano’s arms, let prospects over-ripe in the minors, don’t offer/negotiate long-term contracts until its too late). Lets hope TR’s chronic patience has not infected BS.
[…] the Minneapolis Star Tribune updated his blog this morning with some interesting information (click here for the posting). First and foremost, it appears that Francisco Liriano will not be opening the […]
You guys need to get over your irrational feelings towards Kubel. Last year, his adjusted OPS+ was only two points lower than the beloved Cuddyer’s. And he was battling injury. And Gardy was jerking him around. And it was his first full season in the bigs.
I don’t think the Twins took Gomez over Span just because of the whole Johan factor.
Also, why all the hate for Kubel?
He did very well in the second half last season and people are already all over him because of spring stats?
The big question for Gomez and Young is how they handle playing in the dome i know Young has played at the dome but playing CF is a whole differant animal and one that Torri mastered. I’m going to miss watching Torri fake like he can’t see the flyballs.
Dave,
The Twins were “only 6 games out” because Detroit and Cleveland were faultering. Twins were barely above .500 at that point. And I believe it was Hunter and Santana that had not real intention of resigning with the Twins, not the other way around. Hunter was offered $15 million a year and Santana $20 milllion. Very decent offers.
Kubelfan,
If Gomez tanks, he can be sent down and his service clock can be stopped.
Yeah, I don’t blame the Twins for losing either. Yeah, they could have tried harder last spring — THEY DIDN’T!
Both offers were pretty decent. $15 million was what every team was offering Torii. Then the Angels came in and overspent.
And for Johan, if he wanted to take that hometown discount like he said, the $20 million we offered was that…
Dave,
I am surprised to learn than the Luis Castillo trade caused the Twins to finish 17 games out of first place.
I didn’t realize he was that valuable.
Way to go, Tolbert! Much better than Buscher right now anyway.
Punto only makes this team because he has a contract. They should send him down for a while. It wouldn’t kill him… or us.
about Gomez and the dome:
Gomez’s BA will probably be 20-30 points higher in the dome because of the turf. He is going to have a lot of infield singles…
thrylos98, I’ll agree with that. Castillo was a better hitter in the Dome if I remember correctly becuase he could bounce it into the ground and run it out.
Imagine Gomez doing that 
Gomez will be very exciting to watch. As any investment, there’s always risk involved. High risk equals (sometimes) high rewards.
Kubel will have one more year (in my opinion) to show he’s a MLB caliber DH/OF option on this team.
If there’s one thing I hope Billy Smith does differently than Terry Ryan, it’s not hold onto players because they have “potential” much past their mid-twenties ala Lew Ford and others.
Looking at the schedule, Twins have 14 out of 28 games in April against KC, the White Sox, and Texas. They also have 2 games against Tampa Bay and 3 against Oakland. They have a real good opportunity to get off to a good start. The first few years they won the division they had alot of early games against Detroit and KC, while Chicago and Cleveland had much tougher schedules (this is my memory - you stat freaks can go back and dig up the schedules and call me full of it if you want).
To Dayoldbread:
Major League baseball contracts are 100% guaranteed. So even if we cut Punto we will still have to pay his entire contract.
That is the main reason why we wouldn’t give Santana his 7 year deal. If he were to blow out his arm (heaven forbid), the Mets would still have to pay every dime of it over the next 7 years. Granted the team will take out a huge insurance policy out on him to protect their investment, but they would still lose out.
The anticipated run production looks a little weaker this year, than it did in spring training last year. The fielding looks a little weaker, also.
The biggest change to the negative, appears to be the starting pitching.
Of course, you never know for sure. I like the young arms. They definitely have some talent. As the pitching goes, so go the Twins.
Gomez is not a rookie. He was on the Mets major league roster from mid-May through the end of the season. It’s like Mauer in 2005. He would have been a rookie if he hadn’t been on the DL for most of 2004.
C-Go is the right man for the job … huge upside for this young kid. In two years we’ll have forgotten all about Torii as we marvel at our next franchise player.
Maybe I was thinking he is still a “Prospect” since he has less that 150 ABs.
I am very excited to see both young pitchers Bass and Humber. I also want to see how they handle Gomez. Gomez at 6′4 has amazing speed that will be great on the base paths. The only players I would have shipped off would have been Kubel, Punto, Boof and Livan other then that Looks great. I still think that the fans are going to yell about Punto’s bat you will really yell about Everett
I like Kubel, and I agree with all above who think he’s got great potential.
Two minor things, though:
1) He (like almost every LH hitter in MLB history) doesn’t hit LH pitching very well, and Gardenhire absolutely should let Monroe get the majority of ABs against LH pitching.
2) You all weaken your case with this constant “Gardy has jerked Kubel around” myth. Kubel has had every opportunity to earn a full time job, and either because of lingering knee issues or because he just isn’t good enough he hasn’t been able to nail down a permanent job. That’s on him, not Gardy.
C-Go is the man, indeed. Tough to give up Torii, but C-Go will be the heir apparent for the AL center field gold-gloves.
[…] La Velle E Neal III is reporting that Denard Span, Brian Buscher, Jason Pridie, and Philip Humber have all been optioned to Class AAA Rochester this morning. That means Carlos Gomez will start the year out in center field this year and Matt Tolbert will make the squad as a utility player. […]
The anticipated run production looks a little weaker this year…
You look at this lineup comparred to 07 and see a decrease in offense?
CF and SS are downgrades.
2B is a wash. (Harris/Punto evens out to Casilla offensively)
C, 1B, RF are the same.
LF, 3B are significant upgrades.
DH is a huge upgrade.
That’s without breaking down the lineup 1-9. I’d say Gomez/Mauer at the top is better than the revolving door the Twins had at 1/2 last year.
And a heart of Young/Morneau/Cuddy at worst breaks even with Mauer/Hunter/Morneau.
Then you’ve got Kubel/Monroe, Lamb, and Harris hitting where guys like White, Cirillo, Punto, and Rodriquez dwelled.
The only reason this offense won’t be a major overall upgrade is because Gomez will be evening out the edges this season. But in 09 this lineup will be leave 07 in the dust.
I heard a rumor yesterday that there was an outside chance Nick Punto might be released. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. It was painful watching his at-bats in yesterday’s game. Has there ever been a player this bad that’s been given so many chances? Buscher, Pridie, Span, Ruiz… there are dozens of players who didn’t make the team that bring more to the table than a terrible-hitting late-inning defensive replacement. Punto had been turn it around very quickly.
When the Twins acquired Monroe, I stated that Monroe and Punto would be the everyday players. I said that the Twins would not have 6.2 million dollars (Monroe 3.8 mil, Punto 2.4 mil)sitting on the bench. The Twins don’t pay that kind of money for bench players. They have never had position players making that kind of money on the bench, unless the player was injured. Everyone here was mad at me for my “troll” statement. Keep watching.
Craig what is the troll statement. Why does everyone yell about Punto and not about Everett
I think the Twins were hoping Jones would be claimed on waivers. Dan Gladden and John Gordon were talking how the Twins asked him to play winter ball and Jones refused saying his wanted to work out over the winter with a trainer and that’s not what the Twins wanted to hear. I think Jone’s days as a Twin are numbered, sounds like…. a player to be named later.
jimmy bee, because Everett can pick it better than anyone in the league, only Tulo in Colorado rivals him. Comparing Everett to Punto is a disservice to Everett. Yes, Punto has a nice glove, but it is not even in the same ballpark as Everett’s.
Craig, I am confused…are you saying Monroe and Punto will be playing everyday? Looks like to me Monroe will hit against LHP and Punto will be a backup utility type. I don’t understand your point.
Everett is hitting DOUBLE Punto’s puny average, with 3 more doubles.
At least he is showing signs of competence. Punto is showing no competence. Even has struck out more than walked, which is ’supposedly’ one of his strong points.
An OBP just above .200 at this stage of ST is cause for concern.
Is everett that much of a difference maker with his glove. Can he do backflips from the dugout all the way to his position then start catching balls barehanded
this is pretty good. a tournament of the worst offseason MLB moves.
http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2008/03/24/the-2008-sweet-sixteen-of-offseason-fleeces/
jimmy bee, Everett has incredible range and makes spectacular plays from other SS into routine plays for him. Do a little research on defensive baseball.
http://actasports.com/sow.php?id=144
quote:
The Fielding Bible Awards are our alternative to the Gold Gloves. Adam Everett won our first Fielding Bible Award at shortstop last year and was leading in plus/minus by a wide margin at the time of his injury this year. But despite having played only about a third of the season, he just misses the top five list above at +17.
I forgot to mention that ultimently the +17 means he made 17 more plays than the ave SS could make, in just 1/3 of the year. That includes giving him minus’ on the errors. That is incredible.
Does this mean that for the last spring training game (Saturday at Pitt) the full squad will play - or will most of the big boys have come back to MN already?
(taking my parents to the game, and not sure who we should expect to see playing)
Hope Tolbert does well, He derserves to get a spot on the roster. I think he will eventually take over for Harris at 2B.
I know how important defense is in the game so now what I will do AaronK is copy your quote save it in Word to my desktop and for the remainder of the year when everyone is complaining over and over again till my ears bleed regarding his hitting I will open up Word and copy and paste your quote for everyone to see
Craig you got your wish with Tolbert congrats
I don’t understand this sudden love for Span. Going into spring training EVERYONE here (except Craig) thought he was a total dud who would never amount to anything, and would have no trade value, even as a throw-in. No everyone wants him not only on the team, but starting in centerfield. And people are talking about trading him to other teams as a starter for them.
So where did this love come from??? Certainly not from his minor league career. Last year he hit .267 with a .323 OBP and a 678 OPS. Terrible numbers. He also had a low base stealing success rate. Aaron Gleeman ranks him the 40th best prospect on the team. But he had a reasonably OK spring training so now he should be our centerfielder? And by “reasonably OK” I mean a .282 BA with no HRs and two RBIs. So how did he go from no value to “should be” starting centerfielder???
Everett has incredible range and makes spectacular plays from other SS into routine plays for him. Do a little research on defensive baseball
Thank’s AaronK
jimmy, lol I am glad you like defense as well. It is important.
Craig,
Your (troll) statement last December was that Monroe would be released because his salary was too high for a Twins bench player.
Punto would be starting (at 1B?) for the same reason.
No release - two bench players - Good job, Miss Cleo!
Yes, the Twins hitting will be slightly worse than last year.
Castillo, Bartlett and Hunter are much better hitters than their replacements.
It will be interesting to see Everett’s range on the carpet. Hopefully it’s excellent, like Batlett’s. Everett has better hands.
Lamb will be a hitting upgrade over Punto, if his hands and feet are quick enough to handle 3B (highly doubtful).
Young should be a dramatic improvement over Kubel/White in the field, and at the plate.
Anyone, is better than White/Kubel as the DH. Monroe hardly could be worse than those two, but he has the potential to almost be as bad.
Mauer will be better than last year, Cuddyer about the same, opposing teams figured out Morneau, the 2nd half of last year.
One note: I do love Morneau, and want him to be a Twin for the next 20 years, but only if that’s what you guys want (new and improved Craig).
Everyone beating on Harris esp. in the first few posts is going to be sorely mistaken. I am telling you he had a solid BA on a weak Tampa Bay team.
His offensive numbers are already better than any infielder we had or have outside of Morneau.
He is a Yankee killer. During one weekend series I saw him consistantly get on base, and he put his team ahead in the 7th after they had (characteristically?) blew the lead and were down something like 3-5.
He is a better on base machine than his numbers show. Again this was with a weak TB team. Think of what he’ll do in our improved lineup.
Y’all will sing a different tune by midseason and barring injuries, Tolbert will not be starting for him. He’s the real deal.
Span probably deserved to start but no biggie. Gomez gets hurt or is unproductive and Span is the first one called up.
Jimmy thinks that Morneau will be good this year as well Craig and Jimmy would love to see Punto, Everett and Kubel in the same lineup one day with Boof Starting “Woooo hooooo…..
look all you tolbert lovers harris will be our second-basemen for along time and will hit 15+ homers and .280+
Spring numbers mean nothing
Dennis,
If Gomez hadn’t knocked everyone’s eyes out, Span would now be the Twins CF as chosen by the Twins coaching staff and FO staff.
That proves to me the value of Aaron Gleeman’s rankings.
I will take the opinion of the Twins coaching staff and FO staff.
One of them will be wrong when Span’s year/career is over.
why don’t we send Kubel down and bring up Span for an experiment this year after kubel gets hurt at the begining of the year
If Santana were to be traded now, do the Twins still deal for Gomez, considering the productive spring that Span/Pridie had?
If Santana were to be traded now, do the Twins still deal for Gomez, considering the productive spring that Span/Pridie had?
YES
craig you need to look at the line-up holistically. Gomez is a real lead-off hitter. Mauer is a #2 hitter and should have never been in the middle of our order. cuddy is no prototypical third hitter but hits great with runners on and will benefit greatly hitting between M&M. We are only weak at the 9 hole with everett.
AaronK,
Yes, Punto and Monroe will be playing most everyday. That was my point.
Socrates,
Yes, I was hoping the Twins would release Monroe, but my statement was that 3.8 mil(Monroe’s salary) would not sit on the bench, and that if Monroe was kept, he would play, and not be a bench player.
That’s what people were mad about, because people like Kubel for some indecipherable, mysterious, unknown reason. They did not want Monroe playing in front of Kubel, which is what is going to happen.
I don’t like either one, so I personally don’t care which one plays, I just know that it will be Monroe.
I, for one, can’t wait for the season to get started. I am a bit dissappointed that some of these guys made the cut, when they were clearly inferior to the other guys. Can anyone explain why Rincon still has a position on this team? The twins tried to dump him on the Marlins, but they wouldn’t even take him.
Craig,
While I agree with you that Punto will play almost every day (he will be a late defensive replacement for Lamb or Harris), Kubel will be the primary DH.
Kubel will DH against Righties and Monroe against Lefties.
Monroe will also see time in CF to give Gomez days off.
The Twins have the chance to get a 1-0 lead (away games anyway) almost every game. So many possibilities with Gomez leading off (100 steals, 140 runs)
………and Kubel will sit on the bench, eating seeds, and getting fatter.
craig,
OK, I understand.
I believe that you believe Monroe and Punto will be starters and so far that can’t be disproved.
We’ll talk later.
Nacho, on your question about Saturday’s game.
I think their regular lineup will play. That is their final game for tune-up. The Twins leave for Minneapolis after that game.
Carlos Gomez was the way to go, I’m glad Gardy saw the light on that one. In the second half of the spring he’s been an absolute monster, and its nice to know we’ve got Span and Pridie if……..
I still hope Liriano goes north with the big club. If he shows some continued improvement next start I think he should. The Twins do have the extra pitcher anyway.
Does Livan have to start opening day? If Baker can’t go give the start to Boof. Lets give the honor to someone who’s gonna be with us for a few years.
And who’s gonna start opening day for the Angels? I think Lackey is hurt.
With Boof starting Punto Everettt and Kubel in the order man that will be impressive. Can the Twins highlight these games and have a promotion like get you arse kicked nights
Monroe will probably play often at DH when there is a lefty on the hill. Punto won’t start at second, short or third unless someone needs a day off…
Get the Batting Champ and the MVP back on track and they’ll be okay.
Promotion night - how about “3-stooges night”? They can add up their collective batting averages and match it with Hunters.
I don’t think the Livan Opeining Day thing is that big of a deal anymore.
The more I see other team’s Opeing Day guys, the more I realize its more about “veteran” than it is about being the team’s better pitcher.
Also jimmy bee, why do you hate Boof so much? He pitched very well this spring and showed that his hard work is paying off.
Thanks for the info TwinsTerritory!
No problem…
Is this your first spring game this year?
I agree to a certain extent TT. If a team is without a clear ace like a Santana, they tend to tip their hat to the veteran which makes sense.
jimmy bee,
Craig says Lamb moves in the field like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Craig says the Tin Man needs some 3 in 1 oil. Craig says Everett hits the baseball like jimmy bee’s sister, and Craig says Punto wishes he could hit even that good. Now, Craig thinks Harris is the worst middle infielder he’s seen in his whole life. Craig thinks that kid Gomez is never going to hit a major league curveball, and Craig says Cuddyer is a utility player, and Young is a homicidal maniac. That’s what Craig says, jimmy. Now you listen up jimmy bee, that Mauer kid is made of glass and that Morneau kid has been all figured out by opposing pitchers, and Craig says he’s all through. Craig says done! finished! But Craig loves Morneau anyway, and wants him to play for the Twins forever. That’s what Craig says, jimmy bee.
TWINS TERRITORY Boof depletes are bullpen whenever he pitches because he can’t make it out of the 5th or 6th inning
why don’t we send Kubel down and bring up Span for an experiment this year after kubel gets hurt at the begining of the year
This is a joke right? In case it’s not, the short answer is the Kubel is one of the Twins best hitters and Span is not. Span’s only value is in center field. He’s Jason Tyner at the plate, and as often as Gardy used Tyner at DH over Kubel, I sure hope he learned that is one of the dumber things he’s done in his career. But just in case Gardy might be tempted, it’s better to remove that temptation by keeping Span in AAA in case Gomez gets injured.
Jimmy bee agrees with Craig and jimmy bee says Mauer will be hurt at some point in the Year along with Kubel. Livan will be hurt as well. Did I fail to mention how much jimmy bee likes Morneau as well but he couldn’t hit underhand softball pitches after the all star break last year
Yeah, last year he didn’t go very long. But he looks a little different this season after losing like 30 pounds. Don’t you think we should wait and see…
cmathewson I sai=d after he got injured at some point in time this year slipping on a banana peel in the clubhouse
Socrates - Normally I’m the one using the line about trusting the coaching staff and front office (certainly more than those of us here on a blog). However, while the front office has shown time and again that they can properly value young guys (Ortiz excluded), the coaching staff/FO combo has also shown that they OFTEN make mistakes about who should be on the 25 man roster. Ponson, Batista, Ramon Ortiz, Rondell White, Luis Rodriguez, Lew Ford, and on and on.
Plus, in this case the coaching staff ultimately did agree with me. We’ll never know if they actually gave ANY thought to Span as a starter, or if he was there merely as competition. My personal thought is that if Gomez weren’t there they would have signed Kenny Lofton. But who knows.
Lastly, the historical track record of rookies moved into the starting lineup because of a mediocre spring training, following years of mediocre minor league performance, is not good.
I think we could have used a better power bat off the bench than Tolbert. I think Gardy will be pinch hitting a lot for Everett and Punto (when he’s starting) and his only option for any
type of gap power now is Kubel/Monroe. But I guess it’s those types of pinch hitting situations that probably swayed him to keep an extra infielder than Pridie or even Garrett Jones. With so many teams now carrying 11 or 12 pitchers MLB should really consider 26 man rosters.
I always expected Liriano to start in the minors unless he was just too impressive not to.
The reasoning is from a business standpoint. Liriano accrued service time all last season while on the DL. If he plays the whole season in the majors, he’ll be arbitration eligible next season. By keeping him in the minors into May, they Twins prolong arbitration for possibly another season and also keep Liriano a Twin for an extra season as well in the long run. No reason to rush. It is actually in the Twins favor to start him up slow this season.
We’ll see what they end up doing.
mickey mental says craig still makes him laugh.
mickey mental also says he’s glad the season is about to start so the spring training speculation can be over and the real results can start to show.
mickey mental likes a clean slate.
That is a lousy Cardinals team in 2008. I feel bad for my friends in St. Louis.
And I know I’ve been terribly hard on Span, but I respect how hard it has to be to be sent back to AAA. It’s best for him, and best for the Twins, but still I do feel for him because it’s gotta hurt.
As for Humber, and Buscher… we will be seeing them both soon enough, and Kudos to Brian Bass and to Tolbert.
Love it. Only Twins fans would think having Craig Monroe playing ahead of Jason Kubel is a good idea. In addition, other Twin fan delusions: I’d rather have D. Mientkiewicz over D. Ortiz any day, You can’t take Punto out of the lineup, he saves 4,378 runs a year with his glove, What do you mean Tyner is a bad DH?, he’s a .300 hitter, Guzman and Rivas are going to be the greatest double-play combo in Twins history, Castro and Batista are going to provide some much needed veteran presence on the left side of the infield.
Bass allows infield hit to Duncan, scoreless first inning with one strikeout.
Yeah, Buscher and Humber will both see time in Minnesota at some point this season.
I’m really excited for Tolbert. I know it was hard for him not to even get a September callup, and this is awesome to see.
It’s a sad day in Twinsville. I can’t believe Carlos Gomez made the team — he belongs in the minors with the rest of the rejects we got for Santana. Denard Span earned the spot in centerfield.
“And if Monroe can hit righties, the Twins could trade Kubel for an infielder and bring back Span to MLB.”
hahahahahahahahaha
Where are you guys from who say these things. Absolutely insane. You should do stand-up.
anybody have a link for the gameday? Is there a gameday for today’s game, I can just find the live box.
Gomez bunt single, but is finally caught stealing!
Maybe we could package Kubel with Punto and get Garza back
Can someone post the game link, thanks
Baseball Terri - Please explain how Span earned the starting CF job.
Here is the gameday link:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/y2007/gd.html?2008_03_24_slnmlb_minmlb_1&brand=mlb
Awesome h
Good to see him use his speed to get on. To bad he couldn’t have a perfect spring on the bases
thanks CC
1-2-3 second, Young nice running catch, routine fly to center, groundout to SS for St.Louis.
I wonder if Gomez got picked off and thrown out at second?
Gomez has speed like Ichiro
looks like he was thrown out
I think it is definetly safe to say that Bass is in…
I’m actually happy to take him. I’d rather see Perkins, Humber and Blackburn start and let Bass have the mop-up and long releif role.
Yeah, it says LaRue to Kennedy on GameDay.
he was thrown out at 2nd…announcers made it sound like a bad jump.
Gomez at 6′4 I can’t say I have seen anyone that same height being that fast
1-2-3 second for MN. Morneau ground out, Young/Monroe K.
Interesting to see Redmond batting 2nd. Guessing that’s because Gardy wants the rest of the lineup to stay fairly close to the projected opening day 1-9.
ellsburys name used to dominate this blog, not too long ago thats all us twins fans wanted…im not so sure you could find many, if any that would liken that trade instead of gogo…i have a feeling this trade, someday soon will look like a steal in favor of the twins….gogo is gogo, humbers looking good, mulvey still has the jury out, and the best pitcher is only 18…early congrats bill s.
They said Gomez didn’t pick up the slide step very well, and didnt have a great jump.
C-Go will be good, the question is can we allow him to develop and stop comparing him to Torri, Ichiro, Kirby, etc. for the timebeing.
This is why you never try to replace a dog who has passed away with one of the same breed. All you end up doing is comparing the two…
I think Go-Go will become his “own” player with his “own” style. I agree, we can’t go one forever trying to compare him to Torii.
He is a different player. He won’t be that type of power guy, but he’ll get on base with his speed, and he has the potential for more extra-base hits. Plus, the steals could be in the 50+ range is he is really as fast as Reyes (Opps, I compared him )
Will everybody be happy once the season starts and the stats actually count?
My thoughts:
Kubel: definitely hasn’t show anything yet, but give him another year. Baseball is a streaky sport so give him a shot as a regular before cutting ties. So what is he was 2nd on the team last year? The team was terrible during that period.
Punto: he’s a utility guy. Of course he doesn’t hit. That’s not what utility guys are for.
Monroe: he’s a solid 4th OF. He’s not that expensive in terms of MLB salaries, even if it is higher than much of the team. Veterans get paid more. That’s how it works. Talk to the union about it.
I don’t see many other questions that need to be asked yet. In May, we can revisit the rotation and 2B situations if need be.
I think Lamb will be a steady, if unspectacular player. A possible match for Koskie’s offensive contributions (not close on defense).
Gomez: we’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully the growing pains aren’t as bad as Casilla.
Gomez should bunt to get on base atleast once a game when no one is on. Atleast until opposing teams show that they can get him out consistently…or the corners play in.
I don’t remember him getting thrown out on any of his bunt attempts.
Sane- Don’t read too much into Jones being taken off the 40 man, they will do that to any player who pases through waivers in case they need the roster spot for an aquisition.
dayoldbread- Baseball contracts are guaranteed, they wouldn’t save a dime by cutting Punto they’d just be paying him to stay home…..which I can tell many of you are in favor of despite his glove.
Scoreless third for Bass.
Strikeout, walk/pitchout-runner thrown out, double, Fielder’s choice.
Actually when someone gets “out-righted” they come off of the 40-man roster. Same thing happend with Carmen Cali this spring when he got out-righted.
PUNTO WOULDN’T EVEN MAKE SOME OF THE TOWN TEAMS HERE IN MINNESOTA! HE MUST HAVE SOME GOOD PICTURES OF GARDY HIDDEN SOMEWHERE! BUSCHER CAN’T BE SUPRISED HE HAD A HORRIBLE SPRING AFTER HE WAS GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE TEAM!
Nathan officially extended through 2011, club option for 2012
this is kubels do or die season with this team….
nathan has signed 4 yr contract …just announced…
Twins Territory:
You’re right. Cali and Jones off the 40-man roster, currently at 38.
3 year with an option is reasonable for Nathan, although he’ll be a little old.
We don’t need Jones. No offense or defense. He’s a AAA hitter, nothing more.
4 years, counting this season, with an option.
Punto must be living a charmed life. How can someone as bad as Punto even have the right to be on a major league team? What a waste
2-0 Twins on bases loaded double by Cuddyer with 2 out.
Any word on the price?
Punto deserves to be on a major league roster as a utility player. This Punto bashing has gotten a little out of hand.
Trust me, I cursed his name plenty last year, and would have been sick to my stomach if he was the starting 2B. But, he’s not worthless, a bad person, or any of the other ridiculous things he’s been called on here.
KB
Only info is what the radio guys announced..the length of the deal and option year.
7 doubles for Cuddy, who says he can’t hit in the 3 hole??
I agree, the Punto bashing has gotten a little out of hand. He can’t hit, we get it. But I guy who can play 3 infeild positions well has value on this team. As long as he is utilized the way he should be, I have no problems with Punto being on the roster.
Bass struggling, starting fourth inning.
Walk/double/walk.
Bases loaded no outs! Bass out
Punto deserves all the bashing he gets; even if he batted .250 or .275 the last 2-3 years he would be a starter hands down. However when you barely bat over 200? there are better players that Gardy can throw in that can deliver on both sides of the ball.
im betting this is the last year for both punto and kubel…except of course one has a monster year…there are just too many good players being held up that can do more than these 2..kubel will never play defense again, and punto ..u all know his hitting or lack of…so i wont be surprised depending on how this year goes that gardy starts phasing them out later this year…..
Gomez? Span? It doesn’t matter, as Gardenhire will use Gomez in the same way he used Kubel, which is never. The first slump Gomez gets into, will lead to Punto being the starter in CF. Gardenhire just does not like relying on rookies. Why do you think Everett is starting at SS when Harris could have been and Casilla could have been the starting 2B? Everett and Lamb really worked for the Astros last year. Hmmmm?
Since we’re handing nicknames (per Carlos Gomez), I nominate: Car-Go…
there you go…
Gomez? Span? It doesn’t matter, as Gardenhire will use Gomez in the same way he used Kubel, which is never.
Um no. Gomez is the everyday center fielder. Unlike Kubel, he’s a plus fielder. Kubel was a plus fielder until he hurt his knee. That’s why Gardy often put Tyner in left instead of Kubel.
3-2. Reyes got a soft-lineout DP, then IF single scored one. IF single re-loaded bases, then 2-run single by LaRue.
Signing Nathan is great! We’ve now extended the core of this team for a long, long time. If Liriano comes around the Twins are gonna be good. This is an exciting team now, with no contract problems weighing the team down for many years all they have to do is go out and play. So far I really like Bill Smith, and if Go-GO works out good he’ll look like a genius. We’ll start to know in a week!
Twins go 1-2-3. Young grounded out to third, Monroe flied to RF, and Lamb lined to 2B.
I really have a hard time writing off Kubel when he’s 25, and last year was his first full season, he hit .275 with 13 HR and 65 RBI. If you average out his stats so far for a 162 games, he’s .265 17 HR and
So Gomez just picked up another OF assist…
75 RBI
there are better players that Gardy can throw in that can deliver on both sides of the ball.
Oh yes. Let’s bash Punto because Gardy put him in the lineup. Becaues we all know that’s Punto’s fault.
And also because we all know that if Punto went to Gardy and said “I’m struggling, please don’t put me in the lineup. Put Casilla/Harris/etc in instead.” none of us would criticize him for refusing to play while collecting a major league salary.
2007 stats
Joe Mauer: .295-7-60 in 406AB age: 24
Jason Kubel: .273- 13-65 in 410AB age 25
I don’t hear anyone giving up on Mauer and wanting to cut him outright.
If i was a millionaire i would give each blogger on this site $100 if they could go a whole day without ripping on Punto he has become the scapegoat of all scapegoats.
If you admit it’s Punto bashing, then yes, it’s out of hand.
No player should be exempt from criticism, but when critics go out of their way to bring him into a conversation (for example taking Liriano discussions and steering them into Punto rants) then it becomes an issue.
How many times last year did a gamethread spiral into the same tired “OMG Punto in the lineup” whinefests? Even in games where the Twins won. Before a pitch was even thrown no less. Even when Punto had a good night at the plate people still ripped on him.
That’s when it becomes too much. Voice your concern, then be done. Move on to other topics, because lord knows there plenty of other discussions that can be had regarding this team.
It just seems like there’s only two conversations people know how to have here. In the offseason it’s whining about Pohlad, during the season it’s picking one player (Punto for the past two years) and whining about that.
I fully expect Punto to be gone in 2009, and all of these types of fans to immediately latch onto the next struggling player and ride that horse all the way until he leaves.
Kubel = 1977 Orange Datsun
Gomez = 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo
I don’t think people are blaming Punto for the losing. They’re just sick of him taking a roster spot that a younger player could have.
I agree T and I for one will not even mention said players name again this year unless it’s something relevant. Does anyone know how we got the last two runs today?
BC of ND — Cuddyer double with bases loaded. Came after a suspect defensive play that could have ended the inning.
Kubel = 1971 Ford Maverick
Gomez = 2008 Lamborghini Reventon
I just want to say that I think the Twins got an incredibly favorable contract set-up here with Nathan. 3 years with a club option for the 4th? That’s ideal to me. I wonder what the no-trade clause situation is going to be here.
regarding the comment that nick punto wouldn’t make town teams, it’s easy to get lulled into thinking that the difference between a really good town team ballplayer and a major leaguer is minimal when you watch from the stands or on tv.
i’m here to tell you that i’ve been playing in a strong west coast 28-and-over league for a dozen years. and one summer we had a former marginal major-league pitcher join us in his mid-30s after arm problems made him unable to throw a slider, rendering him useless at the major league level.
all summer long he was virtually unhittable throwing almost only fastballs. one guy grounded out and another poked an opposite-field single with an excuse-me swing. everyone else struck out and very few foul balls were hit (he mostly played out of position at shortstop and we used him as a closer, so he pitched maybe 15-20 innings all season). eventually he got bored and stopped showing up the next year.
anyway, point is, nick punto would be a superstar on a town team.
shutout fifth for Crain with a walk.
Harris leads off MN 5th with a single.
I am not Punto bashing, instead I am Gardenhire bashing. He would rather march out retreads like Punto on a regular basis than give young exciting players like Casilla a chance. Like it or not Gardy, Casilla is the future at second base. Gardenhire seems to have a huge ego and hates to admit he is wrong. Last year when Punto was barely above the Mendoza line, he kept saying Punto was still his favourite to start at 2B in 2008? Huh? How does that make sense? Gomez’s ability to catch and throw the ball won’t matter if he does something Gardenhire does not like. Just ask Casilla and Liriano.
KB do you know the dollar amounts?
I think its between $11 and $12 million per season…
Kubel = 1982 Amc Eagle Wagon
Gomez = 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
mickey,
That is similar to Garza in the minors vs. majors. In the Minors (all levels) he could just blow people away with just fastballs. He tried to do that in the majors and got shelled the second time through the rotation. He had to learn to use his other pitches to be a successful big league pitcher, but against lesser hitters all he needed was his dominant fast ball.
Gordo said $44M for 4 years. Not official
New blog, but no $$$ amounts there.
Thanks TT it’s interesting how we were able to resign him after letting Johan and Torri go i thought Nathan would want out as well didn’t he hint about that last year?
Gardenfire — just help us out a second. Are you implying that Liriano didn’t start last season because of Gardenhire? Or are you saying that Gardenhire caused his injury? Or is it Gardenhire’s fault that his slider isn’t what is was before his surgery?
Please clarify.
Ryan Mullins pitching. 3-2 top 6th. Ludwick leads off with a double to left.
Funkytown why is the boxscore showing the Twins scored 2 runs in both the 3 and 4th innings but they’re down 3-2 overall?
Harris .250
LNP jr .242
LNP original .139
Go Brendan.
BC, must have been a boo-boo on their end..it’s updated to show 3-2 correctly.
GBG–Liriano will not start this season in the majors because Gardenhire did not like him leaving the development camp ten days early in November 2007. The same way Gardenhire did not like Casilla last year because he showed up to the ballpark late for a game.
Oh, he’s really going to love Delmon Young. I heard TB got rid of him and his immense talent because he had an attitude.
What I am really trying to say is that Gardenhire does not seem to like young players. Yes, I know Morneau and Mauer got their chances, but not right away, and Kubel really got the shaft.
Mullins walks 2- to load the bases, then gives up a 2-run single. 5-2 Cards after 5 1/2
But Gardenfire, you can’t say that Franchise is ready to go yet. Missing the first 10 days of training hurt his arm strength; from the game yesterday the slider isn’t quite all the way back, and he is still having problems with his location. The fastball looks like it’s coming back, but it’s not like we want Rick Vaughn throwing for us every fifth day.
Liriano will MAYBE start the season in the minors because, except for one start agains the scrubs of Baltimore’s dregs, he has not returned to appropriate form. He will have one more start to show otherwise. (Of course, if I headed out of my job early without telling anyone, it wouldn’t bode well for me, either).
Casilla was overmatched at the major league level last year. I would say that showing up late for a game (which, by the way, is not exactly a good thing) played a very small role in the final decision.
Kubel started 64 games in the first half of the season last year. (That’s 78% of possible starts, for those of you math-challenged out there). He repaid that opportunity by hitting .250. If anything, you could make a case that he should be grateful for Gardy still giving him a chance in the 2nd half of the season.
LaVelle ont he other blog on Nathan’s extension:
According to a source with knowledge of negotiations, Nathan will make $47 million over four years. That’s $11.25 million a year from 2008-2011 with a $2 million buyout if the 2012 option isn’t picked up. (Don’t know if the 2012 option also is for $11.25 million or not).
Nathan also gets a limited no-trade clause - he can pick three teams he can’t be traded to. It’s the same clause that was in his previous deal.
Wow, Harris certainly seems like a liability at 2nd base.
Dustin F-Kuebel thinks you suck also.So there!
5-2 in bottom of the 7th. Mullins allowed one hit top/7.
Joe Nathan in the booth. Gordo called him Namath.
Baseball Terri-Gomez belongs in the minors with the rest of the rejects we got for Santana,does he.Revisit your remark in three years.If you are looking for a reject,try the mirror!
“Buscher being cut indicates that Matt Tolbert will make the team as an extra utility player. Who saw that one coming at the beginning of camp?”
I believe Craig was the Tolbert booster. And the Span booster too.
no people,
a baseball blog is no place to be calling names and getting upset.
I believe Craig was the Tolbert booster.
Considering Craig’s tendency to argue that guys like Punto and Rodriquez are everyday quality, I’d say this is less a case of Craig making a call and more a case of some of the…stuff…he was flinging finally sticking to the wall.
I expected Buscher, but I’m not all that surprised that Tolbert showed up and delivered.
Man, this board is feisty today. Let’s have some more respectful exchanges. But first, let me address GENO.
Number of Baseball America (BA) top 100 prospects prior to the trade: 2.
Number of BA top 100 prospects after the trade: 5.
The only guy who did not end up on BA’s Top 100 list acquired in the Santana trade was Philip Humber, who had the best camp of any starting pitcher.
Between you and BA, I’ll take BA.
Gardenfire, I believe the Twins have made it clear that Casilla’s future is at SS.
Humber did great in a relief role. I am not so sure he has a future as a starter.
cmathewson-I think you proved my point.These prospects have a real chance to prove this trade was a good one for the Twins.
I think Humber will get a chance. Its probably the thinking that he can be in AAA and start games, get his innings and stay sharp. Or he could be on the major league roster, sit in the bullpen for long relief and a spot start here and there. Probably a good decision, especially since they haven’t been around this guy that long. They can learn a little more about him and have him ready in a month or two.
GENO:
I thought you made this comment: Gomez belongs in the minors with the rest of the rejects we got for Santana,
If that was not your point, I apologize. It was tough to know if you were quoting there are not.
I am really not impressed with Gomez’s offense today. 1 for 5 with three strikeouts. I wonder if he has gone back to lunging at the ball, now that Span has been sent back to AAA.
OK, we’re all skirting around the main issue here: What should Gomez’s nickname be?
a) Go-Go (Gardy’s choice, for now)
b) C-Go (as in … see him go!)
c) Car-Go
d) None of the above, just call him Gomez
I choose (b).
You?
B)
see? go!
b) C-Go. It’s gotta be.
So Blackburn is still in camp? He or Bass is the 5th starter if Liriano goes to the minors?
Mis parientes siempre me llaman C-Goito. Entonces, aqui prefiero C-Go.
C-Go? Car-go? Go-go? How about “wish-he-was-Johan”?
Bass just showed he’s only good for 3 innings. I think it’s Blackburn for a couple of weeks.
We need all 5 starters, no off games like the last couple of years to go with a 4 man rotation.
Go-Go is best.
Sadly, Hernandez and Punto both made the team. Any pitcher with a 9.00 ERA would not make the major league squad except for Hernandez. This was a huge mistake and the American League will hit him like they are hitting off a tee. 83 mph fastball. You have got to be kidding. Startribune, just keep me posted who is pitching so that I can avoid watching the Twins that day. I am going to be golfing when that happens.
tolbert will make a world of difference this season for our team, his speed and switch hitting abilities will be a huge asset
yeah tolbert will really help i beleive too. he’s so versatitle, and has a good glove too..
why is it that the twins always feel the need to overpay a used up old veteran pitcher, just to have someone with “experience”? I would much rather see a young rotation taking their lumps than a veteran getting hit around. Humber deserved Hernandez’z roster spot.
Just because Hernandez was able to get Punto out in intersquad games doesn’t make Hernandez a star. Shucks, those people who throw out the baseballs at the biginning of games at the dome could get Punto out. Just because Punto makes slushies for Mourneau shouldn’t be the overriding factor as to keeping Punto. Can’t someone else make Mourneau’s drinks?
I like Go-Go.
I always enjoy the BS that comes out of you guys. I find it quite enjoyable to look up the stats and find they say pretty much the exact opposite of what is said here.
Mauers best position is as a #3 hitter. He is also our only and best #2. We have two other candidates for #3 and none for the #2 thus the best lineup is Mauer #2 and Cuddy/Young #3. Before you blab on about homeruns, remember the goal is to drive in runs. OPS with runners in scoring position or at least on base. Look it up then make your statements. Leadoff hitter, the stat is runs scored not OBP, OBP is the stat in absence of definitive Runs scored #’s. Gomez by far and away finds a way to score better than anyone else.
Kubel bashers, I know you haven’t even looked at stats. Clutch? Only Mauer has better OPS numbers with RISP & 2 outs than Kubel. Kubel’s problem is versatility in the Twins system. He’ll be traded and do well.
Honestly, I really wanted to see Denard Span get the center field job. To me, he is the last of the legacy left by Kirby Puckett. Puckett mentored Torii Hunter, Hunter mentored Denard Span. And all three were drafted by the Twins. So for Denard to be the center fielder would be like looking down at Center and seeing the legacy of Kirby alive in Span. (besides, span has better plate discipline and fundamentals)
I say Go-Go, I’m sick and tired of all these single letter style nicknames(A-Rod, K-Rod, Dice-K, T-Hud, J-Lo, etc) C-Go is just jumping on a warn out fad.
I LOVE Gomez as a player. Would’ve taken Span this year.
[…] Thompson, Jahner and Wyllie will be among the long jumpers with Thompson, …www.bemidjipioneer.comGomez wins center field job Tolbert makes roster UPDATED WITH LINEUPSGomez wins center field job Tolbert makes roster UPDATED WITH LINEUPS Posted on March 24th, 2008 ?? […]
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[…] Danny Mullins, at left, wants to become a plumber and dreams of starting a family. …www.time.comGomez wins center field job Tolbert makes roster UPDATED WITH LINEUPSGomez wins center field job Tolbert makes roster UPDATED WITH LINEUPS Posted on March 24th, 2008 ?? […]
