ST: A No-Man's-Land Team @ A Team Still Not Sure What It's Doing | August 11-13

ldnk · Post #21 » by **ldnk** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 3:41 pm

I'm tired of all these terrible callups. If we are going to call up garbage players, start calling guys up who maybe have a future in the game.

Post #22 » by **Schad** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 4:42 pm

ldnk wrote:I'm tired of all these terrible callups. If we are going to call up garbage players, start calling guys up who maybe have a future in the game.

We don't really have anyone who is remotely ready at catcher. Jansen shouldn't be called up; dude started this season in Dunedin, and he still only has about two seasons' worth of plate appearances under his belt over five years in the minors, and a grade total of 232 PAs above A ball. Reese McGuire has barely played owing to injury (though in a small sample, his bat has been encouraging), and there isn't much more after those two.

Therein lies the downside of AA's scorched earth campaign: almost no one in our upper minors at any position beyond reliever has much of a future as major leaguers. Thus, all of our fill-ins (except perhaps corner OF, and that's fringy) are going to be scrubs.

Lateral Quicks · Post #23 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 4:46 pm

Finally something to look forward to today with Rowley's start. If he blows up, fine. I'd rather a youngish prospectish type blow up than the likes of Valdez/Harrell/Bolsinger/Tepesch. On the other hand there's always a chance he'll prove decent. This team desperately needs competent - and preferably cheap - starting pitching next year and beyond.

Edit: In the "not something to look forward file" - for balance - how about today's lineup:

Jose Bautista RF
Josh Donaldson DH
Justin Smoak 1B
Steve Pearce LF
Raffy Lopez C
Kevin Pillar CF
Ryan Goins SS
Darwin Barney 3B
Rob Refsynder 2B

There are three good hitters in that lineup. Ugghh. Hopefully supposedly forcing Shapkins to bring Bautista has taught Eddie to stay out of baseball decision making going forward.

Wo1verine · Post #24 » by **Wo1verine** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 4:52 pm

Raffy Lopez batting 5th in our line up - What a time to be alive!

Lateral Quicks · Post #25 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 5:09 pm

Interesting to see him working from the stretch right from the outset.

Lateral Quicks · Post #26 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 5:12 pm

Wow, some really ugly swings there.

Lateral Quicks · Post #27 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 6:39 pm

Don't like swapping out the catchers in the midst of Rowley's first MLB start.

dagger · Post #28 » by **dagger** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 6:48 pm

Lateral Quicks wrote:Don't like swapping out the catchers in the midst of Rowley's first MLB start.

Ohlman really didn't help Rowley there, poor framing on a couple of pitches that could have been called strikes.

Lateral Quicks · Post #29 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:11 pm

Damn, Leone continues to be very impressive. Pumping serious gas with a great curve.

So_Fresh · Post #30 » by **So_Fresh** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:21 pm

Rowley impressed today!

Hope he can get another start.

So_Fresh · Post #31 » by **So_Fresh** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:22 pm

dont look now but if the Yankees lose today we are only 3.5 games back! :rock:

dagger · Post #32 » by **dagger** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:22 pm

A season's worth of flukey runs today

Lateral Quicks · Post #33 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:29 pm

So_Fresh wrote:dont look now but if the Yankees lose today we are only 3.5 games back!

The Twins. We're 7.5 back of the Yankees.

But yeah, no one is running away with the second wildcard. The Twins have a .509 record, and the three next teams are tied at .504. Without the injuries to Sanchez and Donaldson this year - to say nothing of Travis - this team is likely holding a wild card right now. And that's with Osuna's blown saves, Bautista's tankage, Estrada's catastrophic two months, and all the rest of the bad things that have happened this year.

So_Fresh · Post #34 » by **So_Fresh** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:30 pm

you guys think if the team is still in contention before the waiver trade deadline, that they will go out and make a trade to bolster the lineup?

Lateral Quicks · Post #35 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:53 pm

So_Fresh wrote:you guys think if the team is still in contention before the waiver trade deadline, that they will go out and make a trade to bolster the lineup?

By contention they'd have to be close to .500 and have only 2-3 teams ahead of them. As long as it only cost them money, I suppose they could.

There are just too many holes in the lineup right now - 2B, SS, C, and two starting spots - to be really aggressive.

Post #36 » by **Schad** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:07 pm

So_Fresh wrote:you guys think if the team is still in contention before the waiver trade deadline, that they will go out and make a trade to bolster the lineup?

We aren't remotely in contention now. Attempting to add to this team would be the height of insanity unless we finish the month with a 12-6 run or better, and even that would be fringy.

dagger · Post #37 » by **dagger** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:37 pm

So_Fresh wrote:you guys think if the team is still in contention before the waiver trade deadline, that they will go out and make a trade to bolster the lineup?

No. More likely they trade Estrada

johanliebert · Post #38 » by **johanliebert** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:41 pm

They didn't bring back dickey because of tholes bat but all season martins backups have been terrible. That's where the few wins this team needs would have came from/

polo007 · Post #39 » by **polo007** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 9:18 pm

Read on Twitter

ldnk · Post #40 » by **ldnk** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 9:46 pm

If Sanchez can't make it back to be a starter this year, shut him down. There is literally zero benefit to him coming back as a reliever.