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02-14-2017, 11:44 AM | #1996 | |
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02-14-2017, 11:50 AM | #1997 |
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We need to be extremely healthy to crack 84 wins.
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02-14-2017, 11:52 AM | #1998 |
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I think that pretty much everything that could go wrong did last season.
I don't expect it to happen again, but of course, it could. I would expect a fully healthy Moose puts up some serious numbers, Cain if healthy is still in his prime (albeit nearing the back end), Hosmer might tick up a bit in a contract year. Soler is a ton of potential. We've added some bats, added some veteran pitching...I don't think this team looks like a mid 80's win team IF it stays relatively healthy. |
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02-14-2017, 12:00 PM | #1999 |
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02-14-2017, 12:14 PM | #2000 |
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And Duffy being the guy we saw in the second half of last season. DJ is right that some of these moves are low ceiling, but there's something to be said for that if the rest of the team fills their roles. Kennedy pitched well in the second half too. If they can just do that, we need three guys behind them who can eat innings effectively, like a Guthrie or Vargas. Then hope Dayton can work his bullpen magic again.
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02-14-2017, 12:17 PM | #2001 |
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Re: the long conversation about the rotation (good stuff)
I think it's a rotation that looks like it will have one frontline type (Duffy), two mid-rotation types (Kennedy and Hammel), and two back-end types (Vargas, Wood, Karns). Karns is the biggest upside piece there. With his knockout curve and good FB, he could be more of a high no 3/low no 2 starter for KC. I expect Hammel to out-perform his FIP by a run to a half run, because that's what KC has generally seen. I also think he will benefit pitching somewhere other than a pitcher's park. It isn't a superstar rotation or set up to be as good as the 14 version, but the offense should also be stronger and deeper. I also think if you look at the 16 team and do some comparisons, it starts to improve the outlook a lot. Can Karns/Wood/Hammel/Vargas be more effective than Ventura/Volquez/Young/Medlen? I feel very good about the answer to that question. Hammel approximates what Ventura provided in 16, and I think in Karns/Wood/Vargas, two of those three will emerge to be better than the Volquez and Young/Medlen/everyone else 5th spot. With that in mind, I don't think two rotation breakouts are required to make this a playoff team, though one certainly would help. They were 20 games below .500 when the Young/Flynn/etc fifth spot came around in the rotation. Split that in half, and you're back in the playoff hunt. I think Strahm and Herrera make you similar in 8 and 9 to the 14 and 15 pens, and then you're trying to piece the 7th together from there (lot of names - Soria, Zimmer, Staumont, Albuquerque, Withrow, etc. just need one of those guys to emerge as an above-average reliever.) It's a team that will have to win differently than the 14 group and needs to look more like the 15 offense to make the playoffs. Lot of questions mark's, but lot of upside and lot of reason to be optimistic. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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02-14-2017, 12:46 PM | #2002 |
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Good news - Zimmer stood on the mound and threw a pitch.
Better news - he got on the mound and threw another pitch after that. So he's at least 2 pitches better than our young Reyes looks like he's going to be this year, so you've got that going for ya.
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02-14-2017, 01:06 PM | #2003 | |
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02-14-2017, 01:18 PM | #2004 |
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02-14-2017, 01:22 PM | #2005 | |
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02-14-2017, 01:25 PM | #2006 | |
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02-14-2017, 01:33 PM | #2007 |
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Not a good week for guys named "Flynn".
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02-14-2017, 01:39 PM | #2008 |
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I think our pitching staff, while lackluster, is good enough and has enough depth now to keep us competitive. What we'll need is for Gordon to come back around and be a reliable bat on the team and get something more from SS/2b offensively. Moose could likely take a while to get his timing back so it's nice to have Cuthbert around to ease him back in if needed.
But Escobar was damn near useless at the plate last year and his defense was slipping, he needs to get better in both facets. I like was Whit was giving us at 2b, and I think he was yanked from the lineup prematurely. Getting some offensive production from our middle infielders along with the rest of the guys playing to their normal levels; I think we'll be a tough team to face for any team. Isn't that all you can really ask?
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02-14-2017, 01:54 PM | #2009 |
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Also broke three vertebrae. Awesome.
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02-14-2017, 02:06 PM | #2010 |
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