Jays release Frank Thomas... Twins???

[SledNeck]

Maybe Thomas is off the juice.

[mrklean]

HAHA FUNNY, he was never on the juice, like it was said before he is a slow starter has been always will be. I think the Jays just didnt like his attitude and wanted to send a message if you think just because you have a big name you can do what you want probably not. Thomas being a Twin is as likely Bonds becoming a Twin not gonna happen. This is Minnesota the land where we dont sign big names, we draft young kids and let our big names go someplace else to play by way of bad trades or not resigning.

[sdstatekid]

Give Kubel a chance. I still think he could be a 25 -30 homerun a year guy if given enough atbats which it looks like gardy is going to do. He is what 25 or 26 and what two or three years removed from MAJOR knee surgery. What do you expect out of him? Was he suppose to come out last year and hit 20 homeruns right away? I am glad people realize it is going to take Liriano awhile to get back to where he was, IF he ever gets there but, they don't think it will take Kubel that long? There is a reason he was a BETTER prospect than Morneau. Give him 500 atbats this year and see what he can do, do not bring in Thomas.

[bassNspear]

kubel is nothing to the twins. He hits a homerun every 65 games. Im sorry, but we need to start spending money and getting a real team together again here in MN.

Im a huge braves fan, and they spend money on players, we need to as well. Just my .02

[Schloogs]

I agree 100% with you sdstatekid. Give kubel more at bats and he may surprise a few of you. Do any of you think Frank Thomas is really the answer?

[solbes]

I think Frank has more HR's against the Twins than anyone else. The guy has been money at the Dome. Maybe Jim Thome is close or has passed him, I don't know. But either way it's not a terrible idea to look at him for a year.

We are hardly ever a home run hitting team, but it wouldn't hurt to have more pop in the middle of the lineup. Our DH position has been pretty pitiful for a long time now. Kubel might surprise us, but there's a very good chance that he won't.

[Quackaddict9]

 Quote:

kubel is nothing to the twins. He hits a homerun every 65 games. Im sorry, but we need to start spending money and getting a real team together again here in MN.

Im a huge braves fan, and they spend money on players, we need to as well. Just my .02

Well you now, we gotta have money to spend money on players we want. And our payroll is maybe 2x less than the Braves!

Braves- $102,424,018

Twins- $62,182,767

[Willy]

 Originally Posted By: Bass N Spear

kubel is nothing to the twins. He hits a homerun every 65 games. Im sorry, but we need to start spending money and getting a real team together again here in MN.

Im a huge braves fan, and they spend money on players, we need to as well. Just my .02

If you think Kubel is nothing to the Twins, then you are not paying attention. He is one of about 6 core position players that will be here for a few years.(Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Young, Gomez, KUBEL)

His numbers will be there at the end of the year, I'll bet on it. He will not be a 30-40 hr a year guy, but I am thinking a slugging percentage near .500 and a OBP in the .350-.375 range is possible.

He is a good hitter. This year he will prove it.

I would also like it if the Twins would spend more money. But their track record says they will not.

Also, for the record, Frank Thomas would not be a good signing for the Twins unless he learns to play 3B or SS IMO. He wouldn't want to play anywhere he doesn't play everyday and after this latest tirade, I don't think anyone will allow him to do that.

If he would sign for cheap as a pinch hitter/spot starter, fine, if not, happy retirement big skirt.

[CodyDawg]

I have nothing against Kubel, in fact I like him. I think he has good potential. But if I hear anyone say how he was a bigger prospect than Mauer or Morneau, I am gonna puke. I have been following them big time since way before then and he was NOT a bigger prospect. Start bringing up the articles listing him as a bigger prospect or let it go.

[Cicada]

Kubel drives me nuts sometimes. Find a way to make him more agressive at the plate and he will kill the ball. How many times have we seen what looks like a popup leave the park. He's just looking at too many good enough pitches trying to find the perfect pitch. He doesn't need a perfect pitch to send it out.

[Willy]

Here, I posted this in a thread awhile back.

http://www.minorleaguenews.com/baseball/...004/091504.html

Another

http://www.baseballnotebook.com/essay.as...%20AL%20Hitters

Mauer was probably a higher rated prospect than Kubel, he was a #1 overall pick. Morneau was not although he was rated highly.

Now just because someone is a highly rated prospect does not mean they will be superstars in the major leagues. However, most that are rated as highly as Kubel will at least go on to have productive Major league careers.

[SledNeck]

 Originally Posted By: Schloogs

I agree 100% with you sdstatekid. Give kubel more at bats and he may surprise a few of you. Do any of you think Frank Thomas is really the answer?

Oh yeah,...when we sign Frank Thomas, might as well stop the season and give us the world series trophy.

[UdeLakeTom]

Frank Thomas would have been better then Ro White, but then almost anybody would have been better that Ro. The guys we have now are young and we only need one old timer around and that is Redmond. He is our vet and doesn't mess things up. Come Sept. and if we are in the stretch drive, then maybe add a Thomas like player like in '87 with Don Baylor. Kubel is the Nr 6 hitter, and with Cuddy coming back, maybe even lower. Not bad for hitting that low in the line-up.

[tisosy11]

I'd much rather have barry bonds in twins pins. Frank Thomas no thanks.

Plus we have Kubel!

[walleyeslayer18]

but think realisticly, do you think we could actually get barry bonds...probably not.

[mike morris]

 Originally Posted By: tisosy11

I'd much rather have barry bonds in twins pins. Frank Thomas no thanks.

Plus we have Kubel!

Why? I think it's safe to say they are pretty even ability-wise at this point in their career. Bonds would bring more negative attention to the clubhouse though. And I don't remember who said it, but the Twins actually wouldn't have enough room for Barry in the clubhouse. He needs several locker-spaces just so they can fit all of the reporters around him. That's not what the Twins are about anyway.

[cribbageboy]

I think Barry Bonds is exactly what the Twins DON'T need. The Twins are a club known for bringing up no-name guys from the minors, and turning them into good baseball players with good values. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but the Twins aren't like your average baseball team. We play well, because the players aren't preasured to do well with large salary's. Think of all the players that have more or less colapsed after leaving the Twins ball club. Santana doesn't look like much of an exception. Bringing Bonds, or any other big name ball player into Minnesota would be a "low blow" to the Twin's core values IMO.

[Willy]

 Originally Posted By: cribbageboy

I think Barry Bonds is exactly what the Twins DON'T need. The Twins are a club known for bringing up no-name guys from the minors, and turning them into good baseball players with good values. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but the Twins aren't like your average baseball team. We play well, because the players aren't preasured to do well with large salary's. Think of all the players that have more or less colapsed after leaving the Twins ball club. Santana doesn't look like much of an exception. Bringing Bonds, or any other big name ball player into Minnesota would be a "low blow" to the Twin's core values IMO.

Huh? Santana's been a stud horse with the Mets so far. His HR's given up is not great so far, but here is the rest of his line:

5G, 34.7 IP, 32/5 K/BB, 3.12 ERA, .923 WHIP.

[mike morris]

Willy, the 3-2 record (of Santana's) is all I'm keeping an eye on.

[Willy]

 Originally Posted By: Mike412

 Originally Posted By: tisosy11

I'd much rather have barry bonds in twins pins. Frank Thomas no thanks.

Plus we have Kubel!

Why? I think it's safe to say they are pretty even ability-wise at this point in their career. Bonds would bring more negative attention to the clubhouse though. And I don't remember who said it, but the Twins actually wouldn't have enough room for Barry in the clubhouse. He needs several locker-spaces just so they can fit all of the reporters around him. That's not what the Twins are about anyway.

2007 numbers

.277 .377 .480 Thomas

.276 .480 .565 Bonds

I do agree that Bonds is a dink and would cause a circus and there is probably a .001% chance that he would want to play for the Twins anyway. But, based on abililty, I would take Bonds every time. He gets on base in almost half of his PA's and is one of the best hitters in the history of MLB.

[Willy]

Mike, wins are the most overated stat you can use to rate a pitcher. They have no control over how many runs their team scores for them.

[mike morris]

You're right. But the Mets still lost 2 games already that he pitched in. A loss is a loss, meaning he didn't quite do enough, even without run support, to earn a no-decision or a win.

[cribbageboy]

I agree with ya Mike. If he has pitched an average of 7 innings in every game he starts, he should have pretty good control on the outcome of the game. (although I also feel that wins/losses is the worst way to judge a pitcher). The important thing to me is that he isn't doing as well as he did with the Twins ballclub. By the way he was just an example. As a whole, former Twins players DON'T do AS well after leaving the Twins, with David Ortiz being the only exeption that comes to mind. You would think that they would play better once they get a pay increase, but IMO they don't seem to do that.

[tisosy11]

Santana was junk for us last year with all the bombs he allowed...you can't have that from your ACE.

I agree there is a 0% we get Bonds, i'd just love to see it. Thomas is more of a headcase in the clubhouse than Bonds and Bonds would be coming into a new club and he'd have to have a different attitude.

Bonds would still be on base at least twice a game which is nice!