Questions for Spring Training.

[CCard]

Good morning.

Let’s try this one. What 3 questions or interst does ST bring to you. For instance-

- Winns knee. ST won’t answer the endurance question, but it will give notion towards recovery.

- Libby emerges. Opening Day Starter.

- Scott becomes a force at the top of order.

My three.

Not signing another suitable starting pitcher.

Can Walker hit.

Can Scott hit.

Not sure any of the three will happen.

[2ninr]

You won't see a lot of Winn in real games this ST.

Just enough to keep an edge. Otherwise no need to extend him coming off injury.

Liberatore barring injury will be the OD starter. He'll be here long after May is gone.

The deal with Scott with some fans here is frankly maddening. He didn't really hit in the minors and he regressed as the season went on last year.

Dont see any earth shaking improvement here.

You're not wrong with what you are saying, but here's the thing- he could improve. Here's how; last season he had an on base percentage of .305. Not good enough. He had 453 plate appearances and got on base through the various methods 141 times. The season is 26 weeks long. If he could get on base one more time every other week- doesn't matter how- any old stupid way will do, in the same amount of plate appearances his OBP shoots up to .340! Once every other week! Drop a bunt. Hit the ball on the ground more often. If he gets on base at a .340 clip he is a weapon, perhaps a 4-5 win player. He has to change his hitting approach. Can he? Will he? It's a big question and we won't have the answer in spring training. We will get the answer every other week of the season.

He and Winn both. It's not a skill. It doesn't have to be developed. It's a freaking decision. Do this and this and this instead of trying to hit homeruns and trying to be a ops guy. Be a obp guy and you are both stars.

That’s the idea. With a new system, maybe a part of the training is messaging. Maybe it gets thru. As noted, it can only get better. Aging may help. Mentally.

Hey dog I'm listening to Paul Thorn. I love this dude. Check him out if you arent familiar. Fought Roberto Duran. Dad was a pentacostal preacher. Uncle was a pimp.

[sikeston bulldog2]

You won't see a lot of Winn in real games this ST.

Just enough to keep an edge. Otherwise no need to extend him coming off injury.

Liberatore barring injury will be the OD starter. He'll be here long after May is gone.

The deal with Scott with some fans here is frankly maddening. He didn't really hit in the minors and he regressed as the season went on last year.

Dont see any earth shaking improvement here.

You're not wrong with what you are saying, but here's the thing- he could improve. Here's how; last season he had an on base percentage of .305. Not good enough. He had 453 plate appearances and got on base through the various methods 141 times. The season is 26 weeks long. If he could get on base one more time every other week- doesn't matter how- any old stupid way will do, in the same amount of plate appearances his OBP shoots up to .340! Once every other week! Drop a bunt. Hit the ball on the ground more often. If he gets on base at a .340 clip he is a weapon, perhaps a 4-5 win player. He has to change his hitting approach. Can he? Will he? It's a big question and we won't have the answer in spring training. We will get the answer every other week of the season.

He and Winn both. It's not a skill. It doesn't have to be developed. It's a freaking decision. Do this and this and this instead of trying to hit homeruns and trying to be a ops guy. Be a obp guy and you are both stars.

That’s the idea. With a new system, maybe a part of the training is messaging. Maybe it gets thru. As noted, it can only get better. Aging may help. Mentally.

Hey dog I'm listening to Paul Thorn. I love this dude. Check him out if you arent familiar. Fought Roberto Duran. Dad was a pentacostal preacher. Uncle was a pimp.

Hence his album- Preachers and Pimps. I read up on him. Quite accomplished. I’ll listen shortly.

[ramfandan]

1. Other than JJ, who (if any ) surpirses to make the final 26 man roster that wasn't on last year's team ?

2 . Will Marmol receive an extenstion by Bloom prior to end of camp (or first regular game ) ?

3. Who gets traded during spring training that surprises fanbase ?

[2ninr]

You won't see a lot of Winn in real games this ST.

Just enough to keep an edge. Otherwise no need to extend him coming off injury.

Liberatore barring injury will be the OD starter. He'll be here long after May is gone.

The deal with Scott with some fans here is frankly maddening. He didn't really hit in the minors and he regressed as the season went on last year.

Dont see any earth shaking improvement here.

You're not wrong with what you are saying, but here's the thing- he could improve. Here's how; last season he had an on base percentage of .305. Not good enough. He had 453 plate appearances and got on base through the various methods 141 times. The season is 26 weeks long. If he could get on base one more time every other week- doesn't matter how- any old stupid way will do, in the same amount of plate appearances his OBP shoots up to .340! Once every other week! Drop a bunt. Hit the ball on the ground more often. If he gets on base at a .340 clip he is a weapon, perhaps a 4-5 win player. He has to change his hitting approach. Can he? Will he? It's a big question and we won't have the answer in spring training. We will get the answer every other week of the season.

He and Winn both. It's not a skill. It doesn't have to be developed. It's a freaking decision. Do this and this and this instead of trying to hit homeruns and trying to be a ops guy. Be a obp guy and you are both stars.

That’s the idea. With a new system, maybe a part of the training is messaging. Maybe it gets thru. As noted, it can only get better. Aging may help. Mentally.

Hey dog I'm listening to Paul Thorn. I love this dude. Check him out if you arent familiar. Fought Roberto Duran. Dad was a pentacostal preacher. Uncle was a pimp.

Hence his album- Preachers and Pimps. I read up on him. Quite accomplished. I’ll listen shortly.

One taught him how to love-one taught him how to fight!

[Talkin' Baseball]

1. Will the pitching staff force Herrera out of the starting catcher role for the 3rd consecutive year - and will that take place in Florida or sometime after opening day?
2. Will Bloom realize the team can't play with just a RF and CF - and therefore acquire a LF?
3. Will May, McGreevy, Liberatore, Dobbins, and Fitts all be ready to go and grab rotation spots (which would set them up to be pretty solid), or will circumstances force Leahy into that conversation, or will stupidity compel The Marmot and/or Bloom to gift Pallante with one of the 5 starter roles?

I can answer #1 for you. No. Not in spring training and not later. I agree with you that he won't end the season as a catcher, but there is no pitcher on the staff with the tenure and stature to pitch a fit about Herrera and make it stick. In the end, the evaluators will call it off at some point in the season.

[12xu]

Will “special advisor” molina show up?

How fat will he be?

How long will he stay?

How did you contract that MDS? How long have you been afflicted with this disease?

[CorneliusWolfe]

The 3 things I will be interested/want to see in spring training:

1) I want to see Jordan Walker en fuego from the opening bell. I want to see him claim the RF job in a way that we all feel good about. I want to see him take that 6'6" 260 lb frame and punish baseballs.

2) I want to see Quinn Mathews look like a healthy, big league, rotation worthy pitcher.

3) I want to see Joshua Baez have the kind of spring training where the staff is afraid to be the one to tell him that he is starting the season in Memphis and Oli will stay awake at nights after the season starts wondering, "Why can't I have HIM in my lineup"?

I’m stealing your list. Nothing would ignite this rebuild more than those three things coming true.

[Melville]

1. Will the pitching staff force Herrera out of the starting catcher role for the 3rd consecutive year - and will that take place in Florida or sometime after opening day?
2. Will Bloom realize the team can't play with just a RF and CF - and therefore acquire a LF?
3. Will May, McGreevy, Liberatore, Dobbins, and Fitts all be ready to go and grab rotation spots (which would set them up to be pretty solid), or will circumstances force Leahy into that conversation, or will stupidity compel The Marmot and/or Bloom to gift Pallante with one of the 5 starter roles?

I can answer #1 for you. No. Not in spring training and not later. I agree with you that he won't end the season as a catcher, but there is no pitcher on the staff with the tenure and stature to pitch a fit about Herrera and make it stick. In the end, the evaluators will call it off at some point in the season.

The pitchers are the evaluators.

[Talkin' Baseball]

1. Will the pitching staff force Herrera out of the starting catcher role for the 3rd consecutive year - and will that take place in Florida or sometime after opening day?
2. Will Bloom realize the team can't play with just a RF and CF - and therefore acquire a LF?
3. Will May, McGreevy, Liberatore, Dobbins, and Fitts all be ready to go and grab rotation spots (which would set them up to be pretty solid), or will circumstances force Leahy into that conversation, or will stupidity compel The Marmot and/or Bloom to gift Pallante with one of the 5 starter roles?

I can answer #1 for you. No. Not in spring training and not later. I agree with you that he won't end the season as a catcher, but there is no pitcher on the staff with the tenure and stature to pitch a fit about Herrera and make it stick. In the end, the evaluators will call it off at some point in the season.

The pitchers are the evaluators.

Half of them are just hoping to break camp with the team. They will not be rocking the boat.

[sikeston bulldog2]

1. Will the pitching staff force Herrera out of the starting catcher role for the 3rd consecutive year - and will that take place in Florida or sometime after opening day?
2. Will Bloom realize the team can't play with just a RF and CF - and therefore acquire a LF?
3. Will May, McGreevy, Liberatore, Dobbins, and Fitts all be ready to go and grab rotation spots (which would set them up to be pretty solid), or will circumstances force Leahy into that conversation, or will stupidity compel The Marmot and/or Bloom to gift Pallante with one of the 5 starter roles?

I can answer #1 for you. No. Not in spring training and not later. I agree with you that he won't end the season as a catcher, but there is no pitcher on the staff with the tenure and stature to pitch a fit about Herrera and make it stick. In the end, the evaluators will call it off at some point in the season.

The pitchers are the evaluators.

Half of them are just hoping to break camp with the team. They will not be rocking the boat.

The new system and new leaders won’t allow it to get that far. It will be clear early on.

[Melville]

1. Will the pitching staff force Herrera out of the starting catcher role for the 3rd consecutive year - and will that take place in Florida or sometime after opening day?
2. Will Bloom realize the team can't play with just a RF and CF - and therefore acquire a LF?
3. Will May, McGreevy, Liberatore, Dobbins, and Fitts all be ready to go and grab rotation spots (which would set them up to be pretty solid), or will circumstances force Leahy into that conversation, or will stupidity compel The Marmot and/or Bloom to gift Pallante with one of the 5 starter roles?

I can answer #1 for you. No. Not in spring training and not later. I agree with you that he won't end the season as a catcher, but there is no pitcher on the staff with the tenure and stature to pitch a fit about Herrera and make it stick. In the end, the evaluators will call it off at some point in the season.

The pitchers are the evaluators.

Half of them are just hoping to break camp with the team. They will not be rocking the boat.

The new system and new leaders won’t allow it to get that far. It will be clear early on.

Correct.
Pitchers have meetings every single day.
Video is studied every single day.
Conversations with staff tale place every day.
Reality is, the pitchers are the evaluators.
It won't take long - I agree with you.

[Carp4Cy]

Good morning.

Let’s try this one. What 3 questions or interst does ST bring to you. For instance-

- Winns knee. ST won’t answer the endurance question, but it will give notion towards recovery.

- Libby emerges. Opening Day Starter.

- Scott becomes a force at the top of order.

My three.

Decision on JJ being on roster

Outfield offense production

Third base who’s looking best.

This.

We already know Winn is a starter, Libby is a starter and Scott is a starter for now.

I want to see JJ play 6+ innings every day of March, and see Fitts and Dobbin up close, and hopefully Doyle gets a few appearances after all. And that new Scrabble guy. I don't think we will really know anything new about last years starters until we get several weeks into April and they face a lot of "normal" competition.

[cardstatman]

SS Winn
DH Herrera
LF/RF Nootbar (if not traded; also could play RF)
1B Burleson
2B Wetherholt
C Pages
SP: May, Liberatore, McGreevy, Pallante
RP: Romero (if not traded), Stanek, Leahy, Svanson, O'Brien,

Spring Training battles:
CF Scott vs Church
RF/LF Walker vs Church/Torres/Fermin/Velazquez/Baez
3B Gorman vs Saggese/Fermin/Ramos
bench C: Pozo vs Crooks
bench OF: Church vs Velazquez
bench IF: Fermin vs Torres vs Ramos vs Saggese vs Gorman
bench UT: Fermin vs Torres vs Ramos vs Saggese vs Gorman

SP5: Dobbins vs Fitts vs Leahy vs Mathews
RP5-8: Fitts vs Graceffo vs Fernandez vs Granillo vs Bruihl vs Roycroft vs Raquet vs Pushard