Post from April Is Interesting Read Now

[dougkoebernick]

At the end of April I posted a topic about the Twins winning 7 of 12 games and asking what people thought the future looked like for them. Here's what I wrote:

 

"After starting the season 1-5, the Twins have now gone 7-5 in their last 12. Even though their run differential is -23 it is actually in the positive column for the last 12 games.
Is the start of a .500 team or is it merely a coincidence? I think if they can improve the bullpen and get some improvement from the DH spot and CF they might be ok. It is good to see Mauer starting to heat up a bit.

What do you all think?"

 

I went back and read the many comments and they were all over the board but the consensus was that the Twins might sniff .500 if their offense started clicking better and if they could get better starting pitcher. However, it seemed that most people didn't think that would happen (though maybe on the offensive side provided that we brought up Pinto and dropped Schafer, Vargas and Santana - among other moves). I should add that there were a lot of thoughts on possible pitching changes such as putting Pelfrey in the pen and putting Nolasco out of his misery. 

 

The most significant thing I was able to get out of reading the posts is that none of us should go bet on the horses or be a General Manager for a MLB team. 

 

We are now past the quarter mark for the season and the Twins are 26-18 and have won 7 of their last 9 series and have the third best mark in the AL.  Their run differential in the last 25 games or so is plus 40. Their starting pitching is so solid that we have a guy down in AAA who finally gave up a run after four games and we have nowhere to put him. Ervin Santana comes back in 35 games and I really don't know whose spot he takes in the starting rotation when he is ready - Pelfrey or May would be my guess but those guys are doing pretty well.

 

I truly think that the Twins have shown that they are going to be above .500 the rest of the season. They have the starting pitching depth to stay in the race (and if Hughes keeps improving and becomes the Ace again that would be huge) and I think the offense is only going to get better as they figure out where to put players like Vargas, Arcia, Nunez, Escobar, and maybe even Pinto. I also think that we may see one of our AA hitters on the big league team sometime in July though I'm not sure if that will be Buxton or Polanco, or both (though Sana, Kepler, and others might want a piece of that action as well). My final prediction is that Nolasco gets traded to the National League and that opens up a spot for Santana.

 

What say you??

[blairpaul715]

I still think Pelphrey, ends up in pen or is traded if he has any value. 35 games is still 7 starts each, injury or poor performance will still, most likely, be the reason for movement in the SP rotation...................We have a good minor league system, so if we cant get a decent return for ANY of the players, I would rather keep them if we are in a playoff hunt  as depth, than lose them and then need them and not have them. We do have players for trade bait if they feel they are a player away from competing for a Championship, but , i think , like most we are a year or maybe 2 from really being a World Series threat.......but make the playoffs and you just NEVER KNOW!!!!!!!!

[blairpaul715]

It would be nice to be on the other end of trade ideas , if we are in the hunt come end of July and end of August

[gunnarthor]

This is a fun season so far.  Best since 2010 so just enjoy it.  I thought they could be a .500ish team and right now they look better than that.  And it looks like they have the depth needed to overcome some bad play as the year continues so that's good, too.  It also helps that no other team really looks great - the AL is full of cruddy teams.  The AL Central might be the best division.

 

 

[Willihammer]

Pelphrey

I think you mean Pelphry

[Willihammer]

Sorry couldn't resist.

Yeah the team's been on a tear for a while. I love how they've had big innings, then capped them with 2-3 run dingers. That's cold, man.