Halfway and on.

[AJswarley]

The twins have been blowing away expectations and most are starting to expect more. Let's first start with the players that are doing well:

Santana, Berrios, mejia, Rogers, Joe, Dozier, Rosario, Kepler, and Grossman. Castro great calling games and Buxton with everything since his bat has come alive. Hildenberger in SSS but like what I see.

Minors that are showing up to play: Curtiss, Reed, Baxendale, Nick Anderson, Gonsalves, Van Steensel, Gordon, Chris Paul, Sam Clay, Hackimer, Muren, Palacios, Jaylin Davis, Hector Lujan and Max Murphy.

 

The bad:

Belisle, Breslow, Pressly, Hughes, Haley, Santiago, Gibson to start the season, Gimenez, and Polonco as of late. all can be cut but Polonco, and Gibson. Still see Gibson helping in the future. Every game Gimenez calls the pitching is trash...coincidence?

 

People that should take over now:

Murphy for Gimenez. Let Garver catch. Am I the only one worried that he hasn't been catching on a regular basis the last 2 years. See what JRM has and let Garver continue to play every day. Keep Vargas up. And keep showing some young guys in the pen. Short leash on Colon,and Boshers. Curtiss has been red hot and should be up before the years end.

 

On the trade deadline: shop Kintzler, Santana, Dozier, and Rosario heavy. But don't let them go cheap. I like the young core we have put together, keep them but everyone else is free to trade. Would like to see us get someone like Cole Hamels. Think the young guys need to have a winning season and the FO to show they believe in them.

 

Cut the deadwood on the 40 because next year we will need the room for other prospects that are running out of time. May, Jay, Burdi, Stewart, and Chargois had big "show me years" but injuries have not helped this group. Hope they show up to play next year.

[AJswarley]

If we are not selling then see if we can get Hamels. But I just like his lefty and Leadership.

[FlauerPauer]

Kepler is the man.  I would imagine it would be very hard to make a trade for a controllable #2 starter without including him in it.  

 

I don't think Dozier nets much at this point.  Santana may, but it's hard to trade your best pitcher. 

 

Would the Twins want to make a push for Teheran? He's been pretty good the past four years, but that's a lot of tread on a 26 year old arm.  I don't want to see them pick up Sonny Gray.  My guess is that the Twins acquire a reliever or two and wait to see what Gonsalves and Romero have before they move on a SP; although, we need one or two, bad.

[Twodogs]

On the trade deadline: shop Kintzler, Santana, Dozier, and Rosario heavy. But don't let them go cheap. I like the young core we have put together, keep them but everyone else is free to trade. Would like to see us get someone like Cole Hamels. Think the young guys need to have a winning season and the FO to show they believe in them.

How do you show the young guys that you believe in them if you are willing to trade away their leaders like Dozier, Santana, Kintzler, etc... If you do that then you are basically telling everyone that you aren't good enough. Usually when teams are trading for help to make a post season run they trade prospects, guys that haven't contributed as of yet, like what the Cubs did. You trade Dozier, Santana, and Kintzler when you have given up on the season and you are gearing up for the future, like the White Sox. That's why I've been kinda saying they should go with what they have, or trade some prospects for a decent pitcher, if you don't want to let the prospects go then wait till the off season FA and go after one of them and for this year hang tough with what you got, or add a cheap RP for the stretch drive.

[goulik]

I think you missed a categorie of "meh...". A few of your "doing well"s should be Meh... And a couple of "bad"s should also be in that Meh... Categorie. For instance, Santiago has been a career "Meh..." Guy and a -0.2 isn't super bad but it's definitely not good either... Sorta like Gibsons career. Honestly, Dozier has been more Meh... Than good This year for me... Should there be another categorie for "OK" above Meh... And below good? Maybe Santiago belongs below Meh... But above bad?

[AJswarley]

I think you missed a categorie of "meh...". A few of your "doing well"s should be Meh... And a couple of "bad"s should also be in that Meh... Categorie. For instance, Santiago has been a career "Meh..." Guy and a -0.2 isn't super bad but it's definitely not good either... Sorta like Gibsons career. Honestly, Dozier has been more Meh... Than good This year for me... Should there be another categorie for "OK" above Meh... And below good? Maybe Santiago belongs below Meh... But above bad?

Well Santiago was great to start the year but has taken a beating outside of his hot start. Hope the DL time gets him back to first month form. Gibson has been good as of late. 4.24 in June, and his last start is better then what shows on paper. I think he has been putting it together as of late and still see his capability as a 3 type. Dozier has been better than "meh" above average in every category is not "meh"

 

Also I'm not saying that we sell anyone. I say we shop them to see what we can get. Don't take anything less than what they are worth. But all of them are having great years. This would be a sell high type situation. But if we don't sell then it is time to invest a little in this season and on that young group.

[Mike Sixel]

The most interesting part to me is the Garver question....what do they see him as, if anything?

[drjim]

 

The most interesting part to me is the Garver question....what do they see him as, if anything?

 

Not quite enough right now to dump Gimenez, but I imagine they are quite happy with him as catching depth. Even moving him around a little to give him more value in the bigs.

[Mr. Brooks]

Not quite enough right now to dump Gimenez, but I imagine they are quite happy with him as catching depth. Even moving him around a little to give him more value in the bigs.

Dude is OPS'ing. 915 at AAA as a catcher.

If he's a legit catcher, not elite but not LuCroy/Doumit, it might be time to start looking at him as more than just a depth piece.

How long would he have to keep this up before you'd consider replacing Gimenez?

[drjim]

 

Dude is OPS'ing. 915 at AAA as a catcher.
If he's a legit catcher, not elite but not LuCroy/Doumit, it might be time to start looking at him as more than just a depth piece.
How long would he have to keep this up before you'd consider replacing Gimenez?

 

I wouldn't replace Gimenez until September. I just don't think the difference would be enough to decrease depth and potentially cause disruption of a good thing in the clubhouse. It's only 6 weeks away, so 10-12 games of playing time.