Twins 12, Diamondbacks 1: Jeffers Leads Rout in Fitting Tribute to Joe Mauer, Maeda Cruises in Win

[Cody Schoenmann]

When you mix Mauer's Twins Hall of Fame ceremony with the game itself, this is definitely one of the greatest nights in recent Twins history. 

[DJL44]

4 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Japanese do this a lot - they take a few syllables out of a name for something and run words together. For example, one of my favorites is "promane" for "project management."   

I think the Germans add syllables when they run words together.

[wabene]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

JULIEN - move the sub-par 2B to 1B!!!

Many are saying this but the only way Julien gets better at second is to play. Kirilloff looks good at 1st and is fine in the COF. That flexibility is useful. I would agree to Julien adding 1st base to his skill set later but right now 2nd and DH are enough on his plate. 

[Jocko87]

41 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Nothing stopping them from just making an offer for next two years……should be done. Maybe $12M per year?

I think you would make the qualifying offer first to keep the options open. Kenta has never gotten the free agent payday and isn't likely to be so team friendly again. 2/12 probably doesn't get it done. 3/18 on the open market seems possible and that's worth a comp A pick.

[wabene]

50 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Nothing stopping them from just making an offer for next two years……should be done. Maybe $12M per year?

This is more like his market than the 20m the qualifying offer pays. Hard to know what Kenta wants but as mentioned above he is the kind of pitcher that ages well. He has had a slight tear in his UCL since before he came to MLB which is why he ended up with that incentive laden contract. He may be stronger now than he had been. 

Here's an idea. For the playoffs Kenta could be a very useful weapon out of the pen. His contact pays better if he starts so he doesn't like that move. Well negotiate a new two year, incentive free deal now with the stipulation the he agrees to bullpen work in the playoffs if necessary. 

[DJL44]

4 minutes ago, wabene said:

Many are saying this but the only way Julien gets better at second is to play. Kirilloff looks good at 1st and is fine in the COF. That flexibility is useful. I would agree to Julien adding 1st base to his skill set later but right now 2nd and DH are enough on his plate. 

DH doesn't add any difficulty beyond what he's doing at 2B. He already plays on the correct side of the dirt to add 1B. All he has to add is scooping throws. Julien needs to find a home where they won't pull him for a defensive replacement in the 8th inning. 

[wabene]

6 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

DH doesn't add any difficulty beyond what he's doing at 2B. He already plays on the correct side of the dirt to add 1B. All he has to add is scooping throws. Julien needs to find a home where they won't pull him for a defensive replacement in the 8th inning. 

I think he can be pretty good at second. He is quick and might have more range than Polanco. Just needs to be better when he gets to the ball. If Kirilloff is out then and Lewis back for third, then yes Polanco at second and Julien at first. This assumes Buxton is back at DH.

[IaBeanCounter]

That was a great all-around game, except for 13 Ks out of 21 outs against their "pitchers".  I'm afraid today Rocco will put a get-away lineup behind Keuchel.  I wonder if moving Keuchel to today was Rocco's move to save Lopez or the FO trying to get a larger crowd.

[DJL44]

58 minutes ago, wabene said:

I think he can be pretty good at second. 

I don't. Julien is currently about 20 runs below average if you extrapolate out a whole season. He doesn't turn the pivot well. He might be able to improve from "poor" to "below average" but the Twins have Brooks Lee waiting in AAA.

[DJL44]

35 minutes ago, IaBeanCounter said:

That was a great all-around game, except for 13 Ks out of 21 outs against their "pitchers".

If there were only 21 outs then they would still be playing the game. They had a bunch of hits which means their K/PA ratio was just fine.

[wabene]

6 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I don't. Julien is currently about 20 runs below average if you extrapolate out a whole season. He doesn't turn the pivot well. He might be able to improve from "poor" to "below average" but the Twins have Brooks Lee waiting in AAA.

You might be right, but DH is a bad pigeon hole for a promising player that young. Try left field then, try anything. 

[NotAboutWinning]

1 hour ago, Cody Schoenmann said:

When you mix Mauer's Twins Hall of Fame ceremony with the game itself, this is definitely one of the greatest nights in recent Twins history. 

And I think the two things were related!

[Riverbrian]

4 hours ago, Karbo said:

How many other people see Gallo coming to bat and think "Another strikeout"?

[jmlease1]

Excellent game for the Twins. I was surprised to see the game story suggest that Maeda was getting squeezed by the plate umpire; it was a pretty wide zone most of the game. 

Definitely the kind of game the Twins needed: low pressure innings on the pitching staff and opportunities to let the low leverage guys get some time out on the field. Moran didn't look good, but Balazovic did fine.

Great to see the bats pile up the hits. I recall a lot of people around here wanted to dump Jeffers and were very ready to give up on him. Good thing the team didn't listen.

[DJL44]

36 minutes ago, wabene said:

You might be right, but DH is a bad pigeon hole for a promising player that young. Try left field then, try anything. 

Try first base!

[gman]

Gallo had a multi hit game last on June 27 and only 4 times this year. He has had 37 multi strikeout games. Not a great stat line.

Maeda has pitched well. Looks like he is ready for an early position in the playoff rotation. Hopefully the other starters get back to early season performances.

Most of 2 months left in the season, but Jeffers looks like he is having a breakout so far.

 

[Schmoeman5]

4 hours ago, DJL44 said:

If Jeffers catches 5 out of 7 games his offense will surely suffer.

I said in a earlier post that his numbers would come down. Saying that, Would they not be better than what Vasquez has been doing? I'm really hoping that instead of alternating every other day it's more like 2 on 1 off. Then he'd have 5 games 1 week 4 games the next. As well as team days off. I don't think that would overwork him. Idk. Maybe it would. The team is looking for more consistent offensive punch. 

[IaBeanCounter]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

If there were only 21 outs then they would still be playing the game. They had a bunch of hits which means their K/PA ratio was just fine.

I didn't count the position player 3 outs with no Ks

[wabene]

1 hour ago, Schmoeman5 said:

I said in a earlier post that his numbers would come down. Saying that, Would they not be better than what Vasquez has been doing? I'm really hoping that instead of alternating every other day it's more like 2 on 1 off. Then he'd have 5 games 1 week 4 games the next. As well as team days off. I don't think that would overwork him. Idk. Maybe it would. The team is looking for more consistent offensive punch. 

Wouldn't you want his optimum performance down the stretch and in the playoffs? If moderating his time behind the plate and instead giving him at bats at DH perseveres this version of Jeffers, that's the way I'd go.

[Schmoeman5]

Just now, wabene said:

Wouldn't you want his optimum performance down the stretch and in the playoffs? If moderating his time behind the plate and instead giving him at bats at DH perseveres this version of Jeffers, that's the way I'd go.

I agree. I just don't think they'll give him AB in the DH spot upon Buxtons return. He's dhing today. So that's a start. 

[wabene]

4 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

I agree. I just don't think they'll give him AB in the DH spot upon Buxtons return. He's dhing today. So that's a start. 

Hopefully they are planning on getting Buxton ready for the field upon his return for the stretch run and beyond, damn the torpedos, lol

[DJL44]

10 hours ago, wabene said:

For the playoffs Kenta could be a very useful weapon out of the pen. 

He'd be a very member of the playoff rotation. Ryan has been terrible.

[wabene]

38 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

He'd be a very member of the playoff rotation. Ryan has been terrible.

Could happen that way, or Ryan could get healthy, learn his lesson and repay the team with a stretch run like his first half. 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

14 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

I think you would make the qualifying offer first to keep the options open. Kenta has never gotten the free agent payday and isn't likely to be so team friendly again. 2/12 probably doesn't get it done. 3/18 on the open market seems possible and that's worth a comp A pick.

He _might_ also get a bigger offer to play in Japan again to close his career, a la Kikuchi and numerous others.