Report from the Fort: Ober's Debut, Hernandez Rumors, & a Lineup Twist

[John Bonnes]

FORT MYERS - The Twins fell to their crosstown Fort Myers rivals, the Boston Red Sox, today. We saw Bailey Ober's first start, watched some roster hopefuls amid free agent rumors, and got an answer about an odd lineup.

Bailey Ober's First Start
The Twins fell to the Sox 6-1 on their first road trip of the season. The game went sideways early as Bailey Ober reached his pitch limit after getting one out in the second inning. He left the bases loaded with one run in but ended up being charged with four runs when reliever John Stankiewicz gave up a home run to Rafael Devers. 

Ober jumped up to 171 1/3 IP last year between the minors, majors, and postseason. His previous high was 108 1/3 IP and that was back in 2021. He credited his trainer and her program for the big leap.

"I feel like I followed my program a lot better," said Ober. "I worked with Jen Marcelo - she used to work with the Twins - but I work with her full time. She works with a lot of other guys too, around the league. I fully dove into her programming. And I felt like that helped me out big time from a health standpoint."

He didn't feel like he wore down physically, though he admits he did a bit mentally. Given that he started spring training knowing that he was slated for St. Paul, then was promoted, then went back to St. Paul, then was promoted, and then finally pitched in the postseason, that's probably to be expected.

Last week, he said he wasn't focusing on adding a new pitch. He was focusing on getting his big frame ready to compete.

"I feel like I'm just always trying to clean up mechanical stuff, just because I'm so big," explains Ober. "At 6'9", there's a lot of moving parts. So just making sure everything's tuned up, on time, and ready to go out there and throw and have the best velo that I can, possibly the best command. So that's always an everyday concern."

After the game, he did not seem overly concerned about the results, focusing instead on what he had been trying to do.

"I feel like I mixed pretty well," he reflected. "I feel like I could have dominated with fastballs primarily only today. But I needed to go out there and throw all my full repertoire, so I didn't do stuff that I would do during the regular season if I was trying to read at-bats. But I felt good to be back out there."

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Enrique Hernandez Rumors 
Word broke yesterday that the Twins are one of the "finalists" to sign Enrique Hernandez, a 32-year-old utility player who played for Boston and the Dodgers last year.  Cody Schoenmann examined Hernandez a couple of months ago. Since Hernandez has positional flexibility and hits right-handed, he makes some sense for the Twins, which is why they certainly talked to him earlier in the offseason. The problem is that the 10-year veteran has only posted a 639 OPS over the last two seasons, and last year, he struggled even against southpaws, which would be his primary role. 

When a report lists several finalists for a player, that information likely came from the player's representative; teams don't usually know what other teams might be involved. That representative has an incentive to make a player seem like he is in demand. So take this report with a grain of salt. 

In the meantime, we're keeping an eye on right-handed hitting options who are currently on the spring training roster. 31-year-old Niko Goodrum started versus Boston today at shortstop. He's posted a career 816 OPS versus left-handers in his MLB career. Austin Martin started in left field yesterday, and the 24-year-old prospect is seen as a potential starter or utility player. Michael Helman started at third base today, and the 27-year-old posted a 902 OPS in St. Paul last year.

So the Twins have some options in camp, and they're all getting at-bats early. While we've been waiting for the Twins to sign one more right-handed hitter, we should probably pay close attention to a few of their internal options. It appears the Twins are.

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Lineup Notes
The Twins lineup Sunday included three starters, all at the top of the lineup, and all of whom made their second appearance of spring training. Christian Vazquez(C) and Matt Wallner(LF) both played Friday, and Alex Kirilloff (1B) will be the first Twins player to play in back-to-back games, though Saturday he was as a DH. 

Beyond the regulars, the Twins started several of their top prospects (Brooks Lee-DH, Emmanuel Rodriguez-CF, Yunior Severino-2B, Trevor Larnach-RF) or guys who could sneak onto the roster but will likely be in St. Paul, hoping for a midseason callup (Helman-3B, Goodrum-SS).

 

The quality of the names are about par for a trip crosstown to JetBlue Park, but the defensive positions were odd. One would usually expect Lee at shortstop, Goodrum at second base, and Severino and Kirilloff at first base and designated hitter. Having Lee at designated hitter moved Severino and Goodrum to positions at which they are a little stretched. So what was up? Why was Lee - who is clearly being groomed for several defensive positions - starting at DH?

"Because he's playing tomorrow," Rocco explained. "So instead of playing him two days in a row, he'd get the at-bats at the DH spot today, and then we can send him on the road tomorrow.". The Twins have one of their longer road trips of the season when they travel to Tampa to play the Yankees, a 2+ hour drive. 

It's worth remembering that a lot of what we see in spring training is logistical. 

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[RpR]

[Jocko87]

I have to think any of the 3 guys mentioned could fill what best case Kiki could provide, with options to rotate the hot hand.

Nice to see the lefties get at bat's against a awkward looking lefty. And RH Lee.

[roger]

with a big spring is it possible ERod begins the season in St Paul?

And ends it at Target Field?

[Guest]

More important than this game, mlbpa may file grievance against Joe Pohlad for being honest. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-considering-formal-complaint-over-twins-executives-comments-about-free-agency-per-report/amp/. Join discussion in Joe Pohlad forum.

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

1 hour ago, roger said:

with a big spring is it possible ERod begins the season in St Paul?

And ends it at Target Field?

Considering he's never played in AA, I'd say basically zero he starts in St Paul. Knee injury basically took out a season of baseball - end of 2022, beginning of 2023. 

[Werbellik]

1 hour ago, Verified Member said:

More important than this game, mlbpa may file grievance against Joe Pohlad for being honest. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-considering-formal-complaint-over-twins-executives-comments-about-free-agency-per-report/amp/. Join discussion in Joe Pohlad forum.

.

 

1 hour ago, Verified Member said:

More important than this game, mlbpa may file grievance against Joe Pohlad for being honest. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-considering-formal-complaint-over-twins-executives-comments-about-free-agency-per-report/amp/. Join discussion in Joe Pohlad forum.

Joe is ill-equipped. Not ready.

[bjorks]

Outside of Rusty Kuntz, Grant Balfour has been replaced as having the worst name in baseball and he pitched today. Ladies and Gents...Scott Blewett. RP, our Minnesota Twins. 1 inn, 2 Ks today. 

[mikelink45]

No to Henrique. What is his real value?

[Jocko87]

3 hours ago, Verified Member said:

More important than this game, mlbpa may file grievance against Joe Pohlad for being honest. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-considering-formal-complaint-over-twins-executives-comments-about-free-agency-per-report/amp/. Join discussion in Joe Pohlad forum.

I just read CBA attachment 49 Re: Use of media and re-listened to the interview.  I found a report that referenced CBA pg 329 as the violation.  No telling what the lawyers might get into but I don't really see the violation.  The hard no answer was in response to a possible repeat of a Correa situation, not a specific free agent and the memo gives firm examples of what he can say, highlighted below.  To me, all he did was deny that they were engaged in negotiations with any of an unmentioned group of players.  I believe the memo is very specific that it is in reference to a single named player, not a general group. 

Really, if you read the memo it says we should never hear anything until an official team announcement and we all know that ain't how it works.  Players association can pound sand on this one.

[Jocko87]

1 hour ago, bjorks said:

Outside of Rusty Kuntz, Grant Balfour has been replaced as having the worst name in baseball and he pitched today. Ladies and Gents...Scott Blewett. RP, our Minnesota Twins. 1 inn, 2 Ks today. 

There was never a chance that Balfour and Blewitt would ever be a utility infielder or something.  Born to be relief pitchers.

[stringer bell]

Is Niko Goodrum actually a candidate to make the 26-man roster? He checks a lot of boxes, but he hasn't hit well in the majors since what 2019? 

I'm interested in seeing what positions the guys on the edge of the roster play. It will also be interesting to see who gets game action.

[darin617]

5 hours ago, Verified Member said:

More important than this game, mlbpa may file grievance against Joe Pohlad for being honest. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-considering-formal-complaint-over-twins-executives-comments-about-free-agency-per-report/amp/. Join discussion in Joe Pohlad forum.

So how does it work when Kike Hernandez says he has his list down to 4 teams and names them? Isn't this the same sort of thing? Joe never named a player by name. He just said they aren't spending 30M on a player. But a player can put out a list of potential teams and it's ok?

[Jocko87]

36 minutes ago, darin617 said:

So how does it work when Kike Hernandez says he has his list down to 4 teams and names them? Isn't this the same sort of thing? Joe never named a player by name. He just said they aren't spending 30M on a player. But a player can put out a list of potential teams and it's ok?

It would be a violation as far as I can tell, the restrictions apply to both the player and team side.

Never mind Tom Ricketts and Boras sparing in public last week and finally getting Bellinger done. Ricketts called him out on the need to talk to the owner crap and made him back down, so it seems.  Almost negotiating in public, if you ask me.

https://cubbiescrib.com/posts/tom-ricketts-speaks-on-cody-bellinger-why-he-wont-talk-to-scott-boras

[AceWrigley]

What I want to know is where in the heck is the "S" on the Sullivan Tire outfield wall ad?

[Seth Stohs]

6 hours ago, roger said:

with a big spring is it possible ERod begins the season in St Paul?

And ends it at Target Field?

He'll start at Wichita, probably spend the whole year there. No need to rush him at all. With all those outfielders ahead of him (Wallner, Buxton, Kepler, Castro, Martin, and then Larnach, Keirsey, Helman). Being on the 40-man roster would help him in an emergency situation though. 

[Seth Stohs]

3 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Is Niko Goodrum actually a candidate to make the 26-man roster? He checks a lot of boxes, but he hasn't hit well in the majors since what 2019? 

I'm interested in seeing what positions the guys on the edge of the roster play. It will also be interesting to see who gets game action.

Probably just depth, but depth with a lot of MLB time, and a guy who can literally play 7 positions. I'd be surprised if he makes it on Opening Day but he certainly has as much of a track record as Castro going into last year. 

[Doctor Wu]

9 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

No to Henrique. What is his real value?

I say ixnay on him too. Our in-house options look better than picking up a vet with diminishing skills. 

[Whitey333]

No reason to sign Hernandez.  We already have a few players that can do what he does.  As for Joe Pohlads comments;  I see nothing there at all to complain about.  As bad a job of public relations Pohlad and the Twins eschew, the players association looks terrible here.  Where is the same  outcry about Hernandez and his agent leaking news about twins being in contention to get his services by leaking his name with three others?  

[TroyVang]

8 hours ago, AceWrigley said:

What I want to know is where in the heck is the "S" on the Sullivan Tire outfield wall ad?

Haha it's a bit of an optical illusion. The green monster south sticks out a little bit, covering the S on the sign from this angle. I can only find older pictures, but you can see it on those.

[nicksaviking]

8 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

He'll start at Wichita, probably spend the whole year there. No need to rush him at all. With all those outfielders ahead of him (Wallner, Buxton, Kepler, Castro, Martin, and then Larnach, Keirsey, Helman). Being on the 40-man roster would help him in an emergency situation though. 

If Emmanuel Rodriguez is killing it and showing he's worthy, the Twins would be foolish to chain him up in Wichita for any of these players. Keirsey and Helman aren't even on the 40-man. And after Buxton and Keirsey, Rodriguez is probably the best CF of the group.

I'd add Kepler to the list, but he could be hitless through June and I doubt the Twins remove him from the lineup.

[HoskenPowell]

If they trade Farmer and Kiki gets a minor league deal , SURE.

Otherwise there is ZERO need for him.

Farmer hits Rh and can still play SS , which means he can play anywhere on the field if needed. 

 

[chpettit19]

3 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

No reason to sign Hernandez.  We already have a few players that can do what he does.  As for Joe Pohlads comments;  I see nothing there at all to complain about.  As bad a job of public relations Pohlad and the Twins eschew, the players association looks terrible here.  Where is the same  outcry about Hernandez and his agent leaking news about twins being in contention to get his services by leaking his name with three others?  

Kike and his people didn't say it publicly in a statement. They leaked news the same way teams do. But it wasn't him or his agent on a radio show naming teams. Pohlad didn't technically break the rule so there's no problem there, but the Kike list of teams is not a good comp to Pohlad making comments on a radio show. Kike's "news" is just from a "source." Can't file a grievance against "source."

[High heat]

Is kike Hernandez in 2024 any better then Michael Helman?  
 

Helman is a better defender at SS and CF.  A better basestealer and hits RH for the league minimum and can be sent up and down.  So unless he is signing a minor league deal I don’t see it.  Better $ spent on Adam Duvall or just saving the $