Spring Training Games, Week of 3/9 - 3/15

[stringer bell]

Zoilo never played a position other than SS during his time with the Twins. 

[RpR]

3 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I'm NOT saying this to be sparky, but a lot of fans haven't been able to watch games the past couple of years. I'm fortunate enough to be out of the blackout zone so I've been able to watch every game. In 2023, Julien went from a poor 2B to an average defensive 2B as the year went along. Unfortunately, when his bat tanked in 2024, so did his defense. (Head games). 

 

Rationalization at its most blatant.

He has Never had even an average glove work and is not getting better.

[USAFChief]

3 hours ago, DocBauer said:

With all due respect Chief, roster flexibility isn't exactly new, it's just different today as the game has changed/advanced.

If we want to look WAY BACK in Twins history, we see Versalles playing all around the dirt and grass. Killebrew played the same, but was never great defensively anywhere. (No disrespect). Rod Carew moved to 1B. Concerning the 2 Twins WS teams, Smalley was a SS,3b,DH. Randy Bush was a DH/1B/OF. Larkin was the same. All Newman played WHEREVER they placed him. Leius played 3B and SS. 

The IDEA of having "position less" players is NOT new. It's just a new way to name the way a roster is built. 

Now we can debate about putting players in the right spot for their best position as a STARTER. That means CATCHER and Buxton in CF, Correa at SS, etc. But with a limited roster of 26, used to be 25, was 24 for a few years, you have ALWAYS been limited to how many position players you could keep. SOMEONE always has had the ability to play multiple positions. That's never changed. 

BUT, the ability to build a roster where more than 1 or 2 or more players could play multiple positions HAS changed. 

With all due respect, doc, Nonconcur.

Teams have always carried a utility guy or two. Sure. 

But...

Teams have never featured multiple position-less players. Before this regime, the Twins have never sent prospect after prospect through the minors without them learning a position. Such that a couple years after arriving in the show, they have an entire infield, with 6 or .so guys, and exactly ONE set position...SS. One guy who knows what the heck he's doing, and that guy didn't come through the Twins system. We don't even know who's going to play 2nd, or 1st, and we're a couple weeks from opening day. We know who's at 3rd...maybe. For a month at least. And that's not because he's a trained 3rd baseman, but because he's gotta play SOMEwhere and he apparently balked at playing 2nd.

All of this is new. Part of it i write off to 13 man pitching staffs, but largely it's a decision. They don't decide "Joe's a 3rd baseman, let's make sure he can play that position when he gets to Minnesota, and then let's PLAY HIM THERE when he does."

 No, it's "hey, why not 2nd base? No, ok 3rd base. No...center field."

And then wonder why the defense is poor.

 

[thelanges5]

 

[shortround81]

The boys are really getting down to business. (If I'm being honest, this looks like the funnest!)

[thelanges5]

I’m trying not to care, but I’d like my ace to do a little better than this in spring training. Even if he is tinkering and working on stuff.

https://x.com/twinscentral1/status/1899179583632466089?s=46

[RpR]

Good thing the Twins let Kepler go, he is doing poorly compared to Wallner.😑

[tony&rodney]

3 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

I’m trying not to care, but I’d like my ace to do a little better than this in spring training. Even if he is tinkering and working on stuff.

https://x.com/twinscentral1/status/1899179583632466089?s=46

Absolutely not. Pablo Lopez is getting himself prepared for the regular season by working on whatever he feels needs attention. Concern about giving up runs or not is not a part of the routine for experienced pitchers. If Pablo has an inflated ERA on May 1, then I will have some concern.

[tony&rodney]

2 hours ago, RpR said:

Good thing the Twins let Kepler go, he is doing poorly compared to Wallner.😑

The Twins did not let Kepler go. Max was a free agent and ready for a new gig. The Twins didn't have an option to retain Kepler.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

44 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

The Twins did not let Kepler go. Max was a free agent and ready for a new gig. The Twins didn't have an option to retain Kepler.

They could have negotiated a market rate free agent contract with him

[tony&rodney]

40 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

They could have negotiated a market rate free agent contract with him

Max would have signed with MN for $15M, yes. Never was an option. Kepler was appreciative but ready to move on. He wants to win. Philly stands a decent chance. At this point in his career, Kepler is year to year with his life decisions. He has made plenty of money; he's set for the long run.

[tony&rodney]

23 hours ago, DocBauer said:

You have to remember, this is SPRING TRAINING. When they put Gasper at 2B and Julien at 1B, it's because they are trying to see how each responds at those positions in games that DON'T MATTER.

That's all they are doing. IF Gasper makes the roster, or comes up at some point, CAN he ACTUALLY PLAY 2B at a reasonable level late in a game, or extra innings, when the lineup is re-set.

Julien is NOT an OF, a 3B or a SS. He's a 2B and DH BAT FIRST player who might have the ability to play some 1B to increase roster flexibility. Sure, he's played a LITTLE 1B here and there, but now it's time to get serious. Between workouts and game experience, can he play some 1B?

I'm NOT saying this to be sparky, but a lot of fans haven't been able to watch games the past couple of years. I'm fortunate enough to be out of the blackout zone so I've been able to watch every game. In 2023, Julien went from a poor 2B to an average defensive 2B as the year went along. Unfortunately, when his bat tanked in 2024, so did his defense. (Head games). 

What both frustrates and amuses me is when Luis Arraez debuted in 2019, he played 2B, LF...a spot he'd never played as a professional and was told to touch the wall and then take a certain number of steps in...as well as 17 games at 3B, and even 8 game appearances at SS! But he HIT so nobody cared. He played 2B in the short season of 2020. And he continued to HIT. In 2021 he continued to play 2B, and 3B, and LF. But he continued to HIT. In 2022 he continued to play some 2B, but was moved to 1B. And he again continued to HIT. 

Arraez has ALWAYS been a HITTER first and foremost. And when he was doing do, nobody really cared a lot about his barely adequate defense. 

So Julien has HIT EVERWHERE from college to his MILB pro career. In 2023 many were complaining how he could possibly be sent down, before being brought back up and becoming part of a team wide SURGE for the 2nd half of 2023.

And THEN....Julien had an awful 2024, despite a solid first month. And suddenly, he's a bum, he can't play defense, he should be in AAA to prove himself and earn his way back up.

I'm absolutely NOT picking on you @tony&rodney. I'm just using this opportunity to lay out some very confusing and bizarre opinions that I can't wrap my head around.

Arraez was/is a tremendous HITTER with questionable defense wherever you play him. (And I'm a FAN of Arraez). But Julien is maybe even better, overall, as an offensive player, with similar questionable defense, who was a STUD in 2023. But after a bad 2024, he's suddenly a dismissed player who is dismissed be so many because he had a bad 2024 and isn't great at any one spot. 

This just makes ZERO sense to me.

I have no idea what your response said. Are you saying Julien is Arraez? Are you suggesting that Gasper could be the second baseman? Do you see a plan in how the Twins operate?

 

[DocBauer]

5 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

I have no idea what your response said. Are you saying Julien is Arraez? Are you suggesting that Gasper could be the second baseman? Do you see a plan in how the Twins operate?

 

Let me rephrase:

Gasper is playing a fair amount of 2B, and Julien at 1B, in order to test them, and examine them at those spots. I don't see Gasper being any sort of answer at 2B, but if he makes the club...or is brought up at any point...by trying him at 2B during ST, they at least get an opportunity to discover whether or not he's could play a game or two there, or be an option late in games or extra innings if they move guys around. ST is a time to experiment a little.

No, I'm not saying Julien is Arraez. My long winded way of saying that Arraez has never been a wiz with the glove anywhere, but because he could hit so well, they found a spot for him, and I think he got a bit of a pass from fans regarding his defense because he hit so well. Had Julien not tanked in 2024, and been the hitter he was in 2023, he also would have received a similar pass on his defensive short comings.

[tony&rodney]

On 3/9/2025 at 2:30 PM, stringer bell said:

You know this because?

Because I watched him play second base. 

I understand that Spring Training is for experimentation. Gasper can be a 1B/DH. Can he catch? I don't know because I haven't seen him catch. I have seen both Vazquez and Gasper play second base. They are Twins at the position.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

12 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Let me rephrase:

Gasper is playing a fair amount of 2B, and Julien at 1B, in order to test them, and examine them at those spots. I don't see Gasper being any sort of answer at 2B, but if he makes the club...or is brought up at any point...by trying him at 2B during ST, they at least get an opportunity to discover whether or not he's could play a game or two there, or be an option late in games or extra innings if they move guys around. ST is a time to experiment a little.

No, I'm not saying Julien is Arraez. My long winded way of saying that Arraez has never been a wiz with the glove anywhere, but because he could hit so well, they found a spot for him, and I think he got a bit of a pass from fans regarding his defense because he hit so well. Had Julien not tanked in 2024, and been the hitter he was in 2023, he also would have received a similar pass on his defensive short comings.

Agreed, if Julien can continue to hit like he did in 2023 and every step in the minors up to that point, the Twins will find a way to get him in the lineup.

[RpR]

55 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Agreed, if Julien can continue to hit like he did in 2023 and every step in the minors up to that point, the Twins will find a way to get him in the lineup.

"If  - wishes were horses, beggars would ride"

[h2oface]

8 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Absolutely not. Pablo Lopez is getting himself prepared for the regular season by working on whatever he feels needs attention. Concern about giving up runs or not is not a part of the routine for experienced pitchers. If Pablo has an inflated ERA on May 1, then I will have some concern.

Good thing he is healthy and in top shape. He’s just building confidence. And if you listen to him being interviewed, he justifies it very loquaciously. 

[h2oface]

On 3/9/2025 at 9:34 PM, USAFChief said:

Teams have always carried a utility guy or two. Sure. 

But...

Teams have never featured multiple position-less players.

Dodgers have been doing it for years, just with better talent, and results.

Twins try to do it by bringing up players  and then switching positions. Not only are they going through the stress of being new to the show, but now they are thrown out there playing a position they are not prepared for. Defense really suffers. 

[Doctor Gast]

LineupsMatchups

Batters MIN	B	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS
Julien2B	L	1	1	0	.273	.769
MartinCF	R	0	1	2	.167	.485
Lee3B	S	2	3	0	.308	.871
Miranda1B	R	0	3	0	.250	.596
GasperDH	S	1	4	1	.348	.838
CamargoC	R	0	0	0	.143	.286
Keirsey Jr.RF	L	1	4	3	.263	.883
Alvarez, ALF	R	0	0	0	.133	.435
WinokurSS	R	-	-	-	-	-

Lineups subject to change

Batters TOR	B	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS
Gimenez2B	L	0	3	1	.261	.737
Guerrero Jr.1B	R	1	4	0	.346	.931
SantanderLF	S	1	4	0	.235	.880
BichetteSS	R	2	4	0	.345	.988
SpringerRF	R	0	2	0	.188	.659
VarshoDH	L	2	5	0	.308	1.375
KirkC	R	1	6	0	.391	1.029
Wagner3B	L	0	4	0	.250	.736
StrawCF	R	1	6	0	.450	1.079

Lineups subject to change

 

Twins is putting up their C team against TOR A team. Miranda, who should be getting the lion's share of 1B in ST, has been given very little opportunity there. It seems the Twins aren't giving them much of a chance to do anything. God bless them!

[Doctor Gast]

Toronto is hosting this free Twins TV games. Aren't the Twins going to have any Free games that they host?

[Doctor Gast]

Great defense by Tor, lets see what MN's defense will do?

[Doctor Gast]

1st time to see Camargo catch, looking forward to it. Morris had a pretty good 1st inning.

[stringer bell]

I've got a chance to watch today's game. I'm glad for the opportunity. I believe there will be games later on mlb.tv that the Twins host. 

Today's lineup features guys trying for the last spots on the team or to be the first guy up when the need to recall someone from St. Paul occurs. 

[stringer bell]

Gasper with another knock.

Lee hit a rocket in the first, but Gimenez made a nice play. He didn't win a platinum glove for nothing.

[stringer bell]

I don't think Camargo can make enough contact to be a true major leaguer.

[Parfigliano]

5 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

1st time to see Camargo catch, looking forward to it. Morris had a pretty good 1st inning.

Camargo catching a rare occurrence.

[RpR]

How come Twins Spring Training games are not on WCCO radio, they used to be.

[Doctor Gast]

Another impressive inning by Morris

[stringer bell]

Morris might be the rookie pitcher who makes the most impact in 2025. He looks very good right now. 

[stringer bell]

4 minutes ago, RpR said:

How come Twins Spring Training games are not on WCCO radio, they used to be.

Maybe they are only doing home games. I know they were on WCCO on Sunday.