Week in Review: The Bottom Falls Out

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Weekly Nutshell:
The first week without Pablo López and Zebby Matthews pushed the rotation from concern to full-blown crisis. What had been Minnesota’s greatest strength is now a staggering weakness. Both the replacements and holdovers struggled to keep the Twins competitive in a stretch where they were blasted twice at home by a slumping Texas lineup, then swept by a Houston team that looked superior in every phase.

Even when the starters began settling in late in the week, the offense and bullpen took turns unraveling — evoking that earlier portion of the season when nothing could go right. We’ve learned this team can turn things around quickly, so there's no call for despair. But the return to very bad baseball, paired with a steady drain of top-end talent due to injury, is unsettling.

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 6/9 through Sun, 6/15
***
Record Last Week: 1-5 (Overall: 36-35)
Run Differential Last Week: -30 (Overall: +7)
Standing: 2nd Place in AL Central (9.0 GB) 

Last Week's Game Results:

Game 66 | TEX 16, MIN 4: Soft Underbelly of Pitching Staff Sliced Open

• Woods Richardson: 4.2 IP, 7 R (6 ER)

Game 67 | MIN 6, TEX 2: Festa Bounces Back, Buxton Comes Up Big

• Buxton: 3-3, HR, 3 RBI

Game 68 | TEX 16. MIN 3 : Ober Melts Down, Twins Again Battered by Bad Offense

• Ober: 4.2 IP, 7 ER, 6 BB, 4 HR

Game 69 | HOU 10, MIN 3: Astros Tee Off on Paddack in Another Blowout Loss

• Paddack: 4 IP, 12 H, 8 ER, 1 K

Game 70 | HOU 3, MIN 2: Houston Dominates on Mound, Walks Off Durán in Ninth

• Lineup: 3 H, 2 BB, 17 K

Game 71 | HOU 2, MIN 1: Lineup Remains Dormant, SWR's Strong Start Wasted

• Lineup: 1 R, 1 BB, 12 K

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NEWS & NOTES

In a blowout loss to open the week, Jorge Alcalá's inability to competently soak up a couple meaningless innings proved to be the final straw. Pitching with the Twins already in a deep hole, Alcalá could do nothing to slow down the Rangers offense, yielding six runs (five earned) on five hits and a walk, while somehow inducing just one swinging strike on 40 pitches. One of the worst relief outings we've seen all year.

The Twins had seen enough. They were ready to cut the right-hander loose to make room for bullpen reinforcements, but — for the same reason Alcalá hung around as long as he did with the Twins — a buyer came calling, hoping to take a flier on the reliever's undeniable talent. Boston skipped the waiver line by trading to Minnesota an A-ball lotto ticket in 21-year-old infielder Andy Lugo.

Desperate for bullpen depth, the Twins snagged left-hander Joey Wentz off waivers following his recent DFA by the Pirates. His multi-inning length capability is handy given the way things have been going. López went to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster for Wentz, whose presence may well be temporary. He's pitched just once so far for the Twins, and did not look impressive at all, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks in one inning of work.

Vibes were already pretty bleak by the ninth inning of Friday night's game, with Minnesota playing out the string on its third crushing defeat in four days' time, but they managed to take another turn for the worse when Royce Lewis came up limping as he ran out a base hit in a lost cause. It's the left hamstring, again.

Lewis landed back on the injured list, although this strain was deemed "mild" and he's expected to miss less time than the previous injury, which cost him the first 34 games of the season. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was recalled to take over the vacated roster spot.

It is noteworthy that the Twins did NOT opt to go with José Miranda in what would have been a straightforward swap of right-handed hitting third basemen. That feels like a damning indicator, given how badly the lineup could use a boost. But unfortunately, Miranda has done nothing in Triple-A to warrant a call-up. He showed signs of awakening with homers in back-to-back games at the start of June, but has since gone 6-for-44 with one double, sinking his OPS to around the .600 mark. Keirsey Jr. can't hit but at least the team is confident he can provide value in other ways. That's a big limitation standing in the way of Miranda, Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper. 

As a final note, Michael Tonkin's rehab stint ended and the Twins weren't ready to activate him, so he accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. As long as he can stay on the mound with a somewhat functional shoulder, he will undoubtedly be called upon soon enough.

HIGHLIGHTS

It was an ugly week for the Twins. Byron Buxton is the biggest reason why it wasn't uglier. He put on a show in their lone victory on Tuesday night at Target Field, saving two runs with a dazzling catch in center field and then launching the longest home-run of his career, a go-ahead three-run blast that traveled 479 feet to center and put the Twins ahead for good. Buxton completely flipped the script on a game that was (familiarly) heading the wrong direction. He also doubled twice and stole two bases on the week.

Buxton has been far-and-away the Twins' best player this season. His 2.3 fWAR lead the team by a wide margin (no one else has more than 1.6), and now that he's adding patience into his offensive repertoire he's grown into even more of a well-rounded threat. Beyond his impact in the box score, Buxton has simply been a joy to watch, flying around the field and destroying baseballs with an athletic skill set that few in the world can match.

All of this added to the malaise on Saturday when Buxton was forced to exit a close game after being hit in the elbow by a pitch. Losing him on top of López and Lewis would be almost too much to take, but it does sound like he'll be okay. Buxton was in the original lineup on Sunday before being scratched with lingering pain – still, word is that he's structurally okay and should hopefully be back in the coming week.

Willi Castro has fully shaken off a slow start and risen to join Buxton has one of the team's most valuable bats. His OPS dropped to .600 on May 14th with an 0-fer in Baltimore, but in the month since then Castro has slashed .368/.444/.655 with six homers in 26 games. He was a rare spark plug for the offense this past week, notching 10 hits in 23 ABs and driving in four. The utilityman has been playing outfield almost exclusively of late – and looking pretty rough out there, to be honest – but you wonder if that will change with Lewis going down and being replaced by Keirsey Jr.

The Twins are without three infield bats they were counting on in Lewis, Miranda and Julien, so the need for Brooks Lee to show some life offensively is greater than ever. Thankfully he's making his case that he is up to the task. He had an exceptional week at the plate, extending his hitting streak to 15 games while collecting eight hits in 19 at-bats, including a pair of home runs to Houston's Crawford Boxes over the weekend. The emergence of a little pop is a welcome sight from Lee, who has struck out 17 times with only one walk in his past 20 games.

It remains difficult to feel much conviction in his offensive outlook until he can find some semblance of discipline at the dish, but right now Lee's swinging a hot stick, pushing his OPS up over .700, and the Twins will take that for sure.

LOWLIGHTS

Simeon Woods Richardson got crushed in his return to the rotation on Tuesday, coughing up six earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings against a Rangers offense that ranked as the league's worst coming in. It set the tone for a lackluster week on the pitching front. 

On Thursday, Bailey Ober was obliterated by that same Texas team in an outing that set off major alarm bells. His velocity continued to lag, his control uncharacteristically went totally amiss, and hitters were crushing everything he got into the zone. Ober has allowed 12 earned runs in 11 ⅔ innings in June, inflating his ERA from 3.48 to 4.40 in two starts.

Ober and the Twins continue to insist he's not injured, although they acknowledge he's been dealing with an issue in his left hip along with faulty mechanics. "I think I'll be fine. I mean, obviously if I keep pitching like this, then probably not," Ober told reporters after his second straight ugly outing. 

Adding to the rotation misery, Chris Paddack took a pummeling to kick off the Houston series, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits in four innings of work. Paddack tallied only one strikeout, his lowest total of the season, and gave up more runs than his previous six starts combined. You hope it's merely a hiccup because Paddack has gone from a luxury back-end starter to a veteran linchpin in this ravaged corps.

In six games last week, Twins pitchers allowed 49 runs on 63 hits and 11 homers with an ugly 43-to-24 K/BB ratio. Brutal stuff all around. The rotation was bad and the bullpen wasn't a whole lot better. They couldn't keep the lopsided losses remotely close and, when actually asked to hold down some tight late-game situations in Houston, Jhoan Durán and Cole Sands came up short in walk-off losses.

A staff that previously was giving the Twins almost no chance to lose is now too often giving them no chance to win. Potentially this is just a blip on the radar, and a bit of regression catching up following a charmed run that included three straight shutouts in May, but if guys like Ober and Paddack can't flush their latest outings and get back on track, it's going to be tough sledding ahead.

Even if the pitchers do rediscover their groove, the Twins will be going nowhere if the offense can't find some life. Production from Buxton and Castro hasn't been enough to elevate this short-circuiting unit, which has averaged just 3.6 runs in their last 10 games while the team has gone 2-8. 

Understandably, you're going to get streakiness from guys like Ryan Jeffers (2-for-16 last week), Matt Wallner (2-for-21) and Trevor Larnach (1-for-9). It's hard when those slumps seem to so frequently come in unison. The Kody Clemens cooldown (0-for-7 last week, 3-for-28 in June) shouldn't be a huge surprise, nor should the ongoing ineffectiveness of Jonah Bride, who's gone hitless in 24 straight at-bats and is now getting more run as a pitcher than as a hitter. For better or worse, the Twins figure to find themselves needing to lean on those two more with Lewis going down.

Week after week, though, it's Carlos Correa who stands out as Minnesota's most glaring and inexcusable underperformer,. Pitchers are still showing no fear of his diminished bat whatsoever, peppering the strike zone with minimal blowback. Correa went 6-for-25 last week with a couple of doubles, striking out six times with zero walks. He let the team down in several key moments and is now slugging .283 in the month of June.

We're approaching the halfway point of the season and Correa still hasn't shown any real propensity to differentiate himself from the sub-par form we saw in 2023. If he can't lift this team then they're simply not going to rise up, and his contract is going to increasingly look like a debilitating millstone.

TRENDING STORYLINE

The big challenge for Rocco Baldelli and the Twins right now: eating through midsummer innings without running their bullpen into the ground. This past week saw only two of six starts last into the sixth inning, and that's probably going to be standard going forward in the absence of López. Minnesota's top bullpen arms are almost exclusively one-inning guys and the lower end of the unit is a rotating door of marginal pitchers that can't be trusted in a meaningful spot.

Justin Topa has been exclusively reserved for low-leverage situations. Baldelli showed no real inclination to use Travis Adams while he was here. He also hasn't shown much faith in Wentz, and that appears justified based on what little we've seen. Tonkin could return soon, but has been hit hard during his rehab in Triple-A. Is he an answer to anything?

The Twins have got to find a way to get through these games and relieve some pressure on their best relievers. It would be nice if game circumstances gave them more opportunities to turn to those mop-up types like Topa and Wentz, but what we've come to see is that the script for this Twins team is either losing huge or winning close. Right now it's hard to envision a sustained run of success for Minnesota that doesn't burn out all of their best relief arms — barring a run-scoring surge from an offense that's scored more than six runs just three times in the past 25 games, with two of those coming in the extremely favorable environment of West Sacramento. Unless and until Correa wakes up, I'm not feeling the most optimistic in that regard.

LOOKING AHEAD

It's a week of interleague ball, with the Twins lined up to face a pair of NL Central opponents. First they'll head to Cincinnati for three games against the Reds, and then it's back to Target Field for a weekend series against the Brewers. The Twins are slated to see left-handed starters in three of their first four games, making it all the more interesting that they opted for Keirsey over Miranda as Lewis's roster replacement. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 17: TWINS @ REDS — RHP David Festa v. LHP Andrew Abbott
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18: TWINS @ REDS — RHP Bailey Ober v. LHP Nick Lodolo
THURSDAY, JUNE 19: TWINS @ REDS — RHP Chris Paddack v. RHP Nick Martinez
FRIDAY, JUNE 20: BREWERS @ TWINS — LHP Jose Quintana v. RHP Joe Ryan
SATURDAY, JUNE 21: BREWERS @ TWINS — RHP Quinn Priester v. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson
SUNDAY, JUNE 22: BREWERS @ TWINS — RHP Chad Patrick v. RHP David Festa

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[VivaBomboRivera!]

The gods giveth, and the gods taketh away...

[Vanimal46]

Oh boy! 3 lefties in the next 4 days. Certainly that’s gonna get this team on the right track. 

[FlyingFinn]

Correa has got to drive in a run or two. He had guys in scoring position all game today and didn't hit well week. Seems to pull off the ball and the opposing pitchers know it. 

[tomcat]

The immediate nose dive team took after Lopez injury news mirrors the performance after last season when Ryan was shut down. FO has failed to assemble a 40-man roster capable of withstanding injuries. The Baldelli system doesn't work without the proper parts.

[Peter]

Twins are in horrible horrible horrible slump!!! I’m pissed about this but! I’m not giving up on them and neither should you!!! This is the week we get back on track!!! 4-2 upcoming-just need to stay over .500 at all start break/pablos return!!!

[Whitey333]

None of us should be surprised by the recent malaise of our Twins.  Correa is a bust and whoever in the front office pushed for his signing should be fired.  Yes I'm serious.  Two big teams didn't sign him because he couldn't pass their physical.  A huge red flag!  Losing Royce Lewis is not a loss at all.  He is injured way too much and has produced not much for the Twins.  I've been down on Buxton sin e he began spending more time on the injured list than the field. I am impressed with him this year as he is able for the most part to play.  But you just wonder when will the next injury put him out.  And what about the great farm system the Twins keep telling us they have?  It hasn't been nearly as good as they hype.  I hope they get back on track but my level of confidence is not very high.

[mikelink45]

Is there another 12 game winning streak hidden within the team or are we in 500 limbo or worse?  Buxton and Castro and Lee imagine if they had a fourth batter joining them.  

Hopefully Festa and SWR have settled down and are going to continue to pitch well.  Was Paddack overly hyped to pitch at home in Texas?  Can Ober offset his aching hip?  These are the questions that need to be answered or the season is going downhill quicker than it did last year.

[Blyleven2011]

It's a week in reverse  ...

1 and 5 for the week ...

Just bad execution baseball all week  ...

Lewis was just starting to get his strength and showing he could help out some and then BINGO he's on the IL list again ...

The lineup strategies of Rocco are always mind puzzling  , jeffers especially has no business being a top of the order batter  ...

The last item of week in reverse  is the twins continue to lose against better teams , I'm sorry but I don't see a team as a contender if they can't beat better teams  , they have pitching that is going to waste because the offense can't seem to click in the team effort ...

[tony&rodney]

Long way to go as the Twins fight to reach 83-85 wins. Don't give up hope. The bats need to improve.

A quick note on Miranda - he is currently the weakest player on the Saints roster by a fair stretch. Jose needs a trip for several weeks to Ft. Myers for a total reset. His defense is unplayable, he can't hit middle middle 88 MPH pitches, and he is the slowest runner in professional baseball. Something is way off and the poor guy needs a break or help of some sort. 

[saviking]

Like I"ve always said. A small town team can;t give one guy 36 million a year .. That money could have been spent way better. 

[twinzcynic]

"Raises Doubts about Their Staying Power". My brother, anyone who's watched this team knew they had no staying power, except those who thought the win streak was truly who the team is.

[Major League Ready]

3 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

None of us should be surprised by the recent malaise of our Twins.  Correa is a bust and whoever in the front office pushed for his signing should be fired.  Yes I'm serious.  Two big teams didn't sign him because he couldn't pass their physical.  A huge red flag!  Losing Royce Lewis is not a loss at all.  He is injured way too much and has produced not much for the Twins.  I've been down on Buxton sin e he began spending more time on the injured list than the field. I am impressed with him this year as he is able for the most part to play.  But you just wonder when will the next injury put him out.  And what about the great farm system the Twins keep telling us they have?  It hasn't been nearly as good as they hype.  I hope they get back on track but my level of confidence is not very high.

IDK if you were condemning this signing when it happened but the vast majority here supported it. Many insisted upon it with statements like "if this is a serious franchise, etc, etc.  When it was suggested here the twins needed to jettison his contract / trade him, again many voiced their disdain at that thought.  There is a furious demand for this team to sign expensive players.  

The problem has nothing to do with injury this year.  He simply is not hitting.  This hardly a new thing .... by that I mean very expensive free agents not performing.  There were several extremely expensive free agent SS available and pretty much everyone here wanted one of them.  Only one of them is performing at an elite level?  There was also a push here for Trevor Story and Javier Baez.  I agree that spending an AAV of 33M will kill any team in the bottom half of revenue but let's not pretend we didn't ask for this or that this type of player is a sure thing.

[mike8791]

Always enjoy these reviews, Nick.  Thank you!  While there wasn't much to stoke our enthusiasm for the Twins this past week(they still look like a .500 ballclub),  there were a few things to enthuse over(other than the performance of Lee and Castro):

-very fine pitched games by SWR(yesterday) and Festa on Wednesday.  Is it too much to ask for them to continue to step up?  Based on past performances, I tend to be cautiously optimistic.  This will not replace Lopez, but could ameliorate declines by Ober and Paddack.  Assuming Mathews can return within a few weeks the Twins could manage to stay afloat in the WC race.

-While the offense continues to disappoint, Larnach, Jeffers, and Wallner should  start hitting again, even if not all simultaneously.  With Buxton leading the way, followed by Castro and Lee, the offense could conceivably rebound to at least the  major league average.  And if Correa and Lewis start to click, we might even see an offense closer to 2024 midseason.  They badly need a consistent cleanup hitter but that possibility is zero until(hopefully) new ownership.

-And finally, Rocco has to change Duran's role to less stressful situations.  He has simply cost the Twins too many games this year, notwithstanding his May performance.  Give Jax, Varland or Stewart shots.  The Twins have little maneuvering room with their  subpar offense.  Shake it up Rocco!  Your job may well depend on it.

So not all doom and gloom, but they better start winning series against >.500 ballclubs or it will be another quiet October.

 

[LambchoP]

I wouldn't mind seeing Jax start to get some save opportunities. He strikes out WAY more guys than Duran which is what you need in a closer. 

[Riverbrian]

11 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

Understandably, you're going to get streakiness from guys like Ryan Jeffers (2-for-16 last week), Matt Wallner (2-for-21) and Trevor Larnach (1-for-9). It's hard when those slumps seem to so frequently come in unison. The Kody Clemens cooldown (0-for-7 last week, 3-for-28 in June) shouldn't be a huge surprise, nor should the ongoing ineffectiveness of Jonah Bride, who's gone hitless in 24 straight at-bats and is now getting more run as a pitcher than as a hitter. For better or worse, the Twins figure to find themselves needing to lean on those two more with Lewis going down.

This is why all 13 roster spots matter.

We will see how Keirsay is utilized in his return to the majors but with Buxton and Bader on the healthy along with Larnach, Wallner and Castro he won't be needed to start.

This puts Bride and Keirsay on the roster. Both players that the manager has given limited playing time to. 

This is why all 13 roster spots matter. Keeping Bride on ice (Deserved or Not) did nothing to prepare us for one injury. One injury... not two or three injuries which is not unheard of. 

Bride will probably be busy this week with all the lefties coming down the pipe as he settles into a short side platoon role. 

Take the Catcher position out and the limited role being offered to Bride and Keirsay and we are rolling with 9 eggs for an 8 egg carton.

Slumps from multiple players out of those 9 players that Rocco trusts? Can't fix it. We are going to offensively rise or fall with their fates. 

We had a hot streak with our pitching leading the way. If the pitching takes a hit and it has... the offense has to make it up and I'm not sure we have that type of offense to make up the difference. 

All 13 roster spots matter. 

[Jeff K]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Long way to go as the Twins fight to reach 83-85 wins. Don't give up hope. The bats need to improve.

A quick note on Miranda - he is currently the weakest player on the Saints roster by a fair stretch. Jose needs a trip for several weeks to Ft. Myers for a total reset. His defense is unplayable, he can't hit middle middle 88 MPH pitches, and he is the slowest runner in professional baseball. Something is way off and the poor guy needs a break or help of some sort. 

Wow.  I appreciate your commenting on the minor league players as I don't get an opportunity to see them (except in spring training).   I did not realize that Miranda had sunk so low.  And Julien doesn't seem to be much better.  

[Jeff K]

1 hour ago, mike8791 said:

Always enjoy these reviews, Nick.  Thank you!  While there wasn't much to stoke our enthusiasm for the Twins this past week(they still look like a .500 ballclub),  there were a few things to enthuse over(other than the performance of Lee and Castro):

-very fine pitched games by SWR(yesterday) and Festa on Wednesday.  Is it too much to ask for them to continue to step up?  Based on past performances, I tend to be cautiously optimistic.  This will not replace Lopez, but could ameliorate declines by Ober and Paddack.  Assuming Mathews can return within a few weeks the Twins could manage to stay afloat in the WC race.

-While the offense continues to disappoint, Larnach, Jeffers, and Wallner should  start hitting again, even if not all simultaneously.  With Buxton leading the way, followed by Castro and Lee, the offense could conceivably rebound to at least the  major league average.  And if Correa and Lewis start to click, we might even see an offense closer to 2024 midseason.  They badly need a consistent cleanup hitter but that possibility is zero until(hopefully) new ownership.

-And finally, Rocco has to change Duran's role to less stressful situations.  He has simply cost the Twins too many games this year, notwithstanding his May performance.  Give Jax, Varland or Stewart shots.  The Twins have little maneuvering room with their  subpar offense.  Shake it up Rocco!  Your job may well depend on it.

So not all doom and gloom, but they better start winning series against >.500 ballclubs or it will be another quiet October.

 

I agree that it's not all doom and gloom.  But it is a bit gloomy.  It is hard to be bullish on Lewis who injures himself running to first base.  He seemingly has bad wheels and that's a big problem for an athlete.

[Danchat]

5 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Is there another 12 game winning streak hidden within the team or are we in 500 limbo or worse?  Buxton and Castro and Lee imagine if they had a fourth batter joining them.  

Hopefully Festa and SWR have settled down and are going to continue to pitch well.  Was Paddack overly hyped to pitch at home in Texas?  Can Ober offset his aching hip?  These are the questions that need to be answered or the season is going downhill quicker than it did last year.

The hitters will probably get randomly hot for a week or two this summer and give the team hope again for a stretch, just for them to get cold again. 

[tony&rodney]

3 hours ago, Jeff K said:

Wow.  I appreciate your commenting on the minor league players as I don't get an opportunity to see them (except in spring training).   I did not realize that Miranda had sunk so low.  And Julien doesn't seem to be much better.  

Julien has a good OBP (.400+) and hits an occasional line drive. There is something there but he still watches numerous pitches right down the middle for strike three. Remember he can challenge the calls, unless the organization does not want their players who have played at the major league level using those challenges due to it not being available in MLB, which makes sense to me. I think Julien might help but he seems like a psychological mess.

[S Bart]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Julien has a good OBP (.400+) and hits an occasional line drive. There is something there but he still watches numerous pitches right down the middle for strike three. Remember he can challenge the calls, unless the organization does not want their players who have played at the major league level using those challenges due to it not being available in MLB, which makes sense to me. I think Julien might help but he seems like a psychological mess.

He also does not field the ball well.

[thelanges5]

18 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

Correa has got to drive in a run or two. He had guys in scoring position all game today and didn't hit well week. Seems to pull off the ball and the opposing pitchers know it. 

Pitchers aren’t afraid of C4 right now. He is performing 18% lower than league average so far this season. Not what you want from your $30 million man. 

[S Bart]

2nd place in the AL Central is nice to see, but I believe that there are three teams that currently have better records for the wild card chase. 

[tony&rodney]

13 minutes ago, S Bart said:

He also does not field the ball well.

Correct. To be fair, neither do many of the Twins. Of course many people enjoy quibbling about who is below average and who is a speck below below average.

[RpR]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Correct. To be fair, neither do many of the Twins. Of course many people enjoy quibbling about who is below average and who is a speck below below average.

A speck of dust is considered 0.00002 inches in diameter; Julien is 577,000 specs below average.

Just under a foot, sadly Miranda is not far behind.

[DocBauer]

I'm as depressed, bummed out, frustrated, and even confused as anyone over the past 2 weeks. 

I'm not giving up for a few reasons:

1] The SWR we saw in 2024 was OK, but got better and showed growing confidence as the season went along. His return from St Paul was pre-mature, and awful. But he looked much more like his 2024 self in his 2nd turn. Can he duplicate that to any sort and be his 2024 self? If so, the rotation can still be OK.

2] The Festa we saw in 2024, and his first few starts in 2025, is NOT the guy we saw hopping a last second flight to CA to throw off a tough mound in his first start back. His next start is much more of what I expect. I think hes a fixture for the future. His time might be now. Can he be remotely consistent?

3] I don't have much belief in Wentz. But a former solid prospect at 27yo converting to the pen is at least interesting. I'd reserve judgment until I see him again. He wasn't bad for Pittsburgh. Maybe he's a decent conversion candidate who the Twins can tinker with and turn in to something? He could also be DFA in a week. Because...

4] I really think they need the 8th spot to be a guy or two who can help eat a couple innings and keep the Twins in games. Adams needs a shot, and he's probably going to get one. I'm not sure who else qualifies considering thr 40 man roster and lack of options for other candidates.

The problem remains the offense.

Correa has been much better. Now he's slumping some. We still have a while 2nd half of the season to play. Jeffers, Larnach, and Wallner are a bit streaky. Sucks when everyone seems to get cold at the same time, but those 3 are solid bats. Does Keaschall provide a spark come July? Lee is growing and getting better. Can Lewis actually be healthy for the 2nd half? I'm not betting on it, but he's a difference maker when he is, as he was just starting to round in to shape before this most recent "mild" hamstring injury.

There's still enough here to be a competent, middle of the league offense with some top 10 potential. Unless Ober implodes, the rotation still has a chance to be solid/good, but the 8th BP spot might come in to play in an unexpected way.

I'm just looking for the entire staff to work together to mitigate the loss of Lopez, and Matthews to a certain degree.

It still comes down to the offense. And I don't see ownership making any additions that could help.

[tony&rodney]

10 minutes ago, RpR said:

A speck of dust is considered 0.00002 inches in diameter; Julien is 577,000 specs below average.

Just under a foot, sadly Miranda is not far behind.

Won't argue that Julien is a below average defender, but your negative fixation on him is a little bit psychotic considering he is but one of two dozen below average defensive players who have been rostered by the Twins since the beginning of the 2023 season. This nearly sounds like someone who lost money on a bet, not saying you have at all.

At the close of the 2023 season I suggested that the Twins could sell high on at least a couple of several players and Julien was among them. My reasoning is that there might have been an opportunity to improve the talent in the organization but had nothing personal in a negative fashion towards any player.

Everyone will make their own decisions on every player that puts on a uniform but it isn't necessary or healthy to have derision or a negative view towards an athlete. Baseball is a hard game and the ups and downs for individuals can be tough to watch and tougher for the player who is working hard at their craft. The differences aren't all that great. " It ain't such a long drop ..... From the diamonds in the sidewalk to the dirt in the gutter."

It's just entertainment. Stay well.

[S Bart]

6 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Correct. To be fair, neither do many of the Twins. Of course many people enjoy quibbling about who is below average and who is a speck below below average.

Posting on this site (positive and negative) is meant for people to comment as you also have done. Statistics and performance are not quibbles in my opinion. It is why he has been relegated multiple times. I am not trying to insult him (he is a great human being) and hopefully he will catch on to MLB at some point in time. He was basically learning the job at 2nd base this year, Check his performance against Fitzgerald, another Saints' infielder, who has done better in AAA. Also, Keaschall should be back soon which will fill that void.  You are right about one area. The Twins owe 90 million plus over the next three years to Correa and his BA lately is far from great. 

[Jeff K]

17 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Julien has a good OBP (.400+) and hits an occasional line drive. There is something there but he still watches numerous pitches right down the middle for strike three. Remember he can challenge the calls, unless the organization does not want their players who have played at the major league level using those challenges due to it not being available in MLB, which makes sense to me. I think Julien might help but he seems like a psychological mess.

My biggest problem with Julien is I don't see a field position for him.

[tony&rodney]

3 minutes ago, Jeff K said:

My biggest problem with Julien is I don't see a field position for him.

You are not alone on that front. Julien isn't the only one with that problem either. Today there is an article calling for a return of Gasper. Gasper has had incredible AAA stats with a bat. He might be, along with Miranda, a guy who struggles even more than Julien with the glove. So it becomes an issue of how much defense does a team sacrifice for offense? The patience with the bat is really hard if the glove doesn't play. This has been the fate of the Twins at a number of positions. It also doesn't help if the players are looking over their shoulder. These defensively challenged players work very hard to reach some level of competence but then errors, misses, and mistakes happen because excellence in the major leagues is difficult.

Teams have different philosophies on building rosters. The Twins are hoping to win with pitching and position players who are bat first. Tampa Bay and Milwaukee, among other teams, put more of an emphasis on defense than the Twins. The teams we watch reflects the will or visions of the front offices and managers on various teams.

When hacks like myself suggest potential trades in the offseason I only have an idea of a team in theory. I cannot know whether other teams would entertain any of my proposals. My ideas include players who could run and play defense at a high level with an allowance for 2-3 DH type hitters. Pitching is always going to be a main focus as well. Right now the Twins roster the slowest team in baseball and a pile of guys best put in the lineup as a DH. If Julien was strictly a DH, we wouldn't discuss his fielding. Since the Twins have not released or traded Eddie, we can expect to see him back at second base for the Twins if a couple current players fail or get injured. The chorus shall rise again if this happens, but remember it is part of the design of the organization.