Week in Review: Something to Build On

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Weekly Nutshell:
After getting shredded by Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal to close out the previous week, the Twins couldn't snap out of their offensive funk in Miami, scoring just three runs in three games to drop yet another series. They returned to Target Field for a nine-game home stand to close out the first half, desperately needing to get on track against a very tough opponent in the Rays.

The Twins made it happen. Back-to-back walk-off wins on Friday and Saturday secured their first series win in a month. And they put forth a good effort at the sweep on Sunday, coming back from multiple deficits before running out of gas in the 10th. It wasn't always pretty, but Minnesota hung in there with one of the top contenders in the American League, and that's a welcome development following several straight weeks of nonstop losing and frequent beatdowns. 

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 6/30 through Sun, 7/6
***
Record Last Week: 3-3 (Overall: 43-47)
Run Differential Last Week: -4 (Overall: -18)
Standing: 2nd Place in AL Central (13.5 GB) 

Last Week's Game Results:

Game 85 | MIA 2, MIN 0: Offense Remains Dormant in Second Straight Shutout Loss

• Twins hitters: 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K

Game 86 | MIN 2, MIA 1: Twins Squeeze Past Marlins Behind More Strong Pitching

• Woods Richardson: 5 IP, 1 ER, 2 H

Game 87 | MIA 4, MIN 1: Another No-Show from Lineup Leads to Another Series Loss

• Twins hitters: 1 XBH, 1 BB, 10 K, 0-5 RISP

Game 88 | MIN 4, TB 3: Bader's Second Home Run of the Day Walks It Off in Ninth

• Bader: 2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI

Game 89 | MIN 6, TB 5: Lee's Walk-Off Bunt Wins It After Clemens Shocks Twins Back to Life

• Clemens: Game-tying 3-R HR

Game 90 | TB 7, MIN 5: Twins Show Plenty of Fight But Fall Short in Finale Against Rays

• Topa: 1 IP, 3 R (1 ER), E

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NEWS & NOTES

The Twins placed Bailey Ober on the injured list with a right hip impingement, running out of alternatives after Ober went 0-5 with a 9.00 ERA in June and showed no real signs of course-correcting. It seems like the plan is to give him a breather up until the All-Star break and then re-evaluate, since there is no compelling option to take his place for any extended length of time.

The Twins called up Kody Funderburk to fill in as an interim extra reliever, and then swapped him out for Travis Adams who worked as the bulk pitcher in his major-league debut on Saturday. Adams filled the strike zone, as advertised, but struggled to miss bats, striking out only one of the 20 hitters he faced in four innings of work. He paid the price, giving up five earned runs on nine hits, but to his credit Adams did enough to keep Minnesota alive in a game they eventually managed to win.

Jonah Bride, who'd been designated for assignment to make room for Royce Lewis at the start of the week, was outrighted to St. Paul after clearing waivers and joined the Saints. In his first week back with the Twins, Lewis started five of six games – notably, all at third base instead of DH – and went 5-for-19 with a double and two RBIs. He still doesn't look entirely comfortable or stable in the batter's box, but Lewis is putting the ball in play and at least getting some results. Usage-wise, the Twins don't seem too inclined to take it easy on him coming off the multiple hammy strains.

In a much deserved honor, Byron Buxton was named to his second All-Star Game at week's end. He celebrated earlier in the day by launching a leadoff homer to open up the finale against Tampa, his 20th home run of the season, and later added his 16th steal. He'll be Minnesota's lone rep (as of now) at an exhibition set to take place in Atlanta, his hometown neck of the woods, a week from Tuesday. The Buxton season we've all been waiting for has been a major morale lifter in a largely disappointing first half for the Twins. 

 

HIGHLIGHTS

The silver lining of their series loss in Miami was that Minnesota's pitching staff looked very strong as it continues to round back into form following a brutal month of June. Simeon Woods Richardson led the way in a 2-1 victory on Wednesday, allowing just one solo homer in five innings before the Twins threw all their top relievers – Brock Stewart, Louis Varland, Danny Coulombe, Griffin Jax, Jhoan Durán – to shut down the final four frames and lock in a much-needed dub. It was a prototype for winning that we saw frequently in May but rarely since.

Right now, Woods Richardson is doing pretty much exactly the same thing that earned him so much good will as a rookie last year: saving the back end of the rotation right when the team needs it. Things were spiraling out of control after Pablo López and Zebby Matthews went down, and SWR fanned the flames by getting crushed in his first start back, but he has since posted a 1.71 ERA with only one home run allowed in four starts, completing at least five innings in each.

David Festa gave up three runs in the first inning of his start on Thursday, but rebounded to finish with four earned in six-plus innings of work, striking out seven. He's answering the call for this rotation by pitching deeper into games, working at least into the sixth inning four times in his past six starts. Altogether another encouraging step forward for the young righty. 

Chris Paddack was solid against Tampa on Friday (5 IP, 2 ER), which is all we can really ask of him. Joe Ryan was customarily excellent in his two starts, allowing three runs in 13 innings but receiving pitifully little run support in two eventual losses for the team. Ryan wasn't on the initial All-Star roster unveiled on Sunday, but could easily be named as an injury or usage replacement in the coming days. He very much deserves it.

The Twins needed all hands on deck to squeak out tight wins, capturing three consecutive victories in one-run margins after having dropped the previous nine straight. That meant starters keeping them in games and relievers stepping up late. The top bullpen arms all played a role in nursing a tight one-run lead on Wednesday, and Varland fired two perfect innings on Friday to set up a walk-off win in the ninth, then another scoreless ninth in a tie game on Sunday. 

Varland has quietly been the hero of the Twins relief corps, handling a massive workload and consistently getting the job done. He gave up three home runs in April but hasn't surrendered one since. Over his past 26 appearances Varland has allowed just two earned runs for a 0.69 ERA that ranks fifth-best in baseball. 

 

On Saturday it was Durán pulling extra duty, pushing through two innings and keeping Tampa off the board to set the stage for another walk-off. Earlier in the week he breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth with a one-run lead to pick up his 13th save in 15 attempts. Durán, like Varland, has been a linchpin in the Twins bullpen – he hasn't allowed multiple runs in an appearance all year, with a 1.56 ERA that certainly puts him in the realm of All-Star consideration alongside Ryan. (Varland honestly deserves a look too, but it's tough out there for middle relievers.)

In a generally rough week for the lineup, the big hits and big moments counted extra. Harrison Bader lifted the Twins in a huge way on Friday with his two-homer game, sending the team home when he laced a line drive into the left field bleachers. On Sunday, Bader entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth with the Twins down two, and he did it again, yanking a two-run homer just inside the foul pole to tie the game. A legendary week of heroics. Already Bader is cementing himself as one of the best free-agent signings in franchise history, and I've gotta admit, I did not at all see that coming. 

 

Brooks Lee got plenty of adulation for his well-executed walk-off squeeze bunt on Saturday, but the dramatic play was only made possible by Kody Clemens' game-tying three-run homer with two outs in the sixth, jolting the Twins back from the dead. Clemens has cracked 10 homers in 51 games since joining the Twins in early May, and a great many of them have been very meaningful – this one more than most. Again, yeah, did not see that coming.

 

LOWLIGHTS

Another punchless week from Carlos Correa, who was showing some signs of coming alive with a pair of homers in late June. In the first week of July he had no extra-base hits, with just one RBI on four singles in 18 at-bats. Watching the entire lineup sputter along as Correa makes zero noise in the heart of the order is quite demoralizing. 

Aaron Gleeman wrote at The Athletic last week about the disappearance of Correa's "clutch factor," for which he was so renowned in Houston. As Aaron notes, Correa has been one of the worst hitters in the league with runners in scoring position during his time in Minnesota, and especially with two outs. 

His Twins-era lack of clutchness was on clear display over the weekend. On Friday, Correa went 0-for-4 as cleanup hitter. In the fourth of those fruitless at-bats, during the seventh inning, he came up with the bases loaded and two outs in a 3-3 contest, facing a left-hander in Garrett Cleavinger. Correa got blown away, striking out on three pitches to drop to 0-for-10 this year with the bases full. On Sunday he struck out twice with the tying run in scoring position, waving at a slider about a foot outside the zone in the second of those. These are bad, non-competitive at-bats with really high stakes. Save for a few small flashes, Correa just looks incapable of fighting his way out of this.

By contrast, high-leverage performance has been the only thing stopping Ty France's first season as a Twin from being an outright disaster. He's slashing .329/.364/.402 with runners in scoring position, but has twice as many plate appearances with the bases empty, where his line is .210/.272/.318. France went 1-for-13 this past week, has an OPS around .600 over the past month, and is increasingly ceding playing time at first base to Clemens against righties. 

The Twins have got to find some answers offensively. It's hard to conceive that staying committed to France at first base is part of the solution. They're more or less powerless over whether guys like Correa and Lewis can find a spark, but the front office can find ways to power up one of the most offense-oriented positions on the field, whether that means looking externally at the trade deadline, or – more likely – within.

TRENDING STORYLINE

With France's value fading and his playing time being reduced, the door could be open for a different righty-swinging first baseman to enter the mix. On Thursday, Aaron Sabato hit his third home run in three weeks since being promoted to Triple-A, muscling a high fastball the other way for a 425-foot bomb. He's batting .300 with an .882 OPS in 18 games as a Saint, and Sabato keeps on showing the traits that have fueled his remarkable resurrection as a prospect: he's taking good ABs, putting the ball in play, and making loud contact consistently.

 

The upcoming All-Star break is often a time for teams to re-evaluate and retool for the final 10 weeks. What do the Twins do with France? That's not necessarily a straightforward question to answer. As mentioned, France has been somewhat productive thanks to some well-timed hits – he's second on the team in RBIs (42) and his league-leading 14 HBPs are helping keep his on-base percentage afloat despite a bottom-tier walk rate. 

But there's just no upside here, and that was the entire problem with signing France to begin with. His OPS is almost exactly the same as it was last year, when his production was bad enough that no team gave him a guaranteed contract over the winter. This is exactly what we should've expected, and it's not good enough. However they go about it, improving at first base is an essential priority for the Twins as they attempt to conjure enough offensive punch to be a legit threat in the second half.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Twins close out the pre-break schedule with a pair of interleague matchups at home, starting with a Cubs team that is among the league's best. If they could find a way to go 5-1 they'd move above the .500 mark for the break, which would offer some level of reassurance as they regroup for the second half. But a winning week feels more or less imperative. 

The Twins starter for Friday's opener against the Pirates is currently TBD, but as of now I'm presuming they'll follow a similar plan as they did on Saturday, with Adams operating as the bulk guy in a bullpen game.

TUESDAY, JULY 8: CUBS @ TWINS — LHP Shota Imanaga v. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9: CUBS @ TWINS — RHP Cade Horton v. RHP David Festa
THURSDAY, JULY 10: CUBS @ TWINS — RHP Colin Rea v. RHP Chris Paddack
FRIDAY, JULY 11: PIRATES @ TWINS — RHP Mike Burrows v. TBD
SATURDAY, JULY 12: PIRATES @ TWINS — RHP Paul Skenes v. RHP Joe Ryan
SUNDAY, JULY 13: PIRATES @ TWINS — LHP Andrew Heaney v. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson

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[Dman]

I hate to pile on with Correa, but it seems like he got old in a hurry.  He looks kind of slow in the field and at the plate.  Some of his at bats are just down right embarrassing.  I mean once they get two strikes on the guy just throw something a mile outside and he will swing.  It's hard to believe he is not some rookie.  I guess there isn't much to be done because we don't really have anything else at short, but it's hard to watch a former All Star with a .600 OPS.  It's just kind of sad watching him this year. 

I also agree on France.  I mean he has been clutch and maybe that saves him to some degree, but if we can't find someone even in the minors that can't beat his .600 OPS then we are in trouble.  I can see hanging onto him until the deadline just to see if something changes, but I like the idea of Sabato if he keeps hitting at AAA.  At that point we should be well out of it for the wild card and getting Saabto some playing time would be helpful for next year.

Buxton has been amazing.  A true All Star.  

I love Bader's energy and how he seems to care about every at bat and gets to every ball in left.

Varland has exceeded my expectations as a pen arm.  I mean I felt he would be good, but I did not see excellent coming.  I thought he would always carry that I give up home runs too often label, but so far he just keeps getting outs and not giving up any runs.

It was fun to see some magic against Tampa, but this team doesn't have a deep lineup and a lot of arms are out. Hard to come back from that.

[Vanimal46]

Power rankings of most fun Twins players:

1. Byron Buxton

2. Harrison Bader

3. Joe Ryan 

… Getting hit by a bus

38. Carlos Correa hitting with RISP

78. Joey Wentz

[Blyleven2011]

Week in review  ...

Twins Player of the week , offense and defense ...

Pete and re-peat ( BADER ) ...

Honorable mention ...

Vazquez for stalling the opponents running game ...

[thelanges5]

Still haven’t gotten over that Miami series. Thanks offense!

Hard to be optimistic, even with the nice series win against the Rays. I am bracing my fragile psyche for this week.

Paul Skenes and 2 lefties this week. 
Cubs are third in OPS and 13th in era; Twins are 21st in both. 

[Vanimal46]

2 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

Cubs are third in OPS and 13th in era; Twins are 21st in both.

Cubs are dismantling the Cardinals tonight on national TV. They’ll be feeling good heading into our series Tuesday 

[TNTwinsFan]

I'd really like to see Bader signed for another 2 years. High energy guy that seems to lead by example on the field is invaluable. He and Keashall are a dynamic pairing!

Sabato looks like he's making a decision about France a difficult one for the front office. That would move Clemens over to 2B and maybe that would allow for Brooks/Castro to give Correa a couple of spells each week.

 

Regarding the Trade Deadline, I think it would be worth it to maximize the value of 1 or 2 of our Bullpen Studs. I'd be curious to see what I could get for Jax and Duran. My guess is...a lot. The time is now to retool and reset for a new core to take over. The Catching depth is shallow. The SP pipeline isn't showing that its all its cracked up to be. With Jenkins', Gonzalez', and E-Rod's arrivals maybe next year or in 2027 I'd say the Outfield depth is ok, but, those are elements of the new core that must be built around. Jax, Duran, and one of Larnach/Wallner should net some solid additions to that core. Perhaps Lewis finds it this year and stays healthy next year. Perhaps Culpepper is making a push next year too....my vote is for restocking. And now.

[LA Vikes Fan]

Two necessary changes for next week. First, no TBD on Friday. That's Ryan's 5th day after pitching Sunday, pitch him. Give him a longer break if he doesn't make the AS team as a replacement player. Bullpen game Saturday against Skenes. Maximize your chances to win Friday by pitching Ryan against Burrows. SWR against  Heaney Sunday.

Second, change up the batting order. Drop Correa to the 6 or 7 hole with Lewis in the 4 spot, Bader 5. Wallner 6 or 7, Lee 8. Catcher 9 if Vasquez, 7 or 8 if Jeffers. Hit guys where their recent hitting puts them, not on reputation.  

[TNTwinsFan]

Buxton CF

Keashall 2B

Castro 3B

Larnach RF

Sabato 1B

Wallner DH

Bader LF

Lee SS

Jeffers C

I don't trust Lewis nor Correa with the bat right now and I believe Correa's contract is going to become an albatross sooner rather than later. 

[Bracky]

Agree with those above on Bader. If he continues to perform overall in the 2nd half as he has in the 1st half then I think it makes a lot of sense to try and keep him in Minnesota. He and Buxton seem to work well together and that gives some really nice outfield defense.

France has slumped some. It would be great if AAA (Sabato) can keep going and make some noise but ultimately aside from some flashes, there hasn't just been high yield 1B players just floating around out there. I would still rather France be at bat with RISP than many others in the lineup. However, France's play really hasn't been the biggest thing dragging the Twins down.

I don't really get excited with trying to trade bullpen arms at this point as we seem to need ALL of them ALL the time!

This article is one of the first in recent memory to really devote time on Correa. He still has been solid at SS but if you compare what he is getting paid to performance it is hard to make a case for a bigger disappointment this year. You can't have that much tied up in a player for this type of performance.

I can cut players like France, Clemens and Bader a lot more slack when you compare their salaries.

Oh and I also want Clemens (I can't believe I would have said this) to stick around with the Twins. He has been surprisingly fun and another bat I would prefer to have up when we need hits or a spark compared to others.

Lastly, call me crazy but I still have moments where I think Vasquez runs a better game (and throws better to bases for outs) than Jeffers... 

[Doctor Gast]

Last week was probably one of the toughest weeks of the season. DET has the best record in MLB, Both MIA & TB has been very hot & and I wish we had played both of them to start the season in warm Florida, when they were slumping. Yet we started the homestand on a positive note, almost sweeping a very good team that I hope can win the East.

We really need Correa; there's something seriously wrong with him. He's too good to be this bad, Twins need to solve this problem ASAP instead of waiting around & hoping the problem goes away like with Ober.

[Parfigliano]

Week In Review:  Tampa Bay series win provides false hope.  TC still should be trade time sellers.

[DJL44]

12 hours ago, Dman said:

 like the idea of Sabato if he keeps hitting at AAA.  At that point we should be well out of it for the wild card and getting Sabato some playing time would be helpful for next year.

Yes, but it is important to remember that there is no "book" on Sabato yet. Nobody has paid much attention to him because he's been mostly lousy before this season. He will also face challenges when teams find a weakness.

[Patzky]

10 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Two necessary changes for next week. First, no TBD on Friday. That's Ryan's 5th day after pitching Sunday, pitch him. Give him a longer break if he doesn't make the AS team as a replacement player. Bullpen game Saturday against Skenes. Maximize your chances to win Friday by pitching Ryan against Burrows. SWR against  Heaney Sunday.

Second, change up the batting order. Drop Correa to the 6 or 7 hole with Lewis in the 4 spot, Bader 5. Wallner 6 or 7, Lee 8. Catcher 9 if Vasquez, 7 or 8 if Jeffers. Hit guys where their recent hitting puts them, not on reputation.  

You've got some good ideas.. especially about taking the surer thing (0-2 in Joes last two starts though not his fault) against the Buccos. Who were shut out again in Seattle. 

Correa needs a reset. I think we learned one thing Sunday and that there's no sense in sitting Bader (as we are finding there is sense in sitting Ty) and putting Wallner AND Larnach in needlessly. The best mix of batting and defense has Bader-Buxton-Castro in the OF and Lewis-Correa-Lee-Clemens left to right.. DH Larnach or Wallner, platoon France and get Vazquez behind the plate 4 times a week. Try Sabato in lieu of Clemens? Why not. 

Agree if you move Lewis up that we will be pleasantly surprised. I wasn't a fan of Buck leading off before it worked so well. :)

[Patzky]

11 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Week in review  ...

Twins Player of the week , offense and defense ...

Pete and re-peat ( BADER ) ...

Honorable mention ...

Vazquez for stalling the opponents running game ...

A week ago, being legit upset about not pulling off the series sweep would have seemed unthinkable.

[Patzky]

10 hours ago, Bracky said:

I still have moments where I think Vasquez runs a better game (and throws better to bases for outs) than Jeffers... 

I also have those moments any time a catcher is involved in a play.

[TheLeviathan]

Sell, baby, sell.

[LA Vikes Fan]

1 hour ago, Patzky said:

You've got some good ideas.. especially about taking the surer thing (0-2 in Joes last two starts though not his fault) against the Buccos. Who were shut out again in Seattle. 

Correa needs a reset. I think we learned one thing Sunday and that there's no sense in sitting Bader (as we are finding there is sense in sitting Ty) and putting Wallner AND Larnach in needlessly. The best mix of batting and defense has Bader-Buxton-Castro in the OF and Lewis-Correa-Lee-Clemens left to right.. DH Larnach or Wallner, platoon France and get Vazquez behind the plate 4 times a week. Try Sabato in lieu of Clemens? Why not. 

Agree if you move Lewis up that we will be pleasantly surprised. I wasn't a fan of Buck leading off before it worked so well. :)

Agree with you here except I'm not thrilled with Clemens playing 1B. I realize he's the best we have other than France. Still, that .203/.293/.471 (.764)with 10 HRs in 148 PAS and a 27% SO rate stat line is pretty Dave Kingmanesqe. He's also 29 so it's hardy to see him getting a lot better although maybe he could hit .225 if he played regularly against RH pitching. Still pretty weak even though I love the power. 

I think the team missed the boat by not spending time teaching 1B to Larnach or Wallner in Spring Training, probably Larnach. We can't live with both of them in the OF defensively and they are going to get crowded out by Martin, Emma, Jenkins, etc. in the next 2-3 years. It would really help of one of them could play 1B, maybe even full time.  If I'm wrong and one of them can play a little 1B, let's do it now. 

[Patzky]

1 minute ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Agree with you here except I'm not thrilled with Clemens playing 1B. I realize he's the best we have other than France. Still, that .203/.293/.471 (.764)with 10 HRs in 148 PAS and a 27% SO rate stat line is pretty Dave Kingmanesqe. He's also 29 so it's hardy to see him getting a lot better although maybe he could hit .225 if he played regularly against RH pitching. Still pretty weak even though I love the power. 

I think the team missed the boat by not spending time teaching 1B to Larnach or Wallner in Spring Training, probably Larnach. We can't live with both of them in the OF defensively and they are going to get crowded out by Martin, Emma, Jenkins, etc. in the next 2-3 years. It would really help of one of them could play 1B, maybe even full time.  If I'm wrong and one of them can play a little 1B, let's do it now. 

How do you feel about (gasp) Eddy Julien trying out first. He seems to have beaten the hitting yips for now. Keaschall? 

[Dman]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Yes, but it is important to remember that there is no "book" on Sabato yet. Nobody has paid much attention to him because he's been mostly lousy before this season. He will also face challenges when teams find a weakness.

Totally agree.  He might not be the answer, but he was a number 1 pick. He is 26 years old.  He has been hitting well at two tough levels.  It kind of feels like now or never for him.  So it would be nice to know if he can be something or not.  He still needs to maintain his AAA numbers to some degree, but if the Twins are sellers then there would be no better time to find out what he can do.

[LA Vikes Fan]

Keaschall and Julien are both good ideas that I was thinking about. Julien has shown he can hit MLB pitching but couldn't adjust when the pitching adjusted. Not the first guy who has had that problem and had to go back to AAA. I feel like we should give Julien another shot. The issue is who goes to make room. I have a feeling that the trade deadline will tell us that.   

I also really like the idea of Keaschall having an everyday spot when he comes back. I remember reading that he played 1B in the minors so there's a potential spot without tying up the DH spot. 

I guess what I'd really like to see is France gone, traded if possible, with Julien and Keaschall both getting a shot in the second half. Unfortunately, that probably means  a trade of Castro or Bader to make room. That's too high a price just to make room but I think you trade those guys unless you re-sign them now or know you have a very good shot or re-signing them in the offseason. It would not surprise me to see either or both of them traded by the deadline. 

[LambchoP]

Not much we can do about Correa other than move him down in the lineup. If they can trade France I wouldn't mind a first base platoon of Clemens and Sabato. See if he has what it takes to be a starting, everyday first baseman. Then at least we'll know if we need another one for next year. Doesn't Bader have a team option for next year? That should be picked up. Guys like him, Buxton and Keaschal are what this team needs. High energy, fast athletic guys who play the game hard and actually seem to care about winning. 

[DJL44]

12 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

If they can trade France I wouldn't mind a first base platoon of Clemens and Sabato. See if he has what it takes to be a starting, everyday first baseman. Then at least we'll know if we need another one for next year. 

Kody Clemens would get 80% of the playing time in that platoon. You'd be seeing if Sabato had what it takes to be a short-side platoon 1B playing against LHP. That's more than people expected from Sabato last season, but I think you really want to find out if he can play every day.

15 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

High energy, fast athletic guys who play the game hard and actually seem to care about winning. 

The slow players care about winning, too. Christian Vazquez is trying to win, he just can't hit anymore. Desire isn't measured in foot speed.

[MMMordabito]

The only two pitchers in the AL that are better than Joe Ryan are Tarik Skubal and Hunter Brown. 

All

Star

Selections

The acronym doesn't lie.

[chpettit19]

2 hours ago, LambchoP said:

Not much we can do about Correa other than move him down in the lineup. If they can trade France I wouldn't mind a first base platoon of Clemens and Sabato. See if he has what it takes to be a starting, everyday first baseman. Then at least we'll know if we need another one for next year. Doesn't Bader have a team option for next year? That should be picked up. Guys like him, Buxton and Keaschal are what this team needs. High energy, fast athletic guys who play the game hard and actually seem to care about winning. 

Bader's option is mutual. If he continues to have his best offensive season in years he's going to decline his side and hit free agency again.

Clemens is 29 and has a .629 OPS with a .152 BA since the start of June. He's back to being Kody Clemens. He has no future here. If you're going to call up Sabato and give him playing time, then give him all the playing time and see what he can do. Don't waste ABs on Kody Clemens. 

[P Meyer]

16 hours ago, TNTwinsFan said:

Buxton CF

Keashall 2B

Castro 3B

Larnach RF

Sabato 1B

Wallner DH

Bader LF

Lee SS

Jeffers C

I don't trust Lewis nor Correa with the bat right now and I believe Correa's contract is going to become an albatross sooner rather than later. 

If the idea is the bat your best players higher in the lineup so they get more at bats...Lee needs to be a lot higher.

 

Correa's contract is already an albatross. You can't have a team that is crunching payroll paying a guy to not produce. His contract is about the same as Pablo Lopez and Byron Buxton's combined. If the Twins were smart, they would find a way to unload him because I doubt he is going to get better over the next three seasons, all of which he is slated to make over 30 mil. Good news, his vested options are looking like they will be a stretch. His easiest 2029 option is based on him getting 575 plate appearances in 2028. At this rate, that doesn't look likely.

[P Meyer]

Honest question, what are the valid reasons the Twins should not move Royce Lewis to 1B? I used to believe it was his athleticism, but that seems to be gone. Our system seems to have more options at 2B and 3B than 1B for the near future, and the outfield also has several options. He would have to learn the position, but outside of that, why not?

[Patzky]

2 hours ago, P Meyer said:

Honest question, what are the valid reasons the Twins should not move Royce Lewis to 1B? He would have to learn the position, but outside of that, why not?

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON? 😁

[DocBauer]

THE GOOD:

Ryan remains one of the best SP in the league. (Rank them how you will).

SWR has suddenly looked like the very solid young arm we saw for most of 2024.

Festa has been a little up and down, but we've also seen a lot of his 2024 self, and the potential he's got. Even in his last loss, he settled down and pitched well. He's got a bright future.

Most of the pen is still been throwing strong. My goodness has Varland been good! Hope his arm doesn't fall off!

THE BAD:

Correa continues to flounder at the plate. I know the Twins are tight-lipped about injuries, but it appears nothing is wrong physically. He was great last season pre and post injury. I can't believe a 30yo who works hard on his game and his conditioning...and was good in 2024...has suddenly gotten old. I just can't believe his bat has truly died so soon. Hopefully he's really just having a bizarre and horrible 1st half.

Wallner has been great the past 2 seasons, and had a good start to this season, and a blistering rehab in AAA coming back from his injury. The calendar has flipped to July. Does he suddenly get his timing back?

Everything I just said about Wallner is the same with Lewis. He is SUPER talented. When does the switch turn on?

When 3 of your top 4 bats are struggling, how can your offense hope to support your staff? 

MISC:

Id love to have Bader back as a 4th-5th OF. But he's almost certainly looking for a bump in pay, and years, that I doubt the Twins could match. He's probably traded.

I'd love to have Castro back for AT LEAST one more year as he's GOOD and his ideal replacements are probably 6 months to a year away. But again, he's going to be looking for a bigger and longer deal than the Twins can probably offer. He's probably traded.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but it's possible Sabato has re-established himself as a prospect. And that's ALL he still is. But coming out of college as a sophomore in the weird 2020 season, he was considered the possibly BEST BAT OVERALL in that draft. There's been articles written about a different approach he's taken this season. Even though the IL is a hitters league, I'd still leave him down there for a few week before any kind of promotion/look-see at the ML level. But he WAS  a good prospect once upon a time for good reason. 

I'm still not sold on Julien, despite being a previous believer, until I see more consistency. But if he continues through July what he's been doing, yes you promote him. He's a 2B/1B/DH option with a potentially really good bat. You find room for that. And it might not be hard to do so if trades happen. With all due respect to what France HAS DONE with the glove and pressure moments, he's also been horrible without runners on base and isn't part of the future. But when and if Sabato is brought up, you absolutely have no idea what you have unless he plays DAILY. Julien gets to fill in at different spots and shouldn't be part of any 1B platoon.

I absolutely have NO IDEA what to think about Clemens. Generally speaking, I've been surprised that he plays pretty solid defense wherever he plays. A LH bat with power and can be solid at multiple positions is interesting. Without breaking down his entire ML career, I'm willing to bet this is the most productive he's ever been. That doesn't mean he's a KEEPER. But if Castro is gone via trade or after the season and not re-signed, there is room for at least 1 utility player in 2026. Schobel looked like he was ready to make a statement for '26, but he got injured right after he reached AAA. Culpepper and DeBarge are at least 6 ML months away. 

ASSUMING no re-signs, that means an opening for Clemens, or maybe dipping in to the system for Will Holland? Or Eales if he finishes the season strong? 

Getting WAY of topic for Nick's OP about good things. But I wasn't the one to start it, LOL.

But it's not hard to squint and see some positive outcomes for this team yet in 2025. But it's also not hard to squint at a deadline of change and future possibilities. 

[RpR]

6 hours ago, P Meyer said:

Honest question, what are the valid reasons the Twins should not move Royce Lewis to 1B? I used to believe it was his athleticism, but that seems to be gone. Our system seems to have more options at 2B and 3B than 1B for the near future, and the outfield also has several options. He would have to learn the position, but outside of that, why not?

Because France has a career  .998 fielding level at 1st base and Lewis glove stinks any where he plays.