Yes, Derek Falvey should be Trusted to Make Trade Decisions at the Deadline

[Greggory Masterson]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Put even more concisely, it's his job.

It’s a common question posed by fans and commentators this trade deadline: Should Derek Falvey be trusted with potential franchise-altering trades? Our own Matthew Taylor asked that same question this weekend. He laid out the general points: Falvey’s job status beyond this season isn’t guaranteed, given the looming sale of the franchise and the team likely missing the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. There's a potential misalignment of goals (given that Falvey’s position may lead him to focus more on the short term than long-term organizational health), and many have questions about his trade record in the past. You can read Matthew’s piece for a more fleshed-out version of these factors (and my history of Falvey’s deadline deals, while you're looking for more light reading).

But I’m here to tell you that answer: like it or not, he has to make those decisions at this deadline. Or at least, he has to be left alone to be open to them.

To be clear, no one is arguing about whether he should be allowed to dump the expiring contracts; we’re talking about guys like Joe Ryan, Griffin Jax, or Jhoan Durán, or who knows, maybe Brock Stewart, Ryan Jeffers, or Trevor Larnach—players with at least a year remaining of team control after 2025. We just saw him deal Chris Paddack, but the real stakes lie with the longer-term moves. There, too, lie the real questions.

But, again, the answer to this question is very simple. If he has the job, he has to do the job. Although it may seem like the organization is shooting itself in the foot, allowing a decision-maker to make potentially franchise-altering decisions on the way out the door, there are a few things to keep in mind here.

First, the obvious: there’s no indication Falvey will not return in 2026 and beyond in a baseball decision-making position. There’s no indication he will, either, but such is the nature of a team that’s currently up for sale with no concrete news as to when a new owner will start calling shots—or what that owner’s preferences are.

Given the assumption that no one knows the answer to that question (and at least publicly, that’s true, though it may be a different story behind closed doors), it’s incumbent on the organization to act as if there will not be changes to the decision-making roles. They need to act as if they will continue to be making those decisions for years to come.

I mean, what’s the alternative? They take their ball and go home? Say, “I don’t know if I’ll be here next year, so I won’t do anything now?” Good luck explaining that to your new boss.

Second, related to the first: making a silly, shortsighted trade of a valuable piece like Duran for some short-term gain is also not a good way to endear oneself to ownership. Doing something reckless to try to win in 2025 or sell out for 2026, like the recklessness by omission of doing nothing, isn’t good for a career, either.

Third, are we all talking about the same Derek Falvey? As an executive, his public reputation is that of a notoriously hard bargainer. Making a deal on a controllable asset just to make a deal seems out of character—as an outsider, at least—which should give Twins fans comfort. By all accounts, and from watching him for eight seasons, it would be surprising to see him complete a deal that he didn’t think he won. It would, frankly, be confusing.

Of course, you may have reached the end of this and maintained the opinion that you simply don’t trust him to make decisions, because you think he’s not good at his job. I’m not here to stop you from believing that.

But too bad, I guess.

That’s not an argument against him making these specific deals; it’s an argument that he shouldn’t have this job anymore, which, again, I won’t stop you from making. But it’s a different discussion. At that point, your stance should be that he shouldn’t be allowed to try to find deals for Harrison Bader and Willi Castro, and that a new decision-maker should replace him before we reach the deadline.

But that’s not what we’re discussing. We’re talking about an executive doing the job that he’s paid to do. And if a team comes knocking, willing to overpay for one of the Twins' pricier pieces, it's incumbent on this organization to pull the trigger, regardless of the cloudy picture in 2026 and beyond.

View full article

[TwinsDr2021]

He has done so well he definitely should be trusted to do his job. 

[tony&rodney]

Odd article. No mention of his philosophy on the type of roster or game management. One could argue that Rocco Baldelli handles the games on his own. Seems like there is a plan. While I will admit I have zero feel for Falvey's thought processes and thus cannot merely dismiss him, I'm also not impressed by his overall body of work. 

I guess I will just wish him luck in the next few days as he navigates negotiations with various teams.

[jmlease1]

13 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Odd article. No mention of his philosophy on the type of roster or game management. One could argue that Rocco Baldelli handles the games on his own. Seems like there is a plan. While I will admit I have zero feel for Falvey's thought processes and thus cannot merely dismiss him, I'm also not impressed by his overall body of work. 

I guess I will just wish him luck in the next few days as he navigates negotiations with various teams.

When dealing with a sell-off at the deadline, how much impact does Falvey's theory on game management matter? That's a different discussion on whether or not the manager should be fired as part of a larger reshaping of the team, I think. Which isn't going to happen under current ownership, who seem highly unlikely to eat any salary on their way out the door even if it's just for the rest of this season.

We can fight about who stays and who goes after the team is sold. (seem likely at this point most of the senior decision-makers will go, and it's hard to say they've done so much they deserve to stay. I suspect, however, that the next group still won't bunt enough to make some people happy...)

[NotAboutWinning]

Good take @Greggory Masterson! Refreshing break from us armchair GMs!

[NYCTK]

1 minute ago, jmlease1 said:

I suspect, however, that the next group still won't bunt enough to make some people happy...

And will have too many lineups and asking for too much player versatility. And their bullpen management! Ugh, I hate the next guy so much!

Fire [next Twins GM/Manager]! 

[tony&rodney]

1 minute ago, jmlease1 said:

When dealing with a sell-off at the deadline, how much impact does Falvey's theory on game management matter? That's a different discussion on whether or not the manager should be fired as part of a larger reshaping of the team, I think. Which isn't going to happen under current ownership, who seem highly unlikely to eat any salary on their way out the door even if it's just for the rest of this season.

We can fight about who stays and who goes after the team is sold. (seem likely at this point most of the senior decision-makers will go, and it's hard to say they've done so much they deserve to stay. I suspect, however, that the next group still won't bunt enough to make some people happy...)

Fair enough but is it possible that Falvey values players more for offense than athleticism? While I have no idea if Falvey and Baldelli can be separated in discussions, it seems to me that the roster construction and general style of play is directed from above. This may not be absolute in an inning to inning view but more so an overall practice. 

You mention bunting which is just not a prevalent or generally effective part of baseball in 2025 at the highest level. However, bunting, stealing bases, hit & run, moving runners, and other simple strategies are still commonly used by all good teams. These are not used every day but can be effective tools if available. Lately, the Twins have been loosening up a tiny bit on running. A possible example might have been from last night's game. Ty France was batting with the bases loaded. France is very slow. The corner infielders were both playing deep, close to the grass, especially the first baseman. France has been fighting it badly at the plate. A halfway decent push bunt scores a run and moves the others up, taking away the double play for the next hitter. Not something to use very often but only when the other team is playing so far back. I don't care if the Twins don't bunt every month but I would like every strategy available to be considered. 

 

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

36 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Odd article. No mention of his philosophy on the type of roster or game management. . . . I'm also not impressed by his overall body of work. 

You completely missed the point of the article.  This was a counterpoint to the article yesterday.   Its not a question of whether he should have the job . . .  he does, and it doesn't matter that you not impressed with what he has done.  He currently has the job and his job duty is to create value for the team through good solid decisions.  If it includes trading Ryan, Jax or Duran so be it.   As stated, the one thing Falvey can not be faulted for is driving hard bargains on trades especially when he is the seller.   Right now he is in the catbirds seat.  He has 2 of the top 3 relievers available at the deadline, and the top SP available and all with a little less than 2 1/2 years.  This means he his not forced to trade, or sell at a depressed value.  As of now he and the Twins control the timeline and whether they want to trade or not.  If someone wants to overpay,  the hope would be we can replace the production with current players,  prospects, or go on the trade market in the offseason or free agent market and replace the deficit.   

[terrydactyls]

There have been many jokes made on Twins Daily about Falvey being "the smartest guy in the room".  I think he actually is.  He has so much information about players on other teams coming to him from scouts, advisors, fellow GMs, Twins' players, etc. that is not available to armchair quarterbacks which makes him smarter than any of us.  So do I think he should be making deadline moves?  Hell, yes.  It's his damn job.  Anything less would be counterproductive to his professional future.

[tony&rodney]

1 minute ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

You completely missed the point of the article.  This was a counterpoint to the article yesterday.   Its not a question of whether he should have the job . . .  he does, and it doesn't matter that you not impressed with what he has done.  He currently has the job and his job duty is to create value for the team through good solid decisions.  If it includes trading Ryan, Jax or Duran so be it.   As stated, the one thing Falvey can not be faulted for is driving hard bargains on trades especially when he is the seller.   Right now he is in the catbirds seat.  He has 2 of the top 3 relievers available at the deadline, and the top SP available and all with a little less than 2 1/2 years.  This means he his not forced to trade, or sell at a depressed value.  As of now he and the Twins control the timeline and whether they want to trade or not.  If someone wants to overpay,  the hope would be we can replace the production with current players,  prospects, or go on the trade market in the offseason or free agent market and replace the deficit.   

I didn't miss the point at all, not even mildly. Of course he has the job and of course he makes the decisions. Of course his employment in the future is a different discussions as well. Trusted? Maybe you missed my point - I don't know about that. Do I trust him to do his best? Sure, he will do his best. Do I trust his best? I can't trust that his best is what the Twins need based on my thoughts about his performance in the past. We don't have any say in anything Falvey does, not even remotely. 

There are quite a number of Twins Daily fans who like and trust Falvey. I have no problems with that at all. It seems pretty clear to be a difference of opinion and not anything to cause one distress. The article states we should trust Falvey. Fine if you and others do. I have no basis to trust him.

[In My La Z boy]

9 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

You completely missed the point of the article.  This was a counterpoint to the article yesterday.   Its not a question of whether he should have the job . . .  he does, and it doesn't matter that you not impressed with what he has done.  He currently has the job and his job duty is to create value for the team through good solid decisions.  If it includes trading Ryan, Jax or Duran so be it.   As stated, the one thing Falvey can not be faulted for is driving hard bargains on trades especially when he is the seller.   Right now he is in the catbirds seat.  He has 2 of the top 3 relievers available at the deadline, and the top SP available and all with a little less than 2 1/2 years.  This means he his not forced to trade, or sell at a depressed value.  As of now he and the Twins control the timeline and whether they want to trade or not.  If someone wants to overpay,  the hope would be we can replace the production with current players,  prospects, or go on the trade market in the offseason or free agent market and replace the deficit.   

I think a lot of us are wondering what direction he's been given, or what permission he needs to seek, maybe different than in previous years when Pohlad wasn't trying to sell? I don't think anyone believes he will put his own self-interest above the team. Whatever trades he makes will be analyzed to death. He won't make himself look bad regardless of his future employment status in my opinion. 

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

28 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

I didn't miss the point at all, not even mildly. Of course he has the job and of course he makes the decisions. Of course his employment in the future is a different discussions as well. Trusted? Maybe you missed my point - I don't know about that. Do I trust him to do his best? Sure, he will do his best. Do I trust his best? I can't trust that his best is what the Twins need based on my thoughts about his performance in the past. We don't have any say in anything Falvey does, not even remotely. 

There are quite a number of Twins Daily fans who like and trust Falvey. I have no problems with that at all. It seems pretty clear to be a difference of opinion and not anything to cause one distress. The article states we should trust Falvey. Fine if you and others do. I have no basis to trust him.

Lets look at trades where we were not forced buyers.  

Cruz for Ryan -  Did you like that trade,  should this trade increase your trust? 

Petty for Gray - Did you like that trade, should this trade increase your trust? 

Arraez for Lopez -  Did you like that trade,  should this trade increase your trust? 

Duran for Escobar -  Did you like that trade,  should this trade increase your trust?  

Berrios for Martin and SWR.  Berrios had a WAR of .9 for 2021 and 2022 which he was under control for.  Martin has flopped, but SWR has a WAR of 3.3.     This is a trade more can have questions on but its still a win for now.  

 

You add in getting rid of Donaldson contract (maybe you question signing him), the Rogers trade equated to equal value, and as of right now we are way ahead on the Polanco trade who had negative value last year with Gabriel Gonzalez.  So on his skills on trading players,  its honestly 1 of his strongest attributes.  He does understand the value of assets in trades.  This isn't me trying to convince you,  its merely me giving you the facts.  He has won a majority of the times when he has not been trying to buy to improve the team for the stretch run.  If you want to go on performance fine.   Most of our issues are with management,  I will not totally agree with everything Falvey has done, but all in all for the most part he has given us a competitive team every year (some years they haven't performed).  In the meantime the minors is the strongest it has ever been.  With quality hitters and Pitchers. 

The argument will be the Twins have had minimal success taking these prospects and turning them into legitimate players.  As of now the results have not been great.   Right now Ober, Sands and Varland and Matthews, Lewis, Lee Larnach and Wallner are the players that have been drafted.  We need a postitional player to become a star,  can Lee or Lewis become that - as of now it doesn't look likely.  Matthews has a legitimate shot at becoming a high end pitcher for the Twins.  

So if you don't want to trust him with trading the players my response would be,  he has shown nothing on trades,  especially when he has been in the power position to lose your trust.   

[nicksaviking]

I'll admit, when it comes to front office personnel and managers, I do wonder if they make decisions to save their jobs instead of to enrich the long term outlook, but even setting that aside, if we don't know next year's ownership situation, Falvey shouldn't be selling controllable assets. From my perspective, it's very possible this team only needs a 15 - 20M payroll bump and a manager who can get the most out of young players to be a legit contender next year. 

No guarantee a new owner will do that, but it's not that large of an ask of someone who will want to play with their fun new MLB toy.

[madtowntwin]

Sorry to interrupt the "Shot to the Bow - Shot to the Stern" dialogue, but practicality by proximity is on my mind...The Red Sox are in town thru the deadline - Correct?? There's a few Boston prospects that, while "Can't Miss" might be a bit strong, surely are tantalizing....

LHP Brandon Clarke

SS / Athlete Franklin Arias

LHP Payton Tolle

Pick the fruit from the tree in your own backyard! We know the Twins players / pitchers involved in MLB Trade Rumors. Let's put on our "Falvey Thinking Caps" and work a Bean Town Deal!! Especially since a few on this site obviously feel they would be doing a superior job>>>

PS: A team in Limbo is badly combined when it's ownership is up in the air and uncertain. 

Win Twins. 

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, NYCTK said:

And will have too many lineups and asking for too much player versatility. And their bullpen management! Ugh, I hate the next guy so much!

Fire [next Twins GM/Manager]! 

Good call.  [Someday]

[mnfireman]

1 hour ago, jmlease1 said:

I suspect, however, that the next group still won't bunt enough to make some people happy...)

Hrbek had 15 career sacrifice hits (bunts), Puckett 23, Gaetti 32, Reggie "The Straw that stirs the drink" Jackson 13, Lou Gehrig 107, Babe Ruth 114, Dave "King Kong" Kingman even had 16. Earl Weaver's "3 run HR" teams regularly sacrificed upwards of 70 times a season (even after the implementation of the DH).

I know these are covering several different eras and "styles" of baseball, but the bunt can be an important part of the game, even from your big HR/RBI guys. I know outs are valuable, but so are runs, and runs win games.

 

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

11 minutes ago, madtowntwin said:

Sorry to interrupt the "Shot to the Bow - Shot to the Stern" dialogue, but practicality by proximity is on my mind...The Red Sox are in town thru the deadline - Correct?? There's a few Boston prospects that, while "Can't Miss" might be a bit strong, surely are tantalizing....

LHP Brandon Clarke

SS / Athlete Franklin Arias

LHP Payton Tolle

Pick the fruit from the tree in your own backyard! We know the Twins players / pitchers involved in MLB Trade Rumors. Let's put on our "Falvey Thinking Caps" and work a Bean Town Deal!! Especially since a few on this site obviously feel they would be doing a superior job>>>

PS: A team in Limbo is badly combined when it's ownership is up in the air and uncertain. 

Win Twins. 

I do think there is a high probability one of our players will be leaving with the Red Sox on Thursday.   We will see if anything comes to fruition.  

[Blyleven2011]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

. We don't have any say in anything Falvey does, not even remotely. 

 

This is where falvey and company lost my trust , he keeps everything under wraps and won't listen to the fans voices ...

Twins fans get an opportunity to ask falvey questions at twins fest about the direction of the twins , his replies are sound but he never follows through with them ...

To me that's a stab in the back , who should trust him if he's a back stabber , fans , other teams personal , he's worn out his welcome with the fans and other teams personal by TRYING to be the smartest person in the room ...

When the team is playing bad he goes into hiding and has his scapegoats covering for him with the media ( Levine and new GM , whats his name ), when they are playing good he's in front of the cameras taking credit ...

8 years and counting and he hasn't proved a whole lot and only antagonizes the fan base with his closed door philosophy ...

[mnfireman]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

We don't have any say in anything Falvey does, not even remotely. 

 

And we shouldn't, unless its to vote on who gets a bobblehead give-away during the season...

[jmlease1]

4 minutes ago, mnfireman said:

Hrbek had 15 career sacrifice hits (bunts), Puckett 23, Gaetti 32, Reggie "The Straw that stirs the drink" Jackson 13, Lou Gehrig 107, Babe Ruth 114, Dave "King Kong" Kingman even had 16. Earl Weaver's "3 run HR" teams regularly sacrificed upwards of 70 times a season (even after the implementation of the DH).

I know these are covering several different eras and "styles" of baseball, but the bunt can be an important part of the game, even from your big HR/RBI guys. I know outs are valuable, but so are runs, and runs win games.

 

How many useless outs did each guy have by bunting to move a guy from first to second? How many times did they attempt to bunt for a hit and make an out? It's lovely that Hrbek bunted for a hit once a year or so, but hopefully he didn't attempt it very often, because dude was not fast and it wasn't going to work.

No one is complaining when a guy bunts for a hit. but as valuable as runs are, you score more of them when you don't sacrifice outs for a base. Weaver's teams don't make the argument for the tactic you think they do: look at who was actually making the sacrifice hits: Belanger and Blair, two fast guys (and Belanger was a terrible hitter with zero power, while Blair became a terrible hitter with little power) who were on the team for their defense. Before the DH like half of the O's SH's were from pitchers, and after the DH like half of them were from Belanger & Blair, because they couldn't do much else. Notably, by the end of the 70's Weaver's O's teams were consistently under 50 SH's in a season, not in the 70's.

The people who want the next GM to build a team that bunts a lot are going to be disappointed. The people who want a manager playing for 1 run in the 4th inning are also going to be disappointed. Can they add more speed and guys who have a more varied skill set at the plate? Sure. And we've seen with picks like DeBarge that they're not opposed to drafting a fast guy who is going to add his offense by stealing bases, etc. And yes, having more guys who can lay down a bunt when you only need 1 run to win it in the 9th or extras is probably helpful (notably, it's just as useful to send the ball well into the OF with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs in the same "just need 1 run to win" situation) But there's this obsession over bunting around here that's simply inconsistent with winning.

[jmlease1]

22 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

This is where falvey and company lost my trust , he keeps everything under wraps and won't listen to the fans voices ...

Twins fans get an opportunity to ask falvey questions at twins fest about the direction of the twins , his replies are sound but he never follows through with them ...

To me that's a stab in the back , who should trust him if he's a back stabber , fans , other teams personal , he's worn out his welcome with the fans and other teams personal by TRYING to be the smartest person in the room ...

When the team is playing bad he goes into hiding and has his scapegoats covering for him with the media ( Levine and new GM , whats his name ), when they are playing good he's in front of the cameras taking credit ...

8 years and counting and he hasn't proved a whole lot and only antagonizes the fan base with his closed door philosophy ...

Look, by missing the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years (which is certainly the way this season is going), Falvey is probably going to be on the way out with a new owner. But most of what's in here...where are the facts?

What specifically did Falvey stab the fans in the back with? That suggests he lied to people at TwinsFest, and I'm pretty sure that telling them he thought this team could compete wasn't a lie: a lot of people thought this team could compete.

Where's the evidence that other teams and/or their players are out of Falvey? Twins fans may be done with him (mostly for not actually winning) but there's zero evidence that Twins player or other teams or other team's player's dislike or mistrust him. 

Where's the evidence that he grabs credit when things are good and hides when it's bad? He meets with reporters regularly, and that's never seemed to change. Where's the supposed "closed door" policy? Because he hasn't gathered up fans and given them the opportunity to throw rocks at him this year?

Falvey and his team are probably all going to lose their jobs when new ownership comes in, and while I like a lot of things they've done here, the record doesn't give them enough to say they deserve more time and a new regime to work under. (I still blame ownership the most for where we're at; they totally pulled the rug out from Falvey and the front office by cutting payroll after the 2023 season) They've done some good things in rebuilding a barren farm system, and broke the playoff losing streak. But it's more than fair to say they haven't won enough to keep going. That said, some of these accusations are ridiculous.

[mnfireman]

3 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

How many useless outs did each guy have by bunting to move a guy from first to second? How many times did they attempt to bunt for a hit and make an out? It's lovely that Hrbek bunted for a hit once a year or so, but hopefully he didn't attempt it very often, because dude was not fast and it wasn't going to work.

No one is complaining when a guy bunts for a hit. but as valuable as runs are, you score more of them when you don't sacrifice outs for a base. Weaver's teams don't make the argument for the tactic you think they do: look at who was actually making the sacrifice hits: Belanger and Blair, two fast guys (and Belanger was a terrible hitter with zero power, while Blair became a terrible hitter with little power) who were on the team for their defense. Before the DH like half of the O's SH's were from pitchers, and after the DH like half of them were from Belanger & Blair, because they couldn't do much else. Notably, by the end of the 70's Weaver's O's teams were consistently under 50 SH's in a season, not in the 70's.

The people who want the next GM to build a team that bunts a lot are going to be disappointed. The people who want a manager playing for 1 run in the 4th inning are also going to be disappointed. Can they add more speed and guys who have a more varied skill set at the plate? Sure. And we've seen with picks like DeBarge that they're not opposed to drafting a fast guy who is going to add his offense by stealing bases, etc. And yes, having more guys who can lay down a bunt when you only need 1 run to win it in the 9th or extras is probably helpful (notably, it's just as useful to send the ball well into the OF with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs in the same "just need 1 run to win" situation) But there's this obsession over bunting around here that's simply inconsistent with winning.

Not obsessing over it and definitely not saying build around it, but having the bunt in your "tool bag" is not a bad thing, especially for the faster, lighter hitting guys. And maybe to the beat the shift once in awhile.

[AKTwinsFan]

Correa will be left with an opportunity to ask for a trade given his no trade clause in his contract. We got 2 players who take up most of our salary and neither seem to be productive at the same time. Lewis is finally getting his confidence back so we gotta get some return players who can compliment his game.

[T.O.]

23 minutes ago, mnfireman said:

Not obsessing over it and definitely not saying build around it, but having the bunt in your "tool bag" is not a bad thing, especially for the faster, lighter hitting guys. And maybe to the beat the shift once in awhile.

Or the other way, not having the bunt in your tool bag is a bad thing.

[TopGunn#22]

The idea that Twins fans want a team that "bunts more" is a straw man argument.  To say Twins fans want a team that plays more like the Milwaukee Brewers is a much more honest argument.  We want a team that can steal bases and take the extra base on a hit to the outfield.  We'd like to see a team that makes more consistent contact, even if it costs us 15-20 HR's per season.  We want a team that is at least CAPABLE of getting a bunt down late in games if the situation warrants it.  i.e.  having runners on first & second with nobody out and Vasquez at the plate is a no-brainer.

The Twins play a very boring brand of baseball.  They play a very frustrating brand of baseball defensively if the players aren't Buxton, Bader or Correa.  They need more athleticism.  For example, Brooks Lee may have gotten the game winning hit last night, but he's a remarkably "unathletic" SS.  The Marek Houston #1 pick is more the kind of SS prospect I'm looking for.  If Keaschall stakes his claim to 2B and Royce Lewis plays like he's capable at 3B does Brooks Lee become a glorified utility infielder by the time Houston is ready to push Correa to 3B and Lewis to 1B??  

I'd love to know what Falvey's REAL thoughts are on that.  Because with Culpepper and DeAndre in the pipeline and the expectations for Houston, he should be considering adding Brooks Lee to any deal to upgrade talent at a position of need.  Lee will never be a full time MLB SS.  

Obviously, Falvey is going to be the primary person to decide how BIG or how small our moves at the deadline are.  I liked how he started with a low impact trade of Paddack and Dobnak to the Tigers for a 19 year old C/1B who switch hits and appears to have a nice swing.  The trade adds a player to our current prospects for C and 1B where our talent level is unacceptable.  Plus...I think it weakens the Tigers!!  They can HAVE Paddack and Randy!!  

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, TopGunn#22 said:

The idea that Twins fans want a team that "bunts more" is a straw man argument.  To say Twins fans want a team that plays more like the Milwaukee Brewers is a much more honest argument.  We want a team that can steal bases and take the extra base on a hit to the outfield.  We'd like to see a team that makes more consistent contact, even if it costs us 15-20 HR's per season.  We want a team that is at least CAPABLE of getting a bunt down late in games if the situation warrants it.  i.e.  having runners on first & second with nobody out and Vasquez at the plate is a no-brainer.

The Twins play a very boring brand of baseball.  They play a very frustrating brand of baseball defensively if the players aren't Buxton, Bader or Correa.  They need more athleticism.  For example, Brooks Lee may have gotten the game winning hit last night, but he's a remarkably "unathletic" SS.  The Marek Houston #1 pick is more the kind of SS prospect I'm looking for.  If Keaschall stakes his claim to 2B and Royce Lewis plays like he's capable at 3B does Brooks Lee become a glorified utility infielder by the time Houston is ready to push Correa to 3B and Lewis to 1B??  

 

No, most fans want a team that wins like MKE is doing right now. Most fans loved the Bomba Squad Twins, and they stole waaaay less bases than say the 2024 Twins. Most fans don't care how they get there, and no one was whining about how "boring" the baseball was. 

The team isn't good enough right now. They're not hitting enough homers; they're not hitting enough period. The starters have too many injuries and some of the young pitchers simply aren't showing out enough yet.

If the Twins stole 200 bases but finished 78-82, people would be clamoring for more homers, I guarantee it. 

[NYCTK]

1 hour ago, jmlease1 said:

Look, by missing the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years (which is certainly the way this season is going), Falvey is probably going to be on the way out with a new owner. But most of what's in here...where are the facts?

2019 and 2020 were big successes for Falvey. But man, like many, maybe the pandemic just threw him into a depression or some nihilistic spiral. Because the direction of the organization since then has been terrible. 

The major league results have been underwhelming, and the farm system is fine but not great. It's been about 30 months since the Twins have made a substantial move, which should thankfully change here any hour now. And he's supposed to have built a great pitching pipeline, but someone apparently forgot to turn on the facet. 

 

[T.O.]

2 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

The idea that Twins fans want a team that "bunts more" is a straw man argument.  To say Twins fans want a team that plays more like the Milwaukee Brewers is a much more honest argument.  We want a team that can steal bases and take the extra base on a hit to the outfield.  We'd like to see a team that makes more consistent contact, even if it costs us 15-20 HR's per season.  We want a team that is at least CAPABLE of getting a bunt down late in games if the situation warrants it.  i.e.  having runners on first & second with nobody out and Vasquez at the plate is a no-brainer.

The Twins play a very boring brand of baseball.  They play a very frustrating brand of baseball defensively if the players aren't Buxton, Bader or Correa.  They need more athleticism.  

 

This says it best. 

[TopGunn#22]

Good points jmlease1.  I think what you and I are on the same page about is that we'd like to see a different approach, philosophy, strategy and outcome for the Twins.  You're right.  It comes down to winning games.  When you win, fans can turn a blind eye to a LOT of things.

I loved the Bomba Squad year of 2019.  But those days appear to be gone.  Even with Judge setting records and Juan Sosa/Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees were nowhere near what they did in 2019 last year.  

But I'm ready for some new blood.  It took Rocco FOREVER to figure out the rules had changed to favor base stealers.  I'm hoping the trades that need to be made (Castro, Bader, Coulombe) get made and I'd like to see what we could max out with a Duran or Jax trade (not both, just one).  An infusion of new talent with new leadership in the future is needed.  It's worked for the Vikings and the Timberwolves.  Cha-Cha-Cha-CHANGES !!  

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

The idea that Twins fans want a team that "bunts more" is a straw man argument.  To say Twins fans want a team that plays more like the Milwaukee Brewers is a much more honest argument.  We want a team that can steal bases and take the extra base on a hit to the outfield.  We'd like to see a team that makes more consistent contact, even if it costs us 15-20 HR's per season.  We want a team that is at least CAPABLE of getting a bunt down late in games if the situation warrants it.  i.e.  having runners on first & second with nobody out and Vasquez at the plate is a no-brainer.

This paragraph just reminded me of something that I'd like to revisit because I think it's important.  

I'm typically not a fan of bunting because in my opinion... the OUT itself is the most important stat in baseball. However... as you very sensibly say... there are times when the ability to bunt is important. 

Last year... the Twins like always rarely laid down a bunt. That's OK... that stats strongly suggest that they shouldn't lay down a bunt... However... In September when things were falling apart and Wins were critical for survival... We all of a sudden turned to the bunt to try scrape something together.... we spent all season ignoring it and all of sudden... Hey... Need it now. 

Basically... I think this is important because if you are going to need a bunt to win a game in September or bunt to win a game in the playoffs... If bunts are going to suddenly become a club in the bag.

I think you should probably bunt to try win a game in April, May, June, July and August.