Derek Falvey’s Pitch for Hope in Twins Territory

[Riverbrian]

4 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

You may be right, but I hope not. I'm not sure the catching situation is the litmus test given that Preda is a 29 year old career minor leaguer who will be 30 in April. Choosing him would be akin to choosing to play Outman and Fitzgerald a lot with the idea that they would be big contributors next year.  The main reason we haven't promoted a young catcher is we don't have one ready to promote. 

You absolutely right about the off season. The team will have failed if we sign a bunch of Ty France or IKF types to play a lot. If we're going youth, go youth wherever you can while keeping a few vets to build around. Keep Buxton, Pablo, Ryan, Ober, Jeffers, Sands, and (probably) Topa, and then add 1 or 2 veteran relievers. Go young everywhere else you can. Promote Roden and play him and Martin most every day until they show they can't cut it. Martin's .282/.374/.365(.739) slash line in his first real taste of starting in MLB, along with his improving defense, sure makes it look like he can be one of the top 4 OFs on a good team. Give Roden the same shot - the man hit .321/.423/.556 in AAA in 2025, after having an .916 OPS in AAA in 2024, and he can play a passable CF behind Buxton so we don't have to keep guys we know can't hit like Kiersey and Outman as more than AAA depth. Promote Jenkins and Gonzalez early; they've earned it, especially Gonzalez. Give Fedko a real shot in ST to win the RH hitting 1B/OF job and play him with Clemens at 1B (Clemens only because we don't have anyone else unless Wallner or LArnach moves to 1B). If you're going to keep vets like Outman and Fitzgerald, they ride the bench until someone at AAA is ready like Eeles, Culpeper, Jenkins or Gonzalez, and then they are gone. Let's lean into rebuilding with youth and creating a new core. Let's not go half-assed about it.   

I do think Catcher may be the one exception after watching the starting pitching dramatically improve the second Vasquez and Jeffers came back. It may just be that we were playing scrub lineups or teams that didn't care he last week, but you have to notice that Vasquez comes back and we get 6 quality starts in row with him behind the plate for 4 of them, including Ryan and Matthews' best starts in a month. Coincidence? Timing? Maybe, but it may be that he has that effect on pitchers. I've read that Ryan really likes pitching to him; might be an incentive for Ryan to stick around with a good attitude. I expect Vasquez back next year on a one-year deal, and that he and Jeffers will be the catching tandem again in 2026. I just hope Vasquez can hit .210 with an over .600 OPS. Hell, at .225 with a .650 OPS he's a solid backup. 

Catcher could be a different thing. 

I'd like them to punt the position until they can develop catchers.

If punting the position... Peredes at age 29 might be a decent punt. Might is the key word but you need information, exposure to deal with the word might.  

[Paul Walerius]

On 9/27/2025 at 10:53 AM, Hubie29 said:

If these guys are pitching in AA, yes they might have success.. Not major league quality and not really a close call.

 

You clearly don't know ball.   

[Hubie29]

13 minutes ago, Paul Walerius said:

You clearly don't know ball.   

You must be watching a different team? Or you've never seen a major league game before? Shoot me some extraordinary stats from the boys!

[nicksaviking]

“I think that when I look out at this team and I see a group that's really young, that's still learning, that's still growing, that is going through some pains and moments in time," Falvey said. But I also see a lot of players that are taking those steps forward.”

This rings a bit differently now that he's fired the manager the day after the season is over. I want a clean house, but implying the the current manager and coaches aren't the ones to help the young guys with the 'learning', 'growing' and 'steps forward' is at least encouraging that he recognizes the problem.

It will be more telling when we hear what kind of people are getting interviewed. If the young guys are supposed to be the foundation, it has to be somebody with a clear history of instruction and development over someone who prioritizes rote commitment to conventional baseball wisdom.

[David Maro]

I saw this afternoon Falvey dismissed Rocco saying that he and Rocco didn't get it done. If that is the case why is it that he didn't resign after he let Rocco go. To me that is using Rocco as the sapgoat for his bad decisions. I'm not a Rocco fan at all but if my boss gutted a department and said you have 2 months to figure it out I would say see you.