This Will Not Go On Much Longer

[Fire Dan Gladden]

40 minutes ago, David HK said:

The sad part of this is- there probably are teams that can fix him.  Shades of Brent Rooker, or Eddie Julien with his .800+ OPS, or dare I even say David O...  For some reason, the Twins are where promising young hitters go to die.  Royce, Miranda, Sano, and on and on.  Watch us ditch him for some middling reliever, and see him light it up for the Giants or the Braves.  Or the Yanks, God forbid.

The Twins have had their share of success stories of getting the most out of guys as well. MLB is littered with players that needed to go to a different organization to see success. We as fans tend to forget that baseball players are people and that humans can underperform for a thousand reasons that have nothing to do their ability or how they are being taught.

[mickster]

18 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

My frustration is that Martin isn't playing every day. You're right that Outman isn't the problem; Wallner is. Shelton seems to feel obligated to play Wallner a lot if he's on the roster even though there are 3 OFs much more productive so far this year. If he's on the IL or in AAA that opens up the lineup for Martin to play every day. That still leaves the problem of finding time for Emma to play unless Bell plays in the field, because they like to have Martin and Larnach in the OF so Bell can DH and Clemens play 1B. Once again, no room at the Inn for Emma. I think you have to deal with both Wallner and either Bell or Clemens before a spot really opens up for Emma. Bringing him up to platoon with Martin so some combination of Larnach, Bell and Clemens can play is a waste. The thought on Outman was to open up a roster spot for GG but you still have the problem of finding him ABs. 

This roster needs some major reshuffling before the AAA OFs can really get a chance. I'd like to get it started sooner rather than later.     

Wallner to the minors is the easiest way for Emma to be promoted - but as stated, the need to get Martin in the lineup is still there.   For all of the angst against Larnach, I think he is proving his value

[Major League Ready]

14 hours ago, DJL44 said:

They’ll be 10 games under by then 

I can see your point if you think they are a legit contender.  Do you think that they are a legit contender or that replacing Wallner/Outman will make them a contender.  IMO, the sooner they change their decision making away from the fallacy of contending this year and start making decisions to facilitate building a winner, the better.  I agree that moving on from Wallner / Outman  is the right decision but for a totally different reason.  They are not going to contend by moving these players up but it will be more interesting to watch and they will facilitate reconstructing the roster to contend in the not so distant future.

Wallner down / Emma up and share OF playing time between Buxton, Martin, Larnach, and Emma.  Martin and Emma can both backup CF so DFA Outman and bring up Culpepper.

[jorgenswest]

Outman’s WPA is 4th on the team among position players at 0.18. Wallner’s is last on the team at -0.95. WPA does not include a defensive contribution or taking an extra base (it includes stolen bases) so Wallner’s true contribution to wins is likely worse and Outman’s might be slightly better.

Wallner only helps with his bat he needs to hit well above league average to contribute to winning baseball games. He would not help on the bench. Outman’s base running and defense can make a small contribution to winning games in his role on the bench.

I am not sure if the Twins can count on Wallner’s return to the clearly above league average hitter the Twins need. I do think the Twins can count on Outman to be a good defender and base runner. I am not here to argue that Outman is the best use of that roster spot. Just here to notice that he has contributed to wins this year. I was not expecting to see the positive WPA. Outman would be exposed in regular play but I don’t think it will get to that point. I think Rodriguez would be in CF if Buxton does on IL.

[JD-TWINS]

19 hours ago, RpR said:

Skill and talent?

Gallo had more skill and talent and he is no longer a position player.  Too much here of not wanting to let go of the Pie-In-The-Sky bravado they have for players they like; for him it was excess a long time ago.

It would be sad to bring Rodriguez up and watch him do a Gallo, but it is probably time.

Nice potential thought with the Gallo parallel …….. shift Big Matt back on to the mound and he can fill a void in the PEN by August! 😉

[DJL44]

35 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

I can see your point if you think they are a legit contender.  Do you think that they are a legit contender or that replacing Wallner/Outman will make them a contender.  IMO, the sooner they change their decision making away from the fallacy of contending this year and start making decisions to facilitate building a winner, the better.  I agree that moving on from Wallner / Outman  is the right decision but for a totally different reason.  They are not going to contend by moving these players up but it will be more interesting to watch and they will facilitate reconstructing the roster to contend in the not so distant future.

Wallner down / Emma up and share OF playing time between Buxton, Martin, Larnach, and Emma.  Martin and Emma can both backup CF so DFA Outman and bring up Culpepper.

I think they aren’t a contender, which is where this gets tricky. I see no benefit to giving Outman playing time. I think Wallner needs to play less often. I think Rodriguez needs to come up, if only to fail and go back to AAA to work on his game. I think they need to move a DH off the roster and add a first baseman. I think Culpepper is challenged in AAA (725 OPS) so it is best to keep him there..

[LA Vikes Fan]

12 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

I agree with all of this LA, except I would keep Bell.

I like Bell too, I just can't figure out how to roster him, Martin, and Larnach, play the first 2 regularly and Larnach against LH pitching, and still give ERod or someone like him (GG?) a shot at regular playing time. Bell just isn't much of a 1B.  Maybe the real bullet to bite here is to DFA Clemens, play Bell everyday at 1B, and leave Larnach as a DH/4th OF. Then the Wallner for ERod switch is pretty straight forward. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

1 hour ago, Major League Ready said:

I can see your point if you think they are a legit contender.  Do you think that they are a legit contender or that replacing Wallner/Outman will make them a contender.  IMO, the sooner they change their decision making away from the fallacy of contending this year and start making decisions to facilitate building a winner, the better.  I agree that moving on from Wallner / Outman  is the right decision but for a totally different reason.  They are not going to contend by moving these players up but it will be more interesting to watch and they will facilitate reconstructing the roster to contend in the not so distant future.

Wallner down / Emma up and share OF playing time between Buxton, Martin, Larnach, and Emma.  Martin and Emma can both backup CF so DFA Outman and bring up Culpepper.

Interesting idea. Can Culpepper play 2B? Keaschall also may need a reset if things don't improve by May 15 to June 1. If he's still struggling, then bring up Culpepper, play him at either 2B or SS with Lee manning the other.   

[jkcarew]

It’s not just the rubes…the fascination with mediocrity is alive and well here on TD.

Who cares if turning the page on Wallner…or, literally ANY of the veterans who’ve had time to prove who they are…makes the team marginally worse in the short term??? This goes for the “good” veterans who could return value, as well.

Why does winning 75-80 games instead of 60-70 mean anything to anyone? And how can you think (it’s not thinking, it’s hoping) that excellence can ever even possibly occur when mediocrity is the GOAL…Every. Single. Year.

Any honest effort to build a team with a high ceiling (mid-market, primarily from prospects and prospect capital) means accepting the risk of a low floor at some point.

 

 

 

 

[Craig Arko]

1 hour ago, jkcarew said:

Any honest effort to build a team with a high ceiling (mid-market, primarily from prospects and prospect capital) means accepting the risk of a low floor at some point.

 

 

 

 

The class of ‘82 comes to mind.

[jkcarew]

1 hour ago, Craig Arko said:

The class of ‘82 comes to mind.

In 2000 the Twins lost 93 games. They had 24-year olds Eric Milton, Torii Hunter, and David Ortiz (oops)…23 yo AJ Pierzynski and 21 year old Johan Santana (86 ip; 6.49 ERA). They had Cuddyer, Morneau, Neshak, Kubel in the minors and were about to draft Mauer with the number 1 overall pick.

[Major League Ready]

5 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I think they aren’t a contender, which is where this gets tricky. I see no benefit to giving Outman playing time. I think Wallner needs to play less often. I think Rodriguez needs to come up, if only to fail and go back to AAA to work on his game. I think they need to move a DH off the roster and add a first baseman. I think Culpepper is challenged in AAA (725 OPS) so it is best to keep him there..

I have to admit the bring up Culpepper part was a knee jerk reaction.  He needs to prove he is ready and he is not quite there.  I also understand why they might hold Rodriguez back for a while.  His approach is quite different (much more aggressive) this year which I am guessing the AAA coaches are working with him on. Adjusting his approach would be a lot harder at the ML level so I am guessing that's why Erod is still playing in  St. Paul.

Gonzalez played 1st again last night and he looks like he can make the transition but he is not tearing it up either.

[Major League Ready]

4 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Interesting idea. Can Culpepper play 2B? Keaschall also may need a reset if things don't improve by May 15 to June 1. If he's still struggling, then bring up Culpepper, play him at either 2B or SS with Lee manning the other.   

He has played 2B twice this year and 5 games last year so SSS.  However, I think that's a viable option but it might be a dip your toe in the water kind of experiment since he has been pretty average offensively so far in 2026. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

15 hours ago, Wizard11 said:

Shades of Jose Miranda.  He couldn’t or wouldn’t make the adjustments and it is unlikely Wallner will either.  DH was the best position for both of them and no one needs a DH who can’t hit.

Disagree. Wallner is known to be a swing tinkerer, and the article said his swing is flatter. He’s trying to change. Typically hitters flatten their swing to speed it up and reduce Ks, sacrificing power.

his Ks went up, and sacrificed power.

some of this is coaching (maybe his personal hitting coach).

I think he’s tinkering too much and lost his identity, or just wearing down physically younger than I would expect.

[jkcarew]

10 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

LH pitcher .139 BA with .225 OBP & .475 OPS

RH pitcher .186 BA with .305 OBP & .609 OPS

 

Nice. We have his struggles narrowed down to…pitchers who throw with one of their hands. Seems like they should be able to work around that. No?

[HerbieFan]

Why hasn't he just been put on IR?

[rv78]

On 4/30/2026 at 8:46 PM, RpR said:

Unlike TD moaning their youth is not playing, Front Office does not care.

If they shine in AAA with bat and glove, they will get their chance.  30 percent K rate, unless they have an All Star glove, means they are where they have earned their place to be.

Yeah, Right, It is widely known the way this organization is currently being run is that the veterans get the long leash no matter how bad they perform and the youngsters get little to no chance of playing in their place, even when the veterans prove they aren't worth the roster spot. Tell me with a straight face that Wallner, Outman, Larnach, Bell and Clemens are going to help this team contend for a division title. Add in Lewis, Lee, Caratini, and the other cast-offs like Kreidler and Gray that were brought in to improve the roster. Improve? What a joke! There was NO improvement. They went backwards. Say goodbye to Buxton, Jeffers and Ryan at the trade deadline. They have NO reason to stay. 

[JD-TWINS]

15 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

He has played 2B twice this year and 5 games last year so SSS.  However, I think that's a viable option but it might be a dip your toe in the water kind of experiment since he has been pretty average offensively so far in 2026. 

Lee can play 2B ………. the real need for Culpepper is SS defense ……… some short term relief for Keaschall.

[JD-TWINS]

12 hours ago, jkcarew said:

Nice. We have his struggles narrowed down to…pitchers who throw with one of their hands. Seems like they should be able to work around that. No?

😁😉

[JD-TWINS]

47 minutes ago, rv78 said:

Yeah, Right, It is widely known the way this organization is currently being run is that the veterans get the long leash no matter how bad they perform and the youngsters get little to no chance of playing in their place, even when the veterans prove they aren't worth the roster spot. Tell me with a straight face that Wallner, Outman, Larnach, Bell and Clemens are going to help this team contend for a division title. Add in Lewis, Lee, Caratini, and the other cast-offs like Kreidler and Gray that were brought in to improve the roster. Improve? What a joke! There was NO improvement. They went backwards. Say goodbye to Buxton, Jeffers and Ryan at the trade deadline. They have NO reason to stay. 

Just replace current roster with the guys in St. Paul - brilliant!…….Team is on its way.

[JD-TWINS]

15 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Disagree. Wallner is known to be a swing tinkerer, and the article said his swing is flatter. He’s trying to change. Typically hitters flatten their swing to speed it up and reduce Ks, sacrificing power.

his Ks went up, and sacrificed power.

some of this is coaching (maybe his personal hitting coach).

I think he’s tinkering too much and lost his identity, or just wearing down physically younger than I would expect.

He’s entering “his prime years” physically…… it’s a 110% between his ears and what comes from his brain to his physical approach. “K’s went up” ……… He has always stuck out at an alarming rate.

He’s tinkered and generally fixed (improved) himself in ‘23 & ‘24 in St. Paul - need to try that again, immediately as he has an option left.

[JD-TWINS]

20 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

I like Bell too, I just can't figure out how to roster him, Martin, and Larnach, play the first 2 regularly and Larnach against LH pitching, and still give ERod or someone like him (GG?) a shot at regular playing time. Bell just isn't much of a 1B.  Maybe the real bullet to bite here is to DFA Clemens, play Bell everyday at 1B, and leave Larnach as a DH/4th OF. Then the Wallner for ERod switch is pretty straight forward. 

That is definitely a path forward (DFA Clemens) but Bell happens to have a lower WAR than Kody - my point here isn’t keep Kody but have eyes wide open for Bell’s real performance to date ……… he started great offensively and BOTH he and Caratini have spiraled downward.

Outman - Clemens - Wallner are ALL extreme weak spots at the plate, regardless of an occasional contribution once every 8-9 games.

As bad as Wallner & Keaschall have been (both really bad!) ……… the Team leader for disappointing start to season has to be ROYCE LEWIS!

[Richie the Rally Goat]

23 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

He’s entering “his prime years” physically…… it’s a 110% between his ears and what comes from his brain to his physical approach. “K’s went up” ……… He has always stuck out at an alarming rate.

He’s tinkered and generally fixed (improved) himself in ‘23 & ‘24 in St. Paul - need to try that again, immediately as he has an option left.

Statistical averages on “prime years” are just that. Averages, some higher, some lower, some sooner some later.

the fact is, he’s running slower and his bat speed is slower. 

we can’t say with certainty that it’s entirely a technique thing.

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Statistical averages on “prime years” are just that. Averages, some higher, some lower, some sooner some later.

the fact is, he’s running slower and his bat speed is slower. 

we can’t say with certainty that it’s entirely a technique thing.

His numbers do show a decline but his bat speed is still well above the major league average. We still got a power hitter potential. I think it's possible that his timing being way off is a possible cause of the decline. If you get ahead of the pitch, you'll naturally hold your hands back and this will diminish your bat speed. 

My eyes and let me be clear... non-expert opinion is that he just looks clunky to me at the moment. I also think Royce has looked really clunky for awhile. They just don't look smooth in the batters box.  

With Wallner... His timing just seems to be way off. His load... his front foot lift used to be very pronounced. He used to lift that front leg high enough that a normal sized adult pig could run underneath it.

This year he has cut that front foot lift back quite a bit and I think that's good but now his stride and launch is starting to quick. I'm not an expert but he always seems to be way in front... he is falling forward when he swings and when your body gets ahead you would hold your hands back to compensate and that is going to cut your swing speed down and make you look clunky. The result... more K's and pulling off the baseball when he does make contact and that's a lot of weak grounders to 1B and 2B and that's exactly what I'm seeing. Just stay back a beat. He needs a compact hand driven swing. If he gets that timing down. I think the swing speed comes back. The barrels... The exit velocity and dingers.      

Royce on the other hand. Or other foot. What is going on with his back foot. His back foot comes off the ground consistently. It should pivot with his rotation. It's like he jumps at the baseball. I don't know for sure but I assume that coaching wouldn't suggest that his back foot comes off the ground and lands in a different spot while swinging. If the coaches are not coaching that way... they have to be seeing it if I'm seeing it. 

We got a couple of messed up guys and I'd rather see Martin and Gray in the lineup until they unmess themselves.