Has Matt Wallner Earned Another Shot with the Twins?

[Danchat]

He should wait behind the others who are hitting better at AAA and would be far better defensively.

[Jack Pine]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Wallner's K rate is like 22% over his past 15 games and the Twins are like dead last in MLB for RF production. He's got a wRC+ of like 169 over that time frame, but he was ice cold to start. Seems like he's controlling the strike zone well. 

It remains to be seen if MLB pitchers are just going to eat him up inside again, but might as well find out.

The two best Batting averages on the Saints belong to two outfielders Mendez and Fedco and you want to bring back Wallner?

[Fred]

58 minutes ago, Jack Pine said:

The two best Batting averages on the Saints belong to two outfielders Mendez and Fedco and you want to bring back Wallner?

Fedko is puzzling. He has some power, he steals bases, he has played center moving Rodriguez to right, and he even played some 2nd base in an emergency. , and yet, you never hear him discussed.

[JD-TWINS]

I am always critical of Wallner when he’s striking out at 35% plus rates. He has re-set 2 other years and come back and performed well. ‘23 & ‘24. He needs to sustain a level of good or better for a couple more weeks at a minimum.

Thanks to their for being honest about Martin! He had a great 7 weeks - now that he’s seeing mostly RH pitching he’s back to earth or below. Can’t justify him playing RF everyday if he’s hitting sub .150 for FOUR weeks. His plate discipline is waning because he’s seeing breaking balls off the plate and high fastballs once again from RH. Tough for any hitter - too much for Austin. He needs to be cut back to 69-79% of games - 100% v. LH and spot starts v. RH pitching.

Obviously, who starts in his place? We have this “glut of LH hitting OF’s” ….. too bad they can’t hit or they are all hurt.

[Jeff K]

Absolutely no for Wallner.  I'm not even sure he can be an emergency outfielder.  If the Twins need another outfielder now, I would call up Fedko and move kreidler back to St. Paul.  Fedko can take over back up CF duties (and LF/RF) and the Twins have too many mediocre middle infielders.  Having a guy whose only position is DH is just plain untenable for a team that needs to try out their younger players.  

[mluebker]

18 hours ago, RpR said:

22 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Trade him to Arizona for a comp pick.

Along with Lewis.

It really should be make or break time for both of these guys. Yeah, they seem to be able to tee off on AAA pitching, but how many years of struggling with MLB pitching does that buy them? Unless the goal is making the Saints fun to watch when these guys are across town for “a reset” (and I’d argue that the guys in the prospect pipeline are much more interesting), it’s time to see if any other organization wants to take them on.

[mluebker]

13 hours ago, DocBauer said:

…we should all be hoping for Wallner to return to previous norms.

All out of hope for this guy.

[bean5302]

There has never been a more hated player on Twins Daily than Matt Wallner, lol. TBH, his decline in sprint speed shown earlier this year along with his absolute ineptitude at the plate were pretty remarkable.

If the Twins trade him, they trade him, but there's literally nothing for him to prove at AAA.

 

[Woof Bronzer]

32 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

There has never been a more hated player on Twins Daily than Matt Wallner, lol.

Lol.  There was a significant portion of the comment section who insisted for years that Wallner was actually amazing and the fans who didn't like him were just ignorant haters who didn't understand the modern game where home runs are all that matters and strikeouts are fine.  I believe a certain someone (not naming names) even said before the season that every MLB team would start Wallner in RF in 2026.  

More accurate to say the love and hate for Wallner on this site has always been disproportionate to his actual talent and impact. 

 

[MinnInPa]

no .. end of story.. Gray and Kreidler are better hitters than this tool

[tony&rodney]

49 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

There has never been a more hated player on Twins Daily than Matt Wallner, lol. TBH, his decline in sprint speed shown earlier this year along with his absolute ineptitude at the plate were pretty remarkable.

If the Twins trade him, they trade him, but there's literally nothing for him to prove at AAA.

 

This is a curious comment for someone who reads the comments. Wallner has received widespread support in the past three years for his slugging and OPS numbers among other numerical arguments in his favor. In past offseasons, I believe I was the sole person who suggested Wallner in various trades. The vast majority of people had Big Matt in right field on projected rosters.

My preference for roster positions is somewhat unobtainable in that I wish for each position manned by above average defensive players who also can hit; it's just a dream. I'm not in favor of DH types wearing a glove. I'm a baseball fan who has followed the Twins since 1961 .... closely. I don't have any negative feelings towards other teams and certainly have no animus towards players since I have no personal connection to any current player. It is possible to have a preference for a type of player and suggest a team is better off moving on from a DH player who is never used at the DH position.

[Vanimal46]

Probably not yet. But before the end of this season, the Twins need to know once and for all if Wallner, Lewis, and Martin are worth keeping for next season and beyond. We might be seeing Lewis' last opportunity right now. Wallner should get 1 more opportunity to prove he belongs by the end of the season. If not, then we have an easy answer this winter to non-tender him, or trade him for a bag of baseballs. 

[Linus]

I have no idea how it would go. I do know that Martin, who I consider an average defender, has made numerous plays that Wallner would not. Kind of illustrates the difference of having even adequate defenders out there. 

[RpR]

3 hours ago, Linus said:

I have no idea how it would go. I do know that Martin, who I consider an average defender, has made numerous plays that Wallner would not. Kind of illustrates the difference of having even adequate defenders out there. 

They could have resigned Kepler who is much missed.

[thelanges5]

Trade Bell for whatever they can get. Wallner can play DH and platoon with Martin. 

[karcherd]

1 hour ago, thelanges5 said:

Trade Bell for whatever they can get. Wallner can play DH and platoon with Martin. 

There is no market for Bell and there hasn't been for a year.  But I would not be disappointed to see him DFA'd, just not sure this team would do that.

[ashbury]

7 hours ago, karcherd said:

There is no market for Bell and there hasn't been for a year.  

False.  The Twins paid good money for him just last off-season.

[karcherd]

6 hours ago, ashbury said:

False.  The Twins paid good money for him just last off-season.

I stand corrected, there was a market of one team in the last year.  Just like last year at the trade deadline, there will be no market for Bell.  

[Major League Ready]

17 hours ago, RpR said:

They could have resigned Kepler who is much missed.

I can't tell if you are kidding?

[ashbury]

6 hours ago, karcherd said:

I stand corrected, there was a market of one team in the last year.  Just like last year at the trade deadline, there will be no market for Bell.  

The Dwight meme, hopefully, revealed the tongue-in-cheek humor that was intended, namely that our team invested scarce resources in a player no other team wanted.

[karcherd]

15 minutes ago, ashbury said:

The Dwight meme, hopefully, revealed the tongue-in-cheek humor that was intended, namely that our team invested scarce resources in a player no other team wanted.

I figured that it was tongue in cheek.  Wanted to give credit to the genius, Falvey.

[RpR]

7 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

I can't tell if you are kidding?

Having had Lurch in Right Field, why would I be kiddling?

Now how much he signed for is a big deal.

[Major League Ready]

9 hours ago, RpR said:

Having had Lurch in Right Field, why would I be kiddling?

Now how much he signed for is a big deal.

Because Kepler is no longer and above average defender and he is below average offensively.  Oh and there is the fact that he got suspended.   We are not Missing Wallner either but to suggest we are missing Kepler just boggles my mind.  Kepler would be the equivalent of Josh Bell in terms of a wasted roster spot given the number of OFers we have that could actually be a long-term solution.   

[Mike Sixel]

Kepler was terrible last year, and is suspended for using performance enhancing drugs.... But he's missed!

[Woof Bronzer]

5 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Kepler was terrible last year, and is suspended for using performance enhancing drugs.... But he's missed!

Well it's true he "missed" a series in Toronto because he refused to get a safe vaccine, and now he has "missed" half a season for cheating and injecting himself with dangerous chemicals and getting caught.  Maybe that's his nickname, Missing Max!

[Woof Bronzer]

17 hours ago, RpR said:

Having had Lurch in Right Field, why would I be kiddling?

Now how much he signed for is a big deal.

Kepler is currently suspended for cheating.  

[RpR]

1 hour ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Kepler is currently suspended for cheating.  

Kepler, eligible to return June 25, inks 1-year deal with D-backs

1 hour ago, Woof Bronzer said:

 

 

[Woof Bronzer]

1 hour ago, RpR said:

Kepler, eligible to return June 25, inks 1-year deal with D-backs

 

Thanks for confirming he's currently suspended for cheating!

[RpR]

37 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Thanks for confirming he's currently suspended for cheating!

He signed a contract, which is what what was  posted by me and others; get over it..