Can the Twins Get to a .500 Record?

[LA Vikes Fan]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I am guessing they go 12-13 over those games for a 52-58 record at the deadline.

If pitchers can’t throw strikes and get outs in the minors, they won’t do it in the majors. They don’t need to promote pitchers to figure that out.

There are two relievers performing well in AAA. LHP Aaron Rozek is pitching effectively. I would like to see him debut, if only because he is from Burnsville and attended MN State Mankato. If he only lasts a week at least he will be able to say he was a Twin. His family should provide a temporary attendance boost. Don’t promote him while the team is on the road.
 

CJ Culpepper is doing okay, though his walk rate is too high. He could probably use more time in AAA. 

YOu may be right about Culppeper. I would also like to see Rozek get a shot in the bullpen. He's already 30 and is not in anybody's plans as to future rotation piece so let's see if he can help us now.

You mentioned there are two relievers performing well in St. Paul. Who are the? Where they are, let's get them appear and see if they can perform well at the major-league level. 

[CRF]

Can they? Sure. Will they? Nah. I think the pen is their dagger. They'll get close a few more times, but that carrot will be just a bit out of their reach. Even if by some miracle they do somehow make it, what difference will it make? Just enjoy the roller coaster ride while it lasts...we'll all be watching banana ball next season. 

[DJL44]

45 minutes ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

YOu may be right about Culppeper. I would also like to see Rozek get a shot in the bullpen. He's already 30 and is not in anybody's plans as to future rotation piece so let's see if he can help us now.

You mentioned there are two relievers performing well in St. Paul. Who are the? Where they are, let's get them appear and see if they can perform well at the major-league level. 

The two are Rozek and Culpepper. Everyone else (except Rojas) is pitching worse than the position players who eat innings in blowouts.

[LA Vikes Fan]

I was hoping you would mention someone else but you're right with maybe one exception. Rashi has a low ERA, but not a great or even much of a MLB track record. I've never seen the guy pitch. Is there anything there?

[jkcarew]

7 hours ago, Permanent Twins Fan said:

It is meaningful this year because the American League is so bad. If the Twins finished at .500, they would be tied for a wild card spot with the Mariners. In most years .500 won't cut it, but there is a good chance that .500 can get you into a playoff spot this season. 

I disagree. It’s not meaningful. And it never will be, until the day they make the postseason 1-and-done and determine seedings by picking names out of a hat.

Current odds…18% for postseason; 9% for an LDS appearance.

But the only point is, you don’t make short-sighted buy decisions based on those odds…regardless whether in any other year, the odds would be even worse. Better to be a net seller. Otherwise you’re just spinning and spinning in a swamp of mediocrity (at best).

[Vanimal46]

7 hours ago, Permanent Twins Fan said:

It is meaningful this year because the American League is so bad. If the Twins finished at .500, they would be tied for a wild card spot with the Mariners. In most years .500 won't cut it, but their is a good chance that .500 can get you into a playoff spot this season. 

I doubt this season will be any different than the previous 5 seasons in the AL. 86 wins is the minimum to be the last wild card team. That’s been consistent every year since the playoffs were expanded. 

Baseball fans really do have goldfish memories. We were saying this exact same thing last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. 

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, CRF said:

Can they? Sure. Will they? Nah. I think the pen is their dagger. They'll get close a few more times, but that carrot will be just a bit out of their reach. Even if by some miracle they do somehow make it, what difference will it make? Just enjoy the roller coaster ride while it lasts...we'll all be watching banana ball next season. 

The bullpen is the fatal flaw. Has been since July 31, 2025. No team in the Twins’ position can obliterate a bullpen and rebuild it in a single season. 

[Western SD Fan]

There's always a chance they get back to .500.  I've always said this is the perfect year to make low-wattage additions or apply a method of buying and selling pieces or acquiring extra lottery tickets.  You're not looking for Aroldis Chapman.  You're just looking for someone that doesn't immediately make you take glycerin pills when they enter the game.  While bullpen help at the deadline is typically expensive, they just need to get someone who is better than Trevor Richards.  That shouldn't be a monumental task.  Some of that may come from within (Rojas) and some of them Zoll will have get creative on.  We have movable pieces in Larnach, Bell, and Jeffers which could free up the likes of seeing Culpepper, Roden, and Jenkins.  The good news is that the Twins have the 19th ranked SOS at .495 the rest of the season so there is always a chance. 

[HarmonK03]

8 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Guys, it sure looks like 85 wins gets you into the postseason this year. 83 wins might be good enough. 85 wins means going 45-32 starting Monday for the rest of the season. Right now we're 1-0 on that quest. So I'm saying there's a chance ... 

In all seriousness, there still is a chance IMO. I think Cody's right, the 25 games from yesterday through July 31 will tell us if we can seize that chance. If we go 15-10 to get to .500, we have a shot. If we can't even do that, it's over. Play the young guys around Buxton, Bell and Clemens, promote relievers until you find at least one who can actually throw strikes coming out of the pen, and see if there's a shot. If there is, trade for a reliever or 3. If not, shut it down and use Aug 1-3 to trade the short term spare parts like Bell and Rogers, trade Larnach if you can get value for him, and see if anybody will give you even a 40-45 rated AA guy for Wallner.  Shot or not, you still trade Jeffers for a real starting pitcher prospect, plus relief pitching help and/or an MLB ready 2B. Keep Ryan to potentially trade in the off season.  

Clemens is not a building block, he needs to be in an utility role where he will thrive.  Buxton is the only building block we have.  Come August Bell will go into his usual swoon,