Trade Deadline Day

[Vanimal46]

Turned on MLB Network a few min ago and they showed the Dodgers’ projected rotation. What an embarrassment of riches. 

Yamamoto - Skubal - Ohtani - Snell - Glasnow 

Good luck everyone else. 

[Linus]

I wasn’t in the “buy” camp and still feel like the Twins missed an opportunity to really rebuild the franchise. I know others disagree and that’s fine. What this deadline does tell me, based on the roster after the deadline is that Zoll is likely responsible, at least to a large extent for this goofy roster construction both currently and last offseason. My hopes that he would be a different baseball guy than Falvey just took a big hit. 

[ashbury]

27 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

What was last year?

Last year his BABIP was about league average (.306), and so his regular batting average was a much lower .229.  What stood out about him last year, instead, was an abnormal home run frequency of 5%.  Between the home runs last season and the seeing-eye singles this season, his OPS (or whatever overall offensive stat you like) has seemed solid but for two differing reasons - reasons that stand to both revert to lower levels going forward.  Meanwhile he strikes out at an absurd 30+%, so he's going to frustrate when he's at the plate.  I expect his OPS going forward to fluctuate around .600 - decent backup hitting, nothing irreplaceable, nothing that inspires to give more playing time than minimum.

[HarmonK03]

2 minutes ago, Linus said:

I wasn’t in the “buy” camp and still feel like the Twins missed an opportunity to really rebuild the franchise. I know others disagree and that’s fine. What this deadline does tell me, based on the roster after the deadline is that Zoll is likely responsible, at least to a large extent for this goofy roster construction both currently and last offseason. My hopes that he would be a different baseball guy than Falvey just took a big hit. 

Well said, Zoll was not a passive bystander as some have portrayed him.  We don't who he favored or who Falvey may have but Falvey was very upfront that he utilized a collaborative approach.  And Zoll was his number 2 so of course his handprints are all over his roster.  The first piece of business the day after their season ends is to say goodbye to Zoll.

[Saxophone Joe]

fwiw - Dan Hayes said his Twins sources pushed back strongly against reports that they re-engaged today with Houston on Larnach. 

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

17 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Last year his BABIP was about league average (.306), and so his regular batting average was a much lower .229.  What stood out about him last year, instead, was an abnormal home run frequency of 5%.  Between the home runs last season and the seeing-eye singles this season, his OPS (or whatever overall offensive stat you like) has seemed solid but for two differing reasons - reasons that stand to both revert to lower levels going forward.  Meanwhile he strikes out at an absurd 30+%, so he's going to frustrate when he's at the plate.  I expect his OPS going forward to fluctuate around .600 - decent backup hitting, nothing irreplaceable, nothing that inspires to give more playing time than minimum.

So he’s a backup with upside. For something we gave little for he has been a great insurance policy for this organization and possibly more. I view him as a better Rorverdt. That has value. 

[Vanimal46]

The Pirates quietly acquired 4 pitchers today 

[ashbury]

45 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

2 years and nearly 300 at bats is moving out of SSS territory. 

Jackson's 2025-26 has covered 168 plate appearances (156 AB).  That's Hurricane Hazle territory for sample size - extreme outliers can happen.

If you include 2024 as well, to get up to 323 PA (295 AB), his aggregate OPS is .607.  Like I said, that's probably about who he really is, given a strikeout percentage of 34.7 during that span.

[USAFChief]

14 minutes ago, Saxophone Joe said:

fwiw - Dan Hayes said his Twins sources pushed back strongly against reports that they re-engaged today with Houston on Larnach. 

I was pretty skeptical all the time. Twins werent selling bats. 

[USAFChief]

23 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

Well said, Zoll was not a passive bystander as some have portrayed him.  We don't who he favored or who Falvey may have but Falvey was very upfront that he utilized a collaborative approach.  And Zoll was his number 2 so of course his handprints are all over his roster.  The first piece of business the day after their season ends is to say goodbye to Zoll.

Zero chance Zoll is fired this offseason  

None.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

4 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Jackson's 2025-26 has covered 168 plate appearances (156 AB).  That's Hurricane Hazle territory for sample size - extreme outliers can happen.

If you include 2024 as well, to get up to 323 PA (295 AB), his aggregate OPS is .607.  Like I said, that's probably about who he really is.

I realized I had over inflated by 150 at bats. I thought he was a lot higher last year. 

[Mike Sixel]

3 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Zero chance Zoll is fired this offseason  

None.

We can HOPE there is a team sale.....

[HarmonK03]

3 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Zero chance Zoll is fired this offseason  

None.

If they keep him, they need to bring someone in over him, whatever title you want to give him.  But he is not up to leading this organization, it is just Falvey 2.0.

[clone52]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

It's wild they went into the year with a poorly planned offensive roster and it's now somehow ever worse.

Caratini and his salary probably gets through waivers though. Maybe they can still trade him if they eat some salary. That's a thing still right? The post deadline waiver dump trades?

Yet tops in the AL in runs.

[Saxophone Joe]

All in all, I'm pleased with how this shook out. The Twins threaded the needle imo. I'm glad this group + some pitching reinforcements gets 8 more weeks together to close this season out and make a playoff push, Look, they earned that opportunity. I don't have super high expectations but it's Aug. 3 and they have a chance. We'll take it.

I also expect (hope) some guys will relax a bit at the plate (Bell perhaps?) and start producing more now that the deadline is behind them. Impressive though what Larnach did over the past two games with all the rumors swirling around him. 

Win Twins!

 

[ashbury]

5 minutes ago, clone52 said:

Yet tops in the AL in runs.

With runners in scoring position, the Twins lead the AL in batting average.  The league as a whole hits .248 in that situation, the Twins sit at .279.

Bases empty, the league as a whole hits .233.  The Twins hit .231 in that situation. 

Which situation do you think stands to see a bit of regression, over the next two months?  Which do you think better reflects the Twins' talent relative to the league?

[Mike Sixel]

7 minutes ago, clone52 said:

Yet tops in the AL in runs.

And dropping. They had an unsustainable BA with RISP.

edit: ninja'd

[tony&rodney]

My two main concerns for this season back in late March remain, in the same order now as then. First problem has been relieved but not fixed. The defense was the worst in baseball but wholesale moves of players around the field improved the glove work somewhat. There is still a major problem in left field and centerfield and right field remain well below average. The second concern remains the bats. The team has scored runs and even created some exciting comebacks. Can the hitters create enough offense to win down the back third of the season? Will Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins arrive and thrive? Go Twins.

[Mike Sixel]

6 minutes ago, Saxophone Joe said:

All in all, I'm pleased with how this shook out. The Twins threaded the needle imo. I'm glad this group + some pitching reinforcements gets 8 more weeks together to close this season out and make a playoff push, Look, they earned that opportunity. I don't have super high expectations but it's Aug. 3 and they have a chance. We'll take it.

I also expect (hope) some guys will relax a bit at the plate (Bell perhaps?) and start producing more now that the deadline is behind them. Impressive though what Larnach did over the past two games with all the rumors swirling around him. 

Win Twins!

 

You're saying the oldest hitter on the team was pressing? I would hope not. 

[nicksaviking]

13 minutes ago, clone52 said:

Yet tops in the AL in runs.

Yes, credit to them for that. 

[DJL44]

How did they end up with 3 catchers on the active roster after the deadline?

[Vanimal46]

21 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Zero chance Zoll is fired this offseason  

None.

Is he open to going back to Assistant GM? Because a more experienced GM should be a part of the equation investing in the team. 

[USAFChief]

1 minute ago, Vanimal46 said:

Is he open to going back to Assistant GM? Because a more experienced GM should be a part of the equation investing in the team. 

I guess we'll see.

But my money is on him retaining his job and title. 

And I think the POBO thing is a historic trivia item too.

[ashbury]

28 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

So he’s a backup with upside. For something we gave little for he has been a great insurance policy for this organization and possibly more. I view him as a better Rorverdt. That has value. 

We have three catchers on the 26-man roster.  Since there was no relevant trade at this deadline, either Zoll asks Shelton to juggle the present 13 position players, or a move is made.  My argument is simply that Jackson is nowhere near on a par with Jeffers or Caratini, so he'd be the one to try to sneak through waivers if they decide to cut down.

[Saxophone Joe]

19 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

You're saying the oldest hitter on the team was pressing? I would hope not. 

More like it might’ve just been in his head about getting traded again at the deadline. Then again, it’s the second time this year JB has had a month-long homer drought; he has looked utterly lost at times at the plate. Had the best walk of the year before the Clemens’ slam though. Guy is streaky, no doubt. Need him to step up over the final 50 games.

[Vanimal46]

6 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I guess we'll see.

But my money is on him retaining his job and title. 

And I think the POBO thing is a historic trivia item too.

Titles are mostly made up in the corporate world, so he just might be GM in that way. I’d like someone else running the ship besides a Falvey protégée. Tom P will have a full season to evaluate what’s happening on the baseball side. 

[Mike Sixel]

52 minutes ago, ashbury said:

We have three catchers on the 26-man roster.  Since there was no relevant trade at this deadline, either Zoll asks Shelton to juggle the present 13 position players, or a move is made.  My argument is simply that Jackson is nowhere near on a par with Jeffers or Caratini, so he'd be the one to try to sneak through waivers if they decide to cut down.

And Gray. They are 2 spots short on the bench, again, this year. Over and over. 

[Parfigliano]

30 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

And Gray. They are 2 spots short on the bench, again, this year. Over and over. 

It cant be accidental they are doing it purposefully which makes it even crazier.

[thelanges5]

36 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

And Gray. They are 2 spots short on the bench, again, this year. Over and over. 

Too bad they couldn’t get Caratini to the Yankees. 

[Mike Sixel]

2 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

Too bad they couldn’t get Caratini to the Yankees. 

I had been predicting that for two weeks. Guess I was wrong, shocker.