3 Questions Facing Key Twins Players in Season's Final Weeks

[old nurse]

There was something this spring on Zebby why he wouldn’t be a good reliever. I don’t think. Anything has changed in that regard. 

Royce is all about the Benjamins. He will not be signing any extensions. There is e carat He needs to continue his claim of not having slumps. If he has a cold of September as he did April there might be a remote chance for one  I would not be surprised if he was traded in the off season if the offer was right.  

Luke needs to shag fly balls in batting practice with Sizemore teaching him how to play the outfield Larnach, too 

[1985Fan]

Great questions for the offseason. Right now they’re playing (and not playing) the pitchers and players to win. Not calling up Jenkins means they’re not concerned with evaluating players, just winning. Matthews is a starter between now and the end of the year due to necessity. That also gives them more data to evaluate what to do next year, but I think there are enough questions about the so called SP depth that he is considered a SP in ST. Can’t count on Festa at all IMO, wait until ST to see if Lopez can revert to form (I doubt it), Abel is not a proven entity, and I have serious doubts about Ober both this year and next. I’ll wait to see Ryan pitch again (hopefully this year) to reserve judgement on him, but he may be gone next year anyway. 
That leaves Bradley, Kremer, Prielipp, and Matthews to pencil in next spring. I don’t see the SP bench AAA, so Matthews is a starter until someone steps up and performs better than him next year. 

[1985Fan]

Lewis is going to be interesting to watch the rest of the season. The last couple of games looks like some bad habits of trying to pull everything with his legs looking unstable under him. Could be just bad AB’s and nothing to worry about, but we’ll see. I like his defense at 1B, so I hope they don’t move him around. Playing one position I think helps certain players at the plate. He looks confident, which is the most important factor with him. 
Keaschall’s hitting is for real. I think he can maintain his OB rate as he can put the bat on the ball consistently. I question whether he can learn to be a good outfielder. He has speed and athleticism. I’m just not sure about his baseball instincts and IQ. His arm is another problem. If that’s still recovering from TJ surgery, then that might improve. He has a lot to work on before he can be a passable OF. They knew this when he was drafted, so I’m really disappointed this problem wasn’t addressed in the minors. 
 

[DocBauer]

Lewis has adapted to 1B wonderfully, and will only get better.  If he just maintains his current production, he is a mainstay in the lineup going forward. He doesn't have to be Superman to be a quality player. Just producing like he's been doing makes him important for this year and 2027.

I don't doubt that Matthews could be an excellent RP. But despite some blowouts, he's actually shown real improvement as a SP. Inconsistently is an issue. But I'm not ready to move him to the bullpen just yet. The potential as a SP remains.

Keaschall is a bit of a mystery. Were i in charge of the Twins, I'd STILL  have him working at 2B in the offseason, just for roster flexibility.  But I'd have him spend most of.the offseason working in the OF. The speed and instincts are there. And his BAT is too good to ignore