5 Things You Can Count On in the Second Half of the Minnesota Twins Season

2 hours ago, Heiny said:

Not sure why people seem to be so down on Jeremy Zoll.  What has he done to deserve such negativity?  I put last year directly on Falvey and Baldelli.  I favor giving Mr. Zoll a chance to do his job, which at this point, with the restricted payroll he started with, he has not yet had that chance.  I have to say, I already like him better than Falvey.

Simple.  Zoll took over Feb. 1st with the same knowledge everyone else had: the pen was a disaster.  The Twins have made one actual trade in the interim - for Nance who was at the tail end of Toronto's pen.  Everything else were waiver wire pickups.  Is it any surprise our pen statistically is about the worst in baseball?

So the fact is that he has hardly lifted a finger to improve a pen devastated in last year's deadline.  At least Falvey had made some good trades(Bradley, Abel, Gray, Ryan).  Blame ownership on the payroll, yes, but they did not tie Zoll's hands in the trade mart.

6 hours ago, Jeff K said:

I was not aware that Able was ruled out for the season.  Is that real?

Yes. Elbow surgery, I believe.

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Zoll was promoted to the GM role in 2024. He was the director of MiLB ops in 2018-2019, promoted to assistant GM in 2020 and full GM in 2024.

Falvey was told he was going to be fired in mid-January. Zoll would have known in mid-January he would take over as GM. That's 2.5 months to change directions.

The Twins didn't have 40 guys with full no trade clauses or something. Need capacity? Trade Lopez. Need to enhance the MLB roster to be competitive, trade MiLB talent. Zoll did nothing. He had more than enough time to fix the bullpen.

Oh my!  Forgive me and him.  He had two and a half months to build a team and with no money.  What the hell was he doing?

13 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

How many times does this need saying?

Jeremy Zoll was named GM in November 2024.

Falvey was the Executive Vice President and Chief baseball Officer.  

Zoll became the Executive Vice President/General Manager when Falvey left.   Falvey was making the decisions, although Zoll would assist.    Pohlad now appears to be the decision maker.  He is not quite as naive but still seems be a little Pollyanna.   

Right wrong or indifferent,  I think the best think for this team was Falvey quitting with the ultimatum effectively you have to win this year and push all the responsibilities back on Pohlad.  Other than Lopez getting injured things have gone about as well as could have been expected.   

2 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

At least Once more I guess: Jeremy Zoll was named GM of the Minnesota Twins in November, 2024.

 

I never stated he wasn't name GM in 24.   You seem rather obtuse regarding this subject.   Whatever title Zoll had, he had no real decision making ability regarding players or trades prior to February 1st.    

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

Your words: "Zoll became the Executive Vice President/General Manager when Falvey left."

 

You seem rather dishonest. 

He gained a title to his already title.   He had no decision making ability - so who is being dishonest.   Read my whole posts rather than cherry picking singular lines.   I have no idea why you are so hung up on this.  

Just now, USAFChief said:

 

4 hours ago, Heiny said:

Not sure why people seem to be so down on Jeremy Zoll.  What has he done to deserve such negativity?  I put last year directly on Falvey and Baldelli.  I favor giving Mr. Zoll a chance to do his job, which at this point, with the restricted payroll he started with, he has not yet had that chance.  I have to say, I already like him better than Falvey.

I like Zoll, he spent time with LAD & has done some good things when he 1st came over. It might take some time but, IMO, he could be much better than Falvey. 

24 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

 

To be fair I recall the following - 

Your opinion was Taj Bradley sucked last year "who can't beat out "TBD" in the rotation, correct?"

Ridiculing the idea that with all the trades last year it would result in losing lot of games last year although painful would result in a better prospect that would give the Twins a better chance to win in the future.  Most would agree Lackey has the potential to be a franchise player for the Twins. 

Stating there was no way the Twins would be able to compete this year.  

So to sum it up those were your opinions and needless to say on the other side and a year later things are quite different.  It all depends on how you want to look at things.   

I think the rotation is going to need more help than anywhere else, IF they hang onto the position players they have now and some pitchers recover. Consider that the offense has done well without Jeffers and, recently, Buxton. Add those two back into the lineup and it should help keep the offense stay afloat. I know everyone assumes Jeffers is traded, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to keep him and either try to extend him or let him go in the offseason for a compensation draft pick. In TP’s mind, the value of making the playoffs to rebuild the fan base is higher than getting full value for Jeffers. 
Sands is ready to return and if he can show his 2024 form, that would really help the BP. They’ve also just added in Nance as well. I also see Prielipp moving to the BP to limit his innings later this season, which would be a real boost. Add in Rojas later if he can throw strikes, and they might have a decent pen. They also have Bowman sitting at AAA(again) in case of injury. 
I think they need to add a SP or two to get through the last half of the season. Prielipp is hitting his limit, Ober is not going to be effective at 87mph, and I don’t see any help at AAA. Gallagher or Klein aren’t inspiring a lot of confidence as of late, so they may need to go outside for SP. 

Twins needed a high-leverage RHP to begin the season. Twins have lost many close games due to the BP, if they had traded for one early we could have been in a good position to make the position. If we trade a MLB player for such a RHP, IMO, we could squeak out a WC spot.

IMO, DET will trade Skubal, so they will not be in the WC race. If Twins make a significant trade for a change, they could challenge for the Division.

59 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

Falvey was the Executive Vice President and Chief baseball Officer.  

Zoll became the Executive Vice President/General Manager when Falvey left.   Falvey was making the decisions, although Zoll would assist.    Pohlad now appears to be the decision maker.  He is not quite as naive but still seems be a little Pollyanna.   

Right wrong or indifferent,  I think the best think for this team was Falvey quitting with the ultimatum effectively you have to win this year and push all the responsibilities back on Pohlad.  Other than Lopez getting injured things have gone about as well as could have been expected.   

Zoll was not promoted when Falvey left, he still has the title of General Manager, the only difference is there is no baseball executive over him now.  Falvey left at the end of February but Zoll was very much a part of the decision making of this roster throughout the offseason, Falvey didn't sit at his desk and decree all his actions.  He either consulted his key decision makers or they came to him with suggestions.

We don't know who is the true architect of this roster, Falvey was ultimately responsible but I am betting Zoll's fingerprints are all over it.  Last trade deadline, Falvey said that Zoll was leading many of the trade discussions which you would expect.  Also when Zoll was hired, Falvey stated at the time that Zoll had been involved in the personnel decisions for the past few years.  And it sounded like Levine was being left out of the decision making loop, which may have led to his leaving.  So I am not letting Zoll off the hook for this mess of a roster.

One last point if Tom P. is making any personnel decisions, Zoll should be out the door now.  Zoll is the top baseball guy who is supposed to have knowledge of players and baseball operations, Tom P. isn't out there scouting and evaluating players.  He should just be giving a yay or nay to any budget additions.  Zoll is too tied to analytics, that is why I am advocating for an overhaul of this front office, they need a mix and it is not there.  They laid off scouts last year, I didn't hear of analytics staff being laid off.

3 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

Zoll was not promoted when Falvey left, he still has the title of General Manager, the only difference is there is no baseball executive over him now.  Falvey left at the end of February but Zoll was very much a part of the decision making of this roster throughout the offseason, Falvey didn't sit at his desk and decree all his actions.  He either consulted his key decision makers or they came to him with suggestions.

We don't know who is the true architect of this roster, Falvey was ultimately responsible but I am betting Zoll's fingerprints are all over it.  Last trade deadline, Falvey said that Zoll was leading many of the trade discussions which you would expect.  Also when Zoll was hired, Falvey stated at the time that Zoll had been involved in the personnel decisions for the past few years.  And it sounded like Levine was being left out of the decision making loop, which may have led to his leaving.  So I am not letting Zoll off the hook for this mess of a roster.

One last point if Tom P. is making any personnel decisions, Zoll should be out the door now.  Zoll is the top baseball guy who is supposed to have knowledge of players and baseball operations, Tom P. isn't out there scouting and evaluating players.  He should just be giving a yay or nay to any budget additions.  Zoll is too tied to analytics, that is why I am advocating for an overhaul of this front office, they need a mix and it is not there.  They laid off scouts last year, I didn't hear of analytics staff being laid off.

 

Zoll gave input- he was the General Manager.  However he was a subordinate of Falvey -  who coordinated with Joe.   Joe tended to be more hands off which is how Falvey gained as much power as did.  

I don't think you realize how involved Tom is trying to be.   Go listen to what Falvey said,  effectively he was wanting to micromanage - set difficult expectations and if goals weren't achieved  even with a questionable roster he would be let go at the end of the season.   Tom stated at the breakfast - he wondered why teams had to wait til the deadline to trade.  The very next day the Twins traded for Nance.  Maybe things just came together,  but I have a feeling Zoll was looking for an opportunity to please his boss.   Tom is the ultimate decision maker right now - under the board.  I do think Zoll is trying to educate him but Tom stated he wanted to win,  has told the players he will support them at the deadline -go listen to Joe Ryan - has stated he doesn't want to trade Ryan or Jeffers although that could change.   Right now if Tom says something listen - because that is the direction this team is going as long as the Pohlads still own this team.     

1 minute ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

Zoll gave input- he was the General Manager.  However he was a subordinate of Falvey -  who coordinated with Joe.   Joe tended to be more hands off which is how Falvey gained as much power as did.  

I don't think you realize how involved Tom is trying to be.   Go listen to what Falvey said,  effectively he was wanting to micromanage - set difficult expectations and if goals weren't achieved  even with a questionable roster he would be let go at the end of the season.   Tom stated at the breakfast - he wondered why teams had to wait til the deadline to trade.  The very next day the Twins traded for Nance.  Maybe things just came together,  but I have a feeling Zoll was looking for an opportunity to please his boss.   Tom is the ultimate decision maker right now - under the board.  I do think Zoll is trying to educate him but Tom stated he wanted to win,  has told the players he will support them at the deadline -go listen to Joe Ryan - has stated he doesn't want to trade Ryan or Jeffers although that could change.   Right now if Tom says something listen - because that is the direction this team is going as long as the Pohlads still own this team.     

There are a lot of assumptions in your comments.  We do know Zoll had decision making authority under Falvey, he said so himself.  Does Tom P. trust Zoll, who knows, but that is I where hold him more accountable for not bringing a senior baseball advisor in to advise and lead the process. 

Falvey had a close relationship with Joe, so the switch to Tom was potentially going to be rough.  Your boss sets expectations for you, unreasonable or not, you have to deal with it.  We all have done that in our careers.  I have had bosses tell me not to follow GAAP, standard accounting practices for recognizing sales at month end.  You find ways to deal with it or find a new job, that is the way the world works.

The pitching staff is definitely the biggest question mark heading into the second half. Offensively they've been a pretty solid team, defensively they've had serviceable guys and some questionable guys but now that quite a few have settled into new roles it's been "better." If they were to try and target some guys at the trade deadline to really patch the questionable spots, the question would really be what are you willing to part with? is it worth shopping off some decent high minors options to see if you can find a really good SP/RP even if he's a rental in a potential postseason year that looks a little too questionable? Do you try and package Jeffers and hope that Caratini and Jackson can maintain their efficiency in the second half? Do you see if you can get anything worthwhile from the more questionable bullpen pieces like Adams even if it risks more questions about their pitching staff?

2 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

There are a lot of assumptions in your comments.  We do know Zoll had decision making authority under Falvey, he said so himself.  Does Tom P. trust Zoll, who knows, but that is I where hold him more accountable for not bringing a senior baseball advisor in to advise and lead the process. 

Falvey had a close relationship with Joe, so the switch to Tom was potentially going to be rough.  Your boss sets expectations for you, unreasonable or not, you have to deal with it.  We all have done that in our careers.  I have had bosses tell me not to follow GAAP, standard accounting practices for recognizing sales at month end.  You find ways to deal with it or find a new job, that is the way the world works.

LOL  you are quoting the same points you did in February.  

1. Zoll was a subordinate of Falvey period.   Anything Zoll did trade contract signings ect was done at the approval of Falvey.  End of story.  Now I do think Zoll did have quite a bit of rope especially for a new individuals in the role.     

2. Tom got roasted for stating there was no half measures, but he was going to keep a low payroll and minimal investments.  When you listened not only to Tom, but what Falvey said and then what the beatwriters said,  that is where the full picture comes from.  If you are not following GAAP then thats your license.  You can keep your job for the time being but I am not sure thats worth it and I would never compromise my C.P.A. license for that.  It appears you are.  I am about as straight and narrow - black and white as it comes and integrity is #1 for me.  Say what you will - I do think Tom has integrity.   I think he is still naive but yes he is one who wants to follow through with what he has stated.   His issue was his lack of understanding of baseball was butting up against someone who had the experience and knowledge yet Tom was dictating how things would go before learning how and why.  He rushed this.   I honestly think had they worked together and the way the season has gone that Tom and Falvey would have gotten along pretty well.   When he had the beat writers at the breakfast I think he was much more aware of the situation stating this team had outperformed due to good team dynamics and the performance up to this point was greater than the sum of its parts.  That is a complete departure from his declaration the Twins were going to win no matter what and there would be no half measures.    

6 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

1. Zoll was a subordinate of Falvey period.   Anything Zoll did trade contract signings ect was done at the approval of Falvey.  End of story.  Now I do think Zoll did have quite a bit of rope especially for a new individuals in the role.     

I am not sure if you ever managed people.  You give your staff parameters within which to operate and make decisions.  And a good manager doesn't come out and say Jane or John made that decision when it doesn't work out, because they have the ultimate responsibility.  This is how it sounded like Falvey managed.  You make it sound like Zoll couldn't pick up the phone and talk without Falvey's approval.  Zoll has been in this job formally for 3 years and probably informally for at least 5 years.  He was not an innocent bystander as you seem to think,

16 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

I am not sure if you ever managed people.  You give your staff parameters within which to operate and make decisions.  And a good manager doesn't come out and say Jane or John made that decision when it doesn't work out, because they have the ultimate responsibility.  This is how it sounded like Falvey managed.  You make it sound like Zoll couldn't pick up the phone and talk without Falvey's approval.  Zoll has been in this job formally for 3 years and probably informally for at least 5 years.  He was not an innocent bystander as you seem to think,

I was an admistrator of nursing homes managing 60 employees and caring for 60 residents for 10 years. I have been a C.P.A. and managed my own office for 12 years. My management style was similar to Joe and Falveys relationship. I gave lots of autonomy to my staff and gave them as much information as possible. Ultimately the buck stopped with me so any major decision was discussed with me and the team and I made the decision. It was collaborative but there was always a rationale. I got the job as a 22 year old. 
 

I got a new boss just like Tom. Her expectations were unrealistic, she wanted to micromanage and resident care was not her priority. I had taken a 1 star facility and made it a 5 star facility with multiple deficiency free surveys and turned around the financials from losing 100k to making 250k each year. I gave my notice and the home has gone through 8 administrators in the last 12 years and ha gone in the toilet since. I finished 3 classes to get my CPA and I haven’t looked back. 

Shelton, his staff, Twins' management and ownership have done a terrible job in preparing the team to compete in 2026.  Why did it take until the season began to realize that:

Josh Bell has no business playing First Base. 

Luke Keaschall has no business playing Second Base.

Brooks Lee has no business playing Shortstop.

Royce Lewis has no business playing Third Base.

Matt Wallner has no business being on a Major League roster.

James Outman has no business being on a Major League roster.

Orlando Arcia has no business being on a Major League roster.

Austin Martin is not an everyday player.

Alan Roden should be getting regular reps in the lineup and on the field.

There are 65 games yet to be played and the team is 48-49.

Just imagine what the team's record would be if the in season position and roster reset had taken place earlier in the season as it should have (and as fans already knew).

Falvey was the man who made all the decisions that didn't have to go through ownership.  Now Zoll is that guy.  If Zoll made a decision on his own before, it's because Falvey gave him that power, but I guarantee it wasn't a roster decision, and you'd be crazy to think Zoll made trade decisions.  Which front office boss would ever delegate trade decisions? 

23 hours ago, Nshore said:

If I may again obsess about the Varland trade for a moment... In a race like this, it may very well come down to just a game or two difference at the end.  The Twins have already lost multiple games they should have and would have won with Varland at the back end of the pen.  It will come back to bite them. 

Rojas and Roden better be good.........someday.

that is the main thing. how could the GM let varland go for two people that look really good but you don't know for sure this is baseball. varland has become a superstar. he was perfect for the twins organization and the GM sits in the booth. oh! we love Louie but it was the opportunity we couldn't pass up well. seems like you were wrong. emphatically pathetically wrong. glad you're gone. I tried to believe in you but it's not possible. never was.