Three Ways the Minnesota Twins Can Get Their Best Roster on the Field in September

14 games the star players have all played together ( Lewis , Correa and Buxton ) , injuries seem to be our norm ...

If I was going to write more I'd write what ( mikelink45 ) wrote , couldn't agree more  ...

Front office works slow and on hope  ... 

I want to thank the previous poster for using the word velocity instead of velo. am so sick of the word velo it is part of the new wave  of terms and analytic mumbo jumbo seemingly determined to erase MLB history when real baseball was being played.  

Getting back to the article at hand:  I am surprised that luck and poor home plate umpiring wasn't mentioned lol.  That seems to be a lot of people's answers to causes of poor games and losses.  

Buxton and Correa?  Who are they?  They certainly cannot be counted on.  I think the Twins will still make the playoffs in spite of themselves.

With our stars hurt or slumping, 2 out of five starters that should still be in AAA and a bullpen held together with spit and glue it's really not looking like our year. Call up Keirsey and Eeles, dump Farmer and Margot and see if we can find any studs for next year. Sad take, but after scoring what, 5 runs the last two series does anyone think we look like a playoff team? I'm guessing a third wildcard spot at best quickly followed by an embarrassing 2 game sweep, one or both being blowouts. Getting beat by 10 runs in a playoff game will not be a good look for this team...

Agree Buxton and Correa have been put too long to come back now and be effective. Thought maybe this year Buck would finally escape the long injury but with him it's just not possible. It has to be a month at least every time. Twins may as well just come clean with Correa. 'Setback' is code for see you in 2025 hopefully.

Big concern about Lewis..he is contributing just about nothing. Kepler as well. Pressure on the others to really step up.

We have needed both Varland & Keirsey since the beginning of the season. We desperately needed Varland in a long relief/ spot starting role on a permanent basis. IMO if Varland had been brought up sooner Paddack & Ryan could still be around. Rotation & BP would not be stretched so thin,

We have been weak in our LHH lineup, Keirsey could have developed into a viable LHH asset. Margot has blocked both Keirsey & Martin's development in the MLB. Martin has been overextended in CF, especially against RHPs. Come Sept. 1, I hope Varland & Keirsey will both be brought up, better late than never.

Lee's return will greatly help relieve Castro at SS. Still don't know when Buck will be back, his presence has been sorely missed, as has Correa. Both setbacks have been frustrating & baffling. Wondering like Lewis when they can produce like we know they can after returning from the IL. Miranda slumping.

My hope is once we get everyone together & in place. things will start to gel again. That we'll peak at the right time before the postseason. My biggest concern is the pitching, whether Varland's promotion would be in time to alleviate the overextension of the rotation & BP to avoid any further injuries & being worn out for the postseason,

They need Royce Lewis to start hitting bombs again. They need Varland to hold down a spot in the bullpen like he did last September. They need Buxton back because both Margot and Martin have been lousy in CF. It would be nice if Kepler could have a good final month in a Twins uniform (583 OPS in August). 

You are obviously stating the obvious....kind of a word salad like you know who!😉

BTW - how bad does Keirsey Jr have to be to think he'll do worse than injured Max Kepler?

What you've just outlined is a recipe that most of the last one hundred plus teams that have won the World Series has relied on.  I don't know why nobody else has thought of this.  Oh. Wait. EVERY team will be looking do to this exact thing.  ONE will succeed.  Maybe that one will be ours.

The article mentions October several times.  The Twins do not currently have any games scheduled in October and might not be playing that month unless something drastically changes.

They need to put a satellite branch of the Mayo Clinic in the clubhouse next to Rocco's office. 

#4 Divine intervention?

Buxton said this the other day:
 

"I've been out here and been going through the stuff, but the intensity for me is not there”, Buxton said. "You just have to find that intensity to push it but not overdo it.  That's where the one day at a time comes in.“

I’m sorry, but he’s part of the problem, not part of the solution.  If he needs to “find that intensity” during the playoff stretch then there is a HUGE PROBLEM.  It’s an even bigger problem that it is viewed as normal and no one seems to be bothered by his lackluster attitude.

He’s got a sore hip.  Cry me a river.  I’m certain there are guys all over the league playing through worse

The Giants and Mets passed on Correa due concerns with his right ankle, which was surgically repaired when he was in the minors in 2014.  It doesn't seem like this injury would lead to plantar fasciitis years later in both feet but I guess we'd need a podiatrist to answer that question.

https://nypost.com/2022/12/24/mets-suddenly-have-concerns-about-carlos-correas-physical/

12 hours ago, gregens said:

The article mentions October several times.  The Twins do not currently have any games scheduled in October and might not be playing that month unless something drastically changes.

Four and a half games up in the wild card.  No such thing as a sure thing but the something that dramatically changes for them to NOT be playing in October might involve a flawed team overcoming that deficit.  Possible?  Sure.   Likely?  Not so much.

10 hours ago, Aggies7 said:

Minnesota sports and “what if” years. A tradition unlike any other.

Is this why the giants and Mets passed on Correa ?

I believe they may have passed due to their shared commitment to mediocrity.

Who would have thought Buxton being injured would be an issue? Correa seems to have caught the injury bug from him as well, although he too hasn't had an injury free career. When there are 5 other guys on the roster that get more at bats than your 2 "stars" that you have $50M invested in ......  then you have a problem. The Twins FO has brought this on themselves. Buxton should have never been resigned. Correa is not and never will be worth his Salary. Add in Kepler and you have 3 veterans that can't, never have, and never will, carry the team. Now you have $60M of mediocrity.

To be successful in the last month of the season and in October the team has to QUIT relying on players that can't stay healthy. Unfortunately that probably won't happen with any level of certainty until Buxton and Correa are gone.

3 hours ago, rv78 said:

Who would have thought Buxton being injured would be an issue? Correa seems to have caught the injury bug from him as well, although he too hasn't had an injury free career. When there are 5 other guys on the roster that get more at bats than your 2 "stars" that you have $50M invested in ......  then you have a problem. The Twins FO has brought this on themselves. Buxton should have never been resigned. Correa is not and never will be worth his Salary. Add in Kepler and you have 3 veterans that can't, never have, and never will, carry the team. Now you have $60M of mediocrity.

To be successful in the last month of the season and in October the team has to QUIT relying on players that can't stay healthy. Unfortunately that probably won't happen with any level of certainty until Buxton and Correa are gone.

I question Buxton’s current situation.  He was put on the 10 day DL with a sore hip and got off it over a week ago.  He’s not started rehab yet.  In his most recent interview he spoke about “finding the intensity” which he just doesn’t have right now.  He’s talking one day at time.  I was expecting him in that Atlanta series.  

What exactly is that?  It’s not the Twins mishandling him.  It’s him not being a ballplayer.  He could easily overrule any orders by simply working out, getting in reps and saying “I’m good to go” which what he needs to do.  Guys all over the league are playing through whatever he has.  I recall Shannon Stewart soldiering on when his heels were shot.  Brad Radke pitched through the ‘06 playoffs with a torn labrum.  Torii Hunter (who never comes around anymore).  
He’s going to go for month with the “sore hip” during the pennant run?  It’s dubious to me knowing the extensive history.  When is enough, enough?

A player like this ruins accountability for all of its not dealt with.  When is he going to “find the intensity”?   Sheesh.  It’s Labor Day and we are fighting for our playoff lives.  What a teammate 

41 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Speaking of dubious, calling Buxton a bad teammate and claiming he doesn’t want to be on the field with his team while taking a quote out of context.

the rest of that Dan Hayes article talked about Buxton’s frustration with the training staff.

He brings it on himself.  How is he “trying to find the intensity” right now?   Shouldn’t he have it healthy or not?  If intensity is what he needs to get on the field then be a pro a find it.

7 hours ago, rv78 said:

Who would have thought Buxton being injured would be an issue? Correa seems to have caught the injury bug from him as well, although he too hasn't had an injury free career. When there are 5 other guys on the roster that get more at bats than your 2 "stars" that you have $50M invested in ......  then you have a problem. The Twins FO has brought this on themselves. Buxton should have never been resigned. Correa is not and never will be worth his Salary. Add in Kepler and you have 3 veterans that can't, never have, and never will, carry the team. Now you have $60M of mediocrity.

To be successful in the last month of the season and in October the team has to QUIT relying on players that can't stay healthy. Unfortunately that probably won't happen with any level of certainty until Buxton and Correa are gone.

It would be fun to look back at the threads about signing both Correa and Buxton.  There were people who were emphatic about signing Correa even when it was for 12 years.  Very few were opposed to the deal he eventually signed.  I also recall posters cursing the front office saying they did not know what they were doing because they were unwilling to give him a huge guarantee.  I remember one post that suggested they were not serious about winning and basically incompetent because they were starting at a $150M guarantee.

You might well have been among the minority who did not want these players signed but TD was in general very supportive of signing Correa and Buxton.

4 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

It would be fun to look back at the threads about signing both Correa and Buxton.  There were people who were emphatic about signing Correa even when it was for 12 years.  Very few were opposed to the deal he eventually signed.  I also recall posters cursing the front office saying they did not know what they were doing because they were unwilling to give him a huge guarantee.  I remember one post that suggested they were not serious about winning and basically incompetent because they were starting at a $150M guarantee.

You might well have been among the minority who did not want these players signed but TD was in general very supportive of signing Correa and Buxton.

Yes, count me in the minority.... I don't care. Neither player is worth their contract. If Correa was worth it the Astros would have never let him go. Buxton hasn't been worth his contract in any year he's played.... Or I should say..... part year he's played. When you have to roster an extra player every year to cover for someone who is going to be hurt you really need to add that extra players contract onto the cost of rostering the injury prone player as well. The Twins basically KEPT Farmer to cover for Correa and added Margot to cover for Buxton. Now you don't have just $50M tied up in 2 positions but Farmer and Margot's cost as well. Did the Twins need to roster another player for Puckett or Hunter, or Gagne, Meares, or Guzman? How about tying up the extra roster spot needed for doing that as well? That's another cost that is overlooked. Sorry, but neither player is worth it.