Twins

Make no mistake, local kid Louie Varland still has a future in the Twins’ starting rotation. But for the remaining three weeks and almost certainly into the playoffs, he is going to be counted on in some critical opportunities out of the bullpen. What has his small sample of work showed us so far and what’s the best-case scenario for Minnesota’s native son going forward?

Caleb Thielbar thought he had thrown his last pitch and was ready to start coaching. Instead, the Twins called him, and he’s saved the team’s bullpen over the last four seasons.

This was not the same game as Thursday, I swear.

Aaron and John talk about the Twins closing in on clinching the AL Central, the toughest playoff roster decisions, the latest on Byron Buxton, why getting and keeping everyone healthy is essential, and how the bullpen could look much different with Brock Stewart, Louie Varland, and Chris Paddack. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. 

The Minnesota Twins front office has not been shy about upgrading the 26-man roster. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have been aggressive in their pursuit of free agents, and they have made several sizable swaps in recent seasons. Now nearly a full season into the deal that brought Pablo Lopez to Minnesota, do the Twins miss Luis Arraez?

Heading into the Chicago series, the Twins were sitting comfortably with their magic number nine and safely above the Guardians at seven and a half games. Tonight's victory over the White Sox reduces that magic number down to eight.

The Twins have all but wrapped up the AL Central, with their magic number dwindling by the day. Here are three items the team needs to accomplish before the playoffs begin.

The Twins pinch-hit Christian Vázquez for Edouard Julien with the tying run on second base in the ninth inning on Wednesday. It didn't work, but the numbers tell us it was a very defensible decision.

That's a big problem.

The Twins have a lot of moving parts as they approach the playoffs, particularly on the pitching staff. With the bullpen having arguably the most question marks, Kenta Maeda could be an answer.

After a short start by Dallas Keuchel, the Twins were down four runs early. They rallied back to tie it and had a mostly great outing from their bullpen. But one bad pitch in the ninth cost them the game and the series.

The Minnesota Twins are still counting down their magic number, but at this point they are all but guaranteed to win the AL Central and make the postseason. Much of the success down the stretch has come through the production of young players. Can they really trust this much youth in the playoffs?

The 2023 Twins may not accumulate the type of win total that really get fanbases fired up, but taken for the sum of their parts, they represent the best chance for a Twins playoff run in arguably decades. If you're a casual fan who's been waiting for the Twins bandwagon to be worth joining, here's your chance.