Week in Review: Little to Like

The negatives are obvious and plentiful (and inexplicable). 

I would like to point out two good things the FO has done IMHO

1. The Draft:  They are 2 for 2 no doubt

2. They are rolling out Stewart multiple times to make very sure they know what to do with him this off season. 

3. They are giving Gonslaves and extended look which will prove to him how much he needs to work on his control (ie not enough players in the bigs are going to chase his nibbling)

...I pulled the reverse Rick Perry

I think it is important to bring back Santana.  He is a good pitcher (better than anything they would go out and get in free agency).  Doesn't seem like there is much ready in the minors.  Santana is a great mentor for the young Latino pitching staff. 

They have no good backup plan all over the field, no idea why Astudillo is not pay of the plan. But then, I don't get why they like Grossman, who doesn't hit enough for his fielding, or Belisle, or Gimenez at first. Really a lot of odd decisions right now. Why anyone is paying attention, I have no idea.

Maybe the hope is nobody is paying attention?

Some of it is trying the young players before either keeping them on the 40 man roster or letting them go to fill the 40 man with players that have to be kept.  Problem with this approach is I see little hope for 2019 without a big turnaround by some players who where expected to be the core of the Twins going forward.  

Not a good position to be in. 

Biggest issues seem to be whether either Sano or Buxton will be more than their absolute floor here before hitting FA, or in my mind whether the minor league coaching staff is totally inept at fixing holes in players games.

Why anyone is paying attention, I have no idea.

Because we're Twins fans... and we enjoy suffering .

Also because my son is in the offseason for his high school baseball team and we have nothing else to watch.

Can anyone tell me who will replace Santana both in pitching and mentoring?  He is still good.  I am hoping Berrios, Romero and Gibson can be very good and not just average.  Who else?

This has never been my take...but the season is too long and they should start the playoffs in the middle of September.  All of this irrelevant September baseball is a drag on the sport 

Regardless of the outcome, I love what they did with De Jong and Littell on Sunday.

I couldn't hate any more thethe decision to start Gimenez at first. Put Feld in the OF and Kepler at first.

In the little that we have got to see him, Gonsalves reminds me of Tommy Milone without the control.  That's not a good combination.

Well, besides Berrios, Gibson and Romero...the Twins have Pineda and Mejia to put into the rotation. Theya re getting good looks at Gonsalves, Littell and Stewart and De Jong. So, they have some choices come spring.

At this point, there are probably only 3-4 folks THE TWINS HAVE to add to the 40-man. Look at the rosters of Rochester and Chattanooga. Who would someone gamble a Rule 5 pick to hold on their roster for a year. The Twins have to do some minor league roster shuffling to keep guys from being taken in the minor league part of that draft.

So, the Twins need 3-4 roster spots. They also need three roster spots for 60-day guys Pineda, Castro and Mejia.

They have free agents: Mauer, Morrison, Santana, Belisle, Forsythe. Only Mauer could be a come backer.

I put the following on the bubble for being in team plans for 2019. SOme names will stay because there are roster spots. But my list is: Drake, Duffey, Magill, Slegers, Astudillo, Petit, Field, Gimenez, Granite. Defendng on arbitration, they might not keep Grossman or Adrianza. Both should still be cheap, though...although I don't really see them fitting into a 2020 Twins team, either. 

The Twins also have to make decisions on Curtiss, Busenitz and Moya. Expect them all to stay because of age, promise.

Yes, the Twins have a lot of starter "candidates" (still have Thorpe in the wings,too).  Everyone on the current roster should get 4-multi inning appearances before the end of the season. Would also give the Twins an idea if any could work in long relief (replacing, say, Duffey).

I would be playing Austin everyday, at first or DH. Let him get his swings. I would also play Sano at first base (if you want to move him there)instead of everyone else on the bench. Some on field decisions boogle me, as well as the inconsistent line-up construction.

I have been optimistic about the Twins chances to compete in 2019. That optimism is waining. 

-Good pitchers fading down the stretch.

-Prospect pitchers aren't ready.

-The bullpen is a disaster.

-Fizzling core. 

-Front office isn't on the same page

Despite the Buxton drama, it would not be in his best interest to not play hard. The snub could impact his performance and attitude, but that would not work in his favor either. He can still be a productive player for the next four seasons in Minnesota.

Can anyone tell me who will replace Santana both in pitching and mentoring?  He is still good.  I am hoping Berrios, Romero and Gibson can be very good and not just average.  Who else?

Just about anyone could replace Santana on the mound. Pineda, Mejia, or some middle of the rotation offseason FA. I'm not sure what leads you to believe he's still good. 

As far as mentoring, I can't speak to his clubhouse presence because they don't let me in there, but complaining publicly about the front office when he hasn't done anything himself to help the team this year doesn't seem like the behavior of a veteran mentor.

Front office plan is hard to see at this moment because I just don't see the talent that could produce a tending team. The only way we become even respectable is that Buxton and Sano can produce all star numbers. Even with that there are just to many holes in there line up for the coming year we have right now nobody to fill 1st and second signed for next year. Then add in If Sano can play third or is he heading for DH role and fill in first baseman then we need a third baseman. Catcher is also open because Castro will he be ready and Garver is not ready to be full time catcher. Getting to pitching it looks to me were going to see Gibson gone by August of next year. Probably add Pineada to that list too for more future prospects. At the best for next year would be 78 and 84 team but if I was guessing were looking at 67 to 62 wins and 95 to 100 loss team for next year. That's if we stay healthy for next year add couple of injuries and loss total could climb higher in 100's. This team was gutted this year and only Ruesse of the media has come out stated the truth on this. This is why Twins pulled fast one with Buxton on service time they already know that earliest they can contend again is in 3 years thus giving them Buxton for that year. This front office has wasted two years floundering not knowing what to do because this team showed they could win last year but they were not committed to this group so they didn't invest in them. They got very little in return for this group of players Dozier basically nothing, Escobar maybe one future pitcher, and Pressely couple of pitchers but still years until we see them making impact. Remember when we used say the Twins were nothing more than Triple A club next year probably will be the year with exception of couple players on the team. This is frustrating for somebody that is old because I may never see winner again in Minnesota in my lifetime. My boy who's in his 20's has given up  on the Twins he has no faith in this management and I wonder how many more of his age have had same feelings about the Twins. This serious for the Twins because they are loosing generation of fans and will take something special to win them back. Also side note on this if Vikings and Timberwolves should produce champions in next 5 years the Twins will not recover until next generation of kids can see a winning franchise. Ownership better take note they were concerned about their brand 2 years ago they  should be sweating bullets now because their brand has even fallen farther now.

I have been optimistic about the Twins chances to compete in 2019. That optimism is waining. 

-Good pitchers fading down the stretch.

-Prospect pitchers aren't ready.

-The bullpen is a disaster.

-Fizzling core. 

-Front office isn't on the same page

 

Despite the Buxton drama, it would not be in his best interest to not play hard. The snub could impact his performance and attitude, but that would not work in his favor either. He can still be a productive player for the next four seasons in Minnesota.

All these issues and yet some are still clinging onto the idea that we’re a couple FA away from winning the WC game again, oh wait.....

Just about anyone could replace Santana on the mound. Pineda, Mejia, or some middle of the rotation offseason FA. I'm not sure what leads you to believe he's still good. 

 

As far as mentoring, I can't speak to his clubhouse presence because they don't let me in there, but complaining publicly about the front office when he hasn't done anything himself to help the team this year doesn't seem like the behavior of a veteran mentor.

Good to know that you think Mejia will be better, not sure about Pineda, another player coming off an injury.  Do you know any middle of the rotation that will be available AND want to come here.  I was glad he said what he did.  Dozier did the same thing last year. 

I thought they did a lot to improve the BP?  The regulars seem to be really bad.  Belisle 8.62 ERA, Busenitz 6.56 and rising, Duffey 9+ and so on.  Maybe it was a different year I am thinking of.

He was good last year, before this injury. I'm not sure what reason we have to be confident that'll still be true next year. He'll be 36 and coming off a very problematic injury that cost him an entire season. 

If he is brought back, he can perform as the #3/#4/#5 guy most of the Twins fans kept expecting him to be anyway. May as well bring him back.

Can he? Erv was pretty awful this year even after plenty of rest and rehab -- he might be cooked. I think I'd rather take a shot on someone else at this point, if at all possible.

Yes. By the numbers, #3 pitchers are league-average. #4 and #5 pitchers are net minuses, especially the #5. Can he do that? Yep!