Doctor Wu

In theory, I'm all for taking low risk chances, so I don't hate that idea. But if given a choice I think I'd rather see Chris Gimenez back on the mound again.

Well, it's late July and starting to wonder if any of the Twins players will reach the 20 homer mark this year. Rosario is currently sitting on 19, so he SHOULD be able to get up and over that benchmark. But will any other players on the team make it? Dozier and Escobar are two other possibilities, but one or both of those guys could end up being traded soon. Or could it be Kepler? He's now at 13 dingers and starting to look better lately.

I agree, No point in releasing Morrison. Sure, he's been a major disappointment this year. but I keep hoping he'll get hot before the month is over (hmm... not much time left) or in early August, and then maybe maybe maybe some team will give up a low level prospect for him. Gotta keep hoping for a miracle.

I hope the Twins don't reconsider trading Dozier (if indeed that is their plan) just because Gordon is struggling. But darn, his lack of progress at AAA is definitely a huge disappointment.

Further proof that baseball is a wonderful and unpredictable game: Trevor Plouffe played the part of hero for the Phillies this week, hitting a home run in the bottom of the 16th inning to give his new team a win over the Dodgers. Okay, he hit the homer off LA's "last resort" relief pitcher, Kike Hernandez (normally an outfielder), but hey, it still counts! Another ex-Twin, Pat Neshek, pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Phillies. He recently came off the DL and has only pitched 8 innings all year.

Well, I was hoping for some exciting trade news at the start of the day, but at least this represents a transaction of sorts. Losing Motter doesn't exactly make me sad. Next.

Those of us who blinked probably DID miss him during his very brief tenure with the team.

My somewhat blurry crystal ball says: Dozier and Lynn are traded this month. Duke is a possible one too. And then in August we unload Santana and Rodney on waiver claims. As to which teams want these guys, all I know is what I've been reading, but who knows?

At this point, I'm only hoping/dreaming that Morrison goes on a tear this coming week and some team, any team, decides he's finally in a groove and worth trading for before the month is over. Yeah, I'm dreaming but what else is there to do?

You beat me to it. Wimmers was just the name I was going to use for comparison's sake. But I'm holding out hope that Stewart has more potential than that.

The bats are starting to come around, every so slightly. Seeing signs of life with Mauer again, and even Kepler and Grossman are looking better.

I think signing Pineda was a good move, even if he doesn't pitch at all this year. it's insurance for next year Sure, we're all impatient and want to see him before the season is finished, but at this point I'm not too bothered either way. I'd prefer to see him 100% healthy and ready to rock next year. As for the other starters I'd also prefer to keep Gibson and Odorizzi for next year, and try to unload Lynn and Santana ASAP, or least before September.

At least there is something to be excited about in the Twins' minor league system lately. As much as we'd all love to see Kiriloff and Lewis make their MLB debuts ASAP, I think it's wise to be patient for another year or two. Meanwhile, sign me up for a seat on the Thorpe bandwagon. Great to see him pitching so consistently well lately.

That would be more than acceptable!

Or maybe pollo loco?

The Brewers now need another starting pitcher after Suter just got injured and will need TJ surgery. I'd like to keep Gibson, but would gladly offer them Lynn or Santana for some low level prospect. Or package the pitcher with Dozier and aim higher?

Speaking of the Brewers, one of their starting pitchers Brent Suter, just went on the DL and will need to have Tommy John surgery. Maybe we could package Dozier with Lance Lynn for a decent prospect?

The good news on Buxton is that he is suffering from a left wrist strain and not something more serious. I'm not sure if that's good news or not. Every year, over and over again, we are seeing these nagging injuries with Buxton. Granted, some are minor, but some that require extended DL stints. Is it just bad luck or is the guy simply injury prone?

And speaking of Chris Carter ... did any team pick him up, even as a AAA signing, after the Twins released him?

Thanks for posting that. I think Baddoo has a ton of potential.

When the options are guys like Morrison and Vargas, I'd actually prefer to have Mauer back for another year or two. Yeah, his best days are behind him, and he has no power to speak of, but he can still get on base and he fields his position well. Even with this new front office, I don't see them getting rid of an icon like Mauer. Now, if he feels burned out and/or not producing up to his standards, I could see him retiring. Otherwise, bring him back. The other ideas (Machado, Realmuto) are enticing and exciting to think about, but I just don't think they are realistic.

Interesting call-up. Maybe he'll be their pinch hit weapon! By the way, whatever happened to Pedro Florimon with the Phillies? I haven't noticed his name in the box scores recently. He was playing pretty well for them this year, in a variety of positions, even pitching a game at one point. Is he injured again?

Sadly, never. Nothing at major league games or even at spring training games. But one time back in the early 1990s I went with t friend to Memphis for "Elvis Weekend" in August (the anniversary of his death) and by coincidence the Orlando Twins were playing a series with the Memphis Chicks at Tim McCarver Stadium. Naturally, I had to go to the games. Also, we stayed at the same hotel as the Twins. I bumped into Willie Banks and Lenny Webster (Lenny was playing the piano in the lobby!) and chatted with them for a while. Nice guys. That night at the game I caught a foul ball hit by David Howard (later a utility player in the majors for the Royals, Cardinals, and other teams). But that was one and only foul ball catch.

Reading that caption you put above one of the video links: Brusdar Graterol coming at you at 100 mph. Man, how exciting is that! A Twins pitcher with velocity? What a concept! Some exciting prospects on that list.

Fun idea! Here is my stab at the questions: 1.) Where are you from? Born and raised in Orlando, Florida. And that's how I became such a big Twins fan. In those days (1960s through 1980s) the Twins had their spring training camp in Orlando, Plus, during the rest of the year we had the Orlando Twins, their AA minor league club. So, I got to see many of the players coming up through the system. Great memories. Since 1996 I have lived overseas, mostly in Thailand. So, I haven't been to any Twins games in a long, long time! In fact, the very last games I attended in the USA were games 6 and 7 of the 1991 World Series. Really. What a way to go out! 2.) Age Range? Late 50s 3.) What brought you to Twins Daily? I honestly can't remember! Probably doing some random Internet surfing and came across it. Lurked for serveral years before I started posting last year. 4.) Highest level of baseball/softball played? I played little league and pony league but I was awful. Never even considered trying out for my high school team. I was that bad. 5.) Favorite Twins Player, and favorite underappreciated Twins player, and if you want, favorite current Twins player? For All-Time I'd probably go with Tony Oliva. Class act and great player whose career was cut short by injures. Underappreciated? I'd go with a relief pitcher like Stan Williams. Or for clutch, consistency and kookiness, Mickey Hatcher. I was also a big fan of Ron Washington when he was a utility player for the Twins. Always thought he'd make a good manager. One of the few times my predictions came true! And for current players, honestly, that seems to change every other month. But I remain a Buxton fan, simply because he is so exciting to watch in the field and on the bases. Now if we can get that hitting straightened out ... 6.) Favorite non-Twins Daily site/authors? I bounce around mainstream sites like ESPN and SI, and also look at the Star-Tribune, but not much else on a regular basis. 7.) Favorite Twitter follows? I don't tweet. And I can't sing very well either. 8.) Other interests outside of baseball. Music! Although I can't play an instrument, I'm a huge music fan. I listen to music (I'm old school; mostly CDs) all day and all night. Can't get enough. I used to book concerts many years ago, and wrote for some music magazines. Interviewed many great bands and singers. I also read a lot of books, mostly crime fiction (John Sandford, yes!) and travel stuff. 9.) Favorite part of Twins Daily. I really like it all, Good variety, and a variety of interesting opinions from writers and posters. I especially appreciate the minor league reports. Hard to get such detailed information elsewhere. 10.) Tell us what we can do better. Send me some cookies! 11.) Have you been to any of the Twins Daily "events?" Never. I'm too far away!