rv78

Is there really any reason why players like Wallner, Outman, Larnach, Bell, Clemens, are important to the future of this club? We can argue, speculate, dream all day long, and NONE of them matter. They are all playing the role of roster filler until someone better comes along that MIGHT be a difference maker. No one knows if E-Rod will be a difference maker until he gets a chance. Replacing a .200 hitter or less, that can't play defense shouldn't be that difficult, but the Twins have to save their precious service time and call-up options. Why? If you are seriously playing to contend, why stick with the players that aren't helping you do that, but in fact are making the opposite happen? If that isn't stupidity, it's insanity. Take your pick, it has to be one or the other.

I think the "long-building problem" with the Twins isn't due to the lack of international talent but more likely due to the lack of ANY talent. When was the last time they brought up a prospect that they drafted that was a .300 hitter on a consistant basis out side of Luis Arraez? Larnach, Wallner, Lee, Lewis, are just the most recent examples of players they drafted with all the hype of significant difference making status and they can barely hit .200 consistantly. I could care less WHERE the player comes from. Just give me a few that can hit like a Carew or Oliva for a change.

If Buck and Martin have their 2 outfield spots locked up. Which it appears to be, as of now. That leaves RF or Wallner to be the odd man out. Almost everyone here complains about Wallner being a terrible outfielder. His bat isn't anything great either. What would be the harm in giving ERod the RF spot full-time to see if he is better than Wallner. Wallner could then take Outmans spot on the roster. It's too bad they haven't tried using Wallner at 1B. Unless his glove would be horrendous there, I can't see him being much of a drop off replacing Clemens at 1B with the bat. That is something they should have done in spring training to see if he can play there. As for Outman being Buxtons backup, I wouldn't think Martin or ERod would be a disaster there if they had to play CF once a week. If Buck gets hurt, well this team is totally screwed and it won't make a rats turd of a difference who plays there then. If you are telling me that we don't have anyone in AAA that can give us better at-bats than Outman, then this organization is worse off than we think.

There is nothing about their off-season has me to believe they are serious about contending. The "Contending" statement came from them, not me. I never took that statement serious at the time nor do I now. It's just BS to try to get fans to buy tickets. As for signing Bell, what's the point? When you add guys like Kreidler, Outman, Gray, Roden, who didn't make the club out of spring training, counting on Clemens, a career .200 hitter to be a major part of your team, it's all just a joke. As for 1 high-leverage RP making a difference that's like saying Bell is going to make enough of a difference to get them over the hump. This team hasn't went all-in since 2019, and they've done nothing but go backwards ever since. Adding the fringe players every year like they have since 2019 hasn't worked and never will.

It is completely ironic or, maybe Moronic would be the better term, that the Twins have young players in AAA that they are sure of their glove and unsure of their bat and instead of taking a chance on them to see if their bat will play at the major league level, they use a veteran that has proven his bat DOESN'T play, just for his glove. It seems to me that they are treading the same water now without Falvey as they did when Falvey was here. Play the veterans no matter how bad they are, hoping the fans buy into the moves they made, showing that they KNOW what they are doing. In all reality, they are only proving to the fans otherwise by running the same type of worthless veterans out onto the field over and over. Kreidler, Outman, Bell, Clemens and a handful of others brought in by Falvey aren't worth a roster spot if they are really serious about contending.

You are backing up your story by saying fielders are taught to throw low? Where I come from they are taught to throw at the chest. Anything above, below or off to either side of that, is off target. Balls in the dirt are just as much off target as throws over the head. (Unless the throw was intentionally throw off the turf for a 1 hop bounce to 1B.)

So Bell should have gotten the error then? An errant throw is an error, regardless of who is trying to catch it. What you are implying would be the same as giving every hitter a hit even if the fielder can't scoop up the ball.

Yeah, the error in Friday nights game was by Kreidler, so he'll be an upgrade. LOL!

Have played 3 teams with below .500 records at this point, and the Twins went 1-2 against all 3. Tells you a lot about this team. They can't even beat other teams that aren't playing well. They are, what a lot of us thought they would be... Bad. Normally one would say they need to clean out the dead wood but that dead wood is what Falvey brought in the past couple of years, so they've got no one to turn to. The bonfire is going to be pretty big again this year at the trade deadline. Bye Bye Ryan, Buxton and Jeffers.

Tom really wasn't kidding when he said this team was going to be competitive. They are competing with the White Sox for last place in the division with all the vim and vigor as any last place team can muster.

I think it is more likely that the Twins will struggle against ALL pitchers this season.

4 reasons for Optimism 1. Joe Ryan 2. Byron Buxton 3. Ryan Jeffers 4. Pablo Lopez (not really) Look out trade deadline.......... here we come. 2026, a prove it year for Lewis, Lee, Wallner, Larnach, Martin or they'll be gone too.

The powers that be continue their narrative that this team will compete. Thus the retreads like Outman, Bell, Clemens and anyone else Falvey brought in the last few years that is still here will get the nod to prove they don't belong BEFORE the youngsters that would help this organization down the road get to prove they do belong. It's the recipe they have followed for many seasons now and even though the guys in charge have changed, the philosophy hasn't. Trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is......... ?

Based on their major league careers, especially the last 2 months of the 2025 season, I find it hard to believe that Roden is considered the 3rd outfielder over Martin. The author of this article appears to be drawing straws.

"Jack of all Trades - Master of None" will maintain their level of mediocrity. Looking for ways to get guys like Kody Clemens, a career .206 hitter, more at bats, does nothing to instill confidence in the fans for Sheltons ability to manage.