rv78

I just saw 2 teams in the 2025 World Series that didn't platoon like you say. Maybe it's not a coincidence that they won as many games as they did and made it to the WS because they don't platoon to death.

"I talked to Drew MacPhail a little bit about it, and we’ll continue to talk about it, but players get to the big leagues so fast these days," This is no excuse compared to players from the past. Ages of 1st season in the majors: Lee 23, Martin 25, Larnach 24, Julien 24, Jeffers 23, Lewis 23, Wallner 24, Miranda 24. Mauer 21, Polanco 20, Sano 22, Morneau 22, Hrbek 21, Knoblauch 22, Puckett 24, Gaetti 22. All I got from this article is that no one knows why the Twins hitters struggle to carry over their success from the minors to the majors and Shelton doesn't know either. My guess to why is, lack of consistant playing time, never a consistant batting order, and no confidence shown from the Manager. If the regulars don't get to play everyday and the lineup order changes daily, and the Manager platoons them against every left or right handed pitcher, like Rocco did, nothing will change.

I just think Tingler saw the writing on the wall. 1.A new Manager will want his own hand selected bench coach. 2.The Twins are going in a direction that he doesn't want to be a part of.

Problem is......... it doesn't take much to blow Falvey away. Mahle? DeSclafani? Insert washed up player name here.

The GREAT Byron Buxton has been one of the most injured players in baseball over the past decade, full stop. He has the lack of playing time to prove it. Managed to get to 126 games played in 2025. His highest number since his record setting season for appearances of 140, done 8 years ago in 2017. For being one of the most gifted players ever to put on a Twins uniform, he's also been one of the most disappointing. For comparison sake. Buck has reached 140 games played in a season once in his 11 year career. (1 for 11). He's never gone above 140. The truely GREAT centerfielder for the Twins, Kirby Puckett played less than 140 games 3 times in his 12 year career. 1 was his first season, 1 was his last season, and 1 in 1994. (9 for 12). 1 of those 3 seasons he was a rookie earning his spot. 1 was the shortened 1994 season, and the last season he got beaned in the head by Dennis Martinez that ended his season. I realize there isn't much good news to write about in this dreadful organization and Buxton is the most talented player on the roster. He's also been the most over-enamored, most talked about, and most written about player that has really not done anything outside of his few individual awards. I think the state of baseball has become almost comical if a guy that hits .264 with an OBP of .327, hits 35 HR's with 83 RBI's, can win a Silver Slugger Award. Those use to be average numbers put up by a lot of major leaguers back in the 70's, and 80's. Buxton is the Twins most significant hitter in their lineup when he's healthy. On a lot of other teams, he'd just be a secondary piece to their roster.

When he makes a trade, the other team gives him the executive of the year award for taking their crap.

Most of the players brought up to the majors HAVE developed in AAA or they wouldn't be brought up in the first place. You don't ruin a team by bringing up your best prospects when they are prospering in AAA. This isn't about bringing up minor leaguers who aren't ready. It's about giving those deserving of a fair chance, the opportunity. In 2023 was Gallo worthy of the spot over Wallner? If so, why did Wallner replace him before the year was over? What about Margot? Or Santana? Or Gasper? Or Luplow? Cave? Garlick? The list is sooo long of the useless Free Agent veterans brought in under Falvey that it makes me puke. How much money has been wasted on them? Too many Millions to count. You know what? Your team of Farmer, Urshela and France wouldn't get you to the WS any faster than a team of prospects that is allowed to grow and prosper and get a chance to play everyday. That's something the current regime refuses to let happen. And that is why the continued way of Falvey bringing in dumpster veterans will never work. If the young players aren't worthy then he's also doing a lousy job of drafting. I would rather have a team with Arraez, Jeffers and Keaschall than one with Gallo, Margot and Gasper.

Last 2 posts totally nailed it. All you have to do is look up and see who is controlling the Managers and Coaches. There's your answer. It's really not that complicated.

They have their solution at 1B. Kody Clemens. Don't think that is it? Wait and see.

Biggest over-pay of the Falvey era..... Joey Gallo, 1 year for $11M. He didn't even make it to the end of the season before being replaced. The Gallo signing alone should have gotten him fired.

No big losses anywhere. Lawyerson is a bit puzzling. Had a pretty decent career in the minors. Looks like the Twins had him on a slow track taking 6+ years to get a call up. (Didn't play in 2020). At 27 years old and a depleted bullpen, there must have been something they didn't like about him. He'll probably be one those players that Falvey let get away that we all end up shaking our head over. Miranda is a sad one. He had shown so much promise as a hitter but could never get the consistancy. Maybe he couldn't adjust to the analytical platoon strategy the Twins have fallen in love with. Or the moving from 3B to 1B on the field. Or maybe the off-season he spent with Correa totally messed him up. Whatever it was, it almost as sad as Kirilloff retiring, His defense and lack of fundamentals shows what is wrong with this organization, beit a lack of development, or if he never truely had the ability then it was poor scouting. Either way, something has to change. I hope he gets another chance somewhere else.

So, instead of letting the young guys develop into something that is possible, you'd rather continue to bring in the floor type veterans that take playing time away from them, and still be bad. Yeah, makes sense to me. This organization will never spend the amount of money it will take, on enough top of the line Free Agents, to be successful. I'd rather have hope in a young player developing into a difference maker than watching an over-paid FA veteran that isn't a difference maker just to remain an average or below average team.

I prefer they just stay out of the Free Agent market and run with the young guys. The crap Falvey brings in hasn't worked..... ever. I don't understand why anyone wants to keep playing the same broken record.

Will never happen. Falvey has said that he isn't trading Ryan or Lopez. My question is......... did he put it in writing?

Seems a lot of you are missing the question in the title of this article. It is not grading the job we expect out of Shelton. It is the grading of the Front Office hiring Shelton. Of the 4 potential candidates they said they were interviewing, they obviously, and stated as such, that Shelton was the one with the most familiarity of the Twins organization. That made him the most comfortable hire they could make. All it did was confirm Rocco was let go because they felt they had to do something to make it look like they were trying to fix things. When Rocco got fired, it looked like they actually might be taking a step in the right direction. I have nothing against Shelton. He probably deserves another chance to manage just as much as Rocco, but hiring Shelton proved they aren't serious about changing anything. As a fan, he doesn't move the needle. Grade F.

You don't change the message if you think you are doing everything right. It also isn't a major change in leadership. It's more of the same or they wouldn't have hired Rocco 2.0. Shelton's answers were well rehearsed and gone over with Falvey before they sat down for the press conference. As for trying to invigorate the fan base...... they don't care. They especially don't think that 90% is anywhere close to the number that disapproves of what they are doing. It'll take an empty Target Field for the entirety of the 2026 season for them to get that message. Will everyone give that to them? No. Unfortunately there are still the Dad's that want to take their sons to the ball games each and every summer, no matter how bad the team is. They go for the experience. Winning to them is just a bonus. Only the hard core fans, that take winning as a reason to go, will be boycotting games. Will they be enough? Only time will tell. As for ownership providing resources going forward.... Why would they spend now? They had a chance to take the next step after the 2023 playoffs and those chose to go in the opposite direction. The 2025 team showed nothing that would signal a bump in revenue would matter. Unless you want to go from a 70-92 team to 80-82.

The image of Shelton and Tingler at the top of this article looks like they're either looking at a supermodel walking by in a bikini or they know they are the 2 luckiest guys that don't have a clue as to what they are doing, knowing that they have fooled Falvey into giving them jobs that pay hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sounds like they are going to rollout the same crap we have been seeing. No big surprise there. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/derek-shelton-used-his-time-off-after-the-pirates-fired-him-to-present-the-twins-a-better-candidate/ar-AA1POjHV

You mean like when, Falvey says he "know"s how to run a baseball team, and he doesn't?

Well, since the Manager, (whoever it is) answers to Falvey, it's very likely the Coaches (whoever they are) also answer to Falvey. In most MLB situations, the Manager brings in the coaches he wants to have working under him. In Minnesota, I'm not so sure it works that way. Falvey doesn't make mistakes, is the smartest man in the room, and likely controls almost every aspect of what we see on the field, within the Pohlads payroll limitations.

If they don't trade 'em, in 2026 they might win 70 games, again. Yeah, that's the same number they won in 2025 with a good bullpen the first half of the season. If they do trade 'em they'll win less. The difference in the grand scheme of competing? None. Who knows if there will even be a 2027 season.

Okay, where are the hits going to come from that score the runs? Who is going to start playing better defense? The fundamentals are going to improve... how? The same players are just magically going to be better at every aspect needed? Dream on!

That must be the reason why Falvey traded him away. He saw he was just too good defensively.

My guess is, with Falvey in control, Popkins was told how to do his job by Falvey. It didn't work and for that reason he was the fall guy just like Rocco was this year. You have to keep reminding yourself that Falvey truely believes he doesn't do anything wrong. Every decision he makes is right. If anything he tries does not work it is not his fault. The person he puts in charge for implementing that decision is the failure. The process is never wrong. It's the messenger. I also believe that in Toronto, Popkins had free rein to do his job and he obviously excelled at it. Again, stop and think, why would he have so much more success in Toronto than in Minnesota? Is it the talent? According to Falvey he drafts the best, trades for the best, and his process is the best. He's not wrong. Or is it really Falvey, drafting NOT the best, trading for NOT the best and getting players that just really aren't that good, and above all,... the process is wrong. It probably doesn't matter who the hitting coach is.

Sounds like he could be a late inning defensive backup or pinch runner. I'm just not sold on low average hitters that show some power. This organization has been stuck on that model for too long. At least he knows how to play defense and steal bases. The biggest question you have to ask yourself is.... Will the Twins be smart enough to know how to use him if he ever makes it to the bigs?