Thebigalguy

I agree with your optimism for a few of the players you name but others don't arouse enthusiasm. The July massacre decimated the bullpen, which explains many of the losses suffered in August and September, when the offense, with its base stealing, was more exciting if not more effective. It's going to be a young roster, that's for sure, and might pan out, but only if the team keeps its top-line starters, for starters. and builds up its bullpen again with signings and conversions of starters. New manager, some new coaches. It could be refreshing. The proof, as we say, will be in the pudding.

I like Clemens. Can he improve? We'll see, apparently. Otherwise, I agree with CP. Trading Ryan or Lopez will sour me on the team in 2026. Keep them, build a good bullpen with signings and conversion of starters, and let the new manager and his coaches see what the offense and defense are capable of with the mix of vets and young players. I was surprised to see 82-80 as the likely result in 2026, but that's very optimistic if more vets get traded. If not, and if the bullpen is built up again, there's an opportunity for a worthy season.

Good article. I go with Clemens to stick. It’s an exciting post-trade team! That’s surprising but I’m on board if they can keep at it. If they had had foresight to keep Varland and Jax, I’d give the FO credit. They didn’t; I don’t.

Great article. The FO believes a new bullpen can be constructed as well as developed and yes, has confidence to do so. I hated to see Varland traded, too; it was a mistake. Could have been the closer. The one-run losses did the team in this season, so I didn’t see that they were overmatched, but they lost too many of those games without clutch hits. I’d like to think that they could have made a run, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The FO decided to trust starters and offense as either already getting the job done or salvageable and trade the pen and the one-year guys. It’s a strategy. Time will tell.

Nope. Keep Ryan.

I think it's premature to think about such a trade. The team has a month to show they can scratch and claw their way to the playoffs as a wild card team. If they do decide to sell, I see no reason for them to give up the best they have. The team's problem has been getting into the seventh inning with a lead. Once there, Jax and Duran and Varland are usually top notch. The haul for such a trade would have to be awesome for me to sign off on it.

We have what it takes to win right now. We don’t need no stinking trades. Let’s get it done.

Wouldn't be surprised to see him called up this year.

Thanks for the thoughtful article. I disagree that trading Kepler makes sense, though. First, he's cold right now; he's not worth much in a trade unless he gets hot. Second, he's a very good right (not left) fielder; Wallner isn't. Third, saving four million isn't peanuts but I don't see it making that much difference if the goal is to improve the team. We have the horses we need and others waiting in AAA. Finally, Kansas City? They're hot on our heels. I'd hate to see Max beat us in a meaningful game and it's very possible to imagine him doing so. I think we stay the course with him and hope the coaches can get him back on track in the batter's box. Buxton and Correa have come round, Lewis is geting it done, and Kepler's resurgence might well put us over the top.

I listen to radio broadcasts and watch the pitch-by-pitch graphics on Yahoo (which are out of sync with one another, but there it is). It's a shame. I have Hulu live TV, not DirectTV, and so far feel disinclined to reward bad behavior by switching. Like others, I'm disgusted with the Twins' owners for their disregard of the fans who support them. I'm just glad the players have found the Sausage and turned things around on the field, albeit against inferior teams. Still, a nine game winning streak is what it is. The boys of summer deserve better. PS: By the way, thank you UpstateNewYorker; I have T Mobile and will see if I can figure out how to manage the blackout restrictions on MLB.tv.

The Twins dumped salary and no longer needed Polanco. It's a transition year. I'm just happy they didn't trade Kepler. DeSclafini's injury was predictable, of course, but not fated. I expected Varland to be better as a starter than he's proven to be so far, but I think he can fix it with the Saints and come back if there's another injury. Yes, it's rotten the way the FO uses duct tape and spit to meet the owner's demands to dump $30 million, but the team they have now was in the dumps a week ago because the bats were cold, not due to starting pitching. Paddack wins giving up 4 runs in 5 innings when the bats get hot. And Correa and Lewis aren't even back yet. I'm still optimistic, though the division looks tougher to crack than prognosticators expected. It's going to be a slog without Sonny and Kenta. More duct tape, more spit. DeSclafini came cheap, remember, with others thrown in who are proving or might prove to be significant acquisitions down the line. As for Polanco, I liked him and wish him well. I expect his bat will heat up soon.

A consistent velocity drop would be concerning, that's for sure. Not much of a sample, though. Let's see what he looks like today before we start worrying. Can't afford to have another starter go down, can we, especially now that the bats seem to be coming alive? Still, look at Ober's first start this year and what he's done since. That start was a blip. Could be the same for Lopez, who might have taken the White Sox too lightly, given their record this year. I expect an offensive letdown today after the 16 runs yesterday, so let's hope he has good stuff.

You aren't serious, are you? Littell didn't work out as a relief pitcher, so the switch made sense. Duran is usually lights out in relief. Why fix what's not broken? The idea of switching a reliever to the rotation is an interesting one. Just not Duran. And I would say so far Varland hasn't worked out, though we know that in relief he's much more reliable (a small sample, though), but apparently he wants to start and the Twins feel they can fix what's broken. Let's hope they can. I'd like to see you work out a list of who might benefit from such a switch. Not Duran, in my opinion, but there must be several in the organization. Thanks for the article.

I hope he lets a ball drop now and then instead of risking injury to save the occasional run, At the plate I'm interested to see whether it's power and Ks or a more studied approach. He's like the Bob Dylan of baseball, all instinct and verve, not the meticulous lyrics of a Paul Simon but the inspirational heroics that can turn a game, or a season, around.

These guys come and go / Dreaming of The Big O (Ohtani). Watching them try to rise like whole grain bread is why we love the game. Festa isn't ready yet but if he has the drive and is teachable, improvement should be obvious this year. Spring training will give him a taste for it; addicted, if he's made of the right stuff, he'll grab hold of the ring, whether it's brass or copper or just an AI illusion. Fun to watch.