Cody Pirkl

The Mariners and master tradesman Jerry Dipoto have yet to make a trade as the deadline nears despite floating their willingness to part with controllable pitching. The Twins could make a surprising deal happen. Image courtesy of Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports The Seattle Mariners have assembled an enviable rotation, including controllable arms such as George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo, in addition to the recently extended Luis Castillo. In order to deal from this group, it sounds as though they’re looking for controllable bats in return. Should the Twins try to match up? The Twins have shown that they’re nothing if not creative when it comes to utilizing the trade market. It’s been downright impossible to guess their next move, as evidenced by the recent Jorge Lopez deal. While they don’t currently have an opening in the rotation, 2024 is a different story with Gray and Maeda set to depart. Could they move for another addition that could help them currently and in the future? With regards to where the Mariners might be looking for offensive pieces, the Twins may actually be a match. Their big long-term pieces in the outfield are Julio Rodriguez and Jarred Kelenic, with the third outfield spot in flux. A left-handed corner outfield bat could certainly be of interest. If Max Kepler’s 2024 option isn’t enough team control to move the needle, perhaps they’re fond of Trevor Larnach or Matt Wallner as at least part of a trade for an arm. Depending on who they send over, the Twins would certainly have to add to this package, but with several log jams coming up the pipeline, they have the ability to do so. Another position of need for Seattle is second base. While it’s hard to see the Twins parting with Edouard Julien, who’s been the heart of the offense, perhaps his lack of defensive value is enough to keep him from being off-limits. With so much control and such a potent bat, it’s likely teams have already checked in on him It was also curious that after so much talk of long rehab stints for injured players, Jorge Polanco was seemingly rushed back to action. Could the Twins have seen a window for him to prove his health? Polanco has been an underrated part of the Twins lineup for years now, but his long-term viability is coming into question with his health, and they’ve played without him for most of the season. If the option on his contract is enticing for Seattle, it could be another situation where the Twins add more on the back end to acquire a controllable arm. Between Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo, the Mariners have an enviable situation to deal from, and regardless of what the Twins would have to give up, it would hurt. That being said, acquiring another arm would knock Seattle out of the starting pitcher selling market, and the Twins could acquire a potentially foundational piece of the rotation and recoup some value by flipping one of their rental starters. The Twins could also negotiate to replace any MLB talent traded away with Teoscar Hernandez or Ty France, who appear to be on the market for the right price. It would be a big swing, which most fans do not want to see the Twins take given their inconsistency. It’s hard to deny that the Twins do have some redundancy in their system, and it may match up well with Seattle. Parting with familiar, controllable pieces may sound like a terrifying idea, but this would be a situation where they’re likely acquiring a fully established arm with plenty to offer over the next half-decade. It’s also the kind of shocking, out-of-nowhere deal the Twins (and Jerry Dipoto) have shown they’re willing to pull off. Are the Twins and Mariners truly a sneaky good fit in trade? Should the Twins be trying to free up their log jams in such a big way? Let us know below! View full article

The Twins needed to find some bullpen depth when Brock Stewart went down. While the bullpen overall has pulled its weight, Jordan Balazovic may be the most noteworthy development in recent weeks. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports It seemed disaster was around the corner when the Twins lost Brock Stewart to injury before the all-star break. The resurgent flame thrower had become the Twins fireman to complement Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran, and was arguably pitching better than either of them with Caleb Thielbar on the IL and Jorge Lopez not living up to expectations. The Twins were seemingly left with two reliable bullpen arms and a whole lot of questions. Emilio Pagan certainly deserves his praise, but Jordan Balazovic’s performance may be the most encouraging for the future of the Twins bullpen. Jordan Balazovic so far has posted a 2.93 ERA on the season. While his peripherals indicate regression is coming, his xERA is in the perfectly acceptable mid-3s. His FIP and xFIP are in the high 4s to mid 5s range, but they're being skewed quite a bit by his most recent outing where the Mariners put together two great at-bats, not chasing well-executed pitches to work walks before Dylan Moore ambushed Balazovic on a 95 mph fastball at the top of the zone. The stuff looked good despite the disappointing outcome. On Monday night, the Twins bullpen was depleted after having to use Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax on consecutive days. Balazovic was thrust into his first high-leverage opportunity. Facing the heart of the Mariners lineup, Balazovic stranded a runner at third base to preserve the lead. While Jax would allow a go-ahead homer in the ninth, Balazovic had himself set up for his first Major League hold. Despite it looking like Balazovic could be headed in the wrong direction by the numbers, it’s very possible he can stave off regression with some further adjusting. The Twins did Balazovic no favors when it comes to his MLB debut. He had spent his season in St. Paul as a long reliever before injuries forced him onto the Twins roster where he filled a single-inning role. It’s a completely different style of pitching, and now that he’s been fully transitioned to a one-inning relief role, it should be expected that he’ll adjust as he settles in. A big reason the underlying numbers aren’t big fans of Balazovic is the lack of strikeouts thus far. He hasn’t shown a lack of whiffs in the minors since 2017 and had struck out 31.1% of hitters in St. Paul this season before his call-up. It may take some playing around, but Balazovic should have the tools to collect punchouts at an acceptable rate. His mid-90s fastball paired with a slider that’s posted a 118 Stuff+ alone should collect more whiffs long-term, and he’s rarely used his changeup despite it posting a 37.5% whiff rate having only been thrown 17 times. For a starter-turned-long reliever-turned-traditional reliever all in the same season, things could be going worse for Jordan Balazovic, and he’s been a cog in a bullpen machine that could have easily misfired regularly while missing multiple important pieces. When some of the injured arms return or the Twins go out and acquire help at the deadline, Balazovic will be pushed back down into lower leverage. As long as the walks stay down, Balazovic has shown that he deserves a spot as at least a functional middle reliever, and given his prospect pedigree as a starter, it’s fair to imagine that there’s much more he has to offer over the next 6+ years of team control. With their backs against the wall, the Twins bullpen has held it’s own, and Jordan Balazovic has been a pleasantly surprising reason why. Can he parlay his fill-in performance into a bigger bullpen role in the next few years? View full article

I would be surprised if they brought Paddack back from his second TJ to relieve. The nature of a bullpen arm doesn't fit well with someone who will probably need several days in between outings regardless of the length.

I think they should head down that path with Woods Richardson but so far they have not. Despite his struggles, he's still being used as a traditional starter.

The Twins did well in acquiring a reliable veteran reliever in Dylan Floro on Wednesday to slot into at least some leverage. Given the injury concerns in the bullpen and what we've seen in recent days, they should have their sights set on acquiring a second reliever. Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports The Twins bullpen is currently a house of cards held up by Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran. Dylan Floro has a lot to like in the profile but has struggled this year and even at his best slots in behind the big two. With injuries and uncertainty across the board throughout the rest of the receiving corps, the Twins should be looking to acquire one more reliever for the stretch run. The Twins have reached a troubling level of uncertainty in their bullpen. On days when Jax and Duran aren’t available, they often have to use multiple fringe MLB-caliber arms, and even Jax has blown several leads over the last week or so. The fringes of the bullpen are filled out by rarely called-upon names such as Cole Sands, as well as waiver claims and relievers who struggle to even get Triple-A hitters out such as Oliver Ortega and Josh Winder. It’s no certainty that help is on the way internally. They find themselves in this spot despite surprisingly quality innings from Emilio Pagán, as well as getting a collection of great innings from José De León and Brock Stewart before both went down with injury. Caleb Thielbar just began a rehab assignment, though he’ll surely be brought along slowly. He’s no guarantee to return to form from his oblique issue, as we saw earlier this season when he returned for one appearance and immediately hit the IL again. It’s a fun idea to rely on the dominant Brock Stewart’s return, but after being shut down for what was considered maintenance, a month has passed and there is still no timeline for a rehab assignment. Relying on either to save the bullpen could prove costly. In addition, there are no immediate options within the system. After Oliver Ortega was optioned, the Twins called Josh Winder up for depth. The former intriguing starting prospect has struggled to get Triple-A hitters out as a reliever this season. Brent Headrick is stretched out to start and should probably stay that way. Ronny Henriquez, a once-promising prospect himself, has been a complete mess in Triple-A in between injuries. Outside of the 40-man roster, a few names such as Cody Laweryson and Kody Funderburk have flashed at times, but there are no standout options to potentially become bullpen staples. In short, the only real help that’s coming internally is from Thielbar and Stewart, neither of which should be relied on too heavily. Recently acquired Dylan Floro would likely slot in behind these two if all are healthy, making him more of a depth option rather than a legitimate go-to guy like this recovering duo can be. Adding another high-leverage arm as insurance in the event that Thielbar or Stewart can't come back has little downside. Worst case scenario the Twins wind up with too many reliable relievers. One more potential high-leverage arm would help the Twins tremendously given the health questions they're facing in the final months of the season. With the offense coming around a bit and the starting pitching starting to falter, they should be doing all they can to acquire one more bullpen piece and make the end of games as air-tight as possible. Do you agree? View full article

They've flashed the ability to contribute though, and it's not impossible that the 4+ years of control on each could translate to a year+ of control in a trade return if a team thinks they can be MLB caliber players. I take that scenario where the Twins get some value out of them over one or both rotting at Triple-A until they're 30 years old.

Each of them have great plate discipline and a ton of power. That's a better foundation at the plate than plenty of prospects have, and each comes with 5+ years of control. Are they centerpieces in a trade for someone like Paul Goldschmidt? Absolutely not. Some team could see an opportunity to give them full playing time and maybe make a few changes though, and the years of control afford a lot of ceiling if it pays off. The Twins could likely get someone that helps them for multiple years if they can find a taker.

The Twins have a logjam of left-handed corner outfielders, a statement that’s just as true today as it was when the season began. Should the Twins be looking to deal one of their younger ones away? Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Between Max Kepler, Joey Gallo, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner, the Twins have four left-handed corner outfielders for two spots, and no DH role open with Byron Buxton appearing to be no closer to returning to the field. This, of course, is before Nick Gordon returns from the 60-day IL. The Twins are in a tough spot they put themselves in. Kepler and Gallo have underwhelmed as a whole (though they’ve been better lately), and two top prospects in Larnach and Wallner are having a portion of their prime wasted in the minors. Everyone wants Kepler or Gallo to be the ones shipped out. The Twins have shown no indication of being close to doing so, and at 25 and 26 years old respectively, Wallner and Larnach are losing value with no route forward aside from injury. If the Twins are going to continue to defer to their veterans, they should look to get value from one of their younger bats. Which should it be? Matt Wallner Wallner is a Minnesota product, holding a special place in many fans' hearts. His flaws are obvious between the strikeouts and poor defense in the outfield, and some have completely written him off as a result. The Twins don’t appear to be the biggest fans themselves, considering they continued to jam up the corner outfield with left-handed options last winter despite Wallner winning Minor League Hitter of the Year. There are red flags keeping him from being a top prospect, and teams would take note of this in trade talks. Wallner has shown a glimmer of hope to overcome these issues between adjusting his K% in Triple-A in a major way, and proving that his arm can make up for his lack of range in the outfield. Why would the Twins trade Wallner? It’s possible his stock will never be higher considering his risky offensive profile. He also has a similar three true outcomes profile to Trevor Larnach, whom the Twins have favored until his most recent call-up. If a team is less concerned about the profile, they can look at Wallner’s limited MLB action resulting in a 122 wRC+, and could be willing to give up more if the Twins are again looking for pieces they’d control for multiple years. It would be a dicey move by the Twins having not given Wallner an extended look in the majors, but based on how they’ve used him in his career thus far, it wouldn’t be shocking if they weren’t all that worried about missing out. Trevor Larnach Despite streaks of looking like an offensive contributor, Larnach’s overall career production has underwhelmed. 5% below league average through 650+ plate appearances, Larnach has shown the walk and strikeout profile of an elite slugger but has backed it up with an untenable .376 slugging percentage. Still, the flashes are there. He has an elite eye at the plate and uses all fields. Despite his lack of power overall, he’s flashed the raw power that always made him so intriguing as a prospect. He’s also been a solid defender in left field despite his lack of speed. It’s possible Wallner has surpassed Larnach on the depth chart based on Wallner’s recent call up, but it’s also worth considering that Larnach had only seen about 100 plate appearances in St. Paul prior to this year, and the Twins may be giving him the time he missed out on in his upper minors development. He’s not exactly dominating there with a 108 wRC+ so far. If the Twins trade Larnach at this point, it will be obvious to whatever team involved that they had seen enough to give up on him. That doesn’t mean he’s without worth in a trade given his five years of control, but the mystery of what Larnach could be has waned much more than Wallner considering the overall body of work between three seasons now. Larnach hasn’t reached the territory where he should be traded for a rental player, but it’s hard to imagine him being the centerpiece of a trade for a controllable impact player. Even if the Twins were to keep both players, at least one of them will begin 2024 in the minors. Partially due to lack of opportunity, neither player has cemented themselves into being considered for an opening day starting role. Even if both Kepler and Gallo depart, the Twins will likely replace them with at least one established veteran. At least one of them will be with the Saints to begin the season either at age 26 or 27. It’s a waste of value, and unfair to the players. The Twins shouldn’t continue their trend of jamming up the roster with left-handed outfielders. It would be great if Larnach and/or Wallner got the opportunity to show that they can be considered pieces of the 2024 puzzle, but it would be surprising to see one of them get that chance down the stretch, let alone both. If the Twins want to add meaningful pieces at the deadline, their farm system is barer than it has been in recent seasons. It may serve them better to deal from depth and part with one of their young left-handed corner bats. The catch of course is they have to be certain it won’t come back to bite them considering their unwillingness to give opportunities in the majors. Should they trade Larnach or Wallner? View full article

The Twins have an important part of their lineup on the comeback trail in Jorge Polanco. With Edouard Julien more than holding his own in Polanco’s absence, Byron Buxton should be the loser of playing time when Polanco returns. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports We’ve seen the Twins operate on a 1:1 replacement basis this season, sticking to the plan to a fault at times. Previously it was white-hot Matt Wallner sent down for a returning Max Kepler simply because Wallner was the replacement when Kepler hit the IL. In the case of Jorge Polanco, we saw this play out during his first IL trip with Edouard Julien, who took his place for a brief time, showed some flashes, and was sent back down when Polanco returned. Julien again took Polanco’s spot in the previous, more lengthy injury absence. This time, however, the Twins would be downright foolish to stick to their usual 1:1 trade-off when Polanco returns. Shipping a second baseman out for a returning second baseman makes sense, but Julien has emerged as one of the key cogs of an underwhelming Twins lineup. The left-hander has slashed .298/.373/.525 on the season, a batting line that places him 49% better than the league-average hitter. His eye at the plate and ability to ambush mistakes are welcome additions to the Twins lineup, and it’s hard to imagine what the offense would be without him at this point. So what can the Twins do? Unfortunately, at this point, the answer has become far too obvious that the best-case scenario for the Twins' chances of winning involves Byron Buxton losing in a significant way. The full-time DH is one of the worst offensive regulars in the lineup, a devastating development for the offense. There were some raising minor issues with Buxton’s change in approach last season making him boom-bust at the plate. This season Buxton has crossed the line where it’s impossible to argue that the bust has completely outweighed the boom. He appears to be completely guessing, taking pitches right down the middle while swinging at others that were never even close to the strike zone. It feels like the only positive potential outcome at this point when Buxton is hitting is for him to guess correctly and pull a ball in the air over the fence. His 31+% strikeout rate is his worst since 2016, and it’s easy to see the change in what he’s trying to do at the plate since 2021. Rest assured, it’s not paying off. This change in approach may be injury related. We should hope so, as such a change from the multi-dimensional approach Buxton showed in 2021 to what we see now would be an unjustifiable adjustment to make on purpose. At any rate, Byron Buxton is doing the Twins no favors. His wRC+ is approaching Michael A. Taylor who gets negative attention at times for his subpar offense. Unlike Taylor, Buxton is providing nothing defensively, and instead of settling into the nine spot, he’s disrupting the lineup with his constant hitless streaks and non-competitive at-bats coming in the three-hole. So what can the Twins do? If the Twins are willing to be real with themselves, the Buxton situation can’t continue the way it has. They’re a worse team with him in the lineup over several other options at the moment. When Jorge Polanco returns, they can go in a few different directions. They could send Wallner back down and greatly decrease Buxton’s playing time in favor of Edouard Julien filling the DH spot. Buxton can focus more on physical maintenance and get mental breaks while still cycling into the lineup here and there. The solution fans have discussed for some time is simply placing Buxton on the IL indefinitely. He may not like it, but there’s no way he’s not dealing with some kind of physical impairment worthy of an IL trip. This would open a roster spot for another player deserving of a shot, such as Matt Wallner or a bat acquired at the deadline. It may not fix anything with Buxton physically, but it at least allows him time to work on things and go on a lengthy rehab assignment to try to get things straightened out. It’s easy to say at this point that it would be a massive boost to the lineup to add Polanco while keeping Julien in Buxton’s stead. The Byron Buxton situation is officially untenable. Even the highs at this point last for a handful of days and are promptly followed by a week plus of absolutely nothing. The Twins quite simply have too many better options if this is the Byron Buxton they’re going to get. They can no longer ignore what they’re watching on a nightly basis, and his being under contract long-term can no longer trump his actual production when it comes to what spot in the order he hits and more importantly who he plays over. When Jorge Polanco returns, it should be at the expense of Byron Buxton, not Edouard Julien. Do you agree? View full article

It's a drop off but here's my thoughts regarding the regular season: If the offense turns it around, they run away with this division with or without Sonny Gray. They have the easiest strength of schedule in baseball remaining. If the offense doesn't turn it around, I think they're depending more on teams like Cleveland losing than they are on themselves winning, because as we've seen, the offense can be so bad with regularity that prime Randy Johnson could be taking the mound everyday and they're probably still going to hover around .500. I say go ahead and keep him, my only point is if he's legitimately considering retirement which would wipe out any QO value, just put out some feelers and see if a team is willing to do something silly. I think they have enough rotation depth that their playoff hopes don't sink or swim with Sonny Gray.

Meh, Nationals essentially did it with Strasburg, Scherzer, and Corbin with some low grade starters like Joe Ross mixed in a couple of times. Twins have enough pitching depth to figure out a 4th spot that shouldn't be a big deal.

I'd expect the Twins to have more info regarding Gray's comments and a better feel for what he's actually thinking. That's kind of an advantage for them to plan around if that's the case.

FWIW they got a combined 10 IP and 1 ER from Maeda and Berrios in 2020 and still got swept out of the playoffs. Teams usually have 3 playoff starters, which the Twins would still have even without Gray imo.

Totally fair, and I wouldn't say I "want" to trade him. IF he seems serious about retiring, I'd just put feelers out and see if a team wants to do something crazy and offer a difference making return. I feel like either the offense comes around or it doesn't and if they do they win this division with or without Gray and still have 3 solid playoff caliber starters. If the offense doesn't come around it's probably still a coin flip, but if Gray seems open to playing next year then I'd still keep him and QO him because that's a lot of value in itself. Basically I just see a small path to trading him if he's serious about retiring.

The Twins are very much still in the AL Central fight, and under normal circumstances should be looking to add at the deadline. 2023 has been an odd season though, and shopping Sonny Gray given recent news makes sense. Image courtesy of Lindsey Wasson-USA TODAY Sports The idea to trade Sonny Gray in 2023 does not come from the same thought process as the calls to trade Carlos Correa in 2022. At least not entirely. The Twins have reached a point of extenuating circumstances where they should at least be fielding calls on the All-Star right-hander, and it took a few steps to find themselves at this point. For starters, the Twins are not a playoff-caliber baseball team. The possibility of them accidentally finding themselves in the postseason is there, but what is that really worth? Typically the thought is that you just have to make it into the playoffs and anything can happen, but having watched this team thus far, it’s hard to argue that they’re capable of putting together a stretch of winning baseball for any period of time, let alone when it matters most against the highest level of competition. Not only would one of the most strikeout-prone teams in baseball history be facing the game’s best pitchers in October, but teams have the ability to bring in any left-handed pitcher on the roster and completely shut them down, as evidenced by the Twins' .218/.289/.365 slash line against southpaws. They’ve shown that for how good their pitching staff is with Sonny Gray and company, the offense is bad enough to cancel it out on a regular basis. The Twins season-high win streak is four games, a testament to the team’s ability to go on any kind of run to this point in the season. They’ve been unable to separate themselves from the worst division in baseball. The postseason is unpredictable, but what are the odds that this team can go on any sustained run across multiple series against the best teams in baseball? If this were the only argument, it would be worth keeping Sonny Gray, but Sonny has dropped some interesting quotes the last few days that should have the Twins really considering their next move. The plan all season has been very straightforward with Sonny Gray. A free agent after 2023, the Twins have the ability to extend him the qualifying offer of around $20 million. Recent free agent history is ripe with examples of similar pitchers getting strong enough multi-year deals to decline this offer, leaving their previous team with a high compensation draft pick. If Sonny were to sign elsewhere with the qualifying offer attached for at least $50 million, the Twins essentially get another first round pick in the 2024 draft. If he signs for less, they’d get a competitive balance pick at the end of the second round, a much easier value to beat in a trade return from a pitching-desperate contender at the deadline. For this reason, it can be argued that the value may skew towards a trade return rather than offering him the qualifying offer and having him potentially sign a one-year deal at best. If Gray won’t be pursuing the Chris Bassitt-type three-year, $60m deal next winter, the Twins should be weighing that value against what they could potentially get in trade. It’s not always best practice to make these types of decisions based solely on what is considered on paper value, but the Twins have put themselves in a position where they should consider it. In a vacuum, a contending team shouldn’t be parting with their All-Star starting pitcher in the middle of a playoff race. That being said, even with Sonny Gray, the Twins are a below .500 team whose playoff aspirations likely hinge more on their opponent's poor play in the second half than their own success. As they’ve crossed over the halfway point, their mediocre play is no longer a slump. They could make the playoffs even without Gray should the rest of the Central continue at their current pace. Should they make it to October, they still have Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober for a playoff series. It’s still a formidable rotation and admittedly would be an even better one with Gray. As we’ve seen though, if this is the brand of offense the Twins employ, the pitcher on any given day doesn’t matter unless we believe they’re riding shutouts all the way to a world series title. The Twins don’t need to go full-on fire sale. They’ve established enough pitching depth to continue to compete in the pillow fight that is the AL Central race without Sonny Gray if an offer blows them away. While the 2023 season is still up in the air, they should still have an eye on 2024 and beyond given what we’ve already learned about this team. In what should be a pitching-thin market, they could have an opportunity to get a difference-making return on a 33-year-old All-Star who may not be in the league next year, let alone with the Twins. Should they seize the opportunity? View full article

That is an interesting question. Larnach has been ahead of Wallner every step of the way, which is fair because he was "MLB ready" sooner. We've seen more than a full season's worth of ABs from Larnach now though (in segments at a time) and it hasn't been impressive. I personally don't care if he strikes out 30% of the time when he walks and uses the whole field the way he does. That being said, he can't slug .380 along with that plate approach, it just doesn't work. Wallner potentially has the bigger strikeout risk, but he's shown the same ability to walk and I have very little doubt that the ball is going to fly off the bat if he makes enough contact. Ideally both get run, but if you're trying to help the offense immediately, I'd see if Wallner can come up and make a big impact first.

Trevor Larnach is slashing .244/..327/.578 in games where he played right field. Really makes you think!

I think Kepler is the exception to the whole "not making moves out of stubbornness" thing. They've watched his value crater year after year after year while passing on opportunities to get value on him. They may not be legitimately thinking "we can't cut bait now because we'd look stupid", but they clearly have a blindspot to him. In regards to the money argument, we've reached a point where they just need to ask themselves whether they want to win or not. It's unfortunate that Gallo's $11m deal is looking worse and worse, but that's no reason to just ride out the storm for example. We've also reached a point regarding defense, Wallner or Larnach could be worse, etc. arguments have to go out the window. The Twins have been one of the worst teams in baseball since May and they can't even hold a lead in a division that doesn't include a single team above .500. It can always get worse, but it's already quite bad.

I'm the co president of the Max Kepler hater club and I agree, Gallo has probably put himself ahead. The tiebreaker for me is that it appears Gallo is no longer even an average defender.

Larnach and Wallner may very well not be the answer, though it's an easy case to make that both could easily be better than Kepler and Gallo. For as much hate as Larnach gets, he has .3 fWAR to Kepler's .4 in 50 less PAs, and .3 to Gallo's .5 in about 60 less. I was an unabashed Larnach believer to start the year which has receded, but I feel like the perception on him is incredibly low when he probably paces out around the same as Kepler or Gallo through the same amount of PAs, and it comes with the potential payoff of him finding something and being a regular on the team for years to come. Wallner is the reigning minor league hitter of the year and his main knocks are the strikeout rate and defense. He's lowered his K% significantly in Triple-A which is exactly what the Twins wanted him to do, and he'll almost certainly not strike out as much as Gallo. Gallo also hasn't been a good defender. At the end of the day, Gallo and Kepler have lowered the bar so far that it doesn't take much confidence to take a leap on a prospect replacing one of them in my opinion. I've seen people say it could be a disaster if they give these guys a chance and they aren't up to the task. If that's what a disaster looks like, what have we been watching so far this year, ya know?