Riverbrian

The Dichotomy that you illustrate is why I've basically decided to not worry about it. Take Brooks Lee for example. Correa is our SS and Lewis is our 3B. They are pretty locked at those spots if healthy. 2B is the most obvious spot to open up for Lee. Where does he play in the minors. SS almost exclusively with a handful of 3B and 2B. You never know where the opening will occur for a prospect like Lee. Prep him for as many possible openings as you can since you don't know where the opening will occur. What happens. Royce Lewis gets hurt... Lee comes up to play 3B. Correa then gets hurt and Lee Slides to 2B as Castro moves to SS and then Rocco flips Lee and Castro around. In a nutshell... The Twins don't seem to worry much about Prep so I'm not going to worry about it. Players will just be moved when necessity dictates it.

I like Martin. I think he could develop into a decent keep the chain moving guy. Alas... It's a power game so what we need are pick up the chains and throw them into the parking lot guys. I like him though... I can think of two players on the roster that I'd choose Martin over.

If you want to get Lewis, Correa, Buxton, Miranda, Santana, Wallner, Kepler, Larnach and Jeffers into the lineup against right handers in the playoffs. Who is the best Choice to play 2B? I'd say Lewis. Actually... I'd say Lewis is the only option to play 2B from this group. Castro needs to be the 10th guy for three reasons. 1. The other two roster options... Margot and Farmer should not be in the lineup against right handers... Period. However, you know that they will grab a bat if the opposing team drops a left hander on the mound. The team will need a Castro who can play multiple positions so someone can replace Margot or Farmer when the other team goes back to a right hander. 2. They will need a Castro to pinch run for a slower player or be a defensive replacement anywhere on the diamond. 3. Castro will be needed to start against right handers if anybody in the above 9 doesn't make the playoff roster due to injury. Lee won't be on the playoff roster unless there is an injury. I'd guess, Kirilloff, Julien and Martin would be the top 3 choices for the playoff roster if an injury occurs. It's good to get prepped for this possibility. That way we can put our actual best lineup against right handers in the playoffs. I generally think it's a good idea to do that. I agree with Blyleven11... Things like this could have been prepped for earlier.

I spend a lot of column inches on this website talking about my concerns. That's what these websites are for if you want to talk baseball with others. I am concerned about things like: 1. The extreme platooning 1A. The need to roster short siders in order to make the platoon work 1B. The denying of exposure to left handed pitchers for our developing left handed hitters. 1C. Injuries will bring 1A and 1B to light and it just might happen at the worst possible time IE Playoffs. However... No matter how much time I spend on my expressing my concerns... I want to be clear. The Twins have had a fantastic year and my concerns haven't killed this team. This team is doing very very well while not being perfect. I just want to state this just in case the Twinsdaily faithful have read my constructive criticisms and confused them into thinking that I believe the roof is on fire. The roof is not on fire... There are very few teams in baseball that I would trade situations with if given the choice. Go Twins... Yes... We can win it all in 2024.

Maybe not dead center but pretty close.

No argument from me. Other than I'm not ready to make any declarations on defensive ability future. I'll just say that Bono learned to play guitar, piano and harmonica after U2 had become world famous and he may never be the edge but he's up on stage with that thing from time to time. To be honest... I'm not sure when Bono learned to play guitar, piano and harmonica.

On Julien's defense. I get that there are better defensive infielders available to roster. However... I've largely been OK with his defensive work knowing that there are better defensive infielders out there. I think the combination of his bat and glove both need to be considerations. He still needs work on both but I really like the potential of his bat. This particular play yesterday. It was a routine grounder with a routine throw. Maybe on the slow grounder side so it may have needed to be rushed a bit to complete the double play. I expect him to make that play 98 out of 100 times. With a 50-50 shot at the DP. It was a routine grounder with a routine throw. The timing was very very very unfortunate and I realize that he will be hung as a result.

I never worry much about you. I worry about me all the time.

I basically agree with this. Taking a look at a new pitcher as a pinch hitter makes sense. However... If I remember right. Wasn't that first pitch a dead center fastball in the low 90's. The type of pitch that someone better looking first pitch fastball would have deposited in the seats? I didn't research it after the fact but I remember watching it and thinking to myself. Damn... that thing was down the middle. How do you pop that up?

You are knowledgeable and I understand that you are not defending Farmer per se but more arguing the process. Full disclosure -- I liked Farmer in the offseason. I was OK with him getting a roster spot. By the time, the off-season concluded... I was questioning the 6 million spent on him but I was OK with Farmer. He was a solid member of the team last year. I don't blame the front office for giving him a roster spot coming out of spring training. Front offices make these types of mistakes all the time. If they got it right all the time we would be in the world series every year facing the other 29 teams who will also be in the world series every year because they all were able to anticipate these types of things. They can't... so they need to make adjustments during the season based on season results. Margot and Farmer will not be with the team next year. They don't need to be something to over come this year.

You quoted Mike who was quoting me so I'll answer. I don't know. I won't pretend to know. What I know is that Margot and Farmer are under performing and Margot/Farmer will find themselves in the lineup because players are going to get hurt, Therefore Margot and Farmer will be asked to do things that they haven't been able to do and it could be October 1. This is what happens when you place players on the 26 man roster... turns out you need them. You can ask for the names of players who will be able to out perform Margot and Farmer... but you are doing that for the purpose of trying to talk people out of those names before they get the chance to become names. This just dips Margot and Farmer in cement and hardens them on the roster with a .632 and .573 OPS respectively. I won't claim that Severino or Keirsay could clear that low bar. I won't even claim that the Twins could have traded for someone at the dead line to clear that low bar. But I'll make these claims: Nick Senzel with the Nationals barely cleared that bar and was DFA'd by the Nationals. for his efforts. Juan Yepez was Non-Tendered by the Cards, signed a minor league contract with the Nats and has soared past that bar. I picked the Nationals as a starting point with the intent of going to the rosters of all 29 teams and listing all of the surprising names of players who are clearing that bar. That's too much work... there are a lot of names of surprising players who clear that bar when given the chance to. These players get the chance to because Nick Senzel was DFA'd and not deemed irreplaceable.

Honest question. I'm not asking in an attempt to argue with you or anyone. I'm asking because I don't know. Does the IL work that way? Can a team just use the IL this way? I've always suspected that the IL could be used this way. I can see how it would be helpful with roster management but then I think about the players union and I can't imagine the players union being on board. If the players union isn't on board... front offices wouldn't be able to do it. Again... just a question.

I'll keep preaching Mike. But... you'll give me a thumbs down eventually, Because what I'm preaching is why you keep Polanco in the off-season. Instead of trading him for lesser players. Yes... I fully admit that I would probably be complaining about Polanco if he was still on the roster hitting like he has been hitting.

Exactly And players get hurt. Therefore the lesser players are in the lineup. Therefore you should take the lesser players more seriously... and move them off the roster so you can roster better players.

This won't be popular and it will also be contrary to what I normally say. Here goes... I may have considered pinch hitting Farmer for Wallner in that situation. Even if it was a right handed pitcher on the mound. The only reason that I would consider it. K's. Contact. Wallner K's a lot and Farmer K's much less. Runner on third with one out. Simple contact can bring that run home. The problem remains in my eyes is that we don't have a better pinch hitting option on the roster for that moment. All roster spots are important.

When I was in high school. I took a girl on a date to the county fair. While on the tilt-o-whirl in motion. I threw up. Like a gentlemen I turned my head to the side... but chose the wrong direction. For those still with the story and those who wish to hear the details. Here was the result of the rest of my date. The tossed cookies stuck to the side of the tilt-o-whirl and then proceeded to slide (while remaining stuck to the side) toward my date. It happened in kind of slow motion. She could see it coming toward her but could not move to escape it. Some of it actually crawled across her and kept going. The horror was evident in her eyes. She let a different type of scream from the normal on a tilt-o-whirl scream. Surprising enough... the date was over at that point. Who knew that girls don't like getting thrown up on. I know that now and try not to do that ever again. She went home to change. There was not a second date.

If you believe the mathematical weighting of WAR. If you quote WAR in your opinions of players. Max may look alright to ya. If you don't believe in the math of WAR. If you think the weighting is skewed by heavy application of zone metrics like I do. Max will appear to be average at best. Below Average actually apart from an insane hot streak post all-star break last year. He's one of us... I cheer for him every time. But... He isn't the player who makes you stop looking for someone better.

I was going to say. He was allowing too many base runners. Put people on base... you are bloop from a run or a blast from a crooked number. In April... He threw 16.2 innings. 27 hits and 9 walks. 2.16 WHIP. In his 4 starts since then. Two in June... Two in August. 20 Innings - 22 hits and 2 walks. WHIP 1.20 The Varland since June I have no concerns with.

It's Martha and the Vandelas in the bullpen. Nowhere to run... Nowhere to hide. Trading for a player that has to be hidden is pointless. He will get 7th and 8th inning opportunities in meaningful games.

You might be right. Or maybe not. There has certainly been an inconsistency with Varland in the rotation. But I have to ask. If Richards can be refined. Couldn't Varland? In my humble opinion... Varland has the better stuff and it isn't that close in my opinion. With me... It's can you hang zeroes and how many can you hang. I'm still hopeful that Varland can hang a zero more than an inning at a time and I'm willing to bet that we will need him to start for us before the year is up. However... I think at this point in the season. He can move between pen and rotation rather seemlessly.

In some cases yes... In some cases no. And the answer to yes or no is going to be subjective and probably differ between You, Me and each individual front office. My opinion and my opinion only... not speaking for how others feel. I think Houston gave up waaaayyyyy to much for a rental. I think the Padres gave up too much for Tanner Scott and Scott was probably near the top of my wish list. However... on a good chunk of deals, I was surprised by what I considered to be a low return. I think the White Sox got completely hosed for Fedde, Kopech and Pham. I think they gave Eloy away. I think the Mariners got Arozarena waaaayyyy too easy. But I don't know what the Rays thought about these two prospects playing A ball for Seattle. And of course... even if the Twins could have beat the Mariners deal for Arozarena. It sure seems like they could have... Would the Twins be willing/Able to pay the 12 million he'll get in ARB money next season. Of course... they could have just utilized Randy as a rental and traded him away in the off-season. Just examples of the complication... but... ultimately... no matter how we got here... we are both standing in the same room disappointed.

It's not an excuse. It's a made up example out of my head to make a point that I have no idea what was happening on the other end of the phone in an office that none of us have access to. I hope you didn't think I brought up Festa claiming that Festa WAS THE ASK!!!

Agreed... We just don't know what was being asked? We don't know how the Marlins felt about what the Padres were offering compared to what the Twins were willing to part with? The trade deadline has to be more complicated than simply walking into a Hy-Vee and grabbing a can of Progresso Soup off the shelf.

I like Festa a lot and I see some good things from Matthews. However... There's not much reason to believe that the rotation of Ober, Lopez, SWR, Festa and Zebby will remain healthy and intact for the rest of the season and into the playoffs and alternatives beyond Paddack and Ryan returning need to be considered. On the other hand... I'm not one of those who believe that just because Varland jumps into the pen that he can't jump back into the rotation with little fuss should the need arise. Necessity is always the mother of invention.

It's hard for me to criticize the process without knowing it. All I can do is be disappointed in the result two years in a row without knowing exactly how it didn't work out for what I wanted. I can type buyers buy all I want and I'll continue to type it because I believe it but I don't know what teams were asking when it comes to any of the trade discussions that the Twins were having with teams. If teams were insistent on Festa for example and not moving off of Festa in discussions. I'm probably going home empty. I'm not trading Festa for a rental no matter how many times I type buyers buy. I simply don't know... I'm not willing to hang anyone for my disappointment without knowing... but it's odd that other teams were able to get deals done in the past two years and the Twins came up empty two years in a row. Will the lack of action cost us this season. Who knows? We could have traded for Jazz Chisholm, Tarik Skubal and Tanner Scott and still miss the playoffs. We could do nothing like we did and go on a 20 game winning streak. I thought we needed offense at the trade deadline last year. In the playoffs last year... offense was probably what brought us down. Does that make me right? It does not because it doesn't mean that a satisfactory offensive addition would have been the difference in the playoffs. The trade deadline is the last outpost to resupply on the Oregon Trail. For that reason, I think it's important to pick up supplies. However, just because you didn't pick up a chamber pot doesn't mean you can't relieve yourself in the woods. And... And... Just because you picked up a chamber pot, doesn't mean it won't fall into the river when the wagon tips over. The only thing that I'm reasonably sure of. It isn't just a matter of waiting for Correa, Buxton and Ryan to get back so we can show that we have the team RIGHT NOW and don't need anyone. Correa, Buxton and Ryan just might come back and be available for our playoff hopes and dreams but I'm willing to bet that someone else or someone else plural will go down (maybe even Correa or Buxton again) and not be available come playoff time and that's why the extra supplies are a good idea. Anyway... I'm disappointed that we didn't pick up a chamber pot but I'm still on the wagon heading west. I hope I know what Poison Ivy looks like.