Riverbrian

40 Man Roster Spot with Two Options Remaining. Nothing has to be done with Larnach.

Projections are not a reason to act or not act. Where were the Padres, Mets, Cardinals and Yankees projected? Where were the Cubs, Reds and D-Backs projected? The question is rhetorical because the answer doesn't matter. Whatever projections you have can be easily countered with the actual standings in late July.

Who are your trading and why and who are you getting and what needle are you moving? How should I know? I'm not on the phone calls. I've already stated that I'm giving the front office the benefit of the doubt that they made an effort. Are you making any significant changes in the potential of a team winning a WS. the answer is no? There are no guarantees on anything. No Guarantees that team be better. No Guarantees that the team will be worse. No Guarantees that the team will look the same afterward. So the question is why spend any chips? Because you are contending team and there are also NO GUARANTEES that the roster that you have in July will be healthy come playoff time. The trade deadline is the last chance for a contending team to supply for the stretch run. No Guarantees that Correa and Buxton will remain terrible or healthy. No Guarantees which Kepler is good or bad? You are in contention and you have the opportunity to bring in help for what you need... when you really don't know what you are going to need because we still have two months to go. I think they have a much longer horizon that just this year on competitiveness. They better because that is what a front office has to do. But, they also can't ignore a playoff bound team because they don't think they have a chance which is exactly my point of contention for the justification of standing pat. If they take that attitude... I will ask for a new front office. I give them the benefit of the doubt that don't have that attitude... some posters here... Yeah... they display that attitude. The other thing is last year we moved chips in because we had more players at risk for the rule 5 draft. This makes sense... I think you have to always look at 40 man roster and make hard decisions every year. Some years are going to be tougher than others. However... let's look at what transpired last year. Steer, E-Strand, Majjar to the Reds for Mahle Only Steer had to be placed on a 40 man roster in the off-season. Cano, Povich, Nunez and Rojas to the Orioles for Pablo Lopez Only Cano needed a 40 man roster spot. Gibson-Long to the Tigers for Fulmer. Sawyer did not need to be added to the 40 man roster. So they cleared two 40 man roster spots and in the off-season added 65 million in vet players to the roster in the form of Correa, Solano, Vazquez, Gallo Taylor and Farmer. Also please strongly consider that the Twins added Lopez, Mahle and Fulmer at the deadline last year. Lopez and Mahle both had an extra year on their contracts so they paid a higher price for those two and I'll go ahead and assume that extra year was important as the team set up for THIS YEAR to go along with the 65 million dollars in addition. Also please strongly consider that the Twins added at the deadline last year to support the club with Bundy and Archer anchored in the rotation. Yet this year... the front office with the best rotation we have had in a long long long time consisting of Lopez, Gray, Ryan, Ober, Maeda, Varland, Kuechel... and the theory being floated was that there is no need to support this pitching staff because it isn't going to make a difference in the playoffs anyway... yet last year... Bundy and Archer were deserving of support. Sorry... I'm not buying it. Buyers Buy and Seller sell. We were buyers this year that didn't buy. The only benefit of the doubt that I can give them is this: The prices were too high.

It sounded more like John Bonham's Bass Drum!

Whose expectations? Certainly not the expectations of the front office based on the starting pitching they had assembled. Certainly not the front office based on the off-season activity. 65 Million in 2023 payroll added for veteran talent. All the chips in? How about a couple of chips instead of all of them? If it's a couple of chips is it still true idiocy? The Org will put their chips in when they feel they have a good shot? Can this front office or any front office predict playoff outcomes on July 31. Can this front office or any front office predict injuries and slumps for the Twins and all of the other teams? Can they predict who they will face? Do they already know who will win the world series? This is really pretty simple: I don't know what other teams were asking. I assume the front office was engaged. I give them the benefit of the doubt that they made reasonable decisions based on whatever the price was. However... Buyers Buy and Seller Sell? Anything else is standing still. It was the last chance to supply for the journey ahead. Once the trade deadline passes... you will have to continue with what you have.

Every season, every team and every player has periods of ups and periods of downs. Good Times... Bad Times.... You know I've had my share.

Incredible ground gaining in September has happened often enough that it can't be discounted. With that said... I wouldn't bet on it.

I'm talking about both. I'm talking about whatever it takes to get the process started. I agree with you. The process of playing a different positions starts with repetitions behind the scenes. How long does the process take. I don't know... I assume not very long because a ball player is a ball player and that is why they move around a lot and do just fine. Whatever the process... it should have started sooner and I say that fully admitting that I don't know when it started. I do know that his public debut at the position occurred on September 7 in an important game against the only team that could knock us out of the playoffs so the timing was odd to say the least... but hey... better late than never. Going back to June... Polanco is on the DL with a hamstring issue. He will come back. Julien is one of the few players that we have hitting the baseball during a team wide funk. We have an OF that is struggling in it's entirety to hit the baseball as the team offensive stats rank at or near the bottom of the league in important categories. Kirilloff can be moved to the OF. We have Farmer, Polanco, Castro also as options in the infield. We have a manager who platoons consistently and heavily pinch hits based on those matchups which guarantees that players are going to be moved around. The club knows that Polanco will return which will produce two 2B. The process could have started sooner... and I say that based on the lateness of the debut. Putting all of that aside. I'll just say this: The forums on Twinsdaily spend a lot of column inches worrying about who can play 1B. And apparently we have to roster Joey Gallo who needs to go 13 for 22 just to raise his profile to terrible... because nobody else can play 1B.

Yes... I agree... I believe that Julien at 1B against Cleveland just might be a sign that the transition is underway and they are indeed taking steps toward the departure of Gallo. But... even if they are not taking those steps. This so called depth that Gallo provides at 1B is not adequate depth. It is depth that is so shallow that it can be surpassed by almost anyone. His stats are not major league worthy.

I won't make that argument exactly because I've seen him make decent progress at 2B and maybe it is a long term home for him. But... I will wonder out loud forever more. Why do they continually paint themselves into these corners of having to make the adjustment late in the season. Julien could have gotten reps at 1B back in June. They knew Polanco was coming back... they knew Gallo was struggling... They knew Buxton would hold down the DH position... They knew the team was struggling for offense in June... They knew that Julien was hitting the ball as well as anyone on the team. Yet... they couldn't anticipate the possibility that our best starting 9 was going to include Polanco and Julien in the lineup together. They could have been investing efforts into 1B with Julien back in June.

Let's be clear! Don't use your Hyperbole. And then admonish my use of Hyperbole in response. If you don't want to use scenario's at my request... Isn't your original question a SCENERIO. Here it is below. My question in response was: It's an important question. If the Injury is to Kirilloff. I could respond with what you do instead of using Gallo. If the injury is to Kepler... I could respond with what you do instead of using Gallo. If the injury is to Royce Lewis... I could respond with what you do instead of using Gallo. If the injury is to Ryan Jeffers... I could respond with what you do instead of using Gallo. As a matter of fact... If 13 players went down with an injury... I could probably respond with what to do instead of using Gallo. It isn't that hard to understand what I'm asking. Gonna need to narrow down your broad reaching scenario that implies that Gallo must be rostered. But... instead of clarification... your response takes Hyperbole to another level:

Well... I do believe that Gallo is a mighty fine defensive 1B but... It is important to point out that Julien at 1B doesn't scare me and I don't believe the defensive difference will prevent runs. It is also important to point out that Rocco just chose Julien over Gallo at 1B in a game that matters. But all that aside... Fine let's say that Julien at 1B is the nightmare you think it is. OK... Why is Julien at 1B? Did Kirilloff, Solano and Farmer get into a bad unicycle accident?

Faster on the base paths than who? I've never met him so I have nothing against him but I'm sure I'd like him just fine if I did. I am getting ready for the playoffs... I don't care about wonder boy right now. I'm purely talking about Gallo and he serves no benefit to this roster.

Before we put Joe Webb in at QB. Give me an example of an injury that occurs where Joey Gallo is necessary to save us from ruin.

I understand what you are saying and a lot of posters are expressing similar thoughts. My contention is that he isn't a legitimate back up option. Nobody wants him starting. So his role is? Pinch hitter? If we need a hit in the ninth do we turn to Gallo? Maybe if we are down by a run two outs with nobody on... You send him up for a prayer that he actually puts a barrel on one. Can't hold a roster spot for that. Pinch Runner? There are much better for that role. Can't roster a guy for pinch running just because he is a little faster than Vazquez or Solano. Defensive replacement? Maybe... but we don't have a defensive issue at the positions that he plays so... in the end... he provides nothing. Julien can play 1B, Kirilloff can play 1B, Solano can play 1B, Farmer can play 1B... Hell... even Vazquez can play 1B. There is no reason for Gallo to be on this roster.

I'd like to think so but I don't have all the information that they have. But... Regardless, if Kirilloff can come up for Friday's game against the Mets or if he can't. I still see no reason for Gallo on the Roster. Luplow at least plays against lefties. Not that we need that but Rocco has a role for him. What Gallo provides can be covered by a waiver claim. I'm not suggesting that... I'm just saying that to illustrate how low his value is.

I honestly don't know why we are waiting at all. We don't need to wait for Kirilloff. He provides almost zero value right now. It was a pretty important game yesterday. Gallo was not in the lineup. Julien started at 1B for the first time yesterday in an important game instead of Gallo and the world didn't come to an end. Stevenson started in CF instead of Gallo. Again that was a fairly important game. If Gallo isn't in the lineup against a right handed pitcher yesterday and he is healthy? What value does he provide? There is no reason to wait until Kirilloff is healthy. Gallo can be released today. What value does he provide? Pinch Running? There are better running options in AAA. Defense? Julien and Solano can play 1B until Kirilloff is back. As a matter of fact... we don't know who will be available come playoff time. We don't know if Kirilloff may need to play OF in the playoffs in order to give us the best lineup possible so... Why not give Julien a run at 1B in September to prepare for the unknown the best you can. Our best playoff lineup might require Julien at 1B. Offense? Please... Even if he got hot... he's not going to play enough to demonstrate hotness so we just end up with a large pinch runner and defensive replacement that we can cover easily elsewhere. There is no reason to wait for anyone to come off the DL.

Buxton not hitting while tying up the DH spot was a pretty heavy anchor that the boat had to pull. It does seem to be moving through the water much easier. And Gallo... Yeah Gallo. He's a pinch runner now. 😁

I had both Wander Franco and Julio on my Fantasy team. My scouting department is going to have start including personal behavior to the reports they give me before next years fantasy draft.

Who can hang zeroes and how many can they hang? Labels like starter or reliever don't mean anything come playoff time. Who are your best arms? Pick Twelve.

And we still don't know who else will get injured in September. Gallo is still a no-brainer first to go in my mind and I wouldn't even wait for someone to get healthy. There are probably 4 or 5 options in St. Paul that I would utilize over Gallo. I hate being that harsh because I'm sure the guy is just trying to stay in the game but he's been paid decently. Enough is enough.

I'm sure I won't get the answer to the only question that I have. Did this discomfort develop or intensify during the game or was he aware of the issue before the game?

Hats off to Atlanta. I hope they don't break it. I'd like my team to hang on to the record.

Complaint isn't the right word. But... I'm 100% positive that if it were the Twins benefiting from this roster influx. I would have pointed out the unfairness while in a state of mini-celebration. It is possible to do both. 😉

A team out of contention has no reason to hang on to an expiring contract unless they are offering them a QO at 20 million for draft compensation. If they wanted to bring them back as a free agent... they can. An expiring contract serves no benefit in August and September to a team that will not make the playoffs. I don't believe this is a one off event. Play some players who will be back next year instead... save a couple of million dollars in the process... you are going nowhere this year... I don't believe this is a one off event. Every year there are teams (plural) who are not ready to sell in July but absolutely ready to sell in August after a bad month. I don't believe this is a one off event. I don't blame the Owners or players union for not seeing this coming. But it has now happened and I don't believe this is a one off, never to be seen again event. One time is too much and it has happened so address this in the off season, Change the rules to prevent the 2nd time it happens... It doesn't matter if the 2nd time is 5 years from now. No team should be able to pick as many players as they want when this happens. We just watched a mini-merger.