Riverbrian

Without Medical Reports that suggest differently. This is pretty much how I see it as well. OF or bust Even if Lewis could play 3B... Julien will need that DH spot. OF or bust If he can play OF... I'm ready to roll with Buxton in the lineup.

The playoff roster announcement is going to be interesting.

Lewis at DH is the bigger news. If Lewis is DH... Buxton utilization options narrow significantly. Against Bryce Miller/Logan Gilbert/Castillo/Kirby or Kevin Gausman/Jose Berrios/Chris Bassitt or Cristian Javier/JP France/Verlander DH - Lewis C - Jeffers 1B - Kirilloff 2B - Julien 3B - Polanco SS - Correa LF - Wallner CF - Taylor RF - Kepler Vazquez Solano Farmer Castro Buxton Against Framber Valdez or Ryu/Kikuchi DH - Lewis C - Jeffers 1B- Solano 2B - Polanco 3B - Farmer SS - Correa LF - Castro CF - Taylor RF - Kepler Vazquez Kirilloff Julien Wallner Buxton With DH unavailable... unless Buxton can play OF... He's that pinch hitter that Rocco will use so Kirilloff, Julien and Wallner don't have to face Speier, Saucedo, Cabrera or Mayza. If he can't play in the field. He is done after his pinch AB. If Castro has to start against Valdez to keep Wallner away from left handers... Julien becomes our best pinch running option when one is needed late in the game. This takes Juliens bat out of the game when a right hander replaces Valdez. The Astros have nothing but right handers after Valdez. Buxton knocks Stevenson off the roster who could fill that late inning... we need someone fast to replace someone slow on the bases with the game in the balance. Bottom Line: Buxton in CF is needed. Otherwise... with Lewis at DH... Buxton is a guy who gets maybe a couple of AB's in the Wild Card Series.

Castro doesn't deserve that.

It goes that way sometimes. We could have a Gray vs Verlander matchup and the Twins win 10 to 9.

Great post! I'm watching the results this week out west very closely while at the same time attempting to detach myself from any thought of cheering for a particular team based on who I'd like to match up against because we just don't know who will be the right or wrong team at the right or wrong time. Your post makes perfect sense... we should have the advantage of setting our rotation while the Jays, Rangers, Mariners and Astros have to fight to the end leaving THEM to roll with however it it rolls. However, while we worry about Luis Castillo and George Kirby or worry about Valdez and Verlander. History has shown that it just might be Logan Gilbert, JP France, Bryan Woo or Hunter Brown that hang zeroes while Castillo hangs a 4 in the 1st inning. While we hope for the return of Lewis and Correa. It just might be Christian Vazquez who hits a three run homer in 9th inning to send us to the next round. It's why I love baseball and it's why I'll never take for granted my team participating in the small sample size that is the playoffs. Great Post though and Go Twins!!!

The AJ Trade worked out great for us. Nathan, Liriano and Bonser turned out to be an amazing return. No doubt it was a fantastic trade that you make every time,,, however... to make the story complete. It is often overlooked that Henry Blanco was our primary catcher in 2004. Depth is important, depth this year kept us alive. 13 guys who can play is possible. Lewis and Buxton have spent a lot of time injured. Solano was third in AB's this year. Clearing depth out of the way to promote Lee early is risky and unnecessary.

I gotta admit though. Decent isn't a decent word for a 463 foot Grand Slam home run.

Hicks is a bad comparison because Hicks was on the 40 man roster. Lee doesn't need to be added to the 40 man. Buxton is a better comparison because Buxton didn't need to be added to the 40 man when he was handed the CF reigns without a net much like is being suggested for Lee. However... Hicks and Buxton are great examples of what could happen when you just throw a kid out there. I'm not afraid of youth at the major league level... they often times out perform the vets... but youth can be pretty scary when failure means Clete Thomas has to take over. 😁 I will say this... Lee has done a lot better in the minors than Hicks ever did in the minors. That says a lot about things being a lot better a decade later. Back in 2013 we had to start a guy who hadn't accomplished anything interesting in the minors. 10 years later... we got a guy playing interesting in the minors and we don't have to roster him.

Royce Lewis is the only position player who gets the "dominates" tag from me. 😎

You'll never get me to defend Gallo. Wallner over Gallo 8 days a week in my opinion. Wallner is better than Gallo. I would have cut Gallo in June. (Along with Kepler). You and I would both like to ask the front office about that one. However, you and I have different definitions on "dominates". I'm not knocking Wallner but the word I would use is decent. After watching Wallner this year and thinking about next year. I'm still not comfortable handing him a starting job with no safety net. Absolutely want him on the 26 man roster but I still want that safety net in case he goes Miranda on us next year. I like Julien a lot... I think Julien should be starting in the playoffs for this team. Next year... would I be comfortable cutting Polanco next year to clear space for Julien... I would not. I want him on the 26 man roster next year... but I still want that safety net. Decent is a compliment... Decent is not a word I can use to describe Gallo.

I agree in theory. Although... I simultaneously DON'T WORRY about losing an option year and WORRY about losing an option year. It all depends on Brooks Lee. If Brooks is looking good when called up... I won't worry about those options that will never be used because he is here to stay. I don't worry about that guy. However... if he comes up and performs like Byron Buxton did. Up Down Up Down Up down until September 2018 when Byron's last option was used to manipulate his service time to gain that extra year of control. In that scenario I worry about the preservation of options. I also worry about who we lose on the 40 man to give him a spot when we don't have to give him a spot. You and I stand here on September 26th, 2023 and neither of us can predict the development arc of Brooks Lee. Why not keep our (pardon the pun) options open.

Options are what you are fighting. The option to keep a player in reserve without penalty is what you are fighting. The team is better with Polanco, Solano, Farmer and Julien than it is with Julien, Solano and Farmer. If a player has options... they can be stored. They have to be much better than the player without options who can't be stored. It's like that in every organization.

Yep... that's what I was thinking as I posed the question. They cleared the space for Buxton and they did it with Hicks before that and instead of swimming... they sunk.

I thought I'd answered the question with by being "Jordan Walker-Esque". Guess I was wrong. Evidence? I have none. Has the Twins organization had a prospect worthy of forcing their way onto the team without injury? Where is the Twins version of Acuna? Juan Soto? Vlad Jr? Julio Rodriquez? Wander Franco? If Brooks Lee is that type of player... that is how he forces his way onto the team without injury. If he is that type of player... The organization doesn't bother bringing back Polanco and they hand the job to Brooks Lee and hope Lee is what they say he is because Polanco isn't here anymore in case he isn't. I don't believe Brooks Lee is that type of player but if he is... we will find out when the injury to someone else occurs.

Broader Answer: He has to be Jordan Walker-esque. The Cardinals certainly didn't need to add Walker to the 40 man as a 20 year old. They had Arenado at 3B and a whole bunch of outfielders. They did it because they determined that he is a special player at age 20 and clearly better than the other options. In hindsight... was that smart? That's debatable. He ended up being clearly better than the other OF options because O' Neill and Carlson ended being not very good at all... But his 791 OPS while above average was clearly not to the level that he could carry the team into the playoffs. In the end, the Cardinals are golfing in the off-season while Jordan has burned one option if he doesn't stay in the majors and if he remains in the majors he will reach free agency before he hits that 27 year old prime. Specific Answer using Twins context: Lee not on the 40 man has to be clearly better than Miranda and Martin who will both in AAA and on the 40 man. When the first injury hits at the major league level and a phone call is made to St. Paul. Why would you put Lee on the 40 man with Miranda and Martin on the 40 man if he is only performing a little bit better than Miranda or Martin. He has to force his way onto that 40 man by being the clearly the best option to replace the first man down at the major league level. Adding Lee to the 40 man roster and giving him a MLB job out of spring training would be completely unnecessary and absolutely risky... unless he is clearly MUCH MUCH better than Polanco, Julien, Farmer, Castro, Miranda, Martin ETC.

Brooks doesn't have to be added to the 40 man roster until December 2025. Correa, Lewis, Polanco, Julien, Farmer, Miranda, Castro and Gordon makes 8 potential infielders that the Twins could bring back next year. Add Austin Martin who will have to be added to the 40 man roster in December and we have 9. Adding Lee to the 40 man would make it 10. This isn't a service time decision... it's an option decision. We all need to consider the possibility that Brooks is going to burn through options until that everyday major league job is his. Adding him cold to a playoff roster would be a bad decision because there is no guarantee that Brooks will be added to the 40 man next year with the options we have and the options that he has. Let Brooks force himself onto the 40 man during the season next year through extraordinary play. He has to be MUCH better than what we have.

At the deadline... I wanted a Right Handed Bat that could hit both lefties and righties while not striking out above average. I wanted that bat because our strict platoon utilization was going to continue and because of the performance we were getting against left handed pitching at the deadline. Candelario was the guy I had my eye on. He has hit horribly since the Cubs acquired him. This stuff is hard for us mere mortals. In hindsight... I still endorse the attempt even if it fails and I would have failed with Candelario. We had areas that could have (Should have) been improved upon at the deadline. Improvement should have been attempted at least... IMO. August, September and the playoffs are long journeys ahead. It's your last chance to check to see if you packed enough socks.

Sure you can make that argument and it looks great on paper... I can't argue the value of reliever X compared to what Funderburk and Varland are doing at the moment. However... the argument assumes that Funderburk and Varland remain healthy and available and it also assumes that Funderburk and Varland actually perform decently which was not yet determined at the trade deadline either. It also assumes that nearly everybody in the bullpen remains healthy throughout August and September because a loss at the back end of the bullpen shortens the bullpen immediately. The same goes for all of our position players remaining healthy. The direct comparison argument to see if the move improved a team could be made for every team that bought. The following teams bought at the trade deadline: Orioles: Fujimami, Flaherty Jays: Cabrera, Hicks, DeJong Rays: Civale, Sampson Yankees: Middleton Rangers: Chapman, Scherzer, Montgomery, Stratton, Hedges Astros: Graveman, Verlander Angels: Giolito, Lopez, Cron, Grichuk, Leone Braves: Johnson, Lopez, Hand Phillies: Castro, Lorenzen Marlins: Robertson, Burger, Bell Brewers: Santana, Canha, Chafin Cubs: Candelario, Cuas Reds: Moll Dodgers: Kike, Rosario, Lynn, Kelly, Yarbrough D-Backs: Sewald, Peterson, Pham Giants: Pollack Padres: Gamel, Hill, Choi, Barlow The Guardians and Mariners sold and the Twins traded Lopez for Floro which is basically standing still if not a step down from Lopez. I'll also say that Reds... slightly bought with the only addition being Moll so they almost a stand still like the Twins. Everybody else plus some that shouldn't have... attempted to get better.

I remember a time when I told people that I didn't need a cell phone. I was able to make calls on that thing that was plugged into the wall. I also made quite a few road trips and got home just fine without the cell phone. I was right but yet still wrong.

If Schneider wants to start 3 right handed pitchers against us. Please do. We currently don't know the playoff status of Lewis, Correa and Buxton who all hit from the right batters box. So... from those who are healthy right now... Here is the list of batters who would swing from the right handed batters box against a left hander: Polanco - 2B Taylor - CF Farmer - SS Solano - 1B Castro - 3B or LF Jeffers - C or possible DH Vazquez - C or Possible DH That's 6 or 7 available right handed or switch hitters if they utilize both catchers. That means two left handed hitters will have to start. Kepler will get one spot so that covers RF. That means either one or two (depending on if they utilize both catchers) of Kirilloff, Julien, Wallner or Larnach that will have to start against a left hander. It also means any combination of those 4 will have to be pinch hit for in the middle innings... or they will have to face Mayza or Cabrera in the middle innings. If Rocco pinch hits against Mayza or Cabrera or Ryu or Kikuchi. It will also leave that trio of right handed relievers leading their bullpen, Romano, Hicks and Swanson to face right handed hitters to close out games. We have been hiding these players when lefties hit the mound all year. I use this moment to make a point that I make often. So here goes... once again. How exactly does hiding them against left handed pitching in May, June and July prepare them for facing a left hander in the playoffs? How exactly does pulling Julien in the 2nd inning before he even swings a bat against Sean Manaea prepare Julien for having to face a left hander in the playoffs? How does pinch hitting Vazquez and taking out Julien prepare our young lefties for having to face a lefty in the playoffs? How can any front office when they are making these utilization decisions in May, June and July predict what they will need, who is healthy, who is available come playoff time? It's September 22... We are down 3 right handed hitters at the moment. The strict utilization of the platoon advantage may have painted us into a corner. If we are indeed down 3 right handed hitters... can anyone rule the possibility of the right handed Celestino getting a playoff roster spot? I can't. Not only could I see him rostered... I could see him starting. Didn't need you then... all of you young left handed hitters... but we need you now... LEARN FAST Alex, Julien, Matt, Trevor, Max, Joey, Nick and Andrew... LEARN FAST.

I fear no one I also fear everyone

Note to Twinsdaily: I understand the unrelenting need for daily content. More stories like these to fill the space are appreciated. There are things in life that we take for granted. Arraez has been in the majors for awhile now and it took this long for his parents to see him play in a major league uniform. The players that we cheer for certainly come from different realities.

Texas because of the collapse. Toronto because of the Money Spent (A little more than Texas) Seattle because of how long their fans have been waiting Houston because their fans have been spoiled.

You can never predict which teams will take flyers like the Twins and Reds did in those years.