Riverbrian

With no injuries (That won't be the case). This projection is a combination of what I think should happen and how the Twins typically operate. Position Players 14 - Pitchers 12 Starting Rotation: Lopez, Gray, Ryan, Ober, Maeda One of these 5 will take an innings eater position in case innings need to be eaten. Rocco will rotate 4. The 4 starters, Game One, Two, Three and Four and the innings eater positions are yet to be determined. Lets see how September goes. Let's see who we match up with. I still see this as open competition still to be determined because there isn't much separation for that #1 spot between all 5. Pen: Duran, Jax, Thielbar, Pagan, Floro, 6th spot to (Stewart or Alcala - Who's healthy?) Stewart gets high leverage if healthy - Alcala gets low leverage if healthy and Stewart is not healthy... If neither are healthy? IDK... It would have to be yet to be determined. Balazovic? Winder? Who is going to hang zeroes the most consistently in September. 7th Spot to Moran, Headrick or Kuechel. Twins will want another lefty to deploy out of the pen. Moran will get a chance to reclaim this spot. If he can't... Kuechel is currently given a chance to carve out a role. Headrick if all else fails. Especially if we draw Houston or Texas... Think Tucker, Alveraz, Seager and Lowe. If we draw the Mariners or Jays... That extra lefty may not be a big deal. Offense: Gone are Gallo and Gordon if the rest are healthy. Gallo will need an injury to make the roster. There is a possibility that Gordon will take Castro's spot in an attempt to hang on to Gordon. Castro has an option. I give it to Castro because he has been a fantastic base runner and he is a solid defensive replacement talent almost everywhere and Rocco will pinch hit to create the need for this type of player. Because the final open position will be utilized in late innings. Castro is a must so there is no spot for Gordon. Sorry Nick. Vs RH Julien - DH Correa - SS Kepler - RF Buxton - CF Polanco - 2B Kirilloff 1B Lewis - 3B Wallner - LF Jeffers - C Vazquez, Solano, Farmer, Taylor, Castro VS LH Lewis needs to play LF... If Lewis in LF isn't a consideration. It should be damn it but if he isn't. Then A. Castro starts in LF and Farmer is relegated to a defensive replacement for the entire playoffs and we don't have a decent pinch running option. B. Buxton plays CF for the entire playoffs. Taylor moves to LF, Farmer to 2B and Polanco to DH. Solano - 1B Polanco - 2B Correa - SS Buxton - DH (I can't see Buxton CF every day... I'll take him in CF against RH pitchers as a compromise) Lewis - LF Kepler - RF Jeffers - C Farmer - 3B Taylor - CF Vazquez, Julien, Kirilloff, Wallner, Castro Possible 1st round opponent considerations: Orioles and Rays will fight for #1 and #4. Twins will be the #3 seed with #2 a possibility. Our Twins haven't had a big 10 game win streak yet... Maybe it's coming but until it comes... Let's focus on #3 seed which will host the 6th seed. I believe the 6th Seed will go to one of these 4 teams. Rangers, Astros, Mariners and Blue Jays. Blue Jays: One lefty starter Ryu with Kikuchi to the Pen. Kikuchi in the pen gives them 3 lefties in the that pen and they will deploy those lefties early because of our issues against left handers (Mayza, Cabrera and Kikuchi) hoping to get Farmer and Solano types into the game for the right hand handed late inning contingent of Romano, Hicks and Garcia. And... And... Because of our issues against left handers... I could see them throwing Ryu game one followed by Gausman and Berrios. Against the Blue Jays... the importance of Correa and Buxton playing well has to be obvious to all. We will have to hit left handers early in the game. Side note to Rocco: I'd personally love to see Kirilloff, Wallner, and Julien get some more extended looks at left handers in September because you can't paint yourself into the corner of having nobody to pinch hit for Farmer against Romano after you pinch hit Farmer for Julien in the 6th inning. Schneider is going to try to draw them out. Rangers: One starting lefthander in Montgomery, Scherzer will get game one if available. Monty #2. Gray and Dunning compete for #3 and #4. Lefty Heaney to the pen to join Smith, Chapman, Burke and Perez for a possible total of 5 lefties out of the pen. Currently Smith and Chapman are the main guys in the bullpen. If they maintain that status... they can lefty us for 3 games. Gonna need Buxton and Correa and Lewis to play like they are capable of playing. Actually... The vets will have to bring us home. All of them because they will be coming from the port side. Mariners: All Young Right Handed Rotation. A couple of decent lefties in the pen that will be deployed early. All right handed Late inning relievers. They only have a couple of cards to play. Deploy the VS RH Lineup and let it rock. Key Moment pinch hit considerations only. Astros: One Lefty Starter in Framber. No Lefties in the Bullpen. We just got to out hit and out pitch them. Get some friendly bloops, catch some line drives, get the umpire calls to go our way at key moments. Easy Peasy.

I got a phone call from an old friend that I had not spoken with in maybe a decade just as the bottom of the 8th was getting underway. One ear on the conversation... one eye on the game. Old Friend: It's good to talk to ya... I think the last time I spoke with you was back at Mike's graduation party. Me: I know... what a pleasant surprise to hear from you. We really got some catching up to do. How is Mikey doing? He must be what... 30 Now. Old Friend: He's doing great... he's getting himself together. The Ankle Monitor comes off next year with continued good behavior. Me: Ankle Bracelet? Did he get in some kind of... (Wallner hits a Rocket off the RF Wall)... Holy... Wow... Atta Boy Matt. Old Friend: Matt? You Meant Mikey... Mike Right? My boys name is Mike. Me: No No... I'm watching the Twins right now... Matt Wallner just hit one a million miles an hour off the wall... I think it left a dent in the wall. Old Friend: You have always liked your Twins. I see that hasn't changed. Me: I still do and always will... you know me. So... How are you and Tammy? Old Friend: Well... We got divorced a couple of years ago. Me: Really? (Correa rips a double)... Yessssss!!! Old Friend: I don't know... if it's a Yes... I still care for her but you know how it is... these things happen. She is happier now. Me: You two were really close so it's kinda surprising. Old Friend: After the house fire burned everything we owned to the ground... Things got kind of stressful for us. Me: House fire? What? Old Friend: Yeah... Mikey had a bad day... came home and set the house on fire. That's why he was in prison and wearing that ankle bracelet. (Jeffers hits the home run) Me: Boom! It's Gone! Old Friend: Yep... Gone... Yes... Big Explosion... We were lucky to get out alive.

This is in my head now. Your fault... Thank you

It's really easy for me to say... go acquire someone. It always takes two to tango. I have no idea who the other clubs are asking for. I do consider no addition worse than failing with the additions that you do acquire... However... if the ask is too high... it's too high. I have already forgiven the front office for standing still this trade deadline with the simple assumption that they made some phone calls instead of the assumption that they didn't try at all. But Yeah... Cue the Kings of Leon... We could "Use Somebody". 😎

All businesses have a budget that they must adhere to... however... what you are suggesting doesn't make sense to me. This would be a bad example but I'm the king of bad examples. If you buy a Brand New Ford Explorer for 50 Grand but can't afford the maintenance after you drop the 50K. You should have probably bought a Kia Seltos for 30 Grand and kept your SUV serviced and running at tip top shape. I can't imagine a professionally run front office painting themselves into a corner like that.

It would bolster it.

Buyers Buy and Sellers Sell Doing neither is standing still. We were buyers who did not buy. I wanted offensive help... Nick wanted Bullpen help. The difference doesn't matter to me. Neither areas were addressed. The Twins rolled right past the last chance to improve the team with outside help. Last year... they were buyers who bought. They did what they were supposed to do. I agree with the article. This year was worse.

Ok... So he throws this 6th. Then he brings in a bullpen arm. Now what happens? No guarantees what happens after that... nor is there a guarantee what happens with Ober in the 6th. It's baseball. Milwaukee strung some soft stuff together and a crooked number went on the scoreboard. The ability of Floro? We will see. I'll always contend that you can't hide anyone in the bullpen. He's on the roster so his number will be called upon and it was. Hindsight says it was a mistake. At the time... it was a decision that didn't work out without the benefit of hindsight and none of us know if our alternate suggestions would have worked out.

Rocco pulled Ober after 5 with a 3-2 lead. A move like that is not out of this world out of the ordinary. He has a fresh bullpen and a healthy starter to manage through the rest of the season and playoffs. In my opinion, this is not something to get overly upset about. In the other dugout... Counsell pulled Miley after 5 after 89 pitches. The Big News in this game was Julien playing 1B!!! The World is still spinning this morning. Let's see what today brings.

Agreed. However... Buxton will be playing regardless so if he isn't going to hit... It's better he doesn't hit in CF so someone else can actually hit in the DH spot.

I won't use the popular phrase "Too Little Too Late". In this case... I'll have to modify it to "Quite a Bit Too Late". It took him 2.5 years to figure this out... if he has indeed figured it out. I love watching him play right now but for 2.5 years... I didn't.

I didn't read the article but I read the title And I agree with the title without any other details necessary. Buxton in CF makes the team instantly and significantly better.

I don't know near enough about the variety of metrics that clubs use. What I do assume quite confidently: 1. Metrics are valuable - I don't care what industry you are in... you better know your numbers. 2. Your competition is using metrics which will disguise that value. The value of metrics is more noticeable when you stop using them compared to your peers who are using them. When they are all using them the playing field is level. 3. The more metrics you pour into the equation the more homogenized the results become because the total value of Player Bob is going to reside closer to the middle of everyone after the metrics tell you he is good at this and not good at this. 4. You always need a good sample size.

It's like they want Joey Gallo to provide his style of offense for the team while at the same time, they would like the pitching staff to turn every hitter they face into a Joey Gallo. 😎

The emphasis of Strikeouts by pitchers and the de-emphasis of strikeouts by hitters... always leaves me scratching my head. 😎

Every Team... Every Player... Every Year

I know you addressed jorgenswest but I can't help myself. That isn't what he said. If Polanco gets hurt. Lee for example will get his chance because of the depth he is referring to. A healthy Farmer all year doesn't provide Lee with that chance. He just stays and under performs Polanco and maybe even under performs Lee. Polanco is better than Farmer. Polanco and Lee is better than Farmer. Full disclosure... I don't understand the discussion. I'm picking up the Polanco option.

Maybe... I don't spend much time looking at defensive stats so I can't or won't argue. Although... I'm not one to trust the small sample defensive metrics available to us. However... if Vazquez is the better fielding catcher... OK... but in the end, it doesn't matter much to me. The offensive difference was/is enormous and we went through a long stretch where our offense was near the bottom if not at the very bottom. We needed offense much more than we needed defense at the time and still do. They needed to adjust to this acute need and did not. I get the defensive importance of the catcher position. A catcher is so much more. They frame, they call pitches. I understand the nature of the position is going to produce other considerations when it comes to defensive value but, I don't see pitchers getting lit up because Jeffers is behind the dish.

If I could take my concerns throw it in a pot and simmer it down to one dish and throw it on the plate for consumption... This would be it. The lack of adjustment. We were dying for offense but yet didn't even make a significant playing time adjustment at the catcher position to reflect this crippling need for offense in June. I'm sure they have framing data and other things to consider but we needed offense in the worst way and we still need bats in my opinion. The season started with a 66/33 split in favor of Vazquez. Jeffers hit the ball, Vazquez did not. They have adjusted to a 50/50 so progress I guess but I don't understand why the ratio wasn't reversed to 66/33 in favor of Jeffers. This type of adjustment was in house. It wouldn't require the clearing of space on the roster to try someone else. If Jeffers goes into a deep funk... they can always reverse back. It certainly wasn't going to solve our overall offensive woes at the time because we are only talking about every third baseball game but it was a simple adjustment in the right direction. Yep... The lack of adjustment, slowness to react is where my finger points. With that said. Our Playoff roster is here. Let's get them ready. They are who we got. They can do this.

I wish I knew the answer to this but it is something that I have thought a lot about. 1. Lots of fans show concern about moving players to positions that they don't have a lot of experience playing. Yet these moves to lesser played positions happen a lot due to necessity and very rarely does it turn out to be the disaster worthy of the concern expressed by fans. 2. Despite these position switches happening often enough that every front office should be aware of the almost inevitable need to move a player to a position they have little to no experience at mid-season. Teams typically don't expose players to multiple positions in the minor leagues as preparation for these changes. 3. If a player like Brooks Lee (For Example) is knocking on the major league door and playing SS exclusively with Carlos Correa entrenched at the position in the majors. If a player like Brooks Lee is ready to help the major league club win games. The ability to play multiple positions opens up more major league doors for him to walk through. Front offices don't know where the door is going to open. The ability to play multiple positions makes Brooks the first call up if there is an injury anywhere besides P and C instead of waiting for Correa to go down before calling up your best player. 4. Yet... what typically happens is that a Brooks Lee is installed as an every day player at another position other than SS with little experience at that other position and that's how you end up with Spencer Steer playing OF out of necessity. What does all of this tell me? Teams don't worry about the position changes on the fly out of necessity or changing team context as much as fans do. If they worried about it... They would be exposing their best prospects to multiple positions in the minors as an obvious cure to what happens a lot and to get them into the positions of need as soon as possible. Take inventory and make it fit.

Man I'll tell ya... I wish life and baseball was that easy though. 😎

Yeah... I understand the thought process. Unfortunately... Just not the logic of Kepler over Polanco from a performance stand point. IMO... OF needs to be addressed. I'd rather it be done via Kirilloff or Lewis or Trade or Free Agent or whatever necessary combination of. Not signing Polanco but signing Kepler in my mind... Is letting a 7 (Polanco with another option year) go because you have a bunch of sixes and keeping a 5 (Kepler) because you have a bunch of 4's. Let's keep the 7 and figure out the 6's and 4's. 😉

Amazing that a month of good Kepler can erase what he didn't do in 2021, 2022 and most of 2023. While a fairly consistent hitter can be erased by the bubbles of young talent.

If "Wall" means "Wall". I wonder if "Ner" means "Over it".