Riverbrian

That should be a bumper sticker that is affixed to every back bumper in the employee parking lot of 1 Twins Way.

We won't know until we know. Let's increase that sample. I see he is in the lineup tonight against a left hander. Dear Alex, After all the work I have put in on your behalf. You better drill this left hander and drill him hard. Sincerely, Riverbrian

I don't have a problem with Larnach being sent down. He has been coming around a little lately but he hasn't grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Wallner bugged me... but I get it... Kepler needed a spot. I was more upset about Wallner when Garlick got the call instead and that still bugs me because he could have taken Kepler's job by now... management got in his way and didn't allow it. Julien... I may have a problem with Julien going down while Kepler remains but how I feel about that will manifest if Julien keeps hitting like he has been. I'm hoping that Julien forces the decision through his play. Ultimately though... putting the prospects aside. I don't expect Kepler to survive past the trade deadline regardless and I will be disappointed if he does. I get the clubhouse disruption part but those guys can read stats just like the rest of us. If they bring in an OF with an actual working bat... the loss of a teammate disappointment could be replaced by the gain of a hitter feeling. If they don't upgrade offensively at the deadline. Then call up Celestino for all I care. Kepler is an expired contract who is hurting us right now. Might as well give those AB's to someone who will be back next year because what Max is producing can be replicated by almost anyone. I don't believe anyone will take Max in a trade unless it's with a team trying to get rid of an albatross but who knows... there might be a team like the Phillies that could use a defensive upgrade while hoping they find a Hicks or Sanchez like change of scenery bounce. I'm giving Max and the club until the deadline. Tick Tick Tick. 😎

Do you want Kirilloff to be a platoon player or do you want Kirilloff to be a hitter. Should Juan Soto sit against Left Handed Pitchers. I know that Kirilloff isn't Soto... but you can make sure that his ceiling is Joc Pederson. Should Arraez sit against left handers? Never mind on Arraez... the Twins did sit him against lefties last year. It's the Marlins that stopped doing that. Kirilloff is just getting started in his career... you can help him be what you want him to be. Or you can just starting building the walls that contain him right now. Your choice. Why on earth would you purposely starve him of opportunity to face lefthanders. Why would you commit to keeping him out of the lineup 25% of the time? In the end... the monster you get is the monster you made. Stop this crap immediately... He is currently the best hitter on your roster. Put him in the lineup against lefties. BTW Let's take a look at Ryan Jeffers: 2023 OPS against RH Pitchers - .804 2023 OPS against LH Pitchers - .647 2022 OPS Against RH Pitchers - .540 2022 OPS against LH PItchers - .909 What happened to Ryan Jeffers? Do we have a dog chasing his tail here? Kirilloff is our best hitter!!!

I agree... my response was triggered by the batting order portion of the article. However, you know me... I'm going to have some thoughts on what you are saying about playing time distribution. 😉 For a later day... because right now... I'm going over to a different TD thread to complain about Kirilloff sitting against left handers.

The mermaid thing was just me being me. I'm a good guy at heart. I should have put a smiley face by it. I understand that you feel the way you feel... and I will also concede that some managers tend to be static in their batting order assignments so you are clearly not alone. But... what I'll consistently fail to understand is... If a guy hits in the 2 spot and moves to the 5 spot... Why does it do damage to the player? How does batting every day in the 2 spot create some sort of looseness or confidence? IMO... Lineups tend to become static because managers are trying to get the best hitters at the top of the lineup and hitters toward the bottom. But... if a player must be moved... why is that an issue? Or if you give one of your top players the day off... why do you have to take that bench player and slide him into a top 3 position to keep the integrity of the lineup intact. The 2023 Twins... In my opinion... Have role played themselves into wasting a pretty damn good pitching staff.

Jorge Polanco played 2B and SS in the minors. In 2015 he primarily played SS in Chattanooga. In 2016 he switched to primarily playing 2B in Rochester. It was odd timing because the Twins moved him back to SS primarily when he got called up to the big club although he did get some 3B and 2B action. Why did the Twins shift him to 2B in the minors before promoting him to play SS in the majors. SS was where the need for him was and they probably don't have a crystal ball to able to predict the needs of the team at the time. In 2017 Jorge Polanco was our primary SS for the next 4 years. The Twins made the playoffs in 3 of those 4 years. In 2021 Jorge Polanco shifted to become our primary 2B. The point of bringing up Jorge Polanco is this. If you staple Julien to 2B... his fate is blocked by Polanco... If you allow Julien to flow into where he is most needed that also makes some sense... You can find a spot for a bat that looks like it will improve this club. Julien to 1B, Kirilloff to the OF... Easy Peasy.

The Brewers caught the A's at the wrong time... and it's probably safe to say that Twins caught the Brewers at the right time. It's why I love baseball and why I don't use all of my knowledge and bet on it so I can retire. You live out in the Bay Area? California is a beautiful state. The area around Carmel, Pebble Beach is one of the most scenic areas in the country in my opinion... especially as you head south on the pacific coast highway. It's a jaw dropping drive. Vegas is looking as close to a done deal as a done deal can look. I feel for the Oakland fans but all sports teams have fled the city and I can only guess it's because the city has bigger fish to fry beyond keeping an owner of a baseball franchise fed because what I saw suggested that Oakland had to fix some stuff beyond keeping sports teams. I took in a game last August at the Coliseum and I was shocked by the condition of it. They don't even bother cleaning up the blocks and blocks of garbage lining the streets that surround the stadium. It wasn't just a loose McDonalds Filet O Fish wrapper... it was garbage piled up to the point that you couldn't see the sidewalk. Even Detroit can keep the area around the stadium clean for a couple of blocks. Modern stadiums have all kinds of additional revenue streams built into them and if Oakland doesn't build one for the owner... another city will. That city is Las Vegas according to the state representatives who quickly got the money together to lure the franchise in. Watch out for earthquakes my friend and I'm sorry that you can't give the gas pump an extra squeeze to top of the tank.

Just poking fun. I waited until the streak stopped before posting this. Pirates, Brewers and Rays

I couldn't disagree with this more. How many less breaking balls does the leadoff hitter see? How many times does the leadoff hitter actually hit leadoff in a game? If Aaron Judge was the nine hitter: Would he see more strikes because he is the nine hitter or would they still pitch him like he is... I don't know... Aaron Judge? Cleanup hitters MIGHT feel? Leadoff hitters MIGHT feel? Confidence? Consistent Routine? I couldn't disagree more. No offense intended but I'll file this writing next to the article I read about mermaids written by a teenager who just watched the movie Splash. That might be harsh but I know there are a lot of people who believe this stuff. To all those people. There are no mermaids. If your team goes 1-2-3 in the 1st inning. Your cleanup hitter is now a leadoff hitter. If 6,7,8 in the order load the bases... your nine hitter is now a cleanup hitter. You still have to grab a bat and swing it when it's your turn. Each at bat will have a new context based on the conditions that exist at the time. The leadoff hitter is only guaranteed to hit lead off one time but the leadoff hitter is guaranteed to have more plate appearances so why not put your hottest hitter in the leadoff spot? If Gallo is 0 for 27... I think it's ok to move him out of the leadoff spot. You think Correa has bounced around in the lineup. I find it ridiculous that Carlos Correa remained near the top of the order despite a two month slump. He couldn't be moved to 8th in the order when he has forgotten how to hit and then back to the 3 spot when he started to show that he remembers how to hit. Would it be a blow to the confidence of Carlos Correa if he moved down in the order? Tell him to go look at his contract... it might restore some confidence. Is it a bigger confidence blow to move a vet in the batting order or is it a bigger confidence blow to send a rookie like Wallner down to the minors and recall a Garlick over him? Who should be better equipped to deal with a crisis of confidence... the guy making 35 million or the rookie being sent to St. Paul? Max Kepler was our leadoff hitter... should he still be there for the intrinsic benefit... whatever that is. If Buxton hit 1st on Monday, 6th on Tuesday, Bench on Wednesday, 2nd on Friday, 9th on Saturday and 3rd on Sunday. Would that really blow his mind or would he start to understand... Hey... I got to hit the ball no matter where I hit in the order. What if you decide that Correa is your 3rd hitter and you lock him in like you suggest. What happens when his heel hurts and Farmer has to play at SS for a day. Does Farmer just go into the 3 spot no questions asked? You'd have to because if Farmer doesn't go into the 3 spot... you'd have to move your 6 spot guy into the 3 hole and now the apple cart is all turned over. Mermaids.

Julien is the leadoff hitter... they know he can hit. Actions speak pretty loudly. It would take a certain something to send down a player hitting the baseball when you need players hitting the baseball. If Julien continues to hit while Polanco is out. He could get the same treatment Miranda got last year as he forces himself into plans.

Has to be Buxton... if not it's Miranda. It won't be Wallner with the Boyd matchup tomorrow and I don't think they can call up Garlick. . If I had to place a bet... Kepler will play against lefties and Solano will sit.

Nice sequencing.

And therefore Miranda is in AAA and not a problem. Being too left handed in the OF is only a problem if it means that Kepler plays against them without consideration of how he plays against them. Buxton at DH... that's a problem. I agree.

Miranda would be in Durham right now. If Miranda gets called up and started hitting the ball... they would make room.

The Rays wouldn't think Miranda was a problem. I honestly don't understand why others can only see Lewis plays 3B and nothing beyond that. When beyond that constantly comes into play every single month of every single year. The Rays would incorporate Miranda into the mix if everyone is healthy. The Rays do not feel like they have to reduce to 9 when they have 13. They would utilize all 13 and win a few baseball games along the way. Miranda can also play 1B, Lewis can also play SS and OF, Kirilloff can also play OF. If you have 13 players getting the job done... nobody has to rust. There is plenty of playing time for everyone. Actually... if you have 13 players getting the job done. You have 13 players with increased value and therefore 13 players who you could trade for improvements if you are weak somewhere. Miranda is not a problem unless you are only looking for 9. And if you are only looking for 9 that is how you end up suffering through Max Kepler. Because he is one of those 9.

IMO... Picking up his option next year is a no brainer. Polanco is not Kepler... Not even close. This team needs offense and Polanco provides offense and has pretty consistently over the years. Kepler has not provided offense over the years. I understand that Julien looks good, I understand that Lee and Martin and Miranda are waiting in the wings at the moment but I have said this many many many times and I will say it many many many times in the future. It's Ok to have multiple players on the roster who can perform even if they play the same position. There is plenty of playing time for anyone who is performing. We don't need to start throwing players away. You cull from the bottom not from the top. Now if... someone offers an incredible trade that makes the team even better... OK. But we certainly shouldn't be the team looking for the exit sign.

It wasn't lost on me. And if I can tack on some more context. Home Run by a guy who wasn't supposed to be a big offensive contributor. Walk by a rookie Solid single by a player who normally wouldn't play if everyone was healthy. Home run by a guy who is severely underpaid.

Sometimes... Injuries make you better.

No he can't... but he can roll out of bed and do it before his feet hit the floor while still in his pajama's.

Erickson Smirickson 😁

Ryan... Gray and Rain we pray! Viola... Blyleven and rain by Eleven. Morris and Tapani... and... Umm... This one is hard... How did we win in 1991?

If I had to guess... his bat just advanced quicker than his glove did. Doesn't mean that the glove won't catch up. I'm Mr. Flexibility... I like the idea of them playing everywhere to open up more doors to walk through and not close doors for others. Right now... his 2B needs work and I'm guessing 1B is the most open door for him at the moment.

It wasn't a mistake at the time but maybe it is at the moment. His ability to play CF is such a major component in his value. If he can't return to playing CF... Instead of being a solution he becomes something that needs to be overcome. Buxton is currently bottlenecking multiple positions and players by removing the DH as an option for playing time for others and forcing the team to play players in the OF to cover that maybe shouldn't. To simplify... look at it this way. Which is better? Buxton in CF, Taylor in RF and Julien at DH or Taylor in CF, Kepler in RF and Buxton at DH On top of that... If Buxton isn't hitting as a DH and let's face it... He has been in a pretty deep slump. You end up with DH not being what it could be, CF not being what it could be, RF or LF not being what it could be and all of those positions are hard to fix now. It could be said... that Kepler is being kept a float by Buxton at DH and it could be said that this corner OF log jam is being jammed up by Buxton at DH. This ain't good and Buxton is at the center of it all by not being at the center of it all in the outfield.