Riverbrian

The other day... my wife was on her way home and I knew that she was mad at me. I forgot to put the recyclables out. She typically becomes a little less mad if she is allowed some time to breathe. I looked out the kitchen window and I could see her car turning onto our street about 3 blocks down. At that moment... I knew I had no time to spare. I had to get to my car and someplace else to allow her time to breathe. When you give 110%... your head is looking down at the ground. I gave 110%... If I would have looked back... I wouldn't have made it. I'm still married.

I want to continue on this what if. In the 8th... If Garlick reaches base... Is the next move pinch running for Garlick with Taylor? Probably... And of course... If Garlick reaches base... Now Larnach is up against a left hander and would Farmer pinch hit here? Probably is the answer. Now Taylor isn't available to pinch run for Solano in the 9th or play CF because he is in the DH spot. Back to the 10th inning if Duran hangs a zero. In the 10th... The options for Kevin Cash are remaining with Adam for another inning or the the right handed Patino who can go multiple innings. The other two options are left handers Diekman and Beeks. Everybody else is used up. The sensible thing to do would be Adam for the first 3 hitters in the 10th (Polanco, Garlick and Correa) and then a left hander for Larnach in the 4th spot and Kepler in the 6th spot. So if Farmer is the only guy who can play 1st base... why not substitute Farmer into Larnach or Kepler's spot instead of Lewis? If we are really playing the lefty/righty match up game. Take a left handed hitters out of the lineup and compromise his two left handed options available. I continue to ask... What are we doing?

Thanks... You are the best Jorgenswest. Please... if someone has anything on this... please provide it. Kepler has enough **** on his head without getting tagged with something false.

Lack of offense continues to provide our pitchers with no room for error. Even Duran is going to give up a run every once in awhile. However... let's imagine in our minds what our situation in the 10th would have been if Duran hung a zero in the 9th. 1. Jeffers would have been the Manfred Man on 2nd base. Nobody was available to pinch run. Rocco's moves were used. 2. Garlick would have been batting 2nd in the 10th. It is possible that Cash would have turned to the left handers Diekman or Beeks in the 10th but... he probably rolls with Patino because Patino can pitch multiple innings and we only have two left handers in Larnach and Kepler who shouldn't be scaring anyone right now. 3. Currently the best hitters on the team are Kirilloff and Lewis were both removed from the game and unavailable to help in extras. Kirilloff or course was replaced by Garlick because Garlick is a better hitter than Kirilloff and with nobody in scoring position is was a critical time in the game. Lewis was replaced by Farmer in the 9th because once Taylor pinch ran for Solano (That was a good move) only Farmer could play 1B I guess. Castro can play every other position but not first in a pinch. So... Lewis must sit. And there you have it... your top two hitters are gone for the extra frames to come. I don't know... it's fun to think about what if's... What if Duran hung a zero? I continue to ask... What are they doing?

Jeffers was caught red handed by the TV camera 80 percenting it down the line. I sure hope Rocco calls him into the office and asks him if he likes playing the game of baseball because that was the equivalent of that guy in your office that quickly flips from Twinsdaily to his spreadsheets when the boss walks by his desk.

Kepler played 9 innings of CF last year. 164 Innings in CF in 2021 including 19 starts. If Gleeman is accurate. I'd like to know when Kepler made the demand, request, whatever it was. Because the consequences of honoring that request or kneeling to such demands could include over use of Celestino in 2022 and it certainly would lead to the acquisition of Michael A. Taylor in the off season. If Gleeman is accurate... Kepler shouldn't be in a Twins uniform. He should be with the A's blocking Brent Rooker after signing a major league minimum free agent deal while he cashes a large check from the Twins to play against them. Kepler really needs to realize that he will be signing a minor league contract with someone else next year. But before... I get all snooty at Kepler... Can anyone confirm the accuracy of Kepler's willingness to play CF?

??? Taylor has played in 54 games in CF. No player has played as many games at any position. Correa is 2nd with 51 games at SS. Just out of curiosity When does he lose the "backup" designation?

Arraez wouldn't play because we have worse players at all of the positions you list. I can't go where you are going.

I'd go the other direction just looking for hitters but I am much better with what you are suggesting than what they are actually doing. 73% of MLB is right handed... with an even higher percentage of right handed pitchers coming down the pike so YEAH... What you said... Why are they messing around with Garlick? For the life of me... I can't figure it out.

Another point since I'm worked up. Kepler and Gallo are performing on par with the past. Taylor is performing on par with the past. So... they are meeting expectation there is nothing to be surprised about. Correa and Buxton are the noticeable drop offs in expectation along with Miranda of course. If Correa and Buxton were performing to career norms... perhaps we could live with those Kepler, Gallo, Taylor repeat performances. They are not... so we can't. Starting pulling from the bottom so the floor is raised and perhaps a top can be identified along the way. The 10 million dollar option on Kepler is not going to be picked up. The players that he is in front of will be back next year. If the players that he is in front of are capable of being better than he is right now and they will be back next year and Kepler will not... The question must be asked... What are we doing?

Yeah... a whole two of them so let's... I'm sorry I don't understand what are they doing? You and I have always had a different viewpoint on platoon usage and yet we are arriving at nearly the same place at the moment. I'm not anti-platoon. I understand the statistical advantage of the platoon. I'm ok with it's implementation. I'm anti strict usage of the platoon, justifying the deployment of players who are not getting the job done in their roles. Kepler can't hit... it's ok... he's left handed and there is a right hander on the mound and so he plays like it's a law that can't be broken. I'd rather a right hander hitter hit against right handers over a struggling left handed bat against right handers. That was the crux of my point with Garlick last year. No idea if Garlick would hit right handers or not... he was never given the opportunity to. I just knew that the left handed side of things wasn't hitting. So... why not let our OPS leader at the time give it a try instead. I know you didn't like that idea but I'll say the same thing this year if Garlick is going to take up a roster spot... might as well see if Garlick can do better because we need someone to be better... but you and I both know that Garlick will not be allowed to do that so... he's worthless to me. I don't care if he ever puts on a Twins uniform again. I'm against using the platoon to justify the benching against left handers of one of our top hitters (Kirilloff) who has an entire career in front of him... like it's a rule that can't be broken. This is the same front office that would sit Arraez vs. left handers last year like it's a rule that can't be broken. The Marlins are not doing that with Arraez and it seems to be going OK for them. A better hitter is a better hitter. Mainly... I am strongly against letting hitters walk past the lineup card who are not earning the right to walk past the lineup card and we got a bunch of those guys and they were chosen by the front office and they can't get off the script. I'm not anti-platoon... The platoon is a tool to help you get the job done... they are using the platoon much like a spoon is a tool you can use to dig the Grand Canyon. It's going to take a long time and we haven't got that kind of time. This offense needs a big truck with a really big scoop.

I can see the chronological explanation but it became a plausible chronological explanation for all of us to swallow because of their own doing. I would have called up Wallner for Gallo on Saturday and let Wallner or Larnach be the decision yesterday if health held up and a roster spot was needed. Turns out... health didn't hold up and that roster spot decision wasn't necessary and Wallner would still be here. Now I realize... that I am placing way too much hope on Wallner and acting like I know he would be slugging 9 million these past couple of days and that Wallner would have no chance of failure because of his hot bat. No doubt that I am funneling a lot of frustration right now into this Wallner thing but it's really the process that keeps him down that has got me concerned. Any process that ignores the hot guy for a guy that they won't play is a bad process especially when the team needs something anything. Rostering a pinch hitting right handed bat like Garlick is like dabbing toilet paper on to a face laceration that needs stitches. It isn't going to fix the problem. It's not even trying to fix the problem. Wallner probably isn't going to fix it either but at least they are at the doctors office.

Yes... we will wait until he cools down. Or more accurately wait until more injuries occur forcing Wallner to perfectly time his hitting with opportunity... instead of creating opportunity when he is hitting. I'm under the impression that it doesn't matter what Wallner does even if he is given a chance. Simply... I don't believe that he is in our plans this year. There is clearly a pecking order in front of him starting with Kepler at the front of that line and poor play doesn't seem to take them out of line so the line is very slow moving. Leap frogging in that line doesn't seem to be allowed.

Those hard decisions should be getting easier.

If Garlick is swapped for Wallner. We would have 7 Right Handed hitters, 4 left handed hitters and 2 switch hitters. Stack? 4 Lefties? There are 18 teams that are more stacked or as stacked from the left side. I honestly don't understand. The ability to hit a baseball is more important than which batter box you stand in or what arm the pitcher throws with. We were shut out tonight. I've lost count of how many games we have scored less than 2 runs... 24? 25 times? 4 hits... how many times have we had 4 hits or less? how many times 12 K's or more? But, we were ready for Garlick to pinch hit in the 7th when they carelessly brought that left hander in. Is that the only plan to get our offense out of this? Don't worry about the offense... we will pinch hit Garlick in the 7th that should fix it. Never mind that we also had Farmer, Lewis and Jeffers also available to stand in that right batters box and pinch hit against that lefty in that spot. What are we doing?

With Buxton on the Disabled List. There is space for all. Kepler, Wallner, Larnach and Kirilloff with LF, RF, 1B and DH to occupy. OK... Willi Castro has done alright so let's put him in the mix and now that's 5 players for 4 spots... Still enough space for all because one day on the bench out of five games isn't development starvation. With Castro in the mix... you can also drag CF into the rotation. So now you have 6 players for 5 spots. Kepler, Wallner, Larnach, Kiriloff, Castro and Taylor for DH, 1B, LF, CF, RF positions. One player sits every 6 games and everybody is fed. Nope... the roster spot goes to Kyle Garlick, who might pinch hit. So, that single pinch hit AB has become more vital in the eyes of the decision makers than a player who will get 10 AB's. I could have a ten hour meeting with the front office where they carefully go over the reasoning and I will not understand... and I believe I am capable of understanding complex things from time to time. I continue to wonder... What exactly are they doing?

I've always assumed that the reason they went with Garlick instead of Wallner was the pending arrival of Larnach. On the other hand... Tampa is interesting because they have 3 lefties in the bullpen. They may want to deploy Garlick when they are called upon. On the other hand... We have 9 Right Handed Hitters - 2 Left Handed Hitters and 2 Switch hitters on the MLB Roster. So.. the only reason to keep Garlick is extreme fear of the lefty hitting a lefty pitcher because that fear doesn't seem to exist with right handed hitters hitting right handed pitchers since we have 9 of them and we are scheduled to face right handed starters. In other words... Why Garlick is on the roster at all is something that I can't answer.

I can't speak for TD's business model. I suspect it's an over simplification. But... I agree with everything you said and share your concerns.

Nothing worse than a struggling vet that you can't dispose of cleanly and I honestly don't see much evidence that experience is consistently better than unproven talent or vice versa. So... I agree with you but the problem is: Who is the youth behind that youth that you roster in place of the vet? Injuries demand a solution to that problem. The only solution that I have come up with is: Honest competition for playing time. Let the best man play. Once you choose Kepler over Wallner -- the competition is no longer honest. Kepler is handed chance after chance. Wallner must wait his turn regardless of results.

Rooker sure did come back to earth. Rooker - Past 30 days: .198/.291/.286 That's Buxton level not good. 😉 Buxton - Past 30 days: .176/.300/.294 Whatever Rooker was in April. It surely would have been helpful for that time period though. I'd take that April even if I knew what was going to happen in May.

Yes it has. This can't be the first time you've noticed this sort of thing. The alternative to it is dry spells of content. Dry spells of content isn't a very good business model in today's social media. The users of social media are not going to tolerate lack of content. Lack of content is not going feed the masses. Swifties want to talk about what color socks she bought at Wal-Mart. To be fair -- Try to come up with interesting content to write about today. Then try to come up with different interesting content tomorrow. Then try to come up with new interesting content the day after that. And the day after that... and the day after that. Now... keep in mind... this interesting content must be contained inside the narrow parameter of not just baseball but Twins baseball. Also... Keep in mind... this website isn't producing just one piece of content a day, It's producing 5 to 10? Are there 5 to 10 new things under the Twins sun every day? In other words... Yes it has. How else can the website grow or sustain numbers? We demand it and meeting demand is how you become successful. We demand Stephen A. Smith as well. We demand Fox News and we demand MSNBC. The content we get is a reflection of us.

I know they are if's - But... If Buxton and Correa become what they should be. If Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff are what they are. If they can add a decent rental and I mean decent rental to Jorge Polanco... The offensive outlook can change significantly and now the pitching staff has support. If you got those 6 and add Gallo hitting the occasional dinger will give him some base runners to drive in and his below .200 BA doesn't seem as bad. Right now... It's bad and I'm screaming about the badness. Buxton and Correa are not what they are supposed to be which makes Gallo almost pointless and the team seems to stubbornly play and play again other vets who just are not capable of making up the difference that Buxton and Correa should be providing. The team doesn't seem to be adjusting quick enough to this for my tastes and I'm filtering my frustration into the minor league incarceration of Matt Wallner. What I want to see right now until late July... is an open and fair competition for the the playing time being assigned and a serious search for players who might be better than what the vets are providing... which isn't enough. Like I said... I'm right with ya right now... But at the trade deadline... I'm adding because I'm not letting my May get in the way of my August.

I'm with you right up to the trade deadline and then we will part company. If this pitching staff keeps us in contention into late July... Support them.

I agree we are not that far apart. I'm just trying to figure out exactly where we are apart because we seem to be apart on the subject. 😉 We both understand that adding can be Grichuk or Blackmon for our 16th best prospect and it doesn't have to be our entire top 5 prospects for Juan Soto.

You got my respect... I know that you are one of the posters that is always researched and researched beyond the Twins. There is no point discussing what the Orioles, Twins, Braves and other teams did at trade deadlines past because I know you are aware of what everyone did and I assume you know that I am as well. You and I both know that not all trade deadline acquisitions work out and you and I both can find examples where teams that did nothing did better. To me it seems like the crux of our disagreement is going to reside in the thought that you can build a World Series Winner and simply roster yourself to 12 victories or so out of 20 or so games in the playoff I have long given up on the predictive powers of myself, all front offices and all fans and will never support a front office looking at a contending team and saying... No Chance I don't know why we are here so let's sell. You buy at the trade deadline for the stretch run... to get into the playoffs to get through August and September so your team can compete in the playoffs. For the purpose of this discussion, as long as we both recognize that there are degrees to "how much you go in or all in as you put it... meaning... sensibility is always required and I wouldn't suggest burning down the entire farm system to improve your situation for the stretch run. I won't speak for the Orioles but I didn't agree with their approach last year however, I can see that they traded an expiring contract and their closer in a loaded bullpen so the potential damage was somewhat limited but I would have added because they had areas that needed improvement... Starting Pitching for example. The Twins... They may have been trying to please both of us at the same time. Fulmer was the only rental. The acquisition of Mahle and Lopez came with another year attached. So they attempted to improve the team for the playoffs and next year. Should have made us both happy to a degree. however, that extra year comes with a higher price tag. This year... I fully expect the Twins to buy... and I fully expect them to buy a hitter and a good one. If they don't... I'll be bummed, pissed, disappointed. A rental will be just fine because we got young talent coming up. A weak division is just an easier door to open. Teams in the AL and NL Central have won the world series before and they will again. Once you reach the playoffs it doesn't matter if you had a hard or easy door to walk through... it only matters if you got through the door because they all end up in the same room.