Riverbrian

I think you have nailed it. We have 8 starters against right handers and I assume Rocco will rotate the last spot with the occasional day off for the 8 starters. It'll be a good week to find out what Rocco's going to do. With Cleveland tossing their lone left hander yesterday, We will get right handed starters every day until Crochet on Sunday in Boston. Does Bride have to wait until Sunday to get a start? When will we see the debut of the Clemens? Will we see the debut of Clemens? On the Rocco value chart. Ty France has been Mr. Not Replaceable. He leads the team in plate appearances. An odd position for someone who was signed at close to the league minimum on a non-guaranteed contract.

.830 team OPS in the past 7 days. 4th best. That has been tremendously helpful. Trevor Larnach leading the way.

Whenever you have injuries at this scale... there isn't much anyone can do. I get that. However... in this specific situation. We need hitting. You promote your best hitter and our best hitter as of late April is McCusker. Open 40 man spot, rash of injuries and a guy with a plus one thousand OPS and more home runs in the entire organization. 27 years old so there is no sense waiting longer. Keaschall sure looked good before he got hurt. McCusker was out hitting him in St. Paul by a large margin. Seriously... you pass him by now. When will he ever... not be passed by.

This isn't the 'the" issue but it's an issue with this FO. This is a symptom of the low number of pre-arb players on the roster. When would McCusker ever be called up... if not right now. He's 27... should we let him season some more? He's hitting the ball hard right now. Best hitter in St. Paul at the moment. If the Twins are not going to call him up now. He's hitting... and we are bleeding. If not now... the answer is never. The Twins front office have already decided that he's a waste of time. They prefer the safety of Kody Clemens. It's a shame because right now... all he has to do is out perform Kody Clemens.

I agree with you. McCusker would have been my choice. He's 27... He's hitting the ball right now. Hitting it hard. We need players who are hitting it hard. When someone is swinging the bat well... that would be the perfect time to give him a moment instead of granting someone else another moment. I'm not a fan of pre-determination.

I found a 7 step process for Ashpalt paving Step one actually says that you have to get rid of Manual Margot types first. 1. Demolition and Removal of Manual Margot types. 2. Grading and Sloping 3. Prepare the Sub Base 4. Proof Roll, Undercutting and Sub Base Repair 5. Binder and Surface Course 6. Install New Asphalt Surface 7. Butt Joints and Transisitions I don't understand steps 2 through 6 but I assume they all pertain to the process of developing players that are better than the Margot types. Step 7 the final step... I don't understand that one either but since it mentions "butt joints". I can only assume that it has something to do with the injury history of Buxton and Lewis.

That's true... it wasn't long ago that we had an analytics department of 1 analyst. Increasing pay? In my head it sounds great but I wonder if a team actually jumped in that direction,,, I'd assume that the other 29 owners would show concern about the change in pay scale. They would have to respond to stay competitive and now you have raises across the board that in the end not only increased pay for the best but increased pay for the bottom end of the pool. Just things that bounce around my head as I continue to hope for an organization completely focused on development like their future depends on it.

The highly ranked prospect will get chance after chance until they are proven to be what the organization thinks they will become or proven to be a bust. The lesser ranked prospect will get one shot... if they get that shot and I'll contend that in a lot of cases... the margins are pretty slim between those two groups of prospects. Yet every year... A Tyler (Who is this Guy) Fitzgerald shows up and takes advantage of that one shot. So another question is: How many potential Tyler Fitzgeralds are out there that we don't know about. I don't know the answer to that... but I do know that Manual Margot kept his job for the entire year for some reason. You are absolutely right. The real question is how many quality big league players has your system produced. Quality doesn't mean Juan Soto type uber prospect... quality can also mean... simply better than the low value one year vet plugging up the system. The Twins have 20 players on the roster right now that came out of the system. That's a high number. We currently have 9 pre-arb players on the 26 man roster. That's a low number. We are still signing low dollar free agents to cover for the low number of pre-arb players on our current roster. Our pre-arb players have graduated to arbitration eligible and we are not filling in the back end. We've had a highly ranked farm system year over year... That doesn't mean a damn thing to me right now. Our current 26 man roster isn't reflective of such lofty status. If the rankings were accurate we have failed. If we haven't failed... the rankings were not accurate.

Makes perfect sense to me. Apart from winning... the most important job that a front office has is to increase the value of the players on the roster. Increased value increases trade value and of course production toward the bottom line of winning. My opinion isn't worth much and rightfully so because I've never seen the inside of a baseball front office but I've often wondered in my head. Could a team actually consider taking money away from the player pool and reallocating those dollars toward scouting, coaching and therefore development. For example... could they double what the best scouts and coaches are being paid to ensure that they get the best at those positions. In theory... If doubling the salary of scouts and coaches costs let say an extra 10 million. Those best scouts and coaches could produce multiple young players with MLB talent for the price of one overpaid low level vet. I don't know much about the operation but ideas like yours and mine may be good out of the box thinking to try.

Sticking with a failing vet on a one year contract that won't be back next year is opportunity lost for someone else. It might a little bit of opportunity or it might be quite a bit of opportunity but it is opportunity that provides information for roster decisions in 2026. It's easy for all of us to sit back and say there was no one in the farm anyway. Well... if there is no one. That's a development problem because as you correctly point out... other teams (based on pre-arb roster numbers) seem to have someone and always keep in mind that someone doesn't have to hit like a superstar to be someone. All they have to do is perform as poorly as Margot performed at the bare minimum. I don't know what Keirsay will become... it doesn't matter. I don't know what anyone will become but I am saying... opportunity needs to be provided for someone... anyone else and if they don't have anyone else... that's a development problem. Margot's protected place on the roster not only kept someone else from getting opportunity... a little or lot of opportunity which will provide information on weather they need to replace Margot with another Margot the following season and Margot's protected place on the roster also compromised the development of our young left handers by keeping our young developing left handers from hitting left handers. Which of course... is a development problem that already existed because we failed to develop left handers that could hit left handers or created a development problem by choosing to strip mine the young players for parts. And we paid 4 million for Margot to sit like a cork in the middle of development. Why do other teams have twice as many pre-arb players on the roster? The answer is either: Margot types being necessary because of an existing development problem or Margot types are part of the reason that we have a development problem.

With the injuries... We basically have a starting 9. Vazquez, Bride, Keirsay and Gasper appear to be watching with Vazquez and Keirsay getting some starts on occasion. Bride appears to be waiting for a left hander. We haven't seen a left handed starter since Saturday and the next scheduled left hander is tomorrow night against Kikuchi. Batting order means something. It doesn't mean everything but in regards to who the manager believes in... batting order has to say something. Keashall is batting third. Correa 5th France 6th Jeffers 7th Bader 9th Buxton 2nd Batting order doesn't mean everything but... could that be a ranking of how Rocco is feeling currently about our right handed hitters? It is certainly debatable. While you all debate that... Mainly... I just wanted to point out that Keaschall with 6 games major league experience... is batting THIRD. Does that speak to how good Keaschall has been in those 6 games or does it speak to how poor our offense has been?

Utilization update. Pre and Post Foul Tip. Since Vazquez took that foul tip to the hand. Jeffers has become the primary catcher by a large majority. Since the foul tip. Vazquez has managed to make two starts behind the plate, while Jeffers had made 7 straight starts (6 at C and 1 at DH) before resting yesterday, Since Vazquez has caught two games since the foul tip. It's hard to say if this severe change in what used to be a 50/50 rotation is injury driven or performance driven. Jeffers seems to agree with the extra playing time... at least offensively. 8 for 24 with 4 doubles over this stretch. Jeffers had a pre foul tip OPS of .492. It has since risen to .682 with this regular playing time. Vazquez has done better for himself playing less post foul tip. In what is of course a small sample size. His two for three yesterday raised his OPS from .365 Pre Foul Tip to .467 Post Foul Tip.

Yes... This is my suggestion... This is my primary suggestion... All the words I type belong in the category of this suggestion. Develop or Die. We all know that the Twins can't afford to sign players developed by OTHER organizations. We have to develop our own. There is a bill to pay for not developing your own and we are paying that bill year after year. Despite 20 players on the current 40 man roster coming from our system. We are currently sitting near the bottom of the league of pre-arb players on the 26 man roster. This is paying a little bit extra for every player who is not pre-arb which takes away money that could be added together to get a bigger free agent. We are about 6 pre-arb players short on this roster compared to other teams that are winning baseball games with pre-arb players on the 26 man roster. Development doesn't mean the next Juan Soto although the next Juan Soto would be nice since we haven't developed a top end player like that in quite some time. That in itself is a development issue. Development also means the next Ben Rice who will be back with the Yankees next year or traded with his increased value for someone else... The Development of a Ben Rice type is important so you don't have to turn Ty France into an every day player and he won't be back next year.

I am generally satisfied with the development on the pitching side. We have seemingly developed our way past the need to fill roster space with Bundy types. This is a positive and I give our front office full credit. However, I disagree that our focus on pitching development means that holes will be left on offensive side of development. All 30 teams need to develop every player in the organization.

I don't have as big a problem with the signing of France as other here seem to have. That's strictly because he is basically costing the minimum and France deserves the right to fight for a MLB job just like pre-arb players or minor leaguers do. However... the question from you that I have quoted is the wrong question to ask. The question is why do the Twins need to sign Ty France to nearly a minimum contract and then have to turn him into an everyday player. Nobody else was willing to offer him over 1 million and this is an everyday player for us. Seemingly vital to the overall healthy of our club for all of the reasons that you list. Is this need to sign Ty France a development issue? It's not the player that bugs me... it's the need for the player. Ty will probably have to play nearly every day... just like Pete Alonso will play nearly every day. France might do a great job, average job or he may what he has been for the past two years. Regardless... he won't be back in 2026. The need to sign a player that nobody else is willing to invest in and need him to play every day is the problem and that is a development issue in mind. It's not like the Twins haven't looked for big bopper types in the draft.

Before the year is out. Well... I guess I called that one.

From this list. Only Jansen was a true free agent signing. Kim doesn't make your list because he hasn't played yet but you can add Kim to Jansen to make the entire true free agent member total of two for the 2025 Tampa Rays. Apart from Jansen - The Following players from your list cost more than 1.5M this year. I choose 1.5 million because that is where a reasonably line of affordability can be drawn. Yandy Diaz - Acquired from Cleveland in a 3 team trade. Yandy was 27 at the time. He had a total of 299 MLB AB's at the time of the trade. It cost Tampa Pre-Arb player Jake Bauers. Jake was 22 at the time and he was acquired from the Padres as part of the Wil Myers deal. Wil Myers at the time was a pre-arb player who was one of the top prospects in baseball. Drew Rasmussen - Was acquired from the Brewers... there were other pieces involved but WIlly Adames was the main piece in the trade going to Milwaukee. At the time of the Deal Rasmussen was 25 years old, pre-arb with 27 appearences out of the bullpen over two years. Tampa immediately converted him to a starter and he did quite well right away. Willy Adames was in his last year pre-arb... his pay was going up the next year. 4 million paid by the Brewers. Pete Fairbanks - Acquired from the Rangers. At the time of the trade... Pete had a total of 8 innings of major league work with the Rangers. He was trade for Nick Solak who was a minor league prospect. Zach Littell was a waiver claim at age 27 after he was released by Boston. Boston had him briefly after acquiring from the Giants for Cash. (not Kevin Cash). Zach pitched will enough to be offered arbitration the following year for 1.8 million and they avoided Arbitration this year signing at 5.7 million Continuing on: Uceta was waived by the Dodgers, D-Backs, Tigers, Mets and Cubs before the Rays signed him to a minor league free agent deal at age 23. Morel was acquired from the Cubs... Cost the Rays Isaac Paredes. Morel was pre-arb, Paredes was making 3.4 million in his first year of Arb. Paredes was pre-arb when originally acquired from the Tigers for Austin Meadows. Austin Meadows was making 4 million in his first year of Arb at the time. Misner was a prospect acquired from the Marlins. Cost the Rays Joey Wendle at the time. Wendle was going into his first year of arbitration. Mangum should be on your list. He was also acquired from the Marlins. It was a multi player deal. Brujan and Faucher were the players that the Marlins received in the deal. All players involved in this deal make the minimum or are in the minor leagues. Cabellero was acquired from the Mariners. Cost the Rays Luke Raley. Both Players were pre-arb. Luke Raley was acquired from the Dodgers for a minor leaguer named Tanner Dobson. Deluca and Pepiot were acquired from the Dodgers. Cost the Rays Tyler Glasnow. Both Deluca and Pepiot were pre-arb players. Glasnow was making 15 million a year through arbitration and was about to hit free agency. The Dodgers agreed to absorb Manual Margot's contract in the deal and the Rays agreed to send 4 million in cash to play for another team and help the Dodgers absorb Margot's contract. Of Course... the Dodgers then traded Margot to the Twins were they were willing to send 4 million in cash to play for someone else and after two teams were paying 4 million to play for someone else... it was the Twins paying 4 million to actually play for them. Now it was the Rays who offered Margot a two year 19m deal which was a mistake so all teams make them. I can keep going but the point of all of this is too point out that the Rays have been much more resourceful with their young talent, developing and acquiring young talent that the Twins have. Yes they have acquired a lot of talent via trade but they moved players when they got expensive and kept the young pre-arb train rolling and they have won a lot of games in the process. I'm not saying that the Twins should be exactly like the Rays but when you dive deep into it. The Rays have been much better than the Twins have in terms of development and more resourceful with it.

What's insane is to think that anybody thinks that the entire 40 man can be homegrown. May I add insulting to insane? I hope everyone understands that I UNDERSTAND that there are multiple ways to build a roster. It's crazy that I have to type that but I truly honestly do understand that rosters can be built via draft/develop, trade, free agency and waivers and all 30 teams use a combination of these sources to build their roster. Each team will have varying percentages of each of the primary 3 sources (Development, Trade and Free Agency). Now if you want to use the Rays as an example. Yep... 24 on the 40 man roster were acquired via trade. 12 Twins on the 40 man roster were acquired via trade. Two to one in comparison with the Twins. The Rays are twice as active on the trade front. Truly homegrown players drafted and developed: 20 Twins on the 40 man were homegrown. 10 on the Rays. Two to one in comparison with the Rays. The Twins have directly utilized their farm twice as much as the Rays. The Twins currently have 9 pre-arb players on the 26 man roster with 2 on the IL. The Rays currently have 17 Pre-Arb players on the 26 man with 6 on the IL. The Twins have to pay at least 17 players more than the minimum. The Rays have to pay 9. The Twins are paying $142 million this season. The Rays are paying $79 million. I assume that neither team is happy with their start to 2025. I see a development problem with the Twins.

He's back in St. Paul and sending the ball out of the park. I agree that he looked awful in his limited Twins opportunities. Sending him down made perfect sense. We will probably see him again before the year is out.

i wouldn't platoon... that's for sure but Rocco is going to throw him on the short side. Since they signed him and since we have multiple players hitting well below average. I would let him compete for playing time but that's not going to happen either. Based on his utilization. The correct answer is not sign him in the first place.

If you continue to believe that I'm saying develop all 40 players on the roster... you will always be someone nobody wants to converse with. And... I really don't.

The median tenure is about 5.5 years so 9 Years would be sufficient in his line of work. Yes... we are quickly approaching the point.

Your second sentence is something that I've never said. Your third sentence... You are literally using MY POINT to argue MY POINT. Your 2nd paragraph isn't worth responding to. You are just spouting unnecessary elementary garbage as a continuation of your 2nd sentence which is already off base. Your 3rd Paragraph. Teams hire veterans (some more than others) to fill out rosters because they fail to develop. This is coming from a guy who isn't asking for a mass firing.

Bingo I've said this multiple times over the years and I will say it again. I will judge this front office on development and development alone. I think we have made good strides on the mound but on the offensive side... I am quite concerned and this front office has had more than enough time to not be where we are. The Twins are taking the same approach to filling out the offensive side of the roster as the big boys are. Free Agents and Vets are filling out the roster. However, the talent difference is striking. The big boys are signing Soto, Santander and Bellinger... we are signing Bader and France. If we try to play like the Yankees in here... we will lose to the Yankees out there is the line that sums it up from the movie Moneyball. Meanwhile, the Twins are quite simply behind the pace being set by the majority of the other 29 teams in terms of young controllable pre-arb players. Every time the Twins sign a Bader or a France to a one year deal (Even if Bader or France end up being average or even above average in the ONE YEAR that they are with us)... every time they do this... it should be a neon sign flashing to everyone watching that we have a development problem. If anyone doesn't believe this statement from me... just go to fangraphs/roster resource and look at all 29 teams and count the number of pre-arb players on the 26 man roster of each team. Take note of the development happening with Milwaukee and Cleveland and compare it with the Twins. The Twins are ranked in the bottom third of pre-arb players on the 26 man roster. Even the Red Sox with money flowing out of their pockets have nearly twice the number of pre-arb players than the Twins do. Here's the bottom line: If the front office chooses to live and die with lower priced one year contract vets that still cost 4 to 5 to 10 times what a pre-arb player makes. If they choose the path of the one year contract because they didn't develop pre-arb players that make the minimum because they think they have better odds of winning the game today. If they choose this path and fail. They deserve to lose their jobs because they have left themselves with no path out of this mess. The only path is to do it again because they purposely put development for tomorrow in the backseat for today. You are correct when you say: "If this organization had even a 50% hit rate on any number of young hitters, nothing else matters". Being ranked as the 7th best farm in baseball means absolutely nothing to me right now. Absolutely nothing. We can't afford to purchase players developed by other teams... we must develop our own. I'm tired of watching Jacob Wilson, Kristan Campbell, Jasson Dominquez, Eric Wageman, Jacob Mangum, Griffin Conine, Kameron Misner, Drake Baldwin, Javier Sonoja, Masyn Winn, Jackson Merrill, Jackson Chourio, Nolan Schnauel, Colton Cowser, Michael Busch, Joey Ortiz, Andy Pages, Wilyer Abreu, Spencer Horwitz, Pete-Crow Armstrong, Tyler Fitzgerald, James Wood, Spencer Steer, Corbin Carroll, Ezequial Tover, Gunnar Henderson, Anthony Volpe, James Outman, Josh Jung, Maikel Garcia, Triston Cases, Jordan Walker, Brice Turang, Brenton Doyle. Elly De la Cruz, Francisco Alvarez, Matt McLain, Kyren Paris, Yanier Diaz among MANY others playing for other clubs while we choose ONE YEAR GUYS who will be off to greener pastures if they succeed and searching for a minor league deal with another team if they don't.

The short answer. Games that matter in September is my minimum expectation every year. I don't know if that answers the question as it was phrased but I want to be in the playoffs. The question though... seemed to be phrased: Should the Twins just go to crap this season so Falvey and Baldelli are sent packing and the organization can begin new. In that regard. To be honest and this will probably cause some sharp disagreement with others but so be it. Ultimately... I don't want the GM and Manager lacking job security. I don't want their future dependent on Wins and losses. That may sound crazy to some but here is why. In order for a GM and Manager to do what is best for the organization long term... they can't be worried about the short term costing them their jobs. In other words... if Falvey and Zoll decide that a rebuild is in the best interest of the organization long term. I want them to be able to do it without worrying about the axe falling on them over the short term struggles that MIGHT come with that. I want the front office to feel secure enough to give a 26 man roster spot to a young controllable player with a future over a vet like Margot on a one year deal because it's best for the organization long term. I don't want Baldelli sacrificing long term because he feels like he must win or get tossed on the ex-manager scrap heap. I don't want Baldelli strip mining our young left handed hitters for parts because he needs to win now or lose his job. I want the front office and manager to have the job security to do what is best for the long term. If they do what is best for the organization long term... the short term will take care of itself. They can build an organization that will be bring me games that matter in September every year. Maybe just maybe... job security will provide them with the comfort to choose a controllable player with years to come in a Twins uniform over a vet on a cheaper one year contract that will not be back next year.