insagt1

I don't think Buxton is in a 'slump'. A slump would indicate that he was hitting well and then really cooled off. He has had a miserable season pretty much from the get-go. He has hit a few HR's, yes, but overall he has been one huge liability in the lineup. Not surprised that he isn't admitting it has anything to do with him physically..he may even be told not to discuss that..but given his history and the way he looks at the plate, and the fact that he is not playing CF, AT ALL, certainly seems to indicate he is not right physically. His body continues to betray him. Would shutting him down now, and giving him perhaps one more shot at getting healthy help? Since he is not contributing anything of value being in the lineup as a non hitting DH only, could it really hurt? Or will he somehow do a 'Kepler' and perk up for awhile? He's a gamer so you can only wish the best for him. But Twins might seem to be a better team without him these days.

Gallo and Kepler. Favorite topic apparently. Gallo is Sano at the plate and is better than him defensively. He might still hit 30 dingers. He will also strike out more than anyone else on the roster (not named buxton) He's probably untradeable and he won't be back. Kepler is a .232 career hitter. He has only achieved that number once since 2017 so its unlikely he will be much better than that. Offensively he has only had one real good season (2019) where he had power and BA. Right now, he has heated up and has been a significant reason why the Twins offense has perked up. Historically this blip has not been sustainable but he is who he is. They might trade him? Wallner and Larnach to replace those two? I don't think either of them, as regulars, would be much of an upgrade. We really don't know much about Wallner and Larnach hasn't been all that impressive in his time with the Twins. Julian has really been a pleasant surprise. If Polanco and Lewis come back healthy Twins don't really need infielders do they? Both can hit are adequate defensively. Buxton can't play the outfield. And he can't hit. So having him in the lineup right now is of no value at all. Most here feel he is injured and if that is so, he needs to be shut down. He isn't providing anything useful by striking out every other AB (or worse) and looking hopeless doing it. This is a very sad situation because of what he 'could' be, but his body continues to betray him, and finally it seems to be overtaking his ability to perform. Perhaps he should simply not play the rest of 2023 and see if he can somehow really get healthy again. Pagan...well he's doing a 'Kepler' right now. His last several outings, even in pressure spots, have been decent. but sustainable? Do we trust him? this certainly has been a strange season.

Good to see Kirilloff going the opposite way with his power. I'd keep Buxton on the bench for the rest of this series. Hopefully some serious conversations have to ensue with him as to what has gone wrong with him this season. If his injuries are the cause of his awful AB's, then he needs to sit it out. Problem is he is chronically injured and that is unlikely to change barring a miracle of sorts. The Buck we yearn to see again, has been missing all season. Wish it weren't so.

Kepler redeemed himself slightly. His weak ground out with sacks loaded has been typical of the streaky hitter. The 3 run HR in the 9th was sort of cruel. Resulted in a 1 run loss instead of a 4 run loss. Twins were striking out with reckless abandon last night so the final out being a 'k' was predictable. Buxton is simply having a miserable season. His AB's are weaker than ever and he just isn't making contact at all anymore. Is he hurt more than we know? Its hard to picture him this bad. He needs to sit. Twins lead trimmed to 1.5 games as Guards romped over Bucs.

If that is what you meant, it wasn't real obvious. But, I agree with you, Arraez wont be the NL MVP unless perhaps he did hit .400, which he won't do. theres a reason why it hasn't been done in over 80 years. Just like there won't be any 56 game hitting steaks anymore either,; but there might be a 100 stolen base season now that the Reds have that exciting new kid running wild. The bigger bases, fewer tosses to first allowed may help some, but he does add something that has been missing lately to the mix. Its refreshing to see players like Acuna this season. He's a throwback to the day when a guy was not single-dimensional. He combines power speed and the ability to get on base. Vlad Guerrero was that guy too. He missed a 40-40 season by one HR. He had monster power, but he also got on base a lot, had blinding speed and didn't strike out a ton. It broke my heart that he chose to go into the HOF as an Angel, because he would have been the very last Expo to make it in. To this day though many still think of him as an Expo (and in full disclosure, I am completely biased as I lived in Mtl when the Expos were born, and felt the inconsolable pain when they were moved..its hard to get over stuff like that)

I'm pretty sure the main purpose of the original post wasn;t as much about k's as it was about the value of a power hitter over a singles hitter...with k's being the expected consequence of having a power bat in the lineup. So if one argues along that line, then of course they will also argue that k's aren't so bad cuz you have to accept them from free swingers trying to hit the ball from Minnesota to Utah. If Gallo's infrequent HR's singularly win the Twins 10 or 11 games, the argument could be made he is worth the money. But if not, he is clearly a liability because he is definitely a rally killer more often than not, I guess if we are all sitting at the ballpark and the game goes to the final inning with Twins trailing, men on base...would the discussion be, who do we want up right now? Thats what makes baseball so much fun day in and day out. Toward the end of the Expos, if one asked me that question I wouldn't blink. It would be Vlad Guerrero everyday all day. A free swinger, but with modest k numbers and an ability to turn a game around in a blink. Some players just ooze excitement; others not so much.

thanks guys, I knew SOMEBODY fired their hitting coach! Twins should probably follow suit though. Something has to be shook up.

did I hear the hitting coach was let go? Twins unfortunately caught the O's at the wrong time this past weekend. Taking advantage of the Rays first slump, they pared 4 games off their deficit with some very inspired play against a very uninspired team and are now even in the lost column with TB. O's came off their 5 game losing streak with a 5 game win streak. Thats how its done! Gibson has 'won' 9 games despite some pretty ugly pitching this year. Helps to have some bats bail you out. As for Hicks...he isn't a bad ballplayer. He was pretty abused in NY over the past couple of seasons and he has been re-born in Baltimore. Making major contributions and the clubhouse loves him. Change of scenery was perfect. Returned to NY last week. Yanks gave him a video tribute and the fans booed. Classless response. I have always maintained that every time the Yankees lose a game, an angel gets its wings. Twins definitely need to make major adjustments 2nd half. While their pitching couldn't contain the Orioles, the bigger issue is the dead lineup. They looked OK against KC...but everybody looks good against them. They have a few days off now to try and figure things out.

Kepler has always been a very streaky hitter. Right now for the last 15 games, he has been one of our best hitters. Wish he could maintain most of that. Buxton is hitting the ball hard. He even stole a base. Sure hope he can keep this up. OTOH, Miranda is not squaring up the ball. Hasn;t had a hit since his return, but his outs have been weakly hit balls, which was his problem earlier in the season. Wonder how long his leash is? There are other options in St. Paul.

k's 'generally not productive?? Try never productive. Ever. Its a wasted out. Yes cue the GIDP argument. But putting the ball in play always gives you a chance for something to happen. If players hit into same number of DP's as k's...there would be a legit argument. Comparing Gallo to Killebrew is just plain not reasonable. How many of Gallo's HR have made a difference? A few maybe but who do you want at the plate with the game on the line, trailing by one run with two outs and a runner on 2nd or 3rd? We said the same thing about Sano. The odd chance he might hit one out is negated by the more likely event he will strikeout. While you realistically would want a power hitter up in that spot, not one who strikes out more than 40% of the time. having said that, Gallo is a hard worker and he tries hard. Can't question his effort at all. And I don't just view his low BA as a huge negative. But he just doesn't make enough contact to see him in the lineup everyday. Still, there is half a season to go and if his bat wins a fair number of games we will applaud of course. The Twins have a roster of players who don't make contact enough. Will that sink them? Maybe. Maybe not. You just don't cavalierly ignore this many k's game in and game out. It's an out that produces nothing. It doesn't move runners. Doesn't score a guy from 3rd with less than 2 outs. It greatly helps the pitcher wiggle out of jams, especially in extra innings where they have to deal with the ghost runner. But all of this is still why we all watch, right? Its baseball. Played everyday. You lose one day 14-3 and win the next 1-0. We cheer and boo. We ride the crest when we win and lament the trough when we lose. Its still a great game and we love to discuss, debate and analyze everything about it. All good!

Tell Carew or Rose or Ichiro that they didn't contribute majorly to their teams offense. For heavens sake...different players, different teams, different compositions on how to score runs. You are doing everything in your power to try and discredit Arraez's contributions because clearly you are a fan of the longball. I like it too, but I also hate all the k's that often go with. Occasionally a Sano or Gallo will hit a meaningful HR...but like singles hitters, not all HR's are meaningful from game to game. Marlins like Arraez and they are playing winning baseball. Apparently they are content with that. BTW--comparing any player to Acuna Jr this season is sheer folly. Why not also compare with Othani? Players having monster seasons...and yet in the latters case, the team still can't win despite his 31 dingers. Baseball is a team game. They all contribute and you need all kinds of players to do it. Comparing a spray hitter with a power hitter has very little value other than just for fun.

the original article here was written around the middle of May. Since that time Gallo has regressed badly (last couple of games he has perked up a tad with some long balls, but he is still on a pace to strike out minimally 1,000 times this season😅) His value to the Twins from that point in May to the end of June was abysmal. Same timeframe Arraez was cruising towards .400. And Marlins were a team on the upswing. Now I really doubt Arraez will hit .400. I don't doubt he can win the battling title and get 200 hits this season. So far he is at .389 with 36 runs scored and 41 driven in (not bad for a leadoff slap hitter) he has also fanned a grand total of 17 times (which is about what Gallo does in a week or less) OPS is ,922. He has walked 25 times + 8 more intentionally. You never hurt your team overall when you get hits or walks. You rarely ever help your team when you strikeout. Since that May post we now see Gallo with OPS of .798. He has 87 k's in 187 AB's. 27 runs scored and 28 driven in (15 of those driving in himself) His BA is .193 which is only 6 points lower than his career BA of .199. The 'comparison' of those two players has taken a major left turn. FWIW.

I don't agree with the analysis at all. Comparing the 'value' of Arraez vs Gallo is just disingenuous IMO. I agree that if Gallo was offered to Miami for Arraez,,,1000 out of 1000 people would say 'no way' so fast your head would spin. Devaluing Arraez because of his ( at the time) 14 runs scored; and over-valuing Gallo's modest HR total doesn't make any sense. How many rallies has Gallo killed by striking out about once every two AB's? How many rallies does a base hit ever kill? Its a team game and you can't do it all by yourself. Whether the trade was a good one or not will probably be debated until the season ends and see how things shake out. But trying to make us believe that Gallo is more valuable than Arraez just doesn't make sense. They are totally different players with different skills. I think many here are kinda fed up with the homer or nothing approach the Twins lineup brings to the table.

even the very best closers will miss once in awhile. Bautista was sailing along as he usually does against Cincy last week two outs none on 1 run game...and he inexplicably gives up a tater to a guy who was hitting under .200 and was not a HR hitter (could argue I guess he already had hit one earlier...but the odds of another one against the guy with the best k to IP ratio in baseball were enormous) Blown save. What he usually does is what he did today. Duran has been pretty sharp this season. Today he wasn't sharp. I get the walk to O'Hearn..I think that was semi-intentional all the way...so he could face a raw rookie who may have been impatient to make an impression. I HATE that games are being shown on Peacock. How many streaming services does one have to buy? Moving baseball games around like this stinks.

Come on...snarky comments like that (whether intended or not) are beneath your normal solid takes. The article was well written and thoughtful. And yeah, maybe we all need a deep breath and some air cleansing regarding the trade. What we also need is some change in direction. There are a few players who either need to be moved, some to be called up and perhaps some to be sat down for a spell. If Twins FO is serious about winning this year they just can't stay the course anymore. Fans justifiably are frustrated. How many post season GAMES have the Twins lost in a row? Just getting there is not enough anymore.

one thing for sure..Buxton is a gamer and should never be accused of 'being soft'. He only knows one speed...all out. That makes all of this more frustrating. His history would imply that putting on the IL for 10 days, or 20 days, or even 2 months isnt going to heal him up. He had the entire offseason to heal and it didn't happen. His body is betraying him by degree. Remember Bobby Orr? His career ended in 9 years because his knees were shot and unfixable to play his sport. No one ever accused Orr of being soft. His body just didn't let him play anymore. Buck may be in that same category. His knees may be shot. And the rest of his body can't compensate anymore, so its one injury after another.

expected a lot more from Correa and Buxton for sure. Kepler and Gallo--didn't expect much from the get-go. Will the former 2 improve 2nd half? Will the latter 2 be gone by the ASG? Is Kirilloff going to make it this season? His BA is fair, and his power is gone. Where does he fit in? Maybe he needs more games to get back into the groove after his surgeries? Does Larnach have a place on this team ultimately? Will Miranda get another shot this season? Stevenson? Will Twins finally cut Pagan? How much longer will that experiment continue? His 'good stuff' is apparently only 'good' when nothing is on the line. Losing to the Braves is no crime but it does point out just how far below the Twins are this season when compared to the really good teams.

The Braves are just .001 away from being the best team in MLB. I think they already are. These last 2 games were no contests. Twins hitters can't figure it out. When they aren't striking out with runners in scoring position, they are hitting weak grounders and pop ups. What to fix first? Plate approach. The k's MUST be reduced. Then they look at how to make better contact to start driving the ball again. They had so many chances yesterday but looked like a little league team at the plate. (the opposition can help that look) Clearly when you are playing a team like Atlanta, talented over the top, you change your approach. Runner at 3rd, one out (and you are hitting like crap) lay one down and get that guy home. Runner on 1st and a DP or K-man up next...steal a base. Other teams are doing it. Figure out how to manufacture runs instead of flailing away trying to hit it 500 feet. Cut the deadwood. Make some changes. St.Paul has some talent that needs to be looked at. Leadership. Since Cruz left, there has been none. Since Eddie and Turtle left (for all their weaknesses) there is no excitement. This team isn't having any fun. Even in a miserable division, they have been on top but they certainly don't look like they are enjoying it. Correa, Buxton, Gallo and Kepler have been major disappointments so far. Polanco has been hurt most the season. Kirilloff seems to have lost all his power. Twins have reached the halfway mark under .500 but still .5 in first. That isn't going to last the week. The talent may be there, but the execution isn't. Could be a long hot miserable summer.

I really do struggle though with 'several excellent seasons'. One, possibly two? Very low BA; high strikeout ratio, some power, but not extraordinary, OK defense. He just isn't the guy you build your offense around. And yeah, the guy just cannot touch a change-up. Its painful watching him flail away. Other than that, I guess he's fine.

The strikeout is the most useless out in baseball. Nothing happens and you don't give the opposition a chance to make a mistake. You don't hit into that many DP's to justify any 'value' of a strikeout. Twins have blown so many scoring opps with strikeouts by the boatload. Gallo is actually worse than Sano ever was. He needs to be gone by the ASG. Time to give Miranda another shot. Also how about Stevenson? What could it hurt? See what he might be able to do. Kepler can't hit but occasionally he gets a hot streak. The Gallo signing was not a good one, but I guess they were hoping to catch lightning in a bottle...change of scenery has really helped Aaron Hicks for example. But you can't keep playing 2 guys who have not hit over .140 for over a month. (Joey and Buck)

agree with above and have voiced same opinion. Right now the trade looks awful but it could change. Also topics like this are good for this website because they do elicit a wide spectrum of comments. Why have forums like this if commentary can't flow..emotional or not. My constant thought for years on any trade has been,...be very careful when you trade an everyday position player for a pitcher. Unless that pitcher is a bonafide game changer, its usually not that hot of an idea. If the everyday player is definitely expendable, then perhaps you roll those dice. So halfway thru 2023 it can be said Miami is getting a lot more out of this trade than Minnesota. Let's see if Arraez can sustain and if Lopez can improve. Will the Marlins make post season and will the Twins also somehow sneak in.

Amazing that despite all the injuries, the guys who are playing seem to be having their worst career year, or close to it. Memory is a bit fuzzy, but I seem to remember that way back in the day Earl Weaver used to issue fines for stuff like not getting a runner in from 3rd with less than 2 outs. (and Earl subscribed to the 3-run HR offense) Storm clouds started forming when Twins unloaded the AL batting champ for a 'hopeful' starting rotation 'ace'. Then they cast k-king Sano adrift and added his clone Gallo to replace his k's. They 'won' the Carlos Correa sweepstakes from Mets and Giants and so far all they 'won' was a 3 month struggle and a BA barely over .200. Wow. The strikeouts with runners on, for me, is the most aggravating part of this season. And it isn't close to improving. I would be ready to tell these guys to lay one down with a runner on 3rd. What can it hurt except perhaps a bunch of egos?

one poster tried to justify this trade by instructing us that Arraez is merely a 'one-tool' player. Guess doesn't matter that the one tool is a sledge hammer that Twins sorely miss in their punch-out lineup this season. His average 'd' cannot nullify what he brings to the lineup. (Imagine him being the Twins DH this season...Buxton not withstanding) Always tricky trading an everyday player for a pitcher that will only make possibly 25-30 starts, pitching maybe 6 innings, unless that pitcher is Cy Young. Twins rolled the dice and so far things haven't gone well. Is this Monday morning Q-backing? No--Arraez won the batting title last year. Twins knew what they were giving up. Even if Lopez turns it around and wins 8 or 9 games 2nd half, Twins have not received equal value in that trade. At least not in 2023. Could Arraez come back to earth 2nd half and flop badly? Always that chance, but as a pure hitter, probably not. That would be like saying Gallo will stop striking out beginning July 1. (if he's still on the team) It was a trade that shouldn't have happened.

agree with everything you said except your opinion of Arraez's value to this team. If ever a team needed someone like him (a batting champion no less) in a lineup filled with players who strike out regularly and kill rallies on a nightly basis its the Twins. We can forgive Gallo for his shortcomings and yet he has added very little to the success of this team, so far. As of this day, Twins have not gotten value for the Arraez trade, unfortunately...and surprisingly. In your quiet hours I think you would admit that there are probably around 30 MLB teams that would welcome such a 'one tool' player as Arraez, without blinking. Twins were hoping to catch some lightning in a bottle by trading for a pitcher that would do better than an ERA of 4.30 and have just 3 wins so far. It has only been 3 months but if we had to grade his contribution so far, it would not be a good one. But the season is a marathon, not a sprint so we'll see. If I were in Vegas, I'd say as soon as they put Buxton back in CF, he will go down within 1 to 2 weeks. He is already hurt so what is anyone really expecting. Buck only knows one speed so one diving catch, one sprint against a wall, one anything really...and that will be that.

Nice to see Hicks get a fresh start with the O's. He is really starting to hit again and the players really like having him around.