insagt1

He waited for the worst possible time to have his usual implosion. He looked awful the minute he took the mound in the 7th. Lost his composure quickly, as he often does...and it got ugly real fast. Snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Sox hit 3 out against Jose. When Falvey said nothing has lined up right this season...he wasn't kidding.

Not all that often does a guy spend over a month on the IL and come back with 2 straight long balls. Larnach is totally lost at the plate right now. Kirilloff is playing with an injury so we aren't getting his best. When Cave, Garlick and Refsnyder come back it will be interesting to see who goes where....assuming none of them are traded. Lets hope Berrios doesn't have one of his famous one inning meltdowns tonight. He has looked real good thru 5.

I was listening to Russo and Falvey too. what it sounds like he is saying publicly is he expects Twins to contend in 2022. So he won't be making trades to weaken what he feels is a decent group of players developing nicely. Sounds like he feels Buxton wants to stay but didn't come out and say negotiations are going well yet. The flavor I got was this is an outlier year where nothing is lining up and its not a burn them down rebuild them team.

interesting comment. In the now 'defunct' AAA International League (may it not R.I.P. but come back roaring from the dead when somebody recognizes the name really meant something...I digress), the manager always coached 3rd base, not another coach. So he was definitely 'in the game' bigtime. Haven't been to a game yet this year, but its probably still the same. So AAA managers probably don't have in-dugout flaps with players during the game. They are too busy monitoring the game as it happens.

not necessarily. Strategy is a lot different when you are losing 1-0. .When you are down by 7 late, you know yourchances of winning are very slim and you have to play for a big inning.

thank you ...that is encouraging then. Hope somehow we can keep him AND somehow he can stay healthy.

Maybe someone close to the team in Minneapolis knows more about Buxton. From his stays in Rochester, the lack of a callup a couple years back and even comments this year (for what its worth) that he may have been at odds with Rocco about getting back in the lineup...I have to wonder if he has any interest at all in staying with the Twins? Even if they opened the vaults? Anyone have serious comments about this?

Its a crapshoot Tim, thats all. Trading Cruz has been discussed over and over here. They may well trade him but no one is going to offer what he's 'worth'..a 41 year old DH who can't play the field. It would be a charity move. Historically, teams who offload talent at the deadline rarely get much in return because the buyers know they don't have to offer much. Yes, there are exceptions but overall, for me, I would rather wait to trade our value assets in the offseason when legit bargaining can happen. If someone blows us away with an offer for Cruz...that would be great and they should definitely do it. But I doubt that will happen. Has he requested a move? If so, then that too would be OK. I don't think we are a rebuilding team per se and to capture a few young studs who may or may not ever make the climb...especially pitchers doesn't excite me. But thats just my opinion based on decades of watching this grand old game. Sometimes you win, sometimes not. But I'm in the classroom that says if Twins are trading now to actually improve in '22 or ;23, its a real gamble. Trading for the sake of trading doesn't interest me. But I know others don't share that opinion and thats perfectly fine. I guess we will all have to wait and see.

actually fans all over the NHL drool over the draft. Its a big deal. I don't think it is in baseball. Tanking makes me sick in pro sports. Thats why I hate the whole draft process. It is geared towards not achieving...which to me in unacceptable. Pro sports is a business where the fans ante up significant dollars to be entertained. Winning is always more fun than losing. You must play to win every night and let the pieces fall where they may. Any idea that you should lose inorder to draft 'higher' to 'possibly' get a better player is wrongheaded and I wish the entire draft system was changed to totally take that aspect of 'tanking' or just plain losing out of the way. Twins may need to make trades, but best to do them in the offseason when they have a shot at getting legit talent (prospects or MLB ready players) Anyone know what major changes Boston and SF made from 20 to 21? Why are they so much better this season? When I watch the Twins every night, I watch with the expectation that no matter who plays, they go out to win. Period. They aren't making the playoffs this year. But I want them to win as many games as they can with the players they choose to play. And draft picks shouldn't enter into it. Pick # 100 could end up being as good as pick #5. Who really knows? The baseball talent pool is large. Anyway good discussion. no matter what side of it you are on!

You don't trade either pitcher. This is not a 'rebuild' team. And at the deadline you WON'T get value for either. Teams that want them will still be offering what little it takes. If Twins take that bait, they aren't playing with a full deck. Plus why are some SO sure Twins can't or won't afford to pay their core stars when the time comes? If you offer any of them..including Cruz or Donaldson...ask for the moon. If someone is dumb enough to pay the price....pull the trigger. If not, forget it.

Arraez and Polanco need to be in there everyday. If the Twins move Donaldson, perhaps Gordon gets a closer look? While in Rochester, Gordon made the tough plays, but most his errors were on routine grounders and easy throws to first. That was aggravating. From a fan aspect, yesterdays game was pure entertainment. The GS was a true downer. Then our HR in the 9th a total shocker. Duffey was great in the 10th. And Polanco is on a tear right now. Larnach is in one those funks where he has stopped making contact. And it is now becoming a mental thing as well. 15 k's in last 26 AB's 8 k's in his last 10. Perhaps the ASG break can help him sort things out. I still like our lineup. I don't like our pitching. I've given up trying to figure out what they will do next. What I do know is don't expect any great deals at the deadline.

Detroit is not the bottom feeder we may have expected. I know the Twins season is pretty much over, but I am still amused by the 'trading frenzy' many are proposing. I will stick to my thoughts that sellers don't usually profit from trade deadline trades. yes always exceptions, but usually buyers know sellers are 'desperate' and will offer very little. If the idea is to 'stock up' for 2023 or beyond, OK, maybe. Maybe a player or two will be moved, but I don't expect much in return at all. Might find a diamond in the rough, but not holding my breath. To fix this team, we need to do it right. Wait till the offseason and maximize the value of whoever it is we want to move.

I think its a bit unusual for just about every pitcher on a staff to be having brutal seasons at the same time. Twins bullpen has been a hot mess all season. the starters haven't been all that good either. You can't win when your pitchers are giving up touchdowns regularly. the number of games they have lost when Twins had the lead at some point in the game is staggering. A perfect storm. I don't think any of us saw this coming....to the extent it has. ( but if you want to see a REALLY awful pitching staff, check out the Orioles. Outside of Means, they have nobody who can get major league hitters out...there is a reason why they are 30 under .500)

The argument from the RBI haters gets so tedious. Look...the name of the game is score more runs than the other guy. If my guy comes up with RISP and gets the hit that drives in the run....I'm happy. Period. Stats be damned. I don't care how its done...just score more runs. Twins aren't doing that very well. As for Buxton..I can't imagine in any scenario, him wanting to stay with the Twins. He has had a rather stormy relationship with the organization from the get-go. He will catch the first oxcart out of town, when the time comes. I wish it weren't so, but I believe he wants out. This season isn;t helping the cause for him to stay.

EVen the biggest piece of optimism in me is gone. I could see us blowing 3 to Chicago, but carrying that forward to two lousy efforts against KC....unacceptable. Our entire pitching staff is throwing batting practice. No one is reliable. And you can see the malaise settling in. The guys have no confidence. Even if Buxton comes back in August for another 3 or 4 games, it isn't going to help.

But where is that pitching going to come from? Everyone needs pitching. No good one will be cast adrift at the deadline. The Twins may definitely be toast this year, but just offloading talent now, when they know they won't get value I don't think is the solution. The team will be a loser whether they trade now or not. So the question would be....how many years do you want to be 'rebuilding' and pretty much non-competitive? I go back to...I have to think, if you are a young fan, you are willing to sacrifice years perhaps. If you are older (ahem) time becomes more valuable and waiting around for a suspect to maybe float to the top isn't a happy thought! So Twins need to be somewhat practical and not knee-jerk...at least not without just giving away what talent they do have. They need pitching...they won't get it on July 31st...

Twins shouldn't give away their talent. They should require (demand) a very good offer or 'forget it'! I don't think Twins are 'desperate' to just dump talent. But I am also finally coming to the realization that they just don't have it this season. The lineup is fine. the pitching is pathetic...almost to a man. Berrios may be the only exception. Even Rogers will go cold. Last time out he came in with sacks loaded and gave up all 3 runs. But oh well

I find it interesting that the 'solution' to the Twins 2021 is to start selling off everyone in sight...so we can be competitive in, oh lets see, 3 or 4 or 5 years? thats just not the answer. Yeah--the 3 game sweep pretty much drove the final nail in the 2021 season, but the answer isn't dismantling the team. Not now anyway. The deadline selloffs don't do much to help the team. Offseason makes more sense when maybe Twins can get legit value for assets they want to dump. Pitching is priority though. Anyone been checking the recent performances of Robles and Alcala? Over the past 7 games....just a total mess. Over the past 15 games, just about as bad. These two guys are contributing nothing. We know the problems of all the rest too.

After last nights beatdown (yes, I'm losing faith that this team can stay afloat) I was just thinking about something...I wonder what the demographic is on this site as to age? Its not a dumb question. The older one gets (or is...in my case) how willing or unwilling is that person to simply 'throw away' 2 or 3 seasons, like they were nothing? If one is young and has all the time in the world, does that in any way influence their thinking? Do they feel that its fine to just blow up, trade away, take chances on never tested prospects with the idea that maybe some will stick to the wall and create a winner years down the road? Remember the Cubs mantra or the Brooklyn Dodgers (well most here may not have been alive when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn) ...'wait'll next year' was the cry after another failed season. Sometimes there isn't a next year....when the Expos were stolen out from under me, suddenly there was no next year to look forward to. The Nationals hardly compensate...in fact I can't stand them. Anyway, I often wonder if age influences the way we think about our teams?

For every situation, trade, deal etc, there will always be exceptions on either end. My contention is i doubt the Twins will improve much by selling. Certainly not this season (which isn't why 'bad' teams sell anyway). How many Tatis Jr's are there in the universe? For everyone of him, you have a cruise ship full of wannabe's and neverwills. My feeling about Twins 2021 is they have a lot of talent...and much of it is still young. I think this team, with a tweak in pitching, can contend in the AL Central next season. Plus, in baseball, you don't have to spend 'years' rebuilding. Teams go from worst to first all the time in one season. RedSox may be that team this year. While I am not ignoring the 'good deals' I am also not forgetting all the rest.

Buyers? No. Sellers? Why? Sacrificing 2022? Absolutely not. After a pandemic with fan interest teetering, telling them that they don't plan on competing in 2022 is not very smart. Sellers rarely improve at the trade deadline. All they really do is shed salary. Twins can take care of changes during the offseason. Any visions of getting 'value' for Cruz, for example, is pie in the sky. His 'value' is highest where he is. No contender will be giving up young talent (not suspects) for a couple months of a 41 year old DH.

discouraging loss for sure. I'm not raising the white flag yet. The killer inning was when the 3-2 deficit became 7-2 on a bunch of singles...and many with 2 outs from players you are supposed to get out. Can;t afford to lose the next 2. But the pitching is very bad...no question.

This is a GREAT discussion....with lots of well thought out ideas. I have followed the game since 1959. I love baseball. But not all the stuff that has happened over the past few years. I live in a minor league city (Rochester) with a top notch GM who is on top of the marketing game. Sadly, he recognizes that to get families with kids to the games now, you need entertainment beyond the game itself. It burns me to think this is true, but apparently it is. So we live with ungodly loud music...having nothing to do with the game...practically non-stop at times. (its worse in hockey BTW) We have contests, fireworks, all kinds of different food, special guests...you name it, Every night . It brings people in. The price of admission is also a factor. I have often said I don't know whether to bless or curse Curt Flood. Free agency has resulted in the completely outrageous salaries major leaguers get..and that 'cost' gets passed on to the fans in the form of outrageous ticket prices. No family needs to pay $50 per ticket (or more) to watch the RedSox play the Royals at Fenway. Yes I get the players are 'entertainment', but there has to be a reasonable ceiling. In this, both players and owners have gotten too greedy. The minors have tested new things to speed up the game. Most of it is legitimately good. Pitch clock...absolutely needed. Even Morneau was grousing about one of the Twins relievers who took waaaay too long between pitches...grinding the flow of the game to a standstill. And if the batter constantly leaves the batters box...he gets timed too. Automatic strikes and balls are rung up. What we found is that the players quickly adapted. There weren't very many automatic calls and the game moved along. Less time between innings. Absolutely. The advertisers can learn to get their message out quicker. Changing pitchers...also timed and also needed. What can even be better is to reduce the warm up pitches from 8 to 4. Why do they need 8 when they have been heating up forever in the pen. 4 pitches is enough to 'get used to the mound'. Tosses to first. Another game killer. The lower minors are experimenting with limiting tosses to 3. I'd rather see stolen bases than a litany of wasted tosses to first. Eliminate the shift! Oh please do that. No need to elaborate. Return baseball strategy....the bunt, the stolen base, hitting to the opposite field. Those added a lot to the game in the past. Lower the mound or push it back. Strikeouts are the most boring thing about baseball. Lastly (and most here won't like this) but the game has become to technical. I guarantee you kids aren't going to games talking about exit speed, launch angle, and all the unnecessary many lettered acronyms you need a dictionary to translate. Too much. Bring back basic baseball...BA, HR, RBI, ERA. Its still a game. Not an exercise in computer science. The average length of a well played game should be 2 1/2 hours, give or take. I still love the game but i fear for its future if we can't get the next generation on board. Theres a lot of work to be done.

got a chuckle out of not being able to spell or pronounce many names on the roster! I agree. I can't spell or pronounce our backup catcher. Is is some kind of cheese people use for salad dressing??

Gordon first, then Refsnyder when he's ready. Celestino should be in AAA. He's one prospect that isn't ready to get playing time right now. My optimism will continue thru this coming week. If they finish below .500, it would appear that nothing much has changed. However if they do well, and start a decent run, the games will be fun. Statistically very few teams this far behind by July 1 ever make post season, but its not impossible...if your team is decent, but just not clicking yet. Twins are NOT the O's or the D'backs. However I do worry, a lot, about our pitching. And thats not rocket science is it!