tony&rodney

I don't understand how anything you wrote has anything to do with what I wrote, but it's all good.

Understood that most people are NFL, NBA, or NHL fans and also follow MLB, but the comparisons don't work at all in my humble opinion. The idea of those cap and floor numbers working for a league that has mostly chaos across its media contracts seems absurd to me. I totally accept that many people believe in the concept and also want it. The owners created this baby and they can work with the MLBPA to solve how they want to proceed going forward. MLB might face a tough challenge getting the Dodgers to drop roughly $160 million from their payroll when their contracts (player and media) are all signed and guaranteed. I expect some modifications of the current arrangements, mostly because the owners are not too interested in making all of their books public.

Sam, this seems like it is a bit inflammatory but has some runway; I can agree with your take. The Twins were not proactive about pushing Emmanuel out of Spring Training .... true. Rodriguez did get injured ... again .... needed surgery again .... and was a little slow to come back again. Baseball is pretty tough that way. Clearly Emmanuel Rodriguez is a "potentially" plus plus player at the major league level but he also has his warts. The Twins may find it tough to give him a job full time with all of Keaschall, Jenkins, and Buxton clearly higher on the list. It doesn't help to have Roden, Mendez, Martin, etc. also looking for a roster spot. Thus, it does seem like the Twins would be open to dealing Rodriguez. The Twins should be open to dealing anyone. The problem is the return. In late July of 2025 the Twins started a rebuild but then cut it off when it seemed like a number of players had solid value that might bring back the proverbial haul. In September of 2026 there has to be a number of questions whether there is value in many/any Twins players from other teams. I guess we will see how November plays out. Emmanuel Rodriguez could be the guy heading out.

What did people expect? Look to the beginning of the year. Talent plays to its level. The offense was pretty lucky for a while but is spotty now. The rotation went down with Pablo and has been mol ok over the course of the year, especially considering they pitched in front of some wonky defense. The bullpen was a disaster but has been resurrected to ok. The defense was the worst in all of baseball but has risen to just below average. The primary players by position are usually stretched compared to most opponents: Jeffers is a below average catcher but he has hit well this year; at first base, Lewis is below average at most things; Clemens has been a surprise with the bat and is a good utility player but below average on defense at second; Lee has improved to become a decent third baseman and he hits home runs; Culpepper is just getting his feet wet but is a big improvement; Larnach, in left, works hard but is well below average with the glove and not exactly a batsman; Buxton was smoking the ball for a bit but is no longer among the top dozen defenders in CF; Keaschall is a great story at the plate but still a rough player, albeit improving, in right. A fair argument can be made that 6 of the 8 primary regulars fit best at DH. Josh Bell has been a decent DH and we are glad he was pulled off first base duty. Changes to the playing roster are needed but the manager and coaching staff have been good.

Not true at all. There is a difference between publishers, looking over MLB Pipeline and Fangraphs as just two examples. Fangraphs notes the "average" range of Houston. Whatever your favored source, as always, I suggest you watch the games themsleves and see a little bit for yourself. The guys who matter are the coaches and people within the Twins system. Houston will never be elite because of his range and arm. Marek has really good hands though. Watch the games and you will see him handle just about any play smoothly. Houston is impressive with his consistency. If ratings impress you, you will note that Brandon Winokur has a higher defensive ceiling/ranking than Marek Houston. Houston is a better shortstop by a fair amount compared to Winokur but does not have his range or arm. Try to watch Marek Houston play some time.

Every time there is an article connected to or even a mention of Marek Houston, I wonder how many times the writer or poster has watched Houston play in baseball games as opposed to watching video or looking at statistics. This is not a negative reaction towards anyone but rather curiosity of how one comes to a position. Thus a question - has the writer or poster watched Marek Houston play in at least 25 games or more credibly 50-100 plus competitions? The Twins have suffered from rostering lineups that are routinely less athletic than their opponents in recent years. Attempts have been made to move players around to maximize talents or minimize the damage of their players. Fans are naturally looking for options and Marek Houston, as a former first round draft choice, is a common name forwarded for future lineups. Houston entered pro ball with a reputation as someone who had a good glove but was seen as carrying a weak bat. Because Marek is a big dude and fairly athletic, he has made changes in his swing to become a better bat. In the field Houston has played clean baseball, but outside of Twins territory he doesn't get specific mention for anything special. MLB prospect rankings puts his arm at 55 and his glove at 60, but notably has 27 shortstops rated higher than Houston. Take that with a grain of salt. I'm not an expert but have watched him play in games more than 50 times. This is notably via milb.com, which is nowhere near as good as seeing a player in person, thus there are definitely shortcomings in my views. I have talked with a few people as well. Marek Houston is a smooth shortstop and his main feature is how easily he completes plays. He covers quite a bit of ground and has a good arm, but nobody should expect him to see him show the range or arm of Kaelen Culpepper or for that matter of Brandon Winokur. Houston is clearly a better shortstop than Winokur. Whether Houston would move Culpepper off the position depends on two factors which won't be known for at least a full year or more. The first is whether Houston can hit at the major league level. The second is whether management wants the consistent smooth play of Houston over the better relay throws and range of a Culpepper. Culpepper will make a few more mistakes/errors. In sum, Marek Houston is a prospect to watch but one people may need to show some patience with as he develops. This summer Houston displayed a better bat and baserunning than was previously expected. Red Sox prospect, Franklin Arias, had a real breakout as well. Young athletes can improve quite a bit from year to year and another leap in proficiency by Marek Houston from 2026 to 2027 would be an exciting development for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. The article closes with a paragraph that make the most sense. Perhaps Sam has watched quite a bit of minor league baseball and that leads him to his conclusion. I'm not second guessing or questioning anyone on their thoughts but merely wonder how people come to their thoughts.

Walker Jenkins with a really good, long plate appearance that ends with another home run, well hit.

Totally agree that the decision is not simple. What we do know is that Buck is playing at well below a replacement player for two months. Yes, there have been a few wonderful dashes where he displayed the elite sprint speed and he has made a couple of decent defensive plays as well. The however has prevailed though with numerous balls dropping, throws being offline because he does not get into position to make the plays, and frequent weak plate appearances. It is very difficult to play baseball when one cannot manage fine motor skill details due to injuries. Buxton is the face of the Twins and he wants to play but he sure looks damaged most of the time since late June. We cling to the brief flashes when the reality of July and August are actually stunning. Yet, we hope .....

Really could be two runs with a defense that makes the plays. The bats have not been good but if there is a Brewers/Rays/Guardians/Padres type defense behind Bradley it is only two runs. Bradley was really good. The Twins chose offense when building the roster. We see the results every game. The biggest improvement this team made this season was shifting players around to make modest defensive changes. The biggest improvement the team could make for next season is to somehow roster much better defenders at every position. Naturally there are people who do not believe defense is that important, which is how the Twins wound up with their current roster in the first place. I'm firmly in the camp of Defense Matters.

Taj Bradley was terrific. It is a rough go for the pitchers when a fly ball falls or a base hits slip through to the wall. The pressure to throw a shutout and strike out so many hitters is not sustainable. Defense matters. Rough night at the plate for the bats. There is another game tomorrow. The Athletics currently feature a group of players very surprised to be wearing a MLB uniform, but due to the avalanche of injuries these guys are hungry to prove themselves. What will Connor Prielipp bring to the mound tomorrow night? If one wants to look at an important stretch - there are fifteen games in a row against AL Central teams starting on Friday night. There is the answer.

Well, it was fyi.

I'm game/ready for that.

No, I meant it is not a consideration by the Twins. They care about development by Riley Quick, Vahn Lackey, and others but that is not in play with Walker Jenkins. He does not need more development time and the Twins are well aware of that. The reason Jenkins is not on the 26 roster now is Keaschall, Buxton, and Larnach. Those are tough decisions.

I know the rule. That was not the point.

People can believe whatever they want. I had never met a flat earther until 2000 and have met a number since that time. It's a whatever type of thing. As far as keeping players who deserve to be called up off the roster, there are front office and management concerns that are legitimate about veterans and the clubhouse but nothing related to any potential lockout or other stuff to do with 2027. Watching Byron Buxton trying to pretend he is alright and healthy enough to play at 50% is getting old for everyone, not just the fans. Buck is respected but he needs a little self reflection. Can he play? Only Byron is going to answer that question it seems. Being unable to cut off that ball tonight should be an answer but we won't know how Buxton or the Twins view that until tomorrow.

FWIW - That's not a thing.

Andrew Morris was working on his breaking stuff and offspeed when he was called up to save the flailing bullpen. He has held up remarkably well all things considered. The generally less than adequate defense across the Twins minor league system is reflected at the major league level and has cost Morris more than most pitchers because his strikeout rates are not high. Soft contact is still contact and until the defense improves, guys who need adequate defenders to turn outs into outs will be hurt. Hopefully Morris can develop an effective change of pace to compliment his fastball and cutter. Certainly Morris has been a huge addition to the team this season and not a worry.

Maybe but you are correct. It is way too early right now to think about next year. The Twins are paying close attention to how the current players perform down the stretch. The one thing that I expect and am actually pretty sure will occur is a shift that includes better defensive players wherever it is possible.

Why would you make this comment? What do you know that could possibly make your statement anything other than slander or just lazy?

Why does the phrase, "beating a dead horse" apply here? Or maybe music ... "That was yesterday and yesterday's gone".

Coming into this season absolutely nobody expected the Twins to be anywhere near a playoff position. Now it is easy and pointless to suggest that all of the American League teams are mediocre. Perhaps the competitive level has risen and the separation between teams is less than usual. In any event, whatever take one has, the reality of the current situation is plain - the Twins have a shot at two unexpected goals, reaching .500 and qualifying for the playoffs. The schedule favors the team. The Twins are clearly a flawed roster. The starting rotation is a mess and is not getting outs in the 7th inning. The bullpen has rebounded from the disaster of March through May. The bats are so inconsistent it is often maddening how a flow of solid plate appearances are followed by hacks with no plan. The defense, much better than early in the season, is still lacking range. The thing is .... any team can get hot and go on a run. Kansas City is 9-1 in their last 10 games. Nick is right, the time is now. I'm not sure how the Twins will navigate any possible changes to their roster. It seems impossible that Walker Jenkins is not up and playing left field. His glove alone is nearly an out per game from the normal guys out there. I can respect the difficulty of the decision though and despite how much I may believe this current Twins team needs Walker Jenkins, I can accept the thought that management is sticking with Trevor Larnach and Alan Roden. Go Twins.

Dude, all EARNED. Error was erased on pickoff.

Usually watch games with sound off, mostly because I am also watching a minor league game on the computer. Morneau is really bad. He might be the worst color commentator around. He and Kris Attebury should work together in a league overseas. in addition to his mumbling and chatter style being unintelligible, he makes constant errors. He said the error leading off the inning set up the scoring. Did he miss the pickoff that erased the misplay? Sounds off again.

Every game there is a ball that drops in the outfield. Maybe/hopefully the Twins choose to upgrade the outfield defense next season. For now, all we can hope for is that the current group hits.

No he is not making it easy for the Twins, but I think they like that. The thing I love about the way Jenkins is hitting now is that he is taking what the pitcher gives him. Outside pitch home run to left field at around 100 mph, pitch down in the strike zone is a 106 mph line drive to centerfield, and a pitch in his down and in the strike zone is a 108 HR to right field. Don't give him anything worth swinging at and he took two walks and stole a base too. Walker is hot right now.