tony&rodney

Absolutely love how Milwaukee plays defense and uses every tool available in the game. I just decided to name one team. Milwaukee has the fastest team in baseball.

Sad recognition of a Carlos Correa shortcoming. C4 has diminished range this season. I absolutely love what a steady player Correa is at shortstop. Balls hit to him are routinely gobbled up and his throws to first base are textbook perfect on nearly every occasion. Two plays yesterday displayed the cracks in his play though. A grounder up the middle that eluded him and a slow roller that he had to come in on furiously. A couple of years ago at full health Correa makes both plays. Correa and Buxton are both diminished in range from their best days but remain our best defensive players by far. This not is not a criticism but merely a reality.

Long way to go as the Twins fight to reach 83-85 wins. Don't give up hope. The bats need to improve. A quick note on Miranda - he is currently the weakest player on the Saints roster by a fair stretch. Jose needs a trip for several weeks to Ft. Myers for a total reset. His defense is unplayable, he can't hit middle middle 88 MPH pitches, and he is the slowest runner in professional baseball. Something is way off and the poor guy needs a break or help of some sort.

Reality screams repeatedly - the Twins as an organization do not bunt, they do not run the bases well, and they don't play defense. The chosen position players were carefully put together by design as a collective group that the front office feels is the best for earning a playoff spot. The Twins are the slowest team in baseball and remain committed to smashball. That is the reality. So, do we think the Twins should use a bunt, especially in certain specific situations? Sure, many do, but our thoughts are irrelevant to the organizational plan. We watch the Twins because we are lifelong fans (since 1961, Game 1 for me), not because of how they play the game. At least that is true for me. If you want to watch good baseball, I highly recommend watching the Tampa Bay Rays among some other teams. I love catching the Rays games. However, I'm still a loyal Twins fan even though they are pretty boring. It is what it is.

I actually admire these guys, like DeSclafani, who work very hard and keep going for another shot because they love the game. I tried to pitch two years with a torn rotator cuff before surgery myself because I loved playing, even at the hack level. I just think there are better options for the Twins. Arizona is hurting for pitching. The Diamondbacks were a team I wanted to trade with last winter. Still think it is possible but it would be very difficult.

Ok. So Julien and Miranda for Kjerstad? Do it.

Watched DeScla pitch against the Saints last week. He has nothing. If he gets someone out it is more luck than talent. He understands the game and will allow poor batters to get themselves out but get toasted by competent hitters.

Personally have no interest in defending ownership but FWIW the POBO/GM put together the team. The Pohlads likely never heard of some of the players before they were a part of the organization. The authorized the highest budget in the AL Central and deferred to their hires. Is that their error? Perhaps.

Most outfielders make that play. The ball was way up in the air. Castro is a super valuable utility player who is best used in the infield. However, you are correct that the Twins do nothing to attempt to score except swing hard. Maybe a bunt would work 5 times a year. WTH, try it once a month. It might make some sense to wonder about the talent level on our favorite team too.

So call up Randy Dodnak and sign the savior DeSclafani.

OMG ... Disco Dan back peddling to the plate, falling and getting tagged out is one of the most spectacular highlights/lowlights of Twins history. Willie "Mays" Norwood - what a talent. Willie and baseball could not get on the same page. Great names to bring up. Best comment of the day.

That (effort), it is important to say, is always hard to identify but it is possible that one could hold the talent level above its actual position in reality. One way people see a lack of effort is in how a player runs out routine fly balls or grounders directly to a fielder, especially one hoppers back to the mound. For some reason this seems to be a team philosophy. There are teams that run out everything and others that rarely make that effort, perhaps to avoid injuries. I have no idea why some teams play all out but I can guess.

Make a specific suggestion if you think there is some possibility for a transaction. Who from the Twins could possibly interest another team? Just a wild guess or two.

The usage of Keirsey Jr. as a replacement for Wallner instead of Castro tells us quite a bit about how Falvey and Baldelli view Big Matt's glove. I kind of feel bad for Willi because he has been hitting and battling at the plate but he struggles in the outfield. Deep fly ball out gets dropped and the official scorer will rule it a hit because of course. Falvey's boys are playing about as good as they can right now but finding themselves in spots where the organizational dim view of fielding, base running, and small ball hurts them. Team is still above .500 with a long season ahead of them. Woods Richardson may have embarrassed those folks who believe he should be in AAA with the way he pitched to the AL West leader team.

There were several criteria used and one was simply days on IL. The Twins have been incredibly healthy. Lopez has been the only regular to miss considerable time. One could mention Keaschall as well although he was not a fixture in the lineup yet. Your point on a singular measurement is well put though, which is a solid point.

Twins will win today. Put your money on it.

Pick him up and play him at second base or in the corner outfield.

A concern for me when McCusker was called up was whether or not he would play regularly. He didn't, which is the manager's decision. While it is nearly impossible to know, McCusker is nowhere near the player now that he was before being called up. He looks like his confidence has been stomped on. Baseball punishes hesitation and loss of confidence. The Twins will choose Keirsey Jr. and it will be a good choice because he can provide some defense and speed. Will he actually get regular playing time? Doubtful.

Evaluations are ongoing for baseball players. It is a performance based business that only allows space for those who signed big bonuses or have either large contracts (above $4M) long term contracts. A suggestion would be to watch these guys in the minor leagues. You will see that Julien is way above Miranda currently but not in favor himself. Players who seek to play in the majors live fluid lives; it ain't easy.

This is a topic discussed in a trade deadline article recently. The Twins won't get any meaningful returns on trades unless they dangle Ryan, Duran, Jax, or maybe Ober and Lopez. What are the rules on trading players on the IL. Will the Twins trade prospects like Jenkins, Soto, Prielipp, Hill, Keaschall, or Rodriguez? The past history (since 2017) doesn't suggest much movement. Are there clubs willing to take on the contracts of either Buxton or Correa? Maybe Buck's but remember the no trade clauses. As previously discussed the entire uncertainty likely means no deals worth writing about unless we think Trevor Richards is an answer to all needs. The Tigers did a good job of identifying the players they wanted and those they were willing to move on from. When have the Twins done that? A short list of players who had pretty high or decent values in the last several years and have now lost some luster highlights the organizational struggles in knowing who to hold. Consider this short list and their ceilings in the past 3 years: Jeffers, Miranda, Julien, Lee, Lewis, Castro, Larnach, Wallner, Alcala, Jax, Duran, Ober, Lopez, Varland, and Woods Richardson. I must have missed someone. Obviously a team would not trade more than a few of these players but the trick is in identifying the talent that will play forward versus the talent that might be acquired. Some of the above still have some value but in most cases even those players are not as desirable as formerly. Yes, decisions are very difficult but no decisions leaves the Twins where they are now. Can players who have seen their stock fall regain all of the former value? It looks like that is the plan.

Thank you for the reports.

So I guess you have been watching a ton of minor league baseball, right? How many times would you say you have seen each pitcher and batter?

No reason not to wish all the best for Aaron Sabato but he didn't look too good tonight. The swing looked slow and pull happy. Still a good comeback story is always fun to watch.

Does any organization have a real strong record of picking the "right" guy? In 2017 Royce Lewis seemed like a solid pick, yet Mackenzie Gore looks pretty good now. In 2023 it was almost a perfect consensus for Minnesota to choose Walker Jenkins. Right? Well, how would the next pick, Jacob Wilson with his .369 BA fit in the lineup? Hard to get too excited or too down on prospects until they make a successful run at AA and AAA. I'm just hoping for players who can field, throw, run, and hit line drives on a consistent basis.

The trainers are all excellent and follow more or less the same routines which are variable based on each player. Playing professional sports demands a level of physical strength, stamina, and recovery uncommon in most any other job. My only guess why some players go to the IL more is related to genetics and how they have built their bodies. However, I sure don't have the answer. The guys who bulk up more seem to get more pulled muscles but that is totally guesswork too. A factor that may never be uncovered is rest time. Players today spend many more hours at their jobs which would seem to cut into physical and mental rest time. The emphasis on jogging or running miles every day, especially for pitchers has not been handed down to players. The weight room is a constant though as are massages, stretching, and various means of attempting to salve aches and pains. I just think the injuy situations are complicated.