tony&rodney

McCusker is a really big dude and like most very tall hitters has some issues with maintaining contact. The thing that makes him a little different is that he is extremely athletic and strong. He has been improving bit by bit every week and last night was a show of his power. The Twins will have some thinking to do by June/July if McCusker continues to have good at bats for Wichita. Brandon Winokur, another tall athletic player, has looked smoother than I expected in his first month of A ball. A ton of swing and miss but also steady improvement from week to week and playing good defense at both shortstop and centerfield.

Comcast is no longer sending any money to Bally for Twins broadcast. Is that correct? How will Bally make money and meet deadlines for paying the Twins per their contract? I'm lost on this. It seems like Bally will eventually (July?) cease any payments to the Twins. Admittedly, my knowledge of the contracts, payment dates, and other details are missing, but this all seems like a repeat of the debacle Bally began last season. To be clear, I'm not weighing in on the budget. Despite my abhorrence of the deals last offseason, I did feel a payroll of $110-120 million was not going to doom the team if sound roster/trades were completed. My question is what happens when Bally tanks and cannot pay the Twins? Will people be surprised? I do agree that the loss of access to the Twins via television can only hurt their brand. I have no idea how much.

When I saw this come on the front page I had many thoughts about a response or two, but successfully stifled those urges ... well, until now. Twins Daily is a great site and has increasingly added to its range. If someone has other ideas they can always start their own blog or submit articles through various existing platforms. I believe it is one of the finest fan blogs in existence for baseball. Twins fans are lucky. My only real suggestion has been mentioned numerous times already. The thumb down button (which could potentially be useful) should be removed. There are readers (no reason to call anyone out) who have virtually no knowledge of anything related to baseball who use the button frequently to draw attention to themselves. Naturally, some will disagree with this opinion. My own journey into blogs began around 2001. I stumbled onto Aaron Gleeman's blog and was #11 on his counter, a funny memory. From there I began to write for a friend's blog for another team on the East Coast, essentially covering teams from the rest of the country. I phased out of that because work, coaching, and playing left little time for decent research to provide fair articles worth reading. From Gleeman I stumbled on to Seth, TwinsGeek, and many others. I joined TD early but quit it after a few years, although I continued to read occasionally. I rejoined TD (new byline) about four years ago and have added to the comment sections at times since rejoining. I'm sure I will continue reading at times but feel my comments should stay in my own head. I only add the above because perhaps others also face burnout from following a site or being active within the comments. That seems normal. Some people love becoming a part of a community of fans and participating at times. Some take the opportunity to meet up with those who are also fans, creating friendships. That is a wonderful thing. Others prefer to remain separate and anonymous, which is fine too. Sites such as Twins Daily are bound to attract a few people who are bitter about life, which spills over into their comments. Such is life. I mostly feel bad for those people who run the site and keep the content going when a few folks hijack a post or conversation or insist on their expertise to the detriment of an ongoing conversation. Keep up the good work and don't be too frustrated by the occasional downs because when I look over the articles or member's comments, they are mostly positive and generate fair discourse. Twins Daily is a real success story.

Santana, Margot, Farmer, and Kepler will undoubtedly be working elsewhere next season. Having Willi Castro as a utility player for around $6 million next year will not break the budget if that is what happens. Seems like this idea/conversation is jumping way ahead of where we are right now. It is May of 2024.

Emmanuel Rodriguez is being pitched around, no question. He might see one or two fastballs in some games and most are off the plate. The breaking stuff is almost always on the edges of the plate with a number of low pitches called strikes. Yes, Em-Rod still has to work on some things, but it is looking like even highly rated pitchers are just pitching around him in AA, thus a move to AAA might be necessary for him to work on his game. On a separate note, where is Walker Jenkins? I saw the play when he was injured and he came off the field looking normal but also with what appeared as a hamstring injury. Apparently the injury must have been worse than it appeared. Having witnessed many hamstring injuries of varying degrees, I cannot recall someone running so normal and walking off the field in such a relaxed fashion suffering a serious tear. I haven't found anything to clarify or explain his current condition and Jenkins is a pretty high profile prospect. I guess I'm just curious when Walker will return to the Ft. Myers lineup.

Excellent, even better. I guess I heard that on the radio but forgot about it. Good add. Martin has plenty to prove at the MLB level but I must admit I like his game.

No reason why Austin Martin should sit tonight. St. Paul faces Connor Phillips (#4 Reds RHSP) tonight and the at bats versus a bonafide pitcher can only help Martin improve his game. He can show up tomorrow (Friday) afternoon in the Target Field clubhouse and slip into his Twins uniform prepared to face some good Red Sox pitching. It's not far from St. Paul to Minneapolis, as far as the distance driving goes. I doubt Martin wants a day off.

I'm confused by this line. I believe Em-Rod has 73 PA in AA this year. This is his first year at AA. Simple mistake or are you referencing something else? A few other Emmanuel Rodriguez points: Health is the biggest gift for an athlete. Currently, Emmanuel is out with a hand injury of unknown seriousness (day to day). With good health and continued production it is doubtful that Rodriguez stays longer than mid June in AA. While the pitchers in the Texas League have equal velocity and great stuff, there is a big difference in the command and control at AAA. Em-Rod needs to see some stronger pitching. How Rodriguez progresses in his focus and consistency in addition to how he manages versus better off speed pitches should determine whether he is near MLB ready. Emmanuel has some potential unseen by previous Twins prospects. An OBP of .500, extra base pop, hitting for a decent average, stolen base potential, a big arm and the ability to play good defense in centerfield provide quite an impressive list of talents. I can't think of a comparable Twins prospect in recent times. Of course, every young phenom needs to produce when their opportunity arrives or get sent back to the minor leagues for additional experience (see Jackson Holliday). Hopefully the Twins are paying close attention every single thing that Emmanuel Rodriguez is doing on a baseball field. He may be ready to play in The Show sooner than projected. Someone mentioned that they were unaware of naysayers concerning Em-Rod. I can only say that he was suggested in a couple of dozen trades last winter even as pretty much everyone rebuffed any suggested trades of Brooks Lee and the mere mention of thinking about what Royce Lewis could return was discouraged. I'm not suggesting anything, merely noting that there was a fair amount of skepticism concerning Rodriguez last offseason.

FWIW, Justin Topa looked very hittable this afternoon. His pitches has predictable movement and he was actually lucky to get anyone out. He can still be fine, but based just on today Topa needs a few more outings to prove he is a professional baseball pitcher worth a call to MLB. There shouldn't be any hurry to promote him and if he uses up all of his rehab days, there is always an option to use for Topa.

Last year I watched a ton of Em-Rod's at bats and commented in the winter that there was plenty of room for growth, primarily in the area of consistent focus from plate appearance to plate appearance and from game to game. I had him as the Twins best prospect. This season, Emmanuel has started off with a more consistent approach. The number of uncontrolled swings is down as are the occasions when he just gives away the at bats. Baseball is a slog across six months of games. The youngster has a ways to go but right now he is looking really good. Having watched most of the games via milb.com, I cannot attest to the small details available to someone watching the games from the dugout or front row. I can state that Em-Rod has been the most impressive baseball player in AA to this point in the season that I have watched. There is a ton to love in his game. The guy has style, plays great defense with an arm that shuts down players from taking the extra base, he is aggressive on the bases, and already draws outsized respect from pitchers when he steps into the batter's box. If Emmanuel maintains his focus and stays healthy, he should be in AAA by July at the latest. Consistency and endurance are difficult in baseball and necessary for success. Another month (maybe two) of the current performance would force the Twins to move Rodriguez up a level to provide another measure of the young man's promise.

Emmanuel Rodriguez is an intriguing prospect. I have seen most of his at bats this season. There have been some changes from last year and a few lingering habits. Briefly, Em-rod has tightened up his swings and been more focused in his at bats when games are already decided. I felt he gave away a ton of at bats last season. The eye for the strike zone remains superior. There are moments when we still see Emmanuel still pull off the ball with some zealous over swinging but much less than last year. When he stays clean with his approach, Rodriguez really has good swings. Focus and repeating a controlled swing path will be critical to future success. It seems likely that the Twins would keep Em-rod in AA until early June, but I agree with chpettit19 that a promotion to AAA will be instructive for evaluating the young athlete and providing a level of competition for applying the needed adjustments that will carry him forward in his career. Rodriguez has a mature body and I doubt that he will be overmatched at the AAA level. The issues that Jamie so adroitly identifies, related to contact, can best be answered at AAA. Whether Em-Rod is emotionally ready is not so easily determined but right now he looks more dominant than any other AA player. The rigors of day to day focus and the strain of being tuned in for every at bat and pitch remain a challenge for Em-Rod but he has the eye and the swing to continue to improve.

The usual routine is that the rubber arm pitchers can throw a couple of days in a row (one reasonably quick inning) before a day off. Three days in a row is not that common for effective (just so we understand we are not referring to 6.00 ERA types) pitchers. When a pitcher goes three innings the usual time off is a minimum of 3-4 days or more depending on pitches, velocity, and stress of game pitches thrown. Pitchers respond differently to usage.

I understand that a large number of people on Twins Daily wanted the Twins to sign a free agent pitcher this offseason. They would sign any of the guys mentioned to minor league contracts to hold in AAA in case of an injury. The names mentioned are not going to sign those contracts or it seems extremely unlikely. Thus it is a done deal, over.

Are you looking for a starting pitcher to throw three innings? Jhoan could maybe do that in the post season. Duran would not be able to transition mid year; very unlikely. The reason Jhoan was put into the bullpen was because of too many frequent nagging injuries suffered while trying to be a starting pitcher. Some guys cannot be starting pitchers and others cannot be relievers. The stresses and recovery are different for every pitcher and in those different roles. If the Twins believed it was in the best interest for their team to have Duran in the starting rotation, there would be a program put in place for a series of workups for Jhoan to work on all during the offseason. As always, never say never .... but no.

We can all agree that it wasn't clear what Seattle would do if the negotiations went into March. We do know they had a strong feeling for the veteran player, Jorge Polanco, who was the main target of their offseason. Dipoto intended to push every button to acquire him. While also not clear, it seemed apparent that the Twins faced a self-imposed deadline for shedding Polanco's contract. Water over the dam - it is done. As others have already said, the trade could be decent if the two minor league players ever contribute at the MLB level. It is an example of how money impacted this year.

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. Clearly. I am a big fan of Alex Kirilloff and have posted many times my belief that he has shown the possibilities of his swing if fully healthy when he destroyed AAA pitching in 2022 and 2023. While I am of the belief that Brooks Lee will have a fine MLB career, it looks at the moment that the four guys currently manning are all potential stars. The bottom line is that the players need to perform, but sorry that I was so sloppy to convey a less than full confidence in AK.

Young was a long, long time ago. Things were different.

Brooks Lee is not on the 40 person roster and his promotion would likely be the consequence of a serious injury, total loss of confidence in a current player, or a trade. Lee has looked pretty good at the plate but there is quite a gap between him and both Lewis and Julien. Kirilloff needs to show his game if Lee keeps pushing. Injuries are the path to MLB time for Martin, Miranda and other position players. Pitchers are often put on the IL at points during the season which means openings for Varland, Funderburk, Canterino, and others. All the guys in AAA can do is perform whenever they play and if these players put up numbers they will eventually get an opportunity.

No need to jump the gun on predictions. DeScla is throwing right now and five weeks is still a long ways off.

The Athletic survey merely asks if one has optimism for their team. I have enormous optimism for the Twins team in 2024. I see this team right now as better than the team from one year ago. Perhaps I read the Twitter/X survey in the wrong fashion. I don't have Twitter/X. I understood one question to ask for a grade on the offseason. Expectations were high from many. I didn't expect a payroll above $120-125 million, but I expected a trade or two that might have improved the team. How one views the offseason actions results in some random grade but could still entail optimism and enthusiasm for the coming year. I read the second question in the survey as linking the postseason run and hoped for additions to the team in the offseason, which is then reflected by the survey. This depends on how one sees the team now compared to the team at the end of the postseason and what one hoped to add to make the 2024 team much better. I might be way off on my take of the Twitter/X survey. I am predicting an AL Central crown for the Twins in 2024.

The polls reflect accurate thinking about 1) how the offseason went or was perceived and 2) what expectations for offseason moves would have to move forward the team from last October. However, the Twins do have a strong team right now. I would say that the 26 person roster is slightly better than the roster from one year ago. We just need to see how the season plays out. The most certain of points made in the article is one that will be watched closely. How do the young players respond to a full season of play. There are so many variables with guys like Jeffers, Kirilloff, Julien, Lewis, Wallner and a few pitchers. Now throw in the legitimate concerns about Buxton, Correa, and Kepler and one can imagine a wide range of outcomes. This doesn't even touch on the continued development of the entire starting staff. All teams have questions going into the season but the Twins may have a greater swing than most contenders. I believe there is talent in this team and expect to see quite a bit of good baseball.

Four weeks before games and likely five weeks before DeSclafani would start a game. DeScla has time and Varland is the better choice anyways but Louie has options remaining. No worries at all.

True. The expected starting nine from an offseason point of view never made it out of Florida. Stuff happens.

Agree with all of the above. I would add, as a topic finished and thus not really worth further discussion, that Falvey had some options to be the team that added pieces but he balked and wasn't willing to hold out either. Maybe next time. Have to feel a little sorry for Larnach because he doesn't have a role or avenue to play with the Twins (IMO). i wish they would just let him go.

Reasonable follow up to the article Wednesday that asked which positions are up for grabs. Most people felt the roster looks set, as you suggest, yet a few people disagreed with thumbs down on a set roster prognosis. The Twins may be a little more proactive about putting a guy who doesn't produce on the IL this year, which would serve to give whomever is called upon from AAA an opportunity. There will probably be some very motivated players at AAA waiting for an injury or some roster move to open a spot on the 26 person MLB roster. An unknown is how much patience the Twins will show for their younger players.