tony&rodney
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Everything posted by tony&rodney
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No. The frustration is real. As a Twins fan I feel it as a near constant for the last 30+ years. The outpouring of venom and hatred is not healthy though. It's baseball we follow and the management is a distraction which is beyond our control or the players. I will be more exact, but just about the recent trade deadline because it is too futile to go back to the last many winters of discontent. I thought the Twins had a chance to trade for A. J. Puk. I would have given Gonzalez, Severino, and Kiersey Jr. Naturally, others will disagree, suggest that AZ gave up better players, not have been interested in Puk, or something else. I don't know what Falvey had in mind, much less how other teams view the Twins organizational players. So I'm frustrated and just move on because these things are well beyond my control. While I may not be a fan of ownership or the front office, I see little future in striking out at people i don't even know. Yet certainly, the frustration is real.
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- pohlad
- trevor richards
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Watching Wichita play and Luke Keaschall looks pretty good, much better than Spencer Steer did at the same level, if a comparison works.
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- max kepler
- yusei kikuchi
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North Dakota doesn't have borders, just wind. Does it?
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As noted by national writers, not even one top 100 prospect, from any list, was traded. Two players who made the All Star teams were traded, Tanner Scott and Paredes. I do wonder if the 2022 trade deadline scarred Falvey (unlikely) but I also wonder how so many teams managed to exchange mediocre or worse players. One would think that in some cases there would be players wondering, "Wait, we traded for that guy?"
- 33 replies
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- tarik skubal
- garrett crochet
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FWIW, there were other groups willing to buy the Twins. MLB has final and complete control of who can buy a franchise. The other groups were not approved. A third group, in addition to the two rejected, was headed by Calvin's son. Believe it or not, the terms of sale were actually doable - $5M down with 5 years of payments of $5M each and then a balloon for the remainder. The sale did not include the minority portion owned by a Gabe Murphy (off the top of my head), which was 42-48% but had zero vote or control in the team. Carl later paid about $12M for those shares. Carl Pohlad did not save the Twins, but the ownership has been stable. This is more than some clubs and one should always be careful when making wishes. Someone mentioned Mark Cuban in a comment recently. I forgot the context. Cuban tried to buy an MLB team but was turned down. MLB is an exclusive club. You cannot get in just because you have billions.
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- pohlad
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True, but what does one do with their hate in that case?
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- pohlad
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No. I understand the interest but I'm just not a believer in Cortes. I agree a case could be made.
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Exactly. Ted, you wrote an article bashing the Pohlads but have no specific (and I mean exact with names) ideas or suggestions of players that would have made the Twins a better team. None .... or did I miss something? The Twins might have been able to add Tarik Skubel for Royce Lewis and Louis Varland plus someone like Rayne Doncon. I don't know what Miami would have asked for A. J. Puk or Tampa Bay for Randy Arozarena. I do know that numerous (not just a few) people were uninterested in either of those players. What exactly do you (or others who are equally upset) want the Pohlads to do? I read sell. How does a new owner saddled with a bill of $1.46 billion make it on the current revenue? Seems like things could be much, much worse. Who evaluates the players and names involved in trades? Do the Pohlads make these choices? It is time to leave ownership and management aside and see what the players in the organization can do. If the Twins now repeat 2022, it may be time to blow it up. I'm thinking the Twins play excellent and very entertaining baseball for the next two plus months. Yesterday, in NYC, was just the start. I'm focused on the players on the team.
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The reality is that Max Kepler will be looking for a change in scenery, offers will be out there (guess = 2/$25M with an option), and the Twins have some expenses pushing the payroll higher for 2025. As much as I like Max Kepler, I believe he is ready to move on more so than the Twins are unwilling to discuss contracts with him. Yes, I would like Kepler back, but I just think the time has come for Max to enter a new experience. Then, the Twins need to pivot. Buxton will be here and so will Larnach and Wallner too unless some unforeseen blockbuster deal unfolds over the winter. Rosters change.
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You are not alone with that thought, but I still believe that Max is a big part of this 2024 team. Perhaps Falvey (and many others) make that trade. I would never do that deal because I'm looking for the Twins to win this year.
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Back in March I thought 83-87 wins would be enough to win the AL Central. I also stated that head to head victory totals could be the difference. Well, those guesses were off. There is a pretty good chance that three AL Central teams survive to make the playoffs, but it sure looks like it might take 90-93 wins to win the ALC division. I still think the Twins can win the division but August will be huge, despite a tough schedule. because 18 of 28 games are at Target Field. Cleveland and Kansas City don't look like they are going to implode either, so the Twins need to win against those two teams and go on a roll. The only teams that look improved to me are KC and Seattle. The Royals picked up some solid relievers and the Mariners got some bats. I'm not too impressed by the players that shifted teams. The improvement for the Twins will have to come from the return of Correa and consistency from a pretty talented but unproven bunch of players (Lewis, Festa, Lee, Larnach, Wallner, and Martin). They also need continued fine play from Castro and Woods Richardson. Finally, every good team relies on their top players and veterans of which the Twins have a few (Lopez, Ryan, Ober, bullpen, Buxton, Kepler, Santana, and Margot. The catchers just need to catch the ball.
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Fantastic article. Bailey Ober is certainly worthy of praise and recognition for his work. Excellence is incredibly difficult to maintain as a starting pitcher. In any given outing a starter will struggle with at least one pitch and face choices about how to shift strategy from what pitches are working at the time. This is often why some good starters are vulnerable in the first inning or two but then settle into a groove as they find a rhythm. Ober benefits from his command and control of numerous pitches over sheer velocity. Whereas Gerrit Cole may get away with a high 90s fastball while he works to manage his repertoire, Ober needs to navigate at speeds where his mistakes may disappear over a fence. It is a credit to Ober's confidence and mental toughness that he has kept to his game plan with such consistency and tunneled his pitches so effectively, keeping the ball off of the barrel. Ober has been exceptional this year. He seems like he could pitch all day. Bert Blyleven must be thinking that Ober should throw 125+ pitches every game. He might be right. I sure hope Bailey finishes the year strong because he is one of my favorite pitchers in baseball to watch. Every starting pitcher will have bad days though as seen by a recent tough outing from Logan Gilbert. The Twins are lucky to have Ober and I expect him to start in the playoffs.
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I saw the play too and thank you for putting the video on for those who did not see the play. The call is a judgment call, which means it was totally up to the umpire. I wouldn't argue too much on this as a manager or listen at length as an umpire, but the call could have gone the other way too. Either way, the umpire is right. There was a somewhat more controversial call just a few minutes ago in the SEA-BOS game. Same deal, umpire ruled interference.
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- pablo lopez
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This makes perfect sense and it will be up to the field staff to recommend when/if he is ready.
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This game is a microcosm of how the Twins need to win. Good pitching supported by defense and an offense initially led by one of the veterans. Today it was Buck. Players like Buxton, Correa, Kepler, Santana, Margot, and Vazquez need help though. Today we saw how Larnach, Wallner, Lee, Lewis, and Martin contributed. This is how the Twins can win. Good game to travel home.
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- pablo lopez
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I agree but there wasn't that animal in the woods this year. I mean, the Twins tried with the Tyler Mahle, Jorge Lopez, and Fulmer trades a couple of years ago. I lauded their attempt then because it was something but before the deadline I was totally down on Mahle simply because I didn't like the way he pitched. I also didn't like Lopez because as a late inning guy he was way too volatile. It could have worked though.
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- pohlad
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Me too. It seems like some teams made numerous changes just to change the names on the back of the uniforms. I wonder how the players are affected by all of this change that doesn't really change anything? The last two trade deadlines have been mostly a wash. Why do people get so agitated?
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- pohlad
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So is this an argument that the Twins should model their finances after the Cleveland club?
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Does the NFL share money and have salary caps? I'm not a football fan. Chicago is a big market and Cot's Contracts has the Twins as spending more money than any other team in the AL Central. Baltimore also spends way less money on their player budget than the Twins. Do we expect the Twins to spend at the levels of NY, LA, Philly, Chi, and other large markets. If this is so, and I wish it was true, then Minnesota needs to fill Target Field every game for several years or at least an average of 30,000+. I could care less about wealthy sports franchise owners, many of whom inherited their money, but it is a little simple to scream at the windmill of ownership when the Twins have had significant resources compared to their divisional peers.
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- pohlad
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Ok. That sounds reasonable. Who exactly are those players? I can venture a guess on Tanner Scott, but who was prepared to trade Keaschall, Matthews, Gonzalez, and Doncon? That doesn't sound like a good idea for a rental.
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The "freeing up the cash" will go to arb payments. It will be time for Larnach, Wallner, and Emmanuel to take the baton.
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The Twins have dangled Max Kepler in trade talks for several years but the cost was always too much for another team to bite. This is apparent because Max is still a Twin. Kepler is still an outfielder the Twins are counting on to help the team win games and his playing time reflects the organization's thoughts about his worth. For those who are currently tired of Kepler, or long ago wanted him gone, there is zero chance that Max returns to the Twins for 2025. He has never known another organization or employer, having signed as a 16 year old kid. Max is pretty cosmopolitan, however, and won't struggle to adapt to another team or city. I fully expect Kepler to sign on the West Coast. I don't believe money will be a determining criteria. As the lists of Twins records go, it is accurate to say that Max Kepler has had a good run for the Twins and been an important part of their success. He never became Mike Trout, but he has been really solid.
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Reading the comments on so many articles made me wonder how everyone recovered from all of the deadline moves the Twins made a year ago or two years ago. Well?
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- randy dobnak
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Which specific players that were traded did the Twins not go after due to financial constraints?
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Yes, this is what one must ask themselves. My own thinking believes the league is stronger top to bottom, particularly Cleveland, Kansas City, and Detroit within our division. The Twins don't have anyone approaching a Bobby Witt Jr. in talent, however the 26 person roster comparisons still should favor the Twins in the AL Central. Certainly the Twins will need good health, specifically the return of Correa at shortstop. I do think the position side is stronger overall than last season, but Julien and Kepler were pretty consequential last year. Several players will need to step forward in their play. Pitching? I'm a little concerned about the bullpen this year. Thielbar could actually come around though. He is right there with his stuff but inconsistent on command. Perkins postulated that Caleb is looking much closer to his previous self during the broadcast last night. While I still think Varland might have a future as a starting pitcher, it might be time to put him in the bullpen for the last two months. I like this year's starting rotation, which is debatable. Lopez needs to be less picky at times. Ryan has been good and may be really tough down the stretch. I'm not sure how much better Ober can be because he has been almost spectacular outside of his two games versus Kansas City. Woods Richardson has been good and it will be interesting to see how he comes back from his rough night in NYC. I think he will be fine. Of note, Logan Gilbert was lit up on the same night. Not a comparison but all pitchers have rough starts. What can the Twins get from David Festa? I have been a big promoter of the tall feller. He needs to command his pitches, for sure, but he does have good stuff and is plenty fresh and capable of giving the Twins a run of good outings. 86-76 might not cut it this year, so the Twins need a push at home in August.
