tony&rodney

Paddack basically ran into the same deal as Dobnak. They get similar results from different styles. For five years now, Paddack gives up more hits than innings and does not reach a strikeout per inning. He has been injured and mediocre when well enough to pitch. I took a beating last winter on Twins Daily because I was wishful for 100-120 innings as a ceiling from Paddack, whereas the overwhelming consensus was 120-150 innings. These looks forward, including my guesses last winter, are all just are own thoughts. My basis is my observation and you have your thoughts as well. There is nothing to say that Paddack cannot be a decent starting pitcher. I hope he does well. I just don't see it and gifting him a spot unless he clearly earns it in Spring Training portends a losing look. I get that veterans often get preference but hasn't done anything worth noting in five years. Perhaps Kyle Farmer best exemplifies your stance that a veteran gets the position and playing time. I guess we disagree about the skill level and worth of Chris Paddack for the 2025 Twins. My expectation is that he is traded for anything or as a part of a larger deal, but I hope you are correct and Paddack is successful for the Twins.

.... except Paddack has done nothing to earn the contract. What somehow gets lost is that Paddack has been totally mediocre since 2019, very hittable. Now, Falvey may decide that Paddack must be one of the starting pitchers next season since he traded for him but it is a real stretch to expect much from him. Sure, options exist for all of Woods Richardson, Festa, Matthews, Morris, and Raya. Wallner and Lewis have options too. The Twins need to make an attempt to win in 2025 and put their best players on the field whenever possible. I liked what I saw when watching Paddack in 2019 but he has never been the same. There may be possibilities for him as a relief pitcher, but it is doubtful the Twins choose that path. I do think some team will see his $7.5 million contract as acceptable for a #5 pitcher, making a trade the best option for the Twins.

What about Dobnak? He makes more money than Festa, Woods Richardson, and Matthews as well. If Paddack is clearly better than all of Festa, Woods Richardson, Matthews, and Morris he gets a rotation spot. If he isn't, he doesn't. Unless we are suggesting that the strategy for next year is to build deadline trade value and not win games. Are we? Otherwise, it only makes sense to use the best starters if the goal is to win games. Paddack hasn't done anything at all to show he is superior to the others. He needs to earn it and that is the only reasonably way to determine who makes up the starting rotation. Right now, I would say that all of Lopez, Ober, Ryan, and Woods Richardson have earned their starting slots next season if they are healthy and on the team. The last spot should be an open competition. The Twins have enough problems without handing out unearned roster positions.

Looking purely at their projected skills levels, Paddack doesn't cut it in the starting rotation ahead of Lopez, Ober, Ryan, Festa, or Woods Richardson. Personally, I would put Matthews and Morris ahead of Paddack as well. Paddack could be a decent option in long relief, but one has to wonder whether the Twins are willing to make that decision or if Paddack would be content in the bullpen. Our opinions are worthless though as compared to MLB front office folks. . How do other teams evaluate the talent of the Twins players? Falvey should be pushing that envelope in hopes of improving the fortunes of the team for 2025. If Paddack is capable of being a #4 or #5 starting pitcher in the major leagues, there will be a trade market for him at $7.5 million.

The Twins cannot just roll with the talent and combination of players they used this past season. First off, the defense costs the team on numerous occasions. While Julien was the poster child on Twins Daily, few were any better. Correa and Buxton on the Il was not ever covered. Secondly, the hitting was largely missing versus decent teams. What is available? Falvey has his work cut out for him. Thirdly, the base-running was substandard. This should be simple enough to fix. It seems fair enough to expect that the Pale Hose should be a more competitive team next season. While any team can falter from year to year, all of Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City should be improved teams as well. The Twins need to make some changes. Change happens.

We certainly do not know what Falvey would have done with an additional $10-40M in funding for player salaries. It is a wild assumption to believe he would have made decisions that improved the roster; he may or may not have. We do know that the Twins had a higher payroll than the three teams that finished above them in the AL Central in 2024. While I do wish the Pohlad family were intensely involved and interested in all things Twins, it is fair to say that the team we saw this year is a direct reflection of Falvey's ideas, which primarily involves hitting above defense. It is completely understandable that people are disappointed that the Twins (Pohlad's) cut payroll back in 2024, but this point has been discussed ad naseum. It is time to move on to other topics.

The Mariners were ripe last November but they have prospects as good or better than Lee and Larnach now. They will look for a bigger bat via free agency, despite a long resistance to signing hitters, and hold their pitching. Always hard to predict Seattle's guy - he likes to trade. The Twins no longer match up with them.

Falvey had his chance last November. Lewis stock has dropped too far. He could still be a decent DH or !B for a couple of years. Lewis likely stays. Paddack will need to be offloaded somehow. Castro should bring back a potentially useful prospect. Twins need a bat but I'm not seeing one available for free. The Twins are looking up at three teams in the AL Central, but they do have the makings of a good pitching staff. The defense and athleticism needs to be addressed though. Too many outs become base hits because of the weak defense and too many outs are made on the bases because of timidity or lack of skill.

Love these articles Seth. I watch too much baseball, especially minor league games via milb.com. Really enjoyed how Eeles and McCusker emerged this year and am intrigued with the unique athleticism of Winokur. There are so many variables that go into the development of a baseball player that it can be pointless to predict stardom for 99+% of all players. We saw how difficult the mlb game was for Jackson Holliday, but also saw how quickly Jackson Chourio and Jackson Merrill adapted to find success at the highest level. While I'm high on EmRod, Keaschall, and Jenkins, we should know that patience is in order and that health is always unpredictable. I can see a scenario where these players get plate appearances for the Twins as soon as next year. Opportunities happen and some guys take the chance to make it a career. Eeles make me smile thinking he could just be the second baseman the Twins are looking for to solve the instability at that position.

Wholeheartedly agree with this take, yet find it worthwhile to add that front office general incompetence was also an important factor in the Twins demise. Falvey had options from last November and he whiffed. There was a real quadrangle of failure between owners, front office, field management, and players all succumbing to earn the final result. I'm interested to see how this group moves forward to keep ahead of the White Sox.

Things are what they are and hopefully solutions will emerge that allow normal people to enjoy baseball. We can be certain these things are out our hands, or at least mine. Don't use Pohlad's purchase of the Twins or NWA as examples though. There were four other organizations willing to buy the Twins. MLB only approved Carl. $5M down with four more equal payments of $5M in the next years and a balloon of $7M ($32M total). It was a deal others would have liked to get in on in 1984. I have no rancor, whatsoever, towards the Pohlads but they were never saviors in my world. NWA is what happens when government fails ... you get corporate raiders and carpetbaggers like Al Cecchi. He tore down a really successful company. He wasn't alone either. I just enjoy baseball. It has been a real treat to see two fun teams (Detroit and Kansas City) win their recent series. The best I can offer on the revenue and media morass in MLB is whatever. What did people expect from an old boys club headed by the Manfred man?

I'm wanting to wait until November to weigh in on future plans, but will just repeat a comment I have made many times in the last few years with some support added. .... Falvey has the team he wanted. Yes, the budget will not reach levels of larger market teams. i think we all knew that and one must acknowledge the Twins having the highest budget within their division. When one watches the Twins and their minor league teams there is an obvious Falvey hand in play. The emphasis is on the bats and on developing starting pitching from mid to lower round draft picks. Athleticism and defense are a bonus but not an emphasis. The results show up at Target Field. Falvey has one of the thirty top front office jobs available in MLB. I seriously doubt he would step aside except as a face saving move that avoided being fired. Whether the Pohlad corporation will make a decision to release Favley and begin anew with someone else is impossible to know. I don't believe the company is that interested in deep involvement in baseball and will stay the course if the financial side can remain minimally profitable. Falvey has had and continues to have a decent range of options for putting together the type of roster that he desires for Twins baseball. The 2024 Twins are Falvey's guys. I'm wondering if Falvey can change how he views the game of baseball. If he cannot and he is retained there is little reason to expect a different type of baseball than seen this season. However, extraordinary luck with health and production could easily return the Twins to the top of the AL Central. A deep playoff run has always seemed tough to imagine with the current philosophy embraced by the front office.

And Lewis and Lee too? I guess I see things differently.

Julien has really struggled this year, no question. However, I never see this response towards Lewis who is even worse defensively. Maybe patience or ay least empathy.

Keaschall will work at 1B until his arm is ready for LF. EmRod is the automatic replacement for Buxton next year because he is the best defensive CF in the system. Lee likely needs some time in AAA. Trades will happen.

Recently, on a different post, I made a similar comment. How much latitude does Baldelli even have to manage the games? If Rocco is gone, so is Falvey.

Sorry. Runs scored. It was a bad post on my part.

Hitting is all about feel and confidence, both of which are MIA. 22-38 this month in 9 games. The Twins went 14-14 in August and they often looked rough. From the 18th of August onward though, the Twins have stumbled. September will be huge for many players, the manager, and the front office. I would be very surprised if a collapse does not bring about major changes. 18 games to go and there is plenty on the line.

Is it possible that the talent is just average?

I haven't seen a football game since the Vikings lost to New Orleans when Favre was playing for MN. My son was into football a little so I quietly watched with him. Football always bored me. People like different stuff. I get that most people on TD and in MN are football fans.

Congratulations to Walker. He is putting up.

Great picture - where we see Santana trying to explain to the youngins that September is a good month to play baseball while the other three are just tired, not used to the grind of the MLB season.

With the coaches, yes, by all means. This should be an every day discussion but no to any inclusion of Falvey and crew. The front office does not have the baseball expertise of the coaching staff just as the coaching staff does not have expertise with the financial side of the game. Falvey & Sons puts the team together. That includes their choices for manager and coaches and those guys (Rocco, etc.) need to do their jobs with the players provided by Falvey and the FO. I just disagree with the notion of Falvey, Levine, or others from the front office in on playing time, substitutions, and pitching changes. If Baldelli and his coaches cannot handle these chores, get someone else. Let Falvey sit with Joe Pohlad in the owner's box.

Me too.

Maybe you should use wins and losses.