tony&rodney

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.

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.

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.

This makes perfect sense and it will be up to the field staff to recommend when/if he is ready.

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.

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.

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?

So is this an argument that the Twins should model their finances after the Cleveland club?

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.

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.

The "freeing up the cash" will go to arb payments. It will be time for Larnach, Wallner, and Emmanuel to take the baton.

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.

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?

Which specific players that were traded did the Twins not go after due to financial constraints?

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.

While it doesn't seem too likely, it is worth remembering that there are a number of communities that would gladly host an MLB team. So many factors go into putting a competitive team together and once an organization reaches a point where there is some success the costs (in players) rises quickly. The Rays keep retooling and manage to remain competitive but they face difficulties in reaching the playoffs. Their attendance is abysmal. The Twins don't draw that well either. Money does drive decisions. A solid media deal helps but filled stadiums still make a statement more than anything else. I think this is why San Diego is so aggressive. I was very frustrated by how the team approached the last several offseasons as well as what I saw as poor decisions at the trading deadline. However as a Twins fan since 1961 I still follow the team and their minor league affiliates. Sometimes I wonder what percentage of folks on Twins Daily are baseball only fans or how many are bigger fans of football. On numerous occasions there are references to the coming Viking season. I get that people are angry at the Pohlads but I don't understand how that helps anything. It just seems like there are folks living in retirement who flail against a symbol. I'm not a supporter of the Pohlads but I also doubt they are even aware of the players around baseball much less the minor leagues; they don't have a card in the deals. They approve the really big stuff, Buxton and Correa, while setting a general budget. Baseball is a long game. Losing one game or one series has consequences but there is another game the next day. In that way it is just like life because your good and bad days end and when you go to bed you know another day is right behind it. I expect big crowds when Cleveland comes to Target Field. It is a chance for the Twins to show their game. If they lose they will have to get ready for Kansas City and the most exciting player in baseball. Go Twins.

Falvey made very specific reference that money/contracts was in no way a consideration during this trading deadline. I guess we can say he lies about everything or is trying to protect his bosses. That sounds complicated. Who were the misses? San Diego traded 3 of their top 5 prospects. Should the Twins have done that for one of the players (Tanner Scott)? Look, the Twins have 18 games out of 28 in August at Target Field. They are going to play some good teams. Let's see what the players people love can do.

The biggest plus is for those who were wary of the Twins trading away the next Cy Young or MVP; the family is intact (err, minus Jay Harry).

If you have an interest, you could always follow the minor league players on milb.com. If you have an MLB.com subscription you can watch any minor league game you wish, time permitting.

Baldelli was spot on in his interview. The Twins have been a good club, will get guys back from the Il, and a player or two from the minors will play a useful role here and there. Strikeouts were up tonight. Hopefully, this practice does not continue. The Twins will need Buxton, Lewis, and Miranda to flush this game and return to hitting the ball.

Falvey has run the team in a fairly consistent pattern. There have been multiple opportunities to make deals and trades have been completed. Always it is within the parameters set by Falvey. They didn't trade Polanco to save money and money is only an issue for the big contracts. Jocko87 is correct. The frustration directed toward ownership is a little strange if you think about it. Who were the big misses? I count only a couple myself and both were within reach for both financial reasons and return costs. Nevertheless, Falvey did not see fit to go after either Puk or Arozarena. Many on Twins Daily weren't interested in either player either. I don't have a problem with either those differing opinions or Falvey's decisions, even if I may disagree. Either way, it just comes down to how the Falvey team determine who they want on the roster.

Im more concerned about the hitting and defense.

The only guy I could see with the Twins was A. J. Puk. Didn't happen and his price was reasonable, even low compared to what followed in the last 24 hours. Falvey had opportunities and believed there wasn't any deals worth completing. For those who wish for trades, Falvey gets another shot in November.

Your parents are billionaires?

So, empathy for millions?