tony&rodney

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.

I'm a hopeful Twins fan who likes to say they win the WS every year. Alas. I looked back at my hopes that the Twins could trade Arraez, Larnach, Winder, and a ml'er for Pablo Lopez but backed off because I thought Miami would be crazy to trade PL and then shifted to variations of trades looking to acquire Cabrera and/or Luzardo. In January of 2023 JL was not as highly thought of as his is currently. Right now that PL-LA deal looks good for the Twins. I'll admit that I was very frustrated by the big trade this offseason and believe the conversations and negotiations went counter to making the Twins a better team. We shall know more by November. I'm not screaming about it.

Ohtani got married.

This is an interesting take. When a rundown of third base happens will you remove the home runs that Royce Lewis hit to arrive at a similar conclusion? Consistency is a thing, right. All of Jeffers, Kirilloff, Julien, Lewis, and Wallner as position players and Ryan, Ober, Paddack, Varland, Duran, Jax, Topa, and Jackson as pitchers have to prove that one or two good months or years is not a dream and that they can become successful athletic performers for a full season and then after that season after season.

So this statement, considering the hundred or so articles and thousands of comments on Twins Daily specifically egging on the management to go for it all during this offseason, is your massive leap on Leap Year Day? Good play on words. I caught it.

One detail that caught my attention was "the left side of the infield now locked down by franchise players." That seems pretty nice and I hope it is true, but I wondered when was the last time the Twins and/or their fans considered a guy with 280 PA to be a franchise player. I can't remember one. It wasn't Killebrew, Oliva, Carew, Puckett, or Hrbek. Joe Mauer? Probably Joe. That is a high bar. Second base is pretty set. chpettit19 accurately depicts where baseball is on defensive metrics. Whenever i read defensive metrics and the comments using them exclusively it makes me think of those who only consider wins a good judge of a pitcher. I also wonder if the person commenting with their piles of metrics is searching through data while listening to the games. Now listening to baseball and looking through data are fine hobbies which I wholeheartedly approve of, but as chpettit19 has said above, the educated eye is still far, far ahead of metrics when it comes to judging defense in baseball.

I'm about as slow and patient as the species comes. A trade can always happen, for sure. A Mahle or Jorge Lopez type trade is avoidable to some extent. We will all look around for any interesting, possible, or needed additions in late July. I'm not really expecting anything. Until then the coast is clear.

Severino certainly could have an MLB career and you do a fine job of profiling the young slugger. It makes some sense that, if injuries occur and Severino is pounding the ball at AAA, the Twins may give a call, The comparison to Solano is pretty narrow though. The similarity, which you point out clearly, is that both are poor defensively at numerous positions. The differences are stark. Solano is a veteran who can sit for days and come off the bench with a bat that makes solid contact. The slashing style of Solano was valuable precisely because he was a good match to hit the ball against any pitcher. Severino is still young, unproven, and strike outs a load, which you did point out. I'm not confident that Severino can sit for long periods and be a threat at the plate late in games as a contact pinch hitter. Solano has had a pretty decent career as a contact line drive hitter. Hopefully Severino can have a fair MLB career but his avenue for a spot with the Twins is pretty blocked currently.

Every player enters Spring Training with goals. They all work hard to refine skills and address areas of concern, Veterans and those assured of a roster position work at the pace which prepares them for Opening Day. Younger players try to pick up tips and habits from the more experienced players. All players hope to avoid injuries. An injury is the only path for a player to sneak on to a set roster. Is there disagreement with that? A number of people have stated that the position roster is set, including Falvey, but still we see a couple of people on Twins Daily put a thumbs down to that concept without a response of where any roster position competition might exist. I'm merely curious which player or players have a chance at a roster position if there are not any injuries. I see zero open spots among position players. Those who disagree should make their choices known.

Falvey said he was done. He got all of his dream guys in the trades made this offseason. The bench is (mol) Vazquez, Santana, Farmer, and Margot. None of these guys are trade targets. Kirilloff has very low value at this point. Carlos and Byron have no trace deals. Castro doesn't have significant value to other teams. Would the Twins trade Jeffers, Julien, Lewis, or Wallner? Kepler has been on the block for two years. So there is is a very close to zero chance the Twins are even thinking about trades. We can revisit this in November.

No worries. It didn't bother me. I figured it was a mistake and thought you might want to know in case you wanted to put your comment to the correct post. I hope you didn't take offense at me responding. I have made the same mistake and wished the other person had let me know. Take care.

Unless there are injuries, the position side of the team is set. Nothing that Martin or Miranda or Larnach shows can put them on the roster in Kansas City on Opening Day. Those three and others will need to produce at AA and AAA, wherever they are placed, and show that they are ready to contribute to the Twins team if an injury occurs that opens a spot. At this time all the players are just preparing themselves for the season ahead and not in any competition to make the MLB squad.

An underrated feature of becoming a good relief pitcher is having the ability to bounce back physically from day to day. Pitching is not a natural motion and throwing hard places some pretty severe stress on the body. A fair amount of pitchers find their careers ending because their body will not recover fast enough to fill the demands of a bullpen pitcher. Relievers often need to be ready to pitch on consecutive days. The body might not always be receptive to that demand, which affects performance. Alcala seems to be someone who is more effective with several days of rest. However, those guys in the bullpen need to be flexible and ready when called on to pitch. Honest communication is really important between relief pitchers, the coaches, and the manager.

The article includes it all and the comments correctly reflect the questions, angst, and hopes for first base. Alex Kirilloff can still have a good career if he doesn't work out this year, but it is a very big year for AK as a Twin. How the season unfolds will determine whether Kirilloff remains as a player for the Twins. Santana will be a professional player who performs to whatever capabilities remain in his body. Depth is the hope. Miranda is in a tough spot and will need to force his way back from AAA with a consistent blast of line drives down the lines, in the gaps, and over the fences. Jose will return to the lineup in some capacity if he produces. The big bet is on AK though. Already the comments show some betting on him and some betting against him. 2018 was a long time ago and Alex was in A ball. That season and two stretches in St. Paul (2022 & 2023) show what Kirilloff can do. AK has also had brief stretches for the Twins where he crushed the ball.. I'm thinking Kirilloff comes up big this year with over 500 PA and Santana then serves as an excellent depth player when called on.

Agree, not a big deal. I regret making the initial comment. It would have been better to just not comment. Like i said previously, I appreciate the work of Ted and the other writers, which includes the editors. I apologize for my needless initial comment.

There is much more to "The Story" than has been covered in the comments. Those who lived in the Twin Cities and closely followed the Twins in the 1980s when the Pohlads came on the baseball scene are quite familiar with a vast array of details. I'm not too sure why we need to pore over all of the tawdry events of the franchise. Fans of any specific sports team may find themselves deeply entrenched in thoughts concerning ownership and front offices which may detract from an ability to enjoy the sport. Whether favorable, frustrated, or negative a fan has zero to very little influence on how their favorite team is run or managed. Any emotion is understandable in all cases yet a less positive view may ruin an individual's interest or enjoyment of (in this case) baseball. As far as accuracy of financial information or numbers associated with revenues or costs, one thing is absolutely clear. There is a whole pile of numbers which can be sorted, categorized, and explained to fit whatever point one is making and then there is the fact that these numbers all reveal one truism - a private corporation that does not fully reveal all of its numbers leaves every attempt short because the actual numbers are unknown to the public. People also disagree on the public relations part of the Twins. Seems counter productive to get too deep in what owners or front office say if one wants to enjoy baseball, yet frustration for many/some is understandable. The offseason of sifting through the Twins structure, finances, and whatever has produced nothing new or useful for me. I do wonder if others have been enlightened, understand more, feel better, feel worse, etc. Mostly, I hope that folks do not let their thoughts and feelings affect their interest in baseball. There will be games to enjoy this summer from t-ball to MLB. The options are out there to enjoy.

Yes, I try to read and re-read my comments before I hit the "Submit Comment". Sometimes, I still mess up. I wonder if we should hold Twins Daily to a standard that we might expect of a national publication? Yes. Maybe. I guess my thought was that the world needs more kindness. A better path would have been to simply not comment on the error. However, your comment is correct in that we should all review our comment material before adding it to the pile.