tony&rodney

The Twins have used seven starters thus far this young season. Only the Mariners, Marlins, Mets, Athletics, and Rays have used more starting pitchers with several of those teams using an opener. Perhaps the Twins go with an opener at some point in the year. Ober, Varland, Woods Richardson, and Headrick should do it for starters this year, but Sanchez and De Leon could start a game or two. Sanchez may use an option to become a free agent. If the Twins need to use more than nine starting pitchers, their season will be on the rails. One exception to note is the possibility of an addition via trade in late July.

Yup, can't win 'em all. Did anyone count how many swings and misses at high fastballs (more than four inches high out of the strike zone) there were in the game tonight. ? It seemed like an abnormal number of swings at pitches that cannot be hit. Varland up next.

Where?

I suspect this entire discussion revolves around both of Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff forcing their way into the lineup. That is, more or less, how the fortunes of baseball players and teams go. Lewis is very athletic and displayed, in a very small sample, that he can hit MLB pitching. The hangup may be finding him a position. Centerfield would be a prime choice, yet Lewis has largely been an infielder and favors the dirt over grass. Potentially, Lewis provides offense and defense. Kirilloff is also pretty athletic, though not at the same level as Lewis. AK plays a decent right field, does fine in left field, and is a smooth first baseman. Kirilloff's real value is a bat that sprays line drives to all fields with power and he projects to hit for average. He is, for sure, unproven at the MLB level. First, AK has to continue to demolish minor league pitching and force the Twins to call him up. Then in June we should see Lewis. There will be changes to the roster in the next two weeks. Farmer should return (he is batting second for St. Paul today - first inning fly out to right field) by May 15. Castro is then likely to get sent down. I believe he has an option. Kirilloff's call depends on his bat, injuries, and the play of some Twins. He can force the issue by May 15. If Kirilloff is brought up, I expect that Solano, who has played well, is released or traded. Gordon will escape until either Lewis returns or a trade. Trades are common for players in his situation, but significant trades early in the season are uncommon. The beauty of it all is that the options are all pretty good if you are a Twins fan. I'm hopeful that the position players can avoid the IL this year, especially long stints.

Hayes, and others, have reported that Sonny Gray wants to go through free agency.

FWIW, during the Arraez - Lopez trade conversations there were comments from the Miami leadership that Arraez was the only player from the Twins organization that held interest as a main target. No Arraez, no trade. This does make sense and explains why that trade took so long to accomplish. The Twins did not want to send Arraez but needed pitching and ultimately the addition of Salas and Acuna sealed the deal.

The Twins opened the year with a satisfactory month. The pitching was good mostly and now the team is hitting well. I sure hope the good at bats and sound play continues because May looks to be a much tougher schedule than April. Chicago and Cleveland have both been in a funk but these teams are competing every day. The seven runs by Chicago in the bottom of the 9th inning today came as a shock to Tampa Bay. Kansas City just seems off a bit. The Royals looked better than the Nationals, but started games slowly and didn't get enough from their starting pitchers. This next week should be interesting given how the Twins struggled versus these clubs last year. Alex Kirilloff presents an awkward situation. He has not proven anything at the major league level but he also has nothing left to learn or prove in AAA. Additionally, he is a player with the ability to hit for both average and power while playing a good first base. Tough calls will need to be made by the middle of May.

This seems improbable, yet I have no knowledge of what thoughts the Twins actually have for Buxton. Taylor has been pretty solid in centerfield but there is a reason he was easy to acquire and has a relatively low salary. The calendar turns to May tomorrow and it feels like everyone expects Buxton to get hurt any day now. Bremer has made several comments about Byron getting up slowly and hoping he is alright on normal inconsequential slides. Now that i think about it, has anyone seen or heard anything about Buxton shagging fly balls in Florida or before games?

I have never been a fan of Mahle but was pleased the Twins traded for him. Pitching is tough to get and no team has enough it seems (ok, maybe the Atros). So, yes, I was a fan of the trade for pitching, even if it was Mahle. I would have offered a ton more for Luis Castillo, which is a gamble too. All pitchers are gambles. Look at Jacob deGrom. What is difficult to understand is how fans are suggesting that Steer or CES are the missing piece for the Twins. I'm not sure either player would fit on the 40 person roster. I say that and early last season I was very enamored with CES and his bat. Where does he play though? Do we bench Buxton? We cannot trade him due to the no trade clause in his contract. Sometimes a team needs to part with good players to get guys they believe will help them more. Gray for Petty was a risky but good trade. The Twins gave up quite a bit to get Jorge Lopez from Baltimore. The trade of Arraez for Pablo Lopez was another big gamble, especially if suddenly an elbow goes ouch. Sometimes trades work and other times not, but it remains a solid way to fill holes on a roster. Now, who is going to be upset if the Twins trade Brooks Lee, Marco Raya, and Noah Miller in July?

Kirilloff will play in St. Paul for a couple of weeks for two good reasons: 1) the Twins want to see AK play at an elevated level to show where he is at as a baseball player, and 2) the Twins do not want to interrupt the current flow for a player who still needs to prove himself. When we hit mid May, Buxton should be able to play centerfield 3-4 days per week. Kirilloff should be on the plane to LA on May 14 if he continues to show what he has shown thus far. AK is that player who can hit for average and power.

I agree with this take. Thus far though, AK has been swinging the bat hard, hitting line drives all over the field and bombs well over the fences in all directions. Alex has run the bases well with two steals in three attempts. He has also played a very smooth first base. Now, the Twins want to see a full week or two, maximum, of AK playing five days a week and maintaining what he has done to date. A healthy Kirilloff could really be a tough out in the middle of the Twins lineup.

May brings a difficult schedule and an opportunity for the depth in starting pitchers to show their stuff. Ober is in the rotation and we will see if Varland or Woods Richardson or Headrick are ready for the big stadiums. I would guess Varland gets first crack. Wishing the guys luck. First up is Chicago which just scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to walk off the Tampa Bay Rays. Hopefully Joe Ryan can provide an example to whomever starts on Wednesday before Pablo Lopez gets a chance to bounce back from a couple of less than stellar outings. Mahle is shut down for four weeks and then faces a two to three week buildup before he is back to MLB. Bad luck for him is an opportunity for someone else.

It will be interesting to see who the Twins use in Mahle's spot. It seems like Varland would have the edge over Headrick or Woods Richardson, but we may even see a bullpen game depending on what management thinks.

This was noted on the transactions page. On Earl Weaver ... he line was that the best offense is a three run home run. However, he used the bunt and also had players steal bases. Use all of the tools in your tool box.

Great bunt by Gordon, also a fine play by the pitcher to get an out. We have seen the Twins try a few bunts to score runs instead of sitting around waiting for base hits. This is excellent fundamental baseball. Nobody should expect this all the time but it does make teams play defense.

Kirilloff is still working his way into prime condition. Hopefully he can play in five of six games next week. He needs to prove he is ready and earn his call up. I'm a big fan of Kirilloff because I believe he will hit for power and average. AK has a few glitches in his games (every player does). He is prone, like many, to swinging at high pitches that are well above the zone. Additionally, Alex has a tendency to believe he can hammer any pitch. This is similar to Miranda. Kirilloff could be more selective at the plate. The upside is that AK drives the ball with power all over the field. He doesn't need to pull the ball to launch a bomb but he can turn on pitches middle in and crush it to right field. The bottom line is that the Twins want to see a week or two of consistent play from Kirilloff before they make a decision on him. I'm ready to see him now, but would be surprised if the call comes before May 15. What happens with the lineup? This has been discussed quite often recently. The team is healthy and we hope it remains that way. Kirilloff = 1B, Kepler = RF, Buxton = CF/DH, Larnach = LF/RF/ DH, Gallo = OF/DH. Taylor returns to the role he was signed for and plays CF against left handed pitchers and come in defensively late in games or as a pinch runner. Who goes? This depends on when Farmer is fully ready to resume his place as the Twins utility infielder. Castro remains until Farmer is healthy and has finished a rehab stint. Gordon likely holds his role (whatever that is) until Lewis forces his way onto the team. This means that Solano goes, despite his solid bat thus far. He just doesn't play a position or bring speed to the team. I prefer the option of 14 position players but we are unlikely to see that decision. Like mentioned by Falvey/Baldelli, among others, it is impossible to know what occurs in regards to injuries or performance between the last day of April and mid May. For now, Kirilloff will need to do his part to force a decision.

It is always good to see posts on what people see as possible additions to the Twins team. This is an interesting collection of good baseball players. The problem is that none of these guys would be rostered on our current team even if the they were DFA'ed. The Twins would not release Gallo for Cron or Walker, Torres would not displace Polanco, and the Twins already have a pile of left handed hitting corner outfielders which means no role for Pederson. No room at the inn for these four.

Rooker would not have a place on the Twins current roster, or even the 40 person roster. Does he slide into DH for Byron? Good for Rooker that he gets some at bats in Oakland.

Baseball is tough enough when a player is a regular, but youngish guys need opportunities to grow their game. I don't know where Nick Gordon fits on the Twins team either now or in the future. I do think he could become a star player with an opportunity. I cannot understand any talk of sending down Trevor Larnach. It is a little befuddling as to why Gordon has not gotten any playing time. I was pretty sure he would be in the lineup today, but nope. Maybe tomorrow.

If Kirilloff is still in St. Paul on May 15, it is a bad deal for the Twins. It would mean some combination of health and nonperformance kept him down in AAA. Both are poor outcomes for a player the Twins need to be a real threat in October. A healthy, productive Alex Kirilloff would bolster any lineup and he has the talent to fit right into the middle of the lineup. The discussion of who loses their roster spot will be pretty evident. If someone is injured, a spot opens. If everyone is healthy, we know it is one of Castro, Solano, or Gordon. For right now, I would choose Castro as my extra infielder and Gordon as my overall utility player. Solano has had a good start this year but he cannot play in the field. When Farmer returns, another guy needs to go. I don't know what the Twins plan for Nick Gordon. He had some decent swings recently but rarely gets an at bat. Personally I would like to see the Twins roster 14 position players, but expect all of Solano/Castro/Gordon to be elsewhere by June. We know that Taylor and Jeffers are here to stay, barring injury and also expect that Farmer gets a uniform.

I'm flummoxed. Polanco and Kepler are easily the best baserunners for the Twins in the past five years. Yet both have inexplicable running errors this year. I hope this is it for the year on those type of plays.

All good stuff. Maybe Royce Lewis is ready by June. Long road back, twice. He is going to be hungry and focused.

Thielbar felt bad for the Royals manager.

Loved the squeeze bunt, absolutely loved it.

"Mr. Clutch" says Smalley. Jorge is the straw that stirs for the Twins.