tony&rodney

This is a curious comment for someone who reads the comments. Wallner has received widespread support in the past three years for his slugging and OPS numbers among other numerical arguments in his favor. In past offseasons, I believe I was the sole person who suggested Wallner in various trades. The vast majority of people had Big Matt in right field on projected rosters. My preference for roster positions is somewhat unobtainable in that I wish for each position manned by above average defensive players who also can hit; it's just a dream. I'm not in favor of DH types wearing a glove. I'm a baseball fan who has followed the Twins since 1961 .... closely. I don't have any negative feelings towards other teams and certainly have no animus towards players since I have no personal connection to any current player. It is possible to have a preference for a type of player and suggest a team is better off moving on from a DH player who is never used at the DH position.

Well, I agree with you to some extent. Neither Adams nor Paredes has anywhere near the talent of a Morris or Prielipp but the inexperience and lack of innings does make a difference when facing MLB hitters. The problem is that the Twins organization was put in a bad spot and they were mol forced to call up both Morris and Prielipp. Sands isn't much to talk about but Abel, if he is fully healthy, and Ober would allow for some renewed AAA work for Morris and Prielipp. Abel isn't likely to be ready until late in June at the earliest. I'm glad there is another optimist out there.

Don't get too down on the Twins folks. Things can improve. Andrew Morris was working on specific pitches and his command in St. Paul, but the Twins called him up. He wasn't ready but the team needed him. I'm thinking a ton of people are totally underestimating Morris. Earlier this year we heard people suggest that his 94-95 MPH fastballs were inadequate. Well he has hit 100 MPH. The curve, slider, and sweeper are all good. Morris needs a better changeup and command. If he develops those pitches in a year or two he can be an effective middle of the order starting pitcher. The defense behind the pitchers is substandard. Give a team more than three outs and runs are often the result. I'm way more bullish on a number of Twins, especially some prospects, than many on TD. Perhaps I lose my optimism in August but I'm not finding fault with this team right now. They are dealing the best they can with the fallout of nine years of pretty much incompetent leadership. The future will be better.

I won't fault the efforts but defense always seems to make a difference. Garcia makes a play and Keaschall, with a great try, cannot make a play.

Cameron has been tough for the Twins. The lineup doesn't scream fear. The key will be very solid approaches and situational hitting. Perhaps Prielipp shows a little more consistency with his command as well. The Royals offense can be held down if the pitchers pitch and the fielders field. I'm afraid the Twins fans are going to have to be patient until such time as Culpepper, Jenkins, and Rodriguez arrive to shore up the outfield defense and provide some offensive spark. The current roster is doing what it can. Nine years of focusing on DH types for the 13 position players won't go away overnight. I like that the club is generally playing hard. It is easier to watch this team than the last two years, for me.

Trade him to Arizona for a comp pick.

Let's think about this about seven weeks from now. In the intervening time the Twins can listen if teams call. Major trades before the All Star Game are rare.

The first sentence is totally true. The second sentence highlights the lack of bats.

Shelton has been making the correct moves. The talent is a bit on the short side. You did point fingers despite not wanting to, which is disappointing. Kreidler for one was screaming "I got it" all the way. It is really clear, actually definitive on the replays, but I also saw it as it happened. Larnach, to his credit, has worked hard on routes, jumps, and tracking fly balls. Trevor was hellbent on catching that ball and just ran into Kreidler. Later, Larnach called off Kreidler and was barreling in, which caused Kreidler to pull up. The ball glanced off of Larnach's glove. Kreidler took a step back and got a poor jump on the ball but was still going to easily catch that ball until he decided that one collision with Larnach was enough for the day. The players need to execute in key situations and they are not completing their tasks despite strong efforts. We don't need to assign blame to the manager for plays not made.

Luke Keaschall has had some tough days but he isn't getting a pass. Luke had to sit a few times and has been dropped in the order. Despite the struggles Keaschall gives the club better plate appearances and he has shown some athleticism. MLB is a results oriented business and lengthy difficulties do result in demotions. Keaschall is being watched and coached quite closely.

For no particular reason, I have switched to Jackson Flora as my choice. However, there are plenty of days left to change my mind. Roch and Vahn had their struggles down the stretch as the tournament played out and their teams, which were ranked #1 and #2, were eliminated in the regions. Flora was a stud whenever he pitched all year including in the tournament play downs. Unfortunately, a starting pitcher cannot win a series by himself, just the game they pitch.

Matthew Taylor, one must assume you are watching the Saints play and all of Lewis' plate appearances as opposed to highlights. Last night Matt Wallner hit three bombs in St. Paul. Looking at the results makes it seem like both of these players are ready to return. I have not seen all of their plate appearances, but I have seen quite a few. Lewis is working on maintaining a stable base but has not totally eliminated the shifting feet and he still bails on breaking pitches and then flails away at sweepers. He doesn't seem to pick up a number of pitches but then crushes balls on other occasions. To my eye, Lewis is a work in progress with positive gains in consistency in play. I expect that the organization is watching everything very closely. Wallner is a different case. In every game it seems like a fly ball lands in right field that Austin Martin, not a gold glove outfielder, would easily catch. Wallner is taking huge cuts with better contact recently but also looking unpredictable at the dish. A thought that must be considered is where either Lewis or Wallner play if or when they return to the Twins. The big club is not getting enough from their outfielders but Wallner is unplayable out there. Clemens has proven himself to be a reliable glove and pesky bat for now. Do the Twins sit Keaschall or Lee for Lewis ... or Clemens? The current situation makes me wonder if there are teams interested in either or both of Lewis and Wallner. It is a complicated situation to say the least but I'm not seeing the type of play from either that puts them back into the Twins lineup. MLB pitchers are not as accommodating to struggling hitters as the fellows in minor league ball.

There are 720 MLB players at any given time. Their athleticism and expertise makes them unique in ways that very, very few professions can match. The excellence and specialization of MLB players is pretty amazing. True baseball fans can appreciate the skills. My 10th grade baseball players were in awe of how good major leaguers were at baseball.

There are times when Ryan looks casual. Joe is anything but casual. He is an intense competitor. When events transpire in a direction that is not in full compliance with his ideas, Ryan is going to be less than pleased and also reflective of how to adjust in the future. He was likely a little miffed that he wasn't more proactive in that game. It's all part of what makes Ryan such an outstanding pitcher and a real treat to watch.

The top college players are finished with their seasons. My guess is that Jackson Flora was the player who displayed the most talent this season among the college guys. I have not seen any of the top high school players play so my pick ( a month early) is Flora.

Justin didn't look too hot in his first outing but then again some others rebounded after a rough initial appearance. I don't think anyone saw much to be impressed by but we can wait until he pitches again to see if there is anything left in his arm.

Sure, not my money. Seems like we won't have to worry about Jeffers though if he returns before August. There will be at least one team that offers up a Rojas/Mendez type of prospect and Jeffers will be in a new uniform.

I wish people wouldn't resort to personal insults and class comments when discussing how MLB is going to resolve their next labor agreement. Maybe I'm way off on this but it just doesn't seem necessary. Perhaps give your point of view and clarify further if you desire. At the end of the day none of us has any say in how the negotiations develop and play out.

Take it or leave it sounds pretty severe. Someone will have the numbers but I thought I read the PA has about 2-4 million dollars set aside for their guys. One wonders if the players can get by on a million per year for several years. I think cooler heads will prevail.

Help me out here - when was the last time the PA caved?

Lewis had a very good swing on a decent pitch his last time up. His lower half was firm (no dancing feet) and he drove the ball back through the middle for a single. Royce was at 2B today. Also, Culpepper took good at bats.

Thank you. I did not have the sound on. Often watch a minor league game at the same time as a major league game, but also do flip to other minor league contests.

The worry about any pitcher is always injury. Ryan has had moments of injury and decline in his career. Right now I would suggest he is easily among the top twenty starting pitchers in MLB. Ryan is not the guy to throw complete game shutouts but he can go through any lineup for 6-7 innings and hold the opponent to three runs or less on a consistent basis. If Ryan had a better defense behind him he would be even better. I would think there is high value there. The Twins do not need to trade Joe Ryan. It would be good if the club could get real talent in return in a transaction though. Last winter I suggested a few ideas. One was to trade Ryan, Roden or Lewis, and Charlee Soto to Detroit for Max Clark. Detroit is a mess now and were never likely to listen on Clark. I wonder if the Twins can coerce a team that is interested in Ryan to trade a top prospect if the Twins add a couple players. The Athletics might benefit from Ryan now. Put out an offer of Ryan, Lewis, Roden, and Dasan Hill for Leodalis De Vries. Again, likely to get the cold shoulder. Would Boston consider a package for Franklin Arias? I think it is going to be difficult to get a decent return for Joe Ryan and if the return is just more fourth outfielders, utility infielders, and back of the rotation pitchers, the Twins should just hold onto Ryan.

I have not seen all of Royce Lewis' plate appearances but have watched a bunch. For those who have actually watched the times Lewis hits or fields ... What do you see? I see him getting better at getting his feet firm, although there are plenty of dance moves with either or both feet moving still. Lewis does still buckle at the waist on breaking pitches at times and flail harmlessly at outside stuff. He has seen quite a few fastballs middle, middle. Barco is a pretty good pitching prospect but he was feeding quite a few pitches right down the chute. Lewis fouled one off down the right field line and was ready for the same pitch right after that .... boom, HR. I have missed more than half of Wallner's trips to the plate. In what can only be call luck of when I see him, I have not seen Wallner's hits in live action, only as highlight videos. My Wallner viewing has shown a player descending badly, so it is good to read he is doing better. One thing that has remained troublesome is that virtually every game I see a catchable fly ball elude the lumbering right fielder and sometimes two outs turn into base hits. Wallner should be shifted to DH. It has to be very difficult for pitchers to live through the experience of Big Matt in the outfield. A number of people bring up using this player and that player at first base and note that it is at the bottom of the defensive spectrum. The Twins have been working Gabriel Gonzalez in at first base. Gabby is working hard at learning the position. Last night there were two plays that in some ways symbolize the difficulty of learning first base. One was a hot shot that Gonzalez miraculously stabbed and threw to the pitcher for a 3-1 out. Gabby has quick hands, which were useful on that play. The other, later in the game, displayed the difficulty of catching throws from an infielder. Culpepper charged in to field a ball and thew quickly. The ball was totally catchable by an experienced first baseman, about six feet off the ground and about a foot to the left of Gonzalez. Gabby was fooled by the speed of the throw from a close distance and the ball glanced off of his glove. I'm pretty sure an error was given to Culpepper but it is a play made 100% of the time by an experienced first baseman. I include the plays to give examples of the difficulty of learning to play a position at the professional level. If you have never played catch with someone throwing 90 mph you might be surprised.

I guess we can say Tristan Gray is ok now. A month from now the team could look quite a bit different, but these boys are always trying their best.