Doctor Gast

Totally agree with you, we can't luck out like SD and be able to trade so many unproven prospects. I only mentioned them to prove it can be done. If you read more carefully, I stated that I'd like to protect and develop prospects like Baddo and Wells, not necessarily trade them (only if they are strongly requested by the trading partner) I'd prefer to trade players which we've developed and find that they'd be better off playing on a different team. Seek out teams which could use such players and have players which fits our needs.

To clarify my point, I'd like to use SD as an example. They are a team with a ton of prospects and big 40 man problem. Also they want to compete against LAD so they need to upgrade their pitching. They didn't go after FA because that wouldn't help their 40 man problem. They attacked the trade market. Using 4 prospects they landed Snell, using 7 players they landed Darvish (plus his private catcher for free) and 5 players to land Musgrove. That's 16 low valued players, (quite a few lotto tickets with non in their top 5 prospects) for 3 top of the rotation pitchers. Some may argue that Musgrove isn't that good looking at his stats but looking at under lying conditions and being SD most dominating pitcher out of the gate, I believe he is. Instead of going for the bragging rights to the rule 5 loser's award they made themselves highly competitive and helped their 40 man problem, now in the near future.I'm not insinuating the FO is terrible and need to be fired. Their development is one reason why we have this talent. I'm just showing an area where we need improvement. Where we can protect prospects like Baddo and Wells until we are ready to play them or trade them. Another interesting point about Baddo is that he bats left where our others CFers batright.

I saw that, hope he continues his success.

I wasn't impressed with Happ but some how DET wasn't able to do any damage against him. I don't know if Happ was deceptionly good or DET was that bad. This new extra innings rule really favors the home team so I don't fault Robles. I was at the start of season in favor of Dobnak to be in the rotation. Then I figured that long relief isn't so bad, in the beginning many starters shouldn't be able to go much beyond 4 innings. He could come in and pitch 2 or 3 innings and make a considerable contribution. But so far he's been used as a highest leverage closer and to mop up a game. Neither situation could contribute to confidence or establish his groove. Last year Dobnak was used as a starter when they needed a pitcher when someone went down (on short notice) or to pitch on short rest. In another words they don't want Dobnak as a legit starter but as someone they can throw under the bus. This IMO is a waste of Dobnak's potential. The 2 games they lost would've been the best situations to have pitched Dobnak, to take advantage of his talents and I believe with better results.

Let me rephrase. I'm surprised that a NL team didn't end up with him

Both are very important to the proficiency of the team and both need to be highly pursued for extentions. Who's more important? I'd say Buxton, only because of his potential amount of time on the field and the different levels he impacts the team.

Many were down on Puckett when he 1st came up. They didn't like his high leg kick, being short and stocky etc. But he proved them all wrong and went to the HOF. I never take so called pundits serious. Astudillo has heart and a great contact hitter with power. He has a lot of determination to hit , which he swings at everything. Pitchers have capitalized on that. Last year because he contracted covid he never got prepared for 2020 or had the chance to work on his discipline. He was thrown into action cold which gave his critics plenty to criticize him on. This year he's ready and has shown plate discipline. It's something he needs to work on continueously because that's not who he is. He covers the positions he plays adequately. I won't say he's the next Puckett be he is a valuable asset

I looked at the situation at your point of view. And I believe that I was harsh in saying that it was mismanagement or error in dealing with Baddo the way they did because that's the way the vast majority of teams deal with this problem.But to really compete we need to think outside the box. I've debated in a prior threads. We need to be proactive in trading from our strength to strengthen our weaknesses and constantly upgrading. Upgrading allows more room on the 40 man. Which allows us to develop as many prospects as we can eventually to play on the MLB team or trade them

It surprises me that any NL team didn't make more of an attempt to sign him

We have a lot of great hitting prospects, most I'd rated above Baddo. No one could've guess how great Baddo has performed this ST and early season. I'd checked on him early in ST, hoping for a quick return with no such luck. I never indicated him anything more than a good prospect in a position where we could use more depth. What I'm saying is that FO should have managed the 40 man better as to not to have left him unprotected or anyone else in the future. I don't like to see good players go for nothing in return

Baddo is not only a great bat, he's also fast and pretty good glove at CF which we don't have a lot. We could still need depth of decent CFs. Although now we have Broxton and Celestino close but for many years we had no one which really hurt us. Baddo isn't a flash in the pan. It's a bad mistake any way you look at it.

I remember when I was a young man, I worked for a bricklayer. At around 63, he could work circles around me and I wasn't a slouch. But that was nothing, my boss said he knew a 70+yrs old stone cutter who was stronger than him. I forget how heavy that sledgehammer was but it was very heavy. The point I want to make is that there are people who are extraordinary, people who amazes us. Cruz is one of those people and he'll reach 500

This only magnifies the importance of the Simmons acquisition, with his ability to cover the inadequacy of other positions. I hate to see where we'd be without him. Especially with his new found hitting proficiency.

Back in 2019, during the Twins' bid to get in the post season and beyond. A squirrel ran between Kepler's legs and ran around the field, the Twins responded w/ a rally and won that game. I had hoped that the Twins would've capitalized on that occurrance. They could find a domesticated squirrel to run across the field in rally situations to get the team and crowd in the game. I believed that could've gone a long ways, if there'd be any animal rights problems at least create a mascot (Rocky the Rally Squirrel) to run around the field. But alas that wasn't done, they instead dusted off the old Homer Hankies. So I was excited when I saw they acquired Twiggy, the water skiiing squirrel https://www.twinkietown.com/2021/4/2/22311694/mlb-minnesota-twins-news-roster-twiggy-the-waterskiing-squirrel-one-year-deal-nuts-satire You might call me nuts but I think Twiggy's acquisition could give Simmon's a run for the money.

I was raised democrat, to believe in equality and justice for all. To keep the rich elite from exploiting their leverage over the disadvantage, no bias on race or belief and rights for labor and farmers. The focus in the past was equipping our youth with tools to think for themselves so they can achieve their dreams. Now the focus is no longer on education but on endocrination. What comes to mind is what a professor taught "seek out enough to believe you are right but not enough to know that they are wrong". Another words believe what we tell you and seek out information to support it but don't seek truth, to be "woke". Many professors are no longer interested to equip students to think but to create minions to carry out their agenda. This fight isn't democrats against republicans. It's the "woke" against the unwoke. The far-left and the far-right believe in totalitarism (dictatorship) and they are united in bringing down democracy, and everything that we hold dear. The only rights they believe in is their own. Asking for identification in elections is as racist as asking for identification in buying firearms or any other process. Identification is only to keep the process legal and keep people from abusing it. Anyone who is against asking for identification is someone who wants to abuse the system. Manfred isn't interested in the sport, he's only interested in pleasing the "woke" culture. The woke culture has grossly underestimated the silent majority. This move could very well come back and bite him. Baseball is in decline this move will further injure the sport. I hate politics and my objective isn't to make anyone angry but I know it will. I'm encouraging people to think for themselves and to wake up the"woke".

Had some good things happened. Kepler showed that he was faking it in ST, just to say April Fool's. Simmons had a good day hitting against a great pitcher Woodruff. Bad news Donaldson got hurt (hamstring is bad enough) after looking good at the plate. I don't understand why Baldelli blew the whole wad, using Duffy, Taylor, Robles and Colume' all up to the 9th. Having to put poor Dobnak in waters he's never been in.

Pretty decent line up. Go Twins!

Was nice to see Do-Hyoung in the report. Nick said he wouldn't want to see Arraez at 1B, I was wondering why? Carew was moved there from 2B. I'd like to see him get as many ABs as possible, 1B seems like a good option. I'm just curious about his rationale because management seems to share it.

I scratched my head after the Twins secured a spot for Garlic on the fragile 40 man while we already have a ton of great prospects on and off it that fit his profile. I'm not questioning that he deserves to be on the opening roster but aren't there greater needs.I've scratched my head on the FO infatuation with this profile of great bat and their best position is DH. Why do they seek them out and hoard them? I think I finally figured it out. I'm going to call this condition "David Ortiz phobia". Ever since the Twins FO suffered the shame of releasing David Ortiz, they have made it a point to never ever make this mistake again. They are scared to death of releasing or trading another David Ortiz so they over compensate because of this fear. Thus this imbalance of this area with other areas that is needed. This is only a theory.

Cave is ok at LF, Buxton makes him look good. He beat out Kiriloff as LH platoon. But as Buxton replacement we should do much better. If want to compete.

IMO LAD is the one that really expounds in depth. They put a lot of importance on depth especially on SS and CF, the crucial positions, where there is very little drop off in performance, 3 or so deep. This is what I desire for the Twins.

To change the subject a little. I was expecting Pineda, Happ and Shoemaker would get in some tune up innings prior to the season. Pineda, yesterday; Happ, today and Shoemaker, tomorrow. Astudillo is a great hitter, this spring he has shown it. At 2nd half of 2019, the pitchers took advantage of his unwillingness to walk. Last year covid put him back where he didn't have the opportunity to really correct his plate discipline. But this year it looks like he has adjusted and is a better player for it. His defense is adequate for those positions he plays. His catching could use some improvement but it's fine in a pinch. Lin still impresses. My biggest disappointment was, why didn't they give Arraez any opportunity to play 1B? Carew when he was moved off 2B they moved him to 1B. Arraez seems more suitable there and he can get more ABs. I wasn't going to comment on LF but couldn't resist. LF was Cave's no matter what and Garlic was the best bat.

At 1st I saw the low price, then I saw the incentives and thought not to bad, he could easily reach most of them. But then I thought it could be to appease him and be an another excuse not to give him the opportunity to rise. Really hope that's not the case. Dobnak has a nice story but that's not the reason I cheer for him. It's because he can help the Twins to win, his avenue to success is the Twins. Hope they can see that and take full advantage of it. To me Dobnak is as steady as they come. Go Twins.

Dobnak signed a 5yr. Contract,

I think Waddell is a little bit better than Law but if there will be any one it'll be Law because he's out of options. I think this ST has shown us that Broxton isn't a PH candidate.