darwin22

Very nice to see one of our potential young guns, take a stand and show some backbone against the Sox. Very impressive performance for Ober as his previous 2 starts were U-G-L-Y to put it nicely. Count me in the "Ober camp" as a legit option for our 2022 starting rotation. Not intending to be overly negative, as I know Thielbar has been above average all season, but he sure appeared to be doing his best early season "Colome impression" in his 1 inning of work. Not making the call right now, but with additional outings of this nature (hoping this is not the case), I believe Jovanni Moran would make a viable replacement. Always nice to see anyone against the Sox. Nice to shut Ozzie Guillen's piehole...at least for 1 night.

I much as it pains to agree------I liked the signing of JD and have been an ardent supporter of his-------these arguments offer well reasoned and intelligent facts of why looking to trade him is in the short and long term interests of this franchise. I know my numbers may be off, but I think JD is owed somewhere in the neighborhood of $51m over the next 2 seasons. I can't believe even the #1 fan of JD would be against a trade that brought legit prospects AND would result in the Twins NOT kicking in money to sweeten the deal. Right now...today......I think the likelihood of trade is maybe 40%. That number is strongly based on the fact that he's not played the last 3 games and has missed a plethora of games the last 2 seasons due to hamstring & calf injuries. If Donaldson get back into lineup THIS week--stay healthy and show production and that same scenario repeats itself for the first 10days after the ASB, I'd argue the likelihood of finding his being traded increases to 70%. Saying that, I'd suggest that the Twins will be asked to assume around $20mill of that guaranteed $$ to make any trade happen.

Lucas---Nice piece on Moran---as I've been strongly in the camp of those fans that believe he can be a strong component to this bullpen for years to come. Having seen Moran close out a win recently in Wichita, I can attest that his fastball (93-95) is legit. As you pointed out is his outstanding changeup. I'm not ready to put that pitch in comparison to Santana's just yet, but the video provided sure brings back fond memories of how ridiculous Johann could make hitters looked when he uncorked that filthy pitch.

If the FO/Falvey brings Shoemaker back to pitch in any role/capacity they should be fired.

Nash: Good work with your update for the day as its always refreshing to see our affiliates have winning performances. Was wondering your (and others) thoughts of when Jovani Moran may get the call up to AAA? Although a blip today--allowing 1 ER (solo shot), Moran's ERA is still outstanding (1.91) with an even more impressive WHIP (0.70). He also has a filthy K to BB rate on the season (55-11) while allowing opposing batters to hit only .110 against him. Also nice to see the Wind Surge finish their road trip (8-4) with a split against Amarillo. They currently lead the North division of the Texas League by a half game over Tulsa. Important 2 week homestand coming up vs. NW Ark and Tulsa. Was also wondering if you have any insight into who the CR Kernels will be starting at home next Sunday in their final home gain against Peoria? Making a drive over to Cedar Rapids while seeing family in Des Moines area. Looks like Kody Funderburk may be getting the start as he was on the bump his past Saturday night. Regardless, looking forward to seeing Camargo, Gray, Javier and Julien. Finally, any injury update on Wallner and Canterino?

Small sample size with Griffen Jax-----only 5 games with only 1 start-------but his numbers...8.66 ERA/1.70 WHIP/ horrible K to BB rate (14-8) and 6 HR allowed-------but those numbers, imo dictate a demotion (possibly temporary) to Saint Paul with a promotion for Charlie Barnes. I'll be first to admit that Barnes doesn't have the "IT factor" that other more heralded arms (Winder, Balazovic, Duran) but since the remainder of this season should be all about EVALUATION for 2022, Barnes, imo, deserves an opportunity to showcase his skills based on the following: Pitching at AAA all season Barnes has started 10 games with a 4-2 record to go along with a respectable 3.76 ERA. His WHIP is solid (1.23) and unlike Jax, he has an excellent K/BB rate (46-16). Barnes has allowed 2 or less runs in 7 of his 10 starts. As for Ober, in his 4 starts (not counting the 2 vs. Chicago)--he has looked respectable despite only pitching a total of 17.33 IP in those outings. ERA is 3.64 with a 1.267 WHIP and an excellent K to BB rate (19-3). Problem is you just can't forget about those 2 starts vs. the Sox that he's got shelled: 7.1 IP/ ER allowed=9/ ERA=11.05/ WHIP: 1.64 with 5 HRs allowed. From what I've seen from Ober his struggles stem from command and just overall confidence. He appears reluctant to "trust his stuff" at times, thus falling behind in the count. I for one, would like to see Baldelli & Johnson let Ober pitch past the 4th or 5th inning. With the ASB break coming up next week, Ober has time to rest. Let the kid pitch.

Matt: With the exception of Saint Paul, a pretty dismal night for our affiliates, but appreciate your analysis. Posted this the other day on a different thread, but after Barnes' impressive work last night I hope your observation that a promotion is imminent is true. Im sure Griffin Jax is a nice person, but after getting lit up last night, its time to move on. As many others have noted we've reached the point where the remainder of this season is 100% about EVALUATION for next season. Barnes, imo, has absolutely earned the opportunity to take a slot in Twins starting rotation. Should---I sure hope sooner than later------Happ is DFA'ed or relegated to long relief, there's a spot open for Barnes. If Pineda can show something in his next 2 starts, preferably at the big league level, the likelihood of him being dealt increases. That would open up a spot for Josh Winder. I'm sure FO will want to limit his IP the rest of the season, but if he pitch anywhere close to what he's done all season-----he needs to be in the rotation very soon after the AS break.

By no means disagreeing with your assessment, but its pretty sad to be thinking of Kepler as a 4th OFer when he's guaranteed $15.25mill over the next 2 seasons (6.75 in 2022/ 8.5 in 2023).

Bighat: Excellent analysis of the sad state of affairs with what USED to be a franchise with players (Hrbek, Gaetti, Mienkiewicz) who played with emotion--grit--intensity and HATED to lose. I think you nailed it with Rocco. His managerial style---trust the process, play for tomorrow--must be what the FO wants. Its not what I want. Attitude reflects leadership. Rocco's laid back style is NOT working. I'm not advocating a "Billy Martin clone" replacement, but I really wonder if Rocco has the internal talent to motivate his players. Will be interesting to see what transpires over the next few weeks as Cruz, Pineda and Simmons---all on expiring contracts--should be dealt.

Although only a short 20 minute drive away from Kauffman Stadium, I had ZERO interest in attending tonights game as I knew the Twins/JA Happ would be just the remedy for the Royals to end their 9 game losing streak. A few observations after ANOTHER bad night of baseball: 1. JA Happ: Can we just end his tenure now? For those who argue that Happ should maintain his spot in rotation-----PLEASE....PRETTY PLEASE respond with a detailed argument in his favor. Noticed a 3-0 lead after 1st inning and commented to my spouse..."well...Happ will p*ss away this lead very soon." I wasn't mistaken. Im sure front office doesn't want to eat whatever portion of Happ's $8m contract a DFA would result in. With Shoemaker gone (good riddance), why can't Happ be relegated to long relief as I can't believe any contending MLB team would want him. 2. Offense disappears after a 3-0 start. Hmm...we've sure seen that far too frequently this season. Best chance to get back in this game came in the 6th as Twins had bases loaded with no outs. What followed was a microcosm of this teams inability to perform with RISP. Arraez DP and JD whiff results in 1 measly run. Just horrible. 3. What do with starting rotation moving forward? Yes, a poor rehab AAA start for Pineda last night, but his reasonable success earlier this season combined with his strong performance in 2019 and 2020-imo, should make him a commodity on the trade market. So assuming Twins can find a way to deal him, what would starting rotation look like for rest of season. My thoughts: SP1 Berrios: Count me in the camp that is 95% in favor of keeping Berrios and looking in the offseason to find a way to sign him to a contract extension. SP2 Maeda: If he can stay healthy----you just got to hope--what else can we do?------he can find some semblance of the reliable (and productive) SP we was in 2020 SP3 Bailey Ober: May be in the minority here.....but I like Ober's upside and he's shown in his starts (subtract starts vs. White Sox) that his stuff can play at this level. Here's where things change... SP4 Charlie Barnes: Promotion from AAA Saint Paul. In 9 GS this season Barnes is 3-2 with a 3.94 ERA/ 1.27 WHIP with a strong K/BB rate (43-15) and respectable/good opponents batting avg (.240). Although Barnes had two BAD starts in June----he did have 3 excellent starts allowing only 1 ER in 17 IP. IMO, its time...rest of season is 100% for evaluation---to see what he (and others) can do. Barnes is only 25. 4th Rd. pick in 2017 draft out of Clemson. SP5 Josh Winder: Yes, I'm going there. Not as highly touted as others (Balazovic & Duran), but this kid is showing he's ready for "The Show" After dominating in 10 starts at Wichita in May and June (only 1 start with 2+ ER allowed)...his performance tonight against Omaha in his AAA debut was nothing short of fantastic. 5.2 IP...1 hit...2 walks...1 ER and 8K's. If he can pitch close to what he's done all season the next 2 weeks, I see ZERO downside to getting him in rotation soon after the AS break. Backup SP Option: Dobnak. Hasn't done much to justify getting regular starts, but his most recent start--if memory serves---showed some promise.

Great to hear that! Thanks for the details. I was hopeful the "moment" wouldn't be too big for him. He sure answered that doubt with a brilliant start. Good things are coming for Winder.

Having attended 4 Wind Surge games (2 in Springfield---2 in mid June in Wichita), I'm sure I'm biased, but I believe Palacios, Moran and Vallimont all merit a higher ranking. Nothing against Colina & Soularie---I wish both a speedy recovery from injury list-----but I'd argue that both fall more into the honorable mention list just because they've done nothing this season. Palacios has been a strong run producer in the middle of Wichita's lineup all season. Vallimont has very good command and pitched consistently in the mid to low 90s in his effective start vs. Springfield on June 15./16. The player I absolutely believe has the "stuff" that will play at the MLB level is Moran. Consistent at 95 with his heater and an changeup that is filthy. His promotion to Saint Paul is only a matter of time.

Lucas: Well...I think you'd agree that Mr. Winder's performance tonight.....5.2 IP...1 hit....2 BB and 8Ks...only 1 ER allowed (RP that followed allowed run) in win over Omaha---should grab the attention of Falvey and company at Target Field. At this point--------losers of 4 straight (I don't have faith in a comeback tonight) with ANOTHER miserable start by Happ-----Winder should be in starting rotation after the ASB.

LA Vikes Fan: I, for one, am in complete agreement with your analysis. Call me an eternal optimist, but if Twins management follows your position-----doing everything possible to retain Berrios, Buxton and Rogers----by investing the financial savings gained by trading Donaldson (big $$) and the prorated salaries of Simmons, Pineda and Cruz--the foundation is there to compete next season. Saying that, Falvey & Levine need to make some serious moves in the offseason to upgrade the rotation and as importantly the bullpen. Those in the camp of trading EVERYBODY, I just don't understand.

Lucas: Nice piece of work with your analysis of these pitchers. With the injuries to Duran and Canterio combined with the early season injury to Jordan Balazovic, I'd like to think that Winder will/could be the 1st promotion to the Twins starting rotation before season's end. When is Winder scheduled to make his first start with the Saints?

Another day of getting sand kicked in our faces by the White Sox. Remember when this was actually a competitive rivalry? Not the case anymore as the Sox have dominated winning 8 of 9 this season outscoring the Twins 76-39. Posted this a few weeks ago...but the Sox have a very good chance (with 10 games remaining) to score 160 runs in our 19 games. Sox are averaging 8.4 runs in their 8 wins. With 10 games left if they can maintain that average that would get to 160. Best news of the day: DFA of Shoemaker. This should've happened a month ago, but glad to see its over. At the time of his signing, I was hopeful he'd contribute (mid 4 ERA) and give us a chance to win. Not the case. Wish him the best in his future. Just add Shoemaker to the LONG LIST of Dollar Tree/General buys this front office has bought over the last 15+ years. Worst News of the day: I'm sure others will argue------but can anyone make the argument of why Derek Law was promoted to take his place? Yes, Law is healthy and has a functional right arm, but his numbers at Saint Paul-------4.61 ERA in 11 games with a 1.54 WHIP and an opponents batting average of .304-------beg the question of---Why him??? Not that it makes a big difference with this rancid bullpen, but if I'm Ian Hamilton, I'm not happy about this. What does Hamilton need to do to get a look? His numbers, imo, strongly prove he was the BETTER option than Law. Hamilton's ERA in 14 games is 1.31---3 runs lower than Law. Opponents are hitting the Mendoza line (.186) and he has 29K's. Other than a poor WHIP (1.50)---18 walks-----he deserved the call up. See the Royals got pulverized again today---------so they'll be chomping at the bit to get home to tee off on Happ tomorrow night. Living only 20 minutes from Kauffman Stadium, I'll take a hard pass on witnessing that pre 4th of July barrage.

For those that believe Shoemaker should continue to pitch IN ANY GAME------please respond with your argument. Yes, Ober's performance was disappointing, but seeing Shoemaker lit up like a firecracker absolutely serves no purpose other than to save the pitch count of other below average RPs. Do the right thing and DFA him tomorrow.

Absolutely agree with your comment, but I'd suggest that until Duran can prove he can stay healthy--that Josh Winder and Balazovic are the "top 2 SPs" in this organization. Considering that Falvey/Levine have yet to produce 1 SP during their tenure that has contributed in a positive fashion at the major league level-----these 2 with Duran really need to our hope for the immediate (2022) future.

Sorry.... 1 more thing to add. How many playoff games have the Twins won over the last 20 years with "nice guys"? That formula of "Minnesota nice guys" has proven to be a colossal failure.

Count me in the (possible) minority, but in NO WAY is JD even remotely even in the Top 5 or 10 of "least likeable Twins players" if the definition is being disliked by your teammates/ home fans. I, personally liked the signing of Donaldson albeit for a large financial commitment. Saying that, coming off a 103 win season in 2019....he was the player that many thought would be the type that wouldn't wet his pant legs in the playoffs. No shock that he was hurt far too much last year. With this train wreck of a season, I can't put the blame in really anyway on Donaldson. Yes, he's struggled at times, but his bat has been much better than others----Sano, Kepler, Garver-----who were expected to produce. On top of that, again I may be in the minority, I like the swagger/style of Donaldson. He's a pest. He's a pain...but the dude plays with EMOTION which has been far to scare a commodity from far too many players on this team for years. I think if you poll his teammates secretly they'd respond they not only like him, but respect the way he plays the game. He's loud and likely abrasive to opponents, but I like that. This game is a competition and JD competes. I respect that.

Roger: I'm sure this will be reported on later tonight, but Balazovic absolutely "got back on track" tonight as he threw 5.2 shutout and NO HIT IP in his start tonight vs. Amarillo. Only 2 walks with 6 K's in a dominant performance. Nice to see this as he'd struggled in his last 2 starts. I was fortunate to see him pitch in Wichita (mid June) when he had a very good start. Like others, but namely, Josh Winder, I hope to see these two in our starting rotation next season.

Having witnessed in person 4 games of Miranda while at Wichita....2 of those just two weeks ago....I, like many others following Miranda knew it was only a matter of time until he got promoted to Saint Paul. Not sure if ANY player in AAA history has hit 3 HRs in his 1st game. Wow! Hopefully, Miranda will take this all in stride as 1 game as some rough games may be on the horizon. Saying that, maybe that won't be the case. From what I saw of him over 20 ABs with Wichita------he has great plate discipline. Is willing to work the count and look for "his pitch" to drive. When he "gets it"---he doesn't miss. Will be interesting to see if Twins management keeps him at 3B or moves him around IF as he played some 1B and 2B with Wichita. Only 1 night, but an amazing night! What a way to celebrate your 23rd birthday. Congratulations Jose. Stay humble young man.

Postgame quote from Baldelli regarding Maeda's horrible performance tonight--------"The humidity made it really difficult for him." Really Rocco? Good grief. Just sad.

Excellent work Seth. Javier is another key piece for the future of this franchise..especially at SS if Royce Lewis moves to the OF in the future. Will make a concerted effort to focus my attention on his continued development. Hopefully will get a chance to see Javier in person as I'm planning for a July 11th--Sunday afternoon game--road trip to see the Kernels play Peoria.

Alex: Spot on with your analysis. Winder has nothing left to prove at AA as he's made 10 starts---9 of those with 2 ER or less allowed. Barnes should be given first opportunity quickly followed by Winder. I've personally seen enough of Thorpe so I'd like to see what Cano and Moran could offer. Moran might take a little longer as I think I noticed he was recently placed on IL. Having seen Moran pitch recently in Wichita------he's got some filthy stuff which hopefully will play at higher levels. I also don't see any downside to bringing Hamilton and Columbe (sp) up as I've seen little to be impressed by Jax and others.