umterp23

$10MM per year roadblock with Vazquez contract will be a problem. Jeffers has adjusted quite nicely and has a solid game all around. Nice problem to have with AAA guy waiting in the wings due to an injury

Correa had a chance but weekly popped up to right and so it goes, can't hit with runners in scoring position.

Just like that TB shows why they are best team in baseball

Polanco tight hamstring. IL bound and if that is the case do bring Wallner back and sit Kepler? Let's hope that is the transaction if his hamstring makes him hamstrung

Camera showed him glancing as he was about 5 strides to the bag and everyone thinks he dogged it out of the box and not running hard. Glance sure, but the odds of beating out a 102.4 barreled ball as the catchphrase goes when you are 6'-4" 235 lb catcher is a blink of an eye close. The fault we could have is that he was aggressive on first pitch fastball down and in vs something a little more over the plate. Not sure the last time I saw him swing at a 1st pitch but I haven't watched every single game of his career. Last man to bat gets all the blame but Jeffers to me has shown he has matured as a batter. Other than Lewis' one hit, Jeffers had the best at bats as a collective in the game. Single first at bat 102.2 off the bat. Drew a walk instead of chasing a couple close pitches in 2nd at bat. 3rd at bat fought off a couple pitches and got hanging slider low and hit it a mile high straight up. Pretty sure Jeffers loves playing the game and was aggressive on 1st pitch in the 9th inning which anyone could say after Castro gets beaned on a sweeper aka as a slider but hey sweeper new catchphrase of '23. I'd say yes. Does Correa, Buxton, Larnach, get the same question walking down the hallway when they K as much as they do, can't hit with runners in position to score or just are hurt to often to play the game the "love". Jeffers is the least of my concern at the moment. FO and their moves and non-moves and Baldelli having no gut clue on managing a game is more concerning. Imagine if Wallner was demoted and Kepler, if still on the team was your bench player to get a lefty vs righty in that moment. But no, we had a Garlick pinch hit for Kirilloff who is batting near .300 and promptly K's and looks awful. So much for the presumed "Lefty Masher". Last guy left on the bench was paper bag hitting Vasquez who not sure has hit a ball over 100mph yet this year. If he grounded into Jeffers DP swing he would be 1/2 way down the line. Tough night for sure, could have stole the game. Love your commentary but one swing and a glance is the biggest issue on this team.

God forbid he doesn't bunt to move runner over to 2nd, but that is beneath a $30MM number 3 hitter. Swing and miss doesn't help anyone

Correa strikes again!

dude can cover some ground though, but I agree can do without the showboat antics

Definitely nice work. What a different game Rays play when you have guys in the lineup that know how to hit and run and put pressure on opposing teams defense.

Correa must have included a clause in his contract that he bats 2nd or 3rd no matter how bad he sucks

One could argue on Arraez did we get enough impact value in the trade? Lopez in April, yes seemed so. 2 young guys in minors, TBD.

Commentary on Arraez at the time of the trade was he didn't have an everyday position on defense, So yes, still stand by he wasn't a guaranteed starter on defense with the guys that I mentioned. Bad knees, didn't have great range with the ban on shift positioning. Doesn't mean he isn't a great bat to have but he isn't the cog that we were going to be successful with. He lead the AL in batting last year and where did that get us? Didn't win the division, didn't make the playoffs. He is good, not questioning that. We needed pitching and we made the deal. Right, wrong or indifferent - he was viewed as a spare part by FO with young guys on the horizon that are deemed to be better.

Another would of, could of, should of article about Arraez. Great for him that he is hitting .400 at this point of the year. Let's not forget when this trade was made, we had no position for Arraez in the lineup on the defensive side. He was not going to play 1st with Kiriloff & Gallo there. He was not going to play 2nd with Polanco He was not going to play 3rd with Miranda being the heir apparent and how did that work out for us? Great, Farmer held serve until Lewis was ready. He wasn't going to be DH, because FO already promised Buxton to that role due to his always broken, never 100% body. So, one .400 guy isn't changing this offense for one simple reason, we would need 5 other guys to hit behind him consistently. We don't have that. We have 8 other guys who swing the bat. We rarely move guys over, hit behind guys, protect with 2 strikes kind of guys. Arraez isn't a base stealer, doesn't have great power but can pop one out every once in a blue moon. Pitching has put us in the position we are in to date this year and I don't think Arraez gives us but 1 or 2 more wins to our total and that is a maybe. Happy for him, but he isn't here, so time to move on.

Rays are the best team in baseball. So, yes result was to be expected and the Twins have their faults. All stats lead to a slow death by 1,500 K's the rest of the year, but everyone has to play the Rays. So good for us to get this over with early in June

completely empty must have a new definition. granted it shouldn't be this bad, but I get your point

I'd give up Miranda in a heartbeat since he has no defensive position and give up a high AA/AAA Pitching arm. Pretty sure not enough but poke the bear. Austin Martin? Woods-Richardson? Are they fits here?

So let's say Kepler is a leader in the clubhouse, what does that truly mean? If Kepler has snubbed his nose about playing CF for the betterment of the team, no idea or not, is that truly a leader? I would say not. Maybe his leadership is I don't strike out as much as everyone else and don' hit the ball to the opposite field well type of leadership. He is at best a utility player for this team, not an everyday starter and on any MLB team that playoff contenders, he wouldn't be on those teams with this stat line: Avg: .189. OBP: .261. SLG: .370 and OPS: .631 Do we need this as everyday RF? I don't think so.

Wallner vs Kepler, and Twins chose Kepler and sent Wallner down vs keeping Wallner and putting Kepler on the bench as utility. Roster crunch sure but Gallo went IL, should be putting Buxton or Correa on IL to get them rest vs having one/two bench players while we wait for "Super Stars" to show up. Wallner has nothing left to really prove at AAA, let him earn his learn or fly in RF.

Kepler by metrics since everyone can find a metric to like and not like, so not going there. Bottom line DocBauer summed it up, time to move on from Kepler plain and simple. Wallner was on a heater when they felt the need to bring Kepler back and send Wallner down. Terrible decision. Why stop at Kepler, let's move Kepler and Miranda and Lopez all at the same time now. Miranda has no defensive position and with Not Elite Buxton staying at DH, Miranda is a trade chip. Lopez is this years version of Pagan. Unload logjam pieces in Miranda and Kepler, sweeten the pot with Lopez and wish them well. Granted it takes two to tango in a trade deal but A's aren't going anywhere but Vegas. Poach a Ruiz and anyone else we can get and ship Miranda out as A's 3rd basemen are really bad with both guys under .200 in avg and other key metrics.

What I find interesting is that they gave up on Garver at age 32 but signed Vazquez at 32 for $10MM a year. Yes needed a catcher but it does appear to be an severe overpay at the moment. Last 8 games is 2 wins and 6 losses as the starting catcher. Jeffers is 5-0 in his last 8 as the starter.

Vazquez needs to start earning his keep of $10MM a year to be in the lineup when Jeffers is on a heater at the moment. Vazquez last 7 games: .182 avg, .217 OBP, and slugging .182. Jeffers last 7 games: .375 avg, .500 OBP and slugging .813. Makes sense that Rocco doesn't play him back to back days. Happy Jeffers as a tandem isn't the weakest link.

simulated of course... Miranda may be one hit wonder and he really has no defensive position. Celestino isn't a full time CF. Pagan isn't a good sweetener but can't hurt. If they want lanarch, would do that as well. Just don't buy that he is a good fit for us long term.

Spot on Riverbrian, spot on.... Correa told Buxton be the DH. Buxton told Correa swing and miss like Sano. They traded frequent mall shopping buyers cards for cologne all while laughing when they get their direct deposit of a paycheck each month. Turning it on. Correa 0-5 in Twins win vs Astros with Lewis and Jeffers being clutch. Buxton not in the lineup for the win, but I heard he is on pace for appearing in 90% of the games this year! Whoop-de-do. Almost $45MM a year for these two and we have to allow them to play themselves into better shape into June each year. What a bad commentary of let's write another feel good article and would of, could of. Can't wait to see the next Arraez article.

Buxton is breaking out as an everyday DH and, more importantly, staying in the lineup with a relatively outstanding bill of health as evidenced by his ability to play in 90% of games so far this season. One of the funniest parts of the article, comparing Buxton to full time DH's and saying he is breaking out! Breaking out the K stick is more like it. FO didn't sign him long term to be a full time DH. He has better chance of getting hurt at DH as he does playing in the field. Playing in the field, running, throwing the ball and mentally staying in the game keeps your body loose and muscles engaged. Walking to the plate and 45 seconds later coming back to dugout is not influencing the game. On pace for 90% of the games this year is so false of a statistically measure of his importance. 4 at bats that may last 5 minutes if he never touches first base and 150 minute ballgame and he influences the game 0.0333% of his appearances. Game changer of a player, absolutely not day in and day out. He is doing his best Sano impersonation. So let's say he rips a double down the line in his last at bat of the game after sitting the bench for 2 hours, good chance he can pull a hammy and break a finger with his ugly sliding techniques. DH is tougher than playing the field due to lack of concentration by watching the game vs playing a full game. 90% pace is a kids participation trophy at best

$26MM Correa will bat 3rd hell or high water, so he feels he has earned it from past performance. $15MM Buxton as DH and hitting 4th $10MM Vazquez hitting 9th (not sure he has played a full game in May since he just isn't hitting) $51MM + tied up in underperforming no consistency is tough to to watch. Not sure all three in one game combined have more than 6 hits total. Not going to check that stat but nothing jumps out at me that it has happened. Haven't watch many games and don't deep dive the box scores. My preference is batting order and you ride hot hands till they cool off. Julien, Gallo, Kiriloff, Buxton, Correa, Lewis, Kepler (Wallner should be here), Jeffers, Castro (CF). Jeffers has earned a chance for back to back games, especially late afternoon day before and now night game.