jokin

Clearly quite possible, "yes".

Thread-Winner (clarifier)

I have hope for Gonsalves and Jorge, and possibly Jax and even Wells. Stewart's situation doesn't look good at the moment, but that could change for the better with an improved developmental approach from new management that come from pitching development backgrounds- the talent is there for Stewart, but not much baseball instinct in a football-first talent. The Twins inability to turn on his talent to this point is pretty telling.

I have no idea what this phrase means.... sarcasm? In point of fact (a point that you seem to have missed badly), Santiago is my least favorite Twins SP. The point I made was in response to another poster. A poster who wanted to acquire two solid, cost-controlled SPs in exchange for the aging Santana, and dumping his salary in hopes of rebuilding. The odds that you are going to steal 2 SPs from some team that are major league dependable and good to go for the next 3-6 yrs in exchange for dumping Santana aren't very high. Face it, virtually all MLB teams have the same info, are in the same situation with concern to pitching depth and set the same value on pitching arms. Hasn't every team also figured out that Santana is aging and pitching above his median #s? And knowing what we know, that they are perfectly willing to risk the turn-into-pumpkin regression that you confidently predict is imminently looming? With this common knowledge around baseball, the Twins are perhaps more likely, even if they're lucky, to end up with two more Santiago-types, as opposed to the pie-in-the-sky hope by the "perpetual rebuilder" supporters, that the Twins will somehow get a #1/2 and a # 3 (or say, two #2s) from the same trade in question. If you are aware of another surreptitious-sure-thing Jake Arrieta-type who is available out there in exchange for Santana, I'm all ears. How about instead of focusing on the Twins dumping salary and continuing another round of rebuild, finding teams that aren't in 1st place (like the Twins), but perhaps on or near the bottom and going nowhere, and then trying to trade the remaining prospects (out of 4 SS and 4 MLB Top 100-potential arms) with them for "established, solid and cost-controlled pitchers" to bolster the current pitching depth? One of Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Julio Teheran at the front end and one of the cheaper 2018 FA types destined for potential salary-dump- like Clayton Richard, Alex Cobb, Jason Vargas.... to bolster the back-end of the rotation.

I don't think there's any question that Hicks and the Twins' plan for him were the proverbial rock and a hard place. Perhaps Hicks has finally matured and opened up to coaching, but no question the exasperated Twins failed to get Hicks to even make the slightest reach towards his full potential, and were willingly happy to rid themselves of him when his value was at low ebb. Starting out with force-feeding him into the leadoff man role in 2014 as a rookie- I don't think he ever recovered from the mental torture he endured as the Twins continued to throw him out there every day- even when it was obvious he was hopelessly overmatched. The whole switch-hitting thing played out in real time, the public revelation of the Daddy issues with regards to Hicks' preference to shooting a round of golf over putting on his mitt, the yo-yo-ing by Gardy, making Hicks his boy one day and his whipping boy the next. Plenty of fault on both sides in the whole sordid drama. To many of us who predicted at the time that the trade of a former #1 pick for a backup catcher was a foolish move on the part of Terry Ryan and crew (I'm guessing you were one of them), Hicks' Yankee success comes as no surprise. I guess the best that can be said for the Twins is that they gave Hicks a second chance at success and Hicks, to his credit, has grabbed that chance by the horns.

Too bad Paulie sends him down after tomorrow.

Aaron Judge is well on his way to becoming the new Mr Yankee in the fans' hearts as memories of Jeter begin to fade away. But I would bet the Yanks marketing department is already working on some sort of myth-making media hype involving the "Aaron Daily Double".

And neither were of the "short porch" variety- Hick's got all of both of them.

Ha. And let's hope they keep DSP locked inside his cubicle for good. No more "brilliant" overseas marketing-based intl. FA signings.

Yeah... let's get 2 MORE cost-controlled Hector Santiagos....? Or one Santiago and one SP prospect that some team considers expendable. Teams just don't throw away Johan Santana-types anymore. Hard to believe there are Twins fans pleased enough with the previous 6 years of futility to actually looking forward to intentionally tanking 2017- and in the process of said trade- to continue "building for the future"- likely guaranteeing a continuation of said futility out to maybe 2019 or 20, or maybe even, "building for the future" that never comes. Fal-vine spent their first big $$$s and brought in Jason Castro- ostensibly to win in the three-year window of his contract. Turns out the window has opened a little earlier than most anyone expected. Why would anyone want to turn the current possible scenario- ala Twins 1987- into hopeful SP prospects painfully coming of age- or not... and then the worst-case scenario, possibly 3 more years of extending the Chief's windows of sucking.

Yup. Last year looks more and more like an injury-related anomaly. Most impressive is that he has doubled his career ISO result- from .119 to .239-. Maturing into his body and getting much stronger? IMO- A sustained season by Palacios at anywhere CLOSE to his current POY rate of production (and hopefully combined with a 2nd half promotion and quick adaptation to the Pitcher-oriented FSL) should vault him into consideration eventually for the Top 50

Mike apparently now wants Sixel, instead. I get the part about "trading high", but the Sox and Royals are dead meat, the Tigers haven't shown much of anything indicating they're ready to get off the mat. And the Indians have their own set of issues. The Twins have a veteran guy who is truly "showing the way" for a guy like Berrios or Mejia, and hopefully eventually. for Gonsalves, Romero and Jorge. if the Twins are still leading the Central or in the hunt as we head towards August 1, the Twins need to be buyers, not sellers. Not the year to tank it on purpose when you have both a potential Cy Young and MVP winner (Sano) on the roster. OTOH... If the Twins are down by 5 games or so and fading after the ASB, you gotta listen to any offer that blows you away.

Heh. "Windows of sucking." Mind if he steal that one some day?

Heh-heh. My only concern is whether or not he is the All Star Game Starter.

Just have to say: "What's the hold-up?" Palacios is repeating A-ball after struggling and fighting through an injury last season. The video game numbers he's put up relative to his SS peers in the Midwest League are comically ridiculous by comparison. He leads ALL ML SS in every single hitting category, and most don't even show a close second place. And of that list of ML SS's, he's the 3rd youngest. Among all players in the league, he now leads in HR, and is 3rd in OPS. (Palacios is sandwiched in-between Dante Bichette's and Vlad Guerroro's kids at the top of the hitting charts- pretty elite company). Based on the numbers alone, seems like he's nearly a lock on 1st half ML Player of the Year. And most of all, there is no one blocking him at Ft Myers. Let's get Palacios on the move up.* * (Is there a glove issue that is still in doubt? That decision will come in time, and I see nothing wrong if he ends up possibly fitting in at 3B, with Gordon @ SS and Miguel over to 1B).

I second that emotion. I'd been on TD asking for Jason Castro for nigh on 2+ seasons- it was hard to understand why the previous management failed to connect the dots that leads from competency behind the plate and decent pitching results. Castro has faded offensively from his early promise at the start of his career and (at the start of this season, too), but the change of scenery has improved his output and outlook defensively- critically important addition.

Don't sell yourself short, great analysis. Think back to most of the last 6 seasons and all of the dirty looks, scowls, glares, grimaces & facepalms that a multitude of Twins pitchers, good and bad, made towards their defense, gaffe after gaffe, game after game. You can see Twins pitchers relaxing more and more, with Santana showing the way in trusting the defense. Remember Duffey's last outing- when 15 out of 16 pitches he threw were strikes? How about yesterday vs. the Orioles, when Rogers, and then Kintzler, threw strike after strike, even in hitter's counts, with the game on the line? Shoring up the pen and acquiring one more reliable veteran SP- and this team can compete all the way to game 162.

Thanks. I thought Giminez was a FA major league signing.

Still would rather like to see Kepler play at least 154 games.

Yep- but I only count 7 on the active roster. Whatever the number, Fal-Vine deserve credit for competently shoring up the roster and getting mostly competent results- without splashy but dangerous deals that might have risked the long-term success of the club. The big thing is pushing the club to finally commit to, ONLY, Sano and Polanco at 3B and SS, as well as acquiring two better defensive catchers. Now if they can spend a little more and get a more trusted DH option and pitching help before August 1.

Santana looks in control out there... But... in terms of pitch to contact... Having 6 new players fully ensconced at their defensive positions- C, 3B, SS LF, RF CF- and all either excelling or providing above average performances (plus Dozier, Mauer and Vargas doing quite well on the right side of the infield) has to be a big factor in Santana's success.

This. (And find a way to throw in Jason Vargas).

Are all of you naysayers still sticking with the Under? (because I would like a piece of that action). Aaron Hicks OPS+ (May 23): 168

Sadly, if Escobar gets more at bats than Vargas this year, I would consider that inevitable.

By the way and FWIW. Molly has our favorite utility player back in the DH saddle tonight vs. the Orioles- but this time it's Esco against RHSP, Ubaldo Jimenez. Escobar is 4/7 vs Jimenez, including a HR and 3 Doubles, so Molly this time is going with a little evidence to back his hunch.