TopGunn#22

That is ridiculous !!! Chalk it up to Bidenomics.

Well heck, if it's Buxton or Gallo/Luplow I don't know how it CAN'T be Buxton. But just to be even debating this as Twins fans is beyond depressing. Buxton...or Gallo/Luplow.

Trov, this was actually discussed to some degree in another thread speculating which pitchers would be chosen to comprise the Twins post-season bullpen. The general consensus was that of the 8 guys in the bullpen, Duran, Varland, Stewart, Pagan, Theilbar, Jax and Maeda would be 7 "locks" and that it would probably come down to Funderburk or Paddock for the final spot. In this scenario, Ober would be the #4 SP (Lopez, Gray & Ryan #1, #2 & #3) and that Keuchel wouldn't make it. It's encouraging to see Paddock throwing 96-97 but I think Funderburk is the final piece because they should have another lefty and I've been impressed with him this season. That's quite an impressive bullpen, and when you consider that last night, the BP struck out 11 of the final 13 outs of the game, you got a glimpse at how dominant the Twins BP could be. Granted, it was against Oakland, but it's still impressive. The MLB Trade Rumors article pointed out that by cutting some of the bottom end, poor performers out that pitched about 175 innings in relief the Twins pen has been downright nasty this season. Gone are the Moran's, Floro's, Lopez's etc... The Twins, with very good starting pitching backed up by that BP could be very scary for some teams to face. I think the Twins could be a sneaky team that other teams could take lightly at the own peril. I think the Brewers, with Burnes, Woodruff and Peralta and a solid BP is very similar. The Brewers are going to knock somebody big out of the playoffs. Once the season ends and the work of constructing a roster for next season begins, it will be interesting to see how the Twins go about replacing Gray & Maeda in the rotation as well as how they construct their 2024 bullpen. When you see how a couple of guys at the bottom of the bullpen list negatively impacted the overall performance of our BP you can see they just need to shore up a couple of spots. Weak cogs in a BP tend to have a negative domino effect on the entire bullpen. It leads to over usage of the better pitchers. I believe adding one solid veteran arm and hopefully someone like Matt Canterino for next season could be tremendous. Injuries and ineffectiveness will happen and guys like Alcala if he (like Canterino) can ever get and STAY healthy, could also have a tremendous impact on what could and should be a very good bullpen.

As a youngster in the mid 60's I vividly remember running home from school for lunch (that my Mom had all laid out and ready for me) to see games in 1966, 1967 and 1968. We moved in 1969 and school was too far for me to run home at lunch time for any of those Mets v Orioles games. Games moved VERY quickly in those days, so while I didn't get to see the entire game I saw enough to see Baltimore's young pitching staff totally shut down the Dodgers in 1966 and Koufax actually LOSE a World series game. I saw Lou Brock get two of his 4 hits in a game in the 1967 Series and Bob Gibson strike out about 8 of his 17 Tigers in 1968. I'm retired now so I don't mind if the Twins play at noon or 3pm. But I can sympathize with everyone who still has to work and doesn't have any opportunity to WATCH the games. You can still sneak a look at your phone to update you on the score though.

Indeed, this is why we all love baseball! The chess game is always fascinating. Not only do the Twins get all 3 games at home, but the very real likelihood that the eventual opponent will need to burn through their #1 & #2 SP just to make the playoffs is a huge advantage. The Twins need Lewis and Correa to be healthy so resting them as much as possible while still getting them some AB's before the regular season ends is also a key. I believe the key to our post season is Royce Lewis. That kid just seems to have a positive vibe. He comes through in clutch situations. I don't mean to put this kind of pressure on him but I think he's our post season "X" factor. Could he be our "Puckett-esque" kind of catalyst? I think so.

I'm 100% with JD-Twins on the bullpen choices. We have 8 slots total. The Twins SHOULD carry 15 hitters/position players for better flexibility to pinch hit/pinch run/late game defense situations. Lopez, Gray and Ryan are your SP. Ober is your #4. There is no need for Keuchel anywhere on this post season roster. Duran-Closer They have to decide if he's capable of closing games in back to back nights and he's got to gain confidence in his "splinker" again. But he's the best arm we have, and there are times I say to myself "just throw it 100 mph down the middle and dare that guy to hit it Duran!!" Varland and Stewart 7th & 8th inning guys. Stewart has been awesome this year. His ERA is 0.38 !! He looked great last night. Varland is terrifying coming out of the pen. His future is as a SP and I hope Matt Canterino is destined to be that 8th inning guy next season, but Varland throwing 100 mph out of the pen in the 7th or 8th inning is something to behold. Jax needs a shorter leash but if they don't run him into the ground can still be highly effective. With all this added depth for the post season, Jax should not get over-worked and his breaking ball should have that late bite that makes him so tough. Theilbar and Funderburk. They need BOTH of these lefty's. Theilbar is reliable. I've liked what I've seen of Funderburk. Pagan has really turned things around. He belongs and I can't believe I'm saying this, but can actually be counted on in a high leverage situation if it's early in the game (5th or 6th inning). Maeda-He's got a good track record in the post-season. I'd actually like to see him piggy back Ryan in game #3. Ryan gets the first 4-5 innings. Maeda the next two. That leaves Paddock off the roster. As nice as it was to see him throw in the mid to upper 90's last night, If it comes down to him and Funderburk, I'll take the lefty and throws mid 90's. The BIG thing for me is that I want to see Stewart and Varland in those 7th and 8th inning high leverage situations instead of Pagan and Jax. Go with the young guys that throw GAS. The Twins are on the verge of becoming one of the youngest teams in MLB next season. This post season is where it's time to unleash the young guns.

Yet...Cody pointed out the Alex Kirilloff call up. It's not an outlandish scenario. I would say that in athletic endeavors, the cream always rises to the top. Brooks Lee, to me, is as creamy as Royce Lewis and Walker Jenkins. I think Lee has an excellent chance to break camp with the Twins next season. Getting a look at him NOW, once the division has been clinched (and also that St. Paul's season is done) would be a move I could get on board with. Look, Lewis and Correa aren't going to play for the rest of the regular season. Add him to the roster Monday in place of Stevenson or Luplow and see what he does.

Can't argue much about the hitters although I echo the feelings on Buxton. Julien needs to be in the lineup at the top of the order against RH pitching at a minimum. I'd also echo the opinions on Funderburk. I like what I've seen, and because he's LH on a staff bereft of LH SP's with just Theilbar in the pen, I just think Funderburk needs to be there. Probably in place of Paddock. And while I'm not sold on Ryan being the #3 (I'd like to see another good start or two) I'd prefer him to Maeda. I completely disagree that Maeda's post season success with the Dodgers out of the bullpen doesn't matter. It most certainly DOES! He's got experience in that role and he hasn't just been good, he's been GREAT! I lean toward starting Ryan or Ober as the #3 and having Maeda ready to come in and pitch innings 4, 5 & 6 if need be. Lewis and Correa are key. They really need to be ready to play, because if they aren't it's going to change our potential lineup in a big way. It was wonderful to see them clinch last night and all the happy faces. Thank You Twins for an interesting regular season! Let's make some magic in the post season!!

I agree, this is encouraging. The Twins will most likely carry 15 bats with a couple of SP's moving to the bullpen and the 2 least effective reliver's not making the roster. Competition for those final couple of bullpen spots will be intense now that Varland and Funderburk have grabbed spots and Brock Stewart and Paddock are ramping up. The Twins need to make sure they have plenty of speed on the bench for late game situations. If Buxton is healthy enough to DH, he would also be healthy enough to pinch run if need be. Having guys like Castro, Taylor and Stevenson won't hurt at all given the way post season games are managed differently than a typical regular season game. Plus, there's always the chance Buxton clobbers a 3-run homer.

Good points Trov. I think it will be Henderson, but there are 60-65 AB's out there for Lewis to continue to impress. It may end up being closer than we could imagine. I've been impressed with Diaz from Houston as well. In the National League, even though De La Cruz "burst" onto the scene, it's really been Corbin Carroll all year long. He's had an outstanding rookie season for the D-Backs and looks to be an All Star fixture for years to come.

His first couple of starts after coming back, Ryan looked very good. Last 2 starts, not very good. You can't throw change-ups right over the middle of the plate, up in the zone and not have a hitter like Benson crush it. (you also can't walk the RH #8 hitter with 2 out and nobody on either). Ober's first start was encouraging. I'd like to have Ober and Ryan battle it out and the best man wins the #3 SP. Loser goes to the pen. I'd still prefer Maeda work out of the pen like he did for the Dodgers in the post season. His track record is outstanding. Keuchel has pitched himself off the post season roster. He's had some moments, but the numbers don't lie. He gives up far too many base runners and too much LOUD contact. With "Brock the Rock" close to returning, Paddock showing well in two 50+ pitch rehab outings and Funderburk looking good, those three will make Keuchel expendable. I'm curious to see if the Twins will trim one pitching spot and add one positional player spot once the post season begins. A guy with speed like Stevenson (or even an Austin Martin) could prove VERY valuable in late game situations in the post season where "small-ball" takes on greater importance than relying on 3-run HR's. Of course, Rocco has to understand that and push the right buttons accordingly, but let's hope he does.

I'd put Lewis there from the get-go. We have plenty of depth in the IF and corner OF and a need in CF. As chpettit19 pointed out, we've seen Lewis more than "handle" CF from his time in the AFL and St. Paul. He can do it. It would turn a weak position into a strong one. Option #2: I would like to see what Austin Martin could do there as well. Martin in CF, with his speed and on-base skills would be a welcome addition to the big league roster. In a pinch, you still have Castro and possibly Nick Gordon for CF. Farmer will not be brought back. That $8.5 million or so needs to be used for bullpen improvements. If I had to make a trade, the guy I'd target would be Tyler O'Neill of the Cardinals. The Redbird OF is overcrowded with talent. Something has to give. Just a couple years ago the RH hitting O'Neill blasted 34 HR's. He can play all 3 OF positions but if acquired would spend most of his time in LF/CF and hit about #6 in the lineup. Nootbar is in CF and Jordan Walker in RF for the Cards. They still have Carlson, Burleson and Palacios among others in their OF. A deal of Winder and Schoebel would be more than fair. And Rodriguez and Jenkins are coming.

Bellinger certainly IS a CF. He won his Gold Gloves for RF but I watch a lot of Dodger baseball. He's a GOOD, maybe even great CF. Bellinger would be a fine addition, but the cost, on top of what we have to pay Buxton isn't cost effective. With cash or trade capital needed for the rotation with Sonny Gray moving on, Bellinger is more pipe dream than reality. I would not bring Taylor back. He's going to regress in the HR department for sure. I'd take what we got out of him and cash in my chips. Having Castro around is a blessing. And I believe Martin is at worst a 4th OF and possibly a starting CF sometime. The Twins infield is too crowded for him. He's an OF from here on out. I love his on-base skills and speed. That said, I'm in favor of Lewis becoming the full time CF. I agree with Doc, his chances of getting injured in CF are no different than 3B or SS. The idea he's filled out too much to play CF doesn't fly when you see Trout, Adam Duval and Judge playing there. At this point, the Twins can count on absolutely nothing from Byron Buxton. It's sad, but true. Anything Buxton can give them should be considered a bonus. But to depend on or expect anything from Buxton going forward is a flawed strategy. Polanco will be brought back and can play 2B or 3B. Julien needs to improve his defense at 2B but should also work a little at 1B and LF. Brooks Lee isn't far off, and I could certainly see him having a good chance of breaking camp with the Twins next spring. I agree, the Cardinals are a prime trade partner for outfield help. Dylan Carlson would be very cheap and not a bad option. I believe the better option and one that would cost a bit more is Tyler O'Neill. We're just a couple years removed from O'Neill crushing 34 HR's. He's more of a corner OF but has played CF enough that we could play him there. He's a RH power bat that would fit nicely in the #6 hole in our lineup. Winder and a little more could possibly get the deal done. Another possible trade target could be TJ Friedl from the Reds, although he'd cost twice what O'Neill would. The Reds are the other team loaded with OF that has needs elsewhere. And Doc, it's NEVER too early to talk about stuff like this. That's why we all come to this sight! To talk about everything Twins!!

Trades where both teams get what they hoped/expected out of it are always good. I was a fan of this trade from the outset and despite the fact that LA may become one of the few players to win a batting title in both leagues I still do. We acquired a pitcher that will be our #1 for several years and we dealt from a position of strength: We had Polanco firmly entrenched at 2B and we had Julien knocking on the door. Add in that Royce Lewis also has the ability to play 2B (and Brooks Lee is on the way) and the trade was a no brainer for the Twins, especially when the 2 minor league talents were included. I thoroughly enjoyed watching LA play for the Twins. But when DMan lists the offensive impact Julien has already had versus Arraez this season the trade isn't just a homerun for the Twins, it's a grand slam! If Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda exit the Twins starting rotation this winter, we will need to come up with another trade like this to add talent and depth to our starting staff.

Excellent article Lou and I agree 100%. Varland is a cool drink of water on a blisteringly hot summer day for the Twins BP. Saying Jax has been leaking oil since August is spot on. He needs an IL stint to rest and refresh like Joe Ryan and Baily Ober. Ober looked great last night and Ryan has looked sharp since he came back. The Twins are in a position to give Jax that break, especially with Varland taking on high leverage situations successfully so far. In an earlier this week article about "should Maeda move to the BP for the playoffs" I wrote he certainly should. He's had tremendous success doing that when he was with the Dodgers and I feel his effective starting days are over. He then went out and pitched brilliantly. But I still think he's too inconsistent to be considered a SP for 2024 and beyond. Maeda and Varland are two "secret weapons" lurking in the Twins BP for the post season. If they can refresh Jax that's an additional arm that really gives them serious depth. A season long weakness could become a huge strength come playoff time.

Old Nurse is correct. Jax needs an "invented" IL stint just to rest & refresh. With off days these last 2 weeks of the season and Ober coming back, somebody like Keuchel should be moved to the bullpen so Jax can get that breather. With a pen that has been generally ineffective and inconsistent all year, Jax has been overused. He will be key in the playoffs, especially if he is rested and the consistent bite of his breaking pitches return. I like what I've seen of Varland out of the pen so far. With Maeda moving to the pen for the post season, Varland bringing 100mph heat, a rested Jax and possibly Paddock and Stewart available, the pen could actually be pretty solid in the post season. Not needing a #5 starter, and maybe not even a #4 should allow one more bench player/pinch hitter/pinch runner rather than the usual number of pitchers needed during the regular season.

Sorry terrydactyls !! Sometimes we just "ASSUME" that everybody knows what we're talking about. I will try to type bullpen more often. It's an easy mistake to make. Heck, some of these anacronym abbreviations that get typed nowadays I'm finding myself googling ("what the heck does THAT mean?") Earlier this week had to do it for "OG." Had read it a million times and finally just had to find out. "Original Gangster." I'm learning...

I can't disagree with the frustration. Jax was outstanding at one point this season but he's clearly been wearing down and you don't earn 10 losses out of the BP by being "stellar." Rocco has always had a preternatural knack for choosing just the wrong guy out of the BP. I'm no fan of the "early" PH, and by "early" I mean anything before the 6th inning. Yes, Julien and Kirilloff have struggled against LH pitching but splits be damned, Vasquez is just NOT the guy who I'm excited to see come up to hit in ANY situation this year. We signed him for 3 years and $30 million. Jeffers has turned the corner and left Vasquez in the dust as nothing more than an expensive backup. To be honest, I'm all for trading Vasquez to a catching needy team this off season. We can use that $10 million for something better. At worst, Julien and Kirilloff could draw a walk against LH pitching. I doubt the Saints PH for either when a lefty was brought in. At least when Solano came up to hit for Kirilloff there was a better chance it could have worked out, but not that early in the game. The Twins have been gifted the division this year, so why not keep putting young players like Julien and Kirilloff in positions where they can grow? The youth movement is upon us even if Polanco and Kepler are retained for 2024. Lewis, Kirilloff and Julien are locks to be major contributors next year. Brooks Lee could very well break camp with the team right out of spring training. Wallner is a work in progress but he's probably up to stay. If we had rallied and sent the game into extra innings Rocco had no bench to work with. It's like challenging a 4 yard completion on the opening drive of the game. Even if it's obvious, why gamble when it's not an impactful play at that stage of the game?

He's most certainly in the BP. In fact, if he returns to the Twins in 2024 it will have to be as a BP piece. His days of starting are behind him. I can't really see a team signing him to be anything but a BP pitcher who in a pinch could get an occasional start. The same goes for Keuchel. If he makes the post season roster he's in the BP as well. Lopez, Gray and Ryan are the SP's in the first round and Ober once he's rested and back is #4. That's all the Twins will need no matter how far they go in the playoffs with off days and potential rain out/snow outs. And with Varland looking pretty good out of the pen and Funderburk as well (we can only hope Stewart too) Maeda and Keuchel are vital to shoring up our under-performing pen. I like Jax, but he's just not dependable at all right now. In the case of Maeda, he's got an outstanding track record coming out of the BP in the post season. Putting him there is a no brainer. Thank Goodness "the analytics" make it so.

I would certainly shop Larnach. He's slid too far down the pecking order to be considered a future starter or even a role player. Both Kepler and Polanco have made the case to have their options picked up. But the very real possibility exits that one could be traded. In my opinion, the player most likely to be dealt is Polanco, especially if he has a strong finish to this season and performs well in the playoffs. Lewis is here to stay. Lee will probably break camp with the team in 2024. With Castro and Farmer coming back, (maybe Gordon or Austin Martin) and if Polanco builds his value back up, I could see Polanco traded for a full time CF or a SP to replace Gray. If the Twins traded Polanco in a multi player package for a full time CF, depending on how much that guy would cost payroll wise, I could see them sticking their necks out trying to get Sonny Gray to return and have stability in the rotation for next season. Really, this is what makes the most sense. You invest in a couple of vets like Lopez and Gray to lead a staff with young talent on the rise, Ryan, Ober, Varland and Paddock. Maeda should NOT be retained. He should no longer be in the conversation for our rotation next year. He's too inconsistent. I'd sign him to a team friendly contract as a BP piece, but not as a SP. So maybe Larnach is included in a deal with Polanco or maybe each are dealt separately. But I see the Twins making at least a couple of trades this off season.

This is a GREAT problem to have. What team couldn't use a switch hitting infielder capable of playing 2B, 3B, and maybe even a little 1B and SS? Polanco is VERY affordable this year and next. Assuming he stays healthy and is solid if not pretty good in the playoffs? Then his value rises to close to what it was 2 years ago. That's a value that could be part of a package to bring back a very good SP or a full time CF. Even with Lewis, Julien, Farmer and Castro (not to mention Lee knocking on the door and Nick Gordon) the Twins have options and options give you LEVERAGE. We have a surplus of LH hitting OF and capable IF to offer in a trade. We might even consider dealing Vasquez to a catching needy team if we believe Jeffers has turned a corner (I think he has). Polanco in the Twins lineup is a comforting thought for next season. But with holes to fill in CF, the rotation and bullpen the Twins lineup/roster for 2024 is very much up in the air. Polanco will either be a key part of that next year, or a trade chip to deal to fill some of the gaping holes in next year's roster.

These are all no brainer trades the Twins should make in a heartbeat. As someone very astutely pointed out, this is the inherent flaw in BTV. The "values" match up. But would the Mets actually do this? Even in an over pay, Alonso would be a great trade target for the Twins, even if you only had him for one year. He's a decent comp for Harmon Killebrew. He doesn't walk as much and strikes out more, but that .254 career batting average and 100 RBI seasons ensure you're not getting a Miguel Sano comp. I wouldn't mind if Alonso could only play 1B or DH. It's not like you can count on ANYTHING from Byron Buxton going forward from this point. The Twins FO should actively be planning on life without Buxton anyway. Get a guy who can play CF every day (Lewis???) and anything you get from Buxton is a bonus. But to count on anything from him in 2024 and beyond is FO malpractice. Alonso would look pretty good batting cleanup for the Twins in 2024, and hey, maybe he finds he likes it here like Correa and sticks around.

There is no need to continue with Gallo on this roster. The Twins need "pitchers" that can chew up innings, not position players. Once Kirilloff is ready (and he's ready right now) they need to cut bait and let Gallo go. They need the best roster possible to finish the regular season and on into the playoffs. Gallo doesn't give them that. He should be a sunk cost who's become Cole Sands 2.0 a guy on the roster that takes up a seat on the plane and nothing more. The Twins are in an "all hands on deck" situation. They need a useful player for that last roster spot.

Speed is what base running is all about. Speed gives a player the "opportunity" to take the extra base when possible. So of course SPEED is paramount to determining base running ability. You can have a slower base runner who still makes good baserunning decisions. Bill Buckner came up in the Dodgers system and had above average speed but good baserunning instincts. Too many ankle injuries/surgeries destroyed his speed, but he was still able to take an extra base when he sensed the opportunity long after his speed deserted him. The biggest surprise to me is Kepler. He should have at least 5 steals at this point of the season, early season leg injury or not. Correa is SLOW, I'll grant that, and he hits the ball HARD. So DP's grounded into are to be expected. Tony-O had that problem later in his career as a DH. But Correa's continued health issues does make one worry about how long he'll stay at SS. I would bet he's got at least 3 more solid years, but 3B is in his future. Would the Twins just switch Brooks Lee and Correa in 2027 or 2028? I could see Lee getting games at SS on days Correa has off and/or DH's. But team SPEED is certainly an area the Twins need to improve upon for future rosters. The element of speed is primarily why Castro has made Nick Gordon expendable for future Twins rosters. The new rules have brought speed and the stolen base back into baseball and I for one am very happy with the results so far.

It all depends what another team is willing to give up for him so conversations SHOULD be had. I agree with the idea of giving him a chance to build his value back up at St. Paul, but he really has no future with the Twins. There are just too many guys in front of him who are better. I'd call Miami and see what disappointing young pitching prospect who has battled injuries the last couple of years is available. They have to be happy with the Arraez trade. I think they'd be willing to have a conversation. Maybe a deal would be made this winter. Maybe early next spring once both the Marlins and Twins confirm better health for each player involved in the trade. But a trade IS coming. He has no future with the Twins.