TopGunn#22

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.

I agree Trov. But it's looking like Kirilloff should be up SOON.

Julien has more than delivered and he was the primary reason the Twins traded Arraez to Miami for Lopez. Julien will be a fixture at the top of the Twins order for years. Even though his defense has improved, Brooks Lee will be knocking on the door soon and Lee will command a spot at either 2B or 3B. Julien would be smart to get some work in at 1B and LF to enhance his value and versatility. The problem the Twins have right now as their youth movement rolls forward is who becomes the CF?? They simply can't count on Buxton for anything going forward so a plan has to be made for CF. If Buxton gives them ANYTHING it will be a bonus. And to me, the CF question comes down to two options: Trading for someone who steps right in and becomes the full time CF. Who is player and what would the trade cost amount to? There are also two "In-House" options for CF. Royce Lewis and Austin Martin. Lewis is a stud and will be the star they build around going forward. He could play 3B, 2B or CF but with Brooks Lee on the way, Julien needing AB's and Polanco probably remaining, CF makes the most sense for Lewis. I do not believe he is any more injury prone in CF than he would be in the infield. I wish we hadn't traded Steer and CES for Mahle but we did. If we hadn't, we'd have an even bigger log jam of young talent to sort through. I don't see a future for Miranda or Larnach with the Twins, so I see some potential trades involving them this off season.

I don't think Miranda has a place on this team. You could say the Twins made a mistake with Spencer Steer and you'd be right, but Steer can play 3B, 2B, 1B and LF. Miranda is below average at both 3B & 1B. Steer can also run a little. Miranda is a station to station type of baserunner. I would be looking to deal Miranda in some sort of package that would bring back a bona fide CF (can't count on Buxton for anything going forward) or a solid BP piece. Packaging Miranda with Larnach could get something useful back.

Maeda and Keuchel (if he makes the post season roster) should be bullpen bound. I would like to see Stewart back. He and Varland would be some serious gas out of the pen. To me, I like what I've seen of Funderburk so far. I'd include him as well. Paddock is a mystery. How quickly could he be ready? To pitch one or two innings at a time, Paddock could be a sneaky arm to add to the pen. I think their top 3 are Gray, Lopez and Ryan. Ober gives them another SP option if he returns to form, but they can certainly get through the entire post season (assuming it's a World Series run) with 3 "for sure" SP's and a 4th (Ober) when needed.

The Twins lucked into a top 5 pick in a draft so rich with talent that 5 guys were viewed as potential #1 picks when compared to previous years. The Twins ended up with Walker Jenkins. Thank Goodness the FO went with the prevailing logic and didn't try to get too cute to save money for down slot players. I don't ever remember a time when SO much young talent was knocking at the door for the Twins. Maybe the early 80's with Hrbek and Gaetti. We also traded for Brunansky at that time as well. Lewis, Lee, Julien, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Ryan, Ober, Duran. That's just the cream of the crop. Jeffers is young enough that he could be considered in that group but he's been up for a couple years already. I'm not even mentioning guys like Festa or Keaschal. And if Matt Canterino can ever stay healthy he could be in that mix. I'm frequently critical of the Twins FO. But it's hard to deny how well the young talent seems to be developing. Not all these guys are part of the Falvey & Levine pipeline, but a lot of them are.

I had Buxton on my fantasy team this year and dropped him months ago in favor of Jaren Duran (Red Sox) who really played well but is now out for the season. I think if the Twins had put Buxton on waivers nobody would have picked him up, and that would have been pretty humiliating for both Buxton and the organization. They need to acquire a CF this off season with the idea that Buxton's playing days are over. No more half measures. If Buxton SOMEHOW returns to health, that's a bonus. But the days of counting on him for anything are over.

I agree. Falvey should have great insight on Clevinger. At times, Clevinger has looked like he's washed up. But this season he's really put a lot of those doubts to rest. With our rotation looking like we will need replacements for Gray and Maeda next year, Clevinger would add some depth. Plus, he's got some Playoff experience. It never hurts to add a quality arm. I'd put in a claim and see what happens. I also would be putting a claim in for Matt Moore. As impressive as Funderburk was in his debut it couldn't hurt to have BOTH Moore and Funderburk in the pen with Theilbar.

I'd be all over Moore. Grichuk is interesting, but with the return of Buxton coming soon I doubt they do it, even though he'd be a big upgrade from career journeyman Luplow. I have to agree with the previous assessment that 2 years ago we'd be screaming for Giolito. Now, he couldn't crack our rotation.

We've speculated on this before and I maintain that if Ryan is close to his pre All Star break form he's clearly the #3. Maeda has history of being moved to the BP come post season by the Dodgers and he's been VERY GOOD there. Maeda probably becomes our 8th inning guy in the playoffs. Ryan and Ober are the wildcards. Pre All Star break Ryan and he's #3. If Ober's stint at St. Paul gives him the rest he needs to be strong down the stretch then Ober #4 and possibly starting Game #1 of the next round is perfect for the Twins. Maeda and Keuchel reinforce the BP. Boy, Funderburk looked pretty good last night. He should be in the BP come playoff roster.

It's fun to see the young Twins prospects coming up and not disappointing when given the opportunity. This off season will be VERY interesting indeed.