TopGunn#22

This is a great pick. Everything I read never mentioned this kid sliding out of the top 5. Then to get Prielipp in the 2nd round and another SS (Tanner Schobel) from Va. Tech at #68...I consider this first night VERY successful for the Twins. I agree, with the trade deadline approaching, the Twins are going to have to part with some minor league talent to plug some BIG holes. Restocking with talent like this on night #1 is very encouraging. Now they need to sign them...quickly.

This is why the Twins need a frontline STUD SP (Castillo or Montas) and at least ONE solid, capable BP arm that can close or at least share closing with Duran. They have the minor league and major league capital and depth to swing a couple trades. They are a runner gasping towards the All Star break finish line right now and desperately need reinforcements soon. Let's see if the F.O. is capable.

I'm hoping the Twins can land either Montas or Castillo to front the rotation for the rest of this season and 4 or 5 more to come. We need that type of SP. Bell would great as a cleanup hitter (switch hitters are always great #4 hitters...think Mantle and Eddie Murray). But I just don't see it. We need SP and BP help SO badly and Arraez, Kirilloff and Miranda have 1B locked up. Even if Sano was traded there is just too big a logjam at 1B, and DH needs to remain flexible if Buxton is forbidden from playing CF 3 days in row (which I find ridiculous---just play Buxton, stop trying to protect him). I wouldn't trade Kirilloff or Lewis to anyone, but for a Castillo or Montas I'd consider making Miranda, Martin, Larnach or Ober available in some combination. We have talent in the minors and 40-man roster crunches coming up. Some of that young talent can certainly be moved to bring major league talent back. Right now, the twins are fading. They need a shot or two in the arm to revive this season.

"Baseball Trade Values" Snell .70 value. Duffey .60 value. Salary dump for the Padres. Inconsistent, but useful veteran bullpen arm sent and a happy reunion for Taylor Rogers with Duffey. Twins get a SP with great stuff but inconsistent performance who auditions for next year's rotation as well. By picking up all of Snell's remaining salary Twins don't give up much.

I would do this deal: Twins Get: Castillo SP 38.5 and Diaz RP 2.9 41.40 value Reds Get: Larnach OF 28.5 and Ober SP 15.1 43.7 value I would look at Bard and possibly Jorge Lopez or Tate from Baltimore. Getting Castillo would allow the Twins to either move Archer to the pen or piggyback Archer with Winder. That combo would be very effective and with Castillo at the front of the rotation, could take some of the pressure off the pen on a day to day basis. The Twins give up a lot to get a lot with Castillo & Diaz. The other RP COULD be a rental like Robertson but I prefer getting someone with a little lesser cost. But of course, it all depends on what the Cubs would want in return for someone like Robertson. Lopez might be a little too pricey from the Orioles, especially after what we would have given up for Castillo/Diaz. But maybe Tate would be more affordable. I just think Baltimore may hold on to all their guys now that they've gotten hot and have entered the wildcard race. Kepler is in play only if Larnach isn't traded and Kepler would be interesting to a team like San Diego, but I'd prefer to go big with a Castillo/Diaz deal and that would require Larnach.

So here's your possible trade: Twins Get: Castillo 38.5 and Diaz 2.9 = 41.40 Reds Get: Larnach 28.5 and Ober 15.1 = 43.70 The Twins MUST over-pay slightly to win the Castillo sweepstakes. The Dodgers and others will be lurking. Castillo and Diaz significantly shore up two needy areas...a true Ace to open a playoff series and lead the rotation the rest of the way, and a good, young controllable arm for the bullpen. Larnach gives the Reds a Jesse Winker type bat which they desperately need. Ober replaces Castillo in the Reds rotation as a young, controllable arm for years to come.

I would be inclined to make a deal with the Reds and swing for the fences with a Castillo & Diaz pairing. I'm not so interested in 37 year old guys like Robertson. I want to deal for assets I can build around. Castillo and Diaz fit that profile. I'd have to go to MLB Trade Values to see what a deal could look like, but I think it would need to start with 2 of Martin, Ober or Miranda. (possibly a Larnach). That's a lot. But Castillo and Diaz would be foundational pieces to build from. Castillo fronts our rotation and Diaz pairs with Duran to form a young, flame throwing back end.

Thanks for thinking this through and putting all these trades together. I don't think a trade for Bell is needed with all the options the Twins have at 1B and DH. However, any and all RP and SP's should be considered. Bard and Robertson are each 37 years old so there is probably no future for them with the Twins after this season. It makes them "cheaper" but there is no long term benefit. While I agree that reinforcements are desperately needed NOW for the BP I always want to make a trade that has benefits beyond a 2-month rental.

Those are more recent examples, but it hasn't always been bad. Ron Perronoski, Al Worthington, Mike Marshall are some blasts from the past. Joe Nathan, Rick Aguilara from the not so distant past. The fact is, this bullpen is TERRIBLE. Duran has been the best, but he's just a rookie and lost the game last night. If the Twins had just an average BP they'd have 5 more wins minimum. It is their Achillies Heel. Something needs to be done sooner rather than later, or the Indi...Guardians and White Sox are going to right their ships and pass us by. It is not going to better with our bullpen by giving the current pitchers "more time." It is only going to get worse. Trading Taylor Rogers for a SP and an average BP piece was not wrong at the time. But given the circumstances we find ourselves in, it has turned out horribly.

I like the way this kid plays the game. Unless someone surprising falls that the Twins would be fools to pass on, Jett Williams is REALLY intriguing to me. I don't care at all about his size. Just like I learned not to care if I guy seems a little "chunky." Baseball is a game of "technique." If your technique is good you will succeed. Kent Hrbek. For some of the older guys on TD how about Mikey Lolich. Jett Williams looks like he knows how to play BASEBALL. If Somebody OBVIOUS isn't there, take this kid at a below slot deal and save some money for pitching. Altuve, Pedroia, Arraez. Those guys are/were BASEBALL players. Even if Williams ends up at 2B he could be a helluva 2B-man.

In 2019 Nelson Cruz had perhaps the greatest offensive season in Twins history. It certainly ranks up there with Carew in 1977, Killebrew in 1969, Oliva in 1964 and Puckett's best year, 1988. But for there to be ANY chance for the Twins to bring him back one thing would need to happen, consistently and regularly. And that would be Buxton playing every day in CF. Otherwise, it just makes no sense, and we all know Buxton is NOT going to play everyday in CF. I'm a HUGE Nellie Cruz fan. But this just doesn't work, in any circumstance or strategy. I don't mind the topic though, it gets all of us commenting and pontificating. That's a GOOD thing for TD. For the Twins to acquire any kind of bat, that guy has to play somewhere, preferably catcher (Contreras) or maybe LF. But I think the lineup will be just fine as Kirilloff continues to improve, Polanco gets hot, Kepler's power numbers rise and Arraez, Correa and Buxton keep doing what they're doing (although I WOULD like Buxton to get his average up to .250-.275). We need pitching. Pitching is what keeps you in close ballgames where a dinger or a big hit have even more impact. We need 3 BP arms whether acquired via trade or promotion, and we need one #1 stud SP. By the time the playoffs roll around, if we've done some or all of what we need to do pitching wise, we've got a good enough lineup.

This is a good list. I still like Jorge Lopez, even though he blew two saves when pitching against the Twins. Obviously, Bednar is the prize and would be VERY expensive. As bad as the closers have been for the Dodgers, I see them making a play with their deep farm system, but the Twins could certainly look for cheaper options. We just simply need a deeper bullpen. I still think there are some "In-House" arms as possibilities, as Cody Pirkl wrote not long ago too.

Excellent topic Trov !! I don't have any in depth knowledge on this year's prospects either so my opinion isn't based in any kind of "logic." But a kid who throws 99 mph and was a stalwart on a National Champion Vanderbilt team would sure have my consideration. How does the Twins medical staff feel about his short and long term prognosis ? I know that Rice University over uses their pitchers, hence some of the issues with Canterino. Vandy doesn't have quite the bad reputation that Rice has, but there's a reason Rocker could be available at #8. Depending on who else could fall to #8 as a "hitter" and how in love the Twins are with said hitter and if that hitter is a future SS or CF'er as opposed to a corner IF or OF I could see Rocker being better than any other pitcher at #8 and quite possibly better than any potential hitter. And the possibility of using Rocker out of the bullpen immediately with the big club is certainly appealing.

The argument could be made that with all the guys on innings limits the Twins have, that those guys (Winder, Ober, Canterino, Henriquez and even Archer) could eventually be moved to the pen if a proven #1, innings eater, was added to the top of the rotation. (Castillo/Montas), Gray, Ryan, Smetlzer and then Winder/Archer as the #5. Then Ober, Canterino, Henriquez (and hopefully Alcala) in front of Duran. I'd keep Pagan around for the 7th inning and be done with Duffey & Theilbar. Maybe either could be included in a deal to get one more bullpen arm like a Lopez from Baltimore (giving the Orioles a BP arm to replace what the lost to finish the season). They absolutely need BP help. But they may have a LOT of guys who could transition to the BP in the interest of limiting innings and protecting arms. I like Winder as a SP. I'd rather have him as my #5 than Archer. But I don't know what the Twins short term-long term plan for Winder is. I would be O.K. if they started Archer and then used Winder right after him him as a piggyback. That would be good for 7 innings consistently. With Montas experiencing some shoulder tightness and being removed after just one inning yesterday, that really muddies the water for a LOT of teams. But I'm just offering a counter-argument that a #1, top of the rotation, consistent innings eater could still get the Twins to a better BP as well.

AMEN Cody !! I don't move Winder to a BP role. He's starting for me when Bundy eventually flames out. BUT...Henriquez and Sands I'm all for. I see Henriquez as kind of a Jorge Lopez type of pitcher. A guy who struggled as a SP but blossomed when moved to the BP. The Twins have gotten to Lopez in two consecutive games, but check out the guys stats. He's been outstanding and I've been advocating for a trade to bring him to Minnesota. Henriquez should just be transitioned to the BP and brought in to replace Duffey. Sands should also be brought up immediately to replace Cotton. I still think adding an arm like Lopez at the deadline is wise, but it's clear the BP as it's currently constituted is untenable. Start tapping into the talent you have in the minors. Now I hear Canterino is hurt...again...I would love this guy to eventually be a SP but maybe it's just never going to happen. Maybe this season, since he's already going to have an innings limit, once he's healthy, he should be promoted to St. Paul and handed the closer role for a month. See how it goes and if it goes well promote him to the big club and put him in the BP. This guys arm is just too electric, his stuff too good to be wasting it in the minor leagues. I don't want Canterino to be one of those guys who never sees a major league mound because he could never stay healthy. The great Johann Santana began his Twins career as a RP. Canterino should be in a Twins uniform before the end of the season. Henriquez, Canterino and Sands. Three guys who could help the BP immediately or at least eventually. Think of the difference those three guys could make.

I've been advocating the Twins trade him for 3-years. Now it appears that others have simply moved past him on the Twins depth chart. The only question left to answer is "can the Twins actually get anything of value for him?" Sano currently carries a negative trade value (-8.5 on MLB Trade Values). But I would argue that he "has" value to certain teams. The question then is how much ? A team like the Rockies has always been an intriguing destination for Sano. That power, in that ballpark ? The Padres need "juice" in their lineup. Hosmer, after a torrid start is reverting to "Hosmer" once again. He's a punch-less Judy at the plate. Are there negative assets the Padres have that could benefit the Twins? The Orioles or Red Sox could see some benefit from Sano, especially if JD Martinez and Trey Mancini get traded. I just don't see any place for Sano on this team any longer. He may be too difficult to trade this year so he may get some DH AB's. But come 2023 his buyout will happen and he'll be gone for sure.

I dislike the defeatist attitude of "why should we do anything...we'll NEVER beat the Yankees (or Astros)" !! Heck, were the Twins the BEST team in baseball in 1987 ? Certainly not. St. Louis and Detroit were better. Yet we beat them both. Sports is littered with champions who were not "the best regular season team." We desperately need BP help right now. BP arms aren't as costly as a SP (Montas, Castillo). Go out and get a couple ! I don't look at trades as simply a one-year, right now benefit. Acquiring a Lopez from the Orioles or Bednar from the Pirates isn't just for this year. Same with a Montas or Castillo. Both these SP's are young enough to front a Twins rotation for the next 5-years, and are a better bet than any minor league pitcher in the Twins system for 2022 and 5 years after. We have a team that has some glaring weaknesses, but if some of these were fortified with a trade or two I'd go to war with a lineup that has Arraez, Buxton, Correa, Polanco and an up and coming Kirilloff ! NOTHING is guaranteed for next year or the year after. We are playing baseball in 2022. No trade should be made for 3-months, but for Pete's Sake, stop with the crowning of the Yankees as World Series Champs already! They will find a way to screw it up. Believe Me !

Time to make some deals. This BP is imploding before our eyes on a night by night and consistent basis. Rocco stuck with Colome for far too long last year and this year it's Duffey and Pagan who are the main culprits. I just don't understand throwing Duran for two innings of a tie game. Good managers have clearly defined roles for their BP. Rocco has always been LOST when it comes to BP's. He wouldn't use Taylor Rogers as his primary closer and the first thing the Padres do after they get him is make him their closer. I rest my case.

I agree with Tony & Rodney: Every prospect is movable. It always comes down to what you are getting back.

There are solid arguments for both sides. $12 million per year even for a back end (#3-4-5) veteran starter who is dependable and can be counted on for a level of innings and production per season is decent value. The counter argument is what the Twins have in the pipeline. If the cupboard was bare, I'd pony the money up NOW. But the cupboard is hardly bare. So that brings us to a couple of modern day baseball axioms. Since nobody pitches 300 innings anymore and almost no one pitches even 200 innings, and you can't count on having 5 starters make 30-35 starts for you in season...Signing Gray now for $11-$12 million for 4 years or $13 million for 3-years makes sense. Some of the Twins pitching prospects will pan out. Unfortunately, some will not. And each year the draft will put a few more into the pipeline. There is also the potential to add a Montas/Castillo type at the trade deadline and/or add a Musgrove/Rodon/Taillon next year and of course Kenta Maeda isn't dead and buried, he's very much alive and working to get back. I'm not anxious to summarily move a guy to the bullpen who finished #2 in A.L. Cy Young voting in 2020. For me, he's a SP until he pitches himself OUT of the rotation. The idea is to build a staff that has a blend of youth and experience and that has depth from which you can fill holes as bumps in the road occur and trade from said depth if an opportunity presents itself. $11-$13 million per year for a solid SP is worth more to a team than having a Miguel Sano. "You can never have too much pitching."

We all have a very similar story. One of the beauties of whiffle ball was all the different places you could play it: Different backyards with different dimensions or quirks (just like big league stadiums). In the street, at the school playground etc...you could switch things up with different ground rules. It also depended how many people you had playing. Smaller groups, all groundballs were outs. If players were on base and a double play was in order...you GOT that Twin-Killing...now matter what. Yes indeed, you had to bat as the team's lineup dictated. Twins of course, Big Red Machine, Red Sox, Giants (Willie Mays & Willie McCovey) but I also did the Pirates alot. Clemente, Stargell, Al Oliver, Manny Sangullien, Matty Alou, Don Clendennon, Gene Clines, etc...it was a loaded lineup and fun to mimic. HOURS of FUN. I had as much fun being Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Don Sutton and Bill Singer and Twins like Dave Boswell, Jim Perry, Mudcat Grant and Bert Blyleven.

Hard to believe college baseball can just double a pitching coaches salary of a Major League Baseball Team. Hmmmm. Wes probably got tired of Rocco's inability to manage a bullpen as well as the questionable pitch count limitations on SP's. Probably drove him nuts.

They need to make some moves and the sooner the better. Lopez has been solid for Baltimore. Bednar has been great for Pittsburg. I realize RP's are volatile year to year but those two guys have good arms and stuff and would be two excellent targets. I'm sure the Twins are talking with teams, but I'm afraid nothing really gets done until the deadline approaches.

Great comments by many posters. I think I wore out the "Rec" or approval icons. Our FO needs to do something sooner rather than never for our BP. Our manager shot to notoriety on the strength of a record setting HR season. He really isn't very good with situational baseball, whether that's managing a BP or manufacturing a run when all you need is one run to win. This series is showing the gap between someone like Francona and Rocco. Give me back Paul Molitor...analytics be damned. It's a long season. But this stretch is shining a huge spotlight on all this team's flaws, from personnel to the managing and coaching. "Staying the course" doesn't seem to be an effective strategy. Some shaking up of the current situation is needed, whether that's trades or other moves.

It will always depend on cost. But the Twins do have some organizational depth and if they are trading for assets that will or could be on the team in 2023 and beyond then I answer with an emphatic YES ! The percentage of "prospects" that bear fruit vs. those that do not is telling. For every Doyle Alexander trade for John Smoltz there are 50 where the better player at the moment helped the team he went to become better. The key with any trade, whether for bullpen or starting pitching or both, is that it has to be part of the team for more than just 2022.