TopGunn#22

Sorry, the page just froze up on me. Yeah, Martin is NOT a SS. We have Correa (hopefully for 3 years) and Lewis and even Miller. It's time to start moving Martin around to make him either our LF'er of the future or our next Arraez (super utility type player) with a better glove than Arraez.

I agree. He's destined to be the Twins LF'er

Not only is it time to get some bullpen help (I'm all for Lopez), it's time to move Smeltzer into the rotation and move Archer to a Griffen Jax role...middle guy who can go 3 innings. That, to me is where Bundy should be headed as well. It's time to move on from Duffey and Theilbar as well. Shuffling some roles and adding an arm like Lopez could help. I'd love to see Canterino in the pen at some point, but the Twins seem (probably rightfully so) to be committed to using him as a SP all year. I just don't know how that will work with whatever innings limit they have already determined for him. Still, if this team could ever figure out "situational hitting" we'd have won the last two games against the Tigers and Royals. You can't keep loading the bases with nobody out, late in one-run games and coming up with a goose egg.

This is where Rocco infuriates me. 79 pitches !!! Smeltzer was in command, and for a guy that doesn't throw hard (i.e. MAX effort on every pitch) he could easily have gone at least another inning, probably even finished the game. I know hindsight is 20/20 but this is just one of my persistent pet peeves with Rocco. Duffey ain't the Duffey of old. Neither is Theilbar. It's time to look to deal both of those guys and load up with Lopez types.

There's this thing called "optics.' It's when politicians do something or say something really stupid and then try to explain it away (like inflation is Vlad Putin's fault, as if Vlad has that much control over our economy). Trading Correa would not only be bad "optics" it would be bad baseball decision making. The Twins have warts. They are not a juggernaut or a complete team in any stretch of our imagination. I believe Lewis will be back up at some time and he can play multiple positions. Having Correa AND Lewis is a GOOD thing. Correa may only be a one-year rental. I hope not, but that's the type of contract the Twins FO crafted to lure him to sign with us. It's working out quite nicely to this point. I'm going to enjoy CC as much as I can while he's here. He's an easy guy to cheer for and the Twins to this point of the season have been very fun to watch and cheer for. Life is too short. I'm going to enjoy this for what it is right now.

Nicely done Axel !!

Still...I just miss Royce. Come back Royce, please come back...sigh... Love the history for the intro. Few people know how badly FDR prolonged the Great Depression with his policies either. A basketball coach of mine in high school was also a history teacher and he bragged up FDR in a big way. It wasn't until I was a young man, 4-5 years removed from college that I decided to read a few other books on the subject and I was shocked that my history teacher/coach from high school never pointed out any of that.

The Martin Perez suggestion is interesting. I remember he started out well for us the season we had him and then he returned to his usual form. He seems to be a different pitcher this year. On cue today, Eovaldi K's 12 and looks tremendous. I haven't given up on getting Montas. I just think the Dodgers or Yankees outbid us. I think Lopez could be pretty good paired with Duran. The kid has GREAT stuff. Maybe it would cost a little more to get him (and maybe Mancini too for 1B and DH?) but if Lopez has figured something out and you've got him for 2 more years after this, what's not to like ? Still, the guy I'd like to see up here after the All-Star break is Matt Canterino. Talk about STUFF !! He would have an etched in stone innings limit. But I'd love to see his stuff on display in some high leverage situations late in the season. Great topic and great ideas Nash. This is the kind of stuff we all could talk and post about for days...heck weeks !! It's just great seeing the Twins playing good baseball this year (and rallying against the Royals) !!

I would have liked to see Lewis STAY. He was playing very well. Could he have sustained it ? Probably not, but I would have stuck with until he proved he COULDN'T sustain it. With his versatility, CF, LF, RF, SS, 2B and 3B were ALL positions he's supposed to be able to play. Trea Turner had to play CF his rookie year with the Nats. If you can play a position, you can play it ! Lewis looked fine at SS, but am I being greedy for wanting Buxton, Correa AND Lewis to be on the same team ??

Yeah, this one is a puzzler and while frustrating to us fans, it has to be driving this kid nuts. He has a beautiful swing. I once likened it to Will Clark's swing when I first saw him come up with the Giants. I'm sure hoping SOMETHING works and we can get Alex back on track. Wrists are the worst thing a hitter can hurt because EVERYTHING depends on them.

He may yet be an asset if he can command his pitches better. I see him as a worse version of "Everyday Eddie" if you're talking closers. Eddie was the ultimate "nibbler" and always found a way to escape disaster. I could see the Twins hunting for a high leverage "closer" arm at the deadline if they maintain their place in the standings putting Duran in the 8th and also as a "sometimes" closer. The other option that's lurking is Matt Canterino. We could just go with a youth movement and have Duran and Canterino close at the end of the season and post season. THAT will depend on how the Twins manage Canterino's innings up to that point. I see Pagan is a 7th/8th inning guy depending on the situation for the most part.

If the choice the FO had to make was Buxton or Berrios, like the question posted here at the time suggested, then the Twins made the right decision. I came down on the keep Buxton/trade Berrios decision because with all the "potential" Buxton had the Twins would never have gotten anything close to proper value for him. As a result of his injury history, the Twins were able to sign Buck to a contract that rewards him, but protects the team to a certain degree. I also think that with all the young pitchers getting closer and closer to the big leagues in the Twins system, and nobody even close to what Buxton was (as far as a future replacement) that again, the right decision to keep Buxton and trade Berrios was made. Now it comes down to what we got for Berrios. SWR is a great lottery ticket to replace Berrios pitcher for pitcher. Martin, who was the centerpiece of the deal, could be an excellent part of an everyday lineup. The FO did well on the trade at face value. It's easy to Monday Morning QB this when Berrios is struggling, but I come down on this decision the same way even if Jose was pitching at an All-Star level. The Twins got several seasons out of Berrios at "good" but not "great" or "Ace" level. Rather than backing up a Brinks truck to pay him, they spun him off for young talent. This is much like Cleveland doing the same with many of their pitchers (except for Bieber who won a CY Young, something Jose never did). I think this will be the M.O. of our FO in the future. As Ryan, Ober, Winder, Balazovic, Duran, Canterino, etc...develop and get better, some will stay, and some will be traded away before they get too expensive. This is what I believe the Twins FO is trying to do by building that pipeline of home-grown pitchers.

Forgot to mention Simeon Woods-Richardson as well. It might be time to move him up too.

This kid has been my favorite Twins pitching prospect for awhile now. I think it's time (or at least VERY CLOSE) to move him up to St. Paul and see how it goes. I'd love for him to be a starter, but arms like him and Duran in the bullpen conjure up the bullpens the Royals had some years ago when they went to two straight World Series and won one of them. I had not realized the pipeline in the low minors was looking this promising either. Time to salute the Twins FO for me and stop complaining about not acquiring a front line FA SP in the off season. (although Carlos Rodon looks every bit the pitcher I'd hoped to see in a Twins uniform).

I'm going to wildly speculate and say "I think this rumor is TRUE !" Cotton did throw 63 pitches last night (and did a great job) but he's burned to a crisp at this point so Cano gives them a fresh arm. He's been pretty good at St. Paul so let's see what he can do in the bigs.

I agree with the idea it's too early to speculate, but heck, that's why we come here...to SPECULATE. So thanks Axel. Even though things are going well, there are a number of things that certainly could be better. A consistent veteran at the top of the rotation would help take a lot of pressure off the rookies, who, while performing excellently so far are sure to be on innings limits. Castillo, Montas and even Eovaldi are interesting options. Whoever made the point about the Red Sox is on to something. Certain teams are underperforming and we should keep an eye on their rosters. A move for a Castillo or Montas wouldn't just be for THIS season, but for several more after. I like what Duran has shown so far, but cannot see him being the guy we go with to close games in the playoffs. Pagan is a thrill a minute. Kind of like Eddie Guardado. Every game they close is an "adventure." I'd like to see Pagan eventually become a 7th/8th inning guy and get someone who can CLOSE. But yeah, it's too early to speculate. We need to play the Astros, Yankees, and others to see how "legit" we are. But let's revisit this midway thru June.

It's hard enough to project NEXT year than to try to guess on 2025. There are names we probably aren't even considering that will be in the mix. Heck, I think it would be interesting to speculate on the rotation/bullpen we have after the All Star break !

THIS year is completely different than LAST year. In 2021 every move the Twins FO made that could have proved terrible, was indeed...TERRIBLE. This was further exacerbated by the injuries and uncertainty of all the young pitchers in the pipeline. Bundy was tremendous in his first several starts and we all knew it wasn't sustainable. He's probably not as bad as his last two starts and in fact, as others have pointed out, may have been weakened by Covid in his last start. But this year Ryan is showing last year wasn't a fluke. Winder is showing he BELONGS. Gray, Archer and Paddock have been good pickups. There is DEPTH. And now, with Balazovic having a solid first start at St. Paul and Woods-Richardson off to a great start the pipeline is fully in place and poised to help as the season progresses. I see Archer as superior to Bundy but unable to consistently go 5-6 innings. So how long would I stick with Bundy ? Not long in the starting rotation, and to be determined if he's a long relief option out of the bullpen. The Twins have options now, and even with innings limits on all of the young pitchers they could still have a use and a role for Bundy. But the ice on the lake is getting thinner and thinner under his feet. More outings like the last two will hasten his departure. If he's able to stabilize and find something consistent that falls between his Bob Gibson-like start to the season vs his Happ/Shoemaker last two starts Bundy will have a place on the Twins pitching staff.

It would be Lewis. Canterino next. Absolutely nothing against Steer but with Urshela and now Miranda to go with Arraez there's not really a clear a pathway yet for Steer. Lewis however, even with Correa could still play OF and if the bat to ball skills continue, Lewis could be very much like Buxton...if he stays healthy, and PLAYS, he's going to do good things. I wouldn't mind seeing Canterino up and pitching out of the pen. I'd use him in low stress innings and just kind of bring him along slowly. At some point, since he's pitched so few innings these last couple years you've got to believe they will shut him down. But I'd like to see how that "STUFF" plays up in the big leagues and handle him with care.

Ryan has been the best. But I'm very impressed so far and encouraged with what I've seen of Winder and Duran. Rocco should just make Duran the closer and put Pagan in the 8th inning slot. Interested to see which young pitchers get the next opportunities. Hoping Winder could have a spot in the rotation, but no one in the rotation has pitched themselves OUT of a spot and Gray is coming back soon.

Are the Twins "inventing" an injury for Sano (other than his less than stellar play)? If so, by all means, send him down to St. Paul on an extended rehab assignment. Sano needs this anyway to get his swing in tune. But I hadn't heard what Sano's actual "ailment" is/was.

This is interesting. The point has already been made that with all the young affordable pitching the Twins have and the probability of cutting contracts that aren't producing (Sano) with some young hitters also on the way (Lewis, Martin, Kirilloff, Larnach, Encarnacion) etc... they could actually afford to build around Buxton and Correa. There's nothing wrong with Correa making more than Buxton. Byron signed his contract with the understanding that his health issues held it down. If Buxton has 3 consecutive healthy MVP type years then there may be a need to renegotiate, but with all the young, affordable talent in the pipeline the Twins could afford to pay 2 superstars.

I, as a fan, have cut Sano about as much "slack" as I am able. Lost at the plate. Bailed out of a base running blunder by a T-Ball looking end of the game throw-around by the Tigers. You can't trade him for anything right now. But if Kirilloff proves himself healthy and ready to go soon, I play him at 1B and sit Sano for a week or two. He can get plenty of work in at the batting cages under the stadium. Send someone to check on him every other day or so.

I believe the Twins have given Martin enough opportunity to play SS and have found him lacking there. Big deal. The Royals gave Alex Gordon every opportunity to play 3B and all he did was become a perennial Gold Glove LF'er. Soon. Very Soon, move Martin to AAA St. Paul and play him in CF/LF. I'd like to see the power develop more and that's what he should be working on at this point, but SS is not his position, so just move him already.

I HOPE it's just scar tissue and that AK can get past this. This kid is just too talented to see him struggle like this. I agree with others who say he needs 3-weeks (when he's ready) to just go to St. Paul and find his groove again. I'd be getting Miranda up ASAP to play LF and other places as needed until AK is ready to go. Miranda could play 3B and let Gio play some SS when Correa needs a break. Just get Miranda up to the Twins.