farmerguychris

Hi future should be here next year. He can't control injuries. To succeed, the F.O. needs to give him horses, especially in the Pen if they don't want starters to go thru a line up 3 times. No manager could have success this year with the pitching he was expected to compete with this summer.

Just gotta keep him healthy. WAY TOO MANY great prospects in Twins history have looked great until something happens..... So far looking like a great pick!

That is a pretty impressive injury list when you lay it out by position like that - I can't imagine how any team could compete with that type of time lost due to injury. So the big question is WHY? Are we selecting injury prone players? Is our training staff not very good at their jobs? This isn't anything new for us, should we look closer at this department?

Yes - the batting gloves thing is ridiculous. They were just fine when you didn't swing at that last pitch, must you really to readjust them?

I think we are pretty stuck with Jeffers and possibly Leon next year as we have nothing our system. The below list of 2023 FA Catchers doesn't excite me either: Yadier Molina C 40.1 R R STL $10,000,000 - Willson Contreras C 30.2 R R CHC $9,625,000 - Gary Sanchez C 29.8 R R MIN $9,000,000 - Roberto Perez C 33.7 R R PIT $5,000,000 - Martin Maldonado C 36.0 R R HOU $5,000,000 - Omar Narvaez C 30.5 L R MIL $5,000,000 - Christian Vazquez C 32.0 R R HOU $7,000,000 - Tucker Barnhart C 31.7 L R DET $7,750,000 - Austin Hedges C 30.0 R R CLE $4,000,000 - Jason Castro C 35.2 L R HOU $4,750,000 - Mike Zunino C 31.4 R R TB $7,000,000 $9,645,521 Curt Casali C 33.8 R R SEA $2,600,000 - Kevin Plawecki C 31.5 R R BOS $2,250,000 - Kurt Suzuki C 38.9 R R LAA $1,750,000 - Sandy Leon C 33.4 S R MIN $1,000,000 - Robinson Chirinos C 38.2 R R BAL $900,000 - Stephen Vogt C 37.8 L R OAK $850,000 - Austin Romine C 33.8 R R CIN $700,000

Perfectly said! Before the trade deadline it was simply unfair to expect Rocco to both limit how long starters go, while at the same time turning games over to an incompetent BP. Not sure why they refuse to invest in the Pen in the off season and year after year it is a weakness that we need to then trade prospects to get back to adequacy. I am curious how our pen ranked in salary compared to other AL teams trying before the trade deadline - I'm better pretty low.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean its not the best thing for our team when it comes to limiting the amount of times opposing batters face the same pitcher. Now this does require having at least an average bullpen, which we didn't have for the first half of the year. I blame Bert going on about pitching 300 innings a year over the airwaves for 20 years. However - things improve and facts don't lie. Will this come full circle and someday pitchers will go complete games more often than not in the future? I highly doubt it as pitch speeds increase and pitchers arms are pushed further and further for higher speeds. If anything, I think pitchers will go less and less innings in the future. Its not Rocco, its that hitters simply do better they more they see a pitcher on the same day today, and they always have.

Maybe it wasn't Falve who helped make Cleveland a pitching destination - could it have been the coaches who worked with the pitchers on a daily basis who made them look so good? Not saying picking the right players isn't important - it obviously is - but its the coaches who actually develop them into something, not the F.O. Do we have the right trainers (to keep healthy) and the right minor league pitching instructors to turn these picks into front line starters for us compared to Cleveland in the past?

I think that in today's MLB, especially teams that value science and analytics - developing a starter to consistently go 6 innings is the goal. Many people who listened to Bert go on about throwing 170 pitches in a game won't like the new style of what is expected of a starter - but just because one does not like it does not make it factual.

Had he started the year in the big league, and had he not stumbled out of the gate I'm sure he would have more ROY votes. Now if we could just get him to become a good 3rd base, we are set for the next half decade with him in our lineup.

I have no problem with the way he manages. He is new school, which aligns well with the current Front Office in using science and stats to determine actions taken during games. I know a lot of people don't like the 'managing by spreadsheet' way of making decisions - but its exactly how teams like Tampa are so good every year without spending money like the NY or LA teams. To be more successful, he needs only 2 things - better health (he's tried to give players days off to heal up, which many fans hate), and better players. I don't think the FO did a good job before this season started getting him the pitchers he needed to be successful in either the starters, or the in the pen. The FO knew they were going to be pulling starters several times before they faced batters for a 3rd time - they should have known the pen would have been tested and invested more in that before the season started so we didn't need to trade the assets we did at the deadline to finally get some stability on the back end.

I looked that from a different angle, and maybe my mind was just trying to justify him standing there. I think by him not hustling down the line and acting as if it were a foul ball - did it perhaps slow the catcher down just a bit and make him second guess if he should actually throw a foul ball to 3rd base? Kepler seemed confused about if he should run or not to me.

Gotta say, despite missing some routine plays at the hot corner - I like having Gio on this team. He makes some great plays at 3rd, and has multiple important hits for us when its really needed. I think we should seriously consider keeping him by offering arbitration for one more year. Great job of working that count and slapping the ball to keep it in play down the line.

I think they still matter, but we don't have anyone who can run (except hurt people) and we can't throw anybody out. Other than that - they still matter.

I don't believe his job is any jeopardy, and I feel that is fair. He can only work with the roster he is given by the F.O. It is that same FO that desires him to lead by analytics and science. I think the only way he will be let go is if the FO is feeling as if their jobs are in jeopardy, and then use him as a scapegoat to save their own jobs for a few more years. I like Rocco and simply hope the FO gives him some pitching to work with next year and that the trainers can keep us a bit more healthy.

After watching first Gordon and then Beckham miss on plays the last 2 games, its his ability to play the OF that intrigues me - not his plate skills.

According to H-Young Park, the Twins have signed former speedster Billy Hamilton to a minor league contract. Don't know how much he's got left in the tank, but I like the idea of possibly putting him in the OF instead of a back-up infielder out there. Anyone know if he's also a switch hitter?

Fair enough- Which players are you referring to that are not currently on the roster should we replace him with?

I think we have taken the right approach for the short term - 10 day IL see if anything improves and hope for the best. Isn't a 50% Buxton just as good as a 100% Cave?

Whats the rush? He's under control for 5 more years right? So let him play this well for another 2 years and then hopefully still want to buy out his arb years plus a couple more. Too early to have this discussion.

While series wins are nice, we need to see some sweeps against lesser foes like KC to help stay near the lead in the central. Good series win by not giving up any runs after the first inning of game 1 of this set!

They were both signed to be placeholders for a year while our young talent recovered from injuries and was ready to go hopefully late this, or for next season. With that said, you get what you pay for and these are good examples of that. Not awful, but not very good either. I would not bring either of them back for next year if we can avoid it.

He's still a rookie - hopefully we can get him coached up and that slider will become a real weapon. If there is anything this pitching coach staff appears to know how to do - it is to maximize a slider's potential as a weapon. I'm not concerned in the long term and hopeful he'll be in the top half of our rotation for at least a few years.

I'd be ok if Carlos stays to be our SS for 1 more year while Lewis continues to heal. Other than that I want pitching and would love to see Judge go to the NL for someone like the Mets just to drive Yankee fans crazy.

I really agree with you 100% - I just felt like I might get grief due to being so vocal about him being on our team any longer in the past. It makes NO sense that he's still even an option for Rocco to use.