jmlease1

Much more likely that this is a relatively young player who's never had any injury problems before thinking he can just get through it without any help. "Well, why didn't he tell anyone if he was hurt?!?" yeah, 'cause this is the first time a professional athlete thought "meh, this is no big deal, i'll be fine" and turned out to be wrong... I hope Kuechel can fill in here, but I'm doubtful. His MLB record recently has been dreadful and I'm just not sure his slop can get guys out at this level any longer. Hope I'm wrong! (And it's certainly reasonable to give him a shot right now rather than lose him for nothing, but Varland still might be the better option, even if he's been up and down at AAA) Hope Ryan gets this straightened out...and learned a lesson not to try and treat an injury on his own.

Gray really looked good, nice and efficient. Great time to get a good 7 innings and early run support. Jax looked filthy and had a good inning. Duran had a bit of a weird one, and I'd be happier if he had a couple of clean sheets again, but I'm not exactly worried about him. A nice series win on the road. I haven't gone and dug for stats on this one, but it sure seemed like the Twins had a LOT of deep fly ball outs this series. I'm guessing there were some frustrated hitters who felt like they just missed one (or two, or three...) against St. L. Am I crazy about this?

Yeah, i think this one is half right: move on and DFA Gallo. but Mancini isn't the answer: he's a terrible fielder, and much like Gallo has gotten worse at the plate as the season has gone on (only he didn't have a big first month). Mancini has been one of the worst position players out there this season, and we don't need another 1B. At this point, Mancini is really only taking ABs away from Donovan Solano, who has been quite a bit better than Mancini this season. i'd rather run Solano out there if we need another guy at 1B.

Congrats to Brooks Lee, who certainly deserved the promotion. His approach at the plate is pretty excellent, and I think there's still more to unlock there as he matures and gets more experience. There's still some additional power potential in there, but I wouldn't be surprised if he simply racks up some additional hits as well. he would look awfully good hitting behind Ed Julien and in front of Carlos Correa in the #2 hole next season, I think. It will be interesting to see how they shuffle the infield a bit for next season. I think there's a real possibility that Lee slides to 3B and Lewis goes to 2B (my feeling is that Lee's arm plays better at 3B and Lewis' speed plays better at 2B, but they should both do fine at either spot). Would not mind at all an infield of Lee, Correa, Lewis, and Julien! (Kirilloff in LF and backing up 1B, Wallner in RF, hopefully Buxton back in CF, Martin as the super utility guy...there's some exciting possibilities if they can get/stay healthy) Biggest thing Lee still needs to work on right now is his ability to attack LHP while hitting from the right-hand side. he's not bad or anything, but right now he's much more effective as a lefty hitter; if he can start punishing LHP he's going to be an incredibly tough out and a major asset at the top of the lineup. I'm a big fan of Brooks Lee. Great prospect, can't wait to see him at Target Field.

he's so talented. I really hope the surgery fixes his elbow and positions him to have the kind of MLB career we've all hoped for from him. I wonder if they'll look to have him throw in winter ball, just to get some innings in and start reacclimating to the mound and the game, or wait entirely for spring training? I could see him advancing rapidly again once he's healthy because his stuff is so good, but maybe if/when he makes it to MLB the Johan Plan might be worth considering: 1-2 season in the bullpen before doing an offseason reset back to starting? Heck, I'd even volunteer to start the "Free Canterino" website! :P

Well, your wish has been granted: Brooks Lee is moving up to Saint Paul!

Didn't they trade Bell for a player that they're cutting? That was a pure salary dump. Gallo may have a better OPS right now, but it's been in free fall since the first month of the season; Bell has been at least consistent and might be effective as a platoon bat. I'm not going to pretend Bell has significant value, but he's still more likely to be consistently productive.

I'm not entirely sure what Eddie Rosario has to do with this conversation, but if he's coming in to the discussion let's get the facts right: Rosario made $7.75M in his last season with the Twins, was in line for a raise in arbitration (would have likely been in the $10M range) when the Twins non-tendered him. So it wasn't $7M. He then signed with Cleveland for $8M (which the Twins might have been willing to give him, but pride gets in the way of these things with players at times) and promptly was awful. Even with a hot streak with Atl to finish the season, it was still his worst season as a pro. Atl overreacted to him being good in the playoffs by giving him a multiyear deal, and since then he's been awful again, with a 2022 that made him one of the worse regulars in baseball and he's been a replacement-level player this season as well, while pulling in $9M. This FO has made a lot of mistakes, but moving on from Eddie Rosario is not one of them. I've been ready for them to move on from Kepler, but as frustrating as Kepler has been over the last 3 seasons (including this one) he's been better than Rosario in pretty much every way (while costing about $4M less).

The prospect is fine, just doesn't look like one who is ready to contribute today, which means they dumped one of their best pitchers, a player under team control for 2 more seasons after this one for a prospect that's not ready for prime time while in the middle of a division race, I get the argument that if you don't see yourself winning the title this year you should sell off assets to try and retool yourself into a title contender. I just think it's a deeply flawed argument, especially in baseball. the differences between the best teams in baseball and the ones in the middle often show the most strongly over the length of a season, not in a 5 or 7 game series, where all it might take for things to get flipped the other way is a reliever to implode out of nowhere or a couple of key bats going 0-10 at the wrong time while the other side plays its best baseball. but the second part of it is if you're retooling for 2024 or even 2025...why would you move on from a quality starting pitcher under team control for that period? If Cleveland is planning on competing in 2024, Civale could be a difference-maker. If they're not planning on competing until 2026 or later, why aren't you dealing Jose Ramirez as well, since he'll be on the down side of 30 with a lot of miles on him. I mean, his value's never been higher, right?

the most charitable thing you can say about the Cleveland moves is they're doing what Twins fans wish we would do with Gallo: make an underperforming player go away. Or making room for prospects to play. but it sure looks like surrender to me. Maybe Kyle Manzardo is ready to take MLB by storm...but I don't see it.

People are really all over the place on this trade deadline. You have people that wanted the Twins to punt on the whole season, functionally, by trading players like Gray & Maeda...with the team still in first place in the division. I'm sorry, I see selling off when you can win the division to be a betrayal of the fans and the franchise. By this kind of logic, if your team is flawed (but can still make the playoffs) you should sell. Improbable runs happen in the playoffs: short series, players get hot, someone implodes on the other team...anything can happen in the playoffs. I'm pretty sure KC wouldn't trade their most recent title to have prospects. Fans on this board (hell in this thread!) who wanted the Twins to add are also all over the place. The opinions run the gamut on what we should have added, ranging from getting star players to finding a RH corner OF to a new closer to set-up arms and more. Feels like people just wanted the team to do something anything because this team has been inconsistent and frustrating and there's this belief that adding players at the deadline (with the corollary that whomever you like least on the current roster would be made to go away in the swap it seems) would end the malaise. I don't know what the offers were really like out there, and neither does anyone else which makes this kind of speculation both fun and maddening. What were people talking about when asking about Wallner and Larnach (or Kepler/Kirilloff)? Were there reasonable RH corner OFs on offer or RH bullpen help, or was it A-ball lottery tickets? Were people demanding Royce Lewis? we don't really know what kind of offers were really out there to get MLB talent as it related to the Twins. (Keep in mind there's a real possibility that dealing with a team like the CWS might have had a premium on it if it was in play at all; some teams really don't want to deal within their division) There weren't a lot of impact bats traded by anyone; I guess it might have been worth it to try and out-bid the D-backs for Tommy Pham? how much do you want to pay for Teoscar Hernandez to take 45 ABs against LH pitchers for the rest of the season (you're not going to want him on the field against RHP) assuming he was actually available? I think the big moves that some people wanted would have stripped the system down to the studs and would have made the Mahle deal look cheap. I think a lot of smaller moves that would have shored up some weaknesses might not have been a) very impactful, and b) not the right fits. Right now, players like Larnach, Miranda, Kepler, and even Wallner and Polanco don't have the kind of value across the league we'd hope and want them to have. Sonny Gray would have brought back a lot of value but also would have potentially screwed the season (and we're likely to get draft pick compensation for him). Maeda would have brought back value as well, but again: might have screwed the season. Twins are a flawed and frustrating team...that's also in first place in their division. A chip, a chair, and a chance I say.

Would people feel better if they acquired Floro yesterday rather than a few days sooner? I mean, then they wouldn't have "done nothing" at the deadline. Would I have liked to have seen them pick up a RH corner OF and a veteran reliever? Sure. Would I have wanted Royce Lewis to have been sent out for a 1-year rental? Heck no. (There's also a real possibility that the teams selling off in our division either weren't interested in dealing with us or were going to charge an extra premium) Deadline day can result in a lot of bad choices or real desperation. Look at what happened with Houston, who reacquired Verlander: as seen elsewhere, they essentially gave up two real prospects and got half a season less to save a little money over 2 years when they wouldn't toss an extra $6M to bring him back in the offseason. If I'm a Cleveland fan, I'm pretty bitter about my ownership, because selling feels like throwing the towel in on a season where they could have stolen the division. In baseball, all you need is a chip a chair and a chance and the teams that are treating this like the NBA and acting like if you're not an obvious top 5 teams you should sell it off until you are are missing out on opportunities. Twins are still a flawed and frustrating team...but I'd still rather have that and a chance at the division and playoff baseball than giving up.

Nice to see Martin have a 2 hit night. Hopefully he's starting to get his groove back and he can start adding back in a little more pop, plus taking a few more walks. Happy to see him healthy and hopefully he finishes the season strong.

Nice to see Martin having a good night at the plate. Even better to just see him healthy again. Dude has had some tough luck but I believe in his talent. He's going to be off everyone's radar nationally, his prospect shine will have tarnished for most, but I still think he can be a really good player and I expect him to be contributing to the MLB club next season if healthy. Typical Emmanuel Rodriguez night at the plate last night: a walk, an extra-base hit, and 2 Ks. The Ks make me a little nervous, but he's still so talented and young that the future for him is exciting. (I'm sure people are calling about him. I'm sure the Twins are telling them to stop asking) Hard not to be impressed with Severino's season. setting a club record for HRs before August is an accomplishment. Not sure what his position is going to be in the end, but he's another guy that gives the team real depth coming up...or an asset to fix something.

It's important to realize that every team has these, though, if they've been around long enough. It stinks in the moment, and burns when someone really emerges 2-4 years later that you dealt, but pretty much every fandom has some of these stinkers that get brought up and usually start with, "Can you believe those idiots traded [X] for [Y]?!? Man, were we stupid!" The JJ Hardy stuff drove me batty at the time because it felt so clearly driven by Gardy (who obviously had a lot more say in the organization once Terry Ryan left and Bill Smith took over) and even if Hardy didn't have best season it felt like our manager was running another SS out of town just because he didn't like his style or something, and after having the corpse of Orlando Cabrera manning the spot it just felt wrong. And we spent years and year trying to find a quality SS after that.

A terrible defender for a washed up pitcher is what this deal looks like. Is Cleveland that desperate for innings?

well, one of the first comments on this topic (which is an interesting one) was to fire off a shot at the Pohlad family for being cheap, so...while you might not be taking the shot, one was still fired.

I'd be more concerned if the twins weren't spending to the pool line. I'm guessing some of this is about draft philosophy as well, where they're looking at it and thinking they're just as well off trying to mine the lower rounds of the draft for possible hits from smaller colleges that are likely to sign than rolling the dice trying to entice high school prospects away from college with a big bonus, particularly when they can grab someone for the flat $150K and not have it charge against the cap the same way. It's also going to give them fewer moving parts in a draft signing process where they're trying to wing it with someone that may or may not sign at a bigger number and leave them either shooting over or under in a given year. I'm guessing that most of the team spending under the line is because they had X dollars allocated for a flier in the late rounds that they could sign...because it's not like you get to add daft picks after the fact if one doesn't sign 9at least not until next draft). Overall the Twins seem to manage their draft pretty well and they spend the whole thing. They also give the $150K signing bonuses to late rounders that's way over "slot" all the time, so while that's not counting against the pool, it's still money they're spending. (seeing as how the usual "cheap Pohlads" complaint has already come up)

yeah, the last month has not been good for him, but he's a reliever, so one month doesn't necessarily mean much. but it could mean that there's now enough film on him with his new approach that people are finding some holes to exploit. If he falls apart again, then the Lopez trade is back to being basically Povich for Lopez.

100%. Last year at this time, Jose Miranda was destroying MLB pitching, having come off an excellent June and an even better July. He looked like a core player for the future and was starting every day and deserving it. It's only 20/20 hindsight that says "we should dealt Miranda and Gordon" last season. (Nick was also coming off very good months in June and July at the deadline last season and was one of the few guys who could stay healthy...) Cano was also brutal last year in Balto. He completely retooled his game this season and anyone who says they saw his success coming in this fashion is just lying.

Right now I see Miranda starting the season in AAA trying to rebuild his value to the team and on the trade market..

How is it biting us, though? He's basically unplayable for us right now, so either we carry a pitcher on the roster we can't use (unless they let us DL him again?) in order to hope that he can get right for next season and commit to him for another $5M or we move on with a pitcher who is likely to be better this season. there's essentially no long term harm, only the opportunity cost of him maybe regaining his half-season all-star form next season before becoming a free agent.

Cano is an all-star now...he was a fringe player when traded and as bad as Lopez was for the Twins last season, Cano was worse in Baltimore. Check the stats: Cano was awful. he completely changed who he was as a pitcher, and you simply can't assume that he would have done that here. Sometimes the player can't or won't change who they are until they get dealt and find themselves in a las chance situation. And let's not pretend Povich is lighting it up. People around here liked him as a prospect, but he's still who he was: a fringe prospect who needs to develop better command or he's going to be trying to reinvent himself in the pen in 2 years. there was ONE other player from the Twins in the trade: a rookie ball lottery ticket who has only thrown 15 innings since being dealt. not that big of a bundle. It didn't work out, but we didn't damage the farm system in any significant way.

what difference does it make in the context of Jorge Lopez, though? For him we gave up Povich (who was in A-ball with control issues...and is now in AA with control issues), Cano (who was awful last year for the O's in AAA and MLB; he's been great this season after making a massive change to how he pitches and is 29), and Rojas (who has only thrown 15 innings in rookie ball). Right now Povich is going to need some serious work to be an MLB pitcher, because while he hunts Ks, he walks too many guys, is too hittable, and can't get through enough innings. Cano is the star of that trade, but sometimes players need to change teams before they're willing to make a major change in how they play. the trade didn't work out, mostly because Lopez struggled to while he was here...and a lot of that may have been because of his personal situation. But we didn't get destroyed, and anyone who walks in and says they knew Cano was going to do this at the time of the deal is flat-out lying. there's liuterally nothing in his career that suggests this is who he could be, because he had to make a radical change to get there, after nearly flunking out with a second organization. I like the trade we did here because we get a pitcher that can be used now and we were able to move on from a guy whom we simply couldn't trust in any kind of leverage situation. one of my biggest concerns about this FO isn't about the trades they make or who they sign, it's whether or not they stick with a guy too long and get trapped in the sunk cost fallacy. (they ain't alone on this one in MLB, but it's still an issue) I'm glad they didn't keep trying to "fix" Jorge Lopez, and in this deal they got someone who they should be able to use now, and found a place for a player who seems like a good guy that will help him out in life. I approve of both the humanity of this action and the baseball move.

I realize the Lopez deal and the Mahle deal were made at the same trade deadline last season, but they really have nothing to do with each other. Maybe leave the Mahle trade out of this? The Lopez deal didn't work, but a lot of it seems to be for reasons unrelated to talent. Dude is going through something you don't wish on anyone, and while some people can leave it aside when they go to work or even find solace in being able to focus on something else...Lopez doesn't seem to be that guy. That's how it goes, and there's no way to know it until you live it. (and it's not like Povich is looking great, and cano stunk last year before figuring it out at...28?) There seems to be some good humanity behind this deal as well as some good baseball reasons in it. Sounds like both pitchers needed a new environment, and this deal could end up being a win for everyone. That's nice. Floro should slot in nicely in the bullpen to pitch in the 6th and 7th innings with Pagan (who has been reasonable this year) and if Stewart and Thielbar can get back healthy to where they were...suddenly the bullpen doesn't look bad at all.