Blyleven2011

My thoughts exactly  after some of  the prospects got traded at last year's deadline  ...
Let the good times roll in this tears draft , let's get a great pitcher if it's available  ...

When you give up 2 players for 1 in the hopes of the 1 player helping you into the playoffs and he fails, then the trade is a fail. That was the main purpose of the trade and it didn't happen. Could it be the Twins FO just isn't very good at evaluating talent or maybe even more disturbing, is the coaches aren't very good at getting the players to perform at a high level when they have that talent. 

When the big club's got you down after a tough loss, it's always good to look to the future.
With all the recent graduations and more coming this year, this list I looking a little thinner to me. That makes our sweet top five draft status and potential compensation picks all the more important . This front office has a prime opportunity for a huge reload. 

Thank you Roger for stating this. I've been lambasted for suggesting Lewis not to play especially in the OF. Lewis will play anywhere you put him. I'm glad he has an agent who is smart enough to advise the Twins on where they should play him because the Twins will play him anywhere they feel like. I'd like to see that agent statement.
I like to see Brook Lee at 3B  because quickness & sure glove long term & Lewis at 2B because of his range. If Correa gets moved off SS he'd move to 3B because of his arm.

It looks like the young guys can be mixed and matched in the infield and outfield as the team decides based on their performance.  This provides great flexibility.  The one I can identify with most is Correa to 3B at some point.  He has the arm strength and accuracy to add extra outs to that position and it'd be a total waste to put that arm anywhere other than 3B once his SS days are done.

When Lewis finishes his 20 day rehab he is going to be activated and will play.  Kid is special, he won’t be sitting on the bench.
For those of you who missed it, his agent made an interesting comment last week.  He said he hoped the Twins would limit his play to short and third.  He went on to list several reasons it would be risky to play him in the outfield.  I don’t remember them, but they made a ton of sense.  You can bet the Twins have been made aware of this and he won’t be playing other positions.  At least this year.
 

The good ...
Sonny Gray has been a good trade but gave up chase petty , Lopez  has been  okay but recently has lost his pin point control  from his first five starts and cost us ( major leaguer  ) arreaz a hitting machine ...
The bad however you look at it , acquired for post season  run ...
Dyson the vacuum cleaner totally sucked  in 2019 as he experienced  injury right from the get go and cost the twins 3 fringe prospects at the deadline  ...
Mahle  had injury concerns and we traded at deadline for him , he pitched a few good starts and became injured again , this season he's back and had some starts ( 5 ) with alittle success  but lost to TJ surgery  and the cost was Steer ( playing in majors with Cincinnati  ) , Encarnacion-Strand  a good looking hitter in minors and hajjar a left handed pitcher ...
More bad , acquired during off season  ...
Maeda was another injury risk and the cost was graterol ... we got a short season of good pitching from maeda in 2020 , 2021 we got ( 21 ) starts that turned out to be mediocre pitching before his TJ surgery  ...
Paddock was injury prone and we traded Roger's and Rooker and got Paddock and Pagan  in return , Paddock pitched decently to start the 2022 season but fell to his second  TJ  surgery  , pagan was a disaster in his first season with the twins and nobody  ( twins fans ) wanted him back for 2023 ...
The cost or risk however you look at it was significant , have any of the trades helped the twins , the jury is still out on some but closed on others  ...
The question is  , is the FO  the smartest people in the room  ...

This makes a whole lot of sense  , I hope Lewis stays healthy and plays well in st Paul  and forces them ( FO ) to activate him may 1st ...

When Lewis is ready, one of Solano, Castro or Gordon should go. I’d DFA Solano at that point, but I think there’s an open roster spot and Castro has an option.
I wouldn’t DFA any of those 3 until I had to. Injuries happen.

Pagan , is he still on the roster  !!!
Pagan  can't throw strikes and when he does it is a disaster  , no way should he be anywhere but at the bottom of the list or thank him for his service and don't let the door hit him on the way out  ...

Definitely a Heartbreaker , this was a winnable series and we botched it ...
I believe ,  but am always disappointed  , the strategy never changes ...
Who is accountable  , the players , the hitting coach or the players manager or the plan of the FO  ...

It seems like our relievers lack confidence in big time situations.  Lopez walking in the winning run, Pagan walking guys when put in high leverage situations.  It is like he is ready to crap his pants when in a tough situation.  The whole pen has been walking too many guys this year and it has hurt them in the end.  Jax is walking too many guys.  Moran is walking too many guys.  Trust your stuff guys.  Either you have it or you don't at least make them earn their way on.
The thing I really don't like about Pagan is his penchant for giving up the long ball after uncompetively walking guys. He comes out and can't throw strikes?  I mean doesn't he work on that on a daily basis?  Hard for me to see him as a pro some games especially in high leverage.  
Having said all that who do we really have other than wasting Headrick as a reliever that will be much better than Pagan? Winder was brutal when up. Henriquez isn't ready. I don't trust Schulfer. I don't like Sands and we have suffered with him already.  Dobnak wouldn't be any better.  Balazovich isn't ready as he was a head case just last year and can have control issues as well.  There just isn't anything much better than Pagan at the moment that I can see.  
Pagan has been fine in most low leverage opportunities this year I think the lesson learned is do not at all costs put him in high leverage situations he mentally just can't handle it.

The other elephant in the room is Rocco and his use of the bullpen... he is the other one that needs to go.
He is just not a good manager.. period.

I agree that the other big issue in yesterday's game was the bases loaded no one out situation in which we didn't score again. But that shouldn't overshadow another pathetic performance by Pagan.  He has literally cost the team 12 games over the past two years.  Pagan must be DFA'd if the Twins are to be considered serious contenders.  Also IMO Baldelli should be next.  Like yesterday he consistently gets outmanaged.

Yes it was obviously the wrong strategy.  Rocco continues to show how not to handle a bullpen.  Pagan is not a m never has been the guy to use in High pressure situations.  He should not even be on the roster in my opinion.  If Pagan represents the best option we have in the bullpen we are in a world of hurt.  The FO inability/ unwillingness to upgrade the bullpen is really showing.

Fascinating story line.  I wrote so much about Pagan and how awful he is last year so I have used up all my printable comments for him.
Baldelli sticks with the script and Pagan was the worst choice there after DeLeon and Moran did their jobs.  With a day off and the opponent being the Dodgers - go with your best.
I am so baffled by the loaded bases ineptitude.  That is a stat that should not happen.  Just by accident we should score once. 
Please put Polanco on 10 day - don't keep him on the active roster because he might be okay in 9 days.
Poor Gordon, what a set back. 

A new manager.

My amateur opinion is that we need better "man management." Rocco is supposed to be a good "players' manager," but the sense I have of his style is that he never pushes them or makes demands. That's good when it works, but sometimes the "Oh, well. You did your best," approach leaves a lot on the table. 
I doubt that Tom Kelly ever hesitated to call his players out when they underperformed. Some players need that. The Twins' stars seem too complacent. Maybe Rocco gives them hell sometimes, but you never hear about it or see it in his interviews.
 

I’ve had it with this FO and the bullpen.  Just awful.

It's a clean sweep in yesterday's games  as the twins also won against the dodgers  ...
It was a good day ...

It's a clean sweep in yesterday's games  as the twins also won against the dodgers  ...
It was a good day ...

The good ...
Sonny Gray has been a good trade but gave up chase petty , Lopez  has been  okay but recently has lost his pin point control  from his first five starts and cost us ( major leaguer  ) arreaz a hitting machine ...
The bad however you look at it , acquired for post season  run ...
Dyson the vacuum cleaner totally sucked  in 2019 as he experienced  injury right from the get go and cost the twins 3 fringe prospects at the deadline  ...
Mahle  had injury concerns and we traded at deadline for him , he pitched a few good starts and became injured again , this season he's back and had some starts ( 5 ) with alittle success  but lost to TJ surgery  and the cost was Steer ( playing in majors with Cincinnati  ) , Encarnacion-Strand  a good looking hitter in minors and hajjar a left handed pitcher ...
More bad , acquired during off season  ...
Maeda was another injury risk and the cost was graterol ... we got a short season of good pitching from maeda in 2020 , 2021 we got ( 21 ) starts that turned out to be mediocre pitching before his TJ surgery  ...
Paddock was injury prone and we traded Roger's and Rooker and got Paddock and Pagan  in return , Paddock pitched decently to start the 2022 season but fell to his second  TJ  surgery  , pagan was a disaster in his first season with the twins and nobody  ( twins fans ) wanted him back for 2023 ...
The cost or risk however you look at it was significant , have any of the trades helped the twins , the jury is still out on some but closed on others  ...
The question is  , is the FO  the smartest people in the room  ...

Jax is being over used by the manager pitching consective days  and 4 days a week might be alittle to much and is contributing to his ineffectiveness to throw strikes ...
No real comment on the mahle trade other then the FO thinks they are the smartest people in the room , 4 bad trades for injured or chance of injured players , Dyson  , Maeda , Paddock and now Mahle ...

This team so far has great starting pitchers, the lineup, although totally dependent on the long ball, should be adequate, but the pen has me worried. Lopez and Duran are quality pitchers, but Griffith is looking shaky. Nice find with Stewart, but after that is a big day to day question. If I was the GM I would be looking for a couple of reliable 2 inning relievers and this team could be a serious contender IMHO!

I was in favor with the Arraez trade, but it definitely left a hole at the top of the order. Kepler leading off is not the answer. I would say Taylor against lefties, makes contact and could steal a base... if they were a team that utilized that option. Buxton has led off before, although not my favorite option. Polanco against RHP?  Do something. 
I think you have to move Correa down...  until he hopefully turns it around. Polanco moving to second when not leading off,  Buxton than Kirloff? What is currently being run out on a nightly basis isn't working. They are making mediocre to bad pitcher look like aces.... on a nightly basis.