Nick Nelson

The rebuild of Minnesota's front office started in autumn of 2016, with the hirings of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine at the top. It progressively continued after that, with additions and swaps throughout the regime, and nearly two years later the Twins have a very different look. The end goal of this overhaul was clear: Bring in new ideas, fresh thinking, modernized evaluation. The Twins wanted – and needed – to reach the sophisticated level of fellow small/mid-market franchises like Tampa and Oakland, which manage to overcome their inherent restrictions and succeed beyond expectation. Yet here in 2018, with their new baseball operations department settled in, the Twins still find themselves lagging behind. What gives?No one made much of the Rays or Athletics this spring – ostensible rebuilders in extremely tough divisions. As we enter mid-September, though, Oakland is nipping at Houston's heels in the AL West, while Tampa remains relevant in the wild-card standings, 14 games above .500. Meanwhile, the Twins are hopelessly out of contention, potentially headed toward another 90-loss finish. Despite being tailored largely to the new front office's specifications, this team never really mustered a threat in an historically bad division. Highly favorable circumstances and a record payroll couldn't save Minnesota from almost front-to-back irrelevance. Once again, we Twins fans are left to look longingly at the Tampas and Oaklands of the world, and wonder why their success continues to elude us. It's not like those teams have been without setbacks. The Rays lost top prospect Brent Honeywell, verging on MLB-readiness, to Tommy John surgery in spring training. Jose De Leon, too. The A's rotation has gone through the wringer this year – they're rattling off wins these days behind a patchwork group that includes a resurrected Edwin Jackson. These scrappy, savvily constructed teams are simply rolling with the punches, getting it done, hitting all the notes Minnesota seems to miss. The Twins are trying their best to imitate some of the rising trends being championed by these innovative franchises. We've seen them follow in Tampa's footstops with the "Opener" strategy a few times, albeit with dismal results. A noted pitching guru, Falvey has implemented new methods and helped lift Minnesota's strikeout proficiency from the deepest dregs, but the overall results have been customarily mediocre. Like the A's, we've seen the Twins eagerly embrace the launch angle revolution – they hit the second-highest fly ball percentage of any team in baseball behind Oakland – but like its pitching staff, Minnesota's offense has been lackluster, paling in comparison to the contending units they are supposed to be challenging. The inferiority of this club was thoroughly evident last week when they were dismantled by the Astros. The same has been true frequently when Minnesota has faced off against top-tier teams. Diagnosing the Problem In general, I think it's tough to knock the strategies deployed by Falvey and Levine since taking over the Twins. They've been opportunistic with player acquisition, making a number of smart future-focused additions, and they've undeniably killed it with both their first two drafts. The new top execs have also populated the ranks of Minnesota's front office with plenty of sharp, respected pros. But something isn't clicking. Why does Ryan Pressly only fully unleash his curveball and reach his potential upon departing Minnesota for Houston? Why do Twins pitchers and hitters continue to struggle with adjustments, experiencing endemic regressions? Why are this team's weaknesses being exploited so much more often than the reverse? There are several theories. One is that the shift to an analytical focus has been too extreme. Terry Ryan was the ultimate people person, and that has underlying value. Falvey and Levine are friendly and engaging guys, to be sure, but their style of management could only be described as cold and calculated. They shuttle players in and out from the minors with total abandon. They took Kyle Gibson to arbitration – a step the Twins haven't taken with a player in more than a decade – in their first full offseason at the helm, almost as if to make a statement. And most strikingly, they left Byron Buxton off the September roster, in a move transparently motivated by service time preservation. These intangible, relationship-based factors are almost impossible to analyze, but it's foolish to ignore them. The 2018 Twins felt in many ways like a mercenary gang – heavy on one-year contracts, light on long-term commitments – and the Buxton decision seems to epitomize this "all business" mindset. The human element does matter. TR's teams in the early 2000s were consistently greater than the sum of their parts. This year's club never seemed to gel. Maybe there's a disconnect somewhere. As much as Falvey talks about fostering a collaborative culture, he has radically shaken up a firmly entrenched organizational structure. He is also channeling his agenda into the clubhouse through a manager he inherited, and whose merits have hardly been proven on the field. All the data and analytics and research in the world don't matter if they aren't fully absorbed and applied. I thought this tweet from Parker last week framed it pretty well: This all brings us to what is in my mind the most likely, and least concerning, scenario: it's all still coalescing. October 3rd will mark the two-year anniversary of Falvey's hiring. And his ranks as a lengthy tenure in a franchise that's seen unprecedented churn. I believe in him, and Levine, and what they're building. I do believe that the first two problem areas discussed here – misalignments at both the human and organizational levels – have substance, and need improvement. But I also think both are natural byproducts of the circumstances before us: a cerebral 35-year-old thrust to the top of a major-league baseball franchise for the first time, with a second-year GM still acclimating to the head role. Some might disagree, and I'd be curious to hear your thoughts in the comments, but from my view, the front office shortcomings of 2018 can be chalked up mostly to growing pains. As we head into Year 3, it's time to regroup, look inward, and get these issues ironed out. A critical offseason lies ahead. Click here to view the article

Especially when that complaint is basically "they traded all our good players, what are we supposed to do?" I'm sure that's a nice thing for the folks seated around him in the clubhouse to hear.

I think that speaks more to the current competitive balance of the league than to the length of the schedule. September is great when multiple teams are tightly battling for postseason positioning. This year's race has featured almost no drama, as playoff teams have mostly been established from start to finish. Zzzzzzzz....

He was good last year, before this injury. I'm not sure what reason we have to be confident that'll still be true next year. He'll be 36 and coming off a very problematic injury that cost him an entire season.

No Byron Buxton. No Fernando Romero. Robbie Grossman and Logan Forsythe batting cleanup. Chris Gimenez starting at first base. Negative vibes surrounding a front office that may have taken a costly misstep with arguably its most critical asset. The Twins aren't really giving fans a lot of reason to be excited or invested as this season winds down, so if you've mostly tuned out, I can't blame you. But there are still important developments taking place, and you'll find them all covered below the fold. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 9/3 through Sun, 9/9 *** Record Last Week: 2-4 (Overall: 65-77) Run Differential Last Week: -11 (Overall: -70) Standing: 2nd Place in AL Central (15.5 GB) HIGHLIGHTS Although it started on a rough note with a costly error, his fourth in a five-game span, Jorge Polanco did end up having a pretty nice week. He collected hits in five of six games while striking out only twice. The shortstop continues to be one of Minnesota's most consistent offensive performers, earning his regular nods in the second, third and fourth spots in the order. While it's a bit disenchanting to see him batting cleanup, as he did Sunday, Grossman is quietly enjoying a solid late-season run. His eye at the plate has been immaculate of late; last week he drew six walks with no strikeouts, registering a .478 on-base percentage over six games. Since returning from a hamstring injury in mid-August, Grossman is slashing .306/.433/.388 in 17 contests. His production hasn't been all that meaningful for the irrelevant Twins, but the 28-year-old is importantly building his own personal stock for a likely date with the open market this offseason. On Tuesday, Kohl Stewart enjoyed his finest outing as a big-leaguer. Having failed to get through five innings in any of his four August starts, the rookie crossed that threshold by delivering five scoreless frames after following up Trevor May's clunky effort as the "opener" in the first. It still wasn't the most impressive showing for Stewart, who induced only four swinging strikes on 73 pitches and relied on some luck, but he got it done. Making his Twins debut on Sunday, Chase De Jong (acquired via the Zach Duke trade) turned in a fine effort, holding the Royals scoreless on one hit over four frames, with five strikeouts. The 23-year-old showed some decent stuff, though he also struggled with control in issuing four walks. De Jong joins Stewart and others as fringey 40-man roster holds during the offseason, so these late impressions do matter. Speaking of making impressions, how about Willians Astudillo?! The lovable 26-year-old is not getting many chances, but he's certainly making the most of them. He entered Wednesday's game and homered before being pulled for Mauer in the seventh. On Sunday he started again, and went 2-for-4 with a walk-off two-run blast in the ninth. It seems evident, based on their sparing usage of him, that the Twins don't see Astudillo as part of their future plans. I guess he is sort of an odd fit despite his unique talents. But I'll miss watching that dude play. LOWLIGHTS It's just not clicking for Stephen Gonsalves. Making his fourth MLB start on Friday against the Royals, the lefty was pulled after just 2 1/3 innings, having coughed up five runs on five hits and three walks, with just one strikeout. This marked the third time in four starts Gonsalves has failed to complete even four frames. His overall MLB numbers are nothing short of brutal: 11.68 ERA, 6-to-13 K/BB ratio, 6% swinging strike rate, and opponents slashing .414/.528/.621. The Twins might as well keep running him out every fifth day in the final weeks, but the 24-year-old's performance is serving to validate widespread doubt that suppressed his national prospect rankings despite amazing minor-league stats. The stuff is hittable and the command flashes too inconsistently. Gonsalves' long limbs and quirky delivery aren't doing nearly enough to cover up these vital flaws. Tyler Austin has cooled off considerably following his torrid start as a Twin. After going 1-for-10 with five strikeouts against the Astros, he missed the Royals series with a stiff back. Austin is hitting just .107/.219/.214 since his two-homer outburst against Oakland, and maybe the ailing back has something to do with it. Or maybe it's just his sky-high K-rate catching up to him. The guy ahead of Austin in line at first hasn't been much better of late. Joe Mauer is dragging toward the finish line in what might be his final season. Last week he went 2-for-18 with a walk and two singles, and he now finds his OPS sliding toward the 600s. The Twins need to be making other plans at first base for next year, awkward as it may feel. We've already seen the last of another veteran staple on his way out. Ervin Santana won't pitch again this season after receiving PRP treatment in a finger that continues to give him trouble. The Twins will surely decline his $14 million option for 2019, and Santana may in fact struggle to land a major-league deal this offseason. Staying in the Dept. of Lingering Injury Concerns: If there was any question that Miguel Sano's surgically repaired leg was going to be an ongoing problem, we may have gotten our answer Wednesday. On a poorly executed – yet seemingly innocuous – slide into second base, Sano wound up writhing in pain on the ground, grabbing that left leg, before being carted off the field. Thankfully, he was diagnosed with only a contusion and not something more serious. But the incident served as a sobering reminder of the lasting ramifications a serious injury and surgery can carry. Given that Sano was scuffling badly at the plate before getting hurt (.087 average in his past 14 games), the Twins might be best off shutting him down regardless. TRENDING STORYLINE At this point, Minnesota's primary concern is protecting its key assets, and sending players into the offseason healthy. That's why they shut down Romero and it's (ostensibly) part of why they shut down Buxton. With this in mind, how much do they push it with Gonsalves, who's working some high-stress innings here in September after logging 120 in the minors? Or Jose Berrios, who's approaching a career-high workload? Or any number of relievers who've gone through long seasons of heavy usage, and could plainly benefit more from resting their arms than throwing meaningless innings? DOWN ON THE FARM While the Twins won't be in the playoffs, followers of the organization's minor-league system are being treated to plenty of thrilling postseason action. The Fort Myers Miracle (High-A), Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low-A) and Elizabethton Twins (Advanced Rookie) have all been making their runs, powered by premium prospects. Alex Kirilloff has been absolutely sensational. He tallied two hits, including a homer, in the Miracle's Game 1 win on Tuesday, then added five knocks in a Game 2 victory, which propelled Fort Myers to the Florida State League Championship. In that best-of-five series, Fort Myers jumped to a 2-1 lead over the weekend, with Royce Lewis launching three home runs. In the Midwest League, Cedar Rapids made quick work of Beloit in the first round, with Ryan Jeffers' two home runs helping lift them in Game 1, before falling to Peoria in the finals over the weekend. Blayne Enlow gave up five runs over three innings in Sunday's elimination game. Meanwhile, Elizabethton swept its best-of-three series against Princeton to repeat as Appalachian League champs. Plenty of good young talent on that roster to monitor going forward, especially uber-talented infielder Yunior Severino. LOOKING AHEAD The Yankees come to town for what figures to be a lopsided affair, and then Minnesota heads to KC for four more games against the Royals. Only three weeks left to go. MONDAY, 9/10: YANKEES @ TWINS – LHP J.A. Happ v. RHP Kyle Gibson TUESDAY, 9/11: YANKEES @ TWINS – RHP Luis Severino v. RHP Kohl Stewart WEDNESDAY, 9/12: YANKEES @ TWINS – RHP Masahiro Tanaka v. RHP Jake Odorizzi THURSDAY, 9/13: TWINS @ ROYALS – LHP Stephen Gonsalves v. RHP Jorge Lopez FRIDAY, 9/14: TWINS @ ROYALS – RHP Jose Berrios v. RHP Ian Kennedy SATURDAY, 9/15: TWINS @ ROYALS – RHP Zack Littell v. RHP Jakob Junis SUNDAY, 9/16: TWINS @ ROYALS – RHP Kyle Gibson v. RHP Brad Keller Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 136 | HOU 4, MIN 1: Astros Take Advantage of Pivotal Polanco ErrorGame 137 | HOU 5, MIN 2: Rough Opener, Strong Stewart HomecomingGame 138 | HOU 9, Twins 1: The Astros Are Really Good At BaseballGame 139 | MIN 10, KC 6: It’s a Lot Easier to Beat Bad TeamsGame 140 | KC 4, MIN 1: Good, Great, GRAND, WONDERFUL!Game 141 | MIN 3, KC 1: Walk-Off Willians Click here to view the article

Question for the pro "call up Buxton" crowd: What happens if he comes up and hits terribly in September? Frankly, that's a pretty likely scenario in my mind. It's nice that he's crushing Triple-A pitching (as a 24-year-old) while swinging at everything but there is little evidence that approach is gonna work for him in the majors. If this happens, how could we look back at the decision as anything more than an epic blunder, giving up a year of control so he could come back and struggle for like 40-50 PAs? Personally, I think the work he puts in during the offseason far outweighs whatever value he'll get from starting sporadically for three weeks in September. And I'd just as soon let him get started early on that.

In a vacuum, sure, moving Sano from 3B to 1B makes him a less valuable player. But for the Twins, I'm not sure that's true. Does anyone really think this team is better off in 2019 with Sano at 3B and Mauer at 1B than with, say, Escobar at 3B and Sano at 1B? The defensive upgrade at third is far more impactful than the downgrade at first. (And I happen to think Miggy can be a fine 1B once he gets acclimated.) Esco is pretty clearly a better hitter than Mauer at this point and he's 5 years younger.

It's still not moot. Having control over Buxton for that extra season gives the Twins much more leverage in extension talks.

Joe Mauer is the best player in modern (post-2000) Twins history. Byron Buxton could be in line to succeed him as face of the franchise. These are very important players, not to mention very likable players. So it creates an awkward situation when their own best interests conflict with those of the Twins. But the team must come before the player. And that's why it should not be a given that Mauer returns in 2019, nor that Buxton returns in September.Let's start with Joe Mauer. Mauer has been climbing toward the top of franchise record books this season. Most recently, he became the third Twin ever to reach 1,000 runs scored, days after passing Rod Carew for second on the all-time hits list. As the 35-year-old checks off these estimable accomplishments, it's easy to get caught up in the nostalgia of his former greatness. But the truth is that Mauer hasn't been a great player in five years. The closest he came was last year – a genuinely solid season – but in 2018 he has returned to the same mediocre rate of production that's been customary since his move to first base. Watching him play, one can't be blamed for exaggerating Mauer's impact. He has legitimately been one of the best clutch performers in baseball this year. Almost every hit he collects these days seems to knock out another milestone. Plus, there's the exemplary plate approach, and the sterling defense. But from an objective standpoint, Mauer just hasn't been much of a difference-maker. At all. Both Fangraphs and Baseball Reference have him pegged at less than one win above replacement level. His .729 OPS ranks 111th in the majors. His raw strength, never a true asset, is clearly diminishing – Mauer has gone long stretches of this season with absolutely no power output. His middling walk rate doesn't make up for the lack of bat. Other than wishful thinking, I'm not sure what'd make anyone expect this to change for the better in 2019. Realistically it seems far more likely he'll lose a little more bat speed, and a little more reaction time. Mauer is not a net negative to the team right now but he isn't far off, and there will be ample opportunity to find a significant upgrade during the offseason. Yet, so many people are deferring to Mauer completely on this decision. I've seen it from fans and media. I've seen it (more understandably) from coaches and teammates. If Joe wants to come back, and will accept a reasonable contract, he's back – so goes the prevailing wisdom. Conspicuously, it's not a stance that has been openly taken by Derek Falvey or Thad Levine. Personally, if he'll come back on a low-cost one-year deal, and is open to a more limited role, I'm not opposed to Mauer coming back. But his well-earned status shouldn't dictate the club's path. Why do so many otherwise logical folks feel it should? Now, as for Byron Buxton. I laid out my feelings regarding the Buxton situation two weeks ago when he came off the disabled list at Triple A. But he became a topic of discussion again on Wednesday night when Paul Molitor stated that a decision hasn't yet been made regarding his fate for September. My thought when he was activated was that Buxton should be able to earn his way back up. Has he? Well, he's been hitting for a ton of power at Rochester, with nine extra-base hits and a .659 in 10 games. It's absolutely been his best burst of offense all year. But he also has drawn one walk in 46 plate appearances, with 10 strikeouts. And when talking to reporters, Molitor notably pointed out that Buxton's been "pulling the ball at a high rate." That hasn't always been a great indicator for him in the past. Buck's results are obviously back where the Twins want them; one wonders about the process. Again, it can't be overstated how valuable that extra year of service time will be in 2022, when Buxton is 28 (for relevant perspective, Aaron Hicks is 28 now). Whether the front office is running out the string on his service clock, or engaging in extension negotiations, or discussing trades with another team – from any perspective, it's just really key. So I can see why this is a much trickier equation than some make it out to be. Especially when you consider the inherent questions around Buxton's health (which would seemingly benefit from an extra month's rest tacked onto his offseason), and the lack of available playing time in the Twins outfield. When asked, Falvey said they're not factoring Buxton's team control into their thinking (what else are ya gonna say), but the truth is that even negating that, there's still a case for holding off – albeit a slightly weaker one if his average is still close to .400 in a week. I'm happy not to be the one making the call. The fan in me wants to see Buxton in September and Mauer in 2019. But the more analytical side, thinking strategically and strictly for the good of the team, feels more conflicted – especially with regard to Mauer. When Falvey and Levine were brought aboard, the hope among so many of us was that they'd be guided less by sentimentality, and more by data, logic, shrewd reason. Because of this, I'm a little surprised by the unpopularity of either scenario – opting to part ways with Mauer this offseason, or leave Buxton out this September – even among people I almost always find myself in agreement with. ... Awkward. Click here to view the article

A momentous milestone stood out as the biggest highlight in an otherwise lackluster week for the Minnesota Twins. Read on for the full rundown of everything you need to know from the past seven days. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 8/20 through Sun, 8/26 *** Record Last Week: 2-5 (Overall: 61-69) Run Differential Last Week: -16 (Overall: -37) Standing: 2nd Place in AL Central (13.0 GB) HIGHLIGHTS On Friday night, Joe Mauer notched his 2,086th career hit, surpassing Rod Carew for second place in Twins history. On that list, Mauer now trails only Kirby Puckett (2,304). He probably won't catch Puck but Mauer has admirably carved out a place in franchise lore. All-around, Mauer had an okay week by his current standards, collecting seven hits in 26 at-bats (.269) but it sort of epitomized his greatly reduced offensive impact. All seven hits were singles and he drew two walks, so the end result was a .590 OPS with one run scored and one driven in. On the same night Mauer made history, Jake Odorizzi ended his own (less favorable) run at the record books. Prior to completing seven innings against Oakland, Odorizzi had gone 30 consecutive starts without recording an out past the sixth, the sixth-longest streak ever. It was a very strong performance from the righty (7 IP, 1 ER), and a high point in what's been an up-and-down season. The aforementioned streak speaks to Odorizzi's lack of length – he's completed six innings only eight times in 27 starts this year – but altogether he's been about exactly what the Twins should have expected: an average starter and respectable back-end piece in the rotation. His ERA+ of 100 is nearly identical to last year's 101 and his career mark of 103. Some other good news: Tyler Austin just keeps mashing. The slugger launched three more home runs over the weekend, including two on Sunday (Minnesota's only offense in a 6-2 loss) and is now rocking a jaw-dropping .333/.370/.786 since coming over from New York at the deadline, with six home runs in 12 games. As I wrote last week, Austin is looking like a hell of a pickup by the front office, with a chance to play a key role in 2019. LOWLIGHTS The much-anticipated major-league debut of Stephen Gonsalves on Monday didn't exactly go as hoped. Facing the White Sox at Target Field, Gonsalves made it through one inning without much trouble but was ambushed in the second, allowing seven of eight hitters to reach base (triple, double, two singles, two walks, HBP) before getting the hook. His second turn on Saturday was an improvement, as he made it through five innings against Oakland, but he still wasn't sharp. He threw only 48 of 90 pitches for strikes, and while three of the four runs scored against him came on one swing of the bat, Gonsalves earned the poor results by allowing seven hits and four walks with just two strikeouts. Through two MLB starts, the left-hander has allowed as many earned runs (8) as in his last seven at Triple-A. It's a different ballgame up here, as Gonsalves is quickly learning. Hopefully the experience will ultimately benefit him. On Wednesday, Kyle Gibson failed to complete five innings for the first time since April, coughing up seven runs (four earned) in 4 2/3. He issued four walks, his highest total in two months. It wasn't pretty, but there's also not much reason for concern. Gibby did induce 14 swinging strikes (highest total in four August starts) and he had a 3.27 ERA over his previous five turns. Everyone has a hiccup here and there. The hiccups have been far too routine for Addison Reed, who continues to throw utterly hittable junk with the expected results. In three appearances last week he allowed three runs on six hits over four innings while striking out only one of the 18 batters he faced. On Friday night, the A's launched a pair of homers against him on meatballs left out over the plate. His once-powerful fastball has lost any semblance of effectiveness. This velocity chart via Brooks Baseball pretty much says it all: Download attachment: reedFBvelo.png With Jim Thome fittingly in attendance, Miguel Sano had a very loud hit on Saturday – the 13th-longest home run in Target Field history, per Twins communications boss Dustin Morse – but it was one of only two knocks for him in a week that saw his average sink to .212. It's now been almost a full month since Sano returned from his banishment to Single-A, and during that span he has hit .226/.305/.441 with a 33.3% K-rate. It's encouraging relative to what we saw early in the season, but still not entirely reaffirming. Sano would do much to bolster the team's 2019 outlook by putting together a convincingly excellent final month. TRENDING STORYLINE September call-ups are around the corner. With rosters expanding on Saturday, the Twins will have some important decisions to make regarding their team's makeup. (Though they may wait until minor-league seasons end a few days later to make the majority of decisions.) On the position player side, it's a fairly straightforward situation. The only big question is whether or not to recall Byron Buxton, though his improved play since returning to Rochester's lineup might be answering it – after collecting three hits on Sunday, Buxton's batting .333 with a .583 slugging percentage in eight games since his latest DL stint. If he does come back, it'll be interesting to see how much playing time Buxton can siphon away from Jake Cave, who's absolutely earned the right to keep seeing regular reps. The pitching side is more complicated. There are a lot of starters on the 40-man deserving of looks as potential 2019 contributors: Gonsalves (who should stay up), Fernando Romero, Zack Littell, Lewis Thorpe, maybe even Chase de Jong. It's a matter of finding innings for all of them, as there's not much point in calling anyone up to sit on the bench. As a possible solution, Paul Molitor has discussed a "piggybacking" approach, wherein multiple starting pitchers work in the same game (say, three or four innings apiece). This would make a lot of sense. But then there's the issue of a crowded bullpen picture. Desperately needing to evaluate options amidst an uncertain relief outlook, the Twins need to prioritize who they want to see. Sadly, there just won't be room for all of John Curtiss, Nick Anderson, Luke Bard and Jake Reed (the latter three would require 40-man roster moves). It's already been tough enough to find regular work for the bullpen's current occupants. We'll see how things play out next week. DOWN ON THE FARM On Sunday, Tyler Wells celebrated his 24th birthday. One day earlier, he'd turned in his fifth strong outing since being promoted to Class-AA Chattanooga, logging six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. So far for the Lookouts, Wells has a 1.67 ERA and .196 BAA, with just one home run allowed in 27 frames. The former 15th-round draft pick is firmly in the second tier of Twins pitching prospects, but Wells is not one to overlook. It's hard enough to do so given his towering 6'8" stature, but the results are also plenty eye-catching. In 114 innings between High-A and Double-A this season he has a 113-to-27 K/BB ratio and opponents are slashing just .192/.245/.286. Elsewhere: Jhoan Duran, acquired in the Eduardo Escobar trade, put together another dazzling performance at Cedar Rapids, where he's got a 2.25 ERA and 41-to-7 K/BB rate through 32 innings after fanning 10 over six scoreless frames on Friday. Another standout in the farm's second tier of pitching prospects. Also in Cedar Rapids, first-round draft pick Trevor Larnach had a monster week, flashing his big offensive potential by going 9-for-26 (.375) with two doubles and a homer. LOOKING AHEAD It's the Derek Falvey/Thad Levine reunion tour, as Minnesota travels to take on both of the top execs' former organizations. This road trip extends into the following week, when they'll visit Houston. The Twins will need to reverse their immense struggles away from home (22-40) to avoid pushing the modest goal of a .500 finish out of reach. TUESDAY, 8/28: TWINS @ INDIANS – RHP Kyle Gibson v. RHP Carlos Carrasco WEDNESDAY, 8/29: TWINS @ INDIANS – RHP Kohl Stewart v. RHP Adam Plutko THURSDAY, 8/30: TWINS @ INDIANS – RHP Jake Odorizzi v. RHP Mike Clevinger FRIDAY, 8/31: TWINS @ RANGERS – LHP Stephen Gonsalves v. LHP Mike Minor SATURDAY, 9/1: TWINS @ RANGERS – RHP Jose Berrios vs. RHP Drew Hutchison SUNDAY, 9/2: TWINS @ RANGERS – RHP Kyle Gibson v. LHP Martin Perez Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 123 | CHW 8, MIN 5: At Least That’s Out of the WayGame 124 | MIN 5, CHW 2: Wild Final Inning Puts Twins OverGame 125 | CHW 7, MIN 3: Sox Get to GibbyGame 126 | MIN 6, OAK 4: Twins Top Red-Hot A’sGame 127 | OAK 7, MIN 1: Puckett 2,304, Mauer 2,086, Carew 2,085Game 128 | OAK 6, MIN 2: Gonsalves Gets Burned on Mistake PitchGame 129 | OAK 6, MIN 2: Austin Goes Deep Twice in Loss Click here to view the article

Someone who covers the team recently proclaimed to me with 100% certainty that Mauer will be back. I just don't see it. Looking beyond his status and rep (which I believe this front office will do), there's too much evident decline in his hitting ability to give a multi-year deal at age 36. Outside of some brief flashes the guy has had almost ZERO power this year. I wouldn't have a problem offering like 1 year/7m but with $200m in career earnings, plus a newborn on the way in November and his twin girls starting school, is that really gonna be worthwhile for Joe?

Sure, I always thought discovering quality relievers off the scrap heap was a specialty of the last front office. But unless I'm mistaken, none of those players were acquired and auditioned in-season, which is what I like about the Drake move. They're taking advantage of readily available innings to test out an intriguing player against MLB competition. So far I like what I've seen.

One of the reasons these new executives were brought in was to provide a competitive edge by identifying and acquiring overlooked/underrated/inexpensive talent. This is a necessary ingredient in sustained winning for teams with finite budgets, and it was certainly a trademark of Cleveland while Falvey was there. So I'm not sure I understand why you feel the need to downplay it. Yes. I already said I was disappointed to see Chargois go. Do we have to dwell on his absence any time we evaluate a new reliever addition going forward? Also Chargois continues to show he can't stay healthy (which was presumably the Twins' rationale in letting him loose) so let's ease up on the sulking a bit.

He's also a rookie getting his first taste of the major leagues. I think we're betting on luck neutralizing while other factors improve, which would be pretty standard. With poor control, as a 20-year-old in rookie ball. He's got a big arm but you can't just hoard promising young throwers forever. Power. Neither Granite or Wade have much to speak of, and that can hinder a player's major-league viability. Also, it's not an either/or scenario. Nothing wrong with having both Cave and Wade in the system right now.

I'm just speaking to his general demeanor on the mound and after games with the press. No inside info or anything there. Can't say I've heard one good thing about his attitude here though. People seem way overly worked up about Rosario. Outside of the shiny ERA he hasn't been good for the Cubs this year. Rodriguez is a great story but does anyone really think he'd have even gotten a shot here? Chargois is the loss that bums me out, but it's not a given that he's gonna have more success than Drake going forward. I'm not sure why it's necessary to label these players "mediocrities," as all three have the potential to be more than that (and have been) but the key point here is that the Twins have found players to fill important areas of needed. They needed a 4th OF to replace Grossman. They needed a RH masher on the bench. And they need all the high-upside relievers they can get. Plenty of other teams have thought they could find something in Drake. The Twins were in a position where they could afford to give him a longer tryout and they should be commended for doing so. That's what you do in a year like this. I get why people are keeping expectations in check with Drake but guys like that -- with monster Triple-A numbers and a stupendous MLB strikeout rate -- aren't available everywhere, despite what some of the comments above might suggest. He has a 12.4% swinging strike rate in the majors and 12.5% this year, putting him in the same range as Busenitz and Hildy.

If the Minnesota Twins are going to return to contention, it'll be primarily on the strength of their nucleus, which needs to rebound after a down year in 2018. But getting over the top will require a full team effort. That means identifying the right complementary pieces. Finding quality supporting parts was a continual struggle as the Twins failed to push their last formidable core past the first round of the playoffs. But this reconfigured front office has managed to add a few potentially key assets on the sly. It could prove to be a major positive amidst an otherwise dreary campaign.Through two drafts and two deadlines worth of "sell" trades, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have netted a bounty of minor-league talent, supplementing the long-term pipeline. But the front office has also acquired more immediate help through low-key maneuvers While these players aren't going to be stars, they could all bring real value for essentially no acquisition cost. Let's take a look at three current contributors of modest origins who may factor for years to come. Jake Cave, OF: Acquired in March from NYY for RHP Luis Gil The Twins took notice of Cave while scouting the Yankees system during trade discussions at the 2017 deadline. They ended up getting back two pitchers for Jaime Garcia at that time, but later snagged Cave via trade this spring when he landed on waivers. Last summer, Cave was amidst a slugging breakout at Triple-A, hitting 15 home runs in 72 games after previously totaling 24 in 568 career contests. "He made some adjustments that we thought led to the power surge that he had, and we think those will continue going forward," said Falvey when the Twins acquired Cave in March. So far, that assessment has proven astute. The 25-year-old outfielder has launched a dozen home runs, which would've been a career-high before last year's 20. Six of those have come in the majors, including an absolutely majestic blast to straightaway center on Sunday that flashed his raw strength. Cave went to a part of Target Field only three have reached before: Jim Thome, Byungho Park, Miguel Sano. Through 164 plate appearances in the big leagues, Cave has tallied 17 extra-base hits with a .480 slugging percentage – awfully impressive for a guy who slugged .398 through four minor-league seasons prior to 2017. As a semi-random comparison, Michael Cuddyer slugged .399 with 14 extra-base hits through his first 164 plate appearances in the majors. The MLB sample size remains small, but Cave has looked very capable at the plate and he's also a strong runner – albeit not a burner – with the makings of an asset in the outfield. He's a bit stretched in center, and his rookie season has been marred by some painful defensive blunders, but that'll happen. Given what the Twins risked to get Cave – Luis Gil, a 20-year-old righty currently at rookie ball in the Yankees system, and Kennys Vargas, who was DFA'd to make room but ended up back here anyway – the move looks like a slam dunk. Cave probably won't be a full-time starter but he can be a valuable bench piece or platoon mate, and the Twins control him through age 30. Tyler Austin, 1B: Acquired in July from NYY along with RHP Luis Rijo for RHP Lance Lynn Last offseason, one of Minnesota's top needs was a right-handed masher for the bench, to complement a predominantly left-handed lineup. It went unaddressed, and still existed when the Twins were able to bring Austin aboard in the Lance Lynn trade. Scavenging 40-man casualties from one of baseball's best systems is a strategy that's now paid off in the form of multiple instantly productive power hitters. Austin was the odd bat out in a loaded mix for the Yankees, but offers a welcome infusion for Minnesota. Through eight games in the new uniform he already has three homers, a double, and six RBIs. With 298 plate appearances under his belt, Austin has a .487 slugging percentage in the majors, and a 1.075 OPS against left-handed pitching. He's solid at first, and can play the outfield corners in a pinch. In others words, he's pretty much exactly what this offense needed – a gem of a find. And all the Twins had to do was expend four months, several groans, and a few million bucks on a non-performing malcontent. Oliver Drake, RP: Acquired in August off waivers from TOR We're dealing with small samples in all cases here, and Drake's is tinier than either of the above. So the praise here needs to be qualified with that. However... he has looked really, really good. On Monday night, Drake ran his hitless streak as a Twin to 8 1/3 innings by tossing two perfect frames with four strikeouts. He has now averaged 10.1 K/9 rate as a big-leaguer – albeit with a 4.67 ERA and 1.48 WHIP – and his Triple-A numbers are immaculate: 1.80 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 12.7 K/9. Much like lefty bullpen counterpart Gabriel Moya, Drake plays up his unspectacular fastball with a quirky delivery and standout offspeed pitch that give hitters fits. The 31-year-old has pitched for a record five different MLB teams this season, which speaks to his perceived expendability, but in a way, it also speaks to the opposite. He's hardly entrenched already as a long-term bullpen cog, but Drake adds another very intriguing arm to the mix going forward. Like Cave and Austin, the Twins can control him very reasonably for a long time if they desire. These sort of pickups aren't necessarily the flashiest, but they're crafty, and each could pay immense dividends as affordable components alongside those central building blocks in the sustainable winner Falvey envisions. Click here to view the article

In what sense did the FO "botch" the offseason? They compelled ownership to boost payroll beyond its comfort zone. They paid little for Lynn or Duke and got prospects back for them at the deadline. Odorizzi trade was fine. Reed and Morrison have been busts but hard to anticipate that. Those moves certainly don't constrict them going forward to the extent a Darvish signing. Bottom line is that nothing they did would've offset the massive decline from the Twins' internal core. Last year the combo of Erv/Buxton/Dozier/Sano produced 13.7 WAR, this year they have produced 0.7. Not sure how you can hold management accountable for that.

The Minnesota Twins haven't been at .500 or above since April 22nd. Will they get back there before the season ends? They are running out of time with less than a quarter of the schedule remaining, but they made inroads with a strong week at Target Field that saw the Twins hit their stride – emphasis on hit. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 8/13 through Sun, 8/19 *** Record Last Week: 5-1 (Overall: 59-64) Run Differential Last Week: +12 (Overall: -21) Standing: 2nd Place in AL Central (12.0 GB) HIGHLIGHTS It's been awhile since we've had a noteworthy Joe Mauer highlight to celebrate, which speaks to his generally disappointing production this summer, but that didn't make last week's big moment feel any less special. Called upon as a pinch-hitter Friday night with the Twins trailing by a run in the seventh, Mauer got a hold of one and drove it over the wall in right-center, propelling Minnesota to victory. For all his shortcomings – among 23 qualified MLB first basemen, he ranks 18th in OPS – no one could accuse of Mauer of being unclutch: Even in his greatly diminished state, Mauer remains a genuinely trustworthy player in key spots. He's not the best hitter on the team but I'll still take him over anyone else with a crucial run 90 or 180 feet away. If this is the end of the road for him (more on that in a bit), that's definitely something I'll always remember about the latest stage of his career. Mauer added another home run in his first at-bat on Saturday, nearly matching his previous season total (3) in a week that saw him go 8-for-21 (.381) overall. Elsewhere: Although he has moved around in Paul Molitor's lineups a little, last week Jorge Polanco batted third in every game, and sure looked like a No. 3 hitter, driving in eight runs in six games. He flashed some nice pop with three doubles and a big home run. There were several other big contributors in an outstanding week for the offense, which produced 41 runs in six games. Miguel Sano sustained his invigorating re-emergence, launching three home runs and a double while driving in six. Logan Forsythe tallied five hits in Thursday's 15-run explosion and is batting .361 since joining the team at the end of July. Tyler Austin went 8-for-16 with two homers. Eddie Rosario collected hits in every game, and delivered the decisive dinger on Sunday afternoon. In the bullpen, Trevor Hildenberger rebounded from a run of bad outings, converting all three save chances in his first full week as closer. But it's Taylor Rogers who now stands out as the leader and stalwart of this bullpen. He's been pretty much spotless in August, and kept it rolling last week with four scoreless appearances. LOWLIGHTS Fresh off his misguided "front office gave up on us" grumblings, Ervin Santana took the hill and contributed another clunker. Despite being staked to eight early runs on Thursday night, Santana made things interesting by serving meatballs to Detroit's meager lineup, coughing up seven runs over four innings. In five starts since rejoining the Twins rotation, Santana has an 8.03 ERA and 4% swinging strike rate, with his fastball rarely reaching the 90s. Astonishingly, he has surrendered nine home runs in 24 2/3 innings. Clearly not close to 100%, and showing no meaningful progress, Santana was shut down again following his latest outing. It's unlikely we'll see him on the mound again this season, and that's for the best. The Twins gain far more benefit from giving those starts to others going forward. One very deserving candidate will finally get his chance on Monday, jumping into Santana's vacant spot. We'll cover this excellent news shortly. Jose Berrios endured his own struggles on Wednesday against Pittsburgh. It was the third time in his past four turns he's failed to complete the fifth inning, and on this occasion he couldn't even get through four. The right-hander's control, so sharp for much of the first half, has gradually deteriorated – in his first 13 starts he issued 14 walks in 83 2/3 innings (1.5 BB/9), while in the latter 12 he's issued 30 in 70 innings (4.3 BB/9). Speaking of shaky control, Kohl Stewart was plagued by it in his second MLB start, which lasted only 2 2/3 innings on Saturday. He threw just 31 of 65 pitches for strikes, and issued four walks, showing poor command while failing to replicate the grounder-heavy contact mix from his debut. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'd love to see Stewart in relief before year's end. It's fairly evident the stuff doesn't play as a starter. But it'll all be moot if he can't stay in the zone. TRENDING STORYLINE Mauer's big home run on Friday night was a nice moment, but it doesn't change the reality that he's having one of his worst seasons at age 35. One has to believe he's had conversations with the Twins about his future. Maybe they're happy to bring him back on a cheapish short-term deal. Mauer can still be helpful in some capacity. Then again, the new regime isn't really attached to him, and Mauer doesn't necessarily fit with the vision of a rebuilt winner for the future. It's hard to imagine him playing anywhere else, so if the front office is signaling lukewarm interest, perhaps Mauer will determine the time has come. If so, how would it be handled? The homegrown MVP has enjoyed one of the better careers in franchise history, one deserving of celebration. It's not exactly in Joe's nature to make himself the center of attention, but I'd hope he will facilitate a bit of a send-off if he decides to retire with time remaining in the season. The fans would really enjoy it and I'm sure the team's marketing department would too. Following Monday's makeup game against the White Sox, the Twins have three homestands remaining – a four-game set against Oakland next weekend, followed by a six-gamer in early September and seven games to wrap up year, with Ron Gardenhire and the Tigers on hand for the second-to-last series. Worth keeping in mind. DOWN ON THE FARM The top three Twins pitching prospects are all trending up, and one is moving up. Brusdar Graterol and Stephen Gonsalves were already established as the cream of the system's crop, and reinforced their standings with big performances last week. On Wednesday, Graterol fired seven innings of one-run ball for the Miracle, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out six. In his last five starts he is 4-0 with a 2.37 ERA, and opponents are batting .196. The hard-throwing righty, who turns 20 next week, has wasted little time transferring his dominance from the Midwest League to the Florida State League. Meanwhile, Gonsalves took care of business yet again, and finally got his just reward. He tossed six shutout innings on Tuesday to extend a spectacular run in the International League, where he has allowed only nine runs on 34 hits in his past 64 innings. On Sunday, we learned that he'll be making his major-league debut on Monday against the White Sox. A brief Red Wings teammate after joining Gonsalves in Rochester roster last week, Lewis Thorpe solidified his case for being mentioned alongside him and Graterol. In his first Triple-A start on Wednesday, Thorpe threw 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball with no walks and nine strikeouts, inducing an eye-popping 22 swinging strikes. In his last 10 Double A starts before the promotion he'd posted a 2.09 ERA and 66-to-10 K/BB ratio in 52 innings with opponents slashing .178/.221/.259. Thorpe is a stud and given his presence on the 40-man roster I wouldn't be surprised if we see him in September alongside the newly promoted Gonsalves. LOOKING AHEAD Monday's game is the kind of exciting draw that keeps fans watching in a lost season. We've been waiting a long time to see Gonsalves on the big-league stage and now we'll finally get our chance after his magnificent stretch at Triple-A. It's a much-needed glimpse of the team's hopefully bright future. White Sox fans are surely feeling the same way about the next game, which will see Michael Kopech make his big-league debut against Minnesota. Ranked as the game's 13th-best prospect by Baseball America, Kopech has an incredible fastball that's sure to give Twins hitters fits, on Tuesday and well beyond. MONDAY, 8/20: WHITE SOX @ TWINS – RHP Lucas Giolito v. LHP Stephen Gonsalves TUESDAY, 8/21: TWINS @ WHITE SOX – RHP Jose Berrios v. RHP Michael Kopech WEDNESDAY, 8/22: TWINS @ WHITE SOX – RHP Kyle Gibson v. LHP Carlos Rodon THURSDAY, 8/23: ATHLETICS @ TWINS – RHP Trevor Cahill v. RHP Kohl Stewart FRIDAY, 8/24: ATHLETICS @ TWINS – LHP Sean Manaea v. RHP Jake Odorizzi SATURDAY, 8/25: ATHLETICS @ TWINS – RHP Mike Fiers v. LHP Stephen Gonsalves SUNDAY, 8/26: ATHLETICS @ TWINS – LHP Brett Anderson v. RHP Jose Berrios Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 117 | MIN 5, PIT 2: Odorizzi, Polanco Spark ComebackGame 118 | MIN 6, PIT 4: New-Look Bullpen Boosts Twins Over BuccosGame 119 | MIN 15, DET 8: Five Hits for Forsythe in Busy Night on the BasesGame 120 | MIN 5, DET 4: Take a Bow, JoeGame 121 | DET 7, MIN 5: Stewart Bombs Second AuditionGame 122 | MIN 5, DET 4: Late Rosario Homer Lifts Twins to Elusive One-Run Victory Click here to view the article

It wasn't so long ago that the Twins were flush with quality righties out of the bullpen. Even though the rest of his team was lagging around the middle of the season, Paul Molitor could feel confident in calling upon any number of stalwarts. Ryan Pressly, blowing people away. Addison Reed, living up to his billing. Trevor Hildenberger, as reliable as they get. Fernando Rodney, rattling off saves. Even Matt Magill was cruising along. Now, things have changed — most crucially, with respect to the 2019 bullpen outlook.Pressly and Rodney are gone. Reed's turned into a disaster. Hildenberger has been a mess for weeks (7.45 ERA and .620 opponents' SLG since July 1st). Magill started his Twins career by allowing one run in his first eight appearances, but has since by allowed 16 in 30 2/3 innings (4.70 ERA) and an .833 OPS. Suddenly, there is a great deal of uncertainty plaguing next year's bullpen – at least, one critical element of it. The left-handed contingent is far less worrisome. Taylor Rogers has enjoyed a spectacular year, and currently looks to be the club's best reliever. Gabriel Moya can be written in with ink. Lewis Thorpe or Adalberto Mejia could potentially join the fray. And even if the Twins feel short on internal options, it's never too hard to go out and find a free agent like Zach Duke who can get it done as a secondary southpaw. But there is far less assurance when it comes to bullpen right-handers (and, one might conclude, closer candidates). Unfortunately, the Twins have deprived themselves of opportunities to more thoroughly evaluate several of them this season. In any case, let's break down each key figure and where he stands as we roll toward the end of the 2018 campaign. Trevor Hildenberger When I ranked the top 20 Twins assets last offseason, I had Hildenberger as the highest reliever, and 11th overall. "The 27-year-old bears every attribute of a closer or high-leverage fireman for years to come, and is controllable through 2022." Hildenberger was only reinforcing his value through the first three months of this season, continuing to excel as one of the league's steadiest setup men, but things took a turn one sweltering day in Chicago at the end of June. In his 37th appearance, he coughed up five earned runs on four hits and four walks, while recording one out. It was not only the worst outing of his career, but one of the worst you're likely to see from any relief pitcher. Since then, things just haven't been the same. Before that game, the sidearmer had registered a 2.06 ERA and held opponents to a .197 average. Since then, he has a 7.45 ERA and opponents have hit .329. Hildy was nearly spotless throughout the minors, and during his first calendar year in the majors, so these extended struggles are unprecedented for him. The good news is that his peripherals aren't nearly so startling. Hildenberger's swinging strike rate has remained static, his walks have stayed in check, and his velocity hasn't dropped to an alarming degree (though it has dipped from where it was in the middle of the summer). There have been plenty of theories as to what's causing this dramatic drop-off in results — overuse, tipping pitches, maybe something so simple as MLB hitters catching on to his quirky delivery. Whatever the case, I'm not overly concerned, and still view him as a key long-term piece in this unit. But, it'd sure be reassuring to see the interim (?) closer string together a nice stretch over the final weeks. Addison Reed For the entirety of his tenure as Twins GM, Terry Ryan consistently opted against investing significantly in free agent relievers. Never once during his run did the team sign an outside bullpen piece to a multi-year deal. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine broke that pattern during their first full offseason at the helm, signing Addison Reed to a two-year, $16.25 million deal in January. Now? That contract has very quickly become a banner example of why Ryan's regime fiercely avoided such commitments. Relief pitchers are notoriously volatile, which was the primary thinking behind Minnesota's steadfast avoidance, but many fans (including myself) longed for the club to step up and pay the price for an established name. While not a top-tier talent, per se, Reed was certainly a more bold investment than we've ever seen from the Twins before on this front: A consistent performer. A successful closer. A hired bullpen ace, on one of the larger deals handed out to a reliever during the winter. Now, Reed is Exhibit A of the position's volatility. Following some solid initial returns, he has broken down, and can't be relied upon in any capacity. Frankly, it's impossible to believe at this point his arm is sound. Reed's velocity is as low as it's ever been. No one's swinging and missing at any of his pitches; he has induced a total of two whiffs on 71 pitches since coming off the DL. Two! What to do at this point? Shut him down? Take a closer look at that elbow? All I know is that sending him out to the mound is doing little good, and Reed is destined to enter 2018 as a complete question mark at best. Somewhere, Terry Ryan is nodding knowingly. Trevor May Enough with the bad news. While several of his peers have nosedived in the second half, May has been busy reintroducing himself – with authority. The 28-year-old rejoined Minnesota at the end of July, and has been fantastic. Yeah, he had a little hiccup on Thursday night when he entered and walked two with the bases loaded, but May was otherwise spotless over two frames, and throwing strikes hasn't exactly been a problem for him despite the long layoff. Those walks are the only he's issued in 6 2/3 innings, during which he has registered a 21% swinging strike rate. To say May is dominating at an elite level would be an understatement; Josh Hader leads all qualified MLB relievers with a 19.5% whiff rate, and might be the best reliever in baseball. May is the best bet to fulfill Pressly's vacancy as a high-octane late-inning weapon. He's got closer stuff but is more alluring as a situational fireman. I'm beyond giddy to have this guy back in the mix, and am more optimistic about him than any other player listed here going forward. Matt Magill He was a nice story for a while. Plenty of failed starters have gone on to establish themselves as quality MLB relievers, and Magill had a chance to be join those ranks. He still might. But the 28-year-old journeyman has given Minnesota little reason to maintain intrigue. Even when Magill was experiencing a surprising early run of success, Molitor was reluctant to use him in any kind of meaningful situation. Perhaps he sensed what was coming. Magill hasn't been a disaster by any means, but he also hasn't been anything special, and given his circumstances it's tough to see him edging enough others on this list to stay in the picture. Working against him is a sudden decline in control – after walking four batters in 17 appearances through the end of June, he's walked six in nine appearances since. Tyler Duffey Duffey deserved better. It's befuddling that Magill slid ahead of him in line, and utterly baffling that Matt Belisle did. Why are these random pickups being prioritized over a homegrown talent with proven ability? Duffey was never meant to a be a starter, and unfortunately much time was wasted on that failed experiment, but the former college closer has shown plenty since moving back to relief duty. He pitched far better than his 4.94 ERA in the Twins bullpen showed last year, with a 67-to-18 K/BB ratio in 71 innings. He's got a hammer curve that works beautifully in short stints. He's been shutting down Triple-A hitters all year. And yet it took Duffey until August to get another real shot with Minnesota. I guess that speaks to the front office's opinion of him. I can't say I understand it, personally. Duffey's fine work since rejoining the Twins bullpen (zero hits allowed in 3 1/3 innings) speaks to what he can do. But now he's in the tough position of trying to make an overwhelming impression in the final weeks, and next spring, because he's out of options in 2019. Given their ambiguity with bullpen righties going forward, the Twins' refusal to take an extended look at Duffey this summer strikes me as one of their biggest follies. We'll see what happens. Alan Busenitz In many ways, Busenitz falls in the same category as Duffey. He's been brilliant in Triple-A all year and has major-league experience, but has repeatedly been passed up by less deserving candidates. Operating with mid-90s heat and a solid curveball, Busenitz has turned in a 2.48 ERA and 45-to-8 K/BB ratio in 40 innings at Triple-A. Meanwhile, he's gotten only 13 innings in the majors. I will say that I'm not quite as miffed with the team's handling of Busenitz as Duffey. On merit, he absolutely has deserved more of a chance, but to me there are ominous harbingers in Booze's profile. As I noted in spring training when he was competing for a roster spot, fly ball pitchers who don't miss a ton of bats don't tend to fare well in the majors. Busenitz still has an option left, which surely will work against him. Based on his treatment this year it's hard to see him being legitimately in the running for a bullpen spot next spring. Oliver Drake He's one of the ostensible journeymen who's gotten a look ahead of Duffey and Busenitz, but Drake isn't as bothersome as others. Yes, he's 31. Yes, he's pitched with four other teams this season. But there is actually a lot to like about him. He's been a monster in Triple-A (1.80 ERA, 12.7 K/9 in 110 IP). He has also averaged 9.9 K/9 in the majors, where his 3.47 FIP clashes with a 4.82 ERA. And since joining the Twins, the waiver pickup has looked great, striking out six while allowing one hit and three walks over 5 1/3 innings. He's got a funky delivery and some eye-catching breaking balls. If he throws it over the plate, Drake can be a real factor. I'm actually quite interested in watching him over these finals weeks, and would love to see a few higher-leverage chances. To me Drake is exactly the kind of player a team like the Twins should be auditioning in their current position. John Curtiss Inadequate control can be the bane of so many otherwise capable pitchers. Perhaps that'll prove to be the case with Curtiss, whose dazzling strikeout rates through the minors have raised eyebrows. As he's moved up and hitters have become more selective, the 25-year-old's strike-throwing issues have been magnified. He's averaged 4.4 BB/9 in 71 innings at Triple-A, and has barely gotten a chance in the majors. His extremely brief stint with the Twins this year was nightmarish, and included two run-scoring wild pitches in a single inning. With an option left for 2019, he will stay on hand as depth, but Curtiss needs to make serious strides with his command to have any chance of breaking into Minnesota's bullpen for good. Luke Bard It was frustrating to see Bard swooped away in December's Rule 5 draft, when the Twins left room on their roster to select Tyler Kinley (remember him?). But the Angels didn't stick with Bard and his elite spin rate for long, returning him to the Twins in late April. Since rejoining the organization, the former first-round pick has remained in Triple-A, where his season's been a mixed bag. The strikeouts have been there for Bard (43 K in 38.2 IP) but he's been oddly hittable, allowing a 4.89 ERA and .807 opponents' OPS. He turns 28 this offseason so his prospect luster is diminishing, but Bard isn't without hope. *** Beyond the above list, there are several others who could be right-handed bullpen factors in 2019, including Nick Anderson, Jake Reed and (if they'll just give him a dang chance in relief) Kohl Stewart. But right now the nine players listed above look like the main contenders. Are you comfortable with this depth amidst some clear uncertainty at the highest ranks? Click here to view the article