Nick Nelson

On Monday night, Eddie Rosario re-aggravated a quad injury while chasing down a ball in the outfield. Add him to the growing list of battered Twins players who will (or probably should) end their seasons sidelined by physical ailments. Insult to injury, eh?Last week, La Velle E. Neal III reported that the Twins have hired a biomechanics expert with a Ph.D. in motor behavior, naming him "motion performance coach." "[Martin] Verhoeven will study the mechanics of Twins hitters and pitchers and look for ways to make them more efficient," writes Neal. "While seeking optimal performance from their players, the Twins also hope to detect warning signs in their movements that could help them avoid injuries down the road." Count this as another forward-thinking, innovative move from the front office to improve long-term player health outcomes. As Twins fans are painfully aware, injuries can derail not only a season, but a career. And the most frustrating thing about them is how utterly powerless and defenseless we can feel against their spontaneous will. For the most part. No, the Twins couldn't have done much to prevent Mitch Garver from taking a foul ball to the mask on September 12th, sustaining a concussion that scarily continues to affect him. They really couldn't have stopped Miguel Sano from banging up his knee on a slide into second on September 4th. Buuuut. Could they maybe have avoided Rosario collapsing onto the field Monday night, having worsened a quad issue that was still known to be hampering him? And might Byron Buxton's season have gone a little more smoothly if he hadn't tried to play through a broken toe and then, later, an ailing wrist? I bring these examples up not to condemn the Twins, but to make a point about the inexact science of sports medicine. Minnesota's training and medical staffs have almost entirely turned over since the days of Joe Mauer's infamous "bilateral leg weakness" diagnosis, yet the familiar barbs from certain corners keep on. Here's the thing: players wanna play. And any big-leaguer will tell you that by the latter stages of the season, there's no such thing as 100%. It's hard to tell Rosario or Buxton or Sano they need to sit when they fully insist they're ready to rock, and the medical reports don't raise blatant red flags. But it's up to the coaches and front office to see the bigger picture and make smart choices. In a completely lost season, one does wonder about the wisdom of putting Rosario in the outfield even while acknowledging he's dinged up. One also wonders about the real upside in acquiescing to Sano's pleas to return to the lineup for a dozen meaningless games, two weeks after being carted off the field. That left leg cost him virtually an entire offseason of conditioning, and arguably torpedoed his 2018 campaign. Why mess with it? The Twins are, demonstrably, striving to become more sophisticated and effective in their management of player health. This season has tested them to the extreme on that front. Hopefully it'll end up being a productive learning experience. Click here to view the article

Not at all. I shared some of my thoughts on the topic last week and there was a lot of great discussion in the comments, if you're interested.

Well said

As all-time Minnesota Twins great Joe Mauer signals that his playing career may be reaching its end, many of us are savoring what could be the final chance to watch him on the field. Last week, he gave us a grand show. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 9/10 through Sun, 9/16 *** Record Last Week: 3-4 (Overall: 68-81) Run Differential Last Week: -8 (Overall: -78) Standing: 2nd Place in AL Central (15 GB) HIGHLIGHTS Home runs from Mauer are rare. Grand slams, even more so. And for such a rarity to arrive against the dreaded Yankees, well, that's all the sweeter. The first baseman's big blast – a beautifully struck drive to straightaway center – came in the fifth inning of Tuesday's game with the Twins already leading 6-1, effectively burying the Bombers. It came as part of a two-hit night for Mauer, amidst a 7-for-21 week that also included a pair of doubles. It was undoubtedly a productive stretch for the 35-year-old, but only served to push his OPS back up into the .720 range that's been customary for him throughout the summer. Just two days after Mauer's grand evening against the Yankees, an article appeared in the Star Tribune indicating that he plans to seriously contemplate retirement during the offseason. While Mauer insists he hasn't made his mind up, there are several quotes in La Velle E. Neal III's piece that suggest he's leaning toward hanging 'em up. For example... Regarding the factors at play for him: “There’s a lot that goes into it than just, ‘Do you want to play?’ ” Regarding an apparent reversal from his more committed springtime stance: "Yeah, a lot can change in six months. Personally, professionally, physically.” Regarding his health and family circumstances: "The concussion, third baby on the way. So we have a lot of things to go over. I want to do that and take a deep breath and try to think with a clear mind.” Mauer didn't reference the sagging production (his current .724 OPS and 0.9 WAR would both rank as the second-worst of a 15-year career) but that's also in play here. When accounting for all these aspects, and the general tone of his latest interview, I gotta think Mauer elects to retire this offseason, which would spare the Twins an awkward conversation. If so, fans have one more homestand remaining to come see him at Target Field. I highly recommend making a trip out to the park next week; I know I'll be doing so. While part of me looks forward to a new era of locker room leadership, and an unencumbered payroll, this team just won't be the same without him around. Mauer's potential farewell tour isn't the only worthwhile attraction as this season winds down. Willians Astudillo continues to be an absolute treat to watch. With Mitch Garver sidelined by a concussion, Astudillo has stepped into a larger role and he is THRIVING: Seriously though: Even beyond the all-out heart and hustle this scrappy 26-year-old rookie shows, there's some real offensive ability flashing. Not only does Astudillo put the bat on everything (two strikeouts in 57 plate appearances with MN), he most often hits it pretty hard. Last week he tallied seven knocks in 18 at-bats (.389) and drove in three runs. And he drew his first walk as a big-leaguer! Jorge Polanco, who found himself batting either first or second in every start (a change from his previous entrenchment in the three-hole), went 11-for-27 (.407) and launched his fifth homer. It was a fruitful offensive week for several members of the outfield unit: Robbie Grossman (9-for-25 with three doubles and four walks), Jake Cave (8-for-26 with a homer and five RBIs), Max Kepler (6-for-22 with two doubles and a homer). Even Johnny Field, who entered the week with a .192 average, joined the fun with four hits and his first Twins home run on Sunday. On the pitching end, Jake Odorizzi turned in his finest start in a Minny uniform on Wednesday, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth against New York's potent lineup. He finished with one run allowed on one hit over 7 1/3 innings. Considering his historical lack of proven endurance – he's only topped 170 innings once, and has never reached 200 – it's a good sign that Odorizzi is finishing strong. His 27th and 30th starts have been his longest of the season. Since the beginning of August he has a 3.98 ERA, and has quietly corrected his biggest weakness, allowing only three homers in eight turns. The unspectacular yet steady right-hander has made a solid case for returning next year. Jose Berrios delivered an impressive performance of his own, hurling six innings of two-run ball against Kansas City on Thursday. It was refreshing to see him in dominant form for the first time in a while – nine strikeouts were his highest total since July 24th, and 14 swinging strikes were his most since July 9th. Meanwhile, in the bullpen, Taylor Rogers continued his run of second-half excellence with four more scoreless appearances, allowing only one hit. He's now gone 24 straight appearances without allowing a run. LOWLIGHTS Berrios exited Thursday's game with a well earned 4-2 lead, but unfortunately failed to procure the win due to Trevor Hildenberger melting down in the ninth. Called upon to protect a one-run lead, Hildenberger gave up a one-out RBI double to No. 9 hitter Rosell Herrera that tied the game. Following a single and an intentional walk, the bases were loaded for Salvador Perez, who launched a walk-off grand slam. The brutal outing raised Hildenberger's ERA, which had been steadily dropping, back up to 4.70. It bears noting that this was the first of seven save opportunities Hildy's been unable to convert since taking over the closer role. He previously had a 0.77 ERA since the Fernando Rodney trade. The righty has had many long stretches of effectiveness this year, with his struggles concentrated in short painful bursts. To an extent, that's reassuring, but there's no ignoring some alarming bigger trends for him – namely, home run and walk rates that have doubled from his standout rookie season. Despite his stumbles, Hildenberger will remain an integral part of the bullpen picture going forward. However, Alan Busenitz might be pitching his way out of the Twins' plans. In two appearances last week he was charged with seven earned runs, without recording an out. That's about a bad as it gets. His ERA now sits at 7.71. Despite his sterling work at Triple A, Busenitz is shaping up as a 40-man casualty this fall. TRENDING STORYLINE As mentioned earlier, Garver has received a concussion diagnosis after taking a foul ball off the mask on Wednesday. He experienced persisting "lightheadedness and headaches" into the weekend, which will understandably set off alarm bells in the minds of Twins fans all too familiar with where this can lead. Adding to the concern is that Garver has had multiple concussions in the past, and was dazed by a blow to the head from Manny Machado's bat earlier this year. Garver has been one of the team's biggest bright spots this season, showing plenty of offensive aptitude with gradually improving defense at a crucial position, so the gravity of this development cannot be downplayed. Right now, there's no reason to panic, but it's something to monitor. DOWN ON THE FARM On Monday night, the last of Minnesota's minor-league affiliates held its own grand finale, as the Fort Myers Miracle capped off an excellent season by winning the Florida State League Championship. Fort Myers was a major source of intrigue all summer long, with Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff and Brusdar Graterol firmly solidifying themselves as the organization's top three prospects there. Each was instrumental in the Miracle becoming champs. It'll be interesting to see where they fall on national prospect lists this offseason, and then, which level they start at next spring. For some additional minor-league reading, check out the season-ending awards Twins Daily has dished out to prospects recently (more to come this week): Twins 2018 Short Season Pitcher Of The Year: Andrew CabezasTwins 2018 Short Season Hitter Of The Year: Chris WilliamsTwins 2018 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Andrew VazquezTwins 2018 Minor League Starting Pitcher Of The Year: Tyler WellsLOOKING AHEAD The Twins travel to Detroit and Oakland to wrap up their final road trip of the 2018 season. They need to go 13-0 in their remaining games to finish .500 (ha!). More plausibly, they need to go 5-8 or better to avoid 90 losses, for whatever that's worth. MONDAY, 9/17: TWINS @ TIGERS – RHP Kohl Stewart v. RHP Jordan Zimmermann TUESDAY, 9/18: TWINS @ TIGERS – RHP Jake Odorizzi v. LHP Daniel Norris WEDNESDAY, 9/19: TWINS @ TIGERS – LHP Stephen Gonsalves v. LHP Matthew Boyd FRIDAY, 9/21: TWINS @ ATHLETICS – RHP Jose Berrios v. RHP Trevor Cahill SATURDAY, 9/22: TWINS @ ATHLETICS – RHP Kyle Gibson v. RHP Mike Fiers SUNDAY, 9/23: TWINS @ ATHLETICS – RHP Kohl Stewart v. TBD Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 143 | NYY 7, MIN 2: It Was Close, Until It Wasn’tGame 144 | MIN 10, NYY 5: Joe Mauer Grand Slam Highlights Big Night for BatsGame 145 | MIN 3, NYY 1: Odorizzi Carries No-No Into 8th InningGame 146 | KC 6, MIN 4: Coming Down is the Hardest ThingGame 147 | KC 8, MIN 4: OH THE HUMANITY!!!Game 148 | KC 10, MIN 3: It’s a Hard RoadGame 149 | MIN 9, KC 6: Twins Swat Four Homers, Avoid Sweep Click here to view the article

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.