Don't Feed the Greed Guy

Amen. The only way I step back into Target Field is if the Twins are active in free agency, and spend some of that newfound minority ownership money.

We cancelled our Season Tickets. When Joe Pohlhad "right-sized" his expenses, so did we.

Just got tickets.

Two thoughts: 1) Drop the blackout on the MLB app for season ticket holders. 2) Partner with the St. Paul Saints on local broadcasts when schedules don't conflict. Good conversation.

My first in-person game occurred on July 28th, 1975 at the Met. My Dad took me to my first game on my 9th birthday. The Twins won 9-8. The Royals and Twins combined for 30 hits. Kansas City tied the game in the top of the 8th, but the home town boys walked them off in the bottom of the 9th. I was hooked. BTW, Harmon Killebrew went 2-for-4, for the Kansas City Royals.

Hopefully this will be the epitome of a trade where both sides win. As a professional who works regularly with clients suffering from mental illness, I like the "soul" of this trade. As said above, I'll be cheering for the Marlins and the Twins as this plays out.

I'll buy a Saints ticket to watch him pitch.

Three advantages this year: 1) Ober focused on off-season strength conditioning that will hopefully pay off over the balance of this season. He worked on his slider and change-up, bolstering command and control. 2) Kenta Maeda's impending promotion will likely create a six-man rotation, per Rocco Baldelli. 3) His pitch counts have ranged from the 70's to the 90's over his previous five starts. It's a little early to say that the Twins will cruise to a playoff berth due to a soft schedule, given that they can't seem to beat Detroit at Target Field. But it would be nice to see Ober healthy if the Twins need him in October.

Kyle Teel is at #6 on Keith Law's list. If Paul Skenes doesn't drop to #5, I like Teel.

Oops, I was looking at an AL list. Thanks for being a good editor.

A little something I posted on The Athletic: How about Joe Ryan starting the season 5-0 in his first five starts? First time since 1979, Jerry Koosman. Koosman was born in Appleton, MN. He graduated from high school in Morris, MN and went on to win two games in the World Series for the 1969 Amazing Mets. Here's a great note from his Wikipedia page: "Koosman was discovered by the son of a Shea Stadium usher, John Lucchese, who caught Koosman when he pitched in the United States Army at Fort Bliss, Texas. The Mets offered Koosman a contract after his discharge from the military. Koosman was about to be cut from the Mets in 1966, when Joe McDonald, the assistant farm director, requested Koosman be retained at least until his first payday, as he owed the Mets money they had wired him after his car broke down en route to spring training." Koosman was traded from the Mets to the Twins for Jesse Orosco! Orosco would go on to pitch in the big leagues for 24 years before retiring in 2003 at age 46, after appearing in eight games for the Minnesota Twins. Still with me? Koosman won 20 games for the Twins in 1979. How many wins will Joe Ryan collect in 2023? Note: No one has won 20 games since Cole and Verlander did it in 2019.

The Twins won this trade on the field, off the field, in the papers, and in the clubhouse.

My hunch is that Maeda will be heading to the IL or the bullpen by summer, and Bailey Ober will take his place in the rotation.

Let him play. I have this confidence: Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Austin Martin, Eduard Julien, Jose Salas and Tanner Schoebel (don't sleep on Schoebel!) provide the Twins with unparalleled middle-infield depth. Nobody wants to overpay in a trade, but if this club is in control of the AL Central at the trade deadline, make a deal for that ace who can win Game #1 in a playoff series. The best two prospects could bookend Correa at 2nd and 3rd base for the rest of this decade.

Keith Law is not a Marco Raya fan. He ranks Raya 13th in the Twins system. In the comments section of his Athletic piece, "Twins top 20 prospects 2023: Keith Law ranks Minnesota's farm league system" a commenter took him to task for the poor ranking. Law replied: "I feel very confident I have Raya in the right spot. He missed 2021 with arm problems. He’s smaller, needs a better third pitch, and didn’t blow low A hitters away like you’d expect someone with a +++ slider to do." The good news? Law is much higher on Jordan Balazovic than most others. To paraphrase, Jordy Blaze was hurt during the lockout, which meant he was also locked out of access to Twins doctors and trainers. "I’m writing the year off as a matter of injury and hoping he gets back to the top-100 form he’d shown in 2019 and 2021, where he looked like a potential No. 2 starter." Balazovic is the highest rated pitcher in his analysis of the Twins farm system, at #7. Connor Prielipp (#8), and Simeon Woods Richardson (#10) are the only other two in the top ten. Lots of shortstops! This also led to the general opinion that local writers seem to rank the Twins pitching prospects WAY higher than the national writers do. Boy howdy, I sure hope our local writers write right!