LA Vikes Fan

So true. Polanco has been our 2nd or 3rd best position player the last 3-4 years. Losing him for an extended period is a big loss.

This is very concerning for Polanco, and very concerning for our lineup. We can replace him in the field but not at the plate. Polanco was our third most important hitter behind Buxton and Correa, arguably second since he played every day. Think about our top six hitters, assuming Vazquez hits seven. Right now it’s probably Buxton, Correa, Miranda, and… Gallo? Gordon? Larnach? Maybe Kepler has found some thing that he’s never had before outside of 2019? Farmer but only against left-handed pitching? Same for Taylor but not as good? It’s going to be interesting to see how they fill out those 4–6 spots of the order and who leads off. Polanco was one of the key hitters in the lineup, a good RBI man who consistently took good at bats. We are going to miss him a lot in the lineup if he can’t go. We need some young guys to step up or there are going to be a lot of low output came from this team. Hey, that Joey Gallo, signing looking better and better all the time, huh? Same for not trading Kepler? Boy, I was wrong about those two moves.

You may have a point here, depending on what you think the time line is for Lewis and Lee. Both are kind of unknowns. It seems to me that both are likely to be 3Bs (or one at 3B, one at 2B) when they permanently arrive, which would move Miranda to 1B or DH. Lee got a lot of ST ABs - apparently looked good but hit .182/.279/.441. Looks like he needs some MiLB development time, especially since you have to think at least some (if not most) of those ABS were against pitchers who won't make a MLB roster. Lewis looked great last year but who knows how he'll come back? Still, makes sense to give Miranda some time at 1B to help prepare for a Miranda, Polanco, Correa, Lewis IF in August. As for Kirilloff? Hope the guy gets his chance but he may not be able to get there. It sure looks like he can't be relied upon at least at the start of the season which opens up the questions of when and IF he can be a lineup mainstay. That is starting to look like a big IF...

I think you're on to something there depending on how good Solano is in the field. I hear he's slow and not the world's best 2B. It may be Farmer filling in at 2B when we're facing a LH starter. Farmer had a .948 OPS against lefties last year (148 PAs), Solano was at .770 (89 PAs).

Fun as it is speculate, I think we’ve already seen the answer. Kirilloff isn’t going to be ready coming out of spring training and will probably need at least a few weeks in AAA before he is ready. The smart move is Gallo at 1B with Gordon and Larnach at left field and DH against right handed starters. Against left handed starters, it’s Miranda at 1B, Farmer at 3B, Solano at DH (or some combination thereof for those three) with either Gordon, Larnach, or Taylor in LF. If Buxton needs to DH that day, Taylor goes to CF and either Farmer or Solano sits down. The great thing is the lineup is flexible enough to be potentially productive, even without Kirilloff. That’s a big step up from last year.

Like it a lot with one exception. Pagan gets sent to AAA or waived and Sands makes the team as the long man. I odn't know and can't find Pagan's option situation so I'm not sure if either goes to AAA or gets waived and possibly lost. Frankly, don't know and don't much care.

I’m generally not a fan of a six man rotation, but this might be a team where that makes sense. All of the starters except Ryan have had injury problems. Moreover, I think it’s very unlikely that either Maeda or Ober will pitch more than 120 innings or so this year with each coming off of a major Injury and the few innings Ober threw last year. We only have two days off in April, but we do have five off in May. My thought is to start out with a six man rotation, and by roughly May 1, I suspect either one will have pitched their way out of that rotation or have some kind of injury issue. If the baseball gods are smiling down upon us, and all are healthy and pitching well, I say stick with it. Pagan seems pretty straightforward to me. He is not pitching well at all. Either put him on waivers with the idea of sending him to AAA or, if he has an option left, option him down. He needs to work his kinks out in the minor leagues if he can, not on the MLB roster. Getting rid of him also allows us to have a seven man bullpen that includes both Moran and Cole Sands, the latter as a Long reliever. I’m a big believer in performance dictating use. It would be different if Pagán was having a poor ST after a couple of strong years. That’s not where we are. He hasn’t performed since 2019 and should be sent down to AAA to try to find his groove. I think he gets AAA instead of being released because of his $4 million contract.

Yes. I think of all the candidates that Sands makes the most sense to transition to the bullpen. I just don't think his "stuff" is good enough to navigate through a lineup 2 to 3 times a game over the course of the season. He is already 26 and I just don't see him improving enough to be an MLB starter. On the other hand, I think Winder, Varland, SWR, Headrick, and even Dobnak have enough that they can become at least decent mid- rotation starters, maybe Dobnak as a backend guy. I even like to see Henriquez get a little more play in the AAA starting rotation, although I think he winds up in the bullpen eventually. My plan would be to start this season with Aaron Sanchez in the bullpen as a long man/multi-inning guy with Megill in the AAA bullpen as a late inning short man. I would have Sands filling a long man/multi-inning role in AAA to start the season to get him ready to fill that role at the MLB level when the inevitable need arises. This would be more of a transition year with the long-term goal to make Sands a regular bullpen fixture in a multi-inning role.

That's the guy. Now, Kenny "Sodbuster" Jay was no George "Scrap Iron " Gadaski but he was still a regular. I think Kenny Jay and George Gadaski might even have been a tag team at one point. I have this weird memory of them wrestling Jesse Ventura and maybe Adrian Adonis, Nick Bockwinkle or maybe even Hulk Hogan... Clearly I watched waaaay too much All Star Wrestling in my formative years.

Well said. I like Solano and think signing him was smart. He has a definite role on this team and will help make us better. Having said that, Gordon is more important to the Twins IF last year was real. I won't repeat the statistics but he had a very solid year for a MLB OF and may be in the ascendency. He would be very valuable if he stays where he is and could be a core player if he continues to improve. I think we can expect him to improve as a defensive an OF as he gets more experience. He is one of the players that gives one hope that this team is improving and could go on a run as a truly competitive team. Gordon probably won't be a central player in that team, but he could be a complimentary piece that helps it succeed.

You of course mean "The Very Capable Kenny Jay"?

You may be right on Farmer - although he was the Reds starting SS for more than a year - but attach Kepler and now we have a package that speaks to the Dodgers needs, According to MLB trade values that package is worth a good MLB reliever in his 20s like Caleb Ferguson plus another guy like Andre Jackson or, if we add an A or AA guy with potential (Headrick?), could get us a rising SP prospect like Ryan Pepiot. Just trying to improve the club by trading from surplus to fill our short and long term bullpen or our medium to long term SP needs. I do agree that this is more likely to be a topic in June IF Farmer performs well and Rojas plays like I expect - pretty well in the field, black hole at the plate. The Dodgers lineup is not anywhere near as strong this year and it will be hard for them to carry a no hit SS. Rojas is 34, and fell off a cliff last year with the bat. A revival could happen, but is unlikely. The Dodgers do not rebuild. They expect to be in the playoffs and contend for the division title. That may be hard to do with Rojas playing every day.

I started a blog on this earlier today. I said there - Kyle Farmer is a starting quality MLB SS will fill a bench role for the Twins this year. While he is valuable in that role, his biggest value might have just come in - as a trade chip to the Dodgers to replace Gavin Lux at SS after Lux tore his ACL yesterday. The Dodgers other option is 34-year-old Miguel Rojas who they acquired from the Marlins before spring training. You have to think the Dodgers are looking for a starting caliber SS that's locked into a reserve role on another team, particularly one who can be a 1 or 2 year option while Lux recovers or they get a free agent next winter. Voilà! 32-year-old longtime starting SS Kyle Farmer seems to meet all of those criteria. Interestingly enough, the Dodgers could also use a proven outfielder. They do have Mookie Betts in right, but are looking at an aging Chris Taylor and an unproven Trayce Thompson to play center with a very unproven James Outman in left. It seems like a respected veteran like Max Kepler might be a good fit. I think there's a real possibility that Kyle Farmer becomes a trade talking point between the Twins and the Dodgers. It would not surprise me if Kepler is also in the discussion. The Dodgers have a deep farm system particularly in pitching and catching. I do think there's a match. May be a Caleb Ferguson or Andre Jackson might be a good piece for Farmer. Add Kepler and maybe you can get Outman, Landon Knack, or Nick Mastrini or 1 of them plus someone a little farther down the list? Who knows, maybe there's a way to pry Ryan Pepiot away if you offer, Farmer, Kepler and maybe a solid AA guy. I think there's a real opportunity here for the Twins to trade what are now somewhat redundant pieces - a 32-year-old starting caliber Shortstop who will be relegated to a reserve role for the one year he is with the team and a 30-year-old good fielding, roughly average hitting outfielder for whom there seemed to be adequate replacements. The Dodgers are a win now team that needs both those kinds of players. What you guys think? I expect the Dodgers to try Rojas and find him wanting. I also expect them to do whatever is necessary to contend so I think they'll be looking by June. Maybe then we can trade farmer with Lewis hopefully on the way?

Thanks for the comments. I think the real issue behind whether this is even an option is the value of Farmer. The Dodgers don't have much in the SS pipeline ready for this year. I went to MLB trade values and a Farmer plus Kepler for Caleb Feguson and Andre Jackson deal is about right. There, Famer and Kepler almost equals Ryan Pepiot and does if we throw in Cavaco or Schobel. All a fantasy, but it would be interesting to know if the FO is reaching out to the Dodgers or, even better, if the Dodgers have reached out to us. It would have to be a multi player trade to get much though. You're right, Farmer isn't worth much on his own. Any way, my thinking is this could be a trade from surplus to help positions of need - LH hitting OF and starting caliber SS, in return for bullpen help or younger SP on the way up.

Kyle Farmer is a starting quality MLB SS will fill a bench role for the Twins this year. While he is valuable in that role, his biggest value might have just come in - as a trade chip to the Dodgers to replace Gavin Lux at SS after Lux tore his ACL yesterday. The Dodgers other option is 34-year-old Miguel Rojas who they acquired from the Marlins before spring training. You have to think the Dodgers are looking for a starting caliber SS that's locked into a reserve role on another team, particularly one who can be a 1 or 2 year option while Lux recovers or they get a free agent next winter. Voilà! 32-year-old longtime starting SS Kyle Farmer seems to meet all of those criteria. Interestingly enough, the Dodgers could also use a proven outfielder. They do have Mookie Betts in right, but are looking at an aging Chris Taylor and an unproven Trayce Thompson to play center with a very unproven James Outman in left. It seems like a respected veteran like Max Kepler might be a good fit. I think there's a real possibility that Kyle Farmer becomes a trade talking point between the Twins and the Dodgers. It would not surprise me if Kepler is also in the discussion. The Dodgers have a deep farm system particularly in pitching and catching. I do think there's a match. May be a Caleb Ferguson or Andre Jackson might be a good piece for Farmer. Add Kepler and maybe you can get Outman, Landon Knack, or Nick Mastrini or 1 of them plus someone a little farther down the list? Who knows, maybe there's a way to pry Ryan Pepiot away if you offer, Farmer, Kepler and maybe a solid AA guy. I think there's a real opportunity here for the Twins to trade what are now somewhat redundant pieces - a 32-year-old starting caliber Shortstop who will be relegated to a reserve role for the one year he is with the team and a 30-year-old good fielding, roughly average hitting outfielder for whom there seemed to be adequate replacements. The Dodgers are a win now team that needs both those kinds of players. What you guys think?

Farmer's biggest value might have just come in - as a trade chip to the Dodgers to replace Gavin Lux at SS after Lux tore his ACL yesterday. The Dodgers other option is 34-year-old Miguel Rojas they just acquired from the Marlins before spring training. You have to think the Dodgers are looking for a starting caliber SS that's locked into a reserve role on another team, particularly one who can be a 1 or 2 year option while Lux recovers or they get a free agent next winter. Voilà! Kyle Farmer seems to meet all of those criteria. Interestingly enough, the Dodgers could also use a proven outfielder. They do have Mookie Betts in right, but are looking at an aging Chris Taylor and an unproven Trayce Thompson to play center with a very unproven James Outman in left. It seems like a respected veteran like Max Kepler might be a good fit. I think there's a real possibility that Kyle Farmer becomes a trade talking point between the Twins and the Dodgers. It would not surprise me if Kepler is also in the discussion. The Dodgers have a deep farm system particularly in pitching and catching. I do think there's a match. What you guys think?

I hope your right! I see Gordon getting 400-450 ABs, more if the injury bug hits again, playing LF, CF against RH when Buxton sits, and DH. IF he hits well again, that number could reach 500 ABs.

I think Aaron Sanchez and Cole Sands are the right picks for a multi-inning relief role. I would like to see regular starts for Ober, Varland, SWR, Henriquez, Winder and Dobnak at AAA, maybe even in a 6 man rotation. That would keep the backup starters available without blowing too many innings in AAA when we know we will need most if not all of them in Minnesota this season. That leaves Sands out but he looks like a reliever at the MLB level. He also leaves Balazovic in AAA but at this point that may be where he best belongs. I especially don't want to make Henriquez a multi-inning reliever yet. He's young, has velocity and is developing his secondary pitches. We should let him start as long as we can. Same for the other 5 guys. Let's not forget, we only have 2 of the projected 5 starters signed for next year. I'd like to see them use Sands and/or Aaron Sanchez in the multi inning bullpen role. That may create some issues with 40 man spots but I think both could be effective. I would start with Sanchez on the Twins and Sands as a multi-inning guy in AAA, knowing that there will be movement in that role.

Henriquez should start in St. Paul if we can find a way to get regular starts for Ober, Varland, SWR, and Dobnak as well. that leaves Winder and Sands out but each may be a reliever at the MLB level. Henriquez is young, has velocity and is developing his secondary pitches. We should let him start as long as we can. Let's not forget, we only have 2 of the projected 5 starters signed for next year. I'd like to see them use Sands and/or Aaron Sanchez in the multi inning bullpen role. That may create some issues with 40 man spots but I think both could be effective. I would start with Sanchez and Sands as a multi-inning guy in AAA, knowing that there will be movement in that role.

Hey, worth a shot to try to harness his stuff, which does sound good, We have an open bullpen spot. Henriquez isn't going to be ready, Megill hasn't looked great, and it looks like they don't want to sign Brad Hand. Trying out guys like this is what Spring Training is for.

While this rule isn't my favorite, I understand why it was adopted. I also think this rule ahs another positive consequence that isn't mentioned enough - the elimination of the give away game the day after that 12 or 13 inning nightmare where the teams have no pitching left. Even worse, if that long game is the last one of the series both teams are badly handicapped going into their next series by having to rest MLB pitchers and call up MiLB pitchers. But let's be honest - why this rule? Because baseball needs to be faster and have more action to be competitive as an entertainment form. Now every extra inning is exciting with the possibility of a scoring play. You know, the kind of things you go to a game or watch on TV to see. All of these rule changes are to speed up and invigorate play. Every other professional sport makes changes to keep and increase fans' interest. It's about time baseball admitted it was losing in the marketplace to of all things the NBA and even the NHL, and made some changes to move toward what the fans want. The NFL is the most successful pro sports league on the planet in part because they tweak the game to make it more exciting. Its ok if baseball does the same.

Make it or break it is absolutely right on all three of these guys. Balazovic is the most disappointing because he seemed like he had a chance to be in the conversation for an MLB shot in 2023. Now, I'm not sure he even starts in AAA. He's behind Ober, SWR, Varland, Winder, Sands and Dobnak. That's the AAA rotation plus one. I think he has to go back to AA, prove himself, and hope he shows enough for the Twins to keep him around for a shot in 2024.

I completely agree. The pitching and IF defense will tell us whether this team can contend. The OF defense is plenty good enough to help carry the team. The offense isn't anywhere near good enough on it's own and won't' be until at least 2024 and then only if we hit on at least of the younger guys becoming quality MLB hitters. I do like the thinking by the FO because I think it's the best path with the talent we have.

By the way, one of your better efforts Randball Stu.... Well done. But Saffron a trash spice? I think not. While I'm not Mad about Saffron, I do like it....

Wow, we signed the Hurdy Gurdy man?! Will he come singing songs of love? We could use those. Seriously though, I understand he hits lefties well and still can pick it at 3B even though his base stealing days are probably behind him and his power numbers are down. I think if we can get .260/.325/375 from him off the bench it's a good signing. Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang...