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  1. LA Vikes Fan
    Come on guys, this isn't AYSO soccer where every player has to be treated the same and we all get participation medals. The organization sees Roden and Fedko entirely differently as players. They see Roden as a potential MLB regular so he is getting a long look. His Statcast page suggests that there may be something there. That look may be close to the end and will certainly be over by the end of the season. The organization sees Fedko as organizational filler, a guy with an undistinguished track record who blossomed into a good but not elite AAA player at age 25 or 26 for about season's worth of games, but not as a guy likely to develop into an MLB caliber player. He got a brief shot to see how he looked in case they were wrong. He looked awful even when he was playing more regularly, often simply overpowered by MLB pitching. His shot confirmed their initial evaluation so he got sent back. Hopefully they will trade him to another organization so he can get another chance, or he will become a minor-league FA and move to another organization and get another shot. This this isn't because of anything the manager did or didn't do. He got a shorter leash on his opportunity because he has less of a track record and the organization evaluated him less favorably. Guys, let's remember that the job of an MLB manager is to win games. He shouldn't be asked to give ABs to a guy who is regularly getting overpowered by MLB pitching in the hope that he will develop in the future unless the organization instructs him that that's his role because the team is in full on rebuild. We aren't. Fedko got his shot, was found wanting, and is now in AAA hoping he gets a second shot or a trade so he can get a shot on another team. That's the way baseball works in a competent organization, and that's the way it should work.
  2. LA Vikes Fan
    I agree that we don't want any retreads. There may be a younger controllable guy out there to be had. The Angels just traded away Chase Silseth and O'Hoppe for an A ball guy with upside. Silseth may have been able to slide into that Tier 2 group. I would definitely be speaking with them about Sam Bachman and Ryan Zeferjahn, two more guys who have Tier 2 potential. Frankly, I think Bachman would slot right in as an eighth-inning guy. I know there's others out there on other teams. That's who we should be targeting and I'm willing to give up as many Class A or Class AA guys with upside as it takes to get them. Conversely, I am not particularly interested in trading for Kirby Yates of the Angels, a classic 39-year-old reliever on the downside with the track record. That's where I would draw the line. I hope we can pull it off.
  3. LA Vikes Fan
    I think this is a fair take, which is what makes this deadline so interesting particularly now that Buxton is out probably for at least two or three weeks. We need Jeffers' bat much worse now and frankly Shelton has got a figure out a way to get him in the lineup every day even if that means more time as the DH and/more time with Caratini playing 1B. Keeping Jeffers definitely makes it more likely that this team makes the playoffs this year, although winning more than one series (if that) seems pretty unlikely to me. Still, I see the advantages of keeping him around and making the Q0 and taking the draft choice compensation if he declines and can't be re-signed, especially given the dreck we would receive in return if the reported rumors are accurate. I do think though we disagree on two fundamental points. I see Hancock is more than just a back end rotation piece. I think he has a real chance to be a mid rotation or better starter for the next four years. That has a lot of value to this team, especially with at least one of Lopez and Ryan likely gone after 2027 and perhaps both. Our other point of disagreement is that I am done worrying about keeping Emma around because of his vast potential. The guy can't stay healthy enough to play more than 75 games in a season and his performance has been good but not outstanding at the AAA level. He will at most have one option year left after this season, and that's only if MLB towards him that fourth year due to injury which I admit seems pretty likely. He's got the classic "three true outcomes" approach at the plate which makes me really wonder if he will be as successful as we all hope you will at the MLB level. I am fine with trading him now while his value is pretty close to its peak as a guy with great potential whose flaws have not yet been exposed at the MLB level. I would only trade him for controllable, established pitching with upside but I would trade him if that was part of the return. I would be really pissed if we trade him for a rental.
  4. LA Vikes Fan
    I think this was the wrong move. I agree with the FO that the Twins needed an infielder, not an outfielder. We need another infielder badly because Kriedelr can't play every day and still hit (he may not be able to hit even if he plays four – five days a week) and we can not put Lee back at SS and expect to win the low-scoring, defensive games that are going to dominate the rest of this season. We also need to find out if the 23-year-old Luke Keaschall can play a competent CF either as the backup going forward or as the starter when Buxton hangs it up. Still, they should have called up Culpepper or Ross to be that infielder. You have to wonder how he trade deadline is playing into this. We have no idea who is being talked about in a trade and it may be that some of the guys people want to call up are being bandied about in trade discussions where it might be to our advantage to keep them in AAA until we know if they're going to be traded, or if there is a strong likelihood they're going to be traded so we would create difficulties for the MLB club if they came up and were traded two days later. I think we need to look at the current roster as a work in progress and this week as one of the times when there is a chance of significant change. We should probably all just keep our powder dry and chill out until next Monday
  5. LA Vikes Fan
    While I agree that a prospect would be better, it's not one of the OFs. We have been playing without a UTL that can play SS since Jeffers came back. That is the most immediate need to be filled. The way the team is currently roster to either Kriedler has to play every day without any sort of break or Lee has to play some SS. Neither of those are good results. The Twins made the right call on the position that needed to be filled. Having said that, Gray is definitely the WRONG guy. Kaelen Culpepper would have been a much better choice and, if he isn't ready since he just came off the IL, Ben Ross is much more deserving. Frankly, Tristan Gray was a shot we took this year on a guy who topped out as a AAAA player with Boston to see if we could unlock something that would make him an MLB regular. We took the same shot with Kriedler. Kriedler has worked out to an extent, Gray has not. Why double down on something that didn't work? To me, the better strategy would be to bring up either Culpepper or Ross and see if you've got something better. It's riskier because these guys could make a "rookie mistake" that costs the team a game or two in what we hope is a competitive August and September. Still, that kind of move has much better long-term effects and roster management and a much higher chance of success IMHO. Almost makes you wonder if Shelton is just more comfortable with a veteran in that UTL role and just isn't ready for another young player. Alternatively, it's been pointed out here that there are some real advantages to waiting until August 14 to bring somebody up so they maintain rookie status for 2027 so maybe that's part of the analysis. That strikes me as too much thinking and too cute by half. Overall, a curious move and in my view the wrong move.
  6. LA Vikes Fan
    Interesting idea. What else would you have to include? Probably at least one or two of the three potentially available premium outfield prospects, either Emma, GG, or Mendez. I’m assuming Jenkins is untouchable in trade. I went on BBTV and a package of Gonzales, Matthews, Emma, and Culpepper for Detmers and Neto is a “moderate overpay” by the Angels. I had to add Riley Quick to get to a fair trade. I removed Quick and added in Austin Martin to get to a minor overpay by the Angels. You stay at fair trade if you subtract Detmers and put in Soriano for the five twins. I didn’t like that soI went with a minor overpay by the Angels and here’s the deal: Twins get- Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano and Zach Neto. Angels get- Culpepper, Emma, GG, Zebby Matthews, plus Martin and Yasser Mercedes if we get Detmers, without Martin if we get Soriano. I don’t know about this one. It would be hard to pull the trigger on this.
  7. LA Vikes Fan
    I’ve been pushing a trade for Hancock on other threads here, but I don’t think giving up Lewis or Keaschall should be necessary or is a good idea. They need a right handed hitting catcher in the worst way with Raleigh still suffering from the strained oblique and hitting .167. How about trading them Jeffers and a high-end hitter from our system like Emma, Gonzales or Mendez? Maybe they throwing a reliever like Ferrer or Speier and we throw in a middle ranked prospect to even have the deal. I think something like that would make sense for both sides. They get that right handed bat they need plus some real future upside that could help them as early as next year, we get a controllable number three or number four starter and some help in the bullpen.
  8. LA Vikes Fan
    Very well put. One of the things that's always struck me at the deadline is the chorus of " Trade (expiring contract guy) for the best you can get rather than risk losing him for nothing". Life just ain't that simple. On Jeffers, there's at least 3 paths, (1) keep him to help you this year and actually win the off season FA lottery, (2) keep him to help you this year, give him the QO and take the high draft pick, or (3) trade him for what is offered. Number 3 has to be better than numbers 1 and 2 or you don't do it. A lot of the packages I've seen rumored are not as good as numbers 1 and 2 IMHO, especially the packages from the Yankees. We don't have to trade anybody; only do it if it makes sense.
  9. LA Vikes Fan
    Great metaphor. This team may not be that good, but they are fun to follow.
  10. LA Vikes Fan
    Thanks for the explanation.
  11. LA Vikes Fan
    You missed an easy one - THE MARINERS NEEED A RH BAT AND NEED A CATCHER! Cal Raleigh has a strained oblique. He went on the IL and came back June 16. He's trying to play through it and is hitting .165/.269/.300 (.569) on the year, .167/.301/.264 (.565) since he came back. Ryan Jeffers makes perfect sense for Seattle. He gives them a RH bat they need, they can move Raleigh to DH or back to the Il, and Jeffers is gone after 2026. Raleigh can heal up and take back over behind the plate in 2027 and beyond.. Even better, the Mariners have what we need - a controllable starting pitcher that they are willing to trade, Emerson Hancock. He's having a great year this year with a 3.16 ERA, but he's been in the low to mid 4s the two previous years without a lot of innings so that reduces his value a little. He has 4 controllable years left and is making under $800,000 this year. He's not a rotation ace by any stretch, more realistically like a 3.75 – 4.25 ERA guy throwing 150 innings a year. He could capably fill a #4 role in a competitive team's rotation. He's probably worth a little more than Jeffers, and it's hard to get an established MLB player for a rental, but we can send them a hitting prospect and maybe get a relief pitcher back along with Hancock. BBTV says something like Jeffers and Emma equals Hancock and Jose Ferrer, Jeffers and Mendez equals Hancock and Gabe Speier. Jeffers and GG equals Hancock by himself. I would do either of those first two deals, and see if I can get Seattle to throw in a 40 rated minor-league are like Robinson Ortiz or Michael Morales. I trust the FO is talking to Seattle about Hancock and I hope they're using Jeffers as bait. This all makes a lot of sense to me.
  12. LA Vikes Fan
    I like it. Think SF would be interested? By the way, BBTV rates Lewis as a higher value than Arraez (probably due to Arrez's contract expiring), so they have SF Throwing in a lower value player like Catcher Drew Cavanaugh. Arraez and Cavanaugh for Lewis would be a deal to make if available.
  13. LA Vikes Fan
    I think you and I have different views of whether the Twins are "contenders" and how some little success would affect the Twins past this year. I think the Twins are absolutely contenders for the Division title or last Wild Card. All of the teams with whom they are competing are just as flawed as they are. One in, they will get a relatively weak division winner and could win a playoff series, followed by being quickly shown the door in the next series. They are not WS contenders or even ALCS contenders this year. However, with a little playoff experience and some moves for controllable players, I think they could be contenders as early as 2027 and definitely by 2028. But even if I agreed with you that this team is nowhere good enough and might not even have much of a chance to make the playoffs, absolutely still trade Jeffers. He's gone after the season and he's not coming back. The Twins have undoubtedly inquired about the cost of an extension and the sides must be pretty far apart. I like the guy and I would rather keep him, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep him if he isn't coming bank and if there is a decent trade package out there unless the point is to excite the fans that season. I don't think we are good enough to lose a valuable asset for nothing at seasons end to accomplish that business objective. Hey, I don't dislike Wallner, he just can't play in the field. If the Twins trade Bell, maybe he could come up as a LH DH/emergency only OF. I just don't see that as a long-term viable role although it might help him establish some value so he be traded to a bad team in the off-season. I just think that the long-term role for him is starting on a sub .500 team as a DH or in the OF. I do not see him playing any significant role on a contending team because he can't run, is a major liability in the outfield, and strikes out more than 35% of the time. You just can't play a guy like that on a winning team.
  14. LA Vikes Fan
    Agreed. I could see trading Lewis for a young, controllable arm even a reliever like Bachman, Silseth or Zeferjahn of the Angels, or Ferrer in Seattle, etc. Other than that, we should run with him and see if he can get back to what he was. Trading him for an older, expensive declining guy makes no sense to me.
  15. LA Vikes Fan
    I realize Jeffers is only a rental but these 4 guys don't do a lot for me. Maybe if we could get 2 of them , like Warren and Hess, I'd be interested but I understand that seems too rich from the Yankees side. So here's my idea, one of these pitchers plus an IF prospect: Jeffers for Benn Hess and Kaeden Kent. Still not very exciting. Trade with the Mariners for Hancock and be willing ot add Emma if they are willing to add Ferrer or Speier. If you can't do that, pivot to Tampa. Tell NY that they have to trade us Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz or Spencer Jones for us to be interested. Those 2 are worth more than Jeffers so we'll throw in a 25-30 prospect. If they won't do that, the Yankees don't have what we need. If we're just trading him "for the best we can get", go to Tampa or Seattle.
  16. LA Vikes Fan
    Interesting. Not sure I like it because I don't think Jeffers is back after this year and I htink the return for Lewis is light. How about this where we trade Jeffers to Seattle who desparately needs RH hitting And a catcher with Raleigh hurt and not performing. Lewis to Angels for Bachman, plus Zeferjahn or Silseth. We throw in Yasser Mercedes if necessary. Wallner and Adams to Colorado for Vodnik. Jeffers and Erod to Seattle for Hancock and Ferrer or Speier. Bell for prospects - don't care one way or the other. Culpepper and either Gray or Ben Ross come up to replace Lewis and Jeffers. Clemens goes back to 1B, with Bell and Jackson in reserve. Culpepper plays 2B, Gray or Ross is UTL. Hancock is #4 in rotation replacing Matthews who goes to AAA until Prielipp needs to go to the bullpen. Bullpen gets Bachman, Zeferjahn, Vodnik, Ferrer, loses Adams, Funderburk to AAA, Rojas to AAA building up as a starter and Sands to the IL or AAA (he's not ready yet). If we can only get one reliever for Lewis, Rojas stays.
  17. LA Vikes Fan
    I'm much more interested in trading for Emerson Hancock and am willing to give up real value to get him. Castillo is done. He doesn't move the needle for me.
  18. LA Vikes Fan
    They aren't. My idea of trading Wallner to a bad team is just to give the guy a chance for a reset, and to avoid the possibility the Twins might be tempted to bring him back up and actually play him. I do not see Wallner as an asset with much of any value. Maybe he could be a change of scenery guy and turned his career around the way Brent Rooker did, or the way Willie Castro did when he came to Minnesota. Walter can't run, can't field, and strikes out over 33% of the time. I doubt if he's ever going to get much of another shot with the Twins. Maybe it's good for both him and for the Twins or him to go somewhere else.
  19. LA Vikes Fan
    First, I think you can both trade Jeffers and buy pitching, maybe even in the same deal. They are not mutually exclusive. The Twins can easily be buyers while trading Jeffers expiring contract. Also, Jeffers is a free agent at the end of the season but Larnach is not. We have another year with him so no need to trade him to avoid having him walk away for nothing. Second, I know some people like Matt Wallner as a local kid with power but I firmly believe he will never again be a regular starting outfielder for the Twins. He is that bad in the field. His only real position is as a DH, and his strikeout rate in the majors is over 35%! His strikeout rate it AAA this year is 27.7% and typically you add at least 5% to the AAA strikeout number to get what people are likely to do in the majors, so even if it's improving he still striking out roughly 1/3 of the time if he comes back. No team hoping to be competitive can afford to play a guy can't run, can't field, and strikes out 1/3 or more of the time. He isn't a free agent until 2030 so there's no chance that he "walks away for nothing" either. I hope the Twins give him a chance to reset by trading him to a bad team. I seriously doubt he will be back up starting in the OF with the Twins again.
  20. LA Vikes Fan
    Volpe and Comal is a lousy deal for Jeffers. Basically 2 guys who have failed with the Yankees. I'd much rather have prospects and I'm not a big fan of trading for prospects. I've seen a proposed Kyle Carr and Kaeden Kent package for Jeffers. That's way too little and that's better than this idea. This sounds more like clickbait put out by the Yankees. I've also seen a package of Will Warren and Hunter Dietz proposed. That's a little better but still seems a bit light. Frankly, if this is all Jeffers is worth to the Yankees time to say no and move on to Tampa or Seattle or , maybe even keep Jeffers around.
  21. LA Vikes Fan
    Me too. Wallner is too bad in the OF and strikes out too much to be a starter on a contending team. LH DH material at best and even that's stretch. Let's trade him to a bad team and give him a chance in a low pressure setting on a team that won't come back to bite us. I hear both Denver and Anaheim are very nice this time of year.
  22. LA Vikes Fan
    I think this is it. Kriedler isn't the long term starting SS; but he's doing well as a placeholder for Culpepper or Houston. I expect something of a time share from Aust 15 or so onward when Culpepper is up while they assess if Culpepper's Defense is good enough for short. If it is, Kriedler's the utility infielder probably this year and next. If the D isn't there but Culpepper hits, he moves to 2B, Clemens becomes a Super UTL, and Kriedler stays at SS until Houston is ready. Either way I see Kriedler on the Twins through at least 2027 unless he falls below the Mendoza line with no power. A quality fielding UTL who can play short at a high level and hit even a little is very hard to find so I think Kriedler gets every opportunity for the next year and a half.
  23. LA Vikes Fan
    I don’t think the thought is to trade Larnach and bring up Wallner to play that position. I think it’s much more likely that left field will become a Roden/Martin platoon, with Keaschall the every day RF . I think they would either call up Jenkins, but maybe Gonzales, to take the roster spot or make Clemens the extra outfielder on a utility basis, and call up another infielder, probably Tristan Gray. I don’t think Wallner is likely to ever be a regular outfielder again for the Twins because his defense is so bad and we have other options. I think his future in Minnesota is limited to a DH role. I think his realistic future is a trade to another team and a fresh start, hopefully with a weaker team that can let him play.
  24. LA Vikes Fan
    I think trading Jeffers is the right move, but I wonder if Tampa Bay is the right trade partner for what I want to do. I don't want to trade Jeffers for just prospects, even ones we think might be ready to help a little bit next year. I want to trade Jeffers for a pitcher who can help us this year in the rotation or the bullpen and who has control beyond this year. I am willing to add a high-end prospect to Jeffers to make that happen. From what I've read, Tampa is in the market for bullpen help itself so I doubt if they have the ability or willingness to trade us a 2026 pitching staff piece. Trading him to the Yankees is the same problem, they need pitching are so are unlikely to give us pitching we can use this year. I think Seattle might be a better trade partner. I am sort of willing to trade Laranch for prospects but it's hard to get excited about it unless they we get very good or elite pitching prospects and I don't think he will garner that kind of return. I don't think it makes sense to trade him for middling prospects or guys that are two or three years out. I think we keep Larnach.
  25. LA Vikes Fan
    They can make a splash without trading for a rental like Gausman, Kittredge, or May. Go for guys who have at least 1 year of control after this one, preferably more. Trade Jeffers plus a prospect to Seattle for Emerson Hancock, who has 4 years of control left. Or trade a premium prospect not named Jenkins or Culpepper, say Emma or GG, plus a 20-30 guy or two to the Angels for Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano, both of whom have two years of control left past this one. Expand the Angels trade by adding another prospect and get Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth, or Ryan Zeferjahn, Even better, add in Culpepper and and get Zach Neto. See what the cost will be on relievers with a least a year of control left after this one like Weaver, Tyler Wells, Jose Saurez, or Brennan Bernardino, and get one. Take some risk and go for a starter coming off of injury like Clay Holmes or a disgruntled starter turned reliever like Carmen Mlodzinski. For pitching, get at least medium term assets. Don't deplete the farm for rentals. My point is be willing to pony up for a pitcher you can keep beyond this year. We have a good system with some high end hitters that are ready and need opportunity. Use them to get the pitching we need, but only if its pitching that we can at least also use in 2027 or even better, also in 2028. You can augment that with a rental RH bat like Lane Thomas or at least a bat who can hit LH pitching even if they are LH like Luis Arraez. This team deserves help but not from rentals who deplete the system in a trade. Get some longer term help. Hey, we seem to be trying this. Nance isn't a free agent until after the 2029 season. Keep that kind of trend going.
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