LA Vikes Fan

The guys that could maybe help are Larnach, Garlick, and Maeda. None may help but Larnach is really the key. If he can hit some, he can essentially be the full time DH/LF. We desperately need another middle of the order bat to hit ahead of Gordon, Urshela and Kepler. If he were to come back and hit, he could really help. And if Buxton is out for awhile we need the help even more. The rest is marginal. Garlick can at least put Kepler on the bench against lefties so that's some help. Maeda can hopefully take some of the stretch innings that would go to Pagan and Megill. Big help? No, but maybe something on the margins. Seems like a game or two may matter so even the margins help. Oh, by the way, I think Aaron Sanchez is actually going to help down the stretch.

Well put. It seems like they just don't have somebody who's simultaneously keeping the team loose and at the same time performing and pulling guys up. We miss Nelson Cruz. I know he can't hit any more but it would almost have been worth bringing him back. Same for Eddie. Teh team always seemed to play better when he was in the lineup whether he hit or not. We just don't seem to have that guy right now.

i agree with this. I say it slightly differently - we don't have that one guy who can/will carry the team for a month. Same concept though. There is no on field player who puts the team on his back and carries it. Buxton is hurt, Correa isn't that guy, Polanco . . .A great manager like Terry Francona can do that on conjunction with one great player like Jose Ramirez but Baldelli isn't that manager and we don't have that player. It would be great to see one emerge but the time is getting late. . .

Not sure I agree that the only "stars" came from a previous regime. It was this FO that actually created a functional MLB pitching staff by trading for Duran, Gray, Ryan, Lopez, Fullmer, Maeda and Mahle, among others. Of course, they also traded away Rogers for a starter who got hurt and he who shall not be named. They also signed Polanco and Buxton long term and signed Correa as a FA, things the former regime would not have done. They also drafted Miranda, Royce Lewis and Kirilloff - not sure if Larnach was them or the last year of prior regime. I think this FO has a pretty good track record of getting and keeping talent; certainly better than the Ryan II regime. Other than Buxton and Polanco, what talent did this regime inherit? Kepler and Sano were the crown jewels with Polanco and both flamed out. On the pitching side, the only real asset I can recall is Rogers and yes, he should not have been traded at least not for who they got. Maybe Kyle Gibson? I can't really think of anyone else at the MLB level that's a quality MLB player that was inherited. Gordon maybe? I think this FO has a real positive and a real negative. On the positive side they took a team that was threadbare in talent in 2016, added some real MLB talent, greatly improved the minor league pipeline and were able to keep assets around. Ryan wasn't really doing any of those things the second time around. On the negative, their trade record is mixed and the pipeline has yet to produce high end MLB pitching or that superstar hitter, and they really only added two "star" free agents, Cruz and Correa. Overall a mixed bag but I think above average to very good. But let's be honest, Much better than the prior regime.

Good post, Ted. I agree that the lack of a player "stepping up" to lead this team is one of the real issues this season. There really hasn't been a time when one or two hitters have really stepped up and carried the team through a 10-15 game stretch. Having said that, I think the bottom line with this team is that it simply does not have enough talent. I don't agree with Jim Souhan very often but he is right about this lineup. The top 4/5 of Arraez, Polanco, Miranda, Correa and Buxton are above average but they are not great. They are pretty good. More importantly, there is no one superstar hitter among them who can carry a team for a month. Correa isn't that guy - he wasn't the MAN in Houston and he's not the MAN now. All 5 of those guys would be great complimentary hitters around a true middle of the order stud but we don't have that guy. The back half of the lineup is a disaster. Nick Gordon is a nice player hitting a little bit above average and he could start on a contending team hitting in the 7 or 8 hole. Urshela is a classic starter on a 2nd division team, utility player/8 or 9 hitter on a contending team. Kepler is fourth outfielder you keep because of his defense. He can't hit. Celestino is a AAA centerfielder who you hope will make a meaningful contribution one or two years from now. Sanchez is a backup catcher, Leon is a 3rd catcher/AAA depth. Cave and Beckham are at best high minors depth who really shouldn't be on any MLB roster. You look in the minors and outside possibly of Helman there's nothing there that can help you this year. The pitching staff is similar to the top 4 or 5 hitters, solid/good but not great. The rotation is fine and could be really good if it had a number 1 starter. But we don't. The bullpen is actually pretty solid 5 to 6 pitchers deep after the trades, but the quality really falls off at the bottom. Add a #1 starter and the pitching might be good enough for a contending team with a good lineup but it's not good enough to carry the weak lineup we have. Yes, injuries have hurt, particularly the back half of the lineup and the bullpen. Yes, we will have more starters next year. Yes there is optimism for next year because of that. All good. This year? We've been playing in June, July and August at only a little below the level of the talent we have; we should really be a slightly above .500 team not a 7 or 8 games under .500 team, but that's really where the talent is. I'd love to see one of the hitters really jump up and carry us for the next couple of weeks. I think we're going to just continue to fade without that happening. If we're being honest, the best bets are really Polanco and Arraez. Correa and Buxton have been lousy with runners in scoring position all season so it's hard to see how that will change and Miranda is just a rookie. Kepler and Urshela just aren't good enough to be more than complimentary hitters at best. Short of someone really popping up to carry this team, I see the Twins continuing this slow fade and winding up somewhere between 82 and 85 wins. Enough to sort of be in contention but finishing 3-4 games outside the playoffs. Hey, it's a great improvement over last year but still would be a tad disappointing

I agree and let’s see what happens today. We all know Archer will go only four or five innings. Today would be a perfect day for Sands to go 2-4 innings and then be the guy who’s optioned to AAA SO Aaron Sanchez or Smeltzer can come up and start Tuesday in Houston. Sands can then come back in 10 days and be on the Roster by 9/1 in case we make the playoffs or we can run a 6 man rotation in September.

I tend to agree with the last poster. For this team to get hot play .600 baseball for a month, which is what they need to do to win this division, either the rotation or the offense needs to take a step up. Well I think the rotation to marshmallow you prove, I think it’s much more feasible and likely for the office to take that next step. In order to do that, Arraez, Gordon and Miranda have to continue to play the way they have and 2 of Correa, Buxton and Polanco Have to get hot. I would make those three the most important because I think that’s the most likely way to win the division.

Interesting, and seems to comport with the eye test. Kepler and Sanchez are having lousy years and Correa has been decent but below standard. He has a chance though to get back to his "normal" performance, whereas Kepler and Sanchez really don't. The other interesting thing is really to show how much both Buxton and Polanco have sacrificed average for power. I frankly like to see both of them dial that back a little since I think for this team to be successful on offense it has to be a string hits together team. Not enough table setters to be a single and a blast team. Anyway, interesting stuff.

I think we are where we are and it will be hard to totally change philosophies at this point in the season. I would like to see three tweaks though. First, give Jax, Megill, and maybe even Sands 2 inning assignments on a regular basis. That's starting to happen and they can be the "bridge" between the 4-6 inning starters and the short relievers - Fullmer, Duran, and Lopez. Theilbar is more of a fireman filling multiple roles and Pagan (rhymes with "should be gone") is the low leverage guy. Second, bring up Aaron Sanchez (for Pagan) and piggyback 2 of the following 3 each time through the rotation - Sanchez, Bundy and Archer. Hopefully that gives us one start per rotation turn where 2 guys handle most or even all of the innings. Third, give Gray and maybe Ryan more rope to go into the 6th and 7th innings. Same for Mahle if he's back soon. They're as built up as we're going to get; now is the time to stretch innings. Of course, my third thought is a lot easier to implement if we could score some runs. It's a lot easier to let guys keep going when you're up 4 or 5 runs. That would help a lot.

I don't think the Twins expected to have both of them starting every 5th game all year. They thought they had 2 guys for basically 1 5th starter spot. Paddack, Winder and/or Ober were supposed to take the #3 and #4 spots. They both got hurt and these guys are the depth options we though they might be. It's a good thing they're around with the injuries and Smeltzer pitching like, well, like Smeltzer. Bottom line, good thing we have them this year. We got value for their contracts and it was a good thing we signed them. Turns out we needed them (and maybe more depending on how long Mahle is now out). Having said all that, let' s hope we don't need more than 1 of them next year.

Agreed. He's already a #3 guy in a solid rotation.

Great to see Gray get a shot at the 7th inning. Having said that, he can't go out an give up two solid hits to start the 7th and expect that to engender confidence with the manager. It's like when Bundy went 5 strong against the Padres (?) and promptly gave up back to back hits to start the 6th. Gotta back up the ask. Gray should get more cahnces in the 7th but he has to perform.

Agreed. One hopes he can be the #4 starter next year behind Mahle, Maeda and Gray. Then next year Ryan can be the #4, Ober the #5.

I so too, but I am the eternal optimist. I think it would help if the Twins would do a couple of things that I think are long overdue, think DFA Pagan and Beckham. That would at least make me think that they are trying to right the ship before this crucial stretch.

Our extreme lack of depth is really showing. Jake Cave and Tim Beckham do not belong on a major league roster yet they re really the only available replacements for Kepler. Kepler is at best the 4th OF on a contending team. Great glove, poor hitter with occasional power, should be playing 2-3 days a week hitting 8th. He's 29 people; he' snot going to get significantly better. This is who he is. Pagan should be in the bullpen of a non-contending team or in AAA. Great arm, can't handle pressure. Leon is a 3rd catcher/AAA depth, not a 50% timeshare guy. Megill should be honing his craft at AAA looking for next year's bullpen. Bundy and Archer - maybe one in a rotation, but definitely not both. Add to that, the team is lifeless outside of Arraez and Miranda. Yes, injuries are a big culprit but they don't completely explain this malaise. So what do you do? You can nibble around the edges - bring up Aaron Sanchez, DFA Pagan, put Archer in the bullpen; bring up Helman and Contreras, DFA Cave and Beckham. Maybe that helps a little. You can fire Rocco, but replace him with who? Tingler failed in San Diego and I'm not aware of anyone out there who would be an upgrade. Losing Wes Johnson was a huge loss. Bottom line, this team was barely good enough to contend this year when fully healthy. I keep saying we have about 80-85% of a good team, and I still think that's right, but only when healthy. Right now we have about 65% of a good team. I still have hope because I am the eternal optimist but my rational side says that this team will continue to slide and finish with around 82-84 wins; just over .500. Better than the 78 wins I predicted back in March but still just not good enough. Really interesting off season coming up with Correa situation. Also, I've been a big apologist for Rocco but I am beginning to think he just isn't the guy for a team like this. Looks like time for a new voice.

Amen, brother. We need a couple of more hot bats to go with Arraez and Miranda. Polanco, Buxton, Correa, Larnach when he returns - 2 or 3 of those guys getting hot would cure a lot of what ails us.

All good. By the way, can you believe the lineup that moron Rocco is putting out for tonight? I could do better with a dart board! And I bet he pulls Mahle after for five innings just because he's gone through the lineup twice. He needs to get his head out of the computer and actually watch the game for a change! We're doomed.

I'm not as negative as the last two posters but I do agree that these next 3 series are pretty critical. We have 3 against the LAA, 3 at home vs. KC, and 4 at home vs. Texas. All sub .500 yet all dangerous. We need to go 6-4 minimum, 7-3 or better realistically. I also agree that he injuries have just killed us. I think the plan was to contend for and maybe get a playoff spot this year as we built the team for "real" contention next year. The hope at the beginning of the season was that the 2022 lineup would have some combination of Miranda, Lewis, Kirilloff and Larnach getting the necessary experience so they could be the 4-7 spots in the batting order in 2023 after Arraez, Polanco and Buxton.. Now, we'll be lucky to have Miranda there plus Larnach, with Lewis and especially Kirilloff complete questions marks. That means another year we have to rely on guys like Kepler and Urshela who otherwise should be the 4th OF and gone respectively. This was the year Ryan, Ober, Winder and Paddack would be making their bones in the starting rotation and be solid to good pieces next year. So far Ryan is it, with Ober maybe coming back so the best case scenario is that those 2 are the 3 and 4 starters next year. That meant we had to trade some prospects to get Mahle - great move, by the way - and will probably need to keep Archer or Bundy, or maybe even both, to get a competitive rotation for 2023. Still, I remain optimistic. I say that the 2022 Twins somehow slip into the playoffs, win a home series against Tampa or Toronto, and then get blown out by Houston. Hey, a guy can dream, right?

By the way, is it wrong for me to secretly hope that Bundy suffers a non-career threatening yet season ending injury so Aaron Sanchez can take his spot? it probably is . . .

I like your style Rosterman. I think 30-22 is doable and gets us in.

C'mon, that was funny. I'm in my "early" 60s, 15 lbs overweight, and can barely walk 3 or 4 miles in a row. But I think Byron Buxton is dogging it, should return his paycheck, and should just put on his big boy pants and play! These kids today, with the hair and the music... Sometimes we get a little too serious about this stuff. I have to tell you if someone had come to me in February and told me I can can make you a deal so the Twins will be over .500 and in real contention in August, i would have said "where do I sign"? I don't know about you guys but this season has been actually fun even after they came out here a got their butts kicked by the Dodgers. I'm enjoying the ride.

You forgot baserunning, but I guess we only get to identify 3 weaknesses.

Agree we got to do something to help this roster. Beckham can't hit and doesn't bring a lot of defensive value. Understand the thinking, he hit in AAA so maybe he would hit in the bigs. Turned out to be wrong. Replace him with Palacios, play Palacios 1-2 days a week at SS with Correa DHing 1 and sitting 1. IL either Kepler or Buxton for 10 days depending on how much you think Buxton can play. Whoever goes misses 3 against LAA, 3 against KC, and 3 of the 4 against Texas. Replacement is either Helman or Contreras. Consider an option/DFA for Cave - nice story but we're back to the same old thing with his 3 SOs last night, 7 SOs in last 25 ABs - and bring up the other of Helman or Palacios. Bring up Aaron Sanchez, either to pitch long relief or start in place of Archer, DFA Pagan. Up - Palacios, Helman, Contreras, Sanchez. Down or Il - Pagan, Cave, Beckham, and either Buxton or Kepler. I may be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic but may give us a spark.

Great question. Here's another - why is Tim Beckham on the roster? He can't hit and doesn't bring a lot of defensive value. understand the thinking, he hit in AAA so maybe he would hit in the bigs. Turned out to be wrong. Replace him with Palacios, play Palacios 1-2 days a week at SS with Correa DHing 1 and sitting 1.

I am an optimist by nature, probably a bit too optimistic.