LA Vikes Fan

How about moving Buxton to LF? Yes, still injury concerns but fewer chances assumedly means less risk. Castro (60%) and Taylor (40%) play CF. Gallo plays RF/1B 80% of the time, same for Kirilloff (at 1B unless Gallo has a leg issue), and Kepler plays RF the days Gallo or Kirilloff sit or DH. Also opens up a spot for Julien to stay, play 2B 2-3 days a week while Polanco sits or DHs. I don't know if that really solves the problem but helps.

Would there be less risk if we played Buxton in LF? IF so, who wins and loses in that scenario? it would open up the DH spot which might allow us to get more ABs out of Polanco, and keep Julien, Wallner or Larnach on the roster and give them 4 days a week in the lineup. It means Gallo plays RF and Kepler sits, with MAT and Castro playing in CF. Kepler loses out but he isn't hitting and hasn't hit since 2019. Something that should be considered?

Sending down Wallner seems strange ... until you think about who else we have. Castro has been one of if not our best hitter over the last 30 games (.270/.333/.436). Gallo leads the team in HRs and it's way too early for them to cut bait on the investment. Farmer is in a slump at the plate, but we need a backup SS and he's had good stretches at the plate too. Julien will go down on a day or two when Polanco is ready to come back. The obvious two to wonder about are Solano and Kepler. Solano does give us a RH decent bat, but no power and not much else. Kepler is who he is, a weak bat great glove corner OF. Add to that the fact that there's no DH to give Wallner regular ABS and the answer is unfortunately pretty clear. I would have liked to see Buxton go back to the OF or maybe have kept Wallner over Solano but you can't fault the logic of what was done. My hpe is that we'll trade either Gallo or Kepler for relief pitching and open up a spot.

You're right on. Buxton in CF tomorrow? How about Willi Castro if they want to keep Buxton DH'ing?

I think you're right unless.... can he play a a passable CF? MAT is way off, may be because of his back issues. I see an IL stint coming for him. Castro as an everyday CF a possibility?

It may be a pitch sequence thing as well as a pitch usage issue. When batters consistently can foul off a sweeper, that suggest that they have a good idea that it's coming. He may be relying too much on his "best" pitch when it's a pitch that is more swing and miss effective off of a fastball or sinker. The stats suggest that he's over reliant on the sweeper. My thought is more fastballs and sinkers could lead to a more effective out pitch with the sweeper. BTW, this lines up with the eye test when I've watched the games. Jax pitches well but lacks an out pitch that can get the swing and miss or pop up kind of contact. He has real trouble putting hitters away when he gets ahead. He reminds a little of Jake Odorizzi - good stuff but lacked an out pitch so 6 innings took 100 plus pitches to get through, and the ball was always in play so there were a lot of "lucky" hits against him.

Two keys for me. First, get Lewis up on May 29, especially if Correa needs 10-15 days for his foot. Second, do NOT demote Wallner; play him every day while we are facing RH starters. Let's see what these two guys can do and if they can be the necessary reinforcements this season. Let's find that out now so we have some intel before we hit trading season. How? Demote Garlick if Kepler is ready and keep Wallner. Promote Lewis if Correa or Gallo has to go on the Il.. If not, promote him Monday and demote/DFA Garlick (if Kepler is still out), Solano or Julien. If Polanco is ready, either Julien, Solano or or Castro goes - I would keep up Castro and DFA/demote Solano. Unlikely that there's much of a market for Solano at his age and he's a one year guy anyway. My overall point is let's find NOW if the MiLB/new guys we have can help us this year. That's Lewis, Castro, Wallner, and Kirilloff. I don't think Julien is quite ready yet and his defense is just... not good. Keep the other 4 up at the expense of guys like Solano and Garlick, and move Kepler if you need to in order to create room. How do we create ABs? Here's an idea - play Buxton in LF, not CF, 3-4 of days a week to open up the DH spot. Less balls to LF, less injury risk. Have CF be mostly Castro, with Taylor doing what h we brought him here to do - play CF against LH pitching and in late inning defensive situations. Gallo can DH to rest his hammy and Wallner can play RF or vice versa. We can get a preliminary read on Wallner over the next 10 days and we can get Lewis acclimated. Let's do it.

Nice and needed win yesterday, but bighat is unfortunately right about the offense as many of us have mentioned in the past. The offense is that it is best average or slightly above average when everyone is available. It is much less than that when there are injuries. Bottom line is that for this offense to be even top half we need Polanco and Correa back and hitting, Buxton to hit .260 plus, not .235, Kirilloff to be a competent #3-#5 hitter and Lewis to come up and give us a spark. I wouldn't get my hopes up for Kepler to help on offense - he is what he is and he isn't a good hitter. For this offense to work we need premier production from Correa and Buxton, very good production from Polanco and Kirilloff, Gallo to hit 35 plus HRs with a .340 plus OBP, Lewis to come up and be a competent leadoff type hitter, and then real offensive contributions from at least two of Farmer, Larnach, Wallner, Taylor, Jeffers, Vasquez, and Kepler. All of those things are possible. Having all those things happen in the same season is pretty unlikely. I would like to see two moves over the next couple of months. First, we badly need another reliever. I would give DeLeon, Balazovic and Lawyerson a real shot for the next six weeks to be a solid bullpen piece. You can make that happen through injuries, putting Sands on the shuttle, or frankly getting rid of Pagan since we know he is not the answer. If that doesn't work, trade Kepler and a decent prospect for a solid relief pitcher. I would love a guy like Chapman (probably too expensive in prospects), be thrilled with a guy like Dylan Florio, and even accept Brad Hand. Second, give Lewis, Wallner, and Julien a decent run in the lineup over that same time. To see if they can be contributors this year. If not, make a trade for another bat preferably one to play left field. They say you spent the first two months of the season seeing what you have, the second two months trying to fill in your holes, and the last two months you play with what you have. We can see the holes in the bullpenand in the lineup. Let's be aggressive and proactive about trying to fill those holes first with younger guys already in the organization and then trades around the All-Star break if that doesn't pan out. Let's just not keep running the same people out there over and over expecting different results.

I think you may have the wrong Castro. MLB.com says Willi Castro has 1083 ABS, 1176 plate appearances. He's just turned 26 in April. He's never had more than 413 ABs in any MLB season. He may never be a competent MLB starter but he's young enough and it's early enough in his development that there is at least a chance he could become more than his stats said he was coming into this season.

This. I would add one other thought. The AL Central is pretty awful this year. There's likely to be some ups and downs with Lewis; most players have those when they first come up. This is a year where the team can endure those and still have a real chance to win the division. Let's take advantage of that and give Lewis and Kirilloff an every day run. Add Larnach if Buxton ever goes back to the OF and opens up the DH spot or if Kepler gets traded. Leave him at 3B and SS though. No need to take a bigger injury risk by playing him in the OF where he got hurt last year and where he hasn't played this year. Play him where he's going to play long term.

You guys may be right that 3 weeks from now Farmer and Castro will be reverting back to pumpkin status. 3 weeks from now Lewis will (or should) be on the the 26 man roster, Taylor's back could improve if he gets 10 days on the IL, Kepler will be back, and Miranda may have rediscovered his magic. My point is that now Farmer and Castro are providing real value. Run them out there every day until that stops and then put them back into the reserve roles they were intended to be in. Let's also avoid the other extreme, holding someone like Lewis down so a guy like Farmer can play every day. Lews should come up the first day he's eligible and play every day. He's hopefully the present and definitely the future. The division is down this year: this is the perfect year to give him (and Kirilloff, and Larnach) some real run while still having a chance to win the division. We can find ABs for Farmer 2-4 days a week in the IF, and I don't see a problem putting him in LF a day or two a week. He won't win a gold glove, but he's played a couple of games there before and if he can play a competent MLB SS, I have to believe he can hold down LF. If we can ever get Buxton in CF 2-3 days a week, Farmer can DH or play SS/2B so Correa and Polanco can DH. Bottom line, give Castro and Farmer some run now while the ABs are available. They've shown AT THE MLB LEVEL that they can add real value in the back half of the lineup and on defense. Play them over Solano, Taylor, Kepler, and Julien. Get Lewis up here ASAP and see what he can do by playing him every day. This lineup needs help, bad, so give it the help we can.

I agree. He’s 26 and this is basically his third year in the bigs. He hasn’t hit enough to stay, but sometimes guys don’t show what they have until they’ve been given some run. Frankly, he is hitting the best on the team right now outside of Kirilloff. I say let him play another week and see what you have. Maybe even consider leading him off. I doubt if we are going to catch lightning in a bottle, but one never knows.

I don't think we need to go out and get an OF discarded by another team for the MLB roster. I think we've found the temporary platoon CF in Willie Castro. Kepler can also go out there temporarily if Taylor's bat requires an IL stint. For now, I think Castro is taking over Gordon's spot as an OF first super utility guy. And, by the way, he's earning it with his play over the last week. If we want to see if Aaron Hicks has anything left, sign him and send him to AAA for evaluation. He's unlikely to get a MLB shot with his performance the last 2-3 years. so he might be willing to take that kind of a deal. If he won't, no big loss.

Here's his chance. I'm not sure if Julien will start tonight against a LH starter but he should get the 2B ABs against RH pitching. We also need a leadoff guy, at least until Lewis can be recalled. He should get 25 ABs or so over the next 10 days. Hope he shows us something. If he does, he can stay ahead of Garlick. Heck, I would dump Garlick now and let Wallner get his ABs once we get past these 2 LH starters.

Not that you or I would know about that from any personal experience..... Just heard about it.

By the way, Ron Coomer was an All-Star in 1999. Yes, the rule than was that every team had to have one player picked, but still - Ron Coomer, American League All Star, 1999.

Generic Viagra. Yeah it works, but it's kind of depressing that you both need it and you have to be price conscious when you buy it. And, who knows what's actually in there.

This isn't the time for Wallner. Garlick will be up for this series until Kepler comes back Monday and then will go back down. Wallner's time comes when either Gallo gets hurt, Kepler gets traded, or they decide he's a better bet than Larnach.

Agreed. If the Lewis from last year appears, I like Lewis at 3B and leading off. No question that that Farmer has been good in the field and at the plate, but it's unrealistic to expect him to continue at a .283/.353/467 (.820), OPS+ 126, when his career line is .253/,313/396 (.709), with an OPS+ of 86, and he'll be 33 in August. Farmer can go to the role we had hoped for early on - an IF utility who plays 3-4 days a week at all 4 positions plus DH and starts most games against LH pitching. He's only played a few games in LF or at 1B but you have to think that he could learn 1B if he can play every other IF position, and same with LF.

Add the drop in velo to his performance and I get an idea? Maybe his shoulder or elbow is starting to go. How about we IL the guy for 15 days, and then rehab him in AAA for 20 days. Things may sort out with the present AAA guys to see if we have a replacement over the next month. Just a thought.

Ugly for Gordon. Out for awhile. Interesting to see if they 10 day Polanco. Kepler out until 5/25(?). Still too early for Lewis (?). Garlick up for Gordon.

Hopefully Lewis will be back on June 1. I think he should be playing 3b every day and I would consider leading him off. Teh comments of his agent suggest pretty strongly to me that he won't be playing in the OF. Lineup something like this against RH pitching - Lewis 3B, Correa SS, Kirilloff 1B, Buxton CF/DH, Polanco 2B, Larnach LF/DH, Gallo LF/DH, Vasquez/Jeffers C, Kepler RF. Same against LH pitching, except Farmer either goes in Larnach' s spot playing LF or Kirilloff's playing 1B and they either hit one of Kepler/Gallo/Larnach 9 in RF, or they put Buxton at DH and Taylor in CF. Gordon and Castro or Solano ( whichever stays when Lewis comes up) are utilities.

Lots of positives but two potentially worrisome negatives - bullpen depth and lineup depth. The Twins desperately need one more solid late inning bullpen piece. Duran and Lopez are good, high end late inning relievers. Jax is good as a 6th/7th inning guy but not as a late inning guy. Stewart and Pagan seem ok as middle relievers - I can't believe I just said that - but both could have a 6+ ERA month any time now. Thielbar coming back will help but we need one more guy. It doesn't look like Moran or Alcala is that guy nor is there anyone at AAA. Trade? I think if Kirilloff is the real deal then the lineup is only one guy short - a good speed/on base/leadoff hitter type. Is Lewis that guy this year? He might be. Add in Miranda by July as the RH 1B once Lewis takes over at 3B and the lineup could be pretty good and pretty deep. Yes, too much swing and miss. Yes, I would love to trade in Kepler and/or Gallo for a quality RH hitting corner OF but that isn't going to happen. Add Lewis on June 1 at 3B, get the 20221-22 Thielbar back, trade for a solid late inning reliever, and avoid injury, and this could actually be a 90-95 win team. Yes I know, the Easter Bunny could also turn out to be real but a guy can dream, right?

I agree with the thought but not your conclusion. Trading Cruz for Ryan, big win. Lewin Diaz for Romo, win. Three prospects for Sam Dyson, major rip off by the Giants, but nobody got much value there. The prospects have done very little, although Jaylin Davis is hitting for Boston this year, 3 years later. Berrios for Martin and SWR? Too early to tell what value we got, if any, but not signing Berrios to a long term big money deal was the right call. He's been poor at best in Toronto. Graetrol and Raley for Maeda and Camargo? Win -Win, Maeda good for Mn before TJ, Graterol ok but not as good as hoped for in LA. Petty for Gray? Short term win for the Twins, too early to tell overall. Arraez for Pablo Lopez and Salas - win for the Twins. A solid #2 starter with upside to possibly be your #1 who can then be signed long term at what I would say is a below market price is much more valuable than a very good singles hitter who can't run or play much defense. Add in what appears to be a good SS prospect makes it even better. 4 MiLB pitchers for Jorge Lopez? Right now, win Twins but we'll see how Povich does ( decent now at AA) and Cano is pitching a lot better there than he did in MN. Rogers and Rooker for Paddack and Pagan? Looking better for us now with Pagan actually contributing this year, and Rogers and Rooker no longer with SD. Depends on if Paddack comes back and becomes a solid mid-rotation starter. If he does, win Twins. If not, we lose. Finally (and I'm sure I missed some), Urshela for Hidalgo. Hard to say - Urshela is a singles hitter with no power for the Angels who doesn't play every day and leaves after this year as a free agent. Hidalgo looks pretty good in High A but is a long ways off. Too early to tell, unlikely to move the needle much either way. My point is that the track record is far from perfect but actually is pretty good. We traded away a quality hitter with little defensive value (Arraez), an as of now struggling starter on a big contract (Berrios), a decent but not great reliever (Graterol), a quality reliever coming up on free agency (Rogers), a 40 year old DH who has tanked since he left (N Cruz), a decent 3B who really is a utility guy because of his no power bat and limited fielding range (Urshela), a bunch of prospects who so far haven't really panned out for the teams that got them with possible exception of Steer, CES (hated to lose him) and Cano, and 2 prospects who are a long way away but may be good in Povich and Petty. In return, we got three now #2/#3 starters (P Lopez, Gray, Ryan - the guts of our rotation), a good back end reliever ( J Lopez), three solid starters now hurt who may come back to make a contribution (Paddack, Maeda, Mahle), whatever we want to call Pagan (awful in 22, not so bad in 23), and prospects we still have who may or may not become something (SWR, Martin, Henriquez, Hidalgo). I think it's a little unfair to say this FO's trades are a long line of mistakes. Overall, I think we've done better than 50/50.

Give Lee time. An MLB contribution next year would be a quick advance. He's not a likely answer for 2023. Those answers need to come from the current 26 man roster, plus possibly Lewis, and a return of Larnach and/or Miranda. There's a possibility of someone like Julien, Hellman or another current MiLB player contributing on the hitting side but I think that's pretty unlikely. More likely that we might try to trade for a bat at the deadline.