LA Vikes Fan

I think you're right Mike on what the Twins will do. If the question was what the Twins should do the answer to me is pretty straightforward once we know one thing we don't know - Buxton's actual physical condition. If his physical condition is such that he could be put on the 10 day IL, followed by a rehab stint in AAA, to me that's the obvious choice. Gives him a chance to get healthy or at least healthier, opens up some at bats for people like Wallner, Polanco and Julien once Polanco comes back, and probably gives us the best chance of having Buxton available and productive for the last six week of the season (and hopefully the playoffs). If he is not "injured" enough to go on the IL then I think you have to move him down in the order to at least the 5 or 6 hole until he starts hitting. Frankly, I would say the seven hole, although that is going to mean that against left-handed starters we are going to have to play some of our left-handed hitters. I think we should be doing that anyway, particularly Kirilloff and Julien. We will never find out if they can adapt to hitting left-handed pitching at the MLB level until they get a chance to do so. One thing is very obvious, the Buxton as the permanent DH experiment is just not working and now we have enough data to suggest it's not going to work. I don't know whether that's because he's hurt or because he can't hit as well when he's not playing in the field. There are a lot of guys you just couldn't adapt to the DH slot and were much more productive when they played in the field, however badly. To me that opens the third possibility - play Buxton in left field. Again, opens up the DH spot and should be less of a strain on his legs and playing centerfield. Doesn't really solve the problem because someone's got to play center but it might help Buxton which I think is or at least should be the primary goal.

Did you see Souhan's Strib column today? He cites "private conversations with members of the organization" that revealed "deep frustration over the direction of the season". He sys that's why "the atmosphere around the ballpark and in the clubhouse is so tense". This sounds like ownership using the time-honored method of communicating displeasure to management through the sympathetic local columnist. And they're communicating that they aren't happy. I this is true, it's a good but not great thing. The gist of the article is that Falvey and Baldelli are under pressure to succeed now (good), have the rest of the year to get it right (not so good), and that failure will have consequences (very good). It will interesting to see if any changes are made or if they hitch their wagon to the current group playing better. I vote for the former but expect the latter.

Excellent point. The failure to call up Larnach in particular, and also Wallner, would say volumes about the FOs view of the two players. This is particularly true given the offensive futility of Gallo and Kepler not just this year but the last 3.5 years for Kepler and the last 1.5 years for Gallo. Maybe you could make the defensive argument when they were younger, but they're both over or pushing 30 and their defensive value is decreasing fast. The evidence shows that the idea that the we are going to get the 2019 Kepler or the 2020-2021 Gallo in the second half for more than an occasional hot streak is just a fantasy. This all really does make one wonder if the FO just doesn't believe that Larnach and/or Wallner can cut it at the MLB level. Larnach is 26, Wallner is 25. They are at least a basic version of what they are - Improvement now will most likely be incremental. If the FO doesn't think they can help the Twins, trade them now while they still have some value. Oakland or KC might be willing to give up a solid to better relief pitcher for one of them. Whatever you do, don't let these 2 guys just rot in AAA. Have these guys help us by playing at the MLB level or trading them for guys who can help us.

Cody is right. Yes, improvement by Buxton and Correa is the most important thing to improve the lineup. That shouldn't stop the Twins from improving where they can, or at least trying to do so. You hsould never let the desire for the perfect solution stop you from making improvements. Are Larnach and Wallner better than Gallo and Kepler? I'd say it's probably a 55/45 proposition on the "yes" side, maybe 50/50 or 60/40. To me, that's worth a shot. Moreover, there's very little downside . It would tough for them to be worse and if they are, throw Kirilloff and Castro out there every day, make Solano the full time 1B, and/or call up Andrew Stevenson and things still improve over what they are now. This is a no brainer.

I wonder about something that I think is germane to this topic. We all want the team to DO SOMETHING so we will get better! There seems to be agreement that giving Wallner consistent ABs in the OF is one thing we should do, and also keeping Julien in the lineup some how. Some want to trade for a BP piece or a bat (including me on the bat), all the while recognizing that kind of a trade will be a small upgrade at best. We're not getting a high end producer in a trade because we don't have anything left to trade that will get us a high end producer. Is there really anything else? What is it? Maybe that's why this is such a frustrating conversation. We want the team to do something but there really isn't much we can do. Hey, I'm all on board with bringing up Wallner and losing either Gallo or Kepler (I would lose both and bring up Wallner and Larnach with Stevenson in reserve) and/or a trade for a veteran RH outfield bat or bullpen piece. But that's probably it is in the realm of possibility. And I know in my heart of hearts that even doing all of those things is unlikely to get us above 85 wins and a first round playoff exit unless Buxton, Correa and/or Polanco start hitting like superstars. So the frustrating part is that it really is a waiting game on those three players. It is broke and we can't fix it from the outside, we can only hope it heals itself.

I understand the desire to fire Rocco; the manager always gets more credit and more blame than deserved. I actually think this roster is performing at or above the talent level with the exception of Correa, Buxton, and Jorge Lopez. Gallo and Kepler aren't very good (to put it mildly), but neither has been very good for the last 2-3 years. We really miss Polanco in the lineup, it stinks that Miranda has taken a huge step back, and it really hurts that Lewis is on the IL again. Other than that, this team is basically what you would expect in the field, better than expected on the mound, and unearthing Solano and Castro is a very good thing. The point of all this is that it doesn't scream Fire The Manager to me. It screams overhaul the roster and do it now, not in the off season. A new manager isn't going to make Correa, Buxton, Kepler or Gallo hit better - a new manager would at most sit Kepler and Gallo IF the FO would call up Wallner and/ or Larnach. I really think that this group wins 82-85 games, may win the Central if the other teams don't perform, and promptly flames out unless we get at least 2 NEW bats in the lineup AND Buxton and Correa have better second halves of the season. One of those bats could be Wallner or Larnach, but one probably needs to come from outside of the organization. Trade for Grinchuk, Canha or even better, Lane Thomas or Teoscar Hernandez if you can get them without gutting the system. Call up Wallner. Make the needed room by losing Gallo and Kepler even if you have to eat salary and/or get nothing but A ball lottery tickets in return. Fire Rocco? Meh. Don't really care a lot because he isn't the problem and a new manager isn't the solution. Make a significant shakeup in the non-pitching side of the roster? I'm all for it.

Get the concept but who are the young guys playing well? Wallner and Larnach, yes, but there isn't much of anyone else at AAA that gets one's hopes up. Andrew Stevenson is hitting in AAA, but is 29 and has had 395 MLB ABs with a .687 OPS. Bechtold has a career .729 minor league OPS. Maybe Chris Williams? He's got good stats, but he plays IB and sort of catches, and he struck out 144 times in 422 ABs in 2022, 75 in 191 ABs this year. In AA, Severino has decent stats except he's struck out 97 times in 268 ABs (298 PAs). Brooks Lee is coming on a little but he didn't hit at all in spring training and it's taken him a while to find his legs in AA. Both need some AAA time before they'll really be ready. The depressing thing about this team is that there just isn't much in the system that could improve the lineup that we haven't already tried other than the corner OFs. I'm all on board with somehow losing or benching Gallo and Kepler (in that order) and replacing them with Wallner and Larnach (also in that order). Getting Polanco and particularly Lewis back from the Il will help, at least some. Other than that, a trade is really the only way to improve things in the lineup in my view (unless we want to trade out MAT or Castro for Stevenson). I'm so desperate for hitting that Nelson Cruz seems possible, but I know it's a bad idea. This lineup's best chance to get better is a much better second half from Correa and Buxton. The rest of the things suggested here are interesting but only represent improvement on the margins. This lineup needs much more than that.

You may be right but there's no reason that has to be the case. The Twins would have no trouble covering 3B without Miranda on the roster. They have Solano, Farmer, and Castro who are equally as adept in the field (perhaps more so), and all of them are hitting better than Miranda. They can play one of those three at 3B and still have two utility infielders on the bench. There's no reason that we have to wait for an OF the be traded, cut, or injured to bring up Wallner unless the issue is that Rocco doesn't want to bench Gallo or Kepler (or Buxton). My point here isn't that this is what I think the Twins are going to do, or maybe even should do, but they certainly can do if we want to check out Wallner before the trade deadline. It does mean consigning either Kepler or Gallo, or some combination thereof, to the bench most nights unless Buxton is going to the OF or the IL. There's absolutely no point in bringing Wallner up unless he is going to be playing at least four or five days a week. Still, at least some folks here believe that adding Wallner to the lineup over either Gallo or Kepler would allow the team score more runs. I have to admit that I'm hopeful but a little dubious since Wallner strikes out so much in AAA. The bottom line is what we may be seeing is the result of the organization's analysis as to whether Wallner can help this lineup more than either Kepler or Gallo much more so than Wallner being "blocked" by some level of numbers game.

Actually, that could work if you make Castro the UTL IF. Wallner plays LF instead of Gallo (unless Gallo plays CF) or you take Gallo, Kepler and Wallner to play LF and RF in some combination every day. Not so great against LH pitching to be sure, but it is a way to get Wallner up before losing either Gallo or Kepler. We really do have plenty of IFs with Kirilloff, Julien, Correa, Solano, Farmer and Castro. That's not a reason to keep Miranda and keep Wallner down. Personally, I would lose Gallo or Kepler sooner rather than later and bring up Wallner for a try. Having said that, there is no real reason we couldn't get Wallner up now if we wanted to by simply sending Miranda down. Farmer, Solano, and Castro can handle 3B with Julien at 2B and Correa at SS until Polanco/Lewis come back. Bringing up Wallner that way and playing him would only require benching Buxton, Kepler or Gallo to give Wallner playing time. I think that's the real issue; Rocco doesn't want to bench one of those 3 regularly so there's no room to bring up Wallner and give him consistent ABs, especially with Buxton an everyday DH.

The last player us are running halfway down right field line after busting it to first base was Barry Bonds his last few years. He did so because he had a bad knee and the abrupt stop caused pain so he shut it down slowly kind of like a drag racer. I've had six knee operations and can tell you that it's the cutting and quick stop and start that causes pain and can reinjure the knee, not the running in a straight line. Having said all that, I do really hope they put Buxton in the OF would soon. I really think that the lack of like playing in the field is one of the things that is significantly impacting his hitting. Also, as a completely amateur diagnosis, I noticed he tucks in his left foot in to act as a fulcrum when he swings. If he were to open up the toe of the left foot and realign his hips rather than closing the toe he would greatly reduce the torque on his knee and also save his hip, assuming his left knee is the bad one. Hey, it worked for my golf game but you do have to realign your hips or it screws up your swing path.

You're right that there is no straightforward path. This offense isn't one stick away at an obviously open position. The Twins are 2-3 hitters away and the ones they do have all play in the IF. In fact, once Polanco and Lewis come back, the only way to play Julien is to move him to 1B and Kirilloff to the OF. Not ideal. Yet even with that, it's unlikely to help much since the vets are not performing. That's why I think the best bet is to do a semi teardown and do it now. Trade/DFA Gallo AND Kepler, bring up Larnach and Wallner who will be competing with each other and with maybe Kirilloff and Castro. Move Julien to 1B and Kirilloff to the OF when Polanco comes back. Play Miranda every day for 3-4 weeks at 3B while Lewis is out and see if his bat comes back. If Buxton can't play some OF, put him on the IL and hope he can in 3-4 weeks while others DH. He is not helping us now. Jeffers is your starting C and Velasquez plays 30% of the games. Give Andrew Stevenson some run in CF. Let Kirilloff, Julien, and Larnach/Wallner hit against LH pitching. They aren't going to get better unless they get a shot. Could this all turn into an ugly disaster? Of course. But frankly, how is that much different than what we are running out there right now? Not only that, it gives the FO insight as to who is ready to play. The current strategy runs out a least one guy who won't even be here next year in Gallo, two if you count Kepler in the unlikely to be retained group (I do), and relies pretty heavily on a 35 year old journeyman in Solano, a 32 year old occasional hit CF in MAT, and gives 400-500 ABs to a nice utility guy who shouldn't be starting for any MLB team in Castro. This makes no sense, short or long term. Change it up or just give up.

I've heard that a lot about Julien - can't play 3B. We want to keep his bat in the lineup when polanc returns, at least against RH starters. Why can't Julien play 3B? Arm strength? If he can't, can Polanco throw well enough to play 3B? Need to have them both in the lineup. Maybe Julien at 1B, Kirilloff in LF and Polanco at 2B? When you only have 3-5 hitters and 2 of them play the same position, you gotta get creative.

Which is why I think Kepler is the twins RF in 2024. Gallo goes and Walner and Larnach fight it out for LF.

I think you're right - Kepler will be the RF next year if he even hits a little less than his career average of .231/.315/.427 this year and has 20 or so HRs. Larnach has been at best inconsistent at the MLB level and Wallner has all of 76 MLB ABs, only 19 this year. I cna't see them dumping Kepler and Gallo, and it's hard for me to see the Twins re-signing Gallo unless thing tick up a whole bunch from where they are now. It's looking more and more like the "mistake" that blocks giving Wallner his shot was picking up Joey Gallo. Hopefully we kind find a home for him by the trade deadline in return for an average reliever or maybe A Ball lottery ticket or two so Wallner can get a shot. I can't see the Twins opening up both RF and LF this year or next when the only thing between them and more Garlick is an inconsistent Larnach and an untested Wallner. Let's open one spot and at least get the "untested" issue solved.

There actually are trades that work out for both teams. I think this is one of them. Both teams got what they needed and both players are performing at a very high level. Add in that we signed Lopez through 2027 for roughly 18.5m a season, and the Marlins get two more years of arbitration before Arraez becomes a free agent and everybody wins. I'll cheer for Luis and hope he hits .350 while I cheer for the Twins and hope Lopez wins multiple playoff games. I think both will happen.

Hader, Barlow or David Robertson could be very interesting depending on the price. On the hitting side, Lane Thomas would be a really good get and Teoscar Hernandez or Tommy Pham could help, again depending on the price. Jurickson Profar initially sounded a little interesting but I wouldn't give up much for him. I live in LA so I've seen the Cody Bellinger show up close and personal. Can be great, can be awful, and you never know what you're going to get. Given his contract and the cost to get him he's a pass for me. Candelario might be nice for the next 4-6 weeks if we could get him NOW but where does Lewis play when he comes back? Nobody else moves the needle much for me.

I agree. You need to have both guys who get on base and power guys. Most importantly you have to play the style that best suits your personnel. We don't have the personnel for a small ball approach. To be sure, some of that is self inflicted by the batting coaches and by picking up FAs like Gallo, although i do want to mention we also picked up Solano, the polar opposite of Gallo. Good offensive teams are balanced with TTO guys and OBP guys. We are just too far on the power/TTO side, especially now that Lewis is out. You can see the difference when Correa and Buxton stop selling out for power and the team starts to score more or at least put more pressure on their opponent's pitching and defense. I'd love to see us pick up a higher BA/OPB guy at the trade deadline. I'm just not willing to give up much for him. Why? Because unless they hit over .300 with an over.800 OPS they aren't worth much, and they really aren't worth much unless they hit in front of higher SLG % guys.

You're probably right and that's one of the reasons that my conclusion was to not trade Gray because I just don't see the return out there for him unless we're willing to take prospects who are at least a year or two away from the bigs. The Twins aren't in the right spot to trade pitching for prospects. I'd rather give Gray a QO and get a first round pick next year. I don't like the idea of trading our better prospects for someone like Goldschmidt (even if we could) because this team isn't one guy away from WS contention. Besides, acquiring Goldschmidt requires Kirilloff to move to the OF. I'd rather he stay and develop as the long term 1B. Bottom line for me - if there's someone wiling to give up a middle reliver or even a good A or decent AA prospect for Gallo, let's do it and bring up Wallner or Larnach to replace him. If we can trade a blocked prospect like Miranda for a blocked RH hitting OF prospect from someone else, let's do that. Otherwise, let's roll with what we have.

I don't see the FO doing a lot a the deadline this year because there isn't a lot to trade except pitching and I don't think they like to trade pitching. Who could/should we trade that would bring a return? Sonny Gray, maybe one of Kepler/Gallo, and one of Larnach/Wallner? Not much else out there that would get us much back. Polanco is hurt, Miranda can't hit, Maeda is 35 and just back from TJ. hard to see getting much back from trading any of them. To me, the wild card is Gray. I suspect they have approached or will approach him about a 2-3 year extension so they know if that's possible and at what price. They could make him a qualifying offer and get a first or second round pick if he signs elsewhere. He will want to test free agency because at 33, this is his last chance for a high value (18-22m/year) multi year deal. I would trade Gray only if part of the return is an established RH hitting MLB OF, an established late inning RP (each with at least 1.5 years of control left), or a younger OF already at the MLB level with high upside. I would be willing to throw in Larnach or Wallner for the right deal, either with Gray or with Gallo to move him of of the roster. I would look at the Angels who need players after all of the injuries, and also St. Louis. The problem with the Angels is they haven't got anything we want unless they're willing to trade Micky Moniak or give us Hunter Renfroe cheap. I also looked at the Giants, Diamondbacks and Astros - not a lot there either. Here's two Gray trades vetted through MLB trade values: Twins get Dylan Carlson, Cardinals get Gray and either Miranda alone or Gallo plus a mid level prospect Twins get Jake McCarthy and Drey Jameson, Diamondbacks get Sonny Gray and Miranda The first one is interesting, the second one a little less so. Bottom line, I keep Gray and give him a QO, trade Gallo for whatever level prospect you can get or a reliever like Gallegos or Hicks from St. louis , call up Wallner to play LF, and roll with what you got.

Agreed. I wonder if moving Buxton to LF would help? He can probably play LF without a lot of practice time. I'm not sure how much that helps the lineup since CF would still need to be a mix of MAT and Castro. Would open up the DH spot to rotate guys through, but still doesn't stop the real roster issue - we shouldn't have both Kepler and Gallo. One (this week my vote is Gallo) should go.

I like the idea of Solano at 3B if he can play that position competently. If he can, that opens up 2B for Julien while still keeping Solano's bat in the lineup. Miranda looks awful at the plate so far and he can start Friday against a LH pitcher. I would venture to say that Mirana may not survive the All Star break on the MLB roster if Solano can play 3B. Farmer can platoon at 2B with Julien, and he and Castro are the UTl infielders. Miranda down, Wallner up after the ASG unless Polanco is back and ready to replace Mirnada on the roster.

Yes it's the Royals but let's enjoy the moment while it's here. Who knows, maybe this continues. A girl can dream, right?

Mike's comment is the other factor to consider that you omitted - where is this team going next year and beyond? I understand being "satisfied" but not thrilled with another Kepler kind of year - .230/.315/.420 in the short term. I think people were very down on Kepler because we weren't even getting that until this recent hot streak. The bigger question is where we going with this? Kepler has an option next year at $10 million. That's more than the Twins were willing to pay for Eddie Rosario, who was a better player or at least a better hitter. Short of Kepler continuing this hot streak for the rest of the season, it sure seems unlikely that the Twins will pick up that option. If you start with the assumption that the current team's ceiling is a division title and maybe a couple of playoff wins or one playoff series win, the hope is we would improve going into next year to be a true contender. In order to do that, we need to know if Wallner or Larnach is an upgrade over Kepler and/or Gallo. The only way to find out is to play them on at least a semi regular basis at the MLB level. Keeping both Kepler and Gallo on the roster essentially makes that impossible. So where were headed is to a 2024 season without Kepler and/or Gallo and a complete mystery as to whether our current players can fill that gap. That's not a good way to run a railroad. I'd be fine with keeping Kepler this year if we traded Gallo and gave Wallner some run in left field. I am not as high on Wallner as are others here because of his high strikeout rate in the minors and his brutal defense, but he did have an intriguing short run last month so I think it's worth giving him a shot. Let's see if he can actually be a solid contributor or whether he's another high strikeout, bad defending, occasional power guy.

I'd be fine with Polanco at 3B if we think his arm is strong enough. That would open up 2B for a combination of Julien and Solano. It also might save some wear and tear on Polanco. He can then move back to 2B once Lewis is ready to come back in August.

I think this was the book on him before his breakout season in 2021. Good bat to ball skills but swings at a lot of pitches where he can't make good contact. They got him to focus only on stuff he could drive in 20222. Now pitchers have adjusted to his hot zones and he needs to make solid contact throughout the strike zone and lay off pitches outside the strike zone. Unfortunately, he's had a few balls called strikes early in the count and he gets very defensive, just tries to make contact and gets nothing good going. He's hitting afraid a little bit. Small sample size, but I don't think he's going to get much benefit being in the Bigs and should go back to AAA. I would try Julien and even Solano at 3B so they have a place to play when Polanco comes back by month end. If they don't have the arm, then a Castro/Farmer mix is the answer. Bring up Wallner and see what he can do in LF, with Gallo playing CF with Taylor.