Otto von Ballpark

You want to talk margin of error? If you intentionally walk the 7 hitter, and you fail to turn a double play, then the top of the order will come to the plate in the inning, no matter what else you do. That means facing the league leader in batting average in Luis Arraez, rather than Jake Cave. Once Cave reaches, then you're potentially facing Carlos Correa instead of Tim Beckham. There's no easy way here. The Jays choice is entirely defensible.

I think the W-L stat for pitchers was already pretty outdated, even before the new extra inning rule.

Further illustrating that maybe the Jays took the right strategy by pitching to Cave and Beckham in the 10th, just slightly bungled the execution:

Their runs may not mean anything, but their outs surely do. The Jays still needed 3 outs before the runner crossed home, and they viewed Cave and Beckham as good chances for those outs — and they were very nearly right, as neither Cave nor Beckham got the ball out of the infield.

Tyler Duffey was waived seven years to the day after his major league debut. His Twins career was bookended by losses to the Blue Jays. The 2015 Twins were surprise contenders, heading to Toronto in early August in possession of a wild-card spot. But the familiar refrain of "needs more pitching" was prevalent, especially as lefty starter Tommy Milone was placed on the disabled list. Most Twins fans expected the highly regarded José Berríos to get the call. After all, Berríos had been a first round draft pick, was a consensus top 50 prospect (and rising), and was now pitching effectively at the minors' top level. But the Twins surprised many observers when they selected the contract of fellow 2012 draftee and AAA starter Tyler Duffey instead. Duffey had been selected with less fanfare in the 5th round, as a college reliever. Converted to starting in professional baseball, he had steadily if unspectacularly moved up the minor league ladder himself, and was putting together his best pro season in 2015 when he got the call. With a devastating curveball, he was striking out 8 batters per 9 innings, back when that was still an impressive figure -- MLB average for starting pitchers was only 7.4 that year. Paired with only 1 home run allowed across 132 innings pitched, Duffey was an intriguing option for a major league start -- if he could get there. The Twins were heading to Toronto, and Duffey didn't have his passport with him in AAA Rochester. From the August 4, 2015 Star Tribune: The Twins were already fading, having dropped the first two games of the series. Duffey's debut on August 5th failed to reverse the trend: a pair of home runs by future Twin Josh Donaldson and José Bautista, more dingers than Duffey had allowed all season, led to 6 runs and a very early exit after just two innings, as the Twins lost again. From the next day's Star Tribune: Toronto would complete the four-game sweep the following day, Duffey was optioned back to AAA, and Twins fans resumed their Berríos watch. But ten days later, it was Duffey returning to the majors, not Berríos, and what a return it was -- from August 15 through the end of the 2015 season, Duffey made 9 starts, and the Twins won 8 of them to hang in the wild card race until the season's final week. With that curveball making Twins fans reminisce about Bert Blyleven, Duffey had a 2.25 ERA in that stretch, backed by an 8.4 K/9 and only 2 home runs allowed in 56 innings. Image courtesy of Tommy Gilligan, USA Today Alas, Blyleven rode his curveball for 22 seasons; Duffey lasted just one more as a starter. He earned a place in the 2016 opening day rotation, but the results didn't transfer with a 6.43 ERA and 25 home runs allowed in 133 innings. Berríos was even worse in 2016, so it appears the Twins made the right call in August 2015. A conversion to relief followed for Duffey, including outstanding seasons in 2019-2020, but that track record wasn't enough to save his job today. Last night, the same Blue Jays franchise ended Duffey's Twins career with another defeat, and another home run -- this time to Vlad Guerrero Jr., a fresh 16-year-old amateur signee when Duffey debuted back in 2015. What's next for Tyler Duffey? He will likely join another bullpen, maybe a contender's, and may even rediscover some magic. But Twins fans will always have the memories of his magic 2015 pennant race curveball.

The hecker's wish came true as deadline day brought three new arms to the first place Twins, and there was much rejoicing in the TD forums. Looking past the week's breaking news and transactions, the community provided some analysis and thought-provoking questions about what's next for our Twins. It took many centuries of human evolution for hecklers to perfect their rhymes; fortunately, the evolution of fan opinion is much faster. Witness My evolving opinion on where the Twins stand by @Mike Sixel, taking a measured approach to the trade deadline and reassessing in its aftermath. The new pitchers join an impressive group of batters (not broken ladders). @Rosterman ponders the optimal arrangement of our offensive riches in What Should Be The Twins Perfect Line-up? Just about any arrangement looks good when you have the third best offense in the American League. In addition to new pitchers, we also added a new catcher in Sandy Leon, although starter Gary Sánchez isn't a belly scratcher either: @Brock Beauchamp reports that the pending free agent is starting to grow roots in Minnesota by creating a scholarship for local minorities. While the trade deadline has passed, the Twins may not be done remaking their pitching staff. @strumdatjag wants an update on potential internal upgrades in What is Current Status of Maeda and Alcala? Kenta has playoff relief experience, and not long ago Jorge was our most promising bullpen arm, so they could still be significant contributors. Finally, @Hosken Bombo Disco honors Vin Scully, 1927-2022. The legendary announcer's influence reached far beyond the Dodgers, as Scully called Bob Allison's catch in the 1965 World Series, the national radio broadcast of Gene Larkin's hit to end the 1991 World Series, and many more iconic moments. What iconic moments are still in store for the 2022 Twins? Share your take or ask your question in the forums. View full article

Megill also has options remaining — 2021 was his first option year.

Yes. Traded players have up to 72 hours to report to their new team, but as soon as they report, you need to add them to the 26-man roster. Mahle was planning to throw a bullpen session for us today, in advance of his Friday start:

Moran is being optioned tonight to activate Mahle.

I was thinking this too, but to be fair, it doesn't look like Chicago or Cleveland had quite the gaps that the Twins had on the pitching staff. Even their lineups are filling out a bit with guys returning from injury and from minor league call-ups. Both have a couple black holes (Grandal & Moncada, Straw & Hedges) but they seem stuck/committed to them, contractually or otherwise.

I suspect that may have been true of most MLB ballparks during that time (well, except for the weather ) -- it was just at the very beginning of the modern stadium/attendance boom, so demand was still low enough to keep prices low and availability high. Oakland actually did pretty well in attendance those years. The only AL teams that finished ahead of the A's attendance from 1989-1992 all had new ballparks (first Toronto, then Chicago and finally Baltimore). The A's averaged 33,256 fans per game during that stretch, with a seating capacity of ~48,000. The A's lowest season attendance over those 4 years was higher than the Twins' highest, and the Twins were still drawing respectably.

Also, here's a first-hand account of the Eric Fox game from @weinshie: The two worst losses in recent Twins history

I think Wes Johnson's last game was June 30. Our ERA since then is 5.45, worst in MLB. FanGraphs team ERA since July 1

I've seen Stranger Things than a starting pitcher allowing 10 runs in a game...

Fun fact: A.J. Pierzynski used "Sharp Dressed Man" as his walk-up song. In 2004, the Wall Street Journal called the choice "amusing and annoying, just like he is."

Would we know how to use them?

I could have tried to make a reference to that song in the article, but doing so would have made me El Loco.

The Twins franchise has lost key games to many legends over time: Koufax, Yastrzemski, most of the 21st century Yankees, and... Eric Fox? That name may not be familiar, but if you followed the 1992 season with hopes of a repeat championship, Eric Fox played a large role in crushing those hopes. As they did in 1991, the 1992 Twins started slow in April, but warmed up in May and June, and finally took sole possession of first place after a marathon 15-inning win vs. Baltimore on Independence Day, July 4th. Entering a 3-game showdown with the second-place Oakland Athletics from July 27-29, the Twins held first place by 3 games, as well as the best record in MLB. The series should have favored the Twins: it was held in the Metrodome, packed with friendly fans off the excitement of 1991, and two of Oakland's stars, Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco, were hobbled by injury. In their absence, the 28-year-old rookie non-prospect Fox was thrust into the A's outfield and leadoff spot, just 3 weeks after his major league debut. But Oakland won the first two games, prompting Twins GM Andy MacPhail to say "It looks like God wants a pennant race." Fox contributed 4 hits in 10 at-bats over those two games, which kept him in the leadoff spot for the third and final game of the series despite the returns of Canseco and Henderson. In that third game, 30 years ago today (July 29, 1992), Bill Krueger out-dueled Dave Stewart for 8 innings before Rick Aguilera came on in the 9th to protect both a 4-2 lead in the game and a 1-game lead in the division. Back-to-back singles brought up the potential go-ahead in Henderson, who would have been a logical hero, but baseball heroes aren't always logical: Henderson flew out for the first out of the inning. The next batter was Eric Fox. The switch-hitting Fox hit a 1-1 pitch off the facing of the Metrodome's upper deck in right field for a 3-run home run, giving the A's a 5-4 lead. After the game, Fox said, "Definitely the biggest hit in my life. Twenty-eight years worth. He came inside on me, and I just turned on it. The first thing I thought was that I might have turned on it too much. But I had that certain feeling." Dennis Eckersley, on his way to a Cy Young Award, retired the Twins in order in the bottom of the 9th to secure the victory, the sweep, and his 33rd save in as many chances that season. The 1992 Twins quickly faded into second place, as God's interest in a pennant race must have waned. But the hero Fox quickly faded too, finishing his major league career with a .198 batting average and 5 home runs in 290 plate appearances spread across four seasons. He'd show at least one more flair for the dramatic, though: on Opening Day in 1993, with Oakland clinging to a late 1-run lead against Detroit, Fox would hit a pinch-hit grand slam for insurance. Does God want a pennant race in 2022? The Twins' most recent games against Chicago and Cleveland might suggest that, and the Twins are scheduled to play them a combined 17 times over their final 33 games. If there is a 2022 version of Eric Fox, we can only hope God places him on the Twins this time.

While the Twins have been waiting to play through off-days, the TD forums have been waiting for the trades to keep us at the (ZZ) Top. Many in the community believe the Twins need to add at least Tres Hombres to their pitching staff, and with the Tuesday August 2 trade deadline looming, speculation is growing about who they will be and how much they will cost. The Reds have a couple starting pitchers of interest: Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle. @Brock Beauchamp shares a Trade Rumor: Twins more Interested in Reds' Mahle than Castillo that suggests the Twins are going after the cheaper sunglasses. Also from Brock: Jesus Just Left Chicago, but some MLB observers apparently can't, as Rosenthal writes that Rival Official Predicts White Sox Runaway Division Winners. Looking at their .500 record and major roster holes, though, and I suspect the White Sox would need to acquire an Afterburner (or two) in trade just to make that outcome possible. Rosenthal might soon write that Juan Just Left Washington, and while the Twins likely don't need to add a major bat, @Doctor Gast points out that Juan Soto might distract enough of the top teams to present trade opportunities for our Twins. After the obvious pitching needs, wanting a backup catcher ain't askin' for much, and @ashbury takes us downtown (Milwaukee) to find one: Trade Rumor: Pedro Severino, anyone? It sure would be nice for the Twins to play Eliminator rather than eliminated for a change. @jorgenswest asks Is there value in winning a playoff round? and under the new wild-card system, a few trade acquisitions could make the Twins a favorite to advance beyond the first series. Byron Buxton used to be known more for his Legs than his bat, but he's become our top power threat. @stringer bell asks who finishes Runner up on the team in homers, and some of the late entrants in the race might surprise you. Finally, @Tlaker has their eyes on a Sharp-Dressed Man in the league office: Theo Epstein….. future commish. Rob Manfred for Epstein -- now there's a trade proposal everyone can agree with! Found a new rumor, or want to start one? You too can share it in the Twins Daily forums. View full article

Trucker horns heralded two Twins performers in the All-Star Game, as well as the official start of trade season in the Twins Daily forums. While most of the Twins rested after a challenging series with the White Sox, Twins Daily staff created a whole new section for sharing and discussing trade rumors ahead of the August 2nd trade deadline. Other roster and philosophical questions rounded out the week's activity. @Nick Nelson helped kick off the trade rumor machine with a proposal: A Hypothetical Twins Trade for Luis Castillo from The Athletic. Everyone knows the Twins need pitching; would you pay this price? @RedneckRay imagines a more piratical trade in Could the Twins Pull off a Mega-Deal with the A's? Oakland does have trade chips at starting pitcher, relief pitcher, and catcher, but we wouldn't be the only ones looking to plunder the A's roster. Moving up the standings, the Red Sox are just 1.5 games behind the Twins but likely won't have the luxury of a division title if they fall short of a wild card. @Loosey identifies a good starting pitcher on an expiring contract as an Under the Radar Trade Target if Boston decides to sell. Most fans would say it is unimaginable that the first-place Twins would decline to upgrade their roster by trade. @mikelink45 tries to imagine an alternate path to success in What if we don't trade. Minnesota children love snow days in winter, but @Vanimal46 isn't sure how to feel about a Sanó day this summer: Sunday is decision day for Sano. What will the Twins do? The return of Miguel Sanó from the injured list could be just like a trade; the question is, would it be a good trade or a bad one? Finally, blurring the line between good and bad, @Trov asks Is the Point of MLB Teams to Win, or Entertain? Ideally you'd like to do both, but in the absence of the former, can a team still celebrate Butch Huskey and induct him into its (Outfield) Wall of Fame? Share your take or trade idea -- good, bad, or just entertaining -- in the forums. View full article

Laureano is a good player -- 115 wRC+ this year, 118 career, also steals some bases and plays a decent CF, just turned 28. His counting stats have been suppressed a bit due to non-injury issues -- he was a late-season call-up in 2018, pandemic 2020, then a PED suspension that spanned 2021-2022. (Also he plays in a pitcher's park in Oakland, in an era of low batting averages.) Here are his prorated WAR numbers over a full season of team games (so this includes injuries and rest): 2018*: 6.5 fWAR, 6.9 bWAR 2019: 3.9 fWAR, 3.5 bWAR 2020*: 3.0 fWAR, 4.1 bWAR 2021*: 2.5 fWAR, 3.9 bWAR 2022*: 2.9 fWAR, 2.0 bWAR The suspension also cost him enough service time to push back his free agency by a year. (The suspension may also keep his arbitration salaries lower too.) I don't know if that adds up to $45 mil of future surplus value, but he's a good/valuable player right now.

Here's the full trade proposal from the link, as evaluated by BaseballTradeValues.com: